Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/705606
4 0 V I N E YA R D & W I N E RY M A N A G E M E N T | J u l y - A u g 2 016 w w w. v w m m e d i a . c o m VARIETIES AND CLIMATE CHANGE Viticulture consultant and nurs- eryman, Diego Barison, general manager of Herrick Grapevines in St. Helena, gave a compelling pre- sentation at WiVi in Paso Robles earlier this spring. Barison, a native of Piemonte, Italy, urged growers to consider the reality of climate change and the related menaces of disease pressure when choosing varieties to plant. Most of the ones he recommended were either Ital- ian or Iberian. Among the Italians were Fiano, Aglianico, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese and Teroldego. Fiano was praised for its loose clusters, ability to withstand botrytis and its full, rich mouthfeel and good acidity. He lauded Agliani- co's big aromatics, consistent yields and flavors of plum and chocolate, saying, "It's the Barolo of the south, and I think, in warmer California con- ditions, it's better than Barolo [Neb- biolo] from the north!" Of Nebbiolo, he warned of its early bud break and need for cane pruning, commenting on its super- long growing season. He praised its prodigious tannins, good acidity and ageability, warning, "Try not to drink it before 10 years, as it's not worth it!" He adds, "It's always a fight with Nebbiolo, but it's the challenge that makes it interesting." Diego's "Vitibook," a viticulture technical field guide to clones of grape vari- eties grown in the United States, might be of interest to growers. When you see a highly suc- cessful, longtime label like Ander- son Valley's Navarro — known for Alsatian varieties and Pinot Noir — suddenly producing a Barbera, you know another longtime wine- maker — in this case, Jim Klein — is following the siren song of a new piper. Klein sources fruit from Al Tollini's ranch in the Redwood Val- ley of Mendocino, another prime spot for the grape. Is it a new Gold Rush, or just a return to the varieties that originally fueled the dreams and passions of those brave pioneers who turned California forevermore into Wine Country? History does love nothing better than to repeat itself. Laura Ness, aka "Her VineNess," is a wine journalist and critic who judg- es a variety of wine competitions and writes regularly for consumer and trade publications, including WineOh.TV. Comments? Please e-mail us at feed- back@vwmmedia.com. Truth be told, the Italian story in California is a micro one: It's all about the small producers, the hands-on, boutique winemak- ers who cherish what they do and want to produce a wine that honors their family heritage or that simply honors the food they love to eat. Tiny numbers show Nebbiolo on the rise at 162 acres, Aglianico at 62, Montepul- ciano at 108 and rising, Sangio- vese at 1,797 and climbing and Teroldego at 306 and moving up. Moscato's various guises add up to around 3,600 acres, while Tocai Friulano is a monstrous 53. While the overall number of acres of Barbera in California (5,416) has come down slight- ly of late, mostly due to older vineyards in the San Joaquin area being replanted, the num- ber of acres is definitely grow- ing in Amador and El Dorado counties. There's no doubt that Pinot Grigio has struck a chord with consumers, with a record 15,777 acres as of 2015. Primitivo, too, is seeing a huge swing, up to 1,174 acres from 334 a few years ago. Zinfandel acreage, at 45,000, is actually declining a bit. BY THE NUMBERS