Brushing up on Italian varietals
I WAS VERY fortunate to be invited to the Borsa Vini event at the Marina Mandarin Hotel in Singapore very recently. Borsa Vini, which literally means “wine bag” in Italian, is a wine event organized by the Singaporean office of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). Now on its second edition, Borsa Vini’s objective is to be a forum where Italian wine producers wanting to sell their wines in this region can meet with potential wine importers and distributors from domestic Singapore as well as invitees from other countries in Southeast Asia, the Philippines included. This year, 29 Italian wine producers from 10 wine regions were represented.
Italy is the world’s largest wine producer, with a 19% share of the global wine production. Italy also has the largest vineyards, with over 700,000 hectares dedicated to winemaking. With 20 major wine regions divided into an astonishing 407 Vini DOP (Wines with Protected Designation of Origin), of which 332 are DOCs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and 75 are DOCGs (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita), Italy has by far the most number of DOPs compared to its French and Spanish counterparts. Aside from the wine regions, Italy also has the most catalogued grape varietals or cultivars, numbering around 590, compared to Spain’s over 400 recorded varietals, and France with much less than that.
While I have been going to Italy often, especially over the last five years, there is really no way I can cover even a fraction of these 590 or so varietals. It was therefore a great blessing that I got to encounter some of these seemingly strange (for us here in Asia) varietals when I attended Borsa Vini 2019. In the past, I have written articles about Italian Rosso (Red) varietals like my favorite nebbiolo, sangiovese, corvina, barbera, and dolcetto. While for Italian Bianco (White), I covered pinot grigio, garganega, arneis, ribolla gialla, cortese, and even glera, the varietal of Prosecco. For a change, see below a small list of five Italian grape varietals I just discovered thanks to the Borsa Vini 2019
BIANCO (WHITE) VARIETALS
• Passerina: A grape that is cultivated mainly in the regions of Marche and Abruzzo, but also found in other regions including Emilia Romagna and Latium. The name is derived from the Italian word for sparrow “passero,” in reference to this bird’s fondness for consuming this varietal when it is ripe. I tasted the Agronika Passerina Terre di Chieli 2018 IGT, and I find the wine more on the vegetative side, like asparagus, with some peppercorn and petal elements, but very fresh with good acidity and texture, lengthy with citrus at the end. This wine should hold up very well against cream-based food. Check this winery out at www.novaripa.com.
• Vermentino: A grape widely cultivated in Sardinia but also found in Tuscan, Piedmont (where it is known as favorita), and Ligurian coastal districts (known as pigato in this area). I have tried a couple of favorita wines in Piedmont, and only found out at the Borsa Vini that these varietals, vermentino and favorita are linked together. I tasted the Pedres Thilibas Vermentino di Gallura Superiore 2018 DOCG, and this is from the province of Olbia-Tempio, north of Sardinia. This wine is a nice juicy white that is quite quaffable, with flavors that include grapefruit, lime and herbal notes, and it is nicely dry and minerally at the end. This wine can be really great with fresh seafoods. Check this winery out at www.cantinapedres.it.
• Fiano minutolo: Or simply minutolo, as to not be confused with another Italian grape called fiano from Campania. Minutolo is a grape that has been cultivated in Puglia since the 13th century, but was close to extinction until a group of old vintners and oenologists revived this very aromatic varietal in the Itria Valley early this century. I was also told at Borsa Vini that only seven wineries are working with this varietal at present. I tasted the Otto Cento Minutolo 2018 IGT, and it has moscato-like characteristics. The wine has fragrant tropical fruit flavors including pineapple and lychee, has fresh acid and a nice semi-dry peppery finish. Check this winery out at www.cignomoro.it.
ROSSO (RED) VARIETALS
• Nero d’Avola: A grape cultivated in Sicily, nero d’Avola is also Sicily’s best known and most planted red varietal with around 18% of the vineyards or some 14,000 hectares. This varietal is making a lot of progress in export and is becoming known for its power and bold flavors. I tasted the Cutaja Nero d’Avola Riserva 2016 DOC, and this wine has a lot going on in the glass. The nose has blackberry, earth, raisin, peppercorn, cinnamon bark and all sorts of complexity. Tannins are still rigid, but as a food wine this varietal can survive with the heartiest of any meat meals. The wine has good acid structure too and ends with a lingering bitter-sweet finish. Check this winery out at www.carusoeminini.it.
• Susumaniello: This is a grape varietal that is cultivated only in the Puglia wine region. It is one of the varietals that have been around for a long time in Italy but has been under the radar. Susumaniello is also a varietal used in the Brindisi Rosso DOC wine blend. I tasted the Somiero Susmaniello del Salento 2016 IGT, and this wine has an alluring red cherry nose, some leafiness, noticeable tannins, with a medium body, and a herbaceous aftertaste. Check this winery out at www.levignedisammarco.it.
Other noteworthy Italian varietals I also encountered at Borsa Vini 2019 that are actually just named differently in Italy but are in fact commercially known varietals are: traminer aromatic, which is basically gewurztraminer; primitivo, which is closely linked to Californian zinfandel and Croatian plavac mali; and connonau, which is in fact grenache.
Right now, none of these five Italian varietals I mentioned will replace our usual chardonnay and cabernet sauvignon. However, for genuine wine lovers, these varietals offer another taste profile and a uniqueness that make the wine experience exciting, fresh, and a continuing education. I highly recommend that once you see these varietals in your favorite wine shops, please buy and try them. There is always room for new wine varietals in our vocabulary.
For comments, inquiries, wine event coverage, wine consultancy and other wine related concerns, please e-mail me at protegeinc@yahoo.com. You can also follow me on twitter at www.twitter.com/sherwinlao.
