Avarengo: general information

general information managed by Istituto per la Protezione Sostenibile delle Piante - CNR
How to cite this source Schneider A., Ruffa P., Raimondi S., 2013. Avarengo. In: Italian Vitis Database, www.vitisdb.it, ISSN 2282-006X
acknowledgments Ager Foundation, Regione Piemonte
botanical information
name
Avarengo
type of origin
spontanea
specie
Vitis vinifera
variety group
not available
genera
Vitis
subspecie
sativa
variety for
wine
code
IVD-var_19
registration
Registered in the National Catalogue
yes
code
18
Official name
Avarengo N.
synonyms
documented synonyms (2)
synonyms documented by the Istitution that appear with the eventual support of the literature
  • Riundasca (Biella province)
  • Mustèr (Canavese)
released clones
images
  • shoot
    shoot
  • leaf
    leaf
  • bunch
    bunch
  • berry
    berry
Historical references

Already briefly mentioned among the grapes of the territory of Fossano (Cuneo) by Count Nuvolone, who in 1787 wrote "it makes dry and good wine", the Avarengo in 1852 is considered by the Marquis Incisa a vine typical of the Pinerolo region (in Di Ricaldone, 1974).

A little earlier is the description (totally corrrespondent) of its synonyms Mostera (used in Canavese) and Riondasca (Biella), outlined by Domenico Milano (1839). While this writer correctly noted the identical correspondence between Mostera (locally Mustèr) and Riondasca (Riundasca) – names probably due to the high yield and to the round berrry – the discovery of the identity of these varieties of north-Piedmont with Avarengo Pinerolo (Schneider et al., 2006) and with the Avarena Saluzzese is rather recent.

distribution & variation

During the Ampelographic Exposition held in Pinerolo just before the advent of phylloxera (Provana Collegno, 1881), various types of Avarengo were described  ("thin", "small", "medium", "large" and "ramabessa" because of the tendency of the shoots to develop forks), all attributable to the subject variety, while Avarenchetto (which has been recovered from the rare grape varieties of the area) was already reported as separate, and Avarengo white (probably due to a bud mutation of the grape color) which seems finally disappeared.

The brief description dell'Avarengo made on that occasion, which stresses the leaf "wrinkled" (today we would say strongly bullosa) with "minute teeth” strongly corresponds. More detailed descriptions are offered by Dalmasso et al. (1962) and Schneider et al. (2006).

The spread of Avarengo in the past was not limited to Pinerolo but to the entire foothills of the current provinces of Cuneo, Torino, Biella and Vercelli. However, nearly 1000 hectares that would be planted with Avarengo in 2010 (Anderson and Aryal, 2013) seem an overestimate.

technological use

Some decades ago, the grapes of Avarengo were still largely used for table consumption. In the past, a varietal wine was produced, which had a certain reputation. Today the few Avarengo grapes produced are constituents of local Pinerolese wines in very modest proportions indeed.

bibliographies (7)
authors year title journal citation
Anderson K., Aryal N. 2013 Database of Regional, National and Global Winegrape Bearing Areas by Variety, 2000 and 2010. Wine Economics Research Centre, University of Adelaide.
Dalmasso G., Dell'Olio G., Delleani E. 1962 Avarengo Principali vitigni da vino coltivati in Italia, vol. II. Ministero dell'Agricoltura e Foreste. Longo & Zoppelli, Treviso
Di Ricaldone G. A. 1974 La collezione ampelografica del marchese Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta (1792-1871). Asti.
Milano D. 1839 Sulle viti e sui vini della provincia biellese: memoria Tip. Rachetti ved. Caligaris. Varallo Sesia.
Nuvolone G. 1787 Il contadino istruito. Almanacco agronomico per l’anno 1787. Torino.
Provana di Collegno L. 1881 Viticoltura ed enologia nel territorio di Cumiana (circondario di Pinerolo). Bullettino Ampelografico, XIV: 9-21.
Schneider A., Mannini F., Raimondi S. 2006 Vitigni del Piemonte Ed. Regione Piemonte
updated at 2016-11-14 11:59:11 (8 years ago)