Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
merchant family Ecchelli-Baisi, whose stately
palace still stands in the town of Brentonico.
Nera dei Baisi is a late ripening, hardy variety
with considerable winemaking potential and
appears to contain American grapevine genes
in its DNA. Armani makes about one thousand
bottles at present and the wine shows consider-
able promise. Raspberry and a hint of straw-
berry on the nose and the palate, complicated
by tobacco and spices, low alcohol (12.5 percent
usually), and plenty of freshness prove it. Nera
dei Baisi may be coming back from the
forgotten.
different biotypes (the Picul Rus has smaller
but longer bunches, the Verdés has very large
bunches and berries that often fail to become
completely dark red-blue, remaining green) or
whether there are distinct varieties currently
erroneously considered to be Ner d'Ala. It's
wind and cold resistant, but in fertile soils can
develop a compact bunch that makes it prone to
botrytis. It ripens in early October; the wines
(tasted from microvinifications only) are
vinous, delicately spicy and fresh. Especially
pleasant is the light note of white pepper that
makes Ner d'Ala a very interesting variety. It is
also a very good table grape due to its large,
juicy berries.
Ner d'Ala
where it's found:
Valle d'Aosta.
national
registry code number:
354.
color:
red.
Ner d'Ala is a grape of many names. It is
also known as Gros Vien and Nerdela in Valle
d'Aosta; as Vernassa and Neirét dal Picul Rus
in Carema; as Barau in Chiaverano; as Durás in
Quincinetto; as Provinè or Pruinè in Castag-
neto Po; as Fiorì in Pinerolese; and as Verdés
and Uva di Biella in Piedmont. It is most likely
a native of Piedmont, and takes its name from
the Val d'Ala, northwest of Turin—though
some experts believe the name is due to a
prominent grape bunch wing, or
ala.
It should
not be confused with Verdese or Verdesse or
similarly named varieties; it is identical to the
Vernassa or Verdés of Piedmont. Recent work
by Vouillamoz and Moriondo (2011) have
shown it to have a close genetic link with Pied-
mont's Avarengo.
Ner d'Ala was well described by Gatta in
1838. Today it is limited to few sporadic rows of
vines in both Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta: it is
most common in Piedmont's Canavese and
Pinerolese. Not surprisingly, in Valle d'Aosta it
is found especially in the lower or southern part
of the region (which borders Piedmont), near
the towns of Arnad and Montjovet. The bunch
is medium-large, pyramidal, and winged, with
large blue-black and very juicy berries. Ner
d'Ala presents high intravarietal variability, and
it is not clear yet if this refl ects the existence of
Nereto
where it's found:
Tu sc a ny.
national regis-
try code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Nereto is a typical
teinturier
of Tuscany, and
very similar to another member of the coloring
agent family, Raspo Rosso. Nereto is character-
ized by a medium-sized, short pyramidal
bunch and medium-round, blue-black berries
with a delicate colored pulp. It usually ripens
before Sangiovese.
Neretta Cuneese
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
166.
color:
red.
Like all the various and many
Neretto
s,
Ner-
etta
s and
Nero
-Something wines, Neretta
Cuneese is plagued by many synonyms, often
used to describe varieties that are altogether
different. All these names refer to the very
dark, practically black (
nero
means black), hue
of the berries. First described by Nuvolone in
1799, it is grown today mainly in the Cuneese
area of Piedmont around Turin, though vines
are found everywhere in the region. Moderately
vigorous yet a consistent producer, it makes
dark wines that lack complexity but that are bal-
anced and fresh. The bunch is medium-large,
cylindrical, and winged; the berry is large,
