Vermentino nero 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 is predominantly grown in

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 ...

Tuscany Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze''). Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...

. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, the vine was almost lost to extinction until Podere Scurtarola, a producer from

Massa Massa may refer to: Places *Massa, Tuscany, the administrative seat of the Italian province of Massa-Carrara. *Massa (river), river in Switzerland * Massa (Tanzanian ward), administrative ward in the Mpwapwa district of the Dodoma Region of Ta ...

, began replanting old vineyards with the grape. By 2000, there were 199

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 ...

s (492 acres) of Vermentino nero growing in Italy with the grape authorized for production in the '' Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) wines of Candia dei Colli Apuani and

Colline Lucchesi Colline Lucchesi is a denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) for wine, created in 1968, that is located in northern Tuscany, Italy, and centered near the commune of Lucca. Geography This DOC is broken into two near but nonadjacent areas that ...

.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 91, 1129-1130 Allen Lane 2012 The grape was long believed to a dark-berried color mutation of Vermentino though some

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 may have Spanish origins and be related to Monastrell or the Aragonese grape

Parraleta Parraleta is a red Spanish wine grape variety which might also be known under various other names, such as Tinta Caiada (Alentejo, Alentejo, Portugal) in several Mediterranean Countries, Mediterranean countries. Parraleta is chosen as a prime nam ...

used in the wines of Somontano. As of 2012,

DNA profiling 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 ...

on the grape variety has not been able to confirm or deny either theory.

History

The exact origins of Vermentino nero is not yet known. There are some ampelographers who believe that the grape is a color mutation of the widely planted white Vermentino grape (known as ''Pigato'' in neighboring

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 ...

and ''Favorita'' in

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

) and maybe native to the Massa-Carrara region in Tuscany. Other ampelographers believe that the grape may have Spanish origins and could be a relative of Monastrell and Parraleta. So far DNA analysis has not been able to produce evidence to support or cast doubt on either theory. Like many Italian varieties, plantings of Vermentino nero sharply declined during the early 20th century as the conflicts of the era took its toll on

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for ''vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of ''Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, ran ...

throughout the country. By the end of World War II, Vermentino nero was on the verge of extinction until a Massa wine producer, Podere Scurtarola, began cultivating old vineyards with the variety (much the same way that the estate helped revive

Barsaglina Barsaglina is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in Tuscany and Liguria where it most often used to add color and tannins to blends. Some ampelographers speculate that grape may be related to Sangiovese due to morphological similaritie ...

). Historically a blending variety, Scurtarola released the first varietal Vermentino nero in 1989.

Viticulture

Vermentino nero is a mid to late ripening grape variety. The vine is very 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 ...

s of

botrytis bunch rot ''Botrytis cinerea'' is a necrotrophic fungus that affects many plant species, although its most notable hosts may be wine grapes. In viticulture, it is commonly known as "botrytis bunch rot"; in horticulture, it is usually called "grey mould" or ...

and powdery mildew.

Wine regions

Map of region of Tuscany, Italy, with provinces-en

In 2000, there were 199 ha (492 acres) of Vermentino nero planted in Italy, nearly all of it in the provinces of Massa-Carrara and Lucca in Tuscany. The grape is an authorized variety in the DOC wines of Candia dei Colli Apuani in Massa-Carrara, Colline Lucchesi in Lucca and

Colli di Luni 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 ...

in Liguria.

Styles

According to Master of Wine

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 ...

, Vermentino nero tends to produce full bodied wines with dark fruit aromas and spicy notes.

Synonyms

The only synonym recognized by 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 ...

(VIVC) for Vermentino nero is Vermentina .

(VIVC)
Vermentino nero
' Accessed: May 3rd, 2013

References

{{reflist Red wine grape varieties