Dolcetto ( , , ) is a black
Italian wine grape variety
This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...
widely grown in the
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
, population_note =
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, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
region of northwest
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. The Italian word ''dolcetto'' means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s
sugar levels
Sugars in wine are at the heart of what makes winemaking possible. During the process of fermentation, sugars from wine grapes are broken down and converted by yeast into alcohol (ethanol) and carbon dioxide. Grapes accumulate sugars as they grow ...
: it is possible that it derives from the name of the hills where the vine is cultivated.
In any case the wines produced are nearly always dry. They can be
tannic and fruity with moderate,
or decidedly low,
levels of
acidity and are typically meant to be consumed within a few years after release.
[O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 86 Harcourt Books 2001 ]
History
One theory suggests the grape originated in
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
and was brought to
Monferrato
Montferrat (, ; it, Monferrato ; pms, Monfrà , locally ; la, Mons Ferratus) is part of the region of Piedmont in northern Italy. It comprises roughly (and its extent has varied over time) the modern provinces of Province of Alessandria, ...
some time in the 11th century.
[J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 209 Mitchell Beazley Publishing 1986 ] A competing theory has the grape originating in the Piedmontese village of
Dogliani.
[K. MacNeil ''The Wine Bible'' pg 332 Workman Publishing 2001 ] In 1593, an ordinance of the municipality of Dogliani which forbade the
harvesting of grapes earlier than
Saint Matthew's Day
Matthew the Apostle,, shortened to ''Matti'' (whence ar, مَتَّى, Mattā), meaning "Gift of YHWH"; arc, , Mattai; grc-koi, Μαθθαῖος, ''Maththaîos'' or , ''Matthaîos''; cop, ⲙⲁⲧⲑⲉⲟⲥ, Mattheos; la, Matthaeus a ...
, unless an exceptional authorization had been granted, has been taken to refer to this variety, which is still known in local dialects under the names and .
[‘Dolcetto di Dogliani: Il principe dei vini doglianesi’](_blank)
, Comune di Dogliani, 2004.[‘Dolcetto’](_blank)
, Consorzio di tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Roero. A document of 1633 records the presence of Dolcetto in the cellars of the Arboreo family of
Valenza
Valenza ( pms, Valensa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Alessandria in the Italian region Piedmont, located about east of Turin and about north of Alessandria.
History
A stronghold of the Ligures, it was conquered by the Roma ...
.
[‘Il Dolcetto’](_blank)
, Associazione italiana sommeliers: Sezione territoriale Trentino. A report of a presentation given by Roberto Perrici in Trento at the Palazzo Roccabruna on 27 February 2007. In 1700, Barnabà Centurione sent the wine as a gift to Queen
Anne of Great Britain.
Along with the French grape
Chatus, Dolcetto is a parent variety to several Piedmontese grapes including
Valentino nero
Valentino nero is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy but was initially bred at the Conegliano research center in the Veneto. In 1936, its creator, Giovanni Dalmasso, stated that the grape ...
,
Passus and
San Martino.
Regions
Most Dolcetto is found in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, where many of the top estates produce Dolcetto on less favoured sites as an "early to market wine" to generate some income for the winery while the
Nebbiolo and
Barbera are being matured.
[J. Robinson ''"The Oxford Companion to Wine"'' Third Edition pg 233 Oxford University Press 2006 ] It is particularly associated with the towns of
Dogliani and
Diano d'Alba
Diano d'Alba is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo.
Diano d'Alba borders the following municipalities: Alba, Benevello, Grinzane ...
in the
province of Cuneo
Cuneo (Italian), or Coni (Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Haut ...
, although the greatest volumes come from around
Alba
''Alba'' ( , ) is the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland. It is also, in English language historiography, used to refer to the polity of Picts and Scottish people, Scots united in the ninth century as the Kingdom of Alba, until it developed i ...
and
Ovada
Ovada (''Uà'' and ''Guà'' in Ligurian, ''Ovà'' in Piedmontese) is a ''comune'' (municipality) of 11,484 inhabitants in the Province of Alessandria in the northern Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about south of ...
. The grape is also found in
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
under the name ''Ormeasco'', and in the
Oltrepò Pavese
The Oltrepò Pavese (; lmo, label=Western Lombard, Ultrepò Paves) is an area of the Province of Pavia, in the north-west Italian region of Lombardy, which lies to the south of the river Po. It is ('beyond') the Po when considered from the pro ...
where it is called ''Nebbiolo'' or ''Nibièu''.
Of the 100% Dolcetto DOCs, all but one have two levels, the "standard" version typically requiring a minimum 11.5%
ABV, and the ''Superiore'' at 12.5% ABV.
They are Dolcetto di Dogliani (DOCG since 2005), Dolcetto d'Acqui, Dolcetto d'Alba, Dolcetto d'Asti, Dolcetto delle Langhe Monregalesi (integrated to Dogliani DOCG in 2011), Dolcetto di Diano d'Alba and Dolcetto d'Ovada. Only Langhe Dolcetto has no ''Superiore'' variety.
