Nebbiolo is a red grape native to Piedmont in northwest Italy. It makes Piedmont's most prestigious wines, among them Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme and Roero.
The name
Most writers trace the name to nebbia, Italian for fog. The fog settles over the Langhe hills during the late-October harvest, and a pale bloom covers the ripe berries. Growers in northern Piedmont call the grape Spanna; in Valtellina, in Lombardy, they call it Chiavennasca.
In the vineyard
Nebbiolo buds among the first varieties and ripens among the last. Growers plant it on south- and southwest-facing slopes to help it ripen fully.
How the wine tastes
Nebbiolo gives pale wines with high acidity and high tannin; young bottles can taste very tannic. With age the color turns brick-orange at the rim. Expect roses and tar, along with violet, cherry, raspberry, truffle, tobacco and licorice.
Where you find it
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) and DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) are Italy's protected appellations. DOCG is the stricter tier. Each one sets which grapes the wine must contain.
- Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG: 100% Nebbiolo. Both became DOCG in 1980.
- Gattinara DOCG: 90 to 100% Nebbiolo, with Vespolina (up to 4%) and Uva Rara making up no more than 10% together.
- Ghemme DOCG: Nebbiolo, with up to 15% Vespolina and Uva Rara.
- Roero DOCG: at least 95% Nebbiolo for the red.
- Valtellina Superiore DOCG: at least 90% Nebbiolo, called Chiavennasca there.
Sources: Wikipedia, Italian Wine Central, Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, Roero, Valtellina Superiore DOCG rules.
Illustration based on a photo by Doris Schneider, Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
