Bianchetta Trevigiana
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Bianchetta Trevigiana is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and
Veneto wine Venetian wine is produced in Veneto, a highly productive wine region in north-eastern Italy. The broader area comprising Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol is known collectively as the ''Tre Venezie'', after the Republ ...
regions of northeast Italy. Here the grape is rarely used a varietal but, instead, is a permitted blending grape adding acidity to the wines of several '' Denominazione di Origine Controllata'' (DOC) zones including the sparkling wine
Prosecco Prosecco (; Italian: ) is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. It ...
and has also been used for vermouth production. The name ''Trevigiana'' is derived from the province of Treviso where the grape is believed to have originated from.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 102-103, 1130 Allen Lane 2012 While there are several grape varieties that variously share the synonym ''Bianchetta'', most notably the Sicilian wine grape
Albarola Albarola is a white Italian wine grape variety grown in the northwest Italy. It is most commonly found in the Liguria region where producers in the Cinqueterre ''Denominazione di origine controllata'' (DOC) use it as a blending component. Wine ex ...
,
DNA analysis 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, or ...
has shown no direct genetic relationship between Bianchetta Trevigiana and any of the other Bianchetta varieties. Likewise, despite sharing the synonym ''
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 to ...
'' (the root of which translate to " vernacular" or "local"Oz Clarke ''Encyclopedia of Grapes'' pg 273 Harcourt Books 2001 ) with the notable Tuscan and
Sardinian wine Sardinian wine is Italian wine produced on the island of Sardinia.T. Stevenson, ed. ''The Sotheby's Wine Encyclopedia (5th Edition)'' pgs 347-357 Dorling Kindersley (2011) Grape varieties *Albaranzeuli bianco *Albaranzeuli nero *Arvesiniadu *Barbe ...
grapes, Biancheta Trevigiana appears to have no close relationship with any of those varieties. Instead,
ampelographers 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 ...
believe that the grape is the result of a natural crossing between the white Veneto wine grape
Durella Durella or Durello is a white Italian wine grape variety originating from the Veneto wine region of northeast Italy. Today it is sparsely cultivated, though some producers like to experiment with it since its high acid levels makes it suitable ...
and the nearly extinct red wine grape Brambana.


History

Ampelographers believe that first written account of Bianchetta Trevigiana was in the late 17th century under the synonym of ''Bianchetta Gentile''. The name ''Bianchetta'' means "little white" with Gentile coming from the Latin term for "family" so this reference could be about several vines of "little white berries" that shared similar characteristics in the vineyard. The 1679 account from Italian writer Agostinetto di Cimadolmo described Bianchetta Gentile as growing in the Treviso region. The first detailed account of Bianchetta Trevigiana was in 1937 by grape-breeder
Giovanni Dalmasso Giovanni may refer to: * Giovanni (name), an Italian male given name and surname * Giovanni (meteorology), a Web interface for users to analyze NASA's gridded data * ''Don Giovanni'', a 1787 opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, based on the legend of ...
at the Istituto Sperimentale per la Viticoltura in Conegliano.Wein-Plus '
Bianchetta Treviso
'' Glossary. Accessed: April 18th, 2014
In 2003,
isoenzymatic In biochemistry, isozymes (also known as isoenzymes or more generally as multiple forms of enzymes) are enzymes that differ in amino acid sequence but catalyze the same chemical reaction. Isozymes usually have different kinetic parameters (e.g. dif ...
analysis revealed that several grape varieties growing in northeast Italy under the synonyms of ''Senese'', ''Vernanzina'' and ''Vernassina'' were, in fact, Bianchetta Trevigiana while other grape varieties variously known as ''Bianchetta'', such as the Albarola grape of Sicily, were distinct and not closely related. In 2010, further DNA analysis suggested that Bianchetta Trevigiana was probably the result of a natural crossing between the white Durella grape of the Veneto region and the nearly extinct red-berried Brambana grape.


Viticulture

Bianchetta Trevigiana is a mid-ripening grape variety that is often harvested between late September and early October. Despite having very thick-skins, the grape 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 ...
of powdery mildew and also has poor resistance to frost damage that may occur early in 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 ...
.


Wine region

In 2000, there were of Bianchetta Trevigiana, which represents a dramatic drop in cultivation from the 17th and 18th century when the grape was widely planted in the provinces of
Belluno Belluno (; lld, Belum; vec, Belùn) is a town and province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Located about north of Venice, Belluno is the capital of the province of Belluno and the most important city in the Eastern Dolomites region ...
and Verona. Outside of the Veneto, the grape was also found in the Trentino-Alto Adige region where it was planted along the Adige river valley up to the city of Bolzano as well as in the
Sugana Valley The Valsugana ( it, Valsugana, german: Suganertal) or Sugana Valley is one of the most important valleys in the autonomous province of Trentino in Northern Italy. Leading into the Alps' foothills, an important main north-south Roman road, the Vi ...
and Val Sacra. Bianchetta Trevigiana is permitted in several DOC regions including the Veneto DOCs of
Colli di Conegliano Conegliano (; Venetian: ''Conejan'') is a town and ''comune'' of the Veneto region, Italy, in the province of Treviso, about north by rail from the town of Treviso. The population of the city is of people. The remains of a 10th-century castle ar ...
, Montello e Colli Asolani and
Prosecco Prosecco (; Italian: ) is an Italian DOC or DOCG white wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the Veneto and Friuli Venezia Giulia regions, and named after the village of Prosecco which is in the province of Trieste, Italy. It ...
in the province of Treviso, the Colli Euganei DOC in the
province of Padova The Province of Padua (''Provincia di Padova'') is a province in the Veneto region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Padua. Geography It has an area of 2,142 km2, and a total population of 936,492 (2016) making it the most populated pr ...
and the multi-regional Lugana DOC that includes parts of both
Lombardy Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
and the Veneto.


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 ...
, Bianchetta Trevigiana tends to produce "ordinary" and astringent wines which is why it is rarely seen as a varietal and is more often incorporated into blends. The grape also has a long history of being used in vermouth production.


Synonyms

Over the years, Bianchetta Trevigiana has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Bianca Gentile di Fonzaso, Bianchetta, Bianchetta Gentile, Bianchetta Semplice, Bianco Vernanzinaj, Cenese, Pavana bianca, Pignolo bianco, Senese (in
Breganze Breganze is a town in the province of Vicenza, Veneto, Italy. It is northeast of Via Romea. During World War II, the Germans were on one side of the river and the Allies were on the other, and a firefight occurred across the river. Breganze DOC T ...
), Uva Cinese, Vernaccia, Vernaccia di Verona, Vernaccia Trentina, Vernanzina (in the
Berici Hills The Berici Hills ('Colli Berici') are a group of hills, a special formation in the alluvial plain on which stands Vicenza, originated on the bottom of an ancient sea over at least a hundred million years. Important for the top area is the Monte Beri ...
), Vernassina (in the
Euganean Hills The Euganean Hills ( it, Colli Euganei ) are a group of hills of volcanic origin that rise to heights of 300 to 600 m from the Padovan-Venetian plain a few km south of Padua. The ''Colli Euganei'' form the first Regional park established in the V ...
), Vernazza, Vernazza Trentina, Vernazzina, Weisser Vernatch and Weissvernatsch. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC)
Bianchetta Trevigiana
'' Accessed: April 18th, 2014


References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties