| Grape variety |
Bianchetta Genovese |
| Synonyms |
Bianchetta, Bianchetta bianca, Bianchetta Genovese, Cianchetta o Gianchetto, Giunchetta o Giunchetto |
| Grape colour |
White grape |
| Vigour |
Good |
| Ripening |
Native Ligurian white grape variety, cultivated in the metropolitan city of Genoa, in particular around the capital and in the Gulf of Tigullio. |
| Productivity |
Late ripening (27 September). |
| Areas of cultivation |
Native Ligurian white grape variety, cultivated in the metropolitan city of Genoa, in particular around the capital and in the Gulf of Tigullio. |
| Ampelographic features |
Leaf: pentagonal, medium-sized, five-lobed; narrow lyre-shaped petiolar sinus, upper lateral sinuses closed lyre-shaped (often with overlapping edges), lower lateral sinuses not very marked, predominantly closed lyre-shaped; upper page dark green in colour, glabrous; lower page green, with downy tomentum and setose main veins; leaf blade nearly flat (sometimes slightly cupped) somewhat blistered; lobes mostly flat; angle at top of terminal lobes not very acute (sometimes obtuse); main veins green (often with slight pinkish tinge at base) on both pages; lateral teeth usually not very pronounced, rather irregular, broad-based, somewhat mucronate.
Petiole: average length and thickness; green colour, with pinkish shades; glabrous (some sparse hairs); channel section not very evident.
Bunch at industrial maturity: medium size (cm 17); compact; elongated, cylindrical-conical shape, simple or with a rather reduced wing; visible, semi-woody, large peduncle; medium pedicel, green colour; little evident cercine, rather light green colour; brush of medium length, yellow-green colour; separation of berry from pedicel rather easy.
Berry: average size (12-18 mm), spheroid shape (slightly ellipsoid), regular; prominent, persistent umbilicus; pruinose skin, yellowish colour, golden on the side facing the sun; average thickness, fairly consistent; flesh rather soft, colourless juice with neutral flavour. |
| Characteristics of the wine obtained from this grape variety |
It produces a white wine with a pale straw-yellow colour, a delicate aroma and a fresh, dry and light flavour, to be drunk within its first year. It goes well with typical Ligurian dishes, such as focaccia, pies and meatballs, mescciüa, and whitebait omelette. |
| Notes |
Bianchetta' is a wine grape variety but, given the fortunate combination of being produced close to a large market and the absence of table grapes on site, it is consumed directly in appreciable quantities and therefore represents a good proportion of the 50,000 quintals of wine grapes that the Province of Genoa uses for this purpose. The most notable part, however, is vinified and is normally blended with grapes from various other vines; the blends, however, vary greatly in quantity and quality in relation to the different ampelographic strata of the small holdings (which are dominant) and it is in this fact that the not insignificant qualitative differences of the resulting wines are to be sought. In any case, these are white table wines, sometimes more or less sweetish, but predominantly dry, which are mostly consumed in the year as common, fine types. The grapes vinified together with 'Bianchetta' are 'Pigato', 'Albarola', 'Rollo', 'Bosco' and less so 'Yermentino'. In terms of quality, 'Bianchetta' is clearly preceded by 'Vermentino', 'Pigato' and even 'Albarola'; therefore, the distant and justified fame of 'Polcevera' and 'Coronata' wines, when it does not derive from the separate vinification or almost separate vinification of 'Vermentino', is to be ascribed first and foremost to the improving effects of this excellent vine. In more recent times, this role with regard to Bianchetta and even more so with regard to Bosco, is fulfilled above all by Pigato and Albarola, since the custom of making wine with Vermentino alone, i.e. with preponderant quantities of these grapes compared to those of the above-mentioned varieties, persists. |