Rossese bianco is a white

Italian wine Italian wine is produced in every region of Italy. Italy is the world's largest producer of wine, with an area of under vineyard cultivation, and contributing a 2013–2017 annual average of 48.3 million hl of wine. In 2018 Italy accounted fo ...

grape variety This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

that is grown around the communes of

Roddino Roddino is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Cuneo in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin and about northeast of Cuneo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 386 and an area of .All demographics and ...

and Sinio in the

Langhe The Langhe (; ''Langa'' is from old dialect Mons Langa et Bassa Langa) is a hilly area to the south and east of the river Tanaro in the province of Cuneo and in the province of Asti in Piedmont, northern Italy. It is famous for its wines, chee ...

region of the

province of Cuneo Cuneo (Italian), or Coni (Piedmontese), is a province in the southwest of the Piedmont region of Italy. To the west it borders on the French region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur ( departments of Alpes-Maritimes, Alpes-de-Haute-Provence and Haut ...

Piedmont it, Piemontese , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = , demographics1_footnotes = , demographics1_title1 = , demographics1_info1 = , demographics1_title2 ...

. While sharing the name ''Rossese'' with several Italian varieties (including

Rossese di Dolceacqua Tibouren or Rossese di Dolceacqua is a red French wine grape variety that is primarily grown in Provence (wine), Provence and Liguria (wine), Liguria but originated in Greece (wine), Greece and possibly even the Middle East (wine), Middle East. ...

Grillo Grillo, also known as Riddu and Rossese bianco, is a white Italian wine grape variety that withstands high temperatures and is widely used in Sicilian winemaking and, in particular, for making Marsala. Its origins are uncertain, but it may h ...

and Ruzzese), DNA profiling has shown that all these varieties have unique genetic profiles and appear to have no close relationship to each other.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pgs 910-911 Allen Lane 2012 Ampelographers believe that the name ''Rossese'' came from a description of the intense color of the Rossese berries with the many varieties that are known as ''Rossese'' having skin colors that range from deep red to pink to dark gold after

veraison In viticulture, veraison (french: véraison, ) is the onset of the ripening of the grapes. The official definition of ''veraison'' is "change of color of the grape berries". Veraison represents the transition from berry growth to berry ripening, ...

History

Map of region of Piedmont, Italy, with provinces-en

In 1596, Andrea Bacci of

Sant'Elpidio a Mare Sant'Elpidio a Mare is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Fermo, in the Marche region of Italy. Geography Sant'Elpidio a Mare is located on a ridge of Marche Apennine, elevation above sea level, between the lower river valleys of the r ...

, a winemaker who also served as a physician to Felice Peretti di Montalto before his elevation to Pope Sixtus V noted that a grape known as ''Rossese bianco'' or ''Roxeise'' had been producing wine of high quality and reputation since the 15th century. However, it is impossible to know if this grape is the Rossese bianco grape of Roddino and Sinio or one of the many other Italian wine grapes that have been known as Rossese.

Styles and wines

According to

Master of Wine Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional knowle ...

Jancis Robinson, the rare

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

examples of Rossese bianco tend to be light bodied with fresh flavors. It is a currently a permitted variety in the ''

Denominazione di origine controllata The following four classifications of wine constitute the Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English: “designation of origin”), * ''Indicazione geografica tipi ...

'' wines of Langhe.

Synonyms

While many grape varieties share the name Rossese, as of 2013 there were no known synonyms for the Rossese bianco grown in Roddino and Sinio.

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung Gei ...

(VIVC)
Rossese bianco
' Accessed: November 9th, 2013

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties