Vermentino is a light-skinned
wine grape
A grape is a fruit, botanically a berry, of the deciduous woody vines of the flowering plant genus ''Vitis''. Grapes are a non- climacteric type of fruit, generally occurring in clusters.
The cultivation of grapes began perhaps 8,000 years ago, ...
variety, primarily found in
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 fo ...
. It is widely planted in both
Sardinia
Sardinia ( ; it, Sardegna, label=Italian, Corsican and Tabarchino ; sc, Sardigna , sdc, Sardhigna; french: Sardaigne; sdn, Saldigna; ca, Sardenya, label=Algherese and Catalan) is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after ...
and
Liguria
it, Ligure
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, to some extent in
Corsica, in
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon (; oc, Lengadòc-Rosselhon ; ca, Llenguadoc-Rosselló) is a former administrative region of France. On 1 January 2016, it joined with the region of Midi-Pyrénées to become Occitania. It comprised five departments, and b ...
.
The leaves are dark green and pentagonal. The grapes are amber-yellow and hang in pyramidal bunches. The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light. The
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 ...
now gives
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 ...
as its origin.
The most famous wine made from Vermentino is probably the
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 ...
Vermentino di Gallura (and
Vermentino di Gallura Superiore) which is produced in the province of
Olbia-Tempio, in the north of Sardinia. The grape is said to have been cultivated in this part of
Gallura
Gallura ( sdn, Gaddura or ; sc, Caddura ) is a region in North-Eastern Sardinia, Italy.
The name ''Gallùra'' is allegedly supposed to mean "stony area".
Geography
Gallùra has a surface of and it is situated between 40°55'20"64 latitude ...
, often under the name ''Arratelau'', since the fourteenth century.
[www.comunas.it :: Comune di Monti](_blank)
. Elsewhere on the island the grape is used for a variety of
white wine
White wine is a wine that is fermented without skin contact. The colour can be straw-yellow, yellow-green, or yellow-gold. It is produced by the alcoholic fermentation of the non-coloured pulp of grapes, which may have a skin of any colour. ...
s, including sweet and
sparkling variants.
Origin
Different hypotheses about the origin of Vermentino have been forwarded, and only recently has
DNA typing
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, o ...
confirmed Vermentino to be identical to the Pigato of Liguria and Favorita of Piedmont, superseding some earlier hypotheses. It is unclear if Vermentino is also identical to the variety
Rollo
Rollo ( nrf, Rou, ''Rolloun''; non, Hrólfr; french: Rollon; died between 928 and 933) was a Viking who became the first ruler of Normandy, today a region in northern France. He emerged as the outstanding warrior among the Norsemen who had se ...
found in eastern
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
, around
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
. Both that variety and Vermentino go under the synonym Rolle.
Wines
Italian
DOC
DOC, Doc, doc or DoC may refer to:
In film and television
* ''Doc'' (2001 TV series), a 2001–2004 PAX series
* ''Doc'' (1975 TV series), a 1975–1976 CBS sitcom
* "D.O.C." (''Lost''), a television episode
* ''Doc'' (film), a 1971 Wester ...
wines include:
*
Vermentino Di Sardegna
Vermentino is a light-skinned wine grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in both Sardinia and Liguria, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillo ...
(province of Sardinia)
*
Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino
''Riviera'' () is an Italian word which means "coastline", ultimately derived from Latin , through Ligurian . It came to be applied as a proper name to the coast of Liguria, in the form ''Riviera ligure'', then shortened in English. The two areas ...
(provinces of
Imperia
Imperia (; lij, Inpêia or ) is a coastal city and ''comune'' in the region of Liguria, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Imperia, and historically it was capital of the ''Intemelia'' district of Liguria. Benito Mussolini created the ...
and
Savona, Liguria)
*
Colli di Luni Vermentino
Colli di Luni is an Italian ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) located in both Liguria and Tuscany in northwest Italy. The DOC produces both reds and white wines made primarily from Sangiovese and Vermentino with a varietal Vermentino a ...
