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Raboso Piave is the native grape type par excellence of the Marca Trevigiana area, and was one of the few indigenous varieties of the Veneto region to survived the phylloxera epidemic that destroyed European viticulture in the late 19th century. The name of the Raboso grape (which in the 17th century was also called “Recandina”) does not, in itself, bode very well – the dialect word “rabioso” is used to refer to a fruit with an acidic, tannin-heavy flavour. In truth, this grape retains a relatively high level of acidity even once the maturation process is well-advanced.
However, it has a long and distinguished history in this part of Italy: Raboso was probably the grape type that the monks at the Monastery of Sant'Andrea di Busco di Ponte di Piave (just a stone’s throw from the vineyards of the “Poderi del Todero” winery) were cultivating way back in the 12th century.
Written documents dating from the 14th century have been rediscovered, and they talk about the treatment of wine – clearly deemed to be excessively acidic – with molasses and rocket.
The wine made these days from Raboso grapes, Piave Raboso DOC, has a vibrant ruby-red colour with garnet reflections, a dry, austere, reasonably tannic and acidulous palate, and a full, assertive, generous aroma featuring, naturally, a hint of violets that increases over time, as well as sensations reminiscent of morello cherry and blackberry; if the wine is aged in oak, the spicy fragrances of vanilla and leather come to the fore.
It should be drunk from three years onwards (including at least one year in the barrel), and it responds well to ageing, continuing to develop successfully for around ten years. It is best served at 20-21 °C in large goblets. It is a particularly enjoyable match for spit-roasted and roasted red and white meats, furred and feathered game and well-seasoned cheeses.
In 1996, in Vazzola, the Raboso Piave Guild was set up specifically to make the most of this time-honoured native grape type. Due to its forthright acidity and personality, and thanks also to the creativity of the housewives and chefs of the Piave area, the Raboso grape has traditionally been a popular cooking ingredient, often used in the preparation of substantial dishes based on farmyard animals – the typical “raw material” for the gastronomy of Treviso and the Venetian hinterland – and in rather unusual desserts, particularly those with fruit.
It also serves as the basic ingredient for a liqueur called “Sangue del Piave” (Blood of the Piave). The recipe for it – which came about by chance, as the result of a production “error” – dates from 1847. Initially, it was exclusively served at wine bars in pitchers, as a house speciality, to wayfarers.
“Sangue del Piave” is made using Raboso, fruit, herbs and Raboso grappa, and is produced without recourse to any artificial ingredients. This being the Veneto, the skins of the Raboso grape are used by distilleries to produce an exceptionally dry grappa.
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Technical profile
Very intense ruby-red colour with slight garnet reflections. The fragrance is reminiscent of morello cherry, plum, raspberry and violet, as well as spices such as pepper and cinnamon, with nuances of leather. Expansive palate with good balance between tannins, acidity and alcohol.
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