Cortese

Originally grown in Piedmont, it is prevalent in the province of Alessandria and in the hilly areas of Gavi and Tortona. The cultivation of the vine has spread to other neighbouring hilly areas and, to a limited extent, to the province of Verona.

CULTIVATED AREA IN ITALY

YEAR	1970	1982	1990	2000	2010
HECTARES	1.863	1.840	2.950	3.190	2.637

Bud-burst period: everage.
Ripening period: average-early.
Yield: excellent and constant.

Ampelographic characters:

the variety is quite homogeneous: the main differences concern the size and the shape of the cluster. The greenish-white bud has a downy apex. The large, pentagonal, five-lobed and almost glabrous leaves have fairly large and irregular teeth. The petiolar sinus is closed and lyre-shaped with overlapping edges. The cluster is medium-large, pyramidal, winged and semi-sparse. The more than medium-sized berry, spheroid in shape and more-or less golden yellow in colour, is easy to detach. The skin is of medium consistency, juicy, with a slightly flavoured flesh.

Cultural aptitude:

highly vigorous vine with a semi-upright growth habit. The strong but generally fragile shoots have medium internodes. It adapts to different types of soil provided they are not too humid and too fertile. It prefers dry climates and a good hillside exposure in order to produce at its best.

Training system and pruning:

it adapts to various training systems and pruning, however preferring long ones. It requires careful green pruning operations as far as tying and positioning of the shoots is concerned, due to their fragility. The mechanisation of some green operations is not easy.

Susceptibility to diseases and adverse conditions:

normal, a little susceptible to botrytis due to the brittleness of the skin. Incompatibilities were observed in certain combinations with 101.14.

Enological potential:

it produces a straw-yellow wine, averagely alcoholic, fresh, dry, harmonious, with a typical scent. It can be used to produce sparkling wines, as it releases very agreeable scents.