Was der Bauer nicht kennt, frisst er nicht.

The old German saying "What the farmer doesn't know he doesn't eat" was quoted to us by the philosophical member of staff at Jacques' Weindepot in Hannover. one of 250 branches of this German equivalent of Majestic in the UK. We hd asked if he had any 'ungewoehnliche Rebsorten' (unusual grape varieties) and after asking if we knew about Cabernet Franc, Syrah etc. this sole representative quoted this proverb in relation to his stock.

Could it be that German wine drinkers are even more conservative than the rest of us? It is understandable that those countries with their own production and traditions are less eclectic than those without but in fact Germany is a rather interesting place from the point of view of wine diversity. Described in Jancis Robinson's Oxford Companion to wine as "The most distinctive wine producer in Europe", there are actually quite a lot of treasures waiting to be discovered.

Quite a few of these are ancient such as Elbling and Rauschling, both progenies of the antique Gouais Blanc (parent of Chardonnay) and believed to have been planted since Roman times, Silvaner (a crossing of Traminer and something called Oesterreichisch Weiss) coming from the banks of the Danube in Austria in the mediaeval period, Blauer Silvaner (a red adaptation found in Wuerttemberg), Blauer Portugieser - still the most planted red grape in Germany - also originating in Austria, etc, but the far greater number come from a tradition of crossings and hybrids which stretches back at least to the beginning of the Eighteenth Century.

It was then that a wine merchant from the Rheinpfalz called Johann Seger Ruland first promoted what has become known at Pinot Gris, Pinot Grigio or still in Germany Ruländer. This was a minor Burgundian variety probably known as Fromenteau which migrated to Switzerland and Germany. Ruland who was an apothecary and merchant found two vines of a kind previously unknown to him in an abandoned vineyard at a property he bought in Streicherstrasse in Speyer (Pfalz)from the Court Assessor Johann Heinrich Seuffert in 1709. In 1711 he made wine from them and found it "so suss und lieblich" (sweet and lovely) that he propagated the vines and sold a hundred bottles at between 8 and 10 Gulden each. With this began the diffusion of Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio/Ruländer, also called Speyerer or Vinum Bonum in Germany. There seems to be no existing portrait of this wonderful gentleman. This story seems to be unique in the world of wine, given that the discovery of a grape may be taced not only to a specific year but to an individual at a particular address whch no doubt exists to this day. Amazing given the current massive popularity of Pinot Grigio.

Since then, the Germans seem to have acquired a penchant for discovering or inventing new grape varieties, for the most part in order to assist the growing of grapes in their particular climate of course. The most familiar ones include those produced at the institutes of Geisenheim, Geilweilerhof, Weinsberg and elsewhere: Mueller-Thurgau, Kerner, Dornfelder, Bacchus, Seyval Blanc, Scheurebe, Schoenburger, Reichensteiner, Faber, Huxelrebe, Ortega, Ehrenfelser, Siegerrebe, Triomph d'Alsace, Optima, Regner, Findling, Wuerzer and many others which come in and out of fashion.

Between these two come several importations including Trollinger (Schiava), Lemberger (Blaufraenkisch), Spaetburgunder (Pinot Noir), Fruehburgunder (an early ripening clone of Pinot Noir), Weissburgunder (confusingly the German for Pinot Blanc and NOT Chardonnay!), various Muscats, Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) and amazingly, only since 1991, Chardonnay and not until very recently indeed, Cabernet Sauvignon. In fact on this trip we were offered a bottle the very first German Cabernet Sauvignon at the huge (and ubiquitous) department store Kaufhof in Hannover.

So you would think Germans were spoiled for choice but it was not easy to root out the gems of diversity. Nonetheless we found a few interesting bottle on our recent travels in Nordrhein Westfalen (Koeln, Duesseldorf, Herford and Hannover).

