Ticino (wine region)
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| Ticino (Wine Region) | |
| 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 (annual average) | 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) | DOC, VITI |
| Comments | All data as of 2005 |
The wine region of Ticino started producing wine in the roman era, but only after 1906, with the introduction of Merlot, it began to produce quality wine. Geographically the wine region is located in south of Switzerland, and include the canton Ticino and district of Moesa (Misox and Calanca valleys) in the canton of the Grisons. The terroir varies, from acid soil in northern part, to limestone in the southern part.
The top quality wines have the appellation del Ticino DOC, ticinese DOC, sometime linked with a VITI label, and the wines in the medium category use della Svizzera Italiana or nostrano.
Contents |
[edit] History
[edit] Until 1906
The first traces of grapes in Ticino are some pollens in sediments, starting from the neolithic. Probably notable diffusion of grapes by humans dates from late bronze age to the entire iron age, and they grapes was located probably near the lakes.[1] At the beginning of the roman era there already a substantial cultivation of grapes, and probably in this period started of production of wine, 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). The wine was made by some local varieties, which only Bondola survived. The wine was mainly red wines, but generally done mixing red varieties with some white varieties.
[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. After few year of studies and selections, in the 1906 the canton decided to seed and recommended Merlot as the main sort of grapes for the canton.
Another 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 they switched the focus on production of local wines.
On Sopraceneri, the local variety Bondola still survive in some vineyards and it is used also to produce some wine produced.
[edit] late 20th century and 21st 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 an overproduction, so now the TicinoWine (association of winery in Ticino) tries to target, 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 an explicit geographic denomination (but eventually Swiss or of Switzerland), year and grapes varieties.
[edit] VITI
The VITI label was introduced before the appellation, to distinguish the better wines. Now only wines of first category (DOC) are allowed to use the VITI label, but of the redundancy it is not more widely used on top quality wines.
[edit] Geography and terroir
The grapes are seeded on all district of Ticino. The soil varies, from acid soil in northern part, to limestone in the southern part, with some local geographical disturbs because of moraine, alluvium, etc. The region is very wet, but with few raining days and a lot of sunny days, so normally the vineyards are grassy, to limit the erosion.
[edit] See also
- History of Wine
- Italian wine
- Valtellina. Wine from Brusio in Valposchiavo are generally considered in that Italian wine region.
[edit] Notes and references
- ^ from palynology papers cited in: Ceschi, Ivo (2006). Il Bosco del Cantone Ticino, pp. 30-34. ISBN 88-8281-193-X.
[edit] Bibliography
- Christen, Alessandro (1995). Introduzione del vitigno Merlot nel Canton Ticino: una cronaca. (published also in German)
- (2006) Merlot del Ticino, 1906-2006. Salvioni Edizioni. ISBN 88-7967-134-0.
