Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
the fl oral cap, not of the berries, as you might
read elsewhere); both are distinct from Ver-
duzzo Trevigiano, typical of Veneto, that has
very few morphological or phenological aspects
in common with Friuli Venezia Giulia's
Verduz-
zo
s. The Verde is mainly grown in Friuli Vene-
zia Giulia's fl atland vineyards to make dry
white wines; the Giallo is at home on steep hill-
sides and is most often used to make a sweet, at
times very sweet, wine from air-dried grapes in
the Ramandolo DOCG (where some Verde is
also found). The Giallo subvariety is believed to
be the higher-quality grape of the two, but there
are two biotypes of it (Perusini described them
in the Ramandolo as early as 1935): the Ross
(with a small compact bunch) and the Ras'cie
(with a semicompact bunch). Due to its more
loosely packed bunch, the latter maybe better
suited for late-harvest wine production, where
the grapes are left on the vine to dehydrate,
though in Friuli Venezia Giulia's fi ckle autumn
weather few producers are willing to risk true
late harvests.
Over the years, since everyone thought (or
was made to think) that Verduzzo Giallo was
the superior of the two
Verduzzo
s, growers in
Friuli Venezia Giulia slowly phased the Verde
out, so that it is far less common than it used to
be. Today, the best-quality Verduzzo Giallo is
thought to come from around Nimis, especially
the subareas Ramandolo and Torlano. Paolo
Rodaro of the Rodaro estate mentions that
Ver-
duzzo
is not a particularly vigorous variety (and
using rootstock 3309 further reduces vigor) and
that it is rarely attacked by botrytis, noble or
not, when the grapes are left hanging on the
vine (but it is sensitive to peronospora and bo-
trytis bunch rot during fl owering). It needs
very well-exposed sites and does not like humid
habitats (such as areas close to forests), prefer-
ring marly-rocky soils not too rich in clay (since
it doesn't like excessive water retention).
Verduzzo Friulano is grown all over Friuli
Venezia Giulia; it is most common in the prov-
ince of Udine, less so in the provinces of Gorizia
and Pordenone, and even grows in Veneto. Ver-
duzzo has found a new home in Australia,
where it has been planted in diverse regions
such as Hunter Valley, King Valley, Morning-
ton Peninsula, and Yarra Valley.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
The most important wines are the DOCG Ra-
mandolo or the various Friuli DOCs' Verduzzo
wines. In Veneto, the DOC is Lison-Pramag-
giore. When simply labeled Verduzzo, the wine
is generally an off-dry, light-bodied white wine;
if made mainly with Verduzzo Verde, it is very
light, delicately fl oral and citrusy, while if Ver-
duzzo Giallo predominates then the wine will
have richer, riper aromas and fl avors, hinting
even at acacia honey and apricots. Dry wines
are also made, but the high tannic content is
such that they risk being bitter. In any ver-
duzzo, there is always a characteristic note of
sweet almonds, both on the nose and the pal-
ate; this becomes particularly intense, turning
to marzipan and burnt caramelized almonds in
the very sweet wines.
Another typical characteristic of verduzzo is
its tannic fi nish, due to the grape being a rare
tannic white variety (with considerable tannin
levels not just in the skins but also in the pulp).
Ramandolo is the most famous wine made
with Verduzzo Friulano; it can be made only in
the specifi c DOCG zone that covers the town-
ships of Nimis, Faedis, Tarcento, Torlano, and
Ramandolo, from which the wine takes its
name. The vines grow on very steep slopes
located between 250 and 370 meters above sea
level in a very cool microclimate, indeed one of
the coldest, if not the coldest in all of Friuli Ven-
ezia Giulia. However, the vineyards in the town
of Ramandolo are protected by Mount Berna-
dia: its rocky walls shelter the grapes from cold
northerly winds while capturing and subse-
quently refl ecting the sunlight onto the grapes,
therefore ensuring that this area has a slightly
warmer microclimate than neighboring towns.
For this reason, many experts such as Perusini
in 1935 and Filiputti in more modern times
have always insisted that the one true
grand cru
of Ramandolo consists only of the town.
Perusini, in what was perhaps an extreme but
