Sometimes more obscure grapes just aren’t in the right spots in Europe. Then, one thing we’re seeing in Italy and elsewhere is people bringing back near extinct varieties and solving their issues with modern winemaking knowledge and equipment, making impressive wines. It can be as easy as not putting them in wood.
It’s hard to get the tannin level in California that some grapes get in Italy. Imagine Sagrantino where the tannin matches the fruit.
We made Teroldego for a few years until the vineyard got torn out. Elizabeta Foradori liked it. That’s a grape that should do well broadly. It’s a natural for the Santa Clara Valley foothills. Most people seem to pick it too late.
There’s a lot of good Fiano, so people grasp how the make that well. Later vintages of Heitz’ Grignolino red and rose were stunning, as was Unti’s Lacrima di Moro while it lasted. (They suitcased in diseased vines, which they’re lucky didnt spread. FPS has a clean version now.)
Our Sangiovese/Montepulcuano was a nice blend. There are other threads on this, but the Petrera Nera and Sicilian clone Grenache we had grafted at Sumu Kaw is fantastic. We just made one vintage before retiring. Then it went to natural wine for a few years. Madron̈a made a one-off blend and Grenache in '23, which i bought a bunch of. That was a favor to his sister, the grower. Someone undisclosed bought the fruit in '24 and '25, so i hope they do it justice. In a perfect world plantings of that would’ve expanded and it’d have a buzz. Maybe the '23s with a little bottle age will do that.
Thanks Wes, that’s very interesting and hope there will be more traction with slightly more progressive Italian restaurants. Tasting two wines each side by side for a few dishes would be special.
Whenever I hear about obscure or less focused on varieties I have Ian D’Agata in my head about giving them a chance to prove what they can do.
I really like her wines and cannot recall tasting Teraldego from anyone else, but that’s a great praise.
I was the person who showed the Harrington Teroldego to Elisabetta on one of my visits with her. She tried it w/ a respectful nod, commented “that’s pretty good… but not as good as mine”!!
I think it was much better than she expected… though certainly not at the level of her Granato.
Tom
Yeah… so do I. But his legacy lives on in a bunch of the grape varieties he brought into the US. He showed quite a passion for accumulating these varieties. And searching out unusual areas to grow them. I expect he would have made a pretty boring Napa Cab.
