The Italian language has a rich tradition of nicknames. Not just for people, to help distinguish one Giovanni from another–but for animals, places, and plants, including grapes.
The names of some grape varieties reach back to Roman times, when viticulture was in its infancy. Farmers needed a way to differentiate grapes by their flavor, yield, habits, and uses. There were no almanacs, plants catalogs, or scientific names–only descriptive nicknames. Some very old epithets for Italian grapes are still commonly used today, such as Brunello (“little brown one”), Nebbiolo (“little foggy one”), and Dolcetto (“little sweet one”).
One of the absolute best genres of grape names are the ones named for their resemblance to or association with animals. Without further preamble, let’s meet some of the critter wines of Italy:
1. Coda di Volpe Bianca
Meaning: “Fox’s tail”
Don’t you love when you find a delicious, somewhat obscure variety? I saw a Coda di Volpe on the list at my local wine bar last week. My one semester of Italian studies was enough to tell me that “volpe” means fox–and foxes are the best animals–so I ordered it. I don’t know what I was expecting (orange wine, perhaps?) but I was rewarded with a white that was very foxy indeed: Plush, elusive, with complex citrus notes and a hint of almond.
Coda di Volpe hails from Campania, near Naples. It’s named for the distinctive shape of the grape bunches–long, tapered, and curved. There’s also a Coda di Cavallo (horse’s tail) and Coda di Pecora (sheep’s tail).
2. Corvina
Meaning: “Crow”
Corvina is Italian for “crow”–probably a reference to the thick, almost black skins that resemble a crow’s feathers. Corvinone, its cousin, is the “big crow.”
Though the skin of Corvina is dark as a raven, the wines don’t have to be. Like its namesake, Corvina is clever and adaptable. Corvina can produce light- and medium-red wines with low tannins, such as Valpolicella. It’s also the main grape in the ripe, raisiny and high-alcohol specialty Amarone.
Corvina has an etymological cousin in the Merlot grape, whose name probably comes from merle, the French word for blackbird. Merlot can be dark in color, like a blackbird. Or maybe it’s because blackbirds like to eat them. Either way, it’s a fun bit of trivia to bust out at your next potluck over a glass of Merlot.
3. Baratuciat
Means: “Cat’s testicles”
An oddball (sorry) Piemontese variety that in the local dialect refers to a tomcat. It may because of the shape of the grapes, which are large and pendulous. An alternative explanation comes from Master of Wine Jancis Robinson: Along with Sauvignon Blanc-like herbal notes and elderflower, wines made from Baratuciat can exhibit a characteristic “cat box” aroma.
While that might not sound very appetizing to most of us, this nearly extinct, acidic white grape has its fans. See: “You Should Be Drinking Obscure Piedmont Whites” at The New Wine Review.
4. Carica l’Asino
Means: “Load the donkey”
Another quirky local variety from Piedmont with a colorful name. Carica l’Asino could be rendered as “laden upon a donkey” or–if you prefer, “ass load.” This is supposed to be a reference to the slopes upon which it is traditionally grown. They are so steep that a sure-footed beast of burden is the only practical way to shuttle the harvested grapes from the hills to the wineries below.
Carica l’Asino is a late-ripening, fragrant variety that was almost completely wiped out by phylloxera. Manual harvesting and limited plantings keep yields very low. It’s known for its apricot and peach aromas, and it’s usually blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Cortese, and other higher-acid white varieties to create an appealing, early-drinking wine.
5. Fiano
Meaning: “Bee” (?)
Fiano is a very ancient variety from the warm coastal regions of southern Italy. Ampelographers (wine grape figure-outers) are a little hazy on this one. Fiano has been called Fiano for a long, long time, and nobody’s quite sure why.
The Romans were gaga over a white wine from modern-day Campania called Apianum, probably derived from apia (bee). Pliny, the first writer to describe grapes and wines in detail, mentions a viti apiane. There is just enough evidence in primary sources that has some wine-lovers speculating that the basis of Apianum may have been Fiano. Fiano has a rich golden color when ripe and a scent that is attractive to bees, just like Pliny’s “bee grape.”
