Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the towns of Cicagna, Leivi, Avegno, Cam-
posasco, and Lorsica, but its presence has been
documented even in the Val Graveglia (Campo
di Né and Zerli) and in the countryside of Chi-
avari. It also still grows in Corsica under the
name of Genovese.
Also known locally as Laconarzu, Mizu,
Migiu, and Semidamu, Semidano is a poten-
tially great grape variety waiting to be rediscov-
ered by more than those few producers who are
still working with it. Believed to be one of the
many imports to Sardinia by way of the Phoeni-
cians (a claim that's admittedly hard to prove),
Semidano has always been co-planted with
Nuragus, with which it shares a common past.
As Semidano is less resistant than the latter to
phylloxera and oidium, it risked extinction
because farmers preferred to replant with Nur-
agus, a much hardier variety. Semidano never
endeared itself to farmers not only because is it
disease sensitive but also because it has greatly
variable yields from year to year.
Recent SSR genetic testing at twelve loci
reported by Nieddu (2011) in a topic on Sardin-
ian grape varieties (not published in a peer-
reviewed journal) demonstrated that Semidano
is separate from all other Sardinian grape varie-
ties, though it is closely related to the little-
known local variety named Lacconargeddu.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
A good Scimiscia' wine has a bright straw-yel-
low color with green tinges and an intense
nose of ripe pear and even banana, with a nice
saline tang and plenty of refreshing acidity,
though it is creamier and bigger bodied than
many other Ligurian whites, such as albarola.
At the current state of my knowledge, I am not
confi dent enough to say that one biotype
makes better wine than the other, as only
small-batch microvinifications have been
made thus far. The wine is a real rarity, and
you might taste it only when visiting this beau-
tiful part of Liguria.
wines to try: La Ricolla** and Cantina Çimi-
xaa**.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Unfortunately, Semidano is rare: only fi fty hec-
tares are planted, mainly around Cagliari. The
DOC wine is Sardegna Semidano, and the
Mogoro subzone is the best (wines carrying
the Mogoro subdenomination label have to be
made from lower yields, 110 quintals per hec-
tare instead of 130). Sardegna Semidano can
also be made a spumante (sparkling) and passito
(air-dried and sweet) versions. It is usually
blended with Nuragus to add elegance and
refi nement. As a monovarietal, it's a beautifully
graceful, lightly aromatic wine of real refi ne-
ment, redolent of tangerine, apricot, and strong
mineral notes.
Semidano
where it's found: Sardinia. national regis-
try code number: 226. color: white.
Semidano is potentially one of Italy's great-
est grape varieties, and it's ridiculous that it's
so little known and that there are so few wines
made with it. In fact, Semidano is the poster
child for everything that was wrong with Ital-
ian viticulture and winemaking in the post-
phylloxera period and in the 1980s heyday of
the international oaky whites. Simply put, qual-
ity but little-known grapes were all but forgot-
ten, not studied, and even abandoned in favor
of overly productive varieties or those that were
easiest to work with. This sorry state of affairs
has only led to more than one great native grape
being pushed to the brink of extinction, and
every time I hear about how Italian native
grapes aren't so interesting after all, I count to
ten and then mention Semidano (or Schioppet-
tino, or Uva di Troia, or . . . ).
wines to try: Gigi Picciau*** (bone dry with
plenty of character, not unlike a dry, saline,
fuller-bodied riesling—think Pfalz, not Mosel),
Il Nuraghe** (the sparkling Puisteris is my
favorite offering by this producer, late harvested,
big, bold, and rich without being over the top;
also Anastasia, a solidly made dry white wine).
Search WWH ::




Custom Search