Picolit
Encyclopedia
Picolit is a white Italian wine
grape
grown predominately in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy
. The grape is allowed in the Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine
s of Colli Orientali del Friuli
. The grape is most commonly associated with sweet
dessert wine
s often made in the passito style. Historically planted in poor and infertile vineyards, the grape gets it name from the very small piccolo yield
s that the vine produce. The grape had a worldwide reputation in the 18th century when it was featured in royal courts from Great Britain
to the Russian Empire
. While experiencing cult wine popularity in the 1960s & 1970s, Picolit's extremely small yields have made it economically difficult to grow and has limited the number of plantings.
The Hungarian variety Kéknyelű
is now assumed to be identical to Picolit.
. The Count oversaw production of more than 100,000 bottles that was export
ed to the royal courts of the Holy Roman Empire
, Great Britain, France
, Holland, Russia, Saxony
and Tuscany
as well as the Vatican
. Asquini was a pioneer who left diligent notes on his growing and winemaking methods to coax the most out of the limited resources that the Picolit vine produces. The difficulties in growing the vine lead to sharp decline in plantings. The Perusini family invested many resources during the 20th century to try and develop new clones
that are easier to cultivate but still retain the desirable characteristics of the grape. While a brief spike in popularity in the 1960s & 1970s did elevate the Picolit wine to cult wine status, the work of Perusini family is credited with keeping the grape from extinction
. The popularity of Picolit wine has led to the illegal practice of blending it the inferior quality Verduzzo
to stretch supply.
lends itself well to dessert wine production. Both late harvest
and passito styles are made. With passito wines, the Picolit grapes are normally harvested
in mid-October and then dried to raisin
s on straw mats before pressing
. The late harvest styles are picked several weeks later, just before the grapes raisin on the vine. After fermentation
, the wine is aged-often in oak barrels. In addition to being served after dinner, the wine is also considered a vino da meditazione or apéritif
that can be served alone. Picolit wines tend be characterized by soft floral
aromas with peach
and apricot
flavors.
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
grape
Grape
A grape is a non-climacteric fruit, specifically a berry, that grows on the perennial and deciduous woody vines of the genus Vitis. Grapes can be eaten raw or they can be used for making jam, juice, jelly, vinegar, wine, grape seed extracts, raisins, molasses and grape seed oil. Grapes are also...
grown predominately in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. The grape is allowed in the Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita (DOCG) wine
Wine
Wine is an alcoholic beverage, made of fermented fruit juice, usually from grapes. The natural chemical balance of grapes lets them ferment without the addition of sugars, acids, enzymes, or other nutrients. Grape wine is produced by fermenting crushed grapes using various types of yeast. Yeast...
s of Colli Orientali del Friuli
Colli Orientali del Friuli
The Colli Orientali del Friuli is a Denominazione di origine controllata located in the Italian wine region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia. The region is located in the province of Udine and is sub-divided into three main sections; Ramandolo in the north, Cialla and Corno di Rosazzo]]...
. The grape is most commonly associated with sweet
Sweetness of wine
The subjective sweetness of a wine is determined by the interaction of several factors, including the amount of sugar in the wine to be sure, but also the relative levels of alcohol, acids, and tannins. Briefly: sugars and alcohol enhance a wine's sweetness; acids and bitter tannins counteract it...
dessert wine
Dessert wine
Dessert wines 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, as opposed to the white fortified wines drunk before the meal, and the red fortified wines drunk after it...
s often made in the passito style. Historically planted in poor and infertile vineyards, the grape gets it name from the very small piccolo yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
s that the vine produce. The grape had a worldwide reputation in the 18th century when it was featured in royal courts from Great Britain
Kingdom of Great Britain
The former Kingdom of Great Britain, sometimes described as the 'United Kingdom of Great Britain', That the Two Kingdoms of Scotland and England, shall upon the 1st May next ensuing the date hereof, and forever after, be United into One Kingdom by the Name of GREAT BRITAIN. was a sovereign...
to the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
. While experiencing cult wine popularity in the 1960s & 1970s, Picolit's extremely small yields have made it economically difficult to grow and has limited the number of plantings.
