The aim of this paper is to show the reasons for the decline and subsequent rebirth of the Sfurzat in Valtellina (a Lombard Alpine valley). This is a high quality, Italian, nebbiolo sweet wine which was mainly sold on the German markets until the early 19th century. The name derived from the expensive traditional method of production which was based on the “sforzatura delle uve”, literally the “forcing of the grapes”. Winemakers obtained a higher alcohol content and sugar concentration in the grapes via the process of drying: they created a red passito wine which commanded a high price and was thus sold as a luxury wine to the élites during the Early Middle Ages through to the Early Modern era.
Locatelli, A., Tedeschi, P. (2018). The Disappearance and Rebirth of a Wine. The Sfurzat in Valtellina. In C. Marache, P. Meyzie, M. Villeret (a cura di), Des produits entre déclin et renaissance (XIVe-XXIe siècles) (pp. 71-83). Bruxelles : Peter Lang.
The Disappearance and Rebirth of a Wine. The Sfurzat in Valtellina
Tedeschi, P
2018
Abstract
The aim of this paper is to show the reasons for the decline and subsequent rebirth of the Sfurzat in Valtellina (a Lombard Alpine valley). This is a high quality, Italian, nebbiolo sweet wine which was mainly sold on the German markets until the early 19th century. The name derived from the expensive traditional method of production which was based on the “sforzatura delle uve”, literally the “forcing of the grapes”. Winemakers obtained a higher alcohol content and sugar concentration in the grapes via the process of drying: they created a red passito wine which commanded a high price and was thus sold as a luxury wine to the élites during the Early Middle Ages through to the Early Modern era.
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