RARE GRAPE VARIETAL RESOURCE

History: Some farms still conserve an indigenous vine, Enantio, also known as Lambrusco a Foglia Frastagliata on the sandy Valdadige Valley banks of the river Adige; and, in particular, in the municipalities of Ala and Avio, in the province of Trento, and in the municipality of Brentino Belluno, in the province of Verona.

While it shares the name "Lambrusco" with the Emilian varieties, it is a genetically distinct. Its grapes are used to produce a red wine with an intense ruby red color that turns to garnet in the Riserva, and a delicate aroma of wild berries.

It is spelled Enantio but pronounced "enanzio": the first writings mentioning it date back to the Roman historian Pliny, who wrote in the first century A.D.: "Labrusca hoc est vite silvestris, quod vocatur oenanthium", meaning that the "Labrusca grape comes from this wild vine called Enantio". In antiquity, the variety was called Enantinae Uvae by Pliny the Elder and was highly regarded by the Romans for its healing properties.

Between the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century, phylloxera destroyed a large part of European viticulture, but not the enantium: thanks to the sandy soils of the Adige river bed and their siliceous component, this native grape could continue its productive life, arriving up to the present day in centuries-old free-living vines, i.e. not grafted onto American roots. The presence of centuries-old ungrafted vines represents one of the most precious elements of this viticultural heritage.

The plant, which grew spontaneously in the valley's riverine woods and was later domesticated, has adapted over the centuries to the harsh conditions of the Adige River, the gravelly soils, and the valley's windy climate, giving rise to a hardy grape variety with extraordinary longevity thus making it possible to reduce the number of treatments for defense against diseases and parasites, even though it requires more manual intervention to control the vegetation and the diseases themselves. When a vine falls ill, it is uprooted in winter and replanted in spring using the technique of propagation, i.e. by burying a branch of the neighboring vine: a branch of the old vine becomes a new vine, and the link between the two is only broken after the second year, to allow sufficient sap to the new vine.

The blue-black berries are rich in anthocyanins and polyphenols. The pulp is acidic and has distinct varietal aromas. Vinification takes place primarily in steel with medium-long macerations to extract structure and pigments; aging may include large oak barrels or brief periods in barriques.
Aromatically, the grape expresses notes of red and black fruits, pepper, spices, balsamic herbs, and a wild component that clearly distinguishes it from other Lambruscos (Lambruschi).

Despite its centuries-old link with the Lower Vallagarina area, Enantio, officially registered in the National Catalogue of Vine Varieties since 1970, is little known to the public. The quantities produced have been steadily decreasing: from over 120,000 quintals, which had remained stable for decades, to the current 6,000, produced on about 30 hectares of vineyards, with a tendency to further decrease.

(Courtesy of Slow Food Foundation for Biodiversity – Ark of Taste) https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/en/ark-of-taste-slow-food/enantio-frank-foot-grapevine/)

Courtesy of: (https://www.quattrocalici.it/)  
 

VIVC: http://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=6689

Parentage: Unknown

Tasting notes:  Enantio wines have a deep ruby ​​color with purple reflections. On the nose, they offer aromas of wild blackberry, blackcurrant, plum, pepper, laurel and iron nuances, inherited from the valley's soils.
On the palate, they are structured, austere, and fragrant, with pronounced acidity, vigorous tannins, and a long, spicy finish. The high polyphenolic content gives them great longevity and ability to evolve.

Food pairings:  Pair Enantio (Lambrusco a Foglia Frastagliata) with rich, fatty, and savory local Northern Italian dishes. Its vibrant acidity, crisp tannins, and red fruit notes cut through grease and refresh the palate.

Production areas: Terra dei Forti DOC; Valdadige DOC

Producers: https://www.autoctovino.com/grape/lambrusco-a-foglia-frastagliata-enantio-slow-food/

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