Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
other, unrelated
Canina
varieties in Italy).
Today there are believed to be only about 110
hectares of Canaiolo Bianco left in Tuscany,
mainly around the cities of Arezzo, Florence,
Pisa, Prato, and Siena, though its presence is
important in Umbria. There is one clone,
ARSIAL-CRA 402. Historically, it was con-
fused with Vernaccia di San Gimignano and
only recently has its synonymity with Drupeg-
gio been determined (Storchi, Armanni, Ran-
dellini, Giannetto, Meneghetti, and Crespan
2011). The grape cluster is medium-sized, pyra-
midal, winged, and compact. The grapes are
medium-small and round, thick skinned, and
whitish-green. The grapes are usually har-
vested in the fi rst half of September. The wine
actually holds promise, with a bigger body and
more intense perfume than one would have
believed. The main wines in which to catch a
whiff of Canaiolo Bianco are Barco Reale di
Carmignano, Bianco di Valdinievole in Tus-
cany, and Orvieto in Umbria.
This variety goes by many names: by Cardìn
around Monastero Vasco (near Mondovì),
around Montemale (near Dronero), and around
Borsé (near Boves); by Montanera in the
Saluzzese; by Neirano near Bibiana; by Barbera
Dou Ciorniu (or Barbera Del Sordo) in Val di
Susa; and by Dousét Vej (or Tadone) in the
Canavese. Tadone and Neirano are misnomers,
since these two are distinct varieties. It should
also not be confused with Montanara, which is
a synonym of both Cabrusina and Uva Tosca.
Interestingly, a Cardìn described in the 1800s
was late ripening, while the one I describe here
is very early ripening, so it is likely they are dif-
ferent grapes. Historically Cardìn was also a
table grape, and due to its precocious ripening,
was used to make
nouveau
-styled, early drink-
ing wines. Characterized by medium-sized ber-
ries and bunches, today it is virtually extinct
but its early ripening personality is of interest
to researchers and producers alike so we may
yet hear more about this grape in the future.
Canino
Cargarello
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
not registered.
color:
white.
First described by De Bosis in the
Bollettini
Ampelografi ci Provinciali
(1879) as common in
the countryside around Rimini, Canino is
believed to be identical to Canino di Montiano
and Canino di Bertinoro. It was not considered
to be a source of high-quality wines, but was
appreciated as a table grape; all the same, farm-
ers grew it and made wine with it, since the
variety is a hardy and dependable producer. It
appears to be related to Vernaccina, and though
it is also called Riminese, appears to be distinct
from Riminese di Santo Rocco, another very
little-known variety that is still being studied.
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
not registered.
color:
white.
Typical of the area around Rimini, Car-
garello is characterized by a very compact, large
bunch and medium-large, round, yellow-green
berries. It is currently the subject of in-depth
studies, as it appears to have considerable fi ne-
winemaking potential. Time will tell.
Caricagiola
where it's found:
Sardinia.
national regis-
try code number:
52.
color:
red.
Caricagiola is also known as Bonifaccenco,
Carcajola, and Garrigadolza; roughly 90 per-
cent of the eighty-fi ve hectares planted to it in
Sardinia are in the northwestern Gallura area.
Genetic testing has proved its relationship to a
little-known native called Nieddu Procco, while
it is neither related to the very similarly named
Corsican variety Carcajola, as fi rst postulated
Cardìn
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
