Unpacking Grape Origins with Pinela
Grape providence can be a tricky thing, particularly where there are shifting borders involved. When researching background on the grape Pinela (or Pinella or Pinello), I found no less than three origin claims. All generally within the same-ish area, but different nonetheless. Wine-Searcher and Wine Grapes have the grape hailing from Veneto while all the Slovenian sites I checked claimed it is from Vipava Valley where it grows exclusively (which could be true if they mean not elsewhere in Slovenia). Finally, Wien Plus diplomatically places it in what is probably the most likely place: the general Goricia/Gorizia region that Slovenia and Italy share.
Whatever the case, today in Slovenia, Pinela is (at leas mostly) grown in the Primorski subregion, Vipava, or Vipava Valley. Vipava is a hilly region with a Mediterranean climate along the coast, becoming more continental in the hillier north. Pinela does well here as long as it has the right site and lots of love from its caregivers. Due to the grape’s delicate skin, it can be difficult to grow. An ancient grape, it has rated mention in many documents throughout the ages, with the first documented mention as far back as 1324.
Vipava 1894
Winery Vipava 1894 was not always named thus, but takes its name from the date the original company was founded. In 1894, people in Vipava formed the Vipava Winery Cooperative to more successfully farm and market their wines. Throughout its history, the individually involved wine estates combined, fell apart, opened, closed, etc. but through years, and two world wars, the Cooperative continued to produce wine. Nearly 100 years later, the Cooperative converted into the company Agroind Vipava. Then, in 2017, winemaker Hannes Sabathi and the Blaschitz family took over the reins of the winery, beginning a new chapter.
While ‘cooperative’ no longer plays a role in the winery’s name, its heart is still just that. Vipava 1894 works with over 300 grape growers, many of whom are from families that have done this for generations.
Vipava 1894 Pinela Lanthieri, 2020
This is not one of the wines I brought back from my one, brief trip to Slovenia. Rather, it’s part of my “ridiculously well-traveled” bottle collection. Wines that have gone from their origin to the US, then all the way back to Turkey with me. Happily it survived all its travels for me to enjoy back at home.
Very pale straw color with green highlights with aromatic white peach, nectarine, lemon, honeysuckle, wet stone and a hint of petrichor. On the palate it’s dry and very fresh with white peach, nectarine, honey, Meyer lemon flavors accented with a wet stone minerality and citrusy long finish
A warm straw color with pears, quince, bergamot syrup, and jasmine blossoms. On the palate it was dry with lots of vivid acidity, and possibly just a tiny hint of residual sugar. Not so much that it hinted at any sort of sweetness, but the wine had such a big, mouth-filling roundness that belied its 12.5% alcohol. More yellow fruit flavors along with apricot, and Meyer lemon flavors on the finish.
Very enjoyable!
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