A little red wine knowledge every day, red wine knowledge is simple to learn,
Thank you for your interest in us.
Author: Maurizio Broggi
While Italian red wines have attracted much attention, there is no doubt that there are many excellent white wines worth considering. While white wines like Soave, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi or Fiano di Avellino are well known, there are also little-known but popular Varieties of Italian White Grapes that are now producing exciting wines that are worth a try.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > El Barus</h1>
To the north of Piedmont, near the town of Ivrea and south of Valle d'Aosta, is the historical and geographical area of Canavese. The region, especially the hills surrounding Caluso, is home to Erbaluce, one of Piedmont's most interesting and oldest indigenous white grape varieties.
The name Erbaluce is said to refer to the bright amber color of ripe Erbaluce grapes. Historically, grapes have been air-dried to produce sweet Parsito wines, which are highly regarded among Piedmontese wines. After a long recession, Erbaluce is now undergoing a gradual renaissance due to the advent of dry wines.
Erbaluce is a low-fertility, vigorously growing variety. For this reason, it requires a large canopy and is traditionally trained using a pergola system. Due to low fertility, Erbaluce's yield is significantly irregular. The grapes have thick skins and high acidity, which makes this variety ideal for producing sweet Pasito-style wines.
With vibrant acidity and moderate alcohol, these wines combine subtle floral and herbal notes with aromas of citrus, apple and lingering minerals. Dry wines are usually made of stainless steel, but there are also a few producers who use a certain percentage of oak. Erbaluce in the Passito style is made from air-dried grapes (often affected by noble rot) and matured in small oak barrels. These are intense, complex and long-lasting wines with aromas of honey, jam, apricot, preserves, saffron and vanilla. Interestingly, Erbaluce's high acidity also makes it suitable for producing sparkling wines using traditional methods.
Most wines made from Erbaluce bear the Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG label. Some producers in the Alto Piemonte region also produce erbaluce under Colline Novaresi and Coste della Sesia DOC.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="14" > Timolaso</h1>
Timorasso is an ancient, high-quality grape native to the Colli Tortonesi region, which surrounds the town of Tortona in the southeast corner of Piedmont. Today, Timolaso is considered one of the most exciting grapes in Piedmont, but there was a time when this grape was almost completely extinct.
Timoraso has been cultivated in Piedmont since at least the 14th century. Historically, it was one of the main white grapes in Liguria and southeastern Piedmont. After the arrival of the phylloxera, the area under cultivation in Timolaso began to decline, when growers chose to replant grapes with higher yields and less difficulty, such as Cortese. The poverty and destruction caused by the Second World War, and the economic and industrial boom that followed, led to the abandonment of many vineyards, which eventually led to a significant reduction in the area under cultivation in Di Morasso.
By the 1980s, nearly disappearing, Timolaso was rescued from obscurity by energetic producer Vigneti Massa, who put grapes and wine back on the map. In recent years, Timorasso's potential has attracted attention from producers outside colli Tortonesi, including top Barolo and Barbaresco producers such as Borgogno, Vietti and Roagna.
Timorasso is a medium to late maturing variety that is not easy to grow due to low yields and irregularities. It is prone to grape spore disease and requires good exposure to reach full ripeness.
These wines exude floral (acacia and hawthorn) and citrus aromas with hints of stone fruit and honey. They are distinguished by a strong acidity and a strong mineral flavor. On the palate it is medium to full-bodied, with a creamy texture and a medium to high concentration of alcohol. Timoraso wines are well aged and produce kerosene-like flavors as the bottles age. In fact, it is at its best after at least a few years of bottling.
Timorasso is usually bottled under colli Tortonesi DOC, and the label usually bears the name of Derthona (the ancient Latin name for Tortona), which is destined to become the official partition of Timorasso.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="21" > Paragrelo Bianco</h1>
The province of Caserta, located in the northwest of Campania, boasts some of the best varieties rediscovered in the region. The Pallagrello Bianco grape is one such grape variety.
Experts first mentioned in 1876 that Pallagrello Bianco had all but disappeared in the 20th century. In the 1990s, Giuseppe Mancini (the current owner of the Terre del Principe estate) regained popular attention by adding two other forgotten unique red grapes, Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia.
