YOU ARE HERE >>

Custom Search

Aosta Valley Native Vines – Second Part
Rosa D'Ancona – February 19, 2007

	Bonda
	Fumin
	Mayolet
	Petit Rouge
	Premetta

Native White Vines

Prié Blanc
This is the only white grape native of the region, and takes its name from the typically early ripening of the grapes. Cultivated in the vineyards of the High Aosta Valley, from La Salle to Morgex, this grapes produce an easy to drink, straw yellow colored wine with greenish highlights, strong fruity perfume, intense, dry and fresh to the palate.

Native Red Vines

Bonda
The first information about this vine, cultivated in just a few areas of the Aosta Valley, is from the early 1800s. Used mostly to add color to blends, its wine is purply-red in color with garnet highlights, light, though winey perfume, with moderate alcohol content.

Cornalin
Known locally also as Humagne Rouge, this vine arrived in the region toward the end of the 14th century. In addition to being used in some Vallée d'Aoste DOC blends, this grape has been awarded its own sub-denomination. The wine is purply-red in color with garnet highlights, with intense, spicy perfume, low acidity and slightly tannic.

Fumin
This native vine used to be typical of the Envers wine zone, and derives its name from the smoky notes that characterizes its wine (fumo = smoke, in Italian). The wine color is intense ruby red, with characteristic spicy scent, austere in the mouth, showing good acidity and rich body. The organoleptic qualities of the Fumin improve decidedly with ageing and refinement in the bottle, thus this is definitely a wine which mustn't be drunk young.

Mayolet
The first notes related to this vine date back to the 18th century. In addition as being part of sub-denomination blends of the DOC Vallée d'Aoste, the grape has been awarded a vine sub-denomination of its own as well. The wine is ruby red in color with garnet highlights, delicate, fine scent, good alcohol content, delicate flavor with bitterish aftertaste.

Petit Rouge (Little Red in French)
This variety is among the most cultivated in the central part of the Aosta Valley, from Saint-Vincent to Arvier. News about this vine go back to the 18th century, when it was grown in all the wine producing zones of the region, with the only exception of the Morgex and La Salle areas. The wine is ruby red in color, perfume of wild rose, characteristic, with velvety flavor and medium body.

Premetta
The first written information about this vine was penned by scholar Lorenzo Gatta, who pointed out its early ripening, the large size of its juicy grapes, whose color reminded of deep coral red.

Currently it is cultivated in a limited area between Aosta and Avise. The wine made from its grape is very characteristic. The color is deep pink with tendency toward orangey notes, the scent is fine, intense and characteristic, with lightly tannic flavor. Moderate ageing improves the complexity of the aroma and lowers its tannic notes.

Outstanding Producers of DOC Wines

Back to Top • First Part