Parrina Doc

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The Parrina is a small area with an antique wine producing tradition running from Albinia to Ansedonia and up to the Argentario headland in the Tuscan Maremma and is in a way delimited by the Albegna river. Various hypotheses have been advanced on the etymological origins of the Parrina name. According to one of the most accredited, this name would derive from the Spanish "parra" meaning the vine, the pergola. It would in fact appear that a group of pirates of Spanish origin who landed there in the 18th century had so baptised it. Another interpretation takes the name back to certain monks called "Parrini" who had set up their convent in this area around 1100. The Parrini wines have had many admirers amongst whom the oenologist Arturo Marescalchi who indicated them, together with the other wines of the Argentario area, as amongst the best in Tuscany. Today this controlled denomination of origin is present in the White, Red, Reserve Red and Rosé types.

How it is consumed

White Parrina can be enjoyed with the sea cuisine and delicate dishes such as rice soup, acquacotta, minestrone and the marzolino cheese. Its recommended serving is in wide goblets at 8-10°C. Red Parrina should instead be savoured with meat and game dishes, such as steak or Florentine-style meatloaf and guinea-fowl baked in foil, but also with pulses and soups. It should be served in balloon wineglasses at 16-18°C. Rosé Parrina is ideal with the traditional Tuscan cuisine such as panzanella, Tuscan-style croutons, Colonnata lard, buristo, pappa with tomatoes and Tuscan-style liver. It should be served in wide open goblets at 12-14°C.

How it is conserved

To correctly conserve these controlled denomination of origins wines the bottles should be stored horizontally on wooden shelves, in the dark, at a constant temperature of 10-15°C and with humidity of 70-75%, to prevent the corks from drying.

How it is produced

In the winemaking processes of Red Parrina fermentation of the must is with the marc, which during this phase releases anthocyan and tannin. Fermentation normally exceeds 15 days, as this is a medium-long aged wine. The phases that follow are the drawing from the vats, with the separation of the marc from the must, decanting, refinement and ageing. For the Reserve version obligatory ageing is two years, of which at least one in wooden casks and three months in bottles. In the production of White Parrina the juice is immediately extracted from the fruit, so that fermentation only involves the liquid part and not the peel. To achieve this end pressing is not always carried out to avoid further deterioration in the prime material and is frequently of the whole grape that serves, in substance, to separate the must from the peel and the other solid parts, reducing laceration of the peel to a minimum. After pressing the must is filtered, the particles in suspension removed, sulphur dioxide added and the must is fermented at no more than 20°C. Finally the wine is drawn from the vats and decanted to clear it. After decanting the product is ready for bottling. In the method of production of Rosé Parrina the grape is broken but not the stalk, because it would release excessive quantities of colouring substances and tannin into the must. The must obtained is placed in special fermentation containers, where it is macerated for a brief period and lightly sulphured. At the end of these operations, the wine is separated from the marc by drawing from the vats and decanted; it is then stabilised and bottled.

Product report