Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
with more of it. Not so, apparently: perhaps this
is because it's a dependable and generous
yielder, susceptible only to humid conditions
(rainy springs and excessively wet soils) espe-
cially when grafted on vigorous rootstocks; in
similar conditions, berry shatter is common,
and hence decreased production. Between 1969
and 2009, seven clones of Malvasia Bianca di
Candia became available: R2, UBA 26/E, UBA
26/F, UNIMI-VITIS-MALB VV200, UNIMI-
VITIS-MALB VV220, Ampelos TEA 20, and
Ampelos TEA 22. The latter two produce
slightly less and are considered high-quality
clones; the two clones produced by the Univer-
sity of Milan (UNIMI) are complementary, in
that clone 200 produces wines with a strong
herbal aroma, while clone 220 gives wines that
have a more tropical fruit fl air (a very relative
fl air, in my opinion). In fact, the two are proba-
bly best used together, in order to obtain the
most interesting wine possible.
which is oily, sweet, and a little acid-defi cient.
An outstanding Malvasia Bianca di Candia wine
used to be made by the estate Fiorano***, owned
by the Prince Ludovisi Boncompagni; though
the wine is no longer made, old vintages are
available here and there, and it would be worth
your while to try one. Massa Vecchia in Tuscany
produced a very interesting white wine that was
totally Malvasia Bianca di Candia in 2005, and
that can still be found in wine shops in Italy.
Malvasia Bianca Lunga
where it's found:
Tu sc a ny, Umbr i a , L a z io,
Marche.
national registry code number:
132.
color:
white.
As this variety has always called Tuscany its
main home, it is not surprisingly also known as
Malvasia del Chianti or Malvasia Bianca Lunga
Toscana. Other infrequently used synonyms
are Malvasia di Brolo, Malvasia di Arezzo, or
Malvasia di San Nicandro. In 1877, Di
Rovasenda cited rarer synonyms such as Sgra-
narella in the Marche and Silosder de Zara,
which he believed were identical to Malvasia
Bianca di Brolio. Studies show it to be synony-
mous with Prosecco Nostrano di Conegliano,
also called Malvasia Trevigiana, which is grown
in the Tre Venezie area of Italy, comprising
Friuli Venezia Giulia, Veneto, and Trentino
(Calò, Costacurta, Cancellier, Crespan, Milani,
Carraro, et al. 2000).
In a landmark
Malvasia
study by Lacombe,
Boursiquot, Laoucou, Dechesne, Varès, and
This (2007), Malvasia Bianca Lunga was shown
to be closely related to Malvasia Istriana (Mal-
vazija Istarska) and Malvasia di Lipari. In 2007
and 2008, Crespan and his colleagues proved
that Malvasia Bianca Lunga has at least two
well-known offspring: Vitovska (a child of Mal-
vasia Bianca Lunga and Glera Tondo) and Mal-
vasia Nera di Brindisi (the result of a natural
crossing between Malvasia Bianca Lunga and
Negro Amaro). The variety is also one of the
parents (the other is Garganega) of one of Ita-
ly's more successful laboratory crossings, Incro-
cio Bianco Fedit 51.
Which Wines to Choose and Why
Wines that contain small or large percentages
of Malvasia Bianca di Candia are produced
mainly in Lazio, but also in Abruzzo, Molise,
Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, and Emilia-Romagna.
However, though Malvasia Bianca di Candia is
used in many blends (such as the DOCG wines
Frascati and Frascati Cannellino; DOC wines as
diverse as Castelli Romani, Colli Lanuvini, Colli
Martani, Oltrepò Pavese, Sannio; IGT wines
such as Colline Teatine, Colli Aprutini, Molise,
and others, most not worth seeking out), mono-
varietal bottlings are extremely rare anywhere.
A few producers have tried their hand at mak-
ing a monovarietal wine from this variety over
the years, but not many. These attempts are all
characterized by weak aromas and fl avors that
can be described as reminiscent of white fl ow-
ers and fresh citrus, with hints of green or yel-
low apple and herbs. The wines are very light
bodied, almost thin, and notably acidic. They
are best drunk within one year of the vintage.
wines to try:
An example of monovarietal
wine is from Banino* (Aureum) in Lombardy,
