Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Rossese Bianco
to be Rossese Bianco were actually Sicily's
Grillo (Torello Marinoni, Torello Marinoni,
Raimondi, Ruffa, Lacombe, Schneider, et al.
2009). These days, Rossese Bianco di San Bia-
gio is found around San Biagio in Liguria
thanks to the hard work of Count Nino Picedi
Benettini and Mario Maccario, but it has been
planted in both eastern and western Liguria.
Rossese Bianco proper is instead limited to the
Monforte d'Alba area of Langhe, far more
famous for its Barolo.
where it's found:
Piedmont, Liguria.
nation -
al registry code number:
374.
color:
white.
Ironically, Rossese Bianco used to be more
common in Italy than the red-berried
Rossese
s,
whose wines you're far more likely to taste now-
adays. Rossese Bianco was all but forgotten and
fell by the wayside, which is a shame. In 1596,
Bacci documented a white-berried Rossese
Bianco, or Roxeise, known for excellent wines
in the sixteenth century. Gallesio also describes
the variety in detail in his
Pomona italiana
([1817] 1839).
Though some believed this grape was a
white-berried mutation of a
Rossese
variety,
Rossese Bianco is so named for both its white
grape and the white wine it produces and also
because the whitish berries have a faint red
glimmer. So Rossese Bianco may not be such
an oxymoron after all. The trouble is, there is
more than one grape called Rossese Bianco in
Italy, with probably distinct varieties growing
in well-defi ned areas of Piedmont and Liguria
(in Piedmont, a Rossese Bianco variety grows
near Sinio and Roddino, but it's likely the same
as that grows in nearby Monforte; there is no
certainty at present). Unfortunately, in the
absence of accurate ampelographic descriptions
and DNA profi ling, the National Registry offi -
cially lists only one Rossese Bianco, the Pied-
montese one. In fact, it lists Langhe as the only
DOC wine the grape can be used in. It is there-
fore this variety that can lay claim, for now, to
the Rossese Bianco name.
Besides the one Piedmontese Rossese
Bianco, there are at least two different but simi-
larly named Rossese Bianco grapevines of Ligu-
ria: Rossese Bianco di Arcola, which is identical
to the variety called Ruzzese (and therefore the
latter name should be used); and Rossese
Bianco di San Biagio (also known as Rossese
Bianco di San Biagio della Cima e Soldano),
currently the subject of further studies. Inter-
estingly, the excellent 2009 study on Ligurian
native grapes found that several vines believed
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Based on my repeated tastings of Giovanni
Manzone's wine (every vintage he has ever
made, incidentally), I can say that this specifi c
Rossese Bianco will remind you a little of Ver-
mentino, but with more fl esh to the delicate
fruit aromas and fl avors (ripe citrus, nectarine,
winter melon) and stronger herbal nuance
(chlorophyll, thyme, mint), with less salinity.
Manzone is a well-known Barolo producer, but
I salute him here for his efforts and passion: if
we can drink Rossese Bianco wine today, it's
thanks to him.
Rossese Bianco di San Biagio, based on the
Anfosso and Maccario bottlings, is leaner and
fresher, with more fl oral and saline nuances.
wines to try:
For Rossese Bianco, try: Giovanni
Manzone*** (Rosserto). For Rossese Bianco di
San Biagio, try: Tenuta Anfosso** (Bianco,
which is a
vino da tavola
) and Maccario**.
Rossetto
where it's found:
Lazio, Umbria.
national
registry code number:
not registered.
color:
white.
Though it is a white grape, Rossetto is one of
many Italian varieties named for the grape's
red skin color (
rossetto
means “little red one”).
This variety assumes a pinkish tinge when the
golden-yellow berries are fully ripe. In the last
twenty years people have taken to using the
names Roscetto and Rossetto interchangeably,
