Vernaccia di Oristano is a white

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 ...

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 ...

grown on the island of

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 ...

which makes a wide range of wine styles for the ''

Denominazione di origine controllata 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 ...

'' (DOC) of ''Vernaccia di Oristano'' based in the

province of Oristano The province of Oristano ( it, provincia di Oristano, sc, provìntzia de Aristanis) is a province in the autonomous island region of Sardinia in Italy. Its capital is the city of Oristano. It has an area of , a total population of 160,746 (2016), ...

. This includes both dry and

sweet wine Dessert wines, sometimes called pudding wines in the United Kingdom, are sweet wines typically served with dessert. There is no simple definition of a dessert wine. In the UK, a dessert wine is considered to be any sweet wine drunk with a meal ...

s as well as

fortified A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

-like" wines aged in a

solera ''Solera'' is a process for aging liquids such as wine, beer, vinegar, and brandy, by fractional blending in such a way that the finished product is a mixture of ages, with the average age gradually increasing as the process continues over many ...

.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 1130-1131 Allen Lane 2012 The grape has a long history on the island of Sardinia with Sardinians claiming that consuming ample quantities of wine produced from the grape as being responsible for low instances of

malaria Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects humans and other animals. Malaria causes symptoms that typically include fever, tiredness, vomiting, and headaches. In severe cases, it can cause jaundice, seizures, coma, or death. S ...

on the island.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 215 Firefly Books 2004 Despite the similarities in their names and synonyms, Vernaccia di Oristano is a distinct variety that is not related to the Tuscan wine grape

Vernaccia Vernaccia is a white wine grape that is found in many Italian wines but is most commonly associated the Tuscan wine Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Ampelographers have determined that the Vernaccia vine has many clonal varieties but is unrelated t ...

used to make

Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vernaccia is a white Italian wine, made from the Vernaccia grape, produced in and around the Italian hill town of San Gimignano in Tuscany. It was the first Italian wine to be awarded ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) status in 1966; ...

. The grape also does not appear to be related to the red wine grapes Aleatico or Grenache which are known as ''Vernaccia'' in different parts of Italy.

History and name

According to legend, Vernaccia was introduced to the island of Sardinia by the

Phoenicians Phoenicia () was an ancient thalassocratic civilization originating in the Levant region of the eastern Mediterranean, primarily located in modern Lebanon. The territory of the Phoenician city-states extended and shrank throughout their histor ...

sometime after the ancient Semitic civilization founded the port of

Tharros Tharros (also spelled Tharras, Archaic Greek: , Hellenistic Greek, Tarras or Tarrae, Τάρραι) was an ancient city and former bishopric on the west coast of Sardinia, Italy. It is currently a Latin Catholic titular see and an archaeologica ...

in 800 BC. The first documented mentioning of Vernaccia di Oristano was from a legal document drafted in 1327 in the town of Iglesias in southwest Sardinian that specified that winemakers were limited to producing one barrel each of wine made from several different grape varieties, including Vernaccia,

Greco Greco may refer to: People * Greco (surname), a list of people with this surname * a masculine variant of Greca (given name), an Italian feminine given name * Greco Mafia clan, one of the most influential Mafia clans in Sicily and Calabria Wine ...

, Brusco bianco and

Vermiglio Vermiglio (local dialect: ''Verméi'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about northwest of Trento. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,884 and an area o ...

, but that each wine was to be kept separate. There are several theories behind the origins of the name ''Vernaccia'' that is shared by Vernaccia di Oristano and several other Italian varieties. The most common theory is that name is derived from the

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

word ''vernaculus'' (also the root of the word "

vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...

") which means "native" or "

indigenous Indigenous may refer to: *Indigenous peoples *Indigenous (ecology), presence in a region as the result of only natural processes, with no human intervention *Indigenous (band), an American blues-rock band *Indigenous (horse), a Hong Kong racehorse ...

" and would be attached to any grape perceived to be native to the local region. In the case of Vernaccia di Oristano, ampelographers believe that the grape may be native to the

Tirso river Tirso is Spanish and Portuguese for Thyrsus, and usually refers to the saint of that name (Saint Thyrsus) (San Tirso, Santo Tirso). It can also refer to: People * Tirso Cruz III (born 1952), Filipino actor * Tirso de Molina (1579-1648), Spanish ...

valley that crosses the island of Sardinia before emptying into the

Gulf of Oristano The Gulf of Oristano ( it, Golfo di Oristano, sc, Golfu de Aristanis) is a gulf in the Sardinian Sea, near Oristano, in the western Sardinian coast. It is limited from north by the Cape San Marco, in the Sinis peninsula, and from the south by ...

Other theories postulate that the name could be derived from other Latin words such as ''verrum'', meaning

boar The wild boar (''Sus scrofa''), also known as the wild swine, common wild pig, Eurasian wild pig, or simply wild pig, is a suid native to much of Eurasia and North Africa, and has been introduced to the Americas and Oceania. The species is ...

, based on the beasts that are common in central Italy and known to trespass into vineyard and eat the grapes on the vine. The Latin word for

winter Winter is the coldest season of the year in polar and temperate climates. It occurs after autumn and before spring. The tilt of Earth's axis causes seasons; winter occurs when a hemisphere is oriented away from the Sun. Different cultur ...

