Bosco Eliceo DOC Fortana wine guide
The Fortana grape also called the Uva d’Oro with great modesty, has been for centuries one of the most prized varieties and loved by experts, scholars, storytellers and members of the countryside. Not only for its delicate finesse, the aromatic freshness or the tasty tannic texture that tickles without biting, but above all, because it was Fruttana, that is, it produced a lot, the harvests were generous and so the bills could be paid. In this, it was certainly similar to Pagadebit, another stupendous name of the Emilia-Romagna wine tradition attributed to the good old Bombino Bianco.
Production areas of Fortana wine and Bosco Eliceo DOC
Today Fortana is a vine that has fallen into oblivion and has retreated to a very small area, always near the river Po or the sea along the entire Romagna coast. In some sparse areas of the Romagna countryside (from Ravenna to Cervia) it survives as a minor grape, but from blending, never in purity. In Reggiano and Parma, it is also found, again in poor sandy soils near the Po. And then there is one of the most particular DOCs in all of Italy: Bosco Eliceo Fortana DOC. A unique area of Ferrara, where the sandy soils have preserved the Fortana vineyards from the attack of phylloxera. Where Fortana finds fabulous lightness and acidity, the finesse of aromas and unique terroir. Another important factor is the humid and oppressive climate for man’s mood, but incredible for these vineyards. Pomposa, San Giuseppe to get up to Mesola, on the border with Veneto. We are in the Comacchio area, once a receptacle of swamps and architectural masterpieces such as the Pomposa abbey of Romanesque origin, where the monks took care of the Fortana and not just human knowledge.
If you’ve never been there, it’s a land where you don’t see souls for miles, where the spirit can wander and find peace or get lost in the solitude of the pine forests and the boundless valley. The sea is not far away and therefore with its breezes and salty waters it lives in symbiosis with the Fortana, molds it and nourishes it, so woe to those who are ready to label the Fortana as a Lambrusco Ferrarese. It would be a serious mistake because the Fortana takes its sap from the sea and not from the earth, which here is sandy and very poor. If we want to generalize, we can say that Emilia has always favored sparkling wines and that these have found particular variations in the typical vines of each province, but this is a more anthropological and cultural discourse on wine and Emilian cuisine.
Organoleptic characteristics of Fortana and Bosco Eliceo DOC
Pungent nose, dominated by small berries, delicate flowers, thyme, light returns of licorice and then almost blackish tones. Overall, it focuses on the pleasantness and subtlety of the line, not on concentration. Tasty finish of citrus and pepper.
On the palate, it is fresh, savory, clean, with a slender structure, but with a good boost. It is not a full-bodied or full-bodied wine, but the dialectic between flavor and acidity amplifies its thickness. The tannins are lively and well designed but never overbearing.
Bosco Eliceo DOC classification
Fortana is a wine with a strong gastronomic vocation and for this reason, it is almost always sparkling, like the wines of the past, as tradition dictates, but as Sangiovese used to be. Here in the valleys, it has remained like this, pure, unchanged, always ready to amaze you with its graceful sunshine. You can find it in a dry, sweet and sparkling version.
History of the Fortana grape
Uva d’Oro is said to have come in the wake of the princess of France, Renata, daughter of Louis XII, also called Père du peuple who married the Duke of Ferrara in the very peaceful year 1528. Legend has it that the good old Renata has brought a couple of rooted cuttings from the Cote d’Or, in Burgundy, home to noble vines such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. With all the good we want at Fortana, it is not clear why she did not bring a well Pinot, so we would have our Cote d’Or in Lido Degli Estensi. Seriously, the most credible theory is that it is a native and that the name derives precisely from Fruttana, as mentioned before, referring to the generosity of grape production.
Fortana and Bosco Eliceo DOC food pairings
Certainly, it is not a tannic and robust wine for aging, but on the other hand, Bosco Eliceo DOC is the gastronomic wine par excellence, especially if combined with the rich and fat Ferrara cuisine. It is excellent with pumpkin. You can combine it with fish, veal with tuna sauce, spaghetti with clams, pumpkin tortelli alla mantovana, rice noodles with shrimps and vegetables