Can you stomp them with your questions?

Enjoy,

Jennifer

The Brachetto grape

Today’s article is about the Italian varietal Brachetto (“Brah-ke-toe”). Brachetto is predominately grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. Most of the grapes come from the provinces of Asti and Alessandria between the rivers Bormida and Belbo plus various parts of the province of Cuneo. At Canelli, on the border between the hills of Asti and the Lange proper, the grape is known as Borgogna. This is a native grape used for sweet wines, both still and sparkling.

The most notable wine is the red Brachetto Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) which is made in both still and spumante (sparkling) versions. The Piemonte Brachetto DOCG is made with a minimum 85% Brachetto, for the most part done as a still wine. The grape is also used for up to 10% of the blend for the Ruche-based Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOC, a small production red varietal wine.

The red Brachetto d'Aqui, of Piedmont, is most often made as a sparkling wine and usually grouped among the sweet wines. Brachetto, dry or sweet reds, has managed to climb all the way to DOCG status. The wine has a natural affinity with the great chocolate of Piedmont. Rose-scented, with delicate hints of strawberry on the palate, a good sweet brachetto (still or sparkling) is a unique sweet wine experience. These wines are crisp and light, perfect at the end of the meal.

In Temecula Valley, one row in the established Cougar Vineyard & Winery Estate vineyard was grafted over as a nursery to grow more bud wood of Brachetto. These buds were used to propagate more of the Brachetto until an acceptable number of vines are established. The vines will begin producing grapes next year. Look for this wine at Cougar in late 2012. There is a strong possibility that Cougar will produce both a sparkling and still version of the wine. This winery resides on the De Portola Wine Trail of Temecula Wine Country. As far as this author knows there are no other comercial growers of Brachetto in the United States. Cougar Vineyard & Winery is a member of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

Cougar Vineyard & Winery is planted entirely in Italian varietals. The Brachetto is actually planted in the backyard of the owner's home in Fallbrook and is managed as an estate vineyard. The vineyard is planted with one thousand vines of Brachetto. Cougar's Brachetto is on rootstock 110R. To the best of Cougar's knowledge they are the only commercial wine grower of this grape in the United States. We will be discussing all of these other varietals being grown and managed by Cougar in upcoming articles about the Italian grape varietals planted in Temecula Wine Country of Southern California.

Today’s article is about the Italian varietal Negro Amaro or Negroamaro.  This grape is primarily grown in the Puglia region and one of the most planted reds in Italy.  It is the base for Salice Salentino and numerous other reds of the Salentine peninsula.  The name means “black and bitter” and the wines are typically deeply colored and brawny, with hints of exotic spice.  There's also a subvariety called Negoamaro Precoce.

It is grown almost exclusively in Puglia and particularly in Salento, the peninsula which can be visualised as the “heel” of Italy. The grape can indeed produce wines very deep in color. Wines made from Negroamaro tend to be very rustic in character, combining perfume with an earthy bitterness. The grape produces some of the best red wines of Puglia, particularly when blended with the highly scented Malvasia Nera, as in the case of Salice Salentino.

The grapes are used exclusively for winemaking.  100% varietal wines are usually produced but more common use is to blend with Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese or Montepulciano.  These wines can be red, rosato or frizzante.

Negro Amaro is a favorite wine by the glass offering by restaurateurs.  The wine's bitterness is so interesting that the customer is often enticed to order a second glass.

In Temecula Valley, two thousand cuttings of Negro Amaro (clone FPS01) were grafted to existing 110R rootstock in 2010 at Cougar Vineyard & Winery located at 39870 De Portola Road.  The vines will begin producing grapes this year but wine will not be ready from these vines for 2-3 years.  Look for this wine at Cougar in 2-3 years.  This winery resides on the De Portola Wine Trail of Temecula Wine Country.  As far as this author knows there are no other growers of Negro Amaro in the Temecula Wine Country.  Cougar Vineyard & Winery is a member of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

Altamura in Napa Valley has produced a Negroamaro.  Fox Hill Vineyards in Mendocino County has also produced a Negroamaro.  This author is unaware of any Negroamaro planted in Southern California.

Cougar Vineyard & Winery is planted entirely in Italian varietals.  The Negro Amaro is actually planted on the adjacent property to Cougar that is managed as an estate vineyard.  The vineyard, La Vigna e Destra, is planted with two thousand of the eight thousand vines planted being Negro Amaro.  Cougar hopes to release their first estate Negroamaro by 2013.  We will be discussing all of these other varietals being grown and managed by Cougar in upcoming articles about the Italian grape varietals planted in Temecula Wine Country of Southern California.

Today’s article is about a wonderful crispy and acidic grape varietal Vermentino (pronounced “ver-mehn-TEE-noh”), again from Italy. The best known Italian Vermentino is from northern Italy and the island of Sardinia. It is also the most widely planted white grape on the island of Corsica, where high altitude and hot climate vineyards produce more full-bodied wines with heady floral aromas. Some say that Vermentino is possibly related to the Malvasia grape.

In this article we will discuss another one of these newly emerging Italian varietals in Temecula Valley Wine Country. Vermentino is not widely grown in the United States. The original vineyard source that supplied cuttings to be grafted to root stock is located in Paso Robles at the Tablas Creek Winery.

Tablas Creek brought the cuttings in from Italy and entered them into quarantine at the USDA station in Geneva, New York. In 1993, they were declared virus free and released to Tablas Creek. These cuttings are sold through nurseries, such as NovaVine in Santa Rosa which has exclusive rights to propagate and sell their Tablas Creek Vineyard Selections (TCVS), to vineyards throughout the United States. In fact, one of the bottles of wine that President Omaha gave to the Italian President Napolitano recently was a United States grown Vermentino. Specifically the wine that was given as a gift was from a Vermentino vineyard in North Carolina’s Yadkin Valley made by Raffaldini Vineyards.

Vermentino is gaining in popularity among vineyard managers due to the grape being a vigorous grower, resistant to drought, and usually ripens towards the middle of the harvest cycle.

Wines made from Vermentino tend to be pale straw in color and relatively low in alcohol. The wines are generally crisp, dry and have a pronounced minerality. Flavors of green apple and lime are common.

The wine’s crispness makes it a delicious accompaniment to fresh seafood, oysters on the half shell or grilled Mediterranean vegetables.

In Temecula Valley, Vermentino is available in limited quantities as an estate wine at Cougar Vineyard & Winery located at 39870 De Portola Road. The grapes are head pruned and also cordon trained. The wine is 100% varietal and finished extremely dry with flavors of lemongrass. This winery resides on the De Portola Wine Trail of Temecula Wine Country. Cougar Vineyard & Winery has planted 3 year old vines on the winery property in Temecula Wine Country. Also growing Vermentino in Temecula Wine Country is a newly planted vineyard located at Ponte Family Estate. Ponte is located at 35053 Rancho California Road in Temecula Wine Country. Look for this varietal on Ponte’s tasting room menu in a few years. Cougar Vineyard & Winery and Ponte Family Estate are both members of the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association.

Cougar Vineyard & Winery is planted entirely in Italian varietals with two thousand of the eighty five hundred vines planted being Vermentino. We will be discussing all of these other varietals being grown by Cougar in upcoming articles about the Italian grape varietals planted in Temecula Wine Country of Southern California.