Blatterle

Blatterle is a white Italian wine grape variety from the Alto-Adige of northeast Italy. The grape, which was historically grown around the commune of Bolzano in South Tyrol and the Eisacktal valley, gets its name from the term in the local Tyrolese dialect for "little leaves". While not widely used in commercial wine production, the grape is sometimes blended with other local Tyrolese varieties, such as Fraueler, and Müller-Thurgau.[1]

History
The Eisacktal Valley, where Blatterle has been historically grown.

Blatterle has a long history of being grown in northeast Italy, particularly along the Eisack river and around the commune of Bolzano. Historically, the grape was also known under the synonym Platterle with its name being derived from the local Tyrolese word for "little leaves". Over the last few centuries, plantings of Blatterle have sharply declined and by the turn of the 21st century the variety was on the verge of extinction with only a few producers still cultivating the variety.[1]

Viticulture

Blatterle is an early ripening grape variety that is well adapted to the continental climate and short growing season of Alto-Adige region. The grape name, meaning "little leaves", refers to the morphological trait of small grapevine leaves that can be observed in the canopy.[1]

Wine regions
Müller-Thurgau (pictured), one of the grape varieties that is commonly blended with Blatterle.

Today, Blatterle is almost exclusively cultivated in the Alto-Adige region where it used to make both a varietal vino da tavola wine and as a blending component with other local varieties, such as Fraueler, and Müller-Thurgau.[1]

Synonyms

Over the years, Blatterle has been known under a variety of synonyms including: Bianchetto de Verzuolo, Blaterle, Blatterl and Platterle.[2]

References
  1. J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours pg 112 Allen Lane 2012 ISBN 978-1-846-14446-2
  2. Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) Blatterle Archived 2014-04-27 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: April 24th, 2014
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