The practice of letting grape clusters wither to reduce or eliminate the water they contain is a very ancient practice that predates Greek civilization. It was carried out in various ways, simply to preserve both the fruit and the wine obtained for longer, the latter having a typically sweetish taste.
Generally speaking, withering can occur naturally (with the so-called late harvest of overripe grapes) or after the harvest, in which case the clusters can be left to wither directly on the plant from which they were cut or elsewhere, such as in a closed environment with specific temperature and humidity conditions. Now as then, this process of grape dehydration is used before winemaking to obtain musts with higher alcohol content and a greater concentration of sugars, color, flavors, and aromas.
Dry, sweet, and fortified passito wines
For ideal withering, grape varieties are preferred that naturally or through cultivation techniques have clusters that are not too compact and berries that are perfectly healthy. To produce wines of great character, one must be deeply knowledgeable about the organoleptic qualities that will be enhanced and pay careful attention to vine care. That’s why wineries usually choose to produce passito wines using native grape varieties from their own territory.
And it’s not just a matter of sweetness because the so-called “passiti” are not only sweet or semi-sweet but also dry. Although they are probably more famous and often confused with the former, fortified passiti obtained by adding alcohol or fermented must are quite different and fall into the category of so-called special wines.
From Nero di Troia, a great passito
When talking about native Puglian grape varieties, we cannot help but mention the oldest of these and the quintessential symbol of the Cantina di Ruvo di Puglia, the Nero di Troia. It is precisely from the withering of its grapes that an elegant wine is born, with a deep red color, presenting intense aromas of ripe fruit on the nose: the Squarcione Appassimento Rosso Puglia IGP.
After the harvest, the clusters are left to wither directly on the plant, usually until November. They are then taken to the winery for selection and destemming and crushing, which is the pressing of the grapes and the separation of the must from the stems. A maceration at 12° is then carried out before fermentation, which takes place in steel for 10/15 days at 23°. The must is very dense, with an intense and deep aroma, and the aromatic substances as well as the color reach very high concentrations.
After a gentle pressing, malolactic fermentation is carried out, also in steel. The wine is aged for 12 months in wood, partly in second-use French and American barriques and partly in large 80hl barrels, then rests for another 6 months in glass before being marketed.
A dry passito wine of absolute prestige, our Squarcione Appassimento Rosso Puglia IGP embodies the passion for tradition of our master winemakers. It is round and smooth on the palate while the vitality of the freshness that follows the tasting tells the story of its terroir.
