Black grapes and their wines: a journey down “the boot”

According to one of the most comprehensive harvests of grapes for vinification there are more than 1300 different varieties, some of which contribute to enriching the biodiversity that Italy offers. Among autochthonous grapes, clones and international varieties that have found suitable soils for their development, we would like to introduce you to some of those characterised by the red berry and which, therefore, give rise to complex and different wines for ageing.

Accompanied by a number of wineries, we will discover the wonderful world of black grape varieties, as they should more correctly be defined.

WINES AND GRAPE VARIETIES

The grape varieties that are defined by their ampelographic denomination as ‘black berry‘ are characterised by a dark colouring of the grape skins, which will be found in most of the wines made from these grapes. These will be red or rosé in colour. The main cause of the brown colour of these grapes is the anthocyanins (polyphenols), which are also responsible for the astringency of the berries.

Of the many vine varieties found in Italy, around 300 are black berry varieties: some of these ones have made our country famous throughout the world for its wines, while others have only recently been rediscovered by a few wineries attentive to territorial specificity. Grapes seek the sun, yearn for rain and live in the wind that blows through them with the slow passing of seasons: it is interesting to discover, year after year, how each variety becomes unique and unrepeatable, enhancing its own characteristics and giving uniqueness to the bottles.

A THOUSAND-YEAR HISTORY

The soul of mountain dwellers sometimes seems to be hardened by the difficulties to which this type of territory subjects them, but their ability to create, their strength and resilience make them capable of making life flourish where it would seem impossible to find it. And so it is that, following a history no less than a thousand years old, the inhabitants of Valtellina, in the extreme north of Lombardy, have been able to create vineyards supported by terraces and stone walls, following the mountain slope. 

On the slopes of this valley, since Carolingian times, a vine has found its natural habitat, from which today the great wines of the Valtellina Superiore DOCG are produced: Sforzato, Inferno, Sassella, Valgella and Grumello. Originating from an ecclesiastical viticulture, which managed both production and marketing, Chiavennasca genetically identifies itself as a clone of Nebbiolo, from which it has now become detached due to its uniqueness in terms of geographical isolation and the selection made by producers.

Nebbiolo is the most prized black grape variety among Italians and the Valtellina variant differs from the Piedmontese grapes mainly because of the terroir from which it originates: the wines produced are harder, cleaner, but at the same time delicate and mineral. The ‘earthy’ note typical of Piedmontese wines is missing. The bouquet is varied and fragrant: as we discover through the bottles from the Villa Walter Fontana winery this grape can offer hints of red pulp fruit, jam and violets and flowers, but there are also hints of undergrowth and autumn scents.

Dall’amore per queste terre e dalla passione per il vino, questa cantina ha saputo portare avanti un lavoro di riscoperta della biodiversità valligiana e delle grandi potenzialità di questo vitigno, la cui forza sta nelle innumerevoli possibilità di abbinamento con il cibo. 

CORVINA, THE LEGENDARY TRANSFORMATION

Moving on to Veneto, it becomes inevitable to talk about the black grape variety of excellence of this region, the progenitor of the black grape varieties of Valpolicella. The basis of wines that every oenophile will try at least once in his or her life, such as Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG and Recioto della Valpolicella DOCG, Corvina is a grape with an elongated, pyramidal bunch, quite dense and with a single, often long wing.

This grape has also been selected by the Scuderia Italia winery to produce Amarone and Valpolicella Ripasso Superiore: a company set up with the aim of bringing together “expert oenologists and producers to bring together under a single brand name the jewels for the palate that only Italy can boast” could not fail to value this variety. The wines obtained from traditional vinification have an intense ruby red colour, with aromas dominated by fruity notes, while with ageing, they present interesting spicy nuances.

While some experts believe that this grape owes its name to the Venetian dialect and the word ‘crua’ (‘raw’, hence ‘unripe’) due to its late ripening, most sources link the name to the colour of the ripe grape, which is reminiscent of crow feathers. It is precisely this animal that is associated with the legend of this grape variety.

The story goes that Valpolicella had an abundance of white grapes, but the grapes were prized by crows who attacked the vineyards in order to eat them. One day a crow, flying to catch a bunch of grapes, injured its wing and was treated by a loving farmer. As a sign of gratitude, the crow converted part of the area’s white grapes into black ones, the colour of its feathers. From this legendary episode, whose memory is lost in time, the Corvina grape variety was born.