In the first two cities there are branches of 'FUB' (Fegers und Berts) a long-established prizewinning winemerchant in Koeln, Duesseldorf and Siegburg. Here we learned that the "Gemischte Satz" wine of Vienna is a Field Blend of several different kinds of grapes which grow 'promiscuously' in the same vineyard and are picked at the same time with different degrees of ripeness. How had we overlooked this interesting phenomenon previously? Was this the traditional wine of the Heurigen enjoyed by Beethoven and Schubert? It certainly is an ancient style of winemaking. From two examples we chose the lighter and cheaper version against the advice of staff. The alternative at 14% seemed a bit excessive. We failed to find a Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) here although they usually stock the Graf Neipperg version we had previously found at Leipzig Hauptbahnhof
and enjoyed but Kaufhof in Hannover had a version in a Bocksbeutel from Franken. Also at Kaufhof (Koeln) we found again a Franken Bocksbeutel of Domina, a crossing of Portugieser and Spaetburgunder. Here and at FUB in Duesseldorf we found some interesting wines by Schneider (Pfalz) which seems to be cutting edge to say the least. One, 'Black Print' was a red blend of six grapes: St. Laurent, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Mitos and Cabernet Dorsa. These last are new crossings of Cabernet Sauvignon and Blaufraenkisch and Cabernet and Dornfelder respectively.

Now we had spotted Cabernet Dorsa in purezza on the website of an outfit in Hannover and we were determined to bag a bottle between meetings. So much so that we failed to take the elementary precaution of calling ahead to check that they had it in stock - such was our enthusiasm. An E.35 taxi-ride later, we were back from the outskirts having found out that the enterprise was an internet operation only and no retail outlet existed. We asked the receptionist where we could find their wines retail and she kindly gave us her boss's Handy number. It was therefore not our fault that we disturbed him on holiday but he took the opportunity to lambast us and his receptionist and told us to buy his wine online. When pressed to recommend a good wineshop in town he said he didn't know any which sounded like sour grapes. When pressed further he told us to buy at the airport at which point we terminated the conversation, prescient as it turned out that Hannover Airport Duty Free is a good candidate for the Slotovino award for the world's worst Duty Free although to be fair we bought a 14.5% Dornfelder there as a gift for a colleague who can hack that level of alcohol.

Also on the interenet we had identified what looked like an extraordinarily good Italian specialist in Herford of all places, "In Vino" (Lockhauserstrasse 145) but had not been able to check it out having to leave town before their 11.00 opening hour. From their website they appear uncommonly refined and comprehensive, selling not only wine but food and other things as well. Even their premises appear to be some kind of architectural gem. Missing the Bonarda Oltrepo Pavese (a current obsession) we had spotted on their list, we spotted another version at 'Sapori' in Hannover (C'a del Bosco).

Of the wines drunk on the hoof in theatre bars and restaurants the Spaetburgunders disappointed but the Grauburgunder (another name for Pinot Gris/Ruländer) from Baden was really rather good as was a Dornfelder which went down rather too easily.

So quite a lot for the Bauer not to 'fress' - and you may have noticed, we have managed to write this over-long blog without mentioning the word Riesling.

Jewel of Vicenza - Tocai (now Tai) Rosso

Italy really is fascinating to say the least. With over 2,000 indigenous grape varieties and a fiercely proud regionality you can be almost sure of finding an interesting speciality wherever you go.

Cursory research into the region around Vicenza gave the impression of a lesser outpost of Verona and driving from Venice, there is not a vine to be seen. We had vaguely heard about the Colli Berici . The Oxford Companion to Wine has no entry for that or even Vicenza and only a passing mention (with no cross-references) of these under “Veneto”.

So we had no great hopes of anything interesting turning up on our visit to Vicenza this week. Indeed, despite brown/gold signposts in the town to 'Colli Berici', in restaurants and bars the only local wines seemed to be ‘Cabernet’ which as we know could be Sauvignon, Franc (more likely) or even Carmenere..

After these desultory and disappointing enquiries though, we struck gold – Tocai Rosso. What was that? We had to try it.

