Description
From the good 1974 Vintage, Freisa is a black-skinned grape variety native to the Piedmont wine region of north-western Italy. It is used to make red wines of various styles, from sweet and still to dry and sparkling (both gently fizzing frizzante and tightly frothing spumante). There are two known kinds of Freisa: small-berried Freisa piccolo and the larger-berried Freisa grossa. The precise genetic and taxonomic relationship between the two remains unclear, but many winemakers and ampelographers do differentiate between the two. Freisa Grapes Freisa seems to be a polarizing variety. It repels many first timers with its sometimes overbearing tannins, bitter finish as well as the residual sugar that is often used to counter these effects. Others find it a refreshing and challenging variety. These divisive qualities are particularly prevalent in Freisa Piccolo, due to the grapes’ lower juice to skin/stalk/pip ratio. Those who like both sweet strawberry-scented Brachetto and tannic, petulant Nebbiolo probably form the mainstay of the Freisa fan base, and can justifiably consider themselves true Piedmontese wine lovers.