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Petit Rouge is a red Italian wine
Petit Rouge is primarily found in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy between
The Aosta Valley Region - Piedmont Wine
'' TheWorldWideWine.com Accessed: March 18th, 2011 with Petit Rouge playing a considerable role in many of the blends produced under the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) designation of the region. This is because the variety thrives during the hot, dry mouths of the summer, allowing time to develop sufficient
*Nus Rosso (french: Nus rouge)) - Primarily Vien de Nus with up to 40% Petit Rouge blended in along with Pinot noir. Beyond the Valle d'Aosta DOC requirement, Petit Rouge destined for Nus Rosso must be harvested to a more limited maximum yield of 8 tonnes/ha and be fermented to a minimum 11% alcohol with the six months of aging taking place in wood barrels.
*Torrette Must contain a minimum 70% Petit Rouge with Fumin, Dolcetto, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir and Vien de Nus making up the rest of the blend. Beyond the Valle d'Aosta DOC requirement, Petit Rouge destined for Torrette must be harvested to a more limited maximum yield of 10 tonnes/ha and be fermented to a minimum 11% alcohol with the six months of aging taking place in wood barrels. An additional ''Torrette Superiore'' designation can be applied if the wine spent eight months aging and achieved a minimum alcohol level of 12%.
Ampelographer can identify the Petit Rouge vine by the small "dusty" colored grapes that, according to wine expert
Petit Rouge is a red 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 ...
that ampelographer
Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...
s believe is indigenous to the Valle d'Aosta (french: Vallée d'Aoste) 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 ...
.J. Robinson ''Jancis Robinson's Guide to Wine Grapes'' pg 136 Oxford University Press 1996 However, there is some confusion about whether Petit Rouge is the same variety as the red Swiss wine grape Rouge de Valais. J. Robinson ''Vines, Grapes & Wines'' pg 210 Mitchell Beazley 1986
The grape is somewhat obscure and is not widely grown outside the Valle d'Aosta where it is primarily a blending variety but some varietal wines are produced. Oz Clarke & M. Rand ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 167 Webster International Publishers In blends, it adds floral aroma notes
The aromas of wine are more diverse than its flavours. The human tongue is limited to the primary tastes perceived by taste receptors on the tongue – sourness, bitterness, saltiness, sweetness and savouriness. The wide array of fruit, e ...
and dark color
Color (American English) or colour (British English) is the visual perceptual property deriving from the spectrum of light interacting with the photoreceptor cells of the eyes. Color categories and physical specifications of color are associ ...
to the wines.
Wine regions
Petit Rouge is primarily found in the Valle d'Aosta region of northwest Italy between Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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and the Alps
The Alps () ; german: Alpen ; it, Alpi ; rm, Alps ; sl, Alpe . are the highest and most extensive mountain range system that lies entirely in Europe, stretching approximately across seven Alpine countries (from west to east): France, Sw ...
separating Italy from 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 Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
. In general, altitude determines which varieties of grapes may be grown in a particular location, with reds growing at lower elevations and whites at higher elevations. However, despite its high altitude and mountainous location, nearly 90% of the wine in the Valle d'Aosta is red or ''rosé
A rosé () is a type of wine that incorporates some of the color from the grape skins, but not enough to qualify it as a red wine. It may be the oldest known type of wine, as it is the most straightforward to make with the skin contact method. ...
''L. Reiss 'The Aosta Valley Region - Piedmont Wine
'' TheWorldWideWine.com Accessed: March 18th, 2011 with Petit Rouge playing a considerable role in many of the blends produced under the '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) designation of the region. This is because the variety thrives during the hot, dry mouths of the summer, allowing time to develop sufficient
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 ...
and physiological ripeness. M. Ewing-Mulligan & E. McCarthy ''Italian Wines for Dummies'' pg 79 Hungry Minds 2001
DOC regulations
Within the Valle d'Aosta DOC, Petit Rouge must be harvested below a maximum yield of 12 tonnes/hectare
The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100-metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre is a ...
and be fermented to a minimum alcohol level of 9.5%. Prior to release, the wines must be aged a minimum of 6 months which may include some time in oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...
. Within the larger regional DOC are several smaller DOCs that may also include Petit Rouge. These include:P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pp. 211-212 Firefly Books 2004
*Chambave Rosso (french: Chambave rouge)) - Must contain a minimum of 60% Petit Rouge with Dolcetto, Gamay and Pinot noir
Pinot Noir () is a red-wine grape variety of the species ''Vitis vinifera''. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from pinot noir grapes. The name is derived from the French language, French words for ''pine'' and ''black.' ...
making up the rest of the blend. Beyond the Valle d'Aosta DOC requirement, Petit Rouge destined for Chambave Rosso must be harvested to a more limited maximum yield of 10 tonnes/ha and be fermented to a minimum 11% alcohol with the six months of aging taking place in wood barrels.
*Enfer d'Arvier - Must contain a minimum of 85% Petit Rouge with Vien de Nus Vien may refer to:
* Vien (name)
* Vien (Hasidic community)
* Vien (Rabbinical dynasty)
See also
* Viens (disambiguation)
* Vein (disambiguation)
{{Disambig ...
, Neyret, Gamay, Dolcetto and Pinot noir making up the rest of the blend.
*Nus Rosso (french: Nus rouge)) - Primarily Vien de Nus with up to 40% Petit Rouge blended in along with Pinot noir. Beyond the Valle d'Aosta DOC requirement, Petit Rouge destined for Nus Rosso must be harvested to a more limited maximum yield of 8 tonnes/ha and be fermented to a minimum 11% alcohol with the six months of aging taking place in wood barrels.
*Torrette Must contain a minimum 70% Petit Rouge with Fumin, Dolcetto, Gamay, Neyret, Pinot noir and Vien de Nus making up the rest of the blend. Beyond the Valle d'Aosta DOC requirement, Petit Rouge destined for Torrette must be harvested to a more limited maximum yield of 10 tonnes/ha and be fermented to a minimum 11% alcohol with the six months of aging taking place in wood barrels. An additional ''Torrette Superiore'' designation can be applied if the wine spent eight months aging and achieved a minimum alcohol level of 12%.
Viticulture and winemaking
Ampelographer can identify the Petit Rouge vine by the small "dusty" colored grapes that, according to wine expert Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...
, can almost look gray. During the growing season
A season is a division of the year marked by changes in weather, ecology, and the amount of daylight. The growing season is that portion of the year in which local conditions (i.e. rainfall, temperature, daylight) permit normal plant growth. Whil ...
, the variety is late ripening
In viticulture, ripeness is the completion of the ripening process of wine grapes on the vine which signals the beginning of harvest. What exactly constitutes ripeness will vary depending on what style of wine is being produced ( sparkling, still, ...
and is often harvested with low levels of acidity. This is one reason why it is often blended where it can improve the color of the usually light-colored Valle d'Aosta wines while adding floral notes to the bouquet.
Synonyms
Over the years Petit Rouge and its wines have been known under varioussynonyms
A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...
including Orion gris, Oriou, Oriou Curare, Oriou gris, Oriou Lombard, Oriou Petit-Rouge, Oriou Pitchou, Oriou Voirard, Petit Rouge de Châtillion, Pitchon Roza, Ritchou Oriou, Pitchou Radzo, Pitchou Rouge, Pitchou Rozo, Picciourouzzo, Pitchou Rodza and Ritchou Rouge.
References
{{reflist Red wine grape varieties Wine grapes of Italy