Vermentino
Encyclopedia
Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine
. It is widely planted in Sardinia
, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica
, in Piedmont
under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon
. The leaves are dark green and pentagonal. The grapes are amber-yellow and hang in pyramidal bunches. The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue
now gives Italy
as its origin.
The most famous wine made from Vermentino is probably the DOCG Vermentino di Gallura (and Vermentino di Gallura Superiore) which is produced in the province of Olbia-Tempio
, in the north of Sardinia. The grape is said to have been cultivated in this part of Gallura
, often under the name Arratelau, since the fourteenth century. Elsewhere on the island the grape is used for a variety of white wines, including sweet and sparkling variants.
, around Nice
. Both that variety and Vermentino go under the synonym Rolle.
French wine AOC wines include:
California wine include:
Vermentinu.
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...
. It is widely planted in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
, in Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon
Languedoc-Roussillon is one of the 27 regions of France. It comprises five departments, and borders the other French regions of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Rhône-Alpes, Auvergne, Midi-Pyrénées on the one side, and Spain, Andorra and the Mediterranean sea on the other side.-Geography:The region is...
. The leaves are dark green and pentagonal. The grapes are amber-yellow and hang in pyramidal bunches. The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Vitis International Variety Catalogue
The Vitis International Variety Catalogue is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus Vitis. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding in Siebeldingen, Germany, and contains information from grapevine collections existing in...
now gives 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...
as its origin.
The most famous wine made from Vermentino is probably the DOCG Vermentino di Gallura (and Vermentino di Gallura Superiore) which is produced in the province of Olbia-Tempio
Province of Olbia-Tempio
Olbia-Tempio is the name of a province in the autonomous region of Sardinia, Italy.The territory includes the historical region of Gallura , the northeastern coast of Sardinia , and the island of La Maddalena ....
, in the north of Sardinia. The grape is said to have been cultivated in this part of Gallura
Gallura
Gallura is a region of northern Sardinia, Italy.The name Gallùra means "area located on high ground".-Geography:...
, often under the name Arratelau, since the fourteenth century. Elsewhere on the island the grape is used for a variety of white wines, including sweet and sparkling variants.
Origin
Different hypotheses about the origin of Vermentino have been forwarded, and only recently has DNA typing confirmed Vermentino to be identical to the Pigato of Liguria and Favoria of Piedmont, supercedeing some earlier hypotheses. It is unclear if Vermentino is also identical to the variety Rollo found in eastern ProvenceProvence
Provence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, around Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
. Both that variety and Vermentino go under the synonym Rolle.
Wines
Italian DOC wines include :- Vermentino Di Sardegna (Province of Sardinia)
- Riviera Ligure di Ponente Vermentino (Provinces of ImperiaProvince of ImperiaThe Province of Imperia is a mountainous and hilly province, in the Liguria region of Italy, situated between the Maritime Alps to the north and the Ligurian Sea, an arm of the Mediterranean Sea to the south...
and SavonaProvince of SavonaThe Province of Savona is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Savona.-Overview:...
, Liguria) - Colli di Luni Vermentino (province of La SpeziaProvince of La SpeziaThe Province of La Spezia is a province in the Liguria region of Italy. Its capital is the city of La Spezia.It has an area of 881 km², and a total population of 223,606 inhabitants...
in Liguria and the adjacent TuscanTuscanyTuscany 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 ....
province of Massa-CarraraProvince of Massa-CarraraThe Province of Massa and Carrara , until 2009 Province of Massa-Carrara, is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is named after the two main towns in its territory: Carrara and Massa, its capital.-History:...
) - Candia dei Colli Apuani (province of Massa-Carrara, Tuscany)
- Bolgheri Vermentino (province of LivornoProvince of LivornoThe Province of Livorno or Leghorn is a province in the Tuscany region of Italy. It includes several islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, including Elba and Capraia. Its capital is the city of Livorno....
, Tuscany)
French wine AOC wines include:
- Patrimonio, located in the north of Corsica, in the Saint Florent gulf, was the first region of the island to attain AOC status (in 1968). Its white wine is 100% Vermentino.
- In Languedoc-Roussillon, it has recently been allowed into many AOC wines, including Côtes du Roussillon.
- In ProvenceProvenceProvence ; Provençal: Provença in classical norm or Prouvènço in Mistralian norm) is a region of south eastern France on the Mediterranean adjacent to Italy. It is part of the administrative région of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur...
, close to Nice, the grape is used for the AOC white wines of Bellet.
California wine include:
- Mahoney Vineyards, Francis and Kathy Mahoney grow and produce wine from Vermentino off their own Las Brisas Vineyard in the Los Carneros AVA in California.
Synonyms
Vermentino is also known under the synonyms Agostenga, Agostenga Blanc, Brustiano Bianco, Brustiano di Corsica, Carbes, Carbesso, Favorita, Favorita Bianca, Favorita Bianca di Conegliano, Favorita d'Alba, Favorita di Alba, Favorita di Conegliano, Formentino, Fourmentin, Garbesso, Grosse Clarette, Malvasia a Bonifacio, Malvasia Grossa, Malvasie, Malvoisie, Malvoisie è Gros Grains, Malvoisie Corse, Malvoisie de Corse, Malvoisie Précoce d'Espagne, Piccabon, Piga, Pigato, Rolle, Rossese, Sibirkovski, Uva Sapaiola, Uva Vermentino, Valentin, Varlentin, Varresana Bianca, Vennentino, Verlantin, Vermentini, Vermentino Bianco, Vermentino Pigato, andVermentinu.