Ca’ Bruzzo. Tocai Rosso. Rosso del Veneto (13%)

This was seriously good. An immediate purchase of a case or two would have been in order had we not been standing in a wine shop rather than a bar. The colour was dark, the taste unlike anything obviously familiar. Characterful in the best possible way. The bottle specially uncorked for us was slightly chilled but still there was a magnificent fruit-burst and good finish. The wine was last, hence most expensive on a list of 4 or 5 wines by the glass (€4.30 or thereabouts).

On the back label, it was stated that Tocai Rosso was none other than Grenache. Fighting back a certain disappointment, we were nonetheless delighted to have discovered this wine. After all Grenache is rarely found in Italy outside Sardinia (where it is known as Cannonau) and as with so many international varieties, the Italians know how to make them their own. If this was Grenache, it was unlike others of our acquaintance.

Back at the ranch, we Googled Tocai Rosso, now to be called Tai Rosso following objections from Hungary to the use of the name Tokaji in Alsace and Italy) and came up with the makings of a decent controversy. Is it really Grenache or an indigenous variety? There are many different shades of opinion:

Indigenous variety

Tocai Rosso has no certain information about its origin, some believe has been introduced into Italy from Hungary for the first time in the area of Berici overlooking the city of Vicenza, in the days when these territories were under the domination of Mary Theresa of Austria. Even today, red Tocai is its range of production and Berici election just over the hills in the Veneto region, where land is cultivated by choosing quite strong, deep and well fertilized.
The cluster is squat, truncated pyramid shape with one or two wings very obvious. The berry is large, with thick skin, pruinose but fragile. Blue-violet irregular. Juicy pulp, colorless, sweet
Some experts liken to the Sardinian Cannonau, but the controversy has not yet been fully resolved.
Synonyms. Red Traminer, Pinot Grigio (sic)
www.enotime.it

“…distant cousin…”

A delightfully light and fruity distant cousin to Grenache. Frizzante. NV Montedelma Franciacorta, Lombardy ...
Cucinavivace.com

“…brothers, not the same grape…”

And with the Tocai Rosso (sorry, tai) - Cannonau - Grenache - Garnacha - Alicante - Vernaccia di Serrapetrona - in short, call it what you want, you are brothers.
Yes, they are brothers, not the same grape. Is the time of Professor Attilio Scienza, Professor of Viticulture at the University of Milan. A vine, a collective name, in fact. Some of them are more similar, others differ greatly: this is because it gave its name to grapes for the market value which had (from vernaccia vernaculus of place, for example) and are often similar in name, very different in phenology .

“some experts maintain”…

Amongst the local wines produced, there is one that requires some
explanation: the Tocai rosso, which has nothing to do with the Tocai
produced in Friuli. On the contrary, some experts maintain it is more closely
related to the Sardinian Cannonau.
Barilla.com

“alcun dato certo sulla sua origine”

Il Tocai Rosso non ha alcun dato certo sulla sua origine. Gli esperti lo assimilano al sardo Cannonau. Coltivato sui colli Berici (Vicenza) e nel Veneto Orientale. Nelle zone in cui si coltiva, i terreni sono piuttosto forti, profondi, ben concimati.
Il grappolo è tozzo, di forma tronco-piramidale con una o due ali molto evidenti.
(And this from a producer – Moletti!)

“origin…Grenache”

“…which origin was identified in the grape that takes the name of Grenache in South-east of France, Cannonau in Sardinia (Italy), Alicante and Garnacha in Spain. Tocai Rosso (that was the name) is mainly produced in Colli Berici, a small and hilly area, 60 km. west of Venice. Here you can find nice and light wines, with very interesting quality-price ratios. But pay attention, do not search for Tocai, their labels are now converted to Tai Rosso
Snooth

“…affinity…”

Recent studies showed its affinity with the French variety Grenache and the Sardinian variety Cannonau.
www.vinoparlante.it

The same as Grenache

Sinonimi: Cannonao, Cannonaddu, Alicante di Spagna, Cannonadu, Granaccia, Uva di Spagna. In Spagna: Garnacha, Tinta, Tintilla. In Francia: Grenache, Tinto Aragons, Grenachè de Alicante.

