Santa Maria is an ancient white grape variety from the Piacenza area, the origins of which have not yet been definitively established, but which is documented in various historical sources dating from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the past, it was grown mainly in the Val d’Arda, where it was used both for winemaking and for consumption as a table grape and a grape for storage. Today, it is one of the most distinctive traditional varieties of the Colli Piacentini, particularly in the Vigoleno area, where it contributes to the production of Vin Santo.
The leaf is small, pentagonal and generally five-lobed, with a flat or slightly wavy margin and a short petiole. The bunch is small, short, cylindrical or truncated-conical, and moderately compact; the berry is medium-sized, with a truncated or spherical shape, a firm green-yellow skin and firm flesh with a neutral flavour.
When vinified as a single-varietal wine, Santa Maria produces a straw-yellow wine that is savoury and well-structured, with a profile that is initially understated but which develops, during fermentation, aromatic nuances and elegant hints of toasted hazelnut. Its suitability for drying enhances its concentration and complexity: in Vin Santo di Vigoleno, it offers amber hues, notes of dried fruit, honey and toasted aromas, combined with a full-bodied, velvety palate and a particularly long finish.