Greco di Bianco

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DOC Greco di Bianco

Greco di Bianco is the name of a DOC / DOP wine ( Denominazione di Origine Controllata / Protetta ) in Calabria . In the very small appellation on the Ionian Sea , a sweet dessert wine of the same name is pressed using the method of a passito . Only the white grape Greco Bianco (di Gerace) is permitted for DOC wines , which is not identical to other Greco Bianco grapes widespread in southern Italy , but to Malvasia di Lipari. On the Aeolian Islands , mainly on Salina (island) , grapes from this vine are also used to make a famous passito, Malvasia delle Lipari . The area lies within the Magna Graecia , so it has been assumed that this vine originated in Greece, but recent DNA studies have not confirmed this assumption. The second eponymous component of the name for wine and DOC is the place Bianco , within whose municipal boundaries almost the entire wine-growing area of ​​the appellation is located. In the 1960s, the production of this once very recognized and much in demand wine threatened to come to a complete standstill. To counteract this decline, the DOC was launched in 1980 as the first protected area of ​​origin in Calabria. The regulations were last updated on March 7, 2014. In the past, a Greco di Bianco was almost exclusively drawn to 500 milliliter Bocksbaschen , today other bottle shapes with this capacity are also used.

The production of a high quality product is complex; the production volume averages less than 200 hectoliters per year, but is subject to very strong fluctuations and in some years, such as 1995/96, can be almost entirely eliminated. That is why a good Greco di Bianco is expensive and difficult to find outside of Italy.

Location, soil and climate

A half-liter bottle of Greco di Bianco

The DOC lies within the municipal boundaries of the small Calabrian coastal town of Bianco. It extends along the northwest coast of the Ionian Sea and extends a few kilometers into the hinterland, where the area of ​​the western neighboring municipality of Casignana is reached, which is also partly part of the cultivation area. The area is hilly with elevations up to 200 meters. Most of the vineyards are located on slopes that drop in southern directions. The Pliocene sediments, which rest on the crystalline bottom, have formed barren, nutrient-poor, sandy clay and marl soils that have a certain water holding capacity.

The climate is extremely hot in summer with little or no rainfall between May and September. Despite the somewhat balancing effect of the nearby sea, daytime temperatures above 30 ° C are common during this time. In the late autumn and winter months, the soil is sufficiently moistened for budding, but the vines suffer from heat and water stress, although they are very well adapted to these climatic conditions. Drip irrigation is allowed but is rarely practiced. The complete absence of rainfalls during the growing season can lead to serious crop failures.

Wine characteristics

A Greco di Bianco must consist of at least 95% of the Greco Bianco (di Gerace) grape variety . Most of the time, the wine is made from a single variety, if not, blends come from different white grapes approved in Calabria, the main task of which is to provide the necessary acidity. The grapes, harvested very late, are dried on straw mats for a few weeks, then destemmed and gently pressed. The slow, cooled fermentation ideally breaks off by itself or is stopped when the wine has reached around 14-15 percent alcohol by volume. At this point there is usually enough residual sugar left to give the wine a sweet, but not obtrusively sweetish basic taste. According to the regulations, the residual sugar content must be at least 3% potential alcohol (= around 50 g / liter of sugar) with a total acidity of at least 6 g / liter. Simple products mature in chestnut barrels for at least one year, wines from special locations and / or vintages correspondingly longer. A Greco di Bianco can be marketed in November of the year following the harvest at the earliest.

Depending on the age, a Greco di Bianco has a bright golden yellow color that gradually changes into a slightly reddish copper tone. Older wines lose some of their sweetness. They are no longer actually dessert wines, but rather wines that are drunk on their own in a quiet hour. In Italy this type of wine, which cannot be precisely defined, is called Vino da meditazione . Carefully vinified products have an intense orange scent and aromas of citrus fruits, especially bergamot , later more like dried apricots and candied fruits. A successful Greco di Bianco reaches its best drinking maturity after about five years, but can be stored for another 10-20 years or longer without any significant loss of quality. Young wines should be drunk quite cold, at around 10 ° Celsius, older wines can possibly be served at a slightly lower temperature.

Web links

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Robinson Wine Grapes… (2015) Keyword: Malvasia di Lipari
  2. ↑ Robinson Wine Grapes… (2015) Keyword: Malvasia di Lipari
  3. ↑ a b c d Disciplinare di Produzione (production regulations and description). (PDF) wineacts.it, accessed on July 12, 2020 (Italian, I vini italiani a Dop ea Igp).
  4. ↑ Viticulture in figures 2017. (PDF) In: VQPRD d'Italia 2017. federdoc.com, accessed on June 12, 2018 (Italian).
  5. ^ Vino italiano ~ Calabria / Vini dolci
  6. ↑ Bastianich describes the wine in the following words: It's one of those rare birds in the world of wine, yet another in a long line of exotic species nearing extinction in the hills of Italy. Vino Italiano ~ Calabria / Vini dolci