Cenni Storici: Introdotto in Sardegna durante la dominazione spagnola dal XV al XVIII sec.
Attraverso ricerche genetico molecolari, che il Cannonao, l'Alicante e il Tocai Rosso sono un unico vitigno. Anche la Vernaccia di Serrapetrona sembrerebbe far parte della stessa famiglia.
E' del 1612 la prima citazione di un vino prodotto con vitigno Cannonau sardo inviato a re FilippoI.
Diffuso in tutta la Sardegna, è presente anche nel Friuli, e in Italia Centro-settentrionale.
www.vinoinrete.it

“è la Garnacha …[aka] Gamay Perugino, Ranaccio…”

Vitigno coltivato sui Colli Berici fin dall’800; è la Garnacha tinta spagnola e
il Grenache francese. È uno dei vitigni più diffusi nel Mondo. In Italia, dove
è stato importato probabilmente dagli Spagnoli, si trova coltivato anche in
Sardegna come Cannonao, in Umbria come Gamay perugino, in Sicilia come
Alicante o Ranaccio, ecc.
www.VenetoAgricoltura.org


So there is hope that Tocai Rosso is at least a mutation of Grenache. Interesting that Venaccia di Serrapetrona is also included in the list as belonging to this family. Perhaps our Vernaccia Nera (Slotovino runner-up to Best Red Wine Discovery of 2009) is also a Grenache…?

Despite the characteristic low profile in bars and restaurants in Vicenza, there exists a 'Strada del Tocai Rosso' in the Colli Berici apparently, so someone knows what a treasure lies there. Does someone have to make another 'Sideways' - this time extolling Tocai Rosso instead of Pinot noir to give this hidden jewel its deserved place in the crown of Italian wine? We hope not.

Chapter and verse (?)

Sinonimi: Tocai di Barbarano, Cannonau, Cannonao, Cannonatu, Cannonaddu, Cannonazo, Grenache, Alicante, Alicante di Spagna, Alicante Roussillon, Roussillon, Garnacha, Garnacha tinta, Granaxa, Grénache, Alicantina, Tinta, Tintoria, Uva di Spagna, Vernaccia di Serrapetrona, Retagliadu nieddu, Vernaccia nera.
Vitigno ad uva nera, molto diffuso in Europa con diverse denominazioni ma che nel Veneto è coltivato esclusivamente nel Vicentino e, in particolare, sui Colli Berici e nelle basse valli dei Lessini orientali.
In effetti, il vitigno che nel Vicentino è chiamato Tocai rosso è del tutto identico dal punto di vista ampelografico, isoenzimatico e chimico a uno sciame di cultivar comprendente la Garnacha tinta o Granaxa spagnola, la Grenache francese e il Cannonau sardo, come confermato nel 1983 dall’Istituto Sperimentale per la Viticoltura (Calò, Costacurta, 2004).
La sua origine è molto probabilmente spagnola (Aragona); dalla Penisola Iberica si diffuse nella Francia meridionale (Vaucluse, Var, Languedoc) probabilmente alla fine del ‘700 e in Sardegna, dove fu descritto per la prima volta da Manca nel 1780 (Costacurta, Cancellier, 1999), benché le prime citazioni del nome Cannonao risalgano al periodo a cavallo tra il ‘500 e il ‘600 (Calò, Costacurta, 2004) o forse addirittura nel ‘400 (Pollini, 2006).
Per quanto riguarda la sua introduzione nel Veneto, la prima notizia di un vitigno denominato Tokai rosso venne pubblicata nel Catalogo ed illustrazione dei prodotti primitivi del suolo e delle industrie della Provincia di Vicenza offerte alla pubblica mostra nel Palazzo del Museo Civico il 25 agosto 1855. Secondo la tradizione, il vitigno sarebbe stato importato poco prima della metà del XIX secolo da un nativo di Nanto (VI) il quale, avendo prestato servizio nell’esercito austro-ungarico, avrebbe riportato al congedo alcune talee. L’uva era dapprima detta del Marangon per il mestiere svolto dal congedato, poi venne chiamata col nome del presunto luogo d’origine (Calò, Costacurta, 2004).
In seguito, Montanari e Ceccarelli (1950) furono i primi a usare il nome Tocai di Barbarano per il vitigno presente nel Vicentino e fondamentale per il vino di questa zona, dove copre circa 200 ha.
Nel secondo dopoguerra Cosmo (1947-49) raccomandò il Tocai Rosso come varietà fondamentale per i Colli Berici. Il regolamento CEE 2005/70 raccomanda il Tocai rosso per la provincia di Vicenza, mentre il 3800/81 ne autorizzò la coltivazione anche in provincia di Venezia. È inoltre da pochi decenni coltivato anche nel Trevigiano (Calò, Costacurta, 2004).
È registrato col n° 236 nel Registro Nazionale delle Varietà di Vite, dove però si specifica trattarsi di un sinonimo di Alicante (n° 10) e Cannonao (n° 51): la differenziazione è ai fini della designazione dei vari DOC: nelle province di Vicenza, Treviso e Venezia come Tocai rosso, di Cagliari, Nuoro e Oristano come Cannonao, di Ancona, Ascoli Piceno, Catania, Grosseto, Pesaro, Messina, Perugia, Rieti, Rimini e Savona come Alicante (a Perugia anche come Gamay perugino, in Sicilia anche come Ranaccio). È inoltre presente in Val d’Aosta (Grenache).
Come Tocai Rosso è fondamentale (85-100%) nell’omonima DOC dei Colli Berici. Se la gradazione arriva a 11,5° può essere denominato Tocai rosso di Barbarano o Barbarano. Le denominazioni dovranno però essere cambiate dal 1 aprile 2007 a causa della controversia legale provocata dell’omonimia con i noti vitigni ungheresi.


