Wine Grape: Pignolo
Pignolo is a red wine grape from Italy's Friuli region. The first recorded reference to the grape is from around 1100 when a scholar noted it was customary to offer a wine made from Pignolo to Lieutenants arriving for the first time in the commune of Udine. Pignolo has relatively low yields and its English translation is 'persnickety' or 'meticulous' and may explain why more of it isn't planted.
It's unlikely that Pignolo is the same grape as Pignola, whose grape bunches differ regarding their size and appearance. Pignolo is probably native to Friuli, whereas Pignola is more likely from Piedmont and today only grown in Lombardy, where it's also known as Pignola Valtellinese and Pignolo Spanna.
Synonyms
Also known as Pignul
Where
Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Principal Wines
Italy: Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Colli Orientali del Friuli DOC
Characteristics
Color: Dark ruby red
Nose: Fruity (blackberry, plum), Spicy
Palate: Full bodied with high acid and silky tannins
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