| Description |
The name Vernaccia seems to derive from the Latin word Vernum (winter) as the wine is processed in the winter months after a drying period of about 2-3 months. We find a description of Vernaccia, already at the end of the nineteenth century, in a report on the “Agricultural economic conditions of the territory of Cannara” by Giulio Baldaccini.
This document speaks in particular of Vernaccia di Cannara, a small town in the province of Perugia where this wine still represents a typical local product together with the Cannara onion.
The grape variety used for Vernaccia di Cannara is native and locally it is also called Cornetta . The name seems to come from the fact that the grapes of this grape, when not yet fully ripe, take on a shape similar to a small horn, then elongate and ovalize in the final phase of ripening. These grapes are harvested and left to dry on frames protected from the elements for at least two to three months and then vinified. The drying takes place with the whole bunches while the vinification is carried out with only the berries without the stalks .
On 6 June 2009, the denomination establishing Vernaccia as a DOC wine «Colli Martani» was established.
The DOC «Colli Martani» specification requires that the drying also takes place on the plant itself, a practice which however is not used for Vernaccia di Cannara.
Peasant tradition dictates that Vernaccia di Cannara , from the last harvest, should be tasted on Easter morning.
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