Croatina
The Croatina grape is the best adapted and largely most cultivated variety on our hill. Croatina is used mainly in Nido della Tempesta, but it is used also in blend with Barbera and Ughetta di Canneto in l’Inaspettato and Buttafuoco wines, it is also included in the wine Ronc8tto.
Find out also how to adopt a vine of Croatina.
Historical background
It is the vine symbol of Southern Lombardy, polyhedric and versatile, it can give great lively wines and important still wines. The first concrete quotations of Croatina grape varieties date back to the second half of the 19th century, when several ampelographers tried to “get order” in the vineyards, especially between Croatina, uva rara, Piedmont Bonarda and other vines. If only at that time is written an ampelographic sheet of Croatina, it is true that the local word of mouth identifies this vine as a viticultural symbol of the Oltrepò Pavese. At the end of the eighteenth century, Croatina vine was in fact the flag of Oltrepò’s winery production.
However, with the rise of phylloxera, the scenario changes. The negative characteristic of the Croatina grape is a certain productive inconstancy and the obligation to use the rootstock further increase this defect. Many producers have thus preferred to point in the post-phyloseric replanting on the more productive and constant Barbera.
We must wait in the late 60’s for local producers to understand the enormous potential of this vine. At that time research and experimentation institutes have identified Croatina clones in accordance with the needs of the producers.
Some ampelographic nods
Sprout is cottony, green, whitish with pink shade, with leafy and greenish-colored leaves with bronzed shades. Leaf is of medium dimension, trilobed pentagonal, sometimes quinquelobed; the top side is smooth, the inferior arachnid. Bunch is big, conical, with a medium wedge. Grape is medium, spheroid with consistent, pruinose, dark blue skin. Pulp is juicy and has a characteristic astringent flavor. Medium vigor and production that requires clayey calcareous soils, with not too much potassium. Good production but unsteady. Late Maturation.