Vino Novello
Encyclopedia
Vino Novello, Italian for 'young wine
', is a light, fruity, red wine
produced throughout Italy
. Novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais Nouveau
in taste, body and color
, but is produced using multiple grape varieties with a more liberal fermentation
process. Novello is officially released for sale November 6.
Novello's literal Italian translation means 'young wine,' but it is also "the wine to be drunk young." What Novello does not have is tannins.
In some places in Italy, tradition says the last day to consume Novello is “I Giorni della Merla”, the days of the blackbird, said to be the coldest day of the year (29th-31st January).
. Carbonic maceration is a technique of wine making by accelerating the fermentation process, developed in France
in the '30s.
The grapes are placed in large barrels or vats. They are then closed off and the oxygen is eliminated by pumping in CO2. The natural yeast migrate from the skin of the grapes into the pulp looking for water and oxygen and the fermentation takes place.
The fermentation process for producing Novello is about 20 days.
Italy will produce approximately 9 million bottles of Novello in 2009. Production of Novello this year is down some 4% over last year with 236 vineyards making the wine compared to 246 in 2008.
Over 400 vineyards were producing Novello in 2004 after its popularity peaked.
Almost a half of Novello production comes from the northern Veneto region. It is followed by Trentino, Tuscany, Sardinia, Emilia Romagna, Puglia, and Friuli.
Common grape varieties used in production of Vino Novello are: Barbera
, Cabernet Sauvignon
, Canaiolo
, Ciliegiolo
, Dolcetto
, Grignolino
, Merlot
, Nebbiolo, Pinot noir
, Refosco
, Sangiovese
and Teroldego
.
Profits are expected to reach a value of more than 40 million euro (about $60 million) for 2009.
, a county of southern Burgundy. A novel wine making technique was developed by a Frenchman, M. Flanzy, in the 1930s. The main difference in making Novello wines is that the grapes are not crushed and then brewed, but they are fermented using whole grapes, allowing for only a minimum percentage of sugar to be converted into alcohol, ensuring the wine has a smooth, fruity flavor. Italy first started making Novello in the 70s. The first producers were Angelo Gaja (Vinot) and Marchesi Antinori (S. Giocondo). Vino Novello was officially recognized in Italy in 1987.
Nouveau
A nouveau, or vin primeur, is a French wine which may, under the Appellation d'origine contrôlée regulations, be sold in the same year in which it was harvested. The most widely exported nouveau wine is Beaujolais nouveau which is released on the third Thursday of November, often only a few weeks...
', is a light, fruity, red 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...
produced throughout 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...
. Novello is similar to its French cousin Beaujolais Nouveau
Beaujolais nouveau
Beaujolais nouveau is a red wine made from Gamay grapes produced in the Beaujolais region of France. It is the most popular vin de primeur, fermented for just a few weeks before being released for sale on the third Thursday of November...
in taste, body and color
Wine color
The color of wine is one of the most easily recognizable characteristics of wines. Color is also an element in wine tasting since heavy wines generally have a deeper color. The accessory traditionally used to judge the wine color was the tastevin, a shallow cup allowing to see the color of the...
, but is produced using multiple grape varieties with a more liberal 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...
process. Novello is officially released for sale November 6.
Style
Vino Novello is lightweight with low alcohol content (usually not more than 11%) and light aroma.Novello's literal Italian translation means 'young wine,' but it is also "the wine to be drunk young." What Novello does not have is tannins.
In some places in Italy, tradition says the last day to consume Novello is “I Giorni della Merla”, the days of the blackbird, said to be the coldest day of the year (29th-31st January).
Production
Vino Novello is made from a different process than normal red wines. Although many experts criticize the process, Novello is simply the result of a different procedure of processing the grapes: carbonic macerationCarbonic maceration
Carbonic maceration is a winemaking technique, often associated with the French wine region of Beaujolais, in which whole grapes are fermented in a carbon dioxide rich environment prior to crushing. Conventional alcoholic fermentation involves crushing the grapes to free the juice and pulp from the...
. Carbonic maceration is a technique of wine making by accelerating the fermentation process, developed in 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...
in the '30s.
The grapes are placed in large barrels or vats. They are then closed off and the oxygen is eliminated by pumping in CO2. The natural yeast migrate from the skin of the grapes into the pulp looking for water and oxygen and the fermentation takes place.
The fermentation process for producing Novello is about 20 days.
The whole bunches are placed within a designated 50 to 70 hl (1,320.9 to 1,849.2 USgal) tubs, in which after producing a vacuum of air is blown CO2 at 30 degrees Celsius for 7–14 days. The clusters that are located on the bottom of the tanks are crushed by the mass of grapes and release the juice. Yeasts indigenous to the pulp from the peel migrate in search of oxygen and water, triggering a process of intracellular fermentation. At the end of the cycle, the 'red wine' is slightly crushed and further fermented for 3-4 days. The minimum alcohol content is 11%, the deadline for bottling is 31 December of the same vintage year.