Bibliografia
CALÒ A., COSTACURTA A., 2004 – Dei vitigni italici ovvero delle loro storie, caratteri e valorizzazione. Matteo Ed., Dosson di Casier (TV).
CATALOGO ed illustrazione dei prodotti primitivi del suolo e delle industrie della Provincia di Vicenza offerte alla pubblica mostra nel Palazzo del Museo Civico il 25 agosto 1855. Tip. Eredi Paroni, Vicenza.
COSMO I., 1947-49 – Indagine sulla viticoltura e l’enologia delle Venezie. Ann. Staz. Sperim. Vitic. Enol. Conegliano, v. 13.
COSTACURTA A., CANCELLIER S., 1999 – I vitigni dei Berici. CCIAA Vicenza.
MONTANARI V., CECCARELLI G., 1950 - La viticoltura e l’enologia nelle Tre Venezie, Longo e Zoppelli, Treviso.
POLLINI L., 2006: Viaggio attraverso i vitigni autoctoni italiani. Alsaba ed.
http://www.biodiversitaveneto.it/


Ca' Bruzzo

Via M. Cavallo, 38
S.germano Dei Berici, Vicenza 36040
Italy
Phone: 0444868040 Fax: 00390444868040
Winery Established: 1985
Wine Production: 1500 cases
Winemaker(s): Alan Bruzzo
Wine Region: Veneto - Vicenza
The Ca' Bruzzo Organic Vineyards produce high quality and complex barrique matured wines. The winery located in the Vicenza Province of northeastern Italy, equidistant from Venice and Verona, in the beautiful Colli Berici Hills. Five varieties of grapes are grown on these lush hillside vineyards for a total production of no more than 20,000 bottles of wine. The Bruzzo's carry out all aspects of winemaking personally. Aldo, his wife Sarah Wallace and son Alan began operating this small organic farm in 1985.

