Journal | December 4, 2024
Fiano vines with typical Irpinia landscape
Next Step | Fiano | 1 of 4
Part one of a four-part series.
Intro | Vineyards and Climate Change
We’re just back from the region of Irpinia (also known as Avellino) in southern Italy. We were there to learn about a grape that I had never heard of a decade ago. Fiano produces a white wine of great character and aging potential. Its stellar performance in Linden’s Climate Change Trial Vineyard has been the inspiration for us to make a pilgrimage to its source. So Jonathan Weber (Linden’s winemaker) and I made appointments and spent an intense three days meeting with growers and winemakers.
Linden’s Climate Change Trial Vineyard
This is the first entry in a series reflecting how we are looking to the future as the effects of climate change become more apparent. Linden has developed a three-pronged approach to the unfolding climate challenge.
1. Vineyard Management Adaptation
We’ve had to rethink how we manage our existing vineyards. Most of this centers around how much sunlight (and therefore heat) the clusters are exposed to. We used to aggressively remove leaves around the clusters and hedge off any shading shoots. Now our approach is more restrained with the intention of allowing for more shading. This makes for a cooler interior canopy microclimate.
2. Reducing our Carbon Footprint
We are part of the problem. Installing solar panels and beginning a conversion to EVs are a concrete start. But rethinking day-to-day habits can have an equally significant impact. Simple examples would be installing programmable thermostats and reducing frequency of grass mowing.
3. Climate Change Trial Vineyard
In 2020 we began planting wine grape varieties that could have potential to do well in our changing climate. We now have 22 different varieties planted. This small trial vineyard was established only for viticultural observation. We don’t make wine from these vines. Those varieties that perform well are candidates for the next phase, which is to establish a commercial-sized planting (and make wine). The white variety Fiano is the first variety to graduate out of trial phase.
There are three characteristics that we looked for with any potential candidate. The first is late ripening. Grapes that ripen slowly when the nights are cool and the days are warm produce our best wines. Under these conditions whites retain a high quality with mineral acidity, and reds develop fine gained, concentrated tannins. This happens if harvest occurs around equinox (September 20) or later. Our warming climate is shifting this sweet spot. Grapes are now ripening earlier. 2024 brought us the earliest harvest on record. Most of our white grapes were picked in August.
In our trial vineyard, Fiano ripens slowly and the grapes retained good acidity and freshness well after our other whites were harvested. According to growers in Irpinia, Fiano has a large window for ripening. The style of the wine is their principle consideration when making picking decisions.
The second characteristic is rot resistance. If weather conditions are warm and wet during ripening, bunch rot can be a major problem. As the Atlantic hurricane season becomes more intense, these conditions are becoming more frequent. Grape varieties with thick skins and loose clusters fair well under these conditions. Thick skins resist microorganism development. Loose cluster refers to the architecture of the bunch. If the berries are packed tight and press against one another, one rotten berry can quickly spread through the entire cluster.
Fiano is very rot resistant. After four years of cropping, we have yet to observe any rot. Its thick skins and loose clusters allowed it to hang through 10 days of rain at the end of the 2023 vintage. When we were in Irpinia and asked about Fiano and rot, each response was a simple, definitive “no”.
The final characteristic is that the grape has to have the potential to produce great wine. Before selecting a grape for planting in our trial vineyard, we purchase and taste as many wines as possible from that grape. Fiano is in Linden’s wheelhouse, with bright acidity and a mineral, herbal flavor profile. Our favorites were wines that had five or more years of age. This was confirmed at a tasting we did last year here in Virginia. Luca Paschina poured a vertical of Barboursville Fianos going back six years. The older vintages showed a similar complexity and flavor profile as the Fianos from Irpinia.
Fiano seems like our first grape to graduate from experimental to commercial. But before undertaking a larger planting we needed to go to the source in Italy. There are still many nuanced decisions to be made before we estabish a planting. Clones, rootstocks, planting density, and trellising to name a few.
Next installment: In Situ: Culture and Agriculture
Linden Vineyards / Learn More / Latest at Linden | Hardscrabble Journal: December 4, 2024