(province of
La Spezia in Liguria and the adjacent
Tuscan province of
Massa-Carrara
The province of Massa-Carrara ( it, provincia di Massa-Carrara) is a province in the Tuscany region of central Italy. It is named after the provincial capital Massa, and Carrara, the other main town in the province.
History
The province of "Ma ...
)
*
Candia dei Colli Apuani (province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany)
*
Bolgheri Vermentino (province of
Livorno, Tuscany)
*Colli del Limbara IGT (Sardinia), blended with
Retagliado bianco
French wine AOC wines include:
*
Patrimonio
Patrimonio (; ; co, Patrimoniu, ) is a commune in the French department of Upper Corsica, collectivity and island of Corsica.
The inhabitants are known as ''patrimoniens'' and ''patrimoniennes'' in French, ''patrimuninchi'' (singular: ''patrimu ...
, located in the north of Corsica, in the Saint Florent gulf, was the first region of the island to attain
AOC
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (; ; born October 13, 1989), also known by her initials AOC, is an American politician and activist. She has served as the U.S. representative for New York's 14th congressional district since 2019, as a member of ...
status (in 1968). Its white wine is 100% Vermentino.
*In Languedoc-Roussillon, it has recently been allowed into many AOC wines, including
Côtes du Roussillon.
*In
Provence
Provence (, , , , ; oc, Provença or ''Prouvènço'' , ) is a geographical region and historical province of southeastern France, which extends from the left bank of the lower Rhône to the west to the Italian border to the east; it is bor ...
, close to Nice, the grape is used for the AOC white wines of
Bellet.
*In California, Vermentino is grown and produced in the
Adelaida District AVA
Adelaida District AVA is an American Viticultural Area located on the north west portion of the Paso Robles AVA in San Luis Obispo County, California. It was established by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau in 2014. Wineries located wit ...
b
Tablas Creek Vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley AVA by
Brick Barn Wine Estate in the Carneros AVA b
Mahoney Vineyards in the Mokelumne River/Lodi AVA b
m2 Winesand in the Squaw Valley/Miramonte AVA b
*In Southern Oregon, it is being grown in the
Applegate Valley AVA by Troon Vineyard.
*In Southern Idaho, it is being grown in the
Snake River Valley AVA by Famici Wine Company.
Synonyms and confusion with other varieties
Vermentino is also known under the synonyms Agostenga, Agostenga blanc, Brustiano, Brustiano di Corsica, Carbes, Carbesso, Favorita, Favorita bianca, Favorita Bianca di Conegliano, Favorita d'Alba, Favorita di Alba, Favorita di Conegliano, Formentino, Fourmentin, Garbesso, Grosse Clarette, Malvasia a Bonifacio, Malvasia Grossa, Malvasie, Malvoisie, Malvoisie è Gros Grains, Malvoisie Corse, Malvoisie de Corse, Malvoisie Précoce d'Espagne, Piccabon, Piga, Pigato, Rolle, Rossese, Sibirkovski, Uva Sapaiola, Uva Vermentino, Valentin, Varlentin, Varresana bianca, Vennentino, Verlantin, Vermentini, Vermentino bianco, Vermentino Pigato, and Vermentinu.
Despite sharing several synonyms with Vermentino, the Corsican wine grape
Brustiano bianco has no known relationship to the grape. Vermentino's exact relationship with the
Tuscan grape
Vermentino nero is not yet known though the variety may be a
color mutation
The propagation of grapevines is an important consideration in commercial viticulture and winemaking. Grapevines, most of which belong to the ''Vitis vinifera'' family, produce one crop of fruit each growing season (vine), growing season with a lim ...
.
[J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pp. 140-141, 1129, 1076 Allen Lane 2012 .]
See also
*
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 ...
References
External links
*
Italian DOC and DOCG wines using the vermentino grapefrom the website of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
*
from the website of the Italian Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
*
from the Tablas Creek Vineyard website
{{Wines
White wine grape varieties
Wine grapes of Italy