Uva di Troia

Uva di Troia is a red wine grape variety grown in the Italian region of Puglia, particularly in the coastal areas around Barletta in the Province of Bari.

The name probably derives from the town of Troia in the Province of Foggia whose legendary founder was the Greek hero Diomedes, who had destroyed the ancient Troy. Synonyms include: Nero di Troia, Sumarello, Uva di Canosa, Uva di Barletta, Troiano, Tranese, and Uva della Marina.

Characteristics

The vine is fairly vigorous and carries large, rather compact, pyramidal (sometimes “winged”) clusters of violet coloured grapes which ripen mid-season. It is adaptable to a variety of soils and does not suffer unduly from Puglia’s high temperatures, although hot winds may be cause problems.

Wines

Uva di Troia may be used by itself or blended with such grapes as Bombino Nero, Montepulciano or Sangiovese. Where DOC wines are concerned, the grape is the principal component of the wines Rosso Barletta and Rosso Canosa; Castel del Monte may also be produced as a pure Uva di Troia varietal wine; it is also used in Cacc'e Mmitte di Lucera (35-60%), Orta Nova (up to 40%) and Rosso di Cerignola.

References

* LaViniUm, [http://www.lavinium.com/vitigni/uvaditroia.shtml Guida dei vitigni: Uva di Troia] it
* vinoinrete.it, [http://www.vinoinrete.it/sommelier/_Vitigni%20Uva%20di%20Troia.htm Uva di Troia] it
* Epicurious, [http://www.epicurious.com/drinking/wine_dictionary/entry?id=8307 Uva di Troia] en