The character of these wines is created in the fields where each vine is hand trimmed by Aldo Bruzzo, lending his personal vision to the development of the fruit. This is the core philosophy of the Ca' Bruzzo vineyard tradition. The personel tending of the the vines, along with the particular "terroir", give these wines their unique character. The yields are kept very low, eco-compatible organic farming methods are used throughout the vineyards, ( Ca' Bruzzo is certified for organic production through I.C.E.A. Veneto (www.icea.info) with operator code E 1182 ). The microclimate is ideal, the hills are part of the pre-alps at the edge of the Po plain where ascending currents create windy conditions, maintaining the leaves dry and the grapes healthy. No irrigation is used; as a result the roots are forced to grow deep to find moisture, adding to the character of the wine.

The Berici Hills

Ancient seismic events create an ideal vineyard soil.
The Colli Berici is a range of hills located in the central part of the Veneto region of Italy, situated roughly between the Lessinian mountains and the Prealpi. These lush Italian slopes were formed due to an ancient geological event called a bradyseism. A bradyseism is a very slow seismic movement that traps superheated gas under the soil creating a ridge rather than a volcano. The resulting 'terrarossa' soil is rich in minerals and elements such as iron oxide, making it ideal for producing dark red wines. This particular soil encourages an optimal production of desirable compounds in the berries during ripening which include colour, flavour, and a perfect acid/tannin balance. In fact the Colli Berici is the earliest D.O.C. for Cabernet and Merlot in Italy.
The grape has been cultivated here for many centuries. In fact, grape pips indicating primitive forms of grape pressing have been found here dating back to the Bronze Age over three thousand years ago.

The first rules for growing vines in the area were handed down to the Adige civilization by the Etruscans and became widespread between 950 and 500 B.C. Subsequently it was the Romans, being already experienced in agricultural technology, who systematically launched the production of vines for making wine. But the first written evidence of wines in the Colli Berici comes to us from a Greek sophist, Atheneus, who lived in Rome between the 2nd and 3rd centuries and pointed out their perceptible merits, judging them to be palatable and pleasing wines.

Tintore just doesn't quite make it

We are always sad when an obscure grape doesn't make it into the Slotovino Hall of Fame. In the case of Tintore, the grape ticks all the boxes not only for obscurity but everything else imaginable:

1. Tinore is a Teinturier grape probably the product of Aglianico and Tintura. It is cultivated over barely 10 ha, by only very few growers including Giuseppe Apicella, Alfonso Arpino and Luigi Reale in Tramonti, inland from the Costiera Almalfitana, near Ravello, Campania (Italy).

2. The example we tasted was from old vines "forse le piu antiche d'Italia"
(according to the label on Arpino's bottle of 'Monte di Grazia' 90% Tintore, 10% Piedirosso) 80 - 120 years old.

3. The vines are grown 'organically/biologically' and have until today resisted Phylloxera.

4. The area has a special microclimate cooled by coastal breezes and the soils have evolved from the numerous eruptions of Mt. Vesuvius over the ages.

5, The vineyards are in elevated positions between 300 and 550 metres above sea level.

There are many other little or unknown grape varieties growing in the 'Parco dei Monti Lattari' where Monte di Grazia is. These include the following white varieties:
Bianca Tenera
Ginestra
Gorse
Pepella
There is also another red, even rarer than Tintore called Moscio.

All of this unfortunately doesn't make a great wine. The Monte di Grazia Rosso is an interesting wine;
one with personality and good with food. It tends to high alcohol (13% - 15%) and acidity levels however and is a little bit too rustic to take its place alongside the gems which constitute out Hall of Fame. Peccato.

Bombino - Breaking news

Bombino = Trebbiano d'Abruzzo!

You can see the "bambino" with its outstretched arms in the bunch of (Bombino) grapes:



Cute (and tasty) or what!

Catching up with Sciacarello

We had a Sciacarello lurking in our cellar, provenance forgotten (Artisan and Vine, Clapham?). Cuvee Faustine (Comte Abbatucci - bio-dynamique) Ajaccio, Corsica (12.5%). We had not exactly been bowled over by Corsican wines previously: Nieluccio turns out to be nothing more than Sangiovese and examples from the Patrimonio appelation were distinctly underwhelming.

