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The Fogarina grape owes much of its fame to the refrain of a popular folk song: “Oh how beautiful the Fogarina grape is, oh how beautiful it is to know how to harvest it.” This red grape variety played a significant role in the viticultural history of the Emilia region, particularly in the first half of the 20th century, when it was the second most widely cultivated variety in the province of Reggio Emilia, following Ancellotta.
In more recent decades, Fogarina’s cultivation has declined, gradually replaced by varieties such as Fortana and Lambrusco Maestri. Also known as Fogarina di Gualtieri - after the municipality that remains its main growing area - its exact origins are uncertain. Some believe it was discovered in a forest near Guastalla called Fogarin, possibly introduced by a flood of the Po River. Others suggest the name derives from its supposed ability to “give fire” (intensity and colour) to inferior grapes that, on their own, would produce dull wines.
The Fogarina grape has black, medium-sized, round berries with thick, leathery blue-black skins. Its bunches are medium, pyramidal, and loosely packed. The wines it produces are purplish-red in colour, with a fruity aroma and a delicate, dry, soft taste, often lightly sweet and sparkling, featuring vivid red foam.
The Forastera grape is a fascinating white variety closely associated with the volcanic island of Ischia, off the coast of Campania. Although its name suggests an origin from elsewhere - Forastera is derived from forestiero, meaning “foreigner” or “stranger” - this grape has become so deeply intertwined with Ischia’s viticultural heritage that it is now considered a native variety.
The Forastera vine was introduced to Ischia in the latter half of the 19th century, during the devastating spread of phylloxera across Europe. Chosen for its relative resistance to the disease, Forastera quickly established itself on the island’s steep, sun-drenched slopes, despite being more demanding to cultivate compared to other local varieties. Today, it thrives in the unique terroir of Ischia and is also cultivated, though less extensively, in parts of Campania and Sardinia.
This variety is easily recognisable by its medium-sized, ellipsoidal white berries covered in a thin, waxy skin with pale yellow and greenish hues. The grape clusters are medium in size, loosely packed, and shaped cylindrically or pyramidal with occasional wings. The vine itself is vigorous, with good and consistent yields, and features large, rounded leaves. Forastera grapes typically ripen in the second half of September, benefiting from the island’s warm climate and maritime breezes.
Wines made from Forastera grapes are known for their freshness and light character. They are usually dry and straw-yellow in colour, with delicate floral and citrus notes. Some expressions may be lightly sparkling, making them particularly refreshing and well-suited to summer drinking or pairing with seafood and local Mediterranean dishes.
The Forgiarin grape is a rare red variety from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, with uncertain origins but likely named after the village of Forgaria in the province of Udine. Historically cultivated in areas such as San Daniele, Spilimbergo, and Maniago, today its presence is largely limited to Pinzano al Tagliamento and Castelnuovo del Friuli. Here, Forgiarin stands as a testament to the region’s viticultural history and dedication to preserving native varieties.
Forgiarin produces wines with a distinct personality. Depending on the vintage, the wine can be soft and slightly sweet, showing a harmonious balance of alcohol, acidity, and tannins. Its character has been compared to Pinot Nero dell’Oltrepò Pavese and Lago di Caldaro wines, sharing similarly pleasant, elegant sensations and a smooth drinking experience. Forgiarin is deeply rooted in tradition and remains a little-known treasure worth discovering.
The grape has medium-sized, ellipsoidal black berries with waxy, black-blue skin. The bunch is medium, compact, tapered, short, and often winged, with leaves that are pentagonal and three- to five-lobed. The vine has medium vigor and ripens in the medium-late season.
Wines made from Forgiarin are intense ruby red with violet reflections, which tend to fade toward orange hues with short aging. Aromatically, it is intense and vinous, though not particularly fruity. Instead, it offers earthy tones of undergrowth, toasted almond, and occasionally moss. On the palate, Forgiarin is soft and gently sweet, making it approachable and distinctive.
The Francavidda grape variety comes from the province of Brindisi, and its name seems to derive from Francavilla Fontana, its most important area of production. It is also known by the synonym in dialect “Francaidda”.
