Pignolo

Pignolo is a red Italian wine grape grown predominately in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of northeast Italy. Believes to have been cultivated in the hills of Rosazzo, the grape is now a prominent variety in the Colli Orientali del Friuli "Denominazione di origine controllata" (DOC). In Italian the grape's name means "fussy" which does describe the viticultural profile of the grape which often produces low and uneven yields. The first recorded mention of the grape was in Abbot Giobatta Michieli's late 17th century book "Bacchus in Friuli" in which he described the grape making "excellent black wine". Today the grape is used to make rich, deep colored, full bodied wine that does well with some time in oak. J. Robinson (ed) "The Oxford Companion to Wine" Third Edition pg 527 Oxford University Press 2006 ISBN 0198609906 ] Well made examples of the wine have good balance between the grape's acidity and tannins with flavor notes of plum and blackberry. Most expert believe that it is not related to the Lombardy Pignola grape of the Valtellina region. Oz Clarke "Encyclopedia of Grapes" pg 169 Harcourt Books 2001 ISBN 0151007144 ]

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