Ticino (wine region)
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| Official name: |
Ticino |
|---|---|
| Appellation type: |
DOC (AOC) |
| Year established: |
since the roman era |
| Years of wine industry: |
VITI:since 1948; DOC: since 1997; |
| Part of: | Swiss wines |
| Precipitation in growing season: |
1500-2200 mm |
| Size of planted vineyards: |
1,040 ha |
| No. of vineyards: | 3,869 |
| Grapes produced: | 6'816'620 Kg |
| varietals produced: |
Merlot (and Bondola) |
| No. of wineries: | 264 |
| Official designation(s): |
VITI |
| Comments: | All data as of 2005 |
The Wine region of Ticino produces mainly Merlot wines, from the canton Ticino and district of Moesa (Misox and Calanca valleys) in the canton of the Grisons. The top quality wines have the appellation del Ticino DOC, ticinese DOC, and the wines in the medium category use della Svizzera Italiana.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Until 1906
It seems that grapes and wines was produced in the roman era, as shown in a sculpture on a roman tomb found in Stabio.
Until 18th century the grapes were grown as secondary product, in extensive vineyards, and they produces light wines. (Sharecropping)
[edit] The 20th century: the Merlot era
Because of new grapes diseases (i.e. the phylloxera), the canton government decided to give new direction to the wine industry: they instituted the cattedra itinerante (moving chair) to teach the modern viticulture and winemaking methods, and to substitute the local grapes with new high value grapes. In the 1906 the canton decided to seed and recommended Merlot as the main sort of grapes for the canton.
An other changes was the operation of the rail tracks of Gotthardbahn, which increased the commerce between Italy and the swiss German (and also German) market. This commerce has created new wineries, which mainly started with commerce and bottling of Italian wines, but then tei switched the focus on production of local wines.
On Sopraceneri there is still some vineyards and wine produced with Bondola, the last local grape.
[edit] late 20th century and 21th century
In the late 20th century the wineries looked for quality wines, and also because of new world wines, the demand of Merlot wine increased. So started a gold era of wines of Ticino. Unfortunately in the first years of 2000s it was noticed that there was a overproduction, so now the TicinoWine (association of winery in Ticino) tryis to retarget, and to find new markets for the local wine.
[edit] Appellation and classification
In Ticino the grapes and wines are classified in three categories:
[edit] First category: Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC)
These are the best wines, the production is limited to 1.0 kg/m2 for red grapes and 1.2 kb/m2 for white grapes. The appellation is Denominazione di Origine Controllata, normally Ticino DOC or Ticinese DOC and eventually with other geographic denomination. The wine can be make with merlot, Bondola, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Carminoir, Gamaret, Garanoir, Diolinoir and Ancellotta for the red grapes; and Chasselas, Chardonnay, Doral, Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Kerner and Riesling x Sylvaner.
[edit] Second category: vino da tavola o nostrano
The have the denomination Vino da tavola bianco/rosso or nostrano svizzero or della svizzera italiana
[edit] Third category
The third denomination is simply Vino rosso or Vino bianco, without geographic denomination, year and grapes.
[edit] VITI
The VITI label was introduced before the appellation, to distinguish the better wines. Now only wines of first category (DOC) can use the VITI label, but of the redundancy it is not more widely used.
