When I mention the “Middle-earth,” I am not referring to the region of Arda, part of the imaginary universe created by the English writer J. R. R. Tolkien in the first half of the 1900s. I am not even referring to Mesopotamia, a Greek-origin word that defines the area in the region of the Near East situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
In Veneto, there is a territory that we could define as a sort of “Venetian Mesopotamia,” which – at least in this historical period – reflects some of its main characteristics: the Polesine.
Moreover, “Polesine” is also a Greek-Latin term, which can be translated as "land suitable for cultivation emerging from flowing waters," that before being reclaimed was dotted with lake islets and marshy areas. It develops in the embrace of the Adige to the north, while to the south, it sees Italy's longest river, the Po, which flows into the waters of the Adriatic Sea with its large delta hand.
The Polesine is the easternmost territory of the vast Po Valley and has rich and fertile lands, of strongly sedimentary origins, composed of sandy-alluvial soils. The climate is very humid, with hot and muggy summers and cold, foggy winters.
These are some of the reasons that make the land excellent for the cultivation of vegetables and cereals but challenging for the Vitis vinifera, which fears fungal diseases like powdery mildew and downy mildew and which performs better on arid, steep soils with an acidic pH.
In this area of Veneto, wine has always been an integral part of the daily diet.
Returning to the dietary style of families who traditionally owned a vineyard to produce their wine. A habit never forgotten by the elderly in the area, who still own their vineyard today. Crossing the towns of the province of Rovigo from east to west, it is quite common to find in the gardens of houses a few vine stocks that represent the memory of that deeply rooted tradition.
The grape varieties cultivated here were often indigenous and are now almost forgotten, going by the names of Turchetta, Mattarella, and Basegana. They represent a sort of standard-bearer of the territory that we will not find anywhere else except in the cellars of the few who firmly believe in the revival of what we can call “forgotten grape varieties.”
The Turchetta was once very popular, especially in the province of Rovigo.
A late-ripening grape variety with moderate vigor, although sometimes subject to berry shriveling, with good resistance to downy mildew and powdery mildew due to its adaptation to the Polesine terroir. The grape is bluish-black in color, has medium size, with a thin skin rich in bloom.
In winemaking, it reveals high acidity and a good concentration of polyphenols, resulting in a wine with an intense ruby red color with violet reflections, good freshness with herbaceous notes, cherry-like fruitiness, and floral hints of violet, enriched by a slight spiciness.
It has been registered in the National Register of Grape Varieties since 2007 and is protected along with other "relic grape varieties" by certain associations, in addition to having been privately recovered at the behest of some local producers.
As happens in San Martino di Venezze in the province of Rovigo, where there is an old farmhouse from the early 1900s, initially dedicated to fruit and cereal cultivation due to its alluvial soils. In the last 20 years, the Reato family has completely renovated it, even creating a 60-hectare agriturismo in its premises. Here begins the important step of enhancing, among other cultivated grape varieties, the Turchetta, which finds its home in the 4.5 hectares of vineyards destined for the production of the company’s labels, with the ambitious dream of turning it into one of the flagship wines at the regional level.
So, 4 years ago, everything becomes more interesting, because supervised by Francesco Mazzetto, a young and talented winemaker - formerly with the Tuscan Due Mani after an important experience in the Burgundy cellar Bouchard Père et Fils and currently the winemaking hand of the Trentino reality Vallarom - he not only decides to incorporate Corte Carezzabella into the portfolio of companies he advises, but being Rodigino by birth, he embraces the cause and takes the project to heart. For him, it is a kind of challenge since the plants sink their roots in soil that, in addition to being sandy and loose, is also alkaline and therefore more difficult for viticulture.
Use a sustainable approach where biodiversity in the vineyard and precision in the winery are essential.
The game is worth the candle given the great agronomic skill that has led to strongly interesting extraction results and the use of wood, experimenting with a way to tame the typical tannin of this grape, which is also offered alongside international varieties that soften the vertical sip and domesticate the tannic texture.
The best part of our meeting, however, happens at the concluding moment when I notice a glint in his eyes, which shine while I ask him how he sees the future of this variety.
His prophetic response is not at all cryptic, while he replies with a half-smile stating, almost to himself: "This is a project in which I have put my heart. And we will see beautiful things!"
