Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Spergola
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The wines are often (but not necessarily) bot-
tled as Colli di Scandiano e Canossa: pale straw-
green in hue, with bright aromas of white fl ow-
ers (acacia, white buttercups, jasmine) and riper
citrus and both green- and yellow-apple fl avors
on a fresh, light, high-acid palate that will
remind you a little of apple cider. Given its natu-
ral acidity, the wine is also produced as a spar-
kling and as a sweet, air-dried wine. Recently,
fi ve estates (Bertolani, Cantina di Arceto, Can-
tina Colli di Scandiano, Casali Viticultori, and
Tenuta di Aljano) from the area around Scandi-
ano have joined forces to promote the merits of
the variety and its wines, creating La Compag-
nia della Spergola (Association of Spergola).
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
364.
color:
white.
Until recently, Spergola was routinely con-
fused with Sauvignon Blanc, though I have a
hard time understanding why, since the two
varieties don't look anything alike and ripen at
different times. Filipetti, Silvestroni, Thomas,
and Intrieri (2001) dispelled that notion, releas-
ing Spergola to fl y under its own power. Sper-
gola was highly thought of in the past, with
even the fi fteenth-century Grand Duchess of
Tuscany, Bianca Cappello, reportedly a fan of
the wine made with it. Matilde di Canossa
reportedly gave a bottle of Spergola wine as a
gift to Pope Gregory VII.
The fi rst precise studies detailing Spergola
characteristics and viticultural behaviors
where those of Tanara in 1644, and at a time
when the variety was also called Spergolina or
Spargolina (Tanara called it Pomoria or Pelle-
grina). The Spargolina name, obviously a deri-
vation from the Italian word
spargolo,
seem-
ingly implies that the variety has a loosely
packed, or sparse, bunch. Interestingly, and
I'm not sure why, this is not the case with the
bunches of Spergola I have observed in vine-
yards of today. In truth, Gallesio ([1817] 1839)
described two biotypes of Spargolina: Spar-
golina Normale, with larger berries and
bunches; and Spargolina Molle, characterized
by very small, loosely packed bunches. Most of
what we know about modern-day Spergola is
thanks to Filippetti, Silvestroni, Thomas, and
Intrieri (2001), who have documented the
basic and standard phenotypic and phenologi-
cal aspects of the variety, suggesting also
genetic ties between it and Pignoletto.
Spergola is rare today, but less so than peo-
ple think. It's grown around the towns of Scan-
diano and Albinea near Reggio Emilia in the
Emilia-Romagna region; recent estimates show
that plantings are on the increase. There are
currently two hundred hectares of the variety
in Emilia-Romagna.
wines to try:
Tenuta di Aljano** (Brina
d'Inverno, a sparkler, but especially La Vigna
Ritrovata, an extraordinarily good nonbubbly
spergola; the estate has invested heavily in this
variety), Casali Viticultori** (Albore and Albore
Dolce, two sparkling wines made in the man-
ner of Champagne), Ca' dei Noci (Extra Brut
Riserva dei Fratelli, another sparkler, but I
much prefer the Querciole bottling, a still wine
with just a hint of fi zz), and Cantina Sociale di
Arceto (in the I Tradizionali line of wines,
Bianco Secco and Bianco Dolce, but they make
many different versions).
Susumaniello
where it's found:
Puglia.
national registry
code number:
229.
color:
red.
Susumaniello has always been considered a
very productive variety and little else, which
explains its name, a reference to “loading up
the donkey.” The vine will indeed produce a
huge number of grapes unless curbed by ultra-
rigorous pruning or stress. But according to
Donato Lazzari, the general director of the
Agricole Vallone estate in Puglia, Susumani-
ello is a generous producer only in the fi rst ten
years of life, after which it becomes distinctly
less prolifi c.
