WINE NEWS /
Groppello di Revò officially recognized
The City Council of Trento has formerly approved
Groppello di Revò as an "authorized" Trentino-Alto
Adige grape varietal. The authorization follows the varietal's
approval for inclusion in the registry of Italian grape varietals
by Italy's National Agricultural committee.
Groppello di Revò has been cultivated in Trentino-Alto
Adige since the 16th century. By the time of the Austro-Hungarian
Empire (which ruled Trentino-Alto Adige from the fall of Napoleon
in 1814-15 until Italy's unification in 1860), Groppello di Revò
was considered one of the region's most prized varietals, producing
a noble wine.
The new authorization of the grape as an indigenous
varietal is important because it will allow winemakers to produce,
label, and sell the wine legally. The grape had not been recognized
by Italy's appellation laws because the term Groppello also denotes
a varietal commonly found in the Veneto, Lombardy, and even Tuscany
(often referred to as Groppello Gentile).
Groppello di Revò grows in dense bunches (hence
the name, groppello, "a tangled bunch"; Revò
is the name of the township where it is primarily cultivated) and
its vines are known to live for up to 100 years. It produces a ruby-red
wine with notes of wild berries, herbs, and spices. The warm days
but cool evenings of Trentino-Alto Adige help winemakers to achieve
an elegant balance in the wine.
The authorization marks a victory for the Amici del
Groppello (Friends of Groppello) and Assocazione per la tutela del
Groppello (Association for the Cultivation and Protection of Groppello)
who have lobbied for over two decades for its inclusion in the official
register of Italian varietals. Winemakers hope that its commercialization
will help to boost international sales of the region's wines.
Related wines and links: Trentino-Alto
Adige
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