Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Coda di Cavallo
reserved for Uva Rara in Piedmont and for Mar-
zemino elsewhere in Italy.
where it's found: Campania. national reg-
istry code number: not registered. color:
white.
Also known as Cavalla, Coda di Cavallo
takes its name from the resemblance the grape
cluster has to the tail of a horse ( coda di
cavallo means horse's tail). Today it is grown
mainly in the Campi Flegrei of Campania as
well as on the islands of Procida and Ischia.
The vines are often ungrafted. It is unclear if
the Coda di Cavallo of Vesuvius is the same as
those of Ischia and Procida or even that of the
Campi Flegrei. Very vigorous and fertile, it has
a small, cylindrical bunch, with small, oval
berries that are golden-yellow in hue when
fully ripe. An early ripener (harvested usually
at the end of August), it is not very resistant to
grey rot.
Cenerente
where it's found: Veneto. national regis-
try code number: not registered. color: red.
Much like Molinara, Cenerente's name is
due to its berries, so thickly covered in bloom
they look coated by ash ( cenere ). For this reason
it was also called, especially in the Soave area,
Farinente, from farina (fl our). Actually, Di
Rovasenda describes both varieties in 1877,
but Bertani in 1883 reiterates that the two
are synonyms. Opinions about its winemaking
potential were discordant: while Alberti (1896)
thought it magnifi cent (in particular because
of its late budbreak, disease resistance,
and high capacity to adapt to different terroirs ),
Zava (1901) was much less positive, criticizing
the wines for being defi cient in both acid
and alcohol. I have not yet been able to taste
a microvinifi cation, so the jury's out on this one.
Coda di Pecora
where it's found: Campania. national reg-
istry code number: not registered. color:
white.
Coda di Pecora was long felt to be identical
to the much better known and more abundant
Coda di Volpe Bianca, but we know today that
these two varieties are genetically distinct
(and don't look anything like each other, I'd
like to add). The cluster's shape resembles the
tail of a sheep ( coda di pecora ). Today it grows
in the vineyards of Caserta in northern Cam-
pania, especially between Roccamonfi na and
Maggiore, near Concadella Campania, Galluc-
cio, Mignano Monte Lungo, and Piccilli. It
may be analogous to ancient varieties called
Verdicchio di Caiazzo and Verdone di Puglia.
The cluster is compact, large, conical-pyrami-
dal, with two wings and is prone to grey
rot. The berries are medium-sized, oval, and
yellow-green. Low in acid and sugar levels,
Coda di Pecora is used mainly as a blender
and can be tasted in the DOC Galluccio
Bianco wines; on its own it's too meager, neu-
tral, and fl at.
Chiavennasca Bianca
where it's found: Lombardy. national reg-
istry code number: not registered. color:
white.
Chiavennasca Bianca is found today in the
Valtellina area in northern Lombardy, where it
is much appreciated for its resistance to cold
weather and its vigor. It was once also found in
other parts of Lombardy but has since disap-
peared. First described in 1752 by Ligari as a
high-quality variety due to wines high in extract
and perfume, its called Chiavennasca Bianca
because it resembles the red Chiavennasca,
though the two are distinct varieties. The
bunch is large, pyramidal/cylindrical, elon-
gated, and compact, with large wings that hang
off to the sides. The grapes are medium-small
and round or slightly fl attened, with a thin yel-
low-green skin, reddish when very ripe. It is
harvested in the latter half of September. The
wines are delicately fruity, with surprising
structure and a saline fi nish.
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