Francavidda is a minor grape variety in terms of cultivated area, and its sensitivity to diseases and other hardships has helped to reduce the spread.
The berry is white, medium, spherical with waxy, medium, thick, greenish-whitish skin. The cluster is medium easy, fairly tight with a large, three-lobed or entire leaf.
The Francavidda variety has good vigori and time of average maturity, its production is abundant and regular.
The Francavidda grape gives a pale yellow wine with greenish reflections. The scent offers floral and herbaceous notes, of medium complexity. The taste is fruity and moderately alcoholic, smooth, with a slight aftertaste of bitter almonds. Typically the grape is vinified in blends with other varieties of the area of Ostuni.
Franciacorta is an Italian sparkling wine produced in the province of Brescia, Lombardy, from grapes grown in the Franciacorta area, between the lake Iseo and the city of Brescia, that has been granted DOCG status in 1995.
The grape grown in the area and permitted in the Franciacorta wine are Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Nero and from 2019, Erbamat, a native white grape characterised by a late ripening and high acidity that has been introduced to fight the effect of climate change. The Franciacorta wine is made using the traditional method, the same as for Champagne, with the secondary fermentation taking place in the bottle. Contrastingly, Prosecco is made using the Charmat or Marinotti method, where the secondary fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
Franciacorta, Champagne and Cava are all classic method wines produced in different countries, respectively Italy, France and Spain and one their main difference is the length of the second fermentation, the wine fermenting on its own lees. Franciacorta has a minimum of 18 months, Champagne a minimum of 12 and Cava 9 months and this is for Non Vintage wines. The longer the second fermentation, the better, the more elegant, with a softer bubble, is the wine.
Franciacorta can be NV, Vintage or Millesimato, in these two cases all grapes used must be from the vintage on the label. Franciacorta can also be Rosé with at least 35% of Pinot nero, Satèn is the Blanc de blancs with only the use of Chardonnay and Pinot bianco permitted and Riserva, fermented for at least 5 years or 60 months on its own lees.
Franciacorta is not the only Italian classic method wine, there are plenty, many producers, from south to north, produce at least one traditional method sparkling wine with their best grapes.
Frappato is a red grape variety present throughout Sicily but mainly in the province of Siracusa and Ragusa.
The grape is very ancient and the first evidence goes back to the 16th century and its name, "frappatu" or "frappato," seems to refer to the term fruity, a prominent characteristic of the wine's enticing bouquet. Frappato origin is unknown and seems to have been imported from the Iberian Peninsula. There two very similar varieties called Frappato, with rather elongated bunches and with very close berries with an intense red colour tending to violet.
Having the berries very close can damage the bunch, when the grapes are fully ripe, they press on each other causing the splitting of some of them resulting in the formation of mould.
Frappato grapes, also often vinified in white for its characteristics, tend to produce fruity, smooth wines with very little tannins and if blended with the Nero d'Avola grapes, produce the Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG.
To learn more about the grape read Andrea's post.
Frascati is a white wine named after the town of Frascati, just on the outskirt of Rome, and during the 80s one of the most famous and exported Italian wine, a fame that slowly came to an end due to the poor quality Frascati that was being produced to satisfy the demand.
Frascati was one of Italy’s first DOC wines and was often described as “The Golden Wine” by the Romans because of its colour and value. The Frascati appellation is a blend of different white grapes, usually, but not always, including Malvasia Puntinata, Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Lazio amongst the others.
Frascati DOC is available in two versions, Secco and Amabile. The Frascati secco is the dry version of Frascati we all know, and the Amabile is the medium sweet version, only known and consumed locally. A Frascati Superiore, that in 2011 became DOCG, is also produced, requiring the wine to be at least 11.5% in alcohol content, however, nowadays, all Frascatis are well above the 11.5% so the alcohol distinction is not used anymore to differentiate one wine from another but it is the winemaker that decides, based on the vintage, whether to produce a Frascati or a Superiore, for a superiore a lower yield is required. A wood aged Frascati Superiore Riserva DOCG is also available.
