Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Clearly, neither I nor anyone else would not
be able to write about any wine made from Uce-
lut had it not been for the passion of one man,
Emilio Bulfon, a graduate in agriculture/enol-
ogy who moved to the Spilimbergo hills near
Pordenone in the 1970s and single-handedly
retrieved many cultivars that had been com-
pletely abandoned. Thanks to his dedication,
plus the help of important Friuli men of wine
such as Orfeo Salvador, longtime director of the
experimental research arm of the government's
agriculture division, the indigenous varieties of
Spilimbergo and immediately surrounding
areas such as Ucelut were admitted to the
National Registry in 1991. Years ago, Bulfon
told me that if it hadn't been for the disinter-
ested help of people such as Ruggero Forti
(then director of the Rauscedo nursery) and
Antonio Calò (then head of the Enology School
in Conegliano), he would have been unable to
succeed in saving Ucelut and other local grapes
(D'Agata 2003b).
Ucelut is characterized by medium-large,
tightly packed, pyramidal bunches and large
round berries that have thick skins. It ripens in
late September but more often in early October.
There are no offi cial clones available. Ucelut's
modern-day production zone is not too differ-
ent from that of the early twentieth century, as
the variety is still found only in the province of
Pordenone, close to Friuli Venezia Giulia's
western border with Veneto. It has much larger
berries than Picolit and Verduzzo, the varieties
that give Friuli Venezia Giulia two other great
sweet wines.
honey, ripe mango, and dried apricot are com-
mon in the latter version. The non air-dried ver-
sion is perfect with shellfi sh and vegetable or
simply prepared fi sh dishes; both versions are
much less sweet than picolit and much less tan-
nic than verduzzo or Ramandolo. Again, it's
one of Italy's least-known wines and yet could
be one of its best. I really hope more estates will
explore producing an ucelut in the years to
come. There is no DOC, and so the only wines
available are generic
vino da tavola
or IGT.
Though production volumes are still small,
don't miss out on potentially great wines next
time you vacation in Italy.
wines to try:
Florutis** (the only almost dry
ucelut listed here), Vicentini Orgnani**, Ronco
Cliona** (owned by the Maley family, former
expatriates in Hong Kong who moved to north-
ern Italy to devote themselves to local indige-
nous grape varieties; their fi rst winemaker was
none other than Emilio Bulfon), Tenuta
Pinni** (in an attractive seventeenth-century
villa; grapes are air-dried for six months, mak-
ing an ucelut that resembles a Ramandolo more
than it does the other uceluts here; it's also
more alcoholic and thicker), and Bulfon**.
There is also apparently a wine labeled ucelut
delle Venezie by Vigneti Torre Orientale, of the
Pecol Boin winery in Tauriano di Spilimbergo,
but I have not yet tasted it.
Uva del Tundè
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
436.
color:
red.
The ongoing rediscovery of all but forgotten
native Italian grape varieties is exemplifi ed by
Uva del Tundè, an extremely rare variety grown
in the countryside around Ravenna in Emilia-
Romagna. Buoyed by enthusiasm and interest
in native Italian grapes (as well as the potential
fi nancial returns for both individuals and local
economies), roughly thirty years ago the
Vitigni Minori project was launched and
fi nanced by the Regione Emilia-Romagna, with
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Ucelut is rarely used in IGT blends such as
Delle Venezia and Venezia Giulia. Good ucelut
made from late-harvested grapes is a wonderful
dessert wine that is not overly sweet and not too
full-bodied, though some estates have turned
to air-drying the grapes and making a much
richer, sweeter wine. Aromas and fl avors of
ripe citrus, pineapple, and sweet almonds are
common in lighter, fresher wines made in the
former style, while sweet almonds, acacia
