Piccola nera is a red Italian and Slovenian wine grape variety that is grown in the province of Trieste within the Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine region and across the border in neighboring Slovenia where ampelographers believe that the grape originated. Piccola nera, whose name means "little black", tends to produce to light bodied red and rosé wines that are meant to be consumed young. It is a permitted variety in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wines of Carso where it is usually blended with Terrano and in Venezia Indicazione geografica tipica IGT classification where the grape can be used to make varietal wines. [1]
Ampelographers believe that Piccola nera originated in the border region between Italy and Slovenia in what is now the province of Trieste in Italy and the Coastal–Karst Statistical Region of Slovenia. In Italian, the name Piccola nera means 'little black', which describes the small black-skinned berries of the grape vine. [1]
Piccola nera is a late ripening grape variety that can be very vigorous and high yielding if not kept in check by winter pruning and later green harvesting during the growing season. In the Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol wine region of Italy, the grape is sometimes confused for the German/Italian wine grape Trollinger. [1]
In 2000, there were 20 hectares (49 acres) of Piccola nera planted in Italy, the vast majority in the Trieste region with some plantings also found in the province of Trento where the grape is sometimes confused with Trollinger/Schiava Grossa. In Italy, Piccola nera is a permitted variety in the DOC red wines of the Carso DOC in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region where it is usually blended with Terrano. The grape can be used to make varietal wines under the Venezia IGT classification. [1]
Outside of Italy, Piccola nera can be found across the border in Slovenia. [1]
According to Master of Wine Jancis Robinson, Piccola nera tends to produce light-bodied and lightly colored red and rosé wines. These wines often have very little aging potential and are usually meant to be consumed young soon after the vintage. [1]
Over the years, Piccola nera has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Cerni Klescec, Drobna Cernina, Mala Cerna (in Slovenia), Naimenska Slaska, Negra Tenera, Nera Tener, Nera Tenera, Petit Raisin and Plavi Klescec. [1] [2]
Malvasia, also known as Malvazia, is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. In the past, the names Malvasia, Malvazia, and Malmsey have been used interchangeably for Malvasia-based wines; however, in modern oenology, "Malmsey" is now used almost exclusively for a sweet variety of Madeira wine made from the Malvasia grape. Grape varieties in this family include Malvasia bianca, Malvasia di Schierano, Malvasia negra, Malvasia nera, Malvasia nera di Brindisi, Malvasia di Candia aromatica, Malvasia odorosissima, and a number of other varieties.
The Carménère grape is a wine grape variety originally planted in the Médoc region of Bordeaux, France, where it was used to produce deep red wines and occasionally used for blending purposes in the same manner as Petit Verdot.
Trollinger, Schiava, or Vernatsch, is a red German/Italian wine grape variety that was likely first originally cultivated in the wine regions of South Tyrol and Trentino, but today is almost exclusively cultivated on steep, sunny locations in the Württemberg wine region of Baden-Württemberg. It is primarily known under the synonyms Trollinger in Germany, Vernatsch in South Tyrol and Schiava in other Italian regions. As a table grape the variety is sometimes known as Black Hamburg, which is commonly confused with the similar synonym for Black Muscat—a variety that is actually a cross of Trollinger and Muscat of Alexandria.
Refosco is a very old family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the Venetian zone and neighbouring areas of Friuli Venezia Giulia, Gavi, Trentino, Istria, and Karst Plateau. It is considered autochthonous in these regions.
Sauvignonasse is a white wine grape of the species Vitis vinifera prevalent in the Italian region of Friuli, and adjacent territories of Slovenia. It is widely planted in Chile, where it was historically mistaken for Sauvignon blanc.
Ancellotta is a wine grape variety mainly grown in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, but also in some other parts of north Italy, and in south Switzerland.
Marzemino is a red Italian wine grape variety that is primarily grown around Isera, south of Trentino. The wine is most noted for its mention in the opera Don Giovanni of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The vine ripens late and is susceptible to many grape diseases including oidium. Wine produced from the grape has a characteristic dark tint and light plummy taste.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia wine is wine made in the northeastern Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. There are 11 denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) and 3 denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia area. The region has 3 indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) designations Alto Livenza, delle Venezie and Venezia Giulia. Nearly 62% of the wine produced in the region falls under a DOC designation. The area is known predominantly for its white wines, which are considered some of the best examples of Italian wine in that style. Along with the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige, the Friuli-Venezia Giulia forms the Tre Venezie wine region, which ranks with Tuscany and Piedmont as Italy's world class wine regions.