The Hungarian variety Kéknyelű
Keknyelu
Kéknyelű is a white Hungarian wine grape planted primarily in the Badacsony region near Lake Balaton. The grape produces full bodied, smokey wines....
is now assumed to be identical to Picolit.
History
While the exact origins of the grape are not clear, Picolit was well known internationally during the 18th century as a favorite of Count Fabio AsquiniFabio Asquini
Count Fabio Asquini was an Italian rural economist and agronomist who did much to promote silk culture in Italy.Asquini also pioneered wine making with the Picolit grape in the Friuli region of Italy and sold his wines all over Italy and Europe in green blown-glass bottles...
. The Count oversaw production of more than 100,000 bottles that was export
Export
The term export is derived from the conceptual meaning as to ship the goods and services out of the port of a country. The seller of such goods and services is referred to as an "exporter" who is based in the country of export whereas the overseas based buyer is referred to as an "importer"...
ed to the royal courts of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, Great Britain, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Holland, Russia, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
and Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
as well as the Vatican
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
. Asquini was a pioneer who left diligent notes on his growing and winemaking methods to coax the most out of the limited resources that the Picolit vine produces. The difficulties in growing the vine lead to sharp decline in plantings. The Perusini family invested many resources during the 20th century to try and develop new clones
Cloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
that are easier to cultivate but still retain the desirable characteristics of the grape. While a brief spike in popularity in the 1960s & 1970s did elevate the Picolit wine to cult wine status, the work of Perusini family is credited with keeping the grape from extinction
Extinction
In biology and ecology, extinction is the end of an organism or of a group of organisms , normally a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and recover may have been lost before this point...
. The popularity of Picolit wine has led to the illegal practice of blending it the inferior quality Verduzzo
Verduzzo
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 of the Veneto region...
to stretch supply.
Wine styles
The Picolit grape balance of acidity and sugarSugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
lends itself well to dessert wine production. Both late harvest
Late harvest wine
Late harvest is a term applied to wines made from grapes left on the vine longer than usual. Late harvest is usually an indication of a sweet dessert wine, such as late harvest Riesling. Late harvest grapes are often more similar to raisins, but have been naturally dehydrated while on the vine...
and passito styles are made. With passito wines, the Picolit grapes are normally harvested
Harvest (wine)
The harvesting of wine grapes is one of the most crucial steps in the process of winemaking. The time of harvest is determined primarily by the ripeness of the grape as measured by sugar, acid and tannin levels with winemakers basing their decision to pick based on the style of wine they wish to...
in mid-October and then dried to raisin
Raisin
Raisins are dried grapes. They are produced in many regions of the world. Raisins may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking and brewing...
s on straw mats before pressing
Wine press
A wine press is a device used to extract juice from crushed grapes during wine making. There are a number of different styles of presses that are used by wine makers but their overall functionality is the same. Each style of press exerts controlled pressure in order to free the juice from the fruit...
. The late harvest styles are picked several weeks later, just before the grapes raisin on the vine. After fermentation
Fermentation (wine)
The process of fermentation in wine turns grape juice into an alcoholic beverage. During fermentation, yeast interact with sugars in the juice to create ethanol, commonly known as ethyl alcohol, and carbon dioxide...
, the wine is aged-often in oak barrels. In addition to being served after dinner, the wine is also considered a vino da meditazione or apéritif
Aperitif
Apéritifs and digestifs are alcoholic drinks that are normally served with meals.-Apéritifs:An apéritif is usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite. This contrasts with digestifs, which are served after a meal for the purpose of aiding digestion...
that can be served alone. Picolit wines tend be characterized by soft floral
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
aromas with peach
Peach
The peach tree is a deciduous tree growing to tall and 6 in. in diameter, belonging to the subfamily Prunoideae of the family Rosaceae. It bears an edible juicy fruit called a peach...
and apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
flavors.