So great was our joy to discover Sciacarello, the only autochthonous Corsican grape is a winner and joins our ever-expending list of hits. savoury - delicious: try it yourselves.
That word, by the way - autochthonous - is much-loved by Italians, French, Spanish et al, but never used by English speakers. Can we make a small request of our autochthonous friends and ask if they could use the word 'indigenous' as an equivalent at least sometimes? If they do, we could promise not to use Factory as the translation of Fattoria...

Anyway, here's an updated list of Slotovino hits:

Whites:

Antao Vaz
Doradilla
Encruzado
Goldriesling
Loin de l'Oieul
Loueiro
Pecorino
Torbato
Trajadura/Treixadura
Vilana

Reds:

Ancelotta
Argaman
Cornalin
Folle noire
Francisi
Grolleau
Gropello
Maglioppo
Nerello Capuccio
Osoleta
Persan
Piedirosso
Pineau d'Aunis
Poulsard
Pugnitello
Ramisco
Romé
Sciacarello
Vernaccia nera
Vranec

Grapes we're waiting for

Here are some of the grapes we've heard about but have not yet found. Readers should feel free to add to the list in the case there is something they have been looking for and is not already mentioned on Slotovino.

White

Albarola (aka Bianchetta Genovese, Liguria)
Alvarelhao (aka Brancelho)
Bukettraube (South Africa)
Caino Blanco (Rias Baixas)
Chanel Paradisa (Australia/Chile/New Zealand)
Cygne (Australia)
Durello (Veneto)
Erbaluce (Piemonte)
Ezerjo (Hungary)
Findling (Germany)
Grenello (Puglia, Calabria)
Gringet (Savoie)
Gouais (Valais)
Knipperle (Alsace)
Koshu (Japan)
Lauzet (Jurancon)
Meslier (Champagne, Loire, Eden Valley Australia)
Molette (Savoie)
Ondenc (Gaillac)
Ortruga (Emilia Romagna)
Pallagrello bianco (Campagna)
Petit Courbu (Irouleguy)
Picardan (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Pinello (Coli Euganei)
Piquepoul gris (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Shalistan (Australia)
Terret Blanc (Languedoc)
Terret Gris (Languedoc)
Timorasso (Piemonte)
Turbiana (Garda)
Tyrian (Australia)
Ucelut (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia)
Veltelino rouge precoce (Savoie)

Red

Arana (Piemonte)
Bombino Nero (Puglia)
Bovale (Sardinia)
Braucol (Gaillac)
Cabernet Gemischt (Shandong, China)
Cabernet Pfeffer (California)
Casavecchia (Campania)
Centesimino (Emilia Romagna)
Chasselas Rouge (aka Roter Gutedel, Germany)
Colorino (Toscana)
Counoise (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Dindarella (Veneto)
Duras (Tarn)
Fogliatonda (Toscana)
Foja Tonda (aka Casetta) (Trentino)
Fortana (Emilia Romagna)
Gros Verdot (Bordeaux, Argentina - aka. Verdot Colon)
Lledoner Pelut (Catalonia)
Malian (Australia)
Malvasia Nera (Basilicata, Piemonte, Puglia, Trentino)
Mammolo (Toscana)
Moristel (Somontano)
Muscardain (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Negrara (Veneto)
Nocera (Messina)
Okuzgozu (Turkey)
Pallagrello nero (Campania)
Peloursin (Savoie)
Perricone (Sicilia)
Pettu i Palumba (Etna)
Picolit Nero (Friuli Venezia Giulia)
Pinot Teinturier (France)
Piquepoul noir (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Premetta (Val d'Aosta)
Rossese (Liguria)
Rubienne (Australia)
Ruche (Piemonte)
Rouge de Fully (aka. Durize) (Switzerland)
Souzao (aka. Vinhao) (Portugal)
Schwarzelbling (Germany)
Sciascinoso (Campania)
Taminga (Australia)
Teoulier (S.E. France, Argentina, USA)
Terret noir (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Tinta Pinheira (aka. Rufete) (Portugal)
Tintore (Campania)
Vaccarese (Chateauneuf du Pape)
Vermillion (Australia)
Vino del Soldato (Etna)

Persan to join the obscure-grape hall-of-fame

Another obscure grape, this time Persan has been voted by the Slotovino Academy to join our obscure-grape hall-of-fame.

