• Source: Freisa

Freisa is a red Italian wine grape variety grown in the Piedmont region of north-west Italy, primarily in Monferrato and in the Langhe, but also further north in the provinces of Turin and Biella. Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early October. The three-lobed leaves are relatively small and the bunches are elongated in form. By the 1880s it had become one of the major Piedmontese grapes, and in that period its cultivation was stimulated by the vine's resistance to the downy mildew caused by the Plasmopara viticola fungus. Wines made from the Freisa grape are red and usually somewhat sweet and lightly sparkling, or foaming. Still and fully sparkling versions are also produced, however, as are dry and more decidedly sweet styles. In the Canavese there is also a rosé which can be made primarily from Freisa according to Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regulations.




History


Plantings of Freisa in the Piedmont region date back to at least the 18th century and ampelographers believe that the grape likely originated there in the hills between Asti and Turin. Recent DNA profiling by the University of California, Davis revealed that Freisa has a parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo. There are two major clonal varieties of Freisa-a small-berried clone known as Freisa Piccolo which is more widely planted and a larger berry Freisa Grossa or Freisa di Nizza that tends to be planted on flatter, fertile terrain and produced less distinguished wine. Freisa di Chieri is potentially its own sub-variety of Freisa Piccolo grown in the Chieri region and distinguished by its own DOC. It creates a very perfumed, deep coloured and tannic wine.




= Relationship to other grapes

=
Through its parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo, Freisa is a half-sibling of several Piemontese wine grape varieties including: Vespolina, Brugnola, Bubbierasco, Nebbiolo rosé, Negretta, Neretto di Bairo and Rossola nera.




Viticulture


Freisa is a vigorous and productive vine whose round, blue-black grapes are harvested in early October. The three-lobed leaves are relatively small and the bunches are elongated in form. The vine is highly resistant to peronospora but has some susceptibility to oidium. It grows best in well-exposed, sunny sites on hillsides.




Wines


Similar to Nebbiolo, Freisa produces wines with considerable tannins and acidity. While it can be used in blends, it is most often encountered as a varietal. Traditionally Freisa was produced as a slightly sparkling wine with some noticeable sweetness. To balance the bitterness from the grape and ageing on its lees, the wines would be made with a small amount of residual sugar and allowed to go through a secondary fermentation to create a limited amount of frothiness. This bitter/sweet dynamic has brought Freisa its share of fans and critics with wine experts such Hugh Johnson describing the wine as being "immensely appetizing" to Robert M. Parker, Jr. describing Freisa as producing "totally repugnant wines".
Modern winemaking technology has introduced techniques to minimize some of the bitter tannins and ferment the wine fully dry. These include temperature control fermentation vessels and ageing in oak barrels. Like Nebbiolo, Freisa produces a relatively light-coloured wine but with more distinctive purple hues. The wines are often characterized with strawberry, raspberry and violet aromas.




= Freisa Nebbiolata

=
Freisa Nebbiolata is a specialty wine of the Piedmont region made in a ripasso style. In this style, the Fresia must is fermented with leftover Nebbiolo skins from the production of Barolo. This creates a highly tannic wine with the potential for complex flavours.




Wine regions


Freisa is seen rarely outside of its Piedmont homeland, though there are a few hundred acres of the vine planted in Argentina carried over to South America by Italian immigrants. Even within Piedmont, its acreage is declining. It is most commonly found in the Asti, Langhe, Monferrato and Pinerolese regions.




= List of DOC wines employing the Freisa grape

=
100% Freisa:

in the province of Asti
Freisa d'Asti
Freisa d'Asti superiore
in the province of Cuneo
Langhe Freisa
Langhe Freisa Vigna
in the province of Turin
Freisa di Chieri amabile
Freisa di Chieri frizzante
Freisa di Chieri secco
Freisa di Chieri spumante
Freisa di Chieri superiore
85%–100% Freisa:

In the provinces of Asti and Alessandria
Monferrato Freisa
Monferrato Freisa novello
Monferrato rosso
In the provinces of Cuneo and Turin
Pineronese Freisa
Wines which may be made primarily from Freisa (at least 60%), or from which it may be absent:

In the provinces of Biella and Turin
Canavese rosato
Canavese rosso
Other wines which may include smaller percentages of Freisa:

In the province of Asti
Albugnano rosato (0%–15% Freisa)
Albugnano rosso (0%–15% Freisa)
Albugnano superiore (0%–15% Freisa)
Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco, in still and spumante versions (0%–15% Freisa)
Grignolino d'Asti (0%–10% Freisa)
In the province of Alessandria
Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese (0%–10% Freisa)




Synonyms


Synonyms for Freisa include Monferrina, Monfreisa, Fessietta, Freisa di Chieri, Fresa, and Spannina.




References






External links


Unione produttori vini albesi :: Fresia (in English)
it:Freisa d'Asti (in Italian), from the Italian Wikipedia
it:Categoria:Vini DOC e DOCG prodotti con uva Freisa (in Italian)
www.enotime.it/zoom :: Il Freisa (in Italian)

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Daftar varietas anggur
• Freisa
• Langhe
• Piedmont
• Barbera d'Asti
• Viognier
• Nebbiolo
• Fresa
• List of grape varieties
• Asti
• Montferrat