Of the blended wines, Riviera Ligure di Ponente Ormeasco requires a minimum of 95% Dolcetto/Ormeasco; Colli Tortonesi Dolcetto, Monferrato Dolcetto and Pineronese Dolcetto a minimum of 85%, and Valsusa a minimum of 60%.
Golfo Del Tigullio can be between 20-70%, while Lago di Corbara and Rosso Orvietano contain less than 20% Dolcetto.
Outside of Italy, Dolcetto is known as ''Douce Noire'' in
Savoie
Savoie (; Arpitan: ''Savouè'' or ''Savouè-d'Avâl''; English: ''Savoy'' ) is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, Southeastern France. Located in the French Alps, its prefecture is Chambéry. In 2019, Savoie had a population of ...
and ''
Charbono'' in
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
.
However,
DNA fingerprinting
DNA profiling (also called DNA fingerprinting) is the process of determining an individual's DNA characteristics. DNA analysis intended to identify a species, rather than an individual, is called DNA barcoding.
DNA profiling is a forensic tec ...
done at the
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis (UC Davis, UCD, or Davis) is a public land-grant research university near Davis, California. Named a Public Ivy, it is the northernmost of the ten campuses of the University of California system. The institut ...
has shown that the actual ''Douce Noire'' and ''Charbono'' vines are not, in fact, Dolcetto, but two different vines.
In spite of this confirmation, some plantings of true Dolcetto vines still retain the local synonyms in some areas of Savoie and California.
The grape was first brought to California by
expatriate
An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either ...
Italians, and is most popular in
Lodi AVA
Lodi AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in the Central Valley of California, at the northern edge of the San Joaquin Valley east of San Francisco Bay. The AVA gained approval as a designated wine growing area in 1986 and includes ...
,
Mendocino County,
Russian River Valley AVA,
Napa Valley AVA
Napa Valley is an American Viticultural Area (AVA) located in Napa County in California's Wine Country. It was established by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) on January 27, 1981. Napa Valley is considered one of the premier ...
,
Santa Cruz Mountains AVA,
Sta. Rita Hills AVA, and
Santa Barbara County. There are also some plantings in the
Oregon
Oregon () is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of it ...
AVAs of
Umpqua Valley AVA
The Umpqua Valley AVA is one of the first American Viticultural Area (AVA) in Oregon and located entirely within Douglas County, Oregon. It became a sub-appellation within the larger Southern Oregon AVA when it was established in 2004. Its bound ...
and
Southern Oregon AVA, Michigan's
Leelanau Peninsula AVA
The Leelanau Peninsula AVA is an American Viticultural Area located in Leelanau County, Michigan.
This Michigan wine region includes all of Leelanau County, which forms a peninsula between Lake Michigan on the west and Grand Traverse Bay on the ...
br>
(Ciccone Vineyard & Winery) as well as the statewide
appellation
An appellation is a legally defined and protected geographical indication primarily used to identify where the grapes for a wine were grown, although other types of food often have appellations as well. Restrictions other than geographical boun ...
s of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
and
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
.
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
is home to the oldest current plantings of Dolcetto, with vines dating back to the 1860s.
Dolcetto di Dogliani
Dolcetto di Dogliani, and Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore are Italian red wines produced in the
Langhe
The Langhe (; ''Langa'' is from old dialect Mons Langa et Bassa Langa) is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo and in the province of Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy.
It is famous for its wines, chees ...
using only the Dolcetto grape variety. The wines were recognized as
DOC in 1974. In 2005, the original DOC for Dolcetto di Dogliani Superiore was revoked and replaced by a
DOCG
The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine:
* ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”),
* ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...
; this wine, which can also be sold under the name Dogliani, is made within a more limited zone than the DOC and the yield of grapes is restricted to 70 quintals per hectare. Furthermore, to qualify for the DOCG status, the wines must be aged for at least one year. The
vineyard
A vineyard (; also ) is a plantation of grape-bearing vines, grown mainly for winemaking, but also raisins, table grapes and non-alcoholic grape juice. The science, practice and study of vineyard production is known as viticulture. Vineyards ...
s are restricted to the hilly areas within the boundaries of the
communes of
Bastia Mondovì
Bastia Mondovì (; pms, Bastìa) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo.
Bastia Mondovì borders the following municipalities: Carrù, Ci ...
,
Belvedere Langhe
Belvedere Langhe is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 384 and an area of .All demogra ...
,
Cigliè
Cigliè (; pms, Sijé) is a (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about east of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 185, and an area of .All demographics and o ...
,
Clavesana
Clavesana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about south of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 845 and an area of .All demographics and o ...
,
Dogliani,
Farigliano,
Monchiero
Monchiero is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 560 and an area of .All demographics ...
and
Rocca Cigliè
Rocca Cigliè is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about east of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 149 and an area of .All demographics an ...