Persan is a red grape from Savoie. We cannot sum it up better than one Alex Redfern who writes on his blog:

Persan Its synonyms are: Becuetta, Becuette, Becu, Princens (Maurienne). There are now only a few parcels of Persan left in the Combe de Savoie.
This variety appears to have originated from the vineyard of Princens, in St-Jean de Maurienne. This was one of the great varieties of Savoie, but has declined for a number of reasons, including its sensitivity to oidium, and mildew as well as its early budding which exposes it to spring frosts.
It has had many fans over time and even had a poem dedicated to it - Nicolas Martin's Adioz Nobla Cita (C.16th). According to Doctor Jules Guyot (1807 - 72) "Persan made at Princens in Maurienne is an exceptional wine, of a rare quality. Rich on the nose it unites a warm flavour and causes a physiological action like those of the best Burgundies."
Whilst another doctor, Dr Paul Ramain, explains that "Princens is in my opinion the greatest red wines of Savoy. It is made from… Persan de Maurienne… and [is an] exceptional wine but unfortunately very difficult to get hold of, which keeps our [France's] gourmets ignorant of it. With a rich bouquet, stimulating, powerful (12°) it keeps for a long time, and is very smooth, and acts like a "peacock's tail in the throat" with a strong and persistent taste of raspberries (Clos de Rocheray) or violets (Clos de Petites-Ripes et de Bonne-Nouvelle). It spends 5 years in barrel in a very cold cellar and isn't drunk before it is 15 or 20 years old. This really is a wine that resembles no other fine wine in France and is fit for a princely table and the palate of the best informed gastronomes!"
This great variety was thought to have disappeared, but was recently rediscovered and is being grown by a few vignerons in the Combe de Savoie - and me.

(Note the charming reference to 12° as 'powerful').

We would add that the 100% Persan we found was aromatic - not to the extent of Pineau d'Aunis but pleasantly so, giving it a strong and original personality. It is not at all rustic and as others have said, is well worth reviving.


This exmaple was by Domaines Grisard and was found at 'Pierre Traiteur', 14, Place Marcel Gaimard, 73700 Bourg St Maurice (Tel: 04 79 07 04 48) at €17.50. We also tasted the Amethyste cuvee of Domaine des Ardoisières, pays d'Allobrogie from Julien Caviste, Paris which blends 60% Persan with 40% Mondeuse which hides to a great extent Persan's unique character, albeit in the cause of a very delicious wine. Another Grisard, Michel is involved in this Domaine des Ardoisières. The back label of the (Jean-Pierre et Philippe) Grisard 100% Persan is perhaps worth reproducing:

It says Cepage Persan. Oublié pendant des décénnies, cet historique et illustre cepage est à l'origine des vins de Savoie. Il retrouve ses racines sur nos coteaux d'éboulis argilio-calcaires en exposition plein-Sud. Vendange à la main. Nez Frais Fruits rouges. Bouche Fruits rouges et noirs, structuré et longue. Accompagne les viandes rouges, gratins, fromages et specialités savoyardes. Consommer à une temperature d'environ 16 C.
Domaine Grisard vigneron independant depuis quatre générations. Nous recoltons, vinifions, et embouteillons à la proprieté plus de 20 cuvées de vins de terroir élevés dans le respect de la nature.
www.domainegrisard.com
Jean-Pierre et Philippe GRISARD
73250 FRETERIVE - FRANCE
tél: (+33) 04 79 28 54 09
fax: (+33) 04 79 71 41 36
email: gaecgrisard@aol.com