Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Gentile, as around Mocasina the latter
Groppello
variety was rare). Groppello di Mocasina was
always used in blends because its monovarietal
wines are light in color and low in acid, while in
blends it enhances perfume and provides
smoothness. Currently, it is believed there are
less than fi fty hectares planted to Groppello di
Mocasina in Lombardy, as well as a few sporadic
vines in Trentino.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Monovarietal wines made with Groppello di
Revò are characterized by a black pepper aroma
and f lavor. This is not surprising since
researchers at the Istituto Agrario di San
Michele all'Adige have recently discovered that
the variety expresses high concentrations of
rotundone in the wine. Rotundone smells of
black pepper; a molecule also found in rose-
mary and marjoram, it is also present in note-
worthy quantities in wines made with
Vespolina, Schioppettino, and Austria's Grüner
Veltliner.
wines to try:
Redaelli de Zinis** (roughly 15
percent of the grapes are late harvested), and
Pasini-La Torre* (Garda Classico Mocasina;
owner Pasini is a huge believer in Groppello di
Mocasina's qualities). Cantine Turina produces
a Garda Classico Groppello that is 50 percent
Mocasina and 50 percent Gentile, but with these
percentages, it's impossible to fi gure out what
Groppello di Mocasina truly brings to the blend.
wines to try:
Augusto Zadra*** (I like his
classic Groppello bottling more than the Grop-
pello El Zeremia, which has more structure;
this producer owns centenary vines, many
ungrafted), Pravis** (El Filo'), Andrea
Franch**, Valerio Rizzi**, Cantina Rotali-
ana**, Produttori di Montagna**, Marco Fel-
lin* (aged in oak, so smoother than most), and
Piero Pancheri* (Laste Rosse).
Groppello di Revò
where it's found:
Lombardy.
national reg-
istry code number:
380.
color:
red.
Groppello di Revò is believed to be the most
ancient of the
Groppello
s: its cultivation was
greatly helped by the propagation efforts of the
noble Maffei family, who grew it on their estate
in the Val di Non. Always an extremely impor-
tant variety in Trentino (where supplying wine
to the nearby Austro-Hungarian empire was a
huge business), Groppello di Revò's impor-
tance to the local economy is also demonstrated
by the fact that Trentino's third-oldest wine-
making social cooperative was created in 1893
in Revò. After phylloxera, Groppello di Revò fell
on hard times. It was probably saved from
extinction only because it grew well on the
steep shores of Lake Santa Giustina and apple
trees (Trentino's main agricultural product and
at that time, the more fi nancially rewarding
crop) did not, so that
Groppello
vines were mer-
cifully left in peace. Local producers have since
grouped together to form the Associazione del
Groppello di Revò, an association of like-
minded individuals who aim to publicize the
qualities of their cultivar and wine.
Groppello Gentile
where it's found:
Lombardy, Trentino.
na -
tional registry code number:
104.
c o l o r :
red.
Groppello Gentile is very easily distin-
guished from all other
Groppello
s due to its
always winged grape bunch; when the bunch is
particularly big, the grape is most likely the
Groppellone biotype. Groppello Gentile is a
remarkably delicate variety that is especially
sensitive to water retention in soils. In water-
logged soils, Groppello Gentile greatly increases
productivity—its berries enlarge and their skin
becomes much thinner—making grey rot a
huge problem. Not surprisingly, this variety
prefers sandy or gravelly soils, which ensure
excellent water drainage.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Monovarietal examples of Groppello Gentile
can be found among DOC wines, though it is
almost always blended with Groppello di
