The province of Alessandria in the Piemont region stretches over a very wide area, and includes five different winegrowing regions: the Acquese, the Ovadese, the Gaviese, the Tortonese and the Casalese, derived from the names of the main towns in each region: Acqui Terme, Ovada, Gavi, Tortona and Casale Monferrato. They represent the most easterly part of the southern Piemont (from the Langhe to Tortona, it is defined in geological terms as the Bacino Terziario Piemontese, this was a broad gulf, filled with water in the Oligocene age). This province produces a remarkable number of high-quality wines, and particularly a wide range of different styles of quality wines, it sets itself apart from other regions in terms of this considerable viticultural biodiversity.


 
In this article we are going to discuss mainly one specific red variety: Grignolino, which is close to the hearts of the people in the Monferrato Casalese (DOC Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese). Only headstrong folk such as those living here could shelter this wine and protect it from the trends of international tastes, to the extent that it seeks to gain the public’s approval with statements such as the following: „(…) The 1997 Merlot might be called liquified Viagra. An incredibly sexy nose of smoke, black fruits, cappuccino, and toasty wood is followed by an expansive, terrifically concentrated wine with a sumptuous texture, no hard edges, beautifully integrated acidity and tannin, and a long, 35 second finish. (...) this stunningly aromatic, multi-dimensional wine.” So this is the liquid Viagra of the Nineties, or perhaps the Nutella wine, with a deep colour, full-bodied, and right up Robert Parker’s alley, the author of the above quote. Statements such as these could have ruined Grignolino, yet that has not happened. There is resistance building on the right bank of the Tanaro river, on the soils that grow Grignolino. The main players are the producers that have written the recent history of this wine, such as Bricco Mondalino dei Gaudio in Vignale, Vicara with Domenico Ravizza in Rosignano, Carnevale in Cerro Tanaro, and several others.

Werbung:

As recently as the Nineteen-seventies, very little Grignolino was bottled in its region of origin; the grapes or the bulk wines were generally sold to renowned bottlers in the Alba region, such as Fontanafredda and Marchesi di Barolo. These managed to achieve good sales of Grignolino, mainly in the Torino region. However, now a sense of identity for the own terroir in Monferrato is slowly developing, and one can see step by step how much potential for growth there is in this wonderful and highly suitable territory.


Mehr Sein als Schein

A bunch of ripe Grignolino grapes

A very cocksure Belgian journalist once condescendingly described Grignolino as follows: it has no colour, it has no nose and it has no taste. Totally wrong. The colour of a wine can often lead to certain expectations being raised, that are then often taken over by the other senses. That can be deceptive in the case of the Grignolino. Superficially, a taster will note a relatively light colour, and will come to the conclusion that the wine is likely to be thin and lean. The fact that Grignolino is a wine that will not be to everybody’s liking is a different matter entirely, but one should at least approach it without any prejudices.

A good Grignolino will show a light ruby colour, with no violet tinges. The fruit reminds one mainly of ripe grapes. It is often not easy to discover any typical Piemontese character on the nose or palate at first acquaintance: you should taste i tat least two or three times, as the delicate red colour in combination with high tannin levels as well as with very dry, spicy impressions can be confusing initially. On the nose you can smell raspberries and rosehip, white pepper and cloves, and overall you can detect a „wild” note, more reminiscent of forest plants than of cultivated plants. There is a good reason why Veronelli has defined this wine as being anarchic.

The high tannin levels of Grignolino are brought about by the small berries of the variety, which contain little pulp but lots of sees - as many as five - which give off their tannins during fermentation. In order to obtain softer wines, some producers separate at least some of the grape seeds from the must during alcoholic fermentation. However, the seeds also supply some of the spicy notes that make up part of the typical character of this wine. The tannin-dominated finish of these wines is often more persistent than that of the more muscular Barbera wines produced on the same land.

