A History of Italian Grapes in California
•
0 likes•43 views
Italian grape varieties have a long history in American viticulture dating back to the early 1600s. While Mission grapes dominated early California wine production in the 1800s, Italian immigrants in the late 1800s helped establish vineyards of Italian varieties like Sangiovese, Barbera, and Nebbiolo in areas like Napa and Sonoma. Prohibition devastated the California wine industry but after World War 2 and the work of pioneers like Andre Tchelistcheff, Italian varieties regained prominence with varieties like Sangiovese and Barbera being widely planted from the 1970s onward. Today, once obscure Italian grapes are seeing renewed interest in California as varieties are matched to sites and winemakers explore the potential of these heritage
Recommended
More Related Content
What's hot
What's hot (10)
Similar to A History of Italian Grapes in California
Similar to A History of Italian Grapes in California (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
A History of Italian Grapes in California
- 1. A History of ItalianGrapes in California By Pietro Buttitta Prima Materia Vineyard & Winery info@prima-materia.com
- 2. Prima Materia • Kelsey Bench AVA – Lake County • 12 acres – Dolcetto, Primitivo, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Barbera, Negroamaro, Refosco, Aglianico, Sagrantino 1998- 2012 • 1,450’, volcanic soils between the Mayacamas and Mt. Konocti volcano • Similar to Calistoga 2
- 5. Pre-GoldRush • In 1609 Italianviticulturists > Virginia • 1619-24 Virginians planted10 grapevines • 1770 Turnbull in Florida • Jefferson, Mazzei and Monticello • 1764 Antillplants Italianin NewJersey • 1825 SouthCarolina wants Italians too! • In California:Mission Mission, Mission
- 6. Imagine California in the 1800’s • L.A. wine industry in the 1830’s, plus no tax on vineyard land. Lots of Mission though… • Gold Rush and after, production in the south and commerce in the north, 1850’s for Napa • 1860 -70 NorCal production begins + better vines. Haraszthy, Krug, Crabb, Hilgard/UC Davis = economic investment, railway • 1880 Economic upswing, Italian Swiss, immigrant labor, transportation,
- 7. Sangiovese • Undergoing a rebirth in later 1800’s, only recently a star with Tignanelloand the Cal-Ital •A difficult grape that could not possibly dominate the market •200 California acres in 1991, 2,000 in 2010 •ISC, Seghesio, Haraszthy were the pioneers
- 8. Key Figuresin 1880-90 • Eugene Hilgard and the UC 1881-95 • Charles Wetmore – State Viticulture/Cresta Blanca • John Doyle in Menlo Park
- 9. Key Issues in 1880-90 • Phylloxera and Pierce’s Disease • Continual boom/bust cycles • Crazed white people prohibiting things (15-year olds could drink) • CWA versus CWMC • ½ m. Italiansemigrated by 1900 and the fragmentation – Dry Creek, Amador, L.A., but 2m. would soon follow • San Francisco continues to grow
- 10. Barbera • Unique attributes – low tannin,good acid + body, oak, blendable, adaptable • In 1919 – 5,000 acres 1968 – 1,214 acres 1980 – 20,000 acres 2010 – 6,800 acres • Bologna in Piedmont gave it a second life and newfound respect • Full ML Bologna &Giacosa 1980
- 11. 1900 - Prohibition • ISC continues but quality drops and Central Valley land • Increasing commoditization of wine, lots of immigration • Guasti and ItalianVineyard Co. 492, 5,000 acres • Sweet wines edging up • The red or white mentality plus global instabilitystarted to addup
- 12. CWA wholesale offerings in 1908 wines of type rather than varietal designate 12
- 13. Nebbiolo • The realheartbreak grape •Pedigreed by1890, but alwaysconfusing consumers •Never recommended for planting by agriculturalauthorities, but an enticing grape • Krug “Spanna” in 1870, ISC, Doyle •An eternal oddity with true devotees
- 14. After Prohibition - 1970 • Few ”fine wine” vineyards remain, and a different industry emerges • A few oddities: Louis Martini 1954 Barbera, Seghesio Sangio survives, Sebastiani 1936 Barbera • The wine (and food world) start to wake up • 70 acres Nebbiolo planted in Tulare, then ripped out…
- 15. 1940 - 1960 • Tchelistcheff and BV, barrels and Bordeauxization • The irony of Gallo, Cribari, Roma, Gambarelli, DaVito and consolidation • In 1952 Mission was still the 4th most planted grape, and Palomino was king white • Wine Advisory Board: Burgundy and Claret, Chablis and Rhine • Writer and Almaden marketer Schoonmaker pushes for varietal labels, and Mondavi runs with it 15
