Red grape variety

Nebbiolo

Also called Spanna, Chiavennasca, Picotener

Nebbiolo is a red grape from Piedmont, Italy, known for pale but highly tannic, long-lived wines with tar and rose aromas. It makes Barolo and Barbaresco. Plantings are small: about 5,993 hectares worldwide in 2010, of which 5,536 were in Piedmont.

Color	Red (black-skinned)
Origin	Piedmont, Italy (recorded since 1268)
Body	Full
Acidity	High
Tannin	High
Typical aromas	rose, tar, cherry, violet, herbs, truffle, tobacco
Key regions	Piedmont (Italy), Lombardy (Italy), Aosta Valley (Italy), Valle de Guadalupe (Mexico), California (United States), Victoria (Australia)

Origin and history

Nebbiolo is native to Piedmont in north-west Italy. Its name is usually linked to nebbia, Italian for fog, either for the autumn mists of harvest time or for the bloom that covers the ripe berries; another theory connects it with nobile, noble. The earliest explicit record dates from 1268, when a wine called nibiol was documented at Rivoli near Turin. In 1303 a producer in the Roero was recorded with a barrel of nebiolo, and in 1304 the agronomist Pietro de' Crescenzi praised the wine's quality in his treatise Liber Ruralium Commodorum. Local names grew with its spread: Spanna in the hills of Novara and Vercelli, Chiavennasca in Valtellina and Picotener in the Aosta Valley.

Where it grows

Nebbiolo is demanding about site and has rarely succeeded far from home. In 2010 world plantings totalled about 5,993 hectares, of which 5,536 were in Piedmont. Its greatest wines come from the Langhe hills around Alba: Barolo and Barbaresco, with Roero across the Tanaro river. In northern Piedmont, Gattinara and Ghemme use it under the name Spanna. In Lombardy, terraced vineyards in the Alps make Valtellina Superiore from Chiavennasca. Outside Italy, the 2010 figures list about 457 hectares, including 180 hectares in Mexico, where Valle de Guadalupe is the best-known source, 98 in Victoria, Australia, and 49 in Argentina, with smaller plantings in California, Washington, Oregon and Virginia.

Taste, wine styles and food

Nebbiolo makes lightly coloured red wines that are nevertheless highly tannic and acidic in youth. The classic description is tar and roses, with cherries, violets and herbs, and with age truffle, tobacco and a brick-orange rim. Because of its tannin, traditional Barolo and Barbaresco need years of ageing to come into balance. Winemaking has long divided producers: traditionalists macerate for 20 to 30 days, while modernists favour 7 to 10 days with cooler fermentation. Lighter Langhe Nebbiolo and alpine Valtellina give earlier-drinking versions. The grape's structure suits rich food: braised beef, game, truffle dishes, mushroom risotto and aged cheeses. See old world vs new world for context on such site-bound grapes.

Wines made with Nebbiolo (7)

WineGuessr lists 7 wines made with Nebbiolo, from 2 countries. Most come from Italy (6).

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Nebbiolo: questions and answers

What grape is Barolo made from?

Barolo is made entirely from Nebbiolo, grown in the Langhe hills of Piedmont. Barbaresco uses the same grape.

What does Nebbiolo taste like?

Nebbiolo tastes of cherry and herbs with classic aromas of tar and roses. It is pale in colour but high in tannin and acidity, and develops truffle and tobacco notes with age.

Which wines are made from Nebbiolo?

Barolo, Barbaresco, Roero, Gattinara and Ghemme in Piedmont and Valtellina Superiore in Lombardy are made from Nebbiolo.

Is Spanna the same as Nebbiolo?

Yes. Spanna is the name for Nebbiolo in northern Piedmont around Novara and Vercelli, and Chiavennasca is its name in Valtellina.

Why is it called Nebbiolo?

The name is usually traced to nebbia, Italian for fog, after the autumn mists in Piedmont at harvest or the misty bloom on the berries.

Other red grapes

All grape varieties →

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Last reviewed October 2026.