Cortese

Cortese is a white grape variety which is grown mainly in the Italian region Piedmont, but also in Lombardy and Veneto ( here under the name of Bianca Fernanda ). In 1798 it was mentioned under the name Curteisa as the most important grape variety in the province of Alessandria. In the 1990s, a total of 2,951 hectares were planted with Cortese in Italy.

Famous wines are made ​​from it, such as the Gavi DOCG and DOC wines Bianco di Custoza, Tortonesi, the Alto Monferrato Cortese, Garda, Monferrato, Piemonte and Po at Pavese.

See also the article viticulture in Italy and the list of grape varieties.

Ampelographic varietal characteristics

In the ampelography the habit is described as follows:

• The shoot tip is open. It is dichtwollig hairy, yellowish color of green and red -rimmed. The greenish-yellow young leaves are covered spinnwebig.
• The medium-sized leaves are five-lobed (sometimes siebenlappig ) and strongly sinuate. The petiole is closed lyre -shaped. The blade is serrated blunt. The teeth are medium in size compared to the varieties.
• The cone- shaped bunch is medium to large in size, and loose- shouldered. The slightly elliptical berries are medium in size from yellow golden color. The berries are juicy of simple taste.

Cortese is aged almost 15 days after the Chasselas. Thus it applies rather than early -maturing. The mid-late bud break saved him from late frost hazard. The powerfully built strain grew provides steady returns. Cortese is very profitable; if it is not severely limited by cutting back the grapes in the yield, the wines are watery and flat. (→ > see also the article vine training ). Cortese is vulnerable to raw rot.