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Pignolo grape has ancient origins from Friuli. Indeed since the Middle Ages there were reports of the existence of a wine of that name, which was produced in the countryside around Udine. Pignolo derives from “pigna”, pine cone, and there are different grape varieties whose name has this root, so the confusion happens quite often. Friulian Pignolo is often confused with the Pignola Valtellinese, which has little in common with Pignolo apart from the etymology of the name and the color of the berry.
Pignolo is only Friulian: it was originally grown in areas around the abbey of Abbazia di Rosazzo and was seriously threatened with extinction. Some progressive-thinking producers from the area between Rosazzo, Buttrio and Premariacco have helped to save this vine and the wine that they get stand for quality and longevity.
The berry of Pignolo grape is black, small and round with waxy, thick, black skin. The cluster is small, cylindrical, simple, and tight with a small, three-lobed or five-lobed leaf. Its production is scarce but regular.
Pignolo grape gives a light ruby red wine, with fruity notes of cherry. It has good flavor and is suitable for aging.
The Pinella vine has uncertain origins. It seems to have been identified for the first time in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where it is almost gone now. Instead, it is present in Veneto, in Padua, especially in the area of the Euganean Hills, where it is vinified typically blended with other local varieties to give young wines, fresh and tasty.
The berry is white, medium, spheroid or slightly ovoid for the highly compact. The peel is thin, not very consistent and a little waxy, of golden yellow color, which tends to copper when it is fully ripe. The bunch is medium or small, cone shaped, stocky, very compact and often with a wing. The leaf is medium, pentagonal, and three-lobed.
The Pinella grape gives a pale yellow wine. The fragrance is floral and fruity with some hints of grapefruit. The taste is dry, fairly soft, rightly savory and fresh. It has good body and is pretty persistent with return to the pineapple smell taste. The finish is slightly almond which makes the olfactory taste of discreet refinement.
The grape Pinot Blanc or Pinot Bianco is, in all probability, a genetic mutation of Pinot Noir or Pinot Grigio. It is part of the so-called "international" grapes , of French origin, but widely cultivated around the world and in Italy the Pinot Bianco grape goes back to the 800 and has spread in a wide range of regions, from Sicily to Friuli Venezia Giulia, and used in many wine appellations, but the best examples come from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige.
It is a very early ripe grape variety and this makes it suitable for cultivation in regions considered "extreme " for viticulture, for example Alsace in France and Germany.
The Pinot Bianco grape produces medium to full bodied wines, elegant wines, with good acidity and responds well to oak aging. The Pinot Bianco grape is also used in the production of classic method sparkling wines, most notably the Franciacorta, together with Pinot Nero and Chardonnay
Pinot Grigio is a widely recognized white grape variety that originated as a natural mutation of Pinot Noir. Though French in origin, known there as Pinot Gris, it is now considered an "international" variety due to its widespread cultivation across the globe. In Italy, Pinot Grigio has become a staple, particularly in the northeastern regions, where it is grown extensively.
The heartland of Italian Pinot Grigio production lies between Veneto, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige. While Veneto leads in terms of volume, often producing light, easy-drinking wines, some of the finest and most expressive Pinot Grigio wines come from Friuli’s Collio area and the alpine vineyards of Trentino-Alto Adige, where the grape yields elegant, structured wines with distinct character and finesse.
For decades, Pinot Grigio has been one of the most exported and best-selling Italian wines worldwide. However, its popularity led to mass production and declining quality in some regions, resulting in a loss of prestige and market share. To help restore the grape’s reputation, the Pinot Grigio delle Venezie DOC was established, uniting key growing areas under a single quality-focused denomination.
Naturally, the Pinot Grigio grape has a copper-pink skin, despite being classified as a white variety. Most wines are vinified without skin contact to maintain a pale color and crisp profile. However, when the grape is fermented with its skins, it can take on a distinctive onion-skin hue, offering a richer texture and more complex aromatics—styles increasingly appreciated by modern wine lovers.
The Pinot Noir or Nero grape is considered one of the noblest red grape worldwide (the only possible comparison is with the Nebbiolo) and is another variety that belongs to the so called "international" grapes of French origin, but widely cultivated around the world.
Pinot Nero is a difficult grape to grow and wine to make and it is a challenge for every wine maker with results varying from vintage to vintage and area to area. The Pinot Nero is a grape variety very sensitive to the terroir, for which you get a lot of different interpretations depending on where the grapes are grown and the land and soil characteristics and for all these reasons, the Pinot Nero is, for consumers and professionals alike, when well made, a joy to drink wine and because of its quality has created some of the greatest red wines in the world.
Pinot Noir or Nero is also widely used in classic method sparkling wines, from Champagne to Franciacorta, a DOCG Italian classic method sparkling wine made in Lombardy, and has produced outstanding sparkling wines proving itself a very versatile grape. In Italy the grape is cultivated in the north, mainly in Trentino Alto Adige with isolated winemakers in other regions as south as Tuscany and there are some seriously good Pinot Nero still wines being made.
It is almost certain that Pollera nera has its origins in Liguria, especially since there are testimonies from the 19th century about its cultivation in the Cinque Terre area and in the high Lunigiana, in the province of La Spezia from where it has been spreading to the lower Magra Valle. Today it is present mainly in the vineyards of the Lunigiana and in the area bordering Tuscany, in Massa-Carrara area.
Pollera nera has a black, medium, round or very short ellipsoidal berry sometimes deformed by the compactness of the bunch. Its peel is fine, very waxy and gray-violet. The bunch is medium-large, compact, often winged with a medium-small, three-lobed or five-lobed leaf.
