Carlo Petrini, founder of the Slow Food movement, sees in the rediscovery and expansion of these grapes and their terroirsa cause for optimism for the country’s future. ‘Thanks to this patrimony of biodiversity, these lesser-known varieties can offer us exciting new tastes and enable us to move beyond the classic areas for great wines, such as Chianti and the Langhe, to other parts of our landscape.’
About 10 years ago, as I was researching an article on Emilia Romagna’s food for Decanter, I tasted a white wine made from an Emilian grape variety known locally as Pignoletto – its official name is Grechetto Gentile. I hadn’t heard of it before. Made by Maurizio Vallona, a producer on the slopes not far from Bologna, Ammestesso was a deliciously flavoursome, balanced still white wine with distinctive notes of wild mountain herbs and a citrussy register. It had been successfully aged for several years, and that too surprised me, as it showed the grape’s potential for making complex, aged wines with personality.
Breaking through
This story is from the May 2020 edition of Decanter.
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This story is from the May 2020 edition of Decanter.
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