Brachetto

Brachetto is an indigenous red grape variety, among the oldest in Piedmont, probably native of the hills of Monferrato Asti, although in the absence of precise historical records, some trace it back to a type cultivated in the region of Nizza Marittima, today known as the French Braquet. One of the earliest references dates back to 1817, when naturalist Gallesio defined Brachetto as a "renowned wine". The first scientific classification must be attributed, however, to Professor Ettore Garino Canina who in his treatise of oenology of 1922 defines it as a luxury wine, sweet and aromatic. Particularly common in the hills between the provinces of Asti and Alessandria, where a Docg variety of the wine is produced. This variety, however, is also grown in other areas of Piedmont; for instance, in Roero it is known as "long-bunched Brachetto" or "Brachettone" and is used to produce Birbet, a traditional dessert wine. This should not be confused with the Brachet, grown in the Canavese, or with Brachetto of Val di Susa, also known as Lambrusca of Alessandria, that actually are not proper varieties of Brachetto. Devastated by phylloxera at the end of World War I, many growers chose not to replant Brachetto vineyards, preferring more resistant and profitable crops. It was a visionary local producer, Arturo Bersano, who came up with the idea of making Brachetto Spumante, a sparkling wine obtained with the Charmat method, with fermentation in autoclaves. This decision gave impetus to the production of this wine and helped spread Brachetto throughout the territory.

BRACHETTO GRAPE:

Berry colour: black.
Productivity: average.
Leaf: medium-sized, whole or slightly tri-lobed.
Bunch: rather clustered, elongated, with round berries, a dark purple colour, rich bloom (a waxy substance responsible for the visible white film on the grape skin).
Ripening: second half of September.
Wines: Brachetto d’Acqui o Acqui Docg, Piemonte Brachetto Doc.