Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
vinifi cations performed at the Agenzia Regio-
nale per lo Sviluppo Rurale (ERSA) of Friuli
Venezia Giulia, there are apparently high noriso-
prenoid concentrations (45 percent) and good
benzenoid and terpene levels. Corvino's anthocy-
anin profi le features very high cyanin concentra-
tions, a rarity among grapevines. I have been told
by various experts that this is potentially a very
good wine grape; however, winemaking friends
in Friuli Venezia Giulia caution that it can be
very reductive, so needs plenty of oxygen contact
during the winemaking process.
in the Middle Ages, its name derives either from
the dark hue of the skins (
crova
is a corruption of
corvo
or raven) or due to the
corba,
the local basket
in which the grapes are carried. The cluster is
large, pyramidal or conical, and very compact.
The berries are medium-sized and oval-round, of
dark blue color and not too thick skinned. Crova
is usually harvested in mid-September.
Crovassa
where it's found:
Valle d'Aosta.
national
registry code number:
349.
color:
red.
Crovassa is almost extinct, with very few
rows left near the towns of Issogne and Donnas.
Gatta (1838) described it as rare already in his
time, and Louis Napoléon Bich felt it was of lim-
ited enological interest. Also called Corassa and
Crova Nera, the bunch is large, pyramidal, and
compact, with large, spherical, thick-skinned,
and deep-blue berries. The harvest is in the last
week of October, and the wine has a delicate red
hue, fruity, very tart, and light, though I am
only reporting the experiences of local farmers.
In Valle d'Aosta, neither Costantino Charrère of
the world-famous Les Cretes estate nor Nicola
Del Negro of the well-respected Cave du Vin
Blanc de Morgex et La Salle think highly of it.
The name derives from
corvo,
or raven, due to
the deep color of the berries.
Croà
where it's found:
Lombardy, Piedmont.
national registry code number:
not regis-
tered.
color:
red.
Once considered one of the more interesting
varieties of the Oltrepò Pavese, Croà's glory
days are well behind it. It belongs to the same
grape family as Moradella and Vermiglio. The
grape's name may be due to its dark color (
cor-
vino
or dark) or to its hard crunchy pulp (
corba
or container, as in the grapes are so tough they
can be carried long distances in containers).
There appear to be at least three biotypes, of
which the second is characterized by the small-
est and most compact bunch, while the stan-
dard bunch is large, compact, and short, with
oval, medium-large berries.
I am told the wine is light-bodied and pale
red, acidic and tannic, with perfumes of red
berries; apparently it benefi ts from at least a
year of cellaring.
Crovino
where it's found:
Liguria.
national registry
code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Almost extinct because of its miserly pro-
ductivity, Crovino was once famous in Ligurian
areas around Genova and Finale Ligure. Today
only the Punta Crena estate continues to make
it (and call it Crovin).
Crova
where it's found:
Emilia-Romagna.
national
registry code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Most likely identical to Crovarina, Crova is
grown mainly in Emilia-Romagna's Val Tidone
and Val Trebbia areas and in Lombardy's Oltrepò
Pavese. There are many Crova-like varieties in
nor thern Italy, more or less related to one another.
An ancient cultivar grown by Benedictine monks
Damaschino
where it's found:
Sicily.
national registry
code number:
72.
color:
white.
Nobody really knows for sure, as documen-
tation is absent, but this variety's name is
believed to derive from the Syrian city of
