This red wine grape variety is not very common, and on the contrary, it is referred to as a rarely found grape variety of Italy.

According to the ampelographers, this red wine grape variety is most likely to be indigenous to the area of Piedmont only and also a recent DNA profiling so carried out has established a parent-offspring relationship of this red wine grape variety along with Nebbiolo.

Outside the region of Piedmont, the plantation as well as cultivation of this red wine grape variety is also carried out in the Oltrepo Pavese area of Lombardy region.

In this particular area, this red wine grape variety is referred to as Ughetta. In the regions of Gattinara, this red wine grape variety is mostly blended with the grapes like Bonarda Pietmontese as well as Nebbiolo.

Thus, this grape variety is used both in the production of varietal wines as well as blending wines.

Vespolina is a red wine grape variety of the Gattinara region that plays a very important role in softening the levels of tannins present in other grapes and this is the reason why this red wine grape variety is hugely used as a blending variety of grape.

This red wine grape variety is also considered as very flavorsome and aromatic in nature. The vines of this red wine grape variety are very much susceptible to the infections and diseases such as downy mildew.

This generally happens over the clusters of the vines. At the same time, these grapes are also less prone to the infections of powdery mildew.

However, these vines are very much resistant to other infections such as frost. The vines of this red wine grape variety, mostly suffer from sagging.

At the end of the ageing period of these vines, the spin slowly fades and this whole situation causes a probable attack of botrytis to these vines.

Along with entertaining a parent-offspring relationship with the grape of Nebbiolo, this red wine grape variety is also very much related to a number of other grape varieties such as Freisa, Brugnola, Nebbiolo rose, Neretto di Bairo, Bubbierasco, Negretta as well as Rossola nera.

This red wine grape variety is also known under a number of synonyms such as Uvetta di Canneto, Ughetta, Balsamina as well as Nespolina.

Origin

According to a number of researches carried out by the famous ampelographers, this red wine grape variety has been originated in the region of Piedmont.

The recent DNA profiling so carried out on this red wine grape variety also revealed its parent-offspring relationship with Nebbiolo.

Wines with Vespolina grapes

Characteristics

The leaves of this red wine grape variety are mostly small to medium in terms of their size.

These small to medium sized leaves entertain very small lobes that are mostly wedge-shaped and pentagonal.

These lobes are particularly addressed as eptalobata. The cluster of the grapes of this red wine grape variety is medium and it mostly appears to be conical as well as cylindrical as to its shape.

This cluster is slightly elongated and medium compact that usually comes with a wing. The vines of this red wine grape variety prefer the soils that are fresh.

These vines show the best of their properties in the sunny climates that are not subject to the natural calamity of drought.

The vines of this red wine grape variety are mostly considered as low-yielding vines. This grape is used both in the production and preparation of varietal as well as blending wines.

In the blends, the role of this red wine grape variety is to soften the tannins present in the other grapes.

The wines produced out of this red wine grape variety are also considered to be highly aromatic in nature and they exhibit aromas similar to green tea, wild flowers as well as mushrooms. This red wine grape variety is mostly used in the production of blending wines.

Food pairing

All the wines produced out of this red wine grape variety are best paired with the food items such as roasted veal stuffed with spinach, lentils with char-grilled eggplant as well as thyme and tahini.

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