, ''ibernum'', is another possibility since many of the Vernaccia species were used as

table grapes 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 ...

for eating during the winter months. One other contending theory is that the village of

Vernazza Vernazza ( lij, Vernassa, locally ; la, Vulnetia) is a town and located in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northwestern Italy. It is one of the five towns that make up the Cinque Terre region. Vernazza is the fourth town heading north, h ...

in the

Cinque Terre The Cinque Terre (; lij, Çinque Tære, meaning "Five Lands") is a coastal area within Liguria, in the northwest of Italy. It lies in the west of La Spezia Province, and comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarol ...

region of

Liguria it, Ligure , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

on the northwest coast of Italy could be a potential origin and

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

for some of the Vernaccia grapes. However, in the case of Vernaccia di Oristano there is no direct evidence linking the grape to the

Ligurian wine Liguria is an Italian wine region located in the northwest region of Italy along the Italian Riviera. It is bordered by the Piedmont wine region to the north, the Alps and French wine region of Provence to the west, the Apennine Mountains and the ...

region.

Viticulture

Vernaccia di Oristano is a mid to late ripening grape variety that can be very sensitive to the dangers from late spring frost during the growing season. It is also susceptible to the

viticultural hazards 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 ...

of infection from

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, Rus ...

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, a ...

Relationship to other grapes

Despite similarities in names and synonyms, DNA analysis has shown that Vernaccia di Oristano is a distinct variety that is not closely related to the several other grapes that share the name ''Vernaccia''. This includes the Tuscan wine grape Vernaccia used to make the ''

Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita 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 ...

'' (DOCG) wine of Vernaccia di San Gimignano as well as the red wine grapes Aleatico which is known as ''Vernacia di Pergola'' in southern Italy and Grenache which is known under the synonym of ''Vernaccia nera'' in the Marche region and

Umbria it, Umbro (man) it, Umbra (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , ...

. DNA has showed a possible close genetic relationship of parent-offspring between Vernaccia di Oristano and the white

Emilia-Romagna egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title ...

wine grape Santa Maria used to make ''

Vin Santo Vin Santo ("holy wine") is a style of Italian dessert wine. Traditional in Tuscany, these wines are often made from white grape varieties such as Trebbiano and Malvasia, though Sangiovese may be used to produce a ''rosé'' style known as "Oc ...

'' style wines in the

province of Piacenza The province of Piacenza ( it, provincia di Piacenza) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Its provincial capital is the city Piacenza. As of 2016, it has a total population of 286,572 inhabitants over an area of , giving it a popu ...

Wine regions

In 2000, there were of Vernaccia di Oristano planted in Italy, almost exclusively in the province of Oristano in the lower Tirso river valley on the west coast of the island. Here it is the exclusive grape behind the DOC wine of the same name which is made in both dry and sweet styles as well as fortified ''liquoroso'' wines. According to DOC requirements, Vernaccia di Oristano grapes are limited to a maximum harvest yield of 8 tonnes/hectare (≈ 0.53 tons/acres). The wine is then

aged Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...

barrels A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, u ...

(often made of chestnut instead of

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 ...

) for at least two years for fortified styles. The aging requirement is increased to 29 months for ''secco'' (dry and unfortified) styles and 53 months for ''Superiore Riserva'' (also dry and unfortified) wines. For unfortified styles, the finished wines must attain a minimum

alcohol level Alcohol by volume (abbreviated as ABV, abv, or alc/vol) is a standard measure of how much alcohol (ethanol) is contained in a given volume of an alcoholic beverage (expressed as a volume percent). It is defined as the number of millilitres (mL) o ...

of at least 15% to attain DOC designation while the fortified liquoroso styles (both dry and sweet) must contain at least 18% alcohol by volume.

Styles

Like Sherry, Vernaccia di Oristano wines are often made utilizing a solera system of "fractional blending" where new wine is added to barrels at the "top" of the solera and then gradually blended into barrels of wine from other

vintage Vintage, in winemaking, is the process of picking grapes and creating the finished product—wine (see Harvest (wine)). A vintage wine is one made from grapes that were all, or primarily, grown and harvested in a single specified year. In certa ...

s as it works it way down through the solera and eventually being bottled. This means that within a single bottle of Vernaccia di Oristano could be blends of wines from several decades of vintages with one Sardinian producer having a solera that contains wine from over a 100 different vintages. Also like some styles of Sherry, Vernaccia di Oristano is intentionally aged in

oxidative Redox (reduction–oxidation, , ) is a type of chemical reaction in which the oxidation states of substrate change. Oxidation is the loss of electrons or an increase in the oxidation state, while reduction is the gain of electrons or a d ...

conditions being stored in barrels that are only partially filled--leaving substantial

ullage Ullage or headspace is the unfilled space in a container, particularly with a liquid. Etymology The word ''ullage'' comes from the Latin word ''oculus'', used by the Romans to refer to a barrel cork hole. This word was, in turn, taken in medieval ...

or head space for oxygen to come into contact with the wine. This can add some complexity to the wine and the presence of nutty, sherry-like aromas and a deep golden color, particularly for the sweeter ''dolce'' styles.

Synonyms

Over the years, Vernaccia di Oristano has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Aregu biancu, Aregu Seulu, Cagnaccia, Carnaggia, Cranaccia, Garnaccia, Granazza, Moranina, Varnaccia, Vernaccia, Vernaccia Austera, Vernaccia bianca, Vernaccia Orosei, Vernaccia S. Rosalia, Vernaccia San Rosalia, Vernaccia di S. Vero Milis, Vernaccia di San Vero Milis and Vernaccia di Solarussa.

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)
Vernaccia di Oristano
' Accessed: February 23rd, 2014

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties Wine of Sardinia Wine grapes of Italy