Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
does not suffer spring frosts) and because of its
abundant productivity; as its name indicates, it
was seen as a “good friend” to farmers. Due to
its high vigor and potentially copious productiv-
ity, it is best planted in poorly fertile soils. “It's
a very hardy variety,” says Dini. “At the Fattoria
del Buonamico, in Montecarlo near Lucca,
there are very old Bonamico vines growing near
an old dilapidated house. Even completely aban-
doned, they still manage to produce grapes
every year. It just won't take no for an answer,
and we're going to start making monovarietal
rosato
with it.” Today Bonamico is grown
mainly in the viticultural areas around Pisa,
Pistoia, and Lucca; Montescudaio DOC wines
can contain Bonamico. It tends to produce
wines of low alcoholic strength and color, in
which optimal polyphenolic ripeness is
achieved only by green harvesting with gusto or
by draconian yield reductions.
100 percent pure Bonarda Piemontese. And
even then, given the local habit of calling any
wine made with various blends of many differ-
ent grapes “bonarda,” I'm not sure how one
could be certain about exactly what he or she is
drinking.
There is plenty of so-called Bonarda planted
in Argentina, but most of it is in fact another
variety altogether, Corbeau. Some true Bonarda
probably does grow in Argentina, thanks to Ital-
ian immigrants who brought it with them dur-
ing their immigrant travels—though which
Bonarda they brought is anybody's guess.
While in London recently to do some work, I
tasted a Argentinean Sangiovese-Bonarda wine
made by t he Zuccardo Family ( “ Vida Organica” )
and though their Bonarda grapes were report-
edly brought over from Italy, I have yet to con-
fi rm that.
Bonda
Bonarda Piemontese
where it's found:
Val d'Aosta.
national reg-
istry code number:
348.
color:
red.
The name of this variety derives from the
Bonda or Bondaz family, a very common sur-
name in both Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont,
where this variety might have originated; the
fi rst to mention the grape Bonda was Gatta in
the mid-nineteenth century. Even then Bonda
was one of the least common grape varieties of
the region. Subsequently in the nineteenth cen-
tury, Di Rovasenda and Louis Napoléon Bich
created confusion by confl ating it with Prié
Rouzo or Prié Rouge, an altogether different
(and far more abundant) grape, better known
as Prëmetta or Primetta. DNA testing by Vouil-
lamoz and Moriondo (2011) has proved that
Bonda has second-degree relationships with
Nosiola from Trentino and with the rare Mos-
sano Nero of Piedmont; the latter is practically
no longer cultivated. Today, Bonda is sporadi-
cally found in the middle part of the Valle
d'Aosta, mainly around the hamlets of Chatil-
lon and Quart, on the right bank of the Dora
Baltea River. The bunch is large, pyramidal,
winged, and compact. The berry is also large,
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
35.
color:
red.
Not to be associated with the wine bonarda,
which is made mainly with the Croatina grape,
Bonarda Piemontese is also known as Bonarda
di Chieri and Bonarda del Monferrato. In
Northern Italy another cultivar, Uva Rara, is
often referred to as Bonarda, further confusing
matters. First described by Count Nuvolone in
1799, who was excited about its winemaking
qualities, today Bonarda Piemontese is found
especially around the towns of Chieri, Castel-
nuovo Don Bosco, and Albugnano (Asti).
Small percentages are used in DOC wines Bra-
materra, Coste della Sesia, Collina Torinese,
Canavese, and a few others, none very famous.
The grape bunch is medium-large, pyramidal,
with two or even three wings, and is sparse.
The medium-small, spherical or elliptical,
deep blue-black berries are harvested in late
September or early October. The wine is fresh
and fl oral, lightly acidic, and quite tannic, leav-
ing you with a dry mouthfeel, but unless you
vacation locally, it's very hard to fi nd one that is
