Lambrusca di Alessandria
| Variety Passport | |
| Country of origin: | Italy |
| Variety number VIVC: | 6688 |
| Prime name: | Lambrusca di Alessandria |
| Principal Synonyms: | Lambrusca, Alessandria, Moretto, Badino, Croetto, Pezzè, Anré-Grossolano |
| Pedigree confirmed by markers: | Crovin x Neretto di Marengo |
| Species: | Vitis vinifera |
| Ripening period: | Early |
| Classification and Use: | Wine, Dry Table Wines |
| Resistance group: | Moderately resistant |
| Data Sources: | Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC), Ampelografia Italiana (1879) |
| Agrobiology | |
| Flower type: | hermaphrodite |
| Winter hardiness: | Medium frost resistante (-21...-23°C) |
| Pruning length: | short, 2-4 buds |
| Recommended rootstocks: | 420A |
| Clusters and berries | |
| Bunch shape: | conical |
| Berry shape: | rounded, oval |
| Berry skin color: | black |
| Seed development: | seeded |
| Flesh texture: | juicy |
| Berry skin thickness: | Thick |
| Total acidity: | 8 g/l |
| Berry Flesh Color: | Intensely colored (Teinturier) |
| Flavor type: | Neutral |
| Ampelographic overview |
Main Characteristics
The Lambrusca di Alessandria variety is an ancient technical grape of Italian origin. The greatest distribution of the variety was in Piedmont, especially in the province of Alessandria and on the border with Pavia, where on clay and heavy soils of the hills between Alessandria and Valenza it for a long time formed the basis of local vineyards. It is popular among small landowners due to its stable and high yield. The ripening period of the berries is characterized as fairly early; the harvest ripens a few days earlier than the Barbera and Freisa varieties. The Lambrusca di Alessandria grape is valued for reliable fruiting, but is practically not used as a table grape due to the tart, astringent taste of the pulp.
Recorded morphological features of the Lambrusca di Alessandria variety:
The recorded main morphological features of the variety:
- Mature wood: shoots are light hazel or almost grey in color, with darker nodes. Internodes are rather short. The buds are characterized by strong cottony pubescence.
- Young shoot (growing tip): bursts in very late terms. The young shoot is white, with strong pubescence and a distinct wine-red margin.
- Leaf: formed leaves are of medium size, flat, intense green in color. The leaf blade is slightly incised, with narrow and small sinuses. The petiolar sinus can be either open or closed. The lower side of the leaf is whitish, with medium pubescence. The teeth are sharp, of practically equal size. In autumn, the leaves of the Lambrusca di Alessandria variety acquire a red coloration along the edges. The petiole is thick, with a reddish tint.
- Bunch: of medium or large size, sometimes reaching a significant volume. The shape is conical, the structure is complex and branched. The greenish stem of the bunch has a long length.
- Berry: predominantly of round or ovoid shape, of medium size. The skin is quite thick, black in color with an intense lead-grey waxy bloom (pruina).
Agricultural Characteristics
The main biological feature of the variety is the exceptionally late bud burst in spring. This specificity protects the Lambrusca di Alessandria grape variety from spring frosts. With a delay in spring pruning, the beginning of vegetation can be postponed by 12–15 days relative to other varieties. The variety demonstrates high plasticity and an unpretentious character, adapting to any soil types and slope exposures. According to historical observations, the vines successfully develop and bear fruit even in lowlands and waterlogged places. The Lambrusca di Alessandria variety demonstrates high resistance to winter frosts. Short pruning of fruiting canes is recommended, under which the variety stably provides a high yield. The vines tend to form a bushy shape of the vegetative mass.
Winemaking and Product Characteristics
In winemaking, the pure Lambrusca di Alessandria grape variety is rarely used, as the resulting wine does not possess outstanding or fine taste qualities. The main purpose of Lambrusca di Alessandria is the production of blended wines (cutting wines). The intensely colored must of the variety serves as an excellent component for improving the color and structure of weaker wines. Historical chemical analyses of the finished blended wine (in a proportion of 50% Lambrusca di Alessandria and 50% Dolcetto) demonstrate a density of 0.997 at a temperature of +11 °C, an alcohol content of 10.1% vol. (8.157% by weight), a total titratable acidity of 0.796 g/l, a tannin content of 0.161%, and ash of 0.215%.