How many of you have heard of PIWI and wondered: what exactly are they?
PIWI is a German acronym that stands for “pilzwiderstandsfähig,” meaning “fungus-resistant”.
Basically, these grape varieties are created in the lab by crossing European Vitis vinifera with hardier American or Asian species. The goal? On the one hand, to reduce the use of pesticides and other invasive treatments for increasingly sustainable agriculture; on the other, to be able to produce wine in parts of the world that are either too hot or too cold for traditional viticulture.
And of course, when it comes to experimentation, America isn’t about to sit on the sidelines. I tasted my first PIWI right there in Vermont. There, you won’t find traditional grape varieties, but rather cold-resistant hybrids like Marquette (a sort of hardy cousin of Pinot Noir). And wineries like Shelburne Vineyard have been growing them since 1998.
In Italy, PIWI wines have gone from being considered low-quality and “outlawed” to becoming a symbol of innovation and sustainability, and they’re a growing trend—especially in Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, and Friuli—with exotic names like Solaris, Bronner, Johanniter, Souvignier Gris, and Cabernet Cortis.
So… are these PIWI wines better or worse than traditional wines? Good question. If you’re in Emilia Romagna for vacation and you are curious to find out, give me a call to schedule a wine tasting in Ravenna! I can come to your hotel or Airbnb and organize a tasting to discover the wonderful wines of our country!
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