🍇 Vespolina
A black-berried grape of north-eastern Piedmont, a cross of Nebbiolo and Coccalona Nera; a minor part of the Gattinara and Boca blends.
Vespolina is a black-berried wine grape (Vitis vinifera) from Italy. VIVC (no. 13018) records the parentage Nebbiolo x Coccalona Nera (also called Rohrtraube Blaurot), confirmed by markers, and 29 synonyms, among them Ughetta, Vespolino, Novarina, Balsamina and Canneta. It is registered in the European Catalogue. In the Italian National Register of Grape Varieties it is Vespolina N., code 264, with Ughetta as official synonym, admitted on 25 May 1970 (Gazzetta Ufficiale no. 149 of 17 June 1970).
The Register's description, based on clones from Canneto Pavese, Ghemme and Boca, gives a medium, fairly compact, elongated cylindrical or conical bunch about 15 cm long, often with one well-developed wing. The berries are medium, ellipsoid, with a thin dark blue, almost black skin. In the observation vineyards budburst came around 15 April, flowering on 5-15 June and veraison around 10 August; ripening fell in the third period (25-30 September). Vigour is no more than medium; the vine needs rather short pruning and is unsuited to expanded training systems.
The Register lists Vespolina in the DOC Boca, Bonarda dell'Oltrepo Pavese, Bramaterra, Buttafuoco, Casteggio, Colline Novaresi, Coste della Sesia, Fara, Oltrepo Pavese, Sangue di Giuda and Sizzano, and in several IGT.
The Gattinara DOCG specification (approved as DOCG in 1990) requires 90-100% Nebbiolo and allows Vespolina up to 4% and/or Uva Rara, together not above 10%. The Boca DOC specification requires 70-90% Nebbiolo and 10-30% Vespolina and Uva Rara, alone or together.
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Vespolina → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ Italian wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Piedmont, 📍 Lombardy, 📍 Alto Piemonte
- Main grape in
- 📜 Bramaterra, 📜 Colline Novaresi, 📜 Coste della Sesia, 📜 Fara, 📜 Boca
- Parents
- 🍇 Nebbiolo, 🍇 Coccalona Nera
Frequently asked questions
Which varieties is Vespolina descended from?
According to VIVC, from Nebbiolo and Coccalona Nera; the parentage is confirmed by markers.
What share may Vespolina have in Gattinara and Boca?
Gattinara: up to 4%, and with Uva Rara no more than 10%. Boca: Vespolina and Uva Rara together 10-30%.
What is Ughetta?
The official synonym of Vespolina in the Italian National Register of Grape Varieties.
What to read next
- 🗺️ Italian wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grape varieties, appellations.
- 📜 Boca — A small appellation in northern Piedmont with red wines from Nebbiolo.
- 📍 Lombardy — The region of Milan: 26 designations of origin, 5 of them DOCG — Franciacorta, Valtellina Superiore and others.
- 📜 Fara — A tiny area in the province of Novara, red wines based on Nebbiolo.
- 📍 Piedmont — The Alpine foothills of the north-west, home of Barolo and Barbaresco.
Similar
🍇 Erbaluce · 🍇 Neretto di Bairo · 🍇 Bric · 🍇 Uva Rara · 🍇 Freisa · 🍇 Baratuciat
Sources
- VIVC passport, Vespolina (VIVC 13018)
- Registro Nazionale delle Varietà di Vite (MASAF): Vespolina N., code 264
- Registro Nazionale delle Varietà di Vite (MASAF): Vespolina, ampelographic description
- Disciplinare DOCG Gattinara (Regione Piemonte / MASAF)
- Disciplinare DOC Boca (MASAF)