Collection: Fumin

Fumin is one of the most exciting among Italy's slightly overlooked grapes, and with us it comes exclusively from its home turf: Valle d'Aosta. In this alpine valley in northwestern Italy, where the vineyards climb up the slopes down towards the Dora Baltea river, Fumin has been grown for centuries. The grape was first documented in 1785 and is endemic to the region, which means you won't find it grown anywhere else in the world. At Copenhagen Wine we carry wines made from Fumin from precisely Valle d'Aosta, and this is where the grape truly shows its own character.

The name Fumin stems from the Italian fumo, meaning 'smoke', and refers to the thick, white bloom that covers the berries and gives them an ashen, smoky appearance. It is a hardy and resilient grape that thrives in the cool mountain climate and tolerates spring frost well. Historically it was planted on the cooler, north-facing sides along the Dora Baltea, partly because the thin skins are sensitive to sunburn.

For a long time Fumin played a supporting role and was added to local red wine blends to give them more colour and body. Only in the 1990s did people begin making wines solely from Fumin, and it is these monovarietal versions you find today. The result is a dry red wine with a spicy, perfumed style and flavours of red fruits. The grape has high acidity and a marked content of polyphenols, so the winemakers keep fermentation short and limit skin contact to avoid overly hard tannins.

It is also a wine with patience in it. Fumin has shown that it can develop nicely over time and typically improves over a period of seven to ten years. With only a little over 20 hectares planted, Fumin is a rare experience, and an obvious way into the many exciting, place-bound grapes from Valle d'Aosta. If you are fond of red wines with freshness, spice and a clear anchoring in their origin, Fumin is worth getting to know.