Italy will produce approximately 9 million bottles of Novello in 2009. Production of Novello this year is down some 4% over last year with 236 vineyards making the wine compared to 246 in 2008.
Over 400 vineyards were producing Novello in 2004 after its popularity peaked.
Almost a half of Novello production comes from the northern Veneto region. It is followed by Trentino, Tuscany, Sardinia, Emilia Romagna, Puglia, and Friuli.
Common grape varieties used in production of Vino Novello are: Barbera
Barbera
Barbera is a red Italian wine grape variety that, as of 2000, was the third most-planted red grape variety in Italy . It produces good yields and is known for deep color, low tannins and high levels of acid...
, Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Canada's Okanagan Valley to Lebanon's Beqaa Valley...
, Canaiolo
Canaiolo
Canaiolo is a red Italian wine grape grown through Central Italy but is most noted in Tuscany. Other regions with plantings of Canaiolo include Lazio, Marche and Sardegna. In Umbria a white berried mutation known as Canaiolo Bianco exist...
, Ciliegiolo
Ciliegiolo
Ciliegiolo is a variety of red wine grape from Italy, named after the Italian for 'cherry'. It is a minor component of traditional blends such as Chianti, but interest has revived in recent years...
, Dolcetto
Dolcetto
Dolcetto is a black wine grape variety widely grown in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy. The Italian word dolcetto means "little sweet one", but it is not certain that the name originally carried any reference to the grape’s sugar levels: it is possible that it derives from the name of the...
, Grignolino
Grignolino
Grignolino is a red Italian wine grape variety commonly grown in the Piedmont region. It makes light colored wines and rosés with very fruity aromas, strong acidity and tannins. The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole which means "many pips" in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti...
, Merlot
Merlot
Merlot is a darkly blue-coloured wine grape, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name Merlot is thought to derive from the Old French word for young blackbird, merlot, a diminutive of merle, the blackbird , probably from the color of the grape. Merlot-based wines...
, Nebbiolo, Pinot noir
Pinot Noir
Pinot noir is a black wine grape variety of the species Vitis vinifera. The name may also refer to wines created predominantly from Pinot noir grapes...
, Refosco
Refosco
Refosco is a very old Italian family of dark-skinned grape varieties native to the northern Italian areas of Friuli, Gavi, Trentino, Istria, and Karst Plateau. It is considered autochthonous in these regions....
, Sangiovese
Sangiovese
Sangiovese is a red Italian wine grape variety whose name derives from the Latin sanguis Jovis, "the blood of Jove"...
and Teroldego
Teroldego
Teroldego is a red Italian grape variety grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy.-Description:Wine has been produced since ancient times in "Campo Rotaliano", an alluvial plain between the rivers Adige and Noce...
.
Profits are expected to reach a value of more than 40 million euro (about $60 million) for 2009.
History
The birth of 'young wine' comes from southern France in the region of BeaujolaisBeaujolais (wine)
Beaujolais is a French Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée wine generally made of the Gamay grape which has a thin skin and is low in tannins. Like most AOC wines they are not labeled varietally. Whites from the region, which make up only 1% of its production, are made mostly with Chardonnay grapes...
, a county of southern Burgundy. A novel wine making technique was developed by a Frenchman, M. Flanzy, in the 1930s. The main difference in making Novello wines is that the grapes are not crushed and then brewed, but they are fermented using whole grapes, allowing for only a minimum percentage of sugar to be converted into alcohol, ensuring the wine has a smooth, fruity flavor. Italy first started making Novello in the 70s. The first producers were Angelo Gaja (Vinot) and Marchesi Antinori (S. Giocondo). Vino Novello was officially recognized in Italy in 1987.
Beaujolais Nouveau vs. Vino Novello
The two wines are very similar, but there are significant differences.- Beaujolais Nouveau is launched the third Thursday of the month of November
- Novello is marketed November 6
- Beaujolais Nouveau is produced from a single grape variety: Gamay
- Italy uses over 60 varieties, of which seven are international. Merlot is the most used (17%), 42 are single-variety
- The harvest in Beaujolais is strictly manual; grapes must be picked by hand only
- Italy authorizes mechanical means to pick their grapes
- For Beaujolais Nouveau, 100% of carbonic maceration must be used
- A minimum of 30% carbonic maceration is common for Vino Novello. Not all producers restrict the carbonic maceration at 30%, but should be clearly explained in the label
- France produces about 65 million bottles of Beaujolais (2004)
- Italy about 17 million bottles of Novello of various types (2004)