Santa Margherita

What we find in our wineglass is just grape juice that has been transformed by fermentation, cellar work and time. As we have already said, no technology is capable of changing mediocre grapes into a great wine, so it is the quality of the fruit which holds the key to the production of great bottles of wine. The choice of variety best suited to a geographical and environmental context is therefore fundamental. This is a difficult choice for the vine-grower, who also has to take account of market trends and try to anticipate them (because a new vineyard does not start to produce grapes suitable for quality wine until its third year).
It is important to choose the right clone as well as an appropriate training system, and to carry out all vineyard operations in accordance with the type of wines you are seeking to produce. The case of Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) illustrates the different elements which are necessary for high-quality vine-growing. This vine, which has black grapes, is one of the most important for Champagne and many sparkling wines produced by the classic method. However, it is also the vine which produces some of the best red wines in the world (those of Burgundy, for example, but many Italian wines as well). In the case of the sparkling wines the skins of the grapes (which are responsible for the color of the wine) are removed before winemaking, whereas for the red wines they are left in. The clones are not the same, though: there are varieties of Pinot Noir which are particularly good for sparkling wines, while others are ideal for producing great red wines. In the first case the bunches of grapes are larger, with bigger grapes. In the second case it is the reverse: the bunches are smaller and the grapes are smaller too, with a better pulp/skin ratio. It is in fact the skins that provide most of the phenolic substances which are so important for red wines.
The training systems and the operations carried out in the vineyard are different too. If the vine is destined for producing sparkling wine, production can be higher and the vines are grown in such a way as to allow this. In order to produce great red wines, on the other hand, the vines must be tended so as to produce low yields and try to concentrate the nutrients in a smaller number of bunches. In its growth cycle the vine transfers a certain number of substances to its fruit. Therefore, by reducing the number of bunches, the grapes will be richer.
Using the “wrong” clone has a radical effect on the finished product. If, for example, Pinot Noir grapes destined for sparkling wine are made into red wine by leaving the skins in, the wines will be lacking in structure, have little color, few tannins and high acidity. On the other hand, if Pinot Noir grapes destined for making red wine are vinified without the skins, they will give a base wine (for sparkling wine) that will lack acidity, a key element in sparkling wines.
Our example is valid wherever vines are grown: for each type of wine there are suitable clones and suitable ways of growing them. The most important thing is to decide what type of wine is to be made from each vineyard and pursue that particular style. The aim in the cellar, then, is to “not ruin” the raw material that nature has produced.