Albarola
Encyclopedia
Albarola is a white Italian wine
grape variety grown in the northwest Italy
. It is most commonly found in the Liguria region where producers in the Cinqueterre Denominazione di origine controllata
(DOC) use it as a blending component. Wine expert Jancis Robinson
describes the wine made from Albarola as fairly "neutral" in profile. Outside of Liguria, the grape was historically grown in Sicily
but for most of the 20th century has been declining in plantings along with other ancient Sicilian varieties like Albanello, Damaschino, Minnella Bianca and Montonico Bianc.
region of Liguria
where the grape is commonly blended with other Ligurian varieties such as Bosco
and Vermentino
.
Under DOC regulations for Cinque Terre, Albarola destined for this wine must be harvested to a yield
no greater than 9 tonnes/hectare
and along with Vermentino can comprise of no more than 40% of the blend with Bosco needing to account for at least 60% of the wine. In the DOC wine of Colline di Levanto, Albarola can be harvested to a maximum yield of 11 tonnes/ha and comprise of anywhere from 20-55% of the blend.
Italian wine
Italian wine is wine produced in Italy, a country which is home to some of the oldest wine-producing regions in the world. Italy is the world's largest wine producer, responsible for approximately one-fifth of world wine production in 2005. Italian wine is exported largely around the world and has...
grape variety grown in the northwest Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. It is most commonly found in the Liguria region where producers in the Cinqueterre Denominazione di origine controllata
Denominazione di Origine Controllata
Denominazione di origine controllata is a quality assurance label for food products, especially wines and various formaggi . It is modelled after the French AOC...
(DOC) use it as a blending component. Wine expert Jancis Robinson
Jancis Robinson
Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, MW is a British wine critic, journalist and editor of wine literature. She currently writes a weekly column for the Financial Times, and writes for her website jancisrobinson.com...
describes the wine made from Albarola as fairly "neutral" in profile. Outside of Liguria, the grape was historically grown in Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
but for most of the 20th century has been declining in plantings along with other ancient Sicilian varieties like Albanello, Damaschino, Minnella Bianca and Montonico Bianc.
Wine regions
Most of the plantings of Albarola today are found in the Cinqueterre and La SpeziaLa Spezia
La Spezia , at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the Liguria region of northern Italy, is the capital city of the province of La Spezia. Located between Genoa and Pisa on the Ligurian Sea, it is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours and hosts one of Italy's biggest military...
region of Liguria
Liguria
Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...
where the grape is commonly blended with other Ligurian varieties such as Bosco
Bosco (grape)
Bosco is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown predominately in the Liguria region of northwest Italy. It is a permitted variety in the Denominazione di origine controllata wine of Cinque Terre where it is often the primary component of the blend...
and Vermentino
Vermentino
Vermentino is a late-ripening white grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in Sardinia, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark...
.
Under DOC regulations for Cinque Terre, Albarola destined for this wine must be harvested to a yield
Yield (wine)
In viticulture, the yield is a measure of the amount of grapes or wine that is produced per unit surface of vineyard, and is therefore a type of crop yield...
no greater than 9 tonnes/hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
and along with Vermentino can comprise of no more than 40% of the blend with Bosco needing to account for at least 60% of the wine. In the DOC wine of Colline di Levanto, Albarola can be harvested to a maximum yield of 11 tonnes/ha and comprise of anywhere from 20-55% of the blend.