Invernenga

A native white grape of the Brescia area whose deeper origins are unknown — first documented in an 1826 Austro-Hungarian ministerial survey as one of the most widely cultivated varieties around Brescia. Its name is traditionally traced to the Brescian habit of storing bunches through winter in attics for consumption around Christmas, since the grape's thick skin lets it keep for long periods; it has dual use as both a table and wine grape. Officially registered in the National Vine Variety Register since 1971. Cultivation is now limited to a handful of old, isolated plantings around Brescia, most famously the Vigneto Pusterla — Europe's largest urban vineyard, at the base of Brescia's castle, with rootstock up to 80 years old.

One of five varieties admitted for the generic white blend in Ronchi di Brescia IGT, and the sole grape (minimum 85%) of the denomination's varietal passito typology — the only typology in this dataset built entirely from Invernenga.