Photo by VIVC - Vitis International Variety Catalogue
Description
Dolcetto is a black grape from Piedmont in north-west Italy, where it is valued for supple, everyday reds. Its small to medium bunches of thick-skinned berries give deeply coloured, fruity wines that are low in tannin and moderate in acidity and alcohol, best drunk young. DNA work shows it is not the same as Douce Noire of Savoie or the Californian Charbono, despite old claims.
Characteristics
Black wine grape; small to medium, moderately compact bunches; small to medium berries with thick skins; seeded; moderate vigour; mid-season ripening; good tolerance of winter and spring frost; fruity, low-tannin wines
Growing Tips
Spur-prune Dolcetto short, or cane-prune it moderately, on a decent trellis. Fruitfulness can be irregular from year to year. Ripe berries drop easily in autumn rain, so pick promptly once the fruit is ready. It is sensitive to downy and powdery mildew but less prone to grey rot than many reds, and it is prone to chlorosis.