Nero di Troia | Grape variety
Uva di Troia means something like 'the grape of Troy'. Today, however, it is more commonly referred to as Nero di Troia, meaning 'the black grape of Troy' in reference to the popular Nero d'Avola grape variety. Nero di Troia is a grape that produces a deep dark, almost purple shimmering red wine. Its wine is also very tannic, rustic and drinkable and has a high alcohol content of up to 14 percent. It is mainly found in the Italian red wine varieties Rosso Barletta, Rosso di Cerignola and Castel del Monte.
The Nero di Troia grape variety is an ancient indigenous red wine variety that is mainly cultivated in the Italian region of Apulia, where it was discovered. Although there is also a place there called Troia, it is often assumed that the Greeks brought this grape variety with them from the now destroyed and legendary city of Troia. In addition to Apulia, the provinces of Brindisi and Foggia are also among its growing regions.
Unfortunately, Nero di Troia is not a particularly high-yielding grape variety. It is very late-maturing and only moderately vigorous. It is also susceptible to downy and powdery mildew and is threatened by the warm, Apulian south wind Favio. For this reason, it was neglected for a long time, but in recent years more and more winegrowers have been cultivating it as a single variety. - Gerardo
