Carignan is a red grape variety of Spanish origin that is more commonly found in French wine but is widely planted throughout the western Mediterranean and around the globe. Along with Aramon, it was considered one of the main grapes responsible for France's wine lake and was a substantial producer in jug wine production in California's Central Valley but in recent years, it has been reborn as a flagship wine for many cellars in the south of France as well as in Catalonia.
Vermentino is a light-skinned wine grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in both Sardinia and Liguria, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark green and pentagonal. The grapes are amber-yellow and hang in pyramidal bunches. The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue now gives Italy as its origin.
Mammolo is a red Italian wine grape that is planted primarily in Tuscany. While its use has been diminishing, Mammolo was historically included in the blended Sangiovese-based wines of Chianti where it contributed a distinctive violet or mammole aroma. In addition to small plantings in the Chianti zone, Mammolo can be found in the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano region of Tuscany and in scattered vineyards throughout Central Italy.
Pecorino is a white Italian wine grape variety that grows in the Marche, Abruzzo, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions of Italy. Ampelographers believe that the grape is likely native to Marche, where the soil destined for this cultivation increases every year. This grape variety is used to produce the DOCG wines, like the Offida Pecorino DOCG, and the DOC wines, like the Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, the Colli Maceratesi and the Falerio dei Colli Ascolani.
Colline Lucchesi is a denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) for wine, created in 1968, that is located in northern Tuscany, Italy, and centered near the commune of Lucca.
Verdea is a white Italian wine grape variety that originated in Tuscany but is today mainly grown in the Lombardy wine region of northern Italy. The grape is sometimes confused with the white Verdeca grape of the Apulia region and the French wine grape Verdesse from Savoy due to similarities in their names and synonyms. Verdea can be used to make a wide variety of wines, ranging from the late harvested Vin Santo to dry sparkling wines.
Pollera nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in the Liguria wine region and northwest Tuscany. Ampelographers believe that the vine has a very long winemaking history but it is rarely seen today. It is believed to have been descended from the Chianti wine grape Mammolo and the Corsican wine grape Sciacarello which would make it a half-sibling of Colombana nera.
Albaranzeuli bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown primarily in Sardinia. Ampelographers use to believe that the grape was originally Spanish in origin and was introduced to the island when it was ruled by the Crown of Aragon. Recent DNA profiling has suggested that the grape may have originated on the island as a crossing between the red Sardinian wine grape Girò and the Spanish table grape Molinera, known locally as Pansa Rosa di Málaga and distinct from the Veneto wine grape Molinara that is used in Amarone. A pink skinned grape known as Albaranzeuli nero is also found in Sardinia but its exact relationship to Albaranzeuli bianco is not yet clear.
Balzac blanc is a white French wine grape variety that is grown in the Charente and Charente-Maritime regions of Southwest France where it was once used for Cognac production but now is nearly extinct. The grape was one thought to be a color mutation of Mourvèdre but DNA analysis in 2000 showed that the two grapes were distinct and that Balzac blanc was a crossing of Gouais blanc and Chenin blanc.
Brustiano bianco is a white French wine grape variety from the island of Corsica. The grape was thought to be extinct until DNA testing of vines on nearby Sardinia led to the discovery that the Licronaxu bianco and its color mutation grapevine Licronaxu nero were in fact Brustiano bianco. This discovery has allowed for the grape to be reintroduce to Corsica where it is often blended with Vermentino, Biancu Gentile and Scimiscià.
Rossola nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that has been growing in the Valtellina region of Lombardy since at least the 17th century. In 2004 DNA profiling determined that the grape has a parent-offspring relationship with the Piedmont wine grape Nebbiolo though which variety is the parent and which is the offspring is not yet clear. However, most ampelographers believe that Nebbiolo is likely the parent variety since written records in Piedmont have noted Nebbiolo being grown since at least the 13th century.
Bracciola nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is primarily found in the Liguria and Toscana wine regions of western Italy. The only Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) that Bracciola nera plays a significant role is in the Colli di Luni DOC of Ligura where the grape is permitted to be blended with Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Pollera nera, Ciliegiolo, Vermentino nero and other varieties. A late-ripening variety, Bracciola nera usually contributes acidity to blends.
Catanese nero is a red Italian wine grape variety that is predominantly grown in Sicily. While ampelographers believe that grape likely originated in the shadow of Mount Etna in province of Catania on the east coast of the island, today it is mostly grown in the northwestern provinces of Agrigento, Palermo and Trapani. A minor blending variety used in rosé production, the grape is not currently permitted for use in any Denominazione di origine controllata classified wines.
Colombana nera is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany. Despite similarities in name, the grape did not get its name from nor is it grown in the San Colombano al Lambro region of Lombardy nor is it permitted in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) wine of the same name. Rather, ampelographers believe that Colombana nera is named after the Abbey of San Colombano located in the commune of Bobbio in the Piacenza province of Emilia-Romagna where the grape has had a long history of cultivation.
Barbera bianca is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy. Despite being named Barbera bianca, the grape is not a color mutation of the red Piedmontese wine grape Barbera that is the third most widely planted grape variety in Italy. In fact, DNA analysis conducted in the early 21st century shows no genetic relationship at all between the two grape varieties.
San Giuseppe nero is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in central Italy where it is a permitted variety in the Indicazione geografica tipica (IGT) wines of the Lazio region. Some plantings of the grape can be found in southern Italy which combined with the central Italy plantings gave San Giuseppe nero a total of 387 hectares reported in the official 2000 Italian viticultural census.
Bariadorgia is a white Italian/French wine grape variety that likely originated on the island of Sardinia but today is only found in limited planting on Corsica. Despite similarities in synonyms, Bariadorgia/Carcajolo blanc is not a color mutation of the red Spanish wine grape Parraleta which is also known as Carcajolo near on Sardinia.
Uvalino is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Piedmont wine region of northwest Italy. While the name uvalino means "small berries", ampelographers believe that the name may be derived from uvario which in the local Piedmontese dialect was used to denote wine grapes that were primarily minor blending varieties.
Barsaglina is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in Tuscany and Liguria where it most often used to add color and tannins to blends. Some ampelographers speculate that grape may be related to Sangiovese due to morphological similarities. Barsaglina was near extinction until a Tuscan wine producer, Paolo Storchi, help revive the variety by making it a significant component of his red Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) Toscana blend. The grape is also permitted to be used in the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) wines of Colli di Luni.
Bonamico is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the province of Pisa in Tuscany where the grape has a reputation for producing very high yields. Some ampelographers speculate that the grape may have originated around the town of Palaia with the grape being known under the synonym of Uva di Palaia. While often used as a table grape, Bonamico can be a minor blending component in several Tuscan Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) wines where it often contributes floral aroma notes and acidity.