MEMORIES OF A FRIULIAN CHILDHOOD

When we talk about grape varieties, we like to remember that some of them truly reflect the uniqueness of the territory, they are the natural creation of a specific geographical area. Some indigenous grape varieties embody tradition, terroir and history, and for this reason they become bearers of memory. They are memories of “childhood spent at grandparents’ houses, barbecued meat and a table laden with good old-fashioned things”, the bottling of a flavour that speaks of family and of roots in the land. For Aquila del Torre winery, this is Refosco dal peduncolo rosso, not only an indigenous Friuli-Venezia Giulia vine, but also the fruit of memory. 

This particular grape owes its name to the colour of the peduncle, the base of the stalk. Again, the origins of this vine are lost in the mists of time: it seems that the great Roman author Pliny the Elder, before disappearing in the most important natural disaster that struck the Roman world, had already mentioned the excellence of this grape in his writings.

Today, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is present in the DOC Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli Grave, Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Latisana and in the Veneto portion of Lison Pramaggiore DOC.

The wine obtained from Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is rather tannic, fruity, savoury, and at the same time also acidic; as Aquila del Torre defines it, it is a wine that is “introverted at the beginning, then opens up, fully demonstrating its fruit and generous heart”. It is a wine that takes time to be appreciated, angular and peculiar, like its grapes and like the Friulians, tough with a good heart..

GUESS WHO?

It is the most widely cultivated black grape variety in Italy, with an area under vine equal to 11% of the entire Italian territory, and is the most widespread in Tuscany. It is in this region, with vineyards that lap the Chianti Classico area and also enjoy the Tyrrhenian breezes, that Casa Sola is located, obsessed with the search for quality and rigorous respect for the environment. Here, the production of many wines finds its basis and raison d’être in these grapes, as well-known as they are excellent.

What are we talking about? Well, without a doubt, Sangiovese, the grape of San Giovanni … or of Jupiter. Oh yes, because there are many traditions in the name of this grape variety: some say it derives from sangiovannese (i.e. from San Giovanni Valdarno), others from sanguegiovese (“blood of Jupiter”), in reference to Monte Giove, near Santarcangelo di Romagna.

A grape variety that encompasses many different varieties, whose origins can be traced back to Etruscan culture, Sangiovese is involved in the composition of so many wines that it is difficult to define it univocally. Generally speaking, the wines made from it have a marked acidity and high tannin content, a ruby red colour and a medium body.

Even Casa Sola, a strong believer that a great wine is born in the vineyard, works with Sangiovese grapes, seeking to enhance their qualities. The authenticity of the wines is achieved through a deep respect for tradition and the experience of generations who have chosen hilly terrain and late harvests, typical of this vineyard.

THE NATIVE WINE BORN ON THE SLOPES OF ETNA

Speaking of wines and vineyards, how could we not make a stop in beautiful Sicily? Origin of indigenous varieties, land of unique and peculiar products, this island has a geographical location and microclimate that create unique conditions for some vineyards.

On the slopes of Mount Etna, a rare grape variety is born that owes its name to the fact that it was (and is) historically grown in the Contea di Mascali. Nerello Mascalese is a grape with which quality reds are generally produced, suitable for ageing and with a rather high alcohol content. It is particularly sensitive to the year and to the territory where it is grown: late harvesting allows it to ripen, reaping all the climatic variations that each year brings to the vineyard.

It is precisely from Niuriddu Mascalisi (its name in Sicilian dialect) that Fermata 125 Rosso (Etna Rosso DOC) is made, from Baglio di Pianetto winery, a wine with a bouquet of small red fruits, Mediterranean maquis and hints of cherry and wild strawberries. This bottle encapsulates the best characteristics that the vineyard expresses: the meticulous care of this excellent raw material and the respect for nature make this wine a genuine and authentic expression of the land of Sicily.

Every grape tells a story, every vineyard encloses the power of nature and wise selection, the fruit of the experience of generations of winegrowers. Discovering the differences, the peculiarities and the characteristics of each grape makes it possible to value and appreciate the wines that are produced from these grapes. A bottle does not just accompany a meal, it is not just a food product: it is the story of a journey through history.