Events

Novello celebrated at Italian wineries
November 2005

Novello, first wine of the vintage, was again born on the Italian land.

On November 5 Vicenza hosted an already traditional ’National Salon of Novello Wine". The next day, Sunday, about a hundred wineries all over Italy opened their doors for big celebration. The event was called "Novello in Cantina" and was first launched by the association Il Movimento Turismo del Vino last year.

Lombardy appears to be the region where novello is loved best. The biggest number of estates, 17, welcomed visitors, and Brescia producers even created a special organization Provveditoria del Novello Bresciano.

I chose for visit Castello di Grumello, a medieval castle near Bergamo. After the sightseeing we found ourselves in the Knights’ Hall which was temporarily transformed into a tasting venue. Representatives of the Tourist movement for Lombardy wines organized an amusing seminar where they disclosed secrets of novello production and showed the difference between a regular, but young wine of the vintage.

Vino di pronto beve — wine for quick consumption, that is how the Italians characterize novello and drink it within winter (by law novello can live until April of the next year). Minimum 30% of the crop must undergo the so called carbonic maceration, that is when grapes are not pressed and vats are closed with lids. Thanks to fermentation inside berries and lack of oxygen wines get bright aromas of red berries, especially strawberries and raspberries, bubble gum, and their palate is light and unpretentious.

In Italy novello is produced in 20 regions with about 60 grape varieties. These are primarily local grapes, but the wine is also made with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah and others.

Our wine of tasting was Primofrutto 2005 Novello della Bergamasca IGT from Tallarini. Expressive, mischievous, with aromas of bananas, strawberries, raspberries, bonbons, the novello was refreshing and carefree — like a frivolous young beauty in a light cloud of perfume.