Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Grisa Rousa
vineyard of Beppone” were identified as
Gratena. In 2000 six thousand more vines
were planted and studies by Attilio Scienza and
his team in Milan confi rmed the variety to be
distinct from all other known varieties. The
wine is suave and perfumed, redolent of red
berries and herbs.
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Also known as Ivernasso near Chiomonte,
this variety was once simply called Grisa, but its
name was changed in order to avoid confusion
with Grisa Nera; in France it's named Grec
Rouge. Rare today, it grows in Valle di Susa
(especially in the high, alpine valley), and a lit-
tle in Val Chisone (Pinerolese) and the Torto-
nese. The bunch can be very large and is occa-
sionally winged, while the medium-small,
slightly fl attened berries have a reddish-pink
hue, hence the variety's name. An early ripen-
ing variety (akin to Dolcetto), it's mainly a table
grape, but can be used to make very light, deli-
cate white and
rosato
wines.
Grero
where it's found:
Umbria.
national regis-
try code number:
448.
color:
red.
One of Italy's most recently rediscovered
grapes, Grero is typical of Umbria. The bunch
is medium-large, long, and usually loosely
packed. The berries are round and have thick
skins. Grero is resistant to most common
grapevine pests but is susceptible to perono-
spora. According to winemaker Emiliano Fal-
sini, who is probably the biggest expert on this
variety (he has been working intensely with it at
Tudernum in Umbria), it's a variety that prefers
clay-loamy soils with some marl. A monovari-
etal wine is not planned yet but I've liked what
I have tasted so far. The wine is smoothly tan-
nic and full bodied, with dark-berry and under-
brush aromas and fl avors.
Gruaja
where it's found:
Veneto.
national regis-
try code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
This virtually extinct grape was always asso-
ciated with very fi ne wine, but unfortunately its
poor productivity made it unpopular with farm-
ers and winemakers of centuries past. This is a
shame, since most writings attest that the wine
made with Gruaja was of noteworthy fi nesse:
“not unlike a claret” according to Acanti (1754),
“one of our best and most cultivated grapes”
(
Bollettino Ampelografi co
1868), and “a very
refi ned grape” (da Schio 1905). Not everyone
was overwhelmed with what he had tasted:
Acerbi (1825) thought the wine was too light
and that it didn't keep past the summer follow-
ing the harvest, but liked Gruaja as a table
grape. There were also biotypes of Gruaja
described, but little else is known about this
grape and wine.
Grisa Nera
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Also known as Grisa di Cumiana (in the
Pinerolese) or simply Grisa, in Roero this vari-
ety is called Freiza Grossa, which is more prop-
erly a synonym of Neretta Cuneese. Rare today,
Grisa Nera grows in Pinerolese Orientale, the
Bassa Valle di Susa, and, less so, in Cuneo.
Everything about this variety is large: large
round leaf, large bunch (elongated, conical,
winged), and large oval, thick-skinned berries.
The latter are purple-blue, but with a greyish
tinge that explains the variety's name,
grisa.
A
late ripener much like Barbera, it suffers from
berry shot. It's believed to be ideal for the pro-
duction of
rosato.
wines to try
: The only monovarietal Gruaja
wine I know is called Gruajo, made by Firminio
Miotti in Veneto. It smells and tastes of dark
cherries and small dark berries, with hints of
tar and underbrush.