- 16. The Modern Period • Wine becomes sexy and publishable • European travel, Tuscanization • UC Davis continues Bordeauxization • The Judgement of Paris • In 1967 table wine overtakes sweet wines and Gallo plants Barbera • Planting experiments take hold again • Food continues a revolution with trickle-down effects 16
- 17. Refosco • Where didit go? • Was one of Hilgard’s highly recommended grapes • To Kalonvineyard was Refosco ground zero • The Mondeuse debacle • BeaulieuBurgundy
- 18. 1970 - 1990 • The Darrell Corti effect + ABC - Montevina in 1971 (Sang, Neb, Barbera) + Cooper - Pepi Sangiovese clones 1983, Barbera FPS as well - Gallo 1970s plantings of Barbera in Central Valley - Barboursville Barbera 1976, plus a few others - 1980 Caparone Neb, ‘82 Sangio, Aglianico’88 - Neb planted in early 1980s in SantaBarbara - Vino Nocetto starts in 1987, but bigger problems in wait lie…
- 19. 1990’s • Long-staining failure: Antinori, Mondavi, et al tarnish “Cal-Ital” for decades • Seghesio releases first Sangiovese in ‘98, Barbera in ‘99 and plants Aglianico same year • Benessere Sangiovese • Fox Hill starts planting + producing • We plant Dolcetto, Barbera & Primitivo • Vare grafts Ribolla 1999 • Various Central coast experiments going in + Louis Martin 19
- 20. Aglianico • Conspicuously absent with so many Southern Italiansemigrating • In fertile warm spots it can rival Napa Cabernet without the pyrazine element • Botrytis resistant, drought tolerant, not too vigorous – the perfect serious heavy red grape?
- 21. Back to the Italian future… Grapes we should be seeing more of • Fiano - heat loving powerful and age-worthy whites • Falanghina + Greco as well • Montepulciano - heat loving earthiness with good productivity • Sagrantino - Umbrian native • Dry Muscats! 21
- 22. A brief bibliography American Vintage - Paul Lukacs A History of American Wine 1 & 2 - Thomas Pinney Curse of the Blue Nun - Mike Veseth A Companion to California Wine - Charles L. Sullivan Soft Soil, Black Grapes - Simone Cinotto Wine Heritage - Dick Rosano Native Wine Grapes of Italy – Ian D’Agata 22
Editor's Notes
- Brought in by Agoston Haraszthy as San Giovetta but nothing came of it. ISC imports was separate in late 1880s. Seghesio is the direct heir with little else reported, some vines date 1910. During Prohibition most was pulled up or grafted. They replanted in 1927 with repeal coming and the vines lasted until 1984. Bits trickled in and Caparone’s 1986 “Brunello” was the first varietal label, taken from Montevina cuttings in 1982 that were brought by a Classico grower from Castello di Rampolla which were from Il Poggione. The players then became Atlas Peak and Pepi and Vino Noceto. 1989 was the big Napa year, and many planted then gave up. They were cashing in. Now 200 acres in Washington. Remember, it was only in 1970 that Tignanello left out Trebbiano in Chianti and ushered in the modern age, 1975 it made it mainstream to NOT use whites, before it was largely mandated. Up to 30% white was allowed in some areas.
- John T. Doyle in Cupertino in 1879 hired a Piemontese vineyard manager (Giovanni Beltramo) who brought budwood and grafted over Zin to Barbera - so 1884 was first vintage. 3 years later he grafted two Nebbiolo clones as well. Shortly after it was planted by ISC as well. Plantings were erratic anad not listed on acreage until 1968. Genetically it may have Mourvedre links, DNA is very inconclusive and it may be more closely related to sylvestris.
- Jefferson. Possibly brought to Colorado in 1880 as well. Charles Krug won a medal around same time for a “Spanna”. Freisa was known and liked to some extent in late 1800s (grignolino). Brought by John T. Doyle in 1882. It was propagated at the Amador station by Hilgard, probably Michet. By 1885 the Cupertino vineyard was shipping fruit to Hilgard for testing. By late 1890s Crabb, and Italian Swiss “Barolo” had won awards. Little was heard after 1900 then a bit after Prohibition. -ex wife story with Frank -
- Tchelistcheff was a great sharer and community builder, working with Davis and everyone around him
- Several colonies in SoCal including Anaheim and San Gabriel Wine Co., but they fell. Harszthy - Buena Vista in 1856, in 1858 was first wine treatise in California. Jean-Louis Vigne imports BDX varietals to SoCal in 1830, no luck. Generally the Germans dominate this art though Italians have the biggest success.