Sometimes I come upon a grape I have never heard of and am really surprised to learn its history. This time around it was a wine made from Enantio that surprised me. This wine was from Cantina Valdadige . Apparently Enantio is also sometimes called Lambrusco a foglia frastagliata but is not genetically related to Lambrusco from Emilia Romagna. It was a winter wine, hardy with some spicy notes and lots of red fruits. Apparently some of the grapes are given a very long hang time on the vine and are picked when they are slightly over-ripe leading to the richness you find in this surprising wine. It ages in small barrels for 15-18 months. I had it last Christmas I believe thanks to a friend who turned me on to the wine. It is available for sale in the United States as well and you can find it here on Wine-Searcher.com.

Apparently, Valdadige Terra dei forti is a DOC of the Trentino province. Enantio is one of six varieties that use this Denominazione d’origine controllata (D.O.C.). The area also borders the Northern part of the Veneto. Enantio grows in Brentino, Belluno, Dolce’, Rivoli (Veneto) and Avio (Trentino). Avio is the farthest southern point in Trentino-Altoadige.

A second producer of Enantio, Cantina Roeno notes on their website that, “Plinio the Elder”, in the first century after Christ, concern with wild and planted vines, wrote ” La brusca: hoc est vitis silvestris, quod vocatur oenanthium….” «It is a wild vine called Enantio ».

If you need to add a new wine to your Wine Century Club list, this is for you!