Langhe DOC Favorita
II Piedmont, which has always been rightly considered the land of great red wines that fear no comparison on a global level (just mention Barolo and Barbaresco), is also making a name for itself over the years with whites, thanks to important pedo-climatic factors that have always characterized this region.
We specify Erbaluce di Caluso, Gavi, Arneis Roero, Moscato d’Asti, Timorasso, Nascetta, not forgetting Chardonnay and Pinot in their various types.
But one wine is emerging in a crescendo of quality and image: the Langhe DOC Favorita.
Some statistics on the 2023 grape harvest
In the 2023 vintage, as many as 175 ha registered as Langhe Favorita vineyards result between Langa and Roero.
Reported grape production is 11,971 q for wine production of 8,379 hl.
1,117,000 bottles were produced.
Data: Consorzio Tutela Vini Albesi.
Vines
Appellation
Color
Type
Min. alcohol
Variants
Established on
Ideale per l’aperitivo, ma anche per un pasto a base di piatti di pesce.
The history of Langhe DOC Favorita
A table grape that transforms
From sweet wine to Mass wine to DOCG recognition
On a historical level, it should be pointed out that favorita was once the most prized of the local table grapes.
Some winemakers try to make wine from it, albeit in an artisanal way, as the relevant processes are not known, nevertheless resulting, in some cases, in a dry, pleasant and easy-drinking white wine.
It was often blended with nebbiolo and barbera, providing a good wine, but many families preferred to keep it sweet with various filtrations using Dutch sacks or artisanal cloth filters.
The resulting wine was served on important occasions, example with Christmas cakes.
In 1901 the Catholic Social Winery of Vezza was founded, thanks to the resourcefulness of a local parish priest, Don Vigolungo, and "Favorita" became in fact, "Wine for the Holy Mass," making itself known and appreciated in various church circles in Piedmont and Liguria. But beginning in the 1940s, it unfortunately fell into oblivion.
It was not until 1976 that it was reborn thanks to the intuition of winemaker Armando Cordero, at the Franco Fiorina winery in Alba.
Later vinifications of the favorite were also made by enol. Umberto Ambrois at the Carretta estate in Piobesi, then owned by the Veglia family of Turin, and Gianni Gagliardo at his winery in La Morra.
With the 1995 vintage, the "Langhe" Favorita DOC appellation of controlled origin was recognized.
Today, the area planted with vines has grown, and numerous wineries are enthusiastically engaged in the production and marketing of the wine, which is presented in different types: dry still, slightly sparkling and, according to fashion, even "barricaded."
Langhe DOC Favorita: Terroir
A rather hardy grape, suitable for semi-arid soils.
This grape variety is suitable for medium-textured, not too fertile soils.
The most commonly used rootstock is Teleki kober 5BB, in the past also Rupestris du Lot, known for its low productivity.
Regarding phytopathologies it is quite resistant to powdery mildew and downy mildew. In rainy years it fears botrytis.
The clusters ripen between late September and October 15, with golden-yellow berries.
Preferred Altitude
Preferred Soil
Crus / MGA
Langhe DOC Favorita: Vines
The Langhe DOC Favorita is a single varietal wine, and therefore can be made exclusively by Favorita grapes
In the past this grape was considered more a table grape than a wine grape, but it is a sturdy plant, producing a constantly high output. It ripens soon after the Arneis, in late September and early October. This bunch is sparse, of medium size and generally cylindrical with one or two developed wings. The grape is medium to large... you can read more about Favorita here.
Langhe DOC Favorita: Features
A versatile, light white that has made its mark among the best-known Langa wines.
The product specification allows a maximum yield of 100 q/ha of grapes.
Minimum total alcohol content: 10.5 percent, minimum total acidity: 5 per thousand. While the net dry extract: 15 per thousand.
Correction of Favorita must or wine with musts or wines made from white, non-aromatic grapes grown in the area included in the specification is permitted to a maximum of 15 percent by volume.
Sight
Straw yellow, with slight greenish highlights when young.
Nose
The scent is floral and fruity, with predominance of notes traceable to peach, lily of the valley and white violet.
Taste
In the mouth it is dry, harmonious, with a light and pleasant bitter aftertaste.
Official regulation
Color
Perfume
Taste
Foam
Service
Favorita should be served at a temperature of 10 -12°C, using small ISO glasses, or simple goblets.
It is recommended to be consumed within two years of harvest.
Langhe DOC Favorita: what to pair it with
It is an excellent aperitif, but at the table it finds ideal pairings with light appetizers of fish, shellfish, mollusks and with the many appetizing, territorial seafood recipes.
It also accompanies well egg dishes, sliced meats, omelets, soups, tajarin butter and sage, and plain risotto.
Even a 4-cheese pizza or a large sandwich with multiple, inviting layers.
Recipes to pair with Langhe DOC Favorita
Langhe DOC Favorita: Production
The winemaking process is the classic white wine making process.
Grapes should be picked in boxes and sent to the winery as soon as possible.
After soft crushing and pressing, it is necessary to separate the resulting must from the various suspended impurities. This operation is called racking and can be achieved in two ways:
- By defecation (static defecation)
- Accelerating the clarification of the must with the use of various clarifying aids (ichthyocolla, bentonite, silica sol and gelatin, etc.).
Then selected yeasts -type S. Cerevisiae and nutrients based on ammonium carbonate-phosphate and vitamin B1 are added.
Fermentation should remain in a temperature range of 18-20°C in order to safeguard the persuasive primary floral-fruity aromas of this grape variety.
In order to select yeasts and limit oxidative processes, sulfur dioxide should not be forgotten.
The use of stainless steel tanks is always recommended for fermentation and storage of this wine.
Time in wood
Time in bottle
Time to market
Grapes Yield
Meet the producers
Curiosities
Origin of the name: why favorita?
Perhaps named this way because, centuries ago, crates of this grape were sent to the Savoy royal court in Turin, as it was highly appreciated by the royal ladies—their favorite grape.
Curiously, it is one of the few grapes without synonyms or dialect names.
Cultivar
Some ampelographers question its identity as a cultivar.
Some authors liken it to Vermetino grown in much of Liguria, while Furmentin, still widely grown in the Asti and Belbo Valleys, is very similar to the favorite.
News about Langhe DOC Favorita
