Candia dei Colli Apuani

Styles

Principal grape varieties

Accessory grape varieties

Terroir

• The predominant soils are of Eocene origin, comprising compact sandstone (macigno), galestro and arenaceous schists, compact and schistose limestones, and marls (alberese), found mainly on the hillsides and at higher elevations.
• At lower altitudes, formations from the early Quaternary period are found, consisting of clays with pebbles and sands.
• In the hilly area of Montignoso, various schists formed during the Triassic period predominate, while Rhaetian dolomitic limestones are present in scattered patches across the south-eastern part of the delimited zone.
• Annual rainfall averages around 1,200 millimetres according to thirty-year data from the Massa weather station, with approximately 550 millimetres concentrated during the vine cycle between April and October.
• The vines are cultivated on the hills at the foot of the Apuan Alps, oriented towards the south and facing the sea, also receiving light reflected off the surface of the water. (via Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 4.0)

• The wine of Candia received its first official recognition in 1933 and again in 1935 as a superior dessert wine at the Mostra Mercato dei vini tipici d'Italia held in Siena.
• In 1874, the Bollettino del Comizio Agrario di Massa listed Vermentino, both white and black, among the varieties of long-established cultivation in the area, identifying Vermentino nero as one of the grape varieties to be grown on the hillsides to produce fine or luxury wines.
• Cultivation takes place on terraced land with virtually no road access, served instead by stepped footpaths and fixed cableways or semi-fixed conveyor systems for transporting the grapes.
• The majority of the vineyards are over 40 years old, as the arduous land-preparation work limits new plantings to specific cases where productive capacity has been lost.

• The white wines display a straw-yellow colour of varying intensity, while the Vin Santo ranges from golden to amber, with a modest level of acidity and aromas characteristic of Vermentino.
• In the red wine styles, Barsaglina and Vermentino nero yield wines of pronounced colour and good structure, with concentration of fruit, undergrowth, leather, cinnamon, and a gentle spice character, pleasant and approachable in their youth.

• The high draining capacity of the soils makes it possible to benefit from the positive aspects of the abundant rainfall without being unduly affected by its negative ones, favouring wines with superior freshness.

Facts drawn from the specification's terroir-link section by automatic interpretation — see the source.

All appellations in Italy

Sources

• eAmbrosia register (EU) — File number PDO-IT-A1377
• Official trade body site — Consorzio Candia dei Colli Apuani