Rosso Barletta DOC
Encyclopedia
Rosso Barletta is a red Italian wine
produced in the Denominazione di origine controllata
(DOC) region of Barletta
, located in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani
of north-central Apulia
. The DOC is permitted to produce red wine only, made primarily from Uva di Troia
, and is one of the few wine regions in Italy
where Malbec
is grown and permitted in a DOC wine. The DOC covers over 60 hectares (150 acres) that are planted to Uva di Troia, Montepulciano
, Sangiovese
, and Malbec
. Rosso Barletta is noted in history for being the spark for a jousting
skirmish, now known as the Challenge of Barletta
, involving thirteen local Italian knight
s against thirteen French knights, following an evening of drinking too much Barletta wine. According to the Italian Trade Commission, when the wine region was officially recognised it retained the name Rosso Barletta in commemoration of the historic connection between the region's wine and the event.
The prelude to the Challenge of Barletta
occurred when the French knight Charles de Touques, Monsigneur de La Motte was having dinner at an inn in Barletta. He was served the red wine from the area, and according to reports by Prospero Colonna
, grand captain of the army stationed at Barletta, La Motte overindulged in the wine and became uncivil, insulting nearby Italian knights. To defend their honour, the Italians challenged the Frenchmen to a joust, to be held on 13 February 1503. The French knights were defeated by the Italians and the French then left the area.
and Trani
.
that is composed 100% of Uva di Troia. At the very least Uva di Troia must be responsible for at least 70% of the blend with Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Malbec comprising the remainder of the blend. While the Rosso Barletta DOC is unique in allowing Malbec in its wine, the grape is limited to accounting for no more than 10% of the wine. All grapes destined for Rosso Barletta must be harvested with a yield
no greater than 15 tonnes per hectare. The finished red wine is required to have a minimum alcohol level of 12%.
The Rosso Barletta DOC includes a special labelling (similar to Reserva) for aged wines that is called Invecchiato. Unlike Reserva or Superiore, the Invecchiato designation doesn't carry with it any requirement for increased alcohol levels (though the wines do tend to be higher than the usual 12%). Instead the designation is concerned solely with ageing. Wines produced under this designation must be aged for a minimum of two years, with at least one of those years being in oak barrels or some other wooden storage vessel.
, Rosso Barletta is a medium bodied, fruity wine with a ruby colour. It is usually consumed very young.
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...
produced in the Denominazione di origine controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC) region of Barletta
Barletta
Barletta is a city and comune located in the north of Apulia in south eastern Italy. Its current population is 94,140.It is famous for the Colossus of Barletta, a bronze statue, representing a Roman Emperor...
, located in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani
Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani
The Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani is a province of Italy in the Apulia region. The establishment of the province took effect in June 2009, and Andria was appointed as its seat of government on May 21, 2010....
of north-central Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
. The DOC is permitted to produce red wine only, made primarily from Uva di Troia
Uva di Troia
Uva di Troia is a red wine grape variety grown in the Italian region of Puglia, particularly in the areas around Andria and Barletta, and in the Province of Bari....
, and is one of the few wine regions in 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...
where Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
is grown and permitted in a DOC wine. The DOC covers over 60 hectares (150 acres) that are planted to Uva di Troia, Montepulciano
Montepulciano (grape)
Montepulciano is a red Italian wine grape variety that is most noted for being the primary grape behind the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita wine Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane and the Denominazione di origine controllata wines of Rosso Conero and Rosso Piceno.It should...
, Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
, and Malbec
Malbec
Malbec is a purple grape variety used in making red wine. The grapes tend to have an inky dark color and robust tannins, and are long known as one of the six grapes allowed in the blend of red Bordeaux wine. The French plantations of Malbec are now found primarily in Cahors in the South West...
. Rosso Barletta is noted in history for being the spark for a jousting
Jousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
skirmish, now known as the Challenge of Barletta
Challenge of Barletta
The Challenge of Barletta was a battle fought in the country of Trani near Barletta, southern Italy, on 13 February 1503, on the plains between Corato and Andria....
, involving thirteen local Italian knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s against thirteen French knights, following an evening of drinking too much Barletta wine. According to the Italian Trade Commission, when the wine region was officially recognised it retained the name Rosso Barletta in commemoration of the historic connection between the region's wine and the event.
The Challenge of Barletta
Challenge of Barletta
The Challenge of Barletta was a battle fought in the country of Trani near Barletta, southern Italy, on 13 February 1503, on the plains between Corato and Andria....
occurred when the French knight Charles de Touques, Monsigneur de La Motte was having dinner at an inn in Barletta. He was served the red wine from the area, and according to reports by Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna
Prospero Colonna , sometimes referred to as Prosper Colonna, was an Italian condottiero in the service of the Papal States and the Holy Roman Empire during the Italian Wars.-Biography:...
, grand captain of the army stationed at Barletta, La Motte overindulged in the wine and became uncivil, insulting nearby Italian knights. To defend their honour, the Italians challenged the Frenchmen to a joust, to be held on 13 February 1503. The French knights were defeated by the Italians and the French then left the area.
Production zone
The production zone for the Rosso Barletta DOC includes 60 ha (150 acres) around the coastal city of Barletta, north of BariBari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
and Trani
Trani
Trani is a seaport of Apulia, southern Italy, on the Adriatic Sea, in the new Province of Barletta-Andria-Trani , and 40 km by railway West-Northwest of Bari.- History :...
.
DOC requirements
The Rosso Barletta DOC is permitted only for the production of red wines. The wine is predominantly a blend, but it can be a varietalVarietal
"Varietal" describes wines made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label. Examples of grape varieties commonly used in varietal wines are Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot...
that is composed 100% of Uva di Troia. At the very least Uva di Troia must be responsible for at least 70% of the blend with Montepulciano, Sangiovese, and Malbec comprising the remainder of the blend. While the Rosso Barletta DOC is unique in allowing Malbec in its wine, the grape is limited to accounting for no more than 10% of the wine. All grapes destined for Rosso Barletta must be harvested with a 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...
no greater than 15 tonnes per hectare. The finished red wine is required to have a minimum alcohol level of 12%.
Invecchiato
Wine styles
According to wine expert Tom StevensonTom Stevenson
Tom Stevenson is a British author who has been writing about wine for more than 30 years. Described by his colleagues as one of today’s most prolific wine authors, Stevenson is regarded as the world’s leading authority on Champagne...
, Rosso Barletta is a medium bodied, fruity wine with a ruby colour. It is usually consumed very young.