On the name of the grape, one theory is that Apianum could have become corrupted over time to Fiano. Repeat it aloud to yourself like an incantation, and you can begin to hear it: Apianum. Apianum. Aphianum. Phianum. Phiano. Fiano. (Maybe!)
6. Gamba di Pernice
Means: “Partridge’s leg”
Officially called Gamba Rossa (“red leg”) Gamba di Pernice is distinctive for its red-colored stems and stalks. It is thought to be one of the oldest Piemontese varieties and was first documented in 1787 by the Italian agronomist Nuvolone Pergamo.
The main use is in Calosso DOC, one of the newest and smallest designations (only 22 acres, with 12 micro-wineries). Gamba Rossa produces an intriguing and spicy dry red wine that pairs well with a variety of foods–including, incidentally, fowl and game birds.
7. Pecorino
Means: “Sheep”
It’s nothing to do with Pecorino cheese–although I would certainly try that pairing! Pecorino is an indigenous grape from the Marche and is named for the sheep that would try to munch on it as shepherds drove them between the hills.
I absolutely adore crisp, floral Pecorino and am excited to see it appearing more on Italian restaurants’ wine lists. It’s great chilled as an accompaniment to rich pastas and cream sauces. Or serve it slightly warmer, as a full-bodied, after-dinner treat with a bit of fruit and cheese. Don’t follow the crowd: Try Pecorino as an alternative to baaaah-ring Pinot Grigio or generic Italian white blends.
8. Moscato
Means: “Fly”
I remember the first time I ever tasted the Moscato grape. It was as a table grape in a newly opened Central Market store in Dallas. The honey-colored globes were so unbelievably fragrant, perfectly ripe, fragile and precious. I could hardly believe they were grapes–so different they were from the refrigerated and often flavorless green grapes from the supermarket. I bought a tiny bunch and ate them at room temperature in absolute rhapsody, their juice filling my nostrils like liquid flowers.
Well, it turns out there’s someone else who feels that way about Moscato grapes, and it’s flies (moscas). Moscato/Muscat is grown in many parts of Italy and produces wines that are sweet, sparkling, or dry. The grape is not named for the city of Muscat, nor for its sometimes musky floral aroma, but instead for the bugs that like to hover around it.
9. Pulcinculo
Means: “Flea in the ass”
Pulcinculo is a fun one. According to the online wine encylopedia Demystifying the Vine, it’s nicknamed “flea in the ass” because there’s a dark-colored dot on the bottom of the berry. (Look close! You can kind of see it!)
“Flea in the ass” sounds like a mixed shot you would see at a college bar and not a historic white grape from Emilia Romagna. No wonder it usually goes by its more polite official name, Pignoletto (“little pine cone”).
10. Vespaiola
Means: “Wasp”
Vespaiola is a grape grown primarily in the Veneto region which ripens to high sugar levels. Vespa means “cool scooter” in Italian–and also, wasp.
Like bees, wasps are attracted to the sugar in the grapes. Unlike bees–which don’t have jaws necessary for biting through the skins and only feed on spilled juice–wasps are considered a vineyard nuisance. Wasps will puncture ripe grapes, spoiling them. Worse, they can spread pathogens between vines and sting workers in the fields. (Stop it, wasps! Nobody asked for your help with the harvest!)
11. Pollera Nera
Means: “Black pullet”
Pollera Nera is a grape from the in-between edges of Liguria and Tuscany. It’s rarely planted–tending to be overshadowed by its neighbors, Vermentino and Sangiovese–but I needed a palate cleanser after thinking about wasps.
This one’s not too hard to understand: Pollera Nera is an ancient dark-berried grape that’s black, round, and hardy, like a yard bird. Molto carino! (Cuuuuute!)
Well, there you have it: Eleven Italian grapes that are named for animals. Three bugs, three birds, a sheep, a fox, and three regional idioms for something kind of crude. Stay tuned for future posts, where we’ll consider grapes named after colors, plants, and yes, bastards.
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