The Fortana grape is a black grape variety characteristic of the Pianura Padana and particularly of Emilia-Romagna. It seems to originate from Burgundy, likely from the Côte-D’Or, hence one of its synonyms, Uva d’Oro. It appears to have been imported to Italy, specifically to the plains of Emilia, by the Duchess of Ferrara, Renata of France, daughter of Louis XII of France, as part of her dowry when she married Ercole II D’Este in 1528. Agostino Gallo, an agronomist who played a key role in the renewal of agricultural studies, documented the presence of Fortana in Emilia in the mid-17th century, describing it as a productive and fragrant grape under the name Uva d’Oro. In his 1825 work, Acerbi placed it in Oltrepò Pavese, calling it Fortana, a name that seems to derive from the word “fruttana” in reference to the grape’s productivity.
Fortana is also known by synonyms such as Brugnola, Dallora nera, Prungentile, Uva francese (in remembrance of its origin), and many others. Today, Fortana is primarily cultivated in the Bosco Eliceo area, straddling the provinces of Ferrara and Ravenna. In the province of Ferrara, it is known as Fortana del Bosco Eliceo. It is also present in the rest of Emilia, particularly in the Bassa Parmense and along the River Taro, in Busseto, the hometown of Giuseppe Verdi, and Soragna, where it benefits from the unique microclimate and medium-textured, clay-rich soil. In the Bosco Eliceo area, the soils are characterized by a high sandy component, which has countered the attack of phylloxera, preserving ungrafted vines, which are now rather rare in Italy. Ungrafted vines are those that have not needed to be grafted onto American rootstocks, which are resistant to phylloxera. The insect does not lay eggs in the roots that sink into this type of soil, preventing its reproduction.
In the plains of Parma, Fortana is cultivated with large, elongated, pyramid-shaped, compact clusters. The berries are large, elliptical, with thin and tender skins, and a high concentration of bloom. Their color is very dark, black with bluish hues. Its ripening period is late.
