Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
different biotypes that are currently the subject
of university studies, and are distinguishable by
morphologic differences: long-clustered, short-
clustered, and double-clustered; in all three the
cluster is very large. According to Sanna these
three biotypes are genetically separate from any
other island variety. All three have a cuneiform-
shaped leaf, and small berries with thick
golden-yellow skin. Vigorous, but characterized
by extremely frail shoots, Arvesiniadu seems to
take well to granite-rich soils. In the past, it was
usual to make three different wines featuring
it: pure 100 percent arvesiniadu, a blend with
Vermentino, and an oxidized
Vernaccia
-like
wine where the open-top barrels were attacked
by fl or
.
The grape is included in a slew of Sar-
dinian wine blends, including Barbagia, Isola
dei Nuraghi, Planargia, Romangia, and Valle
del Tirso. It is also used as a table grape locally.
The wine was essentially brought back to
life in the early 1990s thanks to the efforts of a
group of local growers collaborating with
experts at the Consorzio Interprovinciale della
Frutticoltura di Cagliari and the University of
Sassari. The Mulas estate is currently the only
producer of monovarietal wines that I know.
Founded in 2002 (prior to this it was the Salva-
tore Cabras estate), Mulas owns three hectares
of the variety near Nurcoro (Bono) on the hills
of Goceano. The wine I have tried over the
years are by only one estate, so it's diffi cult to
draw any conclusions about what the variety is
all about. I can say the dry wine is refreshing
and easygoing, showing a lovely fl oral side,
with breezy sage and thyme nuances comple-
menting yellow apple and pear fl avors. I have
yet to taste the sweet version.
Avarengo must not be confused with another
rare local native typical of the Val Chisone
called Avarenchetto, which is apparently a dis-
tinct variety. Avarengo was fi rst mentioned by
the Marchese Incisa di Rochetta Tanaro in
1852, who described two variants, the more
common Avarengo and Ramefessa Avarengo,
named for its copious, branch-fi lled canopy. It
was popular in the nineteenth century, at least
in Piedmont, and wines were classifi ed as
grosso
(coarse),
fi n e
(fi ne),
piccolo
(small),
mezzano
(half), and, somewhat confusingly,
di Piemonte
(of Piedmont). Vouillamoz and Moriondo
(2011) reported a close genetic relationship
between it and Ner d'Ala, another variety typi-
cal of the area and of the Valle d'Aosta. Avaren-
go's cluster is medium-large, conical-pyrami-
dal, winged, and fairly compact. The berry is
medium-large and spherical, with thick, very
resistant skin of a deep blue-black hue. It's an
early ripener. Avarengo was also used as a table
grape, but its small yields (its name stems from
avaro,
miserly) spelled doom for it in the twen-
tieth century. Today it grows mainly in the
Pinerolese area of Piedmont, and in the Chi-
sone, Pellice, and Susa valleys; it is used in the
Ramié blend with other local grapes such as
Avanà. There probably aren't more than 200 or
250 hectoliters of wine made annually, and
none, to the best of my knowledge, are 100 per-
cent pure. Locals have told me that the grape
produces a lightly hued red wine, with aromas
of faded f lowers and f lavors of fresh red
berries.
Baratuciat
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
413.
color:
white.
A rare native of Piedmont limited to the Val
Cenischia and the Valsusa, Baratuciat's name
is derived from
baratuciati,
or
bale di cià
in the
Piedmontese dialect, meaning “cat's testicles”:
apparently, the cultivar's long, oval berries are
reminiscent of a tomcat's reproductive organs.
It prefers rocky soils not rich in clay and is both
vigorous and disease resistant, ripening by late
wines to try:
Mulas* (Niadu, a dry wine, and
Avrè, a delicately sweet one).
Avarengo
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
18.
color:
red.
Also called Avarenc, Avarena, Mustèr (in
the Canavese), and Riundasca (in the Biellese),
