Plassa (also known as Scarlattino) is a red

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted for ...

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 is grown in the

Piedmont wine Piemonte wine is the range of Italian wines made in the region of Piedmont in the northwestern corner of Italy. The best-known wines from the region include Barolo and Barbaresco. They are made from the Nebbiolo grape. These wines are ideal for ...

region of northwest Italy where it was once historically used as a

table grape Table grapes are grapes intended for consumption while fresh, as opposed to grapes grown for wine production, juice production, or for drying into raisins. ''Vitis vinifera'' table grapes can be in the form of either seeded or non-seeded varieta ...

but now is almost always used for winemaking. Here the grape is most often used as a minor blending component adding

tannins Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', f ...

to wines made from

Barbera Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy (after Sangiovese and Montepulciano). It produces good yields and is known for deep color, full body, low tannins and high levels ...

, Neretta Cuneese,

Grisa nera Grisa nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy where it is used in both winemaking and as a table grape. The grape is most often used as a minor blending component with wines made from Ba ...

and Chatus.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 833 Allen Lane 2012

History

The name ''Plassa'' is derived from the word ''pellaccia'' which in the local Piedmontese dialect means "hard skin" and is a reference to the very thick grape skins of Plassa berries.

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 that the grape is native to Piedmont region where it has been historically associated with the communes of Bibiana,

Bricherasio Bricherasio (French: Briqueras) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. Bricherasio borders the following municipalities: Angrogna, San Secondo di Pinerol ...

Campiglione-Fenile Campiglione Fenile is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. Campiglione-Fenile borders the following municipalities: Bricherasio Bricherasio (French: Briqu ...

Pinerolo Pinerolo (; pms, Pinareul ; french: Pignerol; oc, Pineròl) is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont, northwestern Italy, southwest of Turin on the river Chisone. The Lemina torrent has its source at the boundary be ...

and

San Secondo di Pinerolo San Secondo di Pinerolo (Piedmontese: ''San Second''; oc, Seisound, French: Saint-Second-de-Pignerol) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. San Secondo ...

in the

province of Turin The former Province of Turin ( it, Provincia di Torino; pms, Provinsa ëd Turin; french: Province de Turin) was a province in the Piedmont region of Italy. Its capital was the city of Turin. The province existed until 31 December 2014, when it wa ...

. The thick skins of Plassa allowed the grape to stay fresh after

harvest Harvesting is the process of gathering a ripe crop from the fields. Reaping is the cutting of grain or pulse for harvest, typically using a scythe, sickle, or reaper. On smaller farms with minimal mechanization, harvesting is the most labor-i ...

, making it prized as a table grape, but over time it use as a table grape wine and now it is used solely for wine production.

Viticulture

Plassa is a mid to late ripening variety that can be very vigorous producing large foliage which may require

canopy management In viticulture, the canopy of a grapevine includes the parts of the vine visible aboveground - the trunk, cordon, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruit. The canopy plays a key role in light energy capture via photosynthesis, water use as regulated b ...

to keep in check. The variety gets its name, ''Scarlattino'', from the bright red color that the

plant stem A stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant, the other being the root. It supports leaves, flowers and fruits, transports water and dissolved substances between the roots and the shoots in the xylem and phloem, stores nutrien ...

s develop 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 ...

. While Plassa has good resistance to most fungal diseases, such as

downy Downy, also known as Lenor in Europe, Russia and Japan, is a brand of fabric softener produced by Procter & Gamble that was introduced in 1960. Lenor is a brand name of fabric softener and dryer sheets, also produced by P&G, sold in Europe, Russi ...

and

powdery mildew Powdery mildew is a fungal disease that affects a wide range of plants. Powdery mildew diseases are caused by many different species of ascomycete fungi in the order Erysiphales. Powdery mildew is one of the easier plant diseases to identify, as ...

, due to its very thick skins it is susceptible to the

viticultural hazard This is a list of diseases of grapes (''Vitis'' spp.). Bacterial diseases Fungal diseases Miscellaneous diseases and disorders Nematodes, parasitic Phytoplasma, virus and viruslike diseases See also *'' Ampeloglypter ater'' *'' Am ...

millerandage Millerandage (or shot berries, hens and chicks and pumpkins and peas) is a potential viticultural hazard problem in which grape bunches contain berries that differ greatly in size and, most importantly, maturity. Its most common cause is cold, rain ...

and to infection from

European grapevine moth ''Lobesia botrana'', the European grapevine moth or European grape worm, is a moth of the family Tortricidae. Distribution This species is native to Southern Italy. It can be found in Southern Europe, North Africa, Anatolia and the Caucasus. Re ...

Wine regions

In 2000 there were of Plassa in Italy, almost exclusively found in the province of Turin in the Piedmont wine region where its grown along the

Susa Valley The Susa Valley ( it, Val di Susa; pms, Valsusa; french: Val de Suse; oc, Val d'Ors) is a valley in the Metropolitan City of Turin, Piedmont region of northern Italy, located between the Graian Alps in the north and the Cottian Alps in the sou ...

and around the communes of Bibiana, Bricherassio, Campiglione-Fenile,

Cumiana Cumiana is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southwest of Turin. Cumiana borders the following municipalities: Giaveno, Trana, Piossasco, Pinasca, Volvera, Pinerolo, Frossa ...

Frossasco Frossasco is a ''commune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about 30 km south west of Turin. History Even if the Celts were the inhabit the area of Frossasco. After the fall of the Wes ...

and Pinerolo. Here the grape is primarily used as a blending component, adding tannins to wines made from Barbera, Neretta Cuneese, Grisa nera and Chatus.

Synonyms

Over the years Plassa has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Cheur dur, Cuor Duro, Palessa, Pelasina, Pelassa, Pellaccia, Pellacia, Scarlattin, Scarlattino and Scarlattino Plassa.

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...

(VIVC)
Plassa
' Accessed: June 2nd, 2013

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties