The wine world of Romagna, known outside its boundaries mainly for Sangiovese, Albana and Trebbiano, has some absolute gems with a fascinating story. One of these is Tundè, an autochthonous vine of Ravenna which expresses some of the salient features of this land such as the passion for vine growing, a propensity for research and the ability to amaze.
Since 1998 the Tundè grape has been listed in the National Register of Vine Varieties and consequently it is one of the varieties authorised for Emilia-Romagna, but we need to go back to the nineteen thirties to discover the origins of this grape. It was from 1932 to 1956 in fact that Primo Tondini conducted a series of experiments with new cultivars of red grapes which he obtained through a process known only to him and which led to the creation of the Tundè grape. In the dialect of Romagna this name means “Tondini’s Grape”, a tribute owed to his great passion for the viticulture sector, which for the Tondini family had always represented one of the main forms of professional satisfaction besides the mere need for sustenance. On the other hand, his great manual ability in hybridising, pollination and grafting of all types was known by many and in his vineyard the plants were very productive and resisted phylloxera and the classic fungus diseases of the vines such as downy mildew very well.
“Come mio padre abbia creato quest’uva – racconta la figlia Ines Tondini dell’agriturismo L’Azdora – è un segreto che ho appreso da bambina e che conosco solamente io. Hanno studiato il DNA dell’Uva del Tundè in tutta Europa e anche in Messico, ma non sono riusciti a trovare nulla di simile”. La pianta di questa varietà è altamente produttiva e ha un fogliame intenso e vigoroso, in grado di adattarsi a diverse condizioni pedoclimatiche. “Mio fratello – rivela Ines Tondini – l’ha piantata in Ungheria, altri l’hanno portata in Svizzera e in Austria e in tutti i casi la vite, piantata per talea, ha dato gli stessi risultati: produzione buona e nessuna malattia”.
In the words of Ines Tondini of the Azdora agritourism and daughter of Primo Tondini: “How my father created this grape it is a secret that I learned as a child and which only I know. They have studied the DNA of the Tundè grape all over Europe and even in Mexico, but they have not found anything like it”. The plant of this variety is extremely productive and has dense vigorous foliage which can adapt to different pedoclimatic conditions. Ines added: “My brother planted it in Hungary, others have taken it to Switzerland and Austria and in all cases the vine, planted as cuttings, gave the same results of good production and no disease”.
The ability to resist periods of water shortage on clayish soils and the main diseases of vines is in fact another strong point of the Tundè grape. Ines pointed out: “After decades in which pesticides were used extensively having a resistant variety which does not require treatment is very important. We run our business as an organic concern and harvest healthy fruit rich in sugars”.
The shape of the leaf is that of white grapes but in the autumn it turns bright red like persimmon. The bunch, which has a cylindrical-pyramidal shape, is compact and about twenty centimetres long with blue-black medium to small grapes. In the glass the wine takes on an intense garnet red colour with purple reflections. The bouquet is intense with the fragrance of red berries, black cherries, red cherries and mixed berry jam enhanced with spicy notes of vanilla and tobacco, producing a bitterish slightly astringent taste, a full body and balanced finish. The best pairings are with aged cheeses, cold cuts, game and red meats. For those with a passion for cooking something that absolutely must be tried is braised beef with Rosso del Tundè or larded beef fillet with a reduction of Rosso del Tundè. These two recipes can be found on the web site of the Consorzio Uva del Tundé (www.consorziouvadeltunde.com), which today has three members and is based in the district of Madonna dell’Albero near Ravenna. In a particularly delicate period due to the current pandemic, the Tundè grape also becomes a kind of good omen.
Ines Tondini went on to say: “I put some bunches of grapes in the freezer and on New Year’s Eve I defrosted them to eat them together with my family and hope for a better new year. I had already tried it successfully in the past thanks to the incredible toughness of this grape”.
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