Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Uva Vecchia, all synonymous to Fortana and
different from the Canina Nera variety listed in
the National Registry.
Brugnola, typical of Valtellina and used
there in blends with other local varieties to
make wines such as Sassella and Inferno, was
long considered a biotype of Fortana, but as the
two are not genetically identical, Brugnola is
now viewed as a distinct variety. Schneider,
Torello Marinoni, Boccacci, and Botta have
determined that Brugnola is instead closely
related to Nebbiolo (2005-6).
Fortana grows mainly in the coastal coun-
tryside that extends from the mouth of the Po
River at Goro to the source of the Reno River,
and around the towns of Alfonsine, Bagnacav-
allo, Lugo, and Russi near Ravenna, in the prov-
inces of Parma and Reggio Emilia. It is usually
harvested in the fi rst two weeks of October
and there are two clones available, CAB 1 and
CAB 13.
dry or sweet: the dry sparkling version is the
most typical.
wines to try:
Corte Madonnina***, Matta-
relli*** (Emanuele Mattarelli's sweet fortana is
probably the best of all), Antica Corte Pallavi-
cina** (Fortana del Taro, Tamburén Rosé, and
Fortanella), Ca' Nova**, La Romanina**, Mari-
otti** (Duna della Puia, a very interesting non-
sparkling version of fortana), Cantine Berga-
maschi* (Fortana del Taro Podere Rosa).
Frappato
where it's found:
Sicily.
national registry
code number:
87.
color:
red.
Also known in the past as Surra or Nero
Capitano, Frappato is the variety responsible for
some of Sicily's most delicious unknown wines.
Once rarely used to make monovarietal wines,
Frappato's role was always that of second fi ddle
to Nero d'Avola, with which it is blended to
make Cerasuolo di Vittoria, an important wine
from the southeastern corner of the island. In
blends such as this one, Frappato has much the
same softening role that Canaiolo Nero has
with Sangiovese in Tuscany or Malvasia Nera
with Negro Amaro in Puglia. Frappato is most
likely a native of southeastern Sicily, where it
has a long history (its presence documented
there since at least the seventeenth century).
However, the fi rst detailed description dates to
1760 (Sestini 1991). Recent DNA studies (Di
Vecchi Staraz, Bandinelli, Boselli, This, Boursi-
quot, Laucou, Lacombe, and Varès 2007) have
suggested a parent-offspring relationship
between Frappato and Sangiovese, and that
Frappato is a sibling of the Gaglioppo variety of
Calabria. Interestingly, while Frappato is one of
Sicily's oldest grape varieties, it is essentially
unrelated, or far removed, from most of them.
Most often, Frappato has medium-sized,
pyramidal, compact bunches and round-oval,
medium-sized berries, but a huge amount
of intravarietal variability exists. At least two
Frappato biotypes have been described, with
type B characterized by a slightly smaller, more
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The wine is most interesting when the grapes
are grown near Ferrara, in the Bosco Eliceo,
which is the one
grand cru
for the variety and
the only DOC that allows for up to 100 percent
Fortana (with a minimum 85 percent). The
Bosco Eliceo is so called because there used to
be large quantities of oaks (
eliseti,
in Italian, or
Quercus ilex
). It is a truly unique habitat, char-
acterized by its location close to the sea, with
salt-rich, extremely sandy soils, marine breezes,
plenty of fog, and very high humidity. Further-
more, due to the sand content of the soils (in
fact in Italy these are known as
vini delle sabbie
or wines of the sands), most of the vines are
ungrafted, as phylloxera was unable to survive
in this environment. The IGT Fortana del Taro
is also a source of good wines, made more often
than not with Fortanella. A good fortana is
characterized by bright red-cherry and rasp-
berry aromas and fl avors, complicated by notes
of cocoa, black pepper, quinine, and licorice.
The sparkling versions are characterized by
more fragrant fl oral aromas, and there are good
rosato
versions as well. The wine can be both