A vineyard after it has been pruned

Some texts refer to Grignolino as being a low-alcohol wine. This dates back to times when lesser clones were planted, and grapes did not ripen fully, nor produce high quality wines. Today the best Grignolino wines, particularly those grown on marl soils with clay and limestone, have an alcohol content of thirteen per cent and more, depending on the vintage and residual sugar content.


In the vineyard

Grignolino is a vine that grows very vigorously. It has large saw-toothed leaves that turn yellow rather than red in autumn, as is usual for white varieties, thus also indicating the low level of red pigments found. The variety is not suited for very fertile soils. In case of overproduction, the grapes will not ripen fully, and will remain partly pink in colour, or even green. In addition, the compact bunches will then be more susceptible to grey rot. The fruit must be at least partly exposed to the sun, otherwise it will not take on the right colour; however too strong exposure to the sun, particularly in warm vintages, will cause sunburn on the berries, and will cause these to dry out. Grignolino thus requires meticulous care and handling, which starts with the selection of the best site and of the optimum rootstock, and goes right through to the winemaking process.


The ”two Grignolinos”

There are two DOCs for Grignolino, namely Grignolino d’Asti and Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese. The common opinion in the region, based on the total growing area of no more than 1.000 hectares, is that this is one DOC too many. However, local patriotism precludes any common arrangement being found, indeed, there are even two opinions as to the origin of the grape variety: according to the Astigiani, it hails from Portacomaro, a suburb of Migliandolo; according to the Monferrini the origin is to be found in Rosignano or Olivola. In any case, we are talking about zones that are not far apart, only around twenty kilometres as the crow flies, and both are located on the left bank of the Tanaro river. However, the composition of the soils does differ in the two areas. The Grignolino d’Asti grows, at least in part, on young, sandy soils, whereas the Monferrato Casalese has marl soils with a high content of clay, all on a substrate of rock, known as „Pietra da Cantoni”, a very light-coloured and not very compact marl sediment stone that in the past was used in building.'

Grignolino grapes after being picked

Grignolino wine produced from grapes grown on sandy soils is light, elegant, aromatic and can be drunk early. Grignolino from the Casalese region is more full-bodied and tannic, ”wilder” in its youth and has a longer maturation potential. The best Grignolino wines are at their peak in their second year, they are still very good in their third year, and even after that may provide positive surprises.


Food pairings

Grignolino is a typical food wine, and should best be enjoyed with a meal. It goes well with many different dishes, such as risotto, ravioli, soups made from pulses or light meat. It is also an excellent match for some spicy fish dishes, such as deep-fried sardines or anchovies. Perhaps the best combination of all is with cooked salami (salame cotto), a typical, rather fatty and highly spiced sausage from the Piemont region, served with crisp Monferrina bread.

We recommend you try out all sorts of combinations yourself, perhaps combined with a walk between the wine estates in summer. This is an event organised by the Slow Food organisation in partnership with the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato, it always takes place in June under the title of ”Grignolino in Grignolino”. The families of the wine producers do the cooking, and all are welcome, be they Grignolino cognoscenti or novices.


The ”Temple of Grignolino”

The ”Temple of Grignolino”

Without a doubt, the ”Temple of Grignolino” is the Enoteca Regionale del Monferrato in Vignale in the Callori palace, which dates from the 18th century. The building was the home of the dukes of Callori from Vignale, and was acquired by the Piemont region in 1977. Grignolino wines can be tasted in the historic wine cellar, and can obtain information on the mostly smaller and less well-known producers. Wines may only be exhibited here if they have passed the strict controls of the tasting commission.


Die DOCs

Both the Grignolino d’Asti and the Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese may be fermented with an addition of a maximum of 10 % Freisa grapes (this must be as a result of a vineyard blend, the grapes must be picked simultaneously), the main aim of this is to improve the colour. However, most of the well-known producers tend to produce it as a pure varietal, to preserve and underline its original character.

Translated by Katrin Walter/Peter Gebler