Pallagrello Bianco is a vibrant, fertile, medium-ripe and high-yielding variety. These wines are round in taste, moderate in acidity and high in alcohol. Aromas include yellow apple, tropical fruits, stone fruits and honey. The richness of the palate and the unique exotic fruit flavor are often compared to Viogni, although Pallagrello Bianco's floral and overall aroma is inferior to Viogni due to its lower terpene content. As bottles age, these wines give off aromas of acacia, lavender and vanilla.
The area under cultivation of Pallagrello Bianco is still small, limited to the province of Caserta, however, this grape is receiving increasing attention from producers and consumers. Since there is currently no DOC dedicated to Pallagrello Bianco-based wines, these wines are often labeled Terre del Volturno IGT or Campania IGT.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="27" > Calicante</h1>
In recent years, the reputation of Etna wines has greatly improved. This rising reputation revolves around red wines based on Nerello Mascalese, but Etna isn't just about red grapes and red wines. In fact, many producers also use the local indigenous grape Carricante to make excellent white wines.
Carricante used to be grown elsewhere in Sicily, however, the high-altitude volcanic slopes of Mount Etna are the real home of Carricante, and today, it is actually the only region on the island where grapes are grown.
Carricante is often found in etna's highest vineyards, between 3,000–3,900 ft/900–1,200 m, where the red Nerello Mascalese does not fully mature. The planting area is concentrated on the eastern and southern slopes of Mount Etna. The east, especially around the village of Milo, is considered the ideal territory of Calikante. Here, the grapes reach their full potential, and some of the best expressions of Carricante can be found here.
Carricante is traditionally grown in sandy volcanic soils using the alberello viticulture system. Many of the existing vines are old vines, which are grown with their own rootstock. Carricante is known for its high yields, so its production must be strictly controlled in order to obtain quality grapes. The malic acid content of this variety is particularly high, and it is not surprising that in the past growers placed wine in barrels and in the lees until the following spring to promote malolactic fermentation, which helped soften the sharp acidity of the wine. Today, growers also tend to harvest Carricante as late as possible to help naturally lower the high acidity of the variety.
The best example of Carricante showcases the delicate aromas of orange blossom, citrus, apple, fennel and honey, combining intense minerals, lively acidity and moderate alcohol. They usually exhibit a seductive salty and salty taste. Carricante can be ranked as one of the most ageable whites in Italy and produces a hard and kerosene-like flavor as the bottle ages.
Most Carricante are labeled Etna Bianco DOC, which requires at least 60% Carricante. While some producers mix local white grapes such as Minella, Catarratto or Inzolia, many examples are 100% Carricante. The name Etna Bianco Superiore is dedicated to wines made from at least 80% Carricante, which are grown only around the village of Milo.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="35" > Manzoni Bianco</h1>
Unlike the other grapes discussed in this article, Manzoni Bianco is not a native Italian grape, but an Italian hybrid. In fact, it is considered one of the most successful border crossings in Italy. It was originally named after the technical name Incrocio Manzioni 6.0.13, created in the early 1930s by Luigi Manzoni, a professor at the Conegliano School of Winemaking.
Manzoni Bianco is a hybrid between Riesling and Pinot Bianco (Pinot Blanc). Some people think it may be chardonnay instead of Pinot Binot, but most experts and producers dispute this claim.
Manzoni Bianco is considered a "noble" hybrid, thanks to the quality and character of the wines it produces. Although initially overlooked due to low yields, in recent years the area under cultivation has gradually increased due to quality producers who are beginning to understand the true potential of the variety. Trentino and Veneto are the two most famous major appellations, Manzoni Bianco. There are also plantations in Alto Adige and Friuli.
Manzoni Bianco is an early to medium ripening variety that is resistant to a variety of vine and gray mold diseases. Although it is well adapted to a variety of growing conditions and soils, it generally performs best on hillsides than on calcareous clay. It is able to reach high sugar levels while maintaining high acidity.
Wines made by Manzoni Bianco have floral aromas (linden, wisteria, jasmine) as well as aromas of apple, pear, stone fruit and tropical fruits. The hard and kerosene-like taste is also typical, becoming more prominent as the bottle ages. Due to its high acidity and medium to high alcohol content, wines exhibit mineral flavors and good structure on the palate.
End of this article. Please contact [email protected] for reprinting
Thank you for your attention, which loves red wine and loves life.