Riesling is a white aromatic grape that can produce outstanding wines, because like the Chardonnay, it is an age worthy wine, generally light in alcohol, with a beautiful and refreshingly high acidity.
The Riesling grape comes from Germany, where it is still the main grape, precisely the Rhine wine region, and from there planted in many other countries, including Italy, mainly Alto Adige and Friuli Venezia Giulia, it is in cool climates that the grape gives its best, however, there are the first attempt of growing the grape in warmer climate and despite the grape not producing great wines, the resulting wines are still very enjoyable without the ageing that characterise the best Rieslings.
The Riesling grape also produces some fantastic botrytised sweet wines, including the Canadian Ice Wine.
Riesling pairs well with many food types, but it is with spicy food that it really excels. Spicy food and Riesling are a pair made in heaven. Riesling is living a sort of renaissance due to very poor and sweet wine that has flooded the world a couple of decades ago, dry Riesling is crisp, due to its high levels of acidity, and has floral aromas.
The Riesling Italico grape variety, despite its name, is said to be of French origin, and from there has spread in several other countries. There are significant differences between the Rhine Riesling, the German one, and the Italian Riesling, both from the grape size and shape that the wines made, Riesling Italico produces “easier” wines but the blend of the two grapes, in any proportion, always produces great wines.
The Rondinella grape is a native of Verona and its origin remains unknown. Recognized by the ampelographers only at the end of the 19th century, Rondinella owes its name probably to the black bluish colour of its berries, reminiscent of the dove plumage.
The Rondinella grape is usually used in blends with other loval varieties, especially in the area of Valpolicella and Bardolino - Corvina, Molinara and Corvinone – to produce the local wines, Bardolino and the Valpolicella family of wines. Due to its high sugar content, the grape is used not only in the production of the Amarone but also in the Recioto della Valpolicella.
The Rondinella has a black, medium, spheroid berry with very waxy, solid skin of purplish black colour. The cluster is medium-large, pyramidal, winged, medium compact with a medium, pentagonal, five-lobed leaf.
The Rondinella grape is very versatile and adapt easily to different types of soils and climates, being a rather rustic vine, and has a high yield.
The vine Rondinella vinified alone (which rarely happens) gives an intense ruby red wine, with a delicately fruity scent, medium body, good acidity, and little tannins.
The Rossese grape is a red grape variety with uncertain origins, though it is believed to have originated in southern France before making its way to Liguria, where it found its ideal growing conditions in the Dolceacqua area. Today, Rossese is cultivated almost exclusively along the Italian Riviera, near the French border.
The Rossese grape is known for its medium-small, ellipsoidal berries with a blue black violet and waxy skin. The grape clusters are typically medium to large, pyramidal in shape, and may have one or two wings, while the leaves are pentagonal and medium to large in size. Its name is thought to be derived from its reddish hue, emphasizing its deep color and strong visual appeal. Rossese vines are pruned and trained so that their lush summer foliage shades the base and roots, shielding them from the intense midday sun. This method helps preserve the vine’s vitality and contributes to the grape’s balanced ripening.
The Rossese grape variety is known for its mid early maturation, vigorous growth, and abundant yields. It produces ruby red wines that are delicate yet expressive, offering floral and spicy aromas with hints of rose and black pepper. On the palate, Rossese wines are elegant, harmonious, and full-bodied, with a smooth texture and a subtle, slightly bitter finish.
Thanks to its **unique flavor profile and historical significance**, **Rossese di Dolceacqua** remains a prized hidden gem of **Italian winemaking**, celebrated for its **distinctive character and strong ties to Liguria’s winemaking heritage**.
The Rossese Bianco, white, grape owes its name to the intense amber or even pink shades on the fully ripe grapes that were exposed to the sun. There are other synonyms of Rossese bianco, both in Liguria di Levante and di Ponente, but there are not always phonological similarities with Rossese bianco delle Langhe, Piedmont.
White grape varieties called Rossese were widespread in Liguria (Rossese bianco is part of the Cinque Terre appellation grapes allowed) and Piedmont, mainly around Alba and Mondovi, in the past. Nowadays, the cultivation of Rossese bianco is limited to the towns of Sinio and Roddino Alta Langa.
The white berry of the Rossese bianco is small, spheroid with thick, very waxy, greenish yellow colored skin with light gray accents. The bunch is large, wide, conical, well developed, medium compact with a medium leaf.The grape has rather a poor vigor and its productivity is average but alternating, depending on the vintage.
The wines made with Rossese bianco grapes have a good alcohol content, are fresh and lively, with typical fruity notes (green apple and citrus). The taste is full-bodied, with lively acidity, balanced, and with good persistence on the palate.
The Rossese di Dolceacqua is a red wine crafted from the Rossese grape variety, which thrives in the rugged, steep terrains of Liguria’s Riviera di Ponente, west of Genoa. The challenging landscape makes vineyard maintenance and grape harvesting particularly labor intensive, requiring all vineyard operations - from pruning to harvesting - to be done entirely by hand. This manual labor intensive process is one of the main reasons why many vineyards in the region have been abandoned over time.
The Rossese di Dolceacqua DOC wine is produced in a designated area comprising 14 communes, spread across the picturesque Val Nervia and Valle Crosia. The vineyards sit at elevations ranging between 300 and 600 meters above sea level, benefiting from the Mediterranean climate and the cooling influence of the nearby Ligurian Sea.
To comply with the official DOC regulations, Rossese di Dolceacqua must be made with at least 95% Rossese grapes, with the remaining 5% consisting of non aromatic native red grape varieties. The result is a refined, light colored red wine that showcases bright acidity, medium body, and minimal tannins - unless aged in wood. Known for its elegant, fruity character, this terroir driven wine pairs beautifully with regional cuisine and embodies the rich winemaking heritage of Liguria.
Whether enjoyed young for its fresh, vibrant flavors or aged to develop greater complexity, Rossese di Dolceacqua remains a hidden gem among Italian wines, offering a truly distinctive expression of Liguria’s viticultural excellence.
The Rossignola vine is native to the province of Verona. It is present mainly in the areas of Bardolino and Valpolicella, and it is part of the main names in this area.
Although its presence is reported exclusively in this area, its presence was reported only recently, in the 19th century. The Rossignola vine is considered particularly suitable to the production of rose, being a wine of structurally little body, a reason for the partially abandoned cultivation.
The berry is black, medium, with very waxy, thin and red-purple skin. The bunch is medium, truncated pyramid, sometimes winged, compact with a medium, pentagonal, five-lobed leaf.
The Rossignola vine has good strength and good and regular production.
The Rossignola grape gives a wine with a ruby color with purple hues, of intense scents, