Dolcetto variety
A grape for a simple and fruity wine
Native vine from Southern Piedmont, Dolcetto is characterized by sweet fruits that give a dry, fresh and easydrinking wine.
Depending on the area and on the vinification, it can also be strong and full-bodied, even suitable for a medium-long wooden refining.
The vine normally produces a large number of clusters, so the winemakers tend to cut them off to increase ripeness and quality of the left ones.
This variety fears the rain near harvest-time and requires a lot of care to ensure a good result.
In autumn its leaves turn to a red-orange colour that fills the hills with warm tones.
The history
In the past, this grape variety obtained good recognition, arriving even on French tables of King Louis XIV, thanks to the diplomacy of the Savoy.
It is the first red grape variety that is harvested, and this feature has definitely contributed to its spread throughout the South of Piedmont.
However, towards the end of 1800, it was abandoned in order to give more space to the cultivation of the Moscato grape, especially in the Asti area and the Belbo Valley.