Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
generally very little juice (remember, small ber-
ries and plenty of pips). Most important, asyn-
chronous maturation is frequent in Grignolino,
so bunches sporting green berries right next to
pinkish-red ones are common: therefore, reduc-
ing the variety's inherent vegetative vigor is
paramount, for otherwise the grapes don't
ripen properly and evenly. On a positive note,
Grignolino is an excellent translator of soil
types, and so wines express a huge diversity of
aromas and fl avors, depending on soil type and
microclimates (as well as biotype).
While still found sporadically in old vine-
yards of the Langhe, Grignolino is mainly
grown in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti.
Recent interest in the variety and its light wines
has led to cultivation expanding westward
toward Tortona, but the highest-quality areas for
Grignolino are on the right bank of the Tanaro
River and in the Monferrato area located
between Asti and Casale Monferrato. Unfortu-
nately, Grignolino covers only about 1 percent of
the total vineyard surface in Piedmont, but my
hope is that in these modern, fast paced times,
the charms of Grignolino's delicate wines will
lead producers to replant the variety. Inciden-
tally, American readers might like to know that
there is a little Grignolino planted in Napa Val-
ley, less than fi fty hectares. Heitz Cellars contin-
ues to make a lovely wine from its small plot of
vines, at times even a delicious Port-styled wine,
which is unheard of in Italy. The grape is also
grown in Santa Clara Valley, where Guglielmo
makes its Private Reserve Grignolino.
fruit fl avors to beat these into submission, but
Grignolino, well . . . Simply put, Grignolino
was, until recently, a tragically unfashionable
wine because of its pale red-pink color, lack of
obvious sweet, ripe, soft fruit fl avors, and very
high acidities and tannins. In short, a recipe for
wine disaster. “But things are changing,” smiles
Lanati. “People are turning away from mon-
strous wines of a recent past that were all alco-
hol, chocolate and vanilla, with very low acid
levels and plenty of residual sugar. And with
our improved understanding of Grignolino and
how to bring it to show its best, there's hope
yet.” Then he adds quickly, “But it's not easy.”
Well-made Grignolino wines are magical:
the wine resembles a big
rosato
more than a
vino
rosso
and often has an orange or garnet tinge
from birth; the garnet edge is not a sign of pre-
mature age but rather is a typical characteristic
of the wine. Actually, it's the dark-red Grigno-
lino wines that should worry you, for that's not
normal, despite what you might be told, so caveat
emptor. The wines exude a lovely aroma of fresh
fl owers, small red berries (strawberry, raspberry,
sour red cherries), and spices such as white pep-
per (not the black pepper more typical of syrah,
for example), and they are blessed with high,
refreshing acidity and crisp tannins that leave
the palate feeling fresh and clean. As Grignolino
doesn't need any more tannins than it already
has, oak aging is a no-no, as the delicate aromas
and fl avors would be completely overwhelmed.
The wines are classically dry and have blessedly
low alcohol levels (12 or 12.5 percent is the norm,
and only with recent global warming have some
uncharacteristic 14 percent wines appeared),
which make them both wonderful aperitifs and
splendid with vegetable and white-meat dishes
(rabbit, chicken, veal). The wine's high acidity
and tannic bite make it ideal with fatty foods,
and its delicate spiciness matches perfectly with
soy-sauce-enhanced dishes. Grignolino's per-
fume and light frame ensure that it's the perfect
red wine for those who mainly drink white
wines, a selling point that producers are increas-
ingly aware of. Last but not least, there is abso-
lutely no better match in the world than grigno-
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Admittedly, Grignolino wines are an acquired
taste many people have failed to acquire. That
might change now that the new Pope Francis,
Jorge Bergoglio, has publicly voiced his appre-
ciation of grignolino; both Beppe Bologna of
Braida and Franco Morando of Montalbera
reported to me that their grignolino sales took
off after the pope's admission. Maybe this will
get other people to appreciate grignolino's many
charms. Most tasters usually forgive the high
tannins and acidity if the wine also has enough
