Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/732978
20 WINES&VINES October 2016 WINE INDUSTRY NEWS P lymouth, Calif.—After tour- ing Sierra Nevada foothills vineyards in El Dorado and Amador counties and sharing in- formation with growers about vi- ticultural practices for Italian wine grape varieties, professor Vittorino Novello of the University of Turin, Italy, suggested seven Italian vari- eties for growers to try that he believes offer potential for quality production in California. Novello visited the Foothills the first week in August for a tour organized by University of Cali- fornia Cooperative Extension Cen- tral Sierra farm advisor Lynn Wunderlich. Novello was hosted as part of an educational program organized by the Amador County Wine Grape Growers Association, the Amador Vintners Association, the El Dorado Wine Grape Grow- ers Association and the El Dorado Winery Association. Novello, a professor in the De- partment of Agriculture, Forestry and Food Science at the University of Turin, is a well-respected viti- culturist in Italy and worldwide. He has visited and studied wine- grapegrowing regions throughout the world and lectured at many international conferences. In ad- dition to expertise on Italian wine grape varieties, he is knowledge- able about high-altitude and hill- side viticulture. Novello concluded his visit with an evening lecture and recep- tion hosted by Terra D'Oro Winery in Amador County. At this event, Wunderlich recapped the two days of vineyard tours that in- cluded stops at four vineyards each day to meet with the vine- yard owners and vineyard manag- ers, discuss viticultural challenges and management at each site and hear comments by winemakers producing wines from each site. Overall, Novello said he was impressed with the growers' knowl- edge of viticulture and their experi- ence producing these varieties. In some locations, given the vigorous nature of some Italian varieties, he thought the grapevine canopies were too small in relation to the yields being sought and obtained. During his talk, Novello said, "A primary objective in growing Italian wine grape varieties is to emphasize the varietal character- istics of the wines." Novello said in Italy, Barbera historically has been considered a lower quality, under-appreciated variety grown for tonnage to pro- duce lower priced wines and red blends, but there is a movement to improve its quality and reputa- tion. He was impressed that Sierra Foothills growers had focused on Barbera as a premium varietal, and he was somewhat surprised that many growers were produc- ing Barbera on head-trained vines rather than a trellis. Currently, selections of Mon- tepulciano, Negro Amaro, and Nero d'Avola are registered at the University of California, Davis Foundation Plant Services (FPS) and available from several Ameri- can grapevine nurseries. Muscat of Alexandria selections are regis- tered at FPS and available from several nurseries. FPS has a selec- tion of Ansonica that is being treated to become a registered selection. Albarossa and Nero di Troia are not currently registered at FPS. Novello said additional information about Italian varieties is available at vitisdb.it. —Ted Rieger Italian Expert Recommends Grape Varieties for California FUTURE OF CALIFORNIA? Vittorino Novello presented seven varieties he thinks could be well suited to Cali- fornia growing conditions. • Albarossa • Inzolia (Ansonica) • Montepulciano • Negroamaro (Negro Amaro) • Nero d'Avola (Calabrese) • Nero di Troia (Uva di Troia) • Z ibibbo (Muscat of Alexandria) (Synonyms/alternate spellings appear in parentheses.)