This variety doesn’t have any special requirements regarding soil and climatic factors. Its production is abundant and quite regular.
Pollera nera gives a ruby red wine, light-bodied, simple, to drink young.
The Prié Blanc grape is an ancient white variety native to Italy’s Valle d’Aosta, although its exact origins remain uncertain. Some believe it may have originated in Savoy or Valais, but it is in this high-altitude Alpine region that Prié Blanc has truly evolved, developing its unique genetic characteristics over centuries.
Adapted to extreme mountain conditions, Prié Blanc ripens early and is known for its naturally high acidity. Its resilience to spring frosts makes it one of the few grape varieties capable of thriving at altitudes exceeding 1,000 meters, where most traditional vines would struggle. These harsh conditions have also contributed to its resistance to phylloxera, allowing the vine to survive ungrafted in areas others could not.
Prié Blanc features medium-sized, round white berries with thin, translucent skins of pale golden yellow, often with a slightly waxy texture. The bunches are typically medium, cylindrical-conical, sometimes winged, and moderately compact. Leaves are medium-small with three or five lobes.
This early-ripening vine has medium vigor and typically offers regular, abundant yields. Prié Blanc produces wines of pale straw yellow with greenish reflections. The aroma is delicate and refined, offering fruity and herbaceous notes, often reminiscent of fresh-cut hay. On the palate, the wine is dry, crisp, and vibrant, making it ideal for both still and sparkling expressions.
Prié Rouge, also known locally as Prëmetta, is a rare native grape variety from Italy’s Valle d’Aosta, believed to have originated from a natural mutation of Prié Blanc. This unique pink-skinned grape was once on the verge of extinction but is now making a quiet comeback, mainly cultivated in a limited area stretching from Aosta to Avise, with a notable presence in the old vineyards of Aymavilles.
Thanks to its naturally high acidity, Prié Rouge is particularly well-suited for sparkling wine production. In still wines, its assertive tannins make it best enjoyed after a short aging period to soften its structure.
Prié Rouge grapes are medium to large, ovoid-shaped with a soft, waxy skin ranging from pink to purplish in tone. The bunches are typically large, pyramidal, and winged, moderately compact, and the leaves are medium-large, pentagonal, and either three-lobed or entire. The vine ripens early, adapting well to the region's Alpine conditions.
Wines made from Prié Rouge display a light cherry red color with subtle orange hues. The nose is delicate and alluring, offering floral and red fruit aromas, while the palate is fresh, full-bodied, and tannic, with a moderate alcohol content, making it a distinctive and refreshing mountain wine.
Primitivo is a renowned red grape variety cultivated across southern Italy, from Abruzzo to Basilicata, Sardinia to Campania, but its true spiritual home is Puglia (Apulia)—especially in the famed Manduria region, where it produces some of Italy’s most powerful and expressive red wines.
The origins of Primitivo are believed to trace back over 2,000 years to Dalmatia, brought to Italy by ancient Illyrian settlers who planted it in the Gioia del Colle area. The name Primitivo - from primo, meaning “first” - reflects the grape’s early ripening nature.
In the early 1800s, Primitivo crossed the Atlantic and became known as Zinfandel in the United States. Although long thought to be a separate grape, DNA testing in the late 20th century confirmed that Primitivo and Zinfandel are genetically identical, cementing Primitivo’s international significance.
While once relegated to blends for its color, tannins, and alcohol, Primitivo has seen a revival in recent decades and is now celebrated as Apulia’s flagship red wine grape. It is widely produced under various IGT classifications across the region, but Primitivo di Manduria DOC stands apart for its exceptional quality, structure, and elegance. These wines often reach or exceed 16% ABV, depending on the vintage, and express the best of what Primitivo can offer.
Primitivo grapes yield deep ruby red wines with intense spicy and ripe fruit aromas. On the palate, they are full-bodied, warm, and richly tannic, offering structure, softness, and remarkable persistence. Thanks to its naturally high sugar content, Primitivo wines often feature elevated alcohol levels, making them bold yet balanced.
Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine appellation that can be both DOC and DOCG depending on where the vineyards are located, produced from Glera grapes (previously known as Prosecco) and its name is thought to come from Prosecco, an Italian village at the heart of the Prosecco region, where the grape is thought to have originated from.
The change of name for the grape, from Prosecco to Glera, was a consequence of the Prosecco becoming DOC and DOCG and therefore a protected name in Europe under European law, making essentially illegal for wines produced outside the Prosecco region in the North East of Italy to be labeled as Prosecco. Before Prosecco became protected, any wine made with Prosecco grape, anywhere in the world, could have been called Prosecco. And whilst the protection applies within the EU, it doesn’t outside. In Australia, Prosecco grapes are grown and bottled as Prosecco, but these bottles cannot be imported and sold in the EU, but are in Australia and in other countries.
While the status of Prosecco Superiore DOCG has only been given to sparkling wines made in the Valdobbiadene, Cartizze and Asolo areas, the DOC status comprises sparkling wines made with glera grapes grown in a wider area, made of 3 regions, Veneto, Trentino and Friuli, essentially the whole northeast of Italy. Any sparkling wine made with Glera grapes grown outside the area cannot be called Prosecco, it may be called Glera or any other name, and the label would include the word "spumante", to indicate that it is a sparkling wine.
Prosecco is a sparkling wine made following the method Charmat or Martinotti, the Italian who originally developed the method, with the fermentation taking place in stainless steel tanks and lasting anything between 30 days to 3 months, the longer the fermentation the better is the quality of the sparkling wine.
Prosecco is an aromatic and light sparkling white wine, crispy and refreshing, delicate, light, unlike Classic Method sparkling wines that have much more structure and dept, like Franciacorta
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