Schioppettino is a red Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is believed to have originated between the comune of Prepotto and the Slovenian border, where records of the Schiopettino wine being used in marriage ceremonies date to 1282. The grape was nearly lost to extinction following the phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century, when vineyard owners decided against replanting the variety in favor of French wine grapes like Cabernet franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot gris, Sauvignon blanc and Merlot. Some isolated plantings continued to exist until a 1978 European Union decree encouraged its planting in the province of Udine.
Terrano is a Slovenian and Italian wine variety, bearing the mark of recognized traditional denomination. It is a member of the Refosco family of grape varieties, which also includes Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. Since 2006 it is a wine with a protected designation of origin (PDO) within European Union under the protected designation "Teran".
Ribolla Gialla is a white wine grape grown most prominently in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is also found in Slovenia, where it is known as Rebula. In Friuli Venezia Giulia, the grape thrives in the region around Corno di Rosazzo and Gorizia. In Slovenia, the grape is grown prominently in the Brda region. The grape is not related to the Friuli red wine grape Schioppettino, which is also known as Ribolla Nera. The obscure, lower quality Ribolla Verde grape is a mutated version that is not widely used.
Verduzzo is a white Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. It is also found in significant plantings in the Piave Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) of the Veneto region, though some of these plantings may be of the separate Verduzzo Trevigiano variety. Verduzzo Friulano is used in varietal and blended wines, many of which fall under DOC as well as vino da tavola designations, that range in style from dry to late harvest wines. According to wine expert Oz Clarke, most of the sweeter examples of Verduzzo can be found in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia with the grape being used for progressively drier styles of the wine the further west into the Veneto.
Slovenia has more than 28,000 wineries making between 80 and 90 million litres annually from the country's 22,300 ha of vineyards. About 75% of the country's production is white wine. Almost all of the wine is consumed domestically with only 6.1 million L a year being exported—mostly to the United States, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, and lately the Czech Republic. Most of the country's wine production falls under the classification of premium (vrhunsko) wine with less than 30% classified as basic table wine (namizno vino). Slovenia has three principal wine regions: the Drava Wine-Growing Region, the Lower Sava Wine-Growing Region, and the Littoral Wine-Growing Region.
Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso is a red Italian wine grape grown predominantly in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. The grape is a variety in the Refosco family and derives its name from its red stems. It is found in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) of Colli Orientali del Friuli, Friuli Aquileia, Friuli Grave and Friuli Latisana. It is also found in the Veneto portion of the Lison Pramaggiore and in the Slovenian wine region of Koper. In Slovenia, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso and Refosco are both called Terrano and are commonly used in a field blend.
Moscato Giallo or Yellow Muscat is a white Italian wine grape variety that is a member of the Muscat family of grapes. Known for its large deep cluster of loose, deep-yellow berries and golden colored wine, Moscato Giallo is grown mostly in northern Italy where it is most often used to produce passito style dessert wines. The grape is also planted in Croatia where it is known as Muškat žuti.
The Gorizia Hills is a hilly microregion in western Slovenia and northeastern Italy. It lies on the right bank of the Soča (Isonzo) River, north of the Italian town of Gorizia, after which it is named. The region covers around 120 km2 (46 sq mi) and has about 7,000 inhabitants, mostly ethnic Slovenes, with a small number of Friulian speakers in its westernmost part.
Carso – Kras is an Italian wine-producing zone located in the provinces Trieste and Gorizia in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, on the border with Slovenia. It was classified as a Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) in 1985 and produces both red and white wine. It takes its name from the Karst Plateau and covers 57 hectares. It has produced 1, 080 hl total 2013/2014, with an average of 11, 240 cases bottled annually.
Collio Goriziano is an Italian wine and winemaking region in northeast Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located in the northernmost part of the Province of Gorizia, in the Italian part of the Gorizia Hills, which extend to neighboring Slovenia. It has been recognized with the official the status of DOC. Colli Goriziano predominantly produces white wines with Friulano, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana, Chardonnay, Pinot bianco, Pinot grigio, and Sauvignon blanc being the leading varietals. Red wine is also produced under the Collio Rosso designation and is usually a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bracciola nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is primarily found in the Liguria and Toscana wine regions of western Italy. The only Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) that Bracciola nera plays a significant role is in the Colli di Luni DOC of Ligura where the grape is permitted to be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Pollera nera, Ciliegiolo, Vermentino nero and other varieties. A late-ripening variety, Bracciola nera usually contributes acidity to blends.
Trevisana nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Veneto region of northeast Italy. While ampelographers believe that the name Trevisana suggest that the grape originated in the province of Treviso, today the grape is almost exclusively found in the northern province of Belluno, particularly around the comune of Feltre, where the grape is a permitted variety in the Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) zone of Vigneti delle Dolomiti.