Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
to Vernaccia di San Gimignano and to Berve-
dino (the latter was previously believed identi-
cal to Vermentino, not Vernaccia di San Gimi-
gnano); Frappelao was shown to be identical to
Scimiscia'.
those varieties that are supposedly still out
there. In an important project spanning 2004-
2010, sponsored by the Regione Emilia-
Romagna and coordinated by Giovanni Nigro of
the Centro Ricerche Produzioni Vegetali, in-
depth fi eld and laboratory studies (including
ampelographic observations, isoenzymatic
studies, DNA analysis, health status/virology
workups, and microvinifi cations) were per-
formed on little-known Emilia-Romagna grape
cultivars. Of 157 accessions studied and ampelo-
graphically identifi ed, fi fty-eight DNA evalua-
tions were performed and ultimately twelve
microvinifi cations on the varieties that seemed
most promising. Another interesting paper per-
taining to the genetic characterization of endan-
gered grape cultivars (Boccacci, Torello Mari-
noni, Gambino, Botta, and Schneider 2005)
studied thirty-two indigenous varieties of Reg-
gio Emilia, each at twelve microsatellite loci.
Results showed a number of synonymous varie-
ties (Bianca di Poviglio with Trebbiano Toscano,
Balsamina with Marzemino, and Occhio di
Gatto with Friulano).
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna lies just above Tuscany and
runs east-west across the country. This is the
region often associated with Italy's finest
regional cuisine (ravioli, tortellini, and ragù all
share Emilia-Romagna as their birthplace) and
is where world-famous gastronomic delights
such as Parmigiano Reggiano, prosciutto di
Parma, and
culatello
are produced. Although
Emilia-Romagna is often described as a single
entity, the eastern part, Emilia, and the western
part, Romagna, couldn't be more different, and
that goes for their wines as well. Though both
feature considerable plantings of international
grape varieties, the main players are natives: in
Emilia, the white grapes are Pignoletto and
Malvasia di Candia Aromatica and the main
red grapes are
Lambrusco
s, while Romagna's
main white and red varieties are Albana and
Sangiovese respectively.
There are many other little-known indige-
nous varieties of Emilia-Romagna, such as the
whites Ortrugo and Verdea, and the reds Malbo
Gentile, Uva Longanesi, Fortana, and Centesi-
mino. Monovarietal wines abound. Rarer fi nds
are pure bottlings of Malvasia Rosa, Beverdino,
Melara, and Santa Maria, all of them almost
always blended with other grapes. Ervi, a recent
crossing, is gaining popularity of late. Two lit-
tle-known natives have been rediscovered: the
red Uva del Fantini, located in an abandoned
vineyard, and the white Forcella, found in the
cloister of the church of Santa Maria in Regola.
Both are the subject of ongoing research. Unfor-
tunately, Silvestroni, Marangoni, and Faccioli
reported in 1986 that local grape varieties in the
Bologna countryside have been disappearing
over the last fi fty years, a trend that only recently
has been reversed to a small degree, and
researchers are having diffi culty fi nding even
Tuscany
The good news is that there are 127 offi cially
recognized cultivars in Tuscany; the bad news
is that 118 of them are planted in extremely
small holdings and risk extinction. This is per-
haps not surprising in a region so dominated
by one grape: Sangiovese. Tuscany claims to be
its rightful home, since the most famous and
best Sangiovese wines are produced within its
boundaries. Among the runners-up, Aleatico is
a wonderful aromatic red variety, and Ansonica
and Vernaccia di San Gimignano yield very
good dry white wines. Canaiolo Nero, the
Color-
ino
s, and other natives are also being increas-
ingly used to make monovarietal wines, and
other natives are currently being studied, espe-
cially numerous Sangiovese-like varieties. Vol-
pola is a completely unknown native white
grape that has considerable potential in my
view, and is not unlike Sauvignon Blanc.
Not surprisingly, it is much better suited to the