Vespolina, says Ian d’Agata—whose book on Italian grape varieties should be on every wine lover’s shelf—is one of Italy’s finest grape varieties, “a thing of beauty.”
Big words for a grape that hardly anyone has heard of.
Vespolina hails from northern Piedmont and has been cultivated almost exclusively in that region. While the area, in the shadow of the Alps, is once again starting to show its potential, it suffered a long identity crisis in the aftermath of the phylloxera devastation. Viticulture—and with it, Vespolina—was no longer the economic powerhouse it once was, but rather a side occupation for people who worked during the day in the industrial centers of Piedmont or in the rice fields around Vercelli.
It wasn't until the past two decades that things started looking up again, thanks in large part to the international success of Barolo and Barbaresco, and thus of Nebbiolo—which brings us to another reason for Vespolina’s obscurity: even in appellations like Bramaterra, Lessona, and Ghemme, Nebbiolo reigns supreme. And though Vespolina is blended into almost all of the wines there, it rarely steps out of its supporting role.
This is both a shame and a blessing. On the one hand, Vespolina brings finesse and aromatic complexity to northern Nebbiolo blends, making them more layered, expressive, and refined.
On the other hand, a few winemakers have recently shown just how exciting Vespolina can be on its own. Medium-bodied, it offers aromas quite similar to Nebbiolo (roses, red berries, balsamic hints), but with the added dimensions of rosemary, marjoram, and plenty of black pepper—thanks to rotundone, an aroma compound found in Vespolina and all three of those herbs.
