Nebbiolo
Also known as Spanna, Chiavennasca, Picutener, Picotendro.
Nebbiolo is an Italian red wine grape native to Piedmont, in the northwest of the country. It is the grape behind Piedmont's most prestigious wines, including the DOCG wines Barolo, Barbaresco, Gattinara, Ghemme, and Roero, and it is grown across northern Italy under several regional names. Its name is usually traced to the Italian nebbia, meaning fog, a reference to the fog that settles over the Langhe hills during its late-October harvest or to the pale bloom that veils the ripe berries.
In the glass Nebbiolo produces lightly colored red wines that can be highly tannic when young and that develop a brick-orange hue at the rim as they age. It is high in acidity and tannin and is commonly associated with aromas of tar and roses. In the vineyard it is one of the first varieties to bud and among the last to ripen, so it is typically planted on favored south- and southwest-facing slopes to help it reach full maturity.