, plus parts of the communes of
Cissone
Cissone is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 82 and an area of .All demographics and ...
and
Somano
Somano is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 399 and an area of .All demographics and ...
.
Wines
Dolcetto wines are known for
black cherry and
licorice
Liquorice (British English) or licorice (American English) ( ; also ) is the common name of ''Glycyrrhiza glabra'', a flowering plant of the bean family Fabaceae, from the root of which a sweet, aromatic flavouring can be extracted.
The liq ...
with some
prune flavours, and a characteristically bitter finish reminiscent of almonds. While the name implies sweetness, the wines are normally
dry. The tannic nature of the grape contributes to a characteristic bitter finish.
The dark purple skin of Dolcetto grapes has high amounts of
anthocyanin
Anthocyanins (), also called anthocyans, are water-soluble vacuolar pigments that, depending on their pH, may appear red, purple, blue, or black. In 1835, the German pharmacist Ludwig Clamor Marquart gave the name Anthokyan to a chemical compo ...
s, which require only a short
maceration time with the skin to produce a dark-coloured wine. The amount of skin contact affects the resulting tannin levels in the wine, with most
winemakers preferring to limit maceration time to as short as possible.
[O. Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 87 Harcourt Books 2001 ] During
fermentation
Fermentation is a metabolic process that produces chemical changes in organic substrates through the action of enzymes. In biochemistry, it is narrowly defined as the extraction of energy from carbohydrates in the absence of oxygen. In food ...
, the wine is prone to the
wine fault of
reduction.
Food pairing
Overall, Dolcetto is considered a light easy drinking red wine that
pairs well with
pasta
Pasta (, ; ) is a type of food typically made from an unleavened dough of wheat flour mixed with water or eggs, and formed into sheets or other shapes, then cooked by boiling or baking. Rice flour, or legumes such as beans or lentils, are som ...
s and
pizza
Pizza (, ) is a dish of Italian origin consisting of a usually round, flat base of leavened wheat-based dough topped with tomatoes, cheese, and often various other ingredients (such as various types of sausage, anchovies, mushrooms, onions ...
dishes.
[Per-Henrik Mansson "]
Light Makes Right
''" Wine Spectator October 31, 1995
Synonyms and homonyms
Acqui, Barbirono, Bathiolin, Batialin, Beina, Bignola, Bignona, Bignonia, Bignonina, Bourdon Noir, Cassolo, Charbonneau, Charbono, Chasselas Noir, Cote Rouge Merille, Crete de Coq, Debili Rifosk, Dolcedo Rotstieliger, Dolceto, Dolcetta Nera, Dolcetto A Raspe Verde, Dolcetto A Raspo Rosso, Dolcetto Nero, Dolcetto Piemontese, Dolchetto, Dolcino Nero, Dolciut, Dolsin, Dolsin Raro, Dolzin, Dolzino, Dosset, Gros Noir de Montelimar, Gros Plant, Maennlicher Refosco, Mauvais Noir, Montelimar, Monteuse, Montmelian, Mosciolino, Nebbiolo (dialect ''Nibièu'', in the
Tortonese and the hills of the Oltrepò Pavese
[‘Vitigno Dolcetto’](_blank)
, Agricoltura in Piemonte: Vini, Regione Piemonte.) Nera Dolce, Nibio, Noirin D'Espagne, Nord Du Lot Et Garonne, Ocanette, Orincasca, Ormeasca (at
Ormea and
Pieve di Teco), Ormeasco (Liguria), Picot Rouge, Plant de Calarin, Plant de Chapareillan, Plant de Moirans, Plant de Montmelian, Plant de Provence, Plant de Savoie, Plant de Turin, Plant du Roi, Premasto, Primaticcio, Primitivo Nero, Promotico, Provençal, Ravanellino, Refork, Refork Debeli, Refork Male, Refosk Debeli, Rotstieliger Dolcedo, Savoyard, Turin, Turino, Uva d'Acqui, Uva d'Acquia, Uva del Monferrato, Uva di Ovada, Uva di Roccagrimalda,
and Dolsin Nero.
The Dolcetto di Boca, grown in
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It is ...
, is quite distinct while the rare Piedmontese Dolcetto Bianco is an unrelated white grape.
See also
*
Negroamaro - a similar grape from Apulia
*
List of Italian grape varieties
References
Supplemental references used for chart
*J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs XXVIII-XXX Allen Lane 2012
{{DEFAULTSORT:Itali ...
Notes and references
External links
VIVC passport date* From the official site of the Piedmont region.
* J. Suckling "
'' Wine Spectator September 26, 2001
Dolcetto d'Alba DOCVintage Chart
Dolcetto Food Pairing
{{Wines
Red wine grape varieties
Wine grapes of Italy
Wine grapes of Piedmont
Dogliani