Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
chio populations than in Veneto varieties,
which is in accordance with the process called
genetic drift, in which a variety that has moved
to another area has reduced genetic variability.
Over the centuries, the replanted Trebbiano di
Soave vines likely adapted to their new micro-
climate and soils in the Marche, and this can
explain some of the differences in aroma and
fl avor profi les found in wines made with Treb-
biano di Soave or Verdicchio.
Verdicchio has always been a favorite of
farmers because it adapts readily to different
terroirs.
Verdicchio's trump cards are its ten-
dency to ripen slowly and evenly (allowing for
complex wines) and to always maintain high
levels of tartaric acidity, meaning the wines can
be both crisp and refreshing as well as very age-
worthy. There exist different clones to choose
from, generally regarded as being of better
quality than the clones of many other varieties
available to growers: the R2 is very productive
but allows for good everyday table wines; the
CSV clones have thicker skins and are ideal for
late harvest and sparkling-wine production
(though in my experience, wines made with
these clones are not particularly ageworthy);
the ERPT 155 and CVP 01-162 are clones of
Turbiana, and these typically yield wines that
are mineral, refi ned, and ageworthy. Not sur-
prisingly, Verdicchio's great popularity and
adaptability have led researchers to try to create
new crossings with it: one such variety, simply
called Incrocio Bruni 54 (or IB54), was devel-
oped in the 1930s and is a Verdicchio × Sauvi-
gnon Blanc crossing. The crossing maintains
the characteristics of Verdicchio (if attenuated),
with a delicate aromatic note typical of Sauvi-
gnon Blanc, even when planted in warmer
microclimates. Differently from Trebbiano di
Soave and Verdicchio, Turbiana shows much
greater intravarietal variability
.
A few years ago,
out of an understandable desire to separate
themselves and their local cultivar from the
large and quality-challenged
Trebbiano
family,
growers and producers in Veneto opted to call
the variety Turbiana instead of Trebbiano di
Soave or Lugana.
Clearly, viewing Trebbiano di Soave and Ver-
dicchio as one variety (and Turbiana as a bio-
type) means that the cultivation area of this
variety in Italy is huge. Verdicchio's main
homes are therefore the Marche, Veneto, and
Lombardy, though it's grown in numerous
other regions, including Umbria, Lazio, Tus-
cany, Sardinia, and Abruzzo. In Veneto, Verdic-
chio the Trebbiano di Soave is found mainly in
the province of Verona, while Turbiana is more
typical of the area around Lake Garda. The lat-
ter is grown especially on the eastern shores of
that lake, Italy's largest, which neatly separates
Veneto from Lombardy.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
In the Marche, Verdicchio is best represented
by two different DOCG wines, Verdicchio dei
Castelli di Jesi and Verdicchio di Matelica.
Much as with Brunello di Montalcino or
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, the names of
these two different Verdicchio wines tell you
that they are made in or around the towns indi-
cated in the name. As a general rule, differ-
ences in microclimate give the Verdicchio di
Matelica a higher acidity level and more body
and alcohol than wines of Jesi (usually lighter
and more fl oral). Both wines share the telltale
varietal note of sweet almond, sometimes with
a pleasantly bitter twist. In reality, the charac-
teristics of Verdicchio wines can be wildly dif-
ferent depending on the subzone they come
from, as is the case, for example, with Barolos
from La Morra versus those from Monforte
d'Alba. For example, the Verdicchio dei Castelli
di Jesi produced from grapes grown around the
charming town of Montecarotto are closer in
weight to those of Matelica, while those of
Cupramontana are fresher and lighter (in fact,
these grapes have long been sought after for the
production of sparkling wines). In Veneto, as
Trebbiano di Soave, the grape has always been
used as a complementary variety to Garganega
in the production of wines such as Soave and
Gambellara, as Trebbiano di Soave/Verdicchio
is rich in malic acid and therefore blends very
well with Garganega. Verdicchio therefore plays