Frascati, despite several attempts and plenty of new producers making great wines, has not been able to recover from the image issues yet, and it has almost disappeared from supermarkets’ shelves and restaurants’ wine lists.
Freisa is a red grape cultivated in Piedmont. While mainly grown in Monferrato and the Langhe, Freisa can also be grown in the other parts of the region, and the name originates from “fresia”, a Latin word that means strawberry. Freisa grapes can be used to produce a range of red wines, varying from sweet and still to dry and sparkling. There are two different recognised varieties of Freisa, Freisa piccolo and Freisa grossa (Freisa piccolo being a small berried variety and Freisa grossa being larger berried)
Friulano, once known as Tocai Friulano, is a historic and much-loved white grape variety native to the Friuli Venezia Giulia. Its name change came after a dispute with the Hungarian government over the use of “Tokaji” following Hungary’s entry into the European Union. Although its label has changed, its reputation, character, and deep connection to the region’s culture remain untouched.
The grape has been cultivated in Friuli Venezia Giulia since the 1600s, where it thrives in the region’s unique microclimates and mineral-rich soils. While Friulano is also planted in small quantities in the neighbouring Veneto region, it is in Friuli where it reaches its finest expression. This area’s combination of Alpine influence, Adriatic breezes, and varied terrains allows Friulano grapes to develop their signature aromas, balanced acidity, and complex flavour profile.
Despite being widely grown in its homeland, Friulano is surprisingly underappreciated outside of Italy. Traditionally used as part of white blends, it has more recently gained recognition as a single-varietal wine, allowing its unique qualities to shine. Most Friulano wines are made in an unaged, fresh style, though some winemakers experiment with oak to add depth and structure.
Friulano produces elegant, full-bodied white wines with a distinctive bouquet of fresh almonds, wildflowers, ripe stone fruits, and subtle herbal undertones. On the palate, these wines offer a harmonious balance of fruit, minerality, and texture, often with a soft, lingering savoury note. The almond finish is one of its most recognisable traits, setting it apart from other Italian whites.
Thanks to its richness and versatility, Friulano pairs beautifully with a wide range of dishes. It complements local specialities such as San Daniele prosciutto, Montasio cheese, and herb-based risottos, as well as seafood, white meats, and vegetable dishes. Its refined character also makes it a perfect choice for antipasti and aperitifs.
Fumin is a distinctive red grape variety native to the Aosta Valley in northwestern Italy, a mountainous region known for its high-altitude viticulture and ancient winemaking traditions. While the first written records of Fumin date back only to around 1830, its cultivation is deeply rooted in the region’s enological culture. The grape takes its name from the smoky aroma that is often found in the wines produced from it, "fumo" meaning smoke in Italian.
Historically, Fumin was primarily used as a blending grape, valued for its ability to enhance color, acidity, and structure in wines made from less robust varieties. However, in more recent years, local producers have begun vinifying Fumin as a single-varietal wine, with impressive results. This shift reflects a broader trend in the Aosta Valley, moving from field blends of indigenous grapes to more focused expressions of individual varieties.
Fumin is still commonly found in older vineyards, such as those in Aymavilles, where it is often grown alongside Petit Rouge, another native grape. Due to its sensitivity to microclimatic conditions, selecting the right vineyard site is crucial. The grape ripens mid-to-late season and is known for its vigorous growth and moderately consistent productivity.
The berries are medium-small, spheroid, with thick, very waxy blue-opaque skin, and the bunches are medium-small, pyramidal, usually winged and moderately compact. These traits contribute to Fumin’s suitability for barrel aging, and the wines made from this variety are best enjoyed after at least two years of aging, even if they are not oak-aged. Drinking them too young can mask their full potential and complexity.
Wines made from Fumin typically show a deep ruby red color with purple highlights. The nose is intense and expressive, revealing vinous and herbaceous aromas, with intriguing spicy notes of black pepper. On the palate, Fumin wines are full-bodied, rich, and warm, with fine tannins, balanced acidity, and a soft, elegant structure. These characteristics make Fumin one of the most promising indigenous red varieties in the Aosta Valley, especially for those who appreciate mountain wines with personality, depth, and aging potential.
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