Grignolino is an ancient black-berried grape variety from Piedmont, native to the hills between Asti and Casale Monferrato. The earliest historical records date back to the Middle Ages, when it was also known as Barbesino; its current name may derive from the numerous ‘grignòle’, that is, the grape seeds found within the berries. The leaf is medium-sized, generally three-lobed, sometimes five-lobed, with a dark green, smooth and wrinkled upper surface, and a slightly downy underside. The bunch is medium or medium-large, compact, cylindrical or pyramidal, often with ‘wings’; the berries are small to medium in size, slightly elliptical, with a thin, pruinose skin of a reddish-purple colour and crisp flesh. It is mainly found in the Asti and Monferrato Casalese areas, though it is also present in other parts of Piedmont and in neighbouring Lombardy, where it may be referred to by the synonym Barbesino.
The wine has a generally pale ruby-red colour, sometimes with orange highlights, and a delicate, floral and fruity bouquet, enriched by spicy notes, particularly of pepper. On the palate, it is fresh, dry, savoury and of medium body, supported by lively tannins and a characteristic, pleasantly bitter finish. It is best enjoyed young, but in its more ambitious versions and in the ‘Riserva’ wines, it can develop balsamic, spicy and mature floral notes as it ages. Historically, it has also been used for the production of sparkling wines with secondary fermentation in the bottle.
