Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
are myriad green-named grape varieties in Italy
today I fi nd it hard to extrapolate these identi-
ties to all other varieties with similar names
grown in Italy. And while Verduschia is rare
enough that the identity with Vermentino is
easier to accept, the plethora of Verdello-named
grapes out there suggests a little caution is
required.
skinned, blue-black berries. It is harvested
around mid-October.
Volpola
where it's found:
Tu sc a ny.
national regis-
try code number:
not registered.
color:
white.
People are excited about this Tuscan native
that gives a white wine which bears more than
a passing resemblance to Sauvignon Blanc, but
that is much better adapted to the Tuscan
ter-
roir.
Volpola is characterized by a uniform size
of berries, reduced bunch size, and resistance
of the skins; the wine has light aromas and fl a-
vors reminiscent of sage and citrus skin. It's
really an interesting grape and we should hear
a lot more about it in the future, especially in
terms of bottled wines.
Verucchiese
where it's found:
Tu sc a ny, Em i l i a-Rom a g n a .
national registry code number:
438.
color:
red.
Also called Sangiovese Verucchiese, Veruc-
chiese was originally grown only around the
Rocca di Verucchio, usually interplanted with
Sangiovese, with which it shares a considerable
phenotypic resemblance. In the past, the wine
it produced was viewed as very fi ne, a gentle
wine that was easy to drink and uncomplicated.
Verucchiese is productive but sensitive to grey
rot. It also ripens early, in mid-September, but
fl owers later than Sangiovese.
Zanello
where it's found:
Piedmont.
national reg-
istry code number:
not registered.
color:
red.
Also known as Zanè, Zanello was abundant
in the Monferrato Casalese area in the 1700s,
when it was usually planted alongside Grigno-
lino, though it was preferentially used in blends
with Dolcetto. Like Grignolino, it is character-
ized by irregular annual productions and ber-
ries that don't always turn red, especially when
it is allowed to yield too much. Today Zanello is
virtually extinct, found only in occasional lone
vines in small family vineyard holdings. Mod-
ern microvinifi cations have not shown Zanello
to be capable of producing high-quality wines:
they are lightly tannic and orangey in hue, less
acidic than grignolinos, but also less alcoholic
(and grignolinos are low in alcohol themselves).
Zanello lacks some of the aromas of Grignolino
too, so I'm not sure how much winemaking
potential this native really has.
Vien de Nus
where it's found:
Valle d'Aosta.
national
registry code number:
265.
color:
red.
Mainly found today in the high part of the
region, the Alta Valle on the border with the
Alps and France, Vien de Nus is named after the
town of Nus, where it was once very abundant.
Vien
in the local
patois
means plant or cultivar,
so literally, Vien de Nus is the cultivar of the
town of Nus, where it is still grown today and
used in red wine blends. There is actually
enough of it that a producer could try his or her
hand at a monovarietal bottling. Vien de Nus
was born from the natural crossing of Petit
Rouge and an unknown, probably extinct other
parent. The bunch is medium-large, pyramidal,
winged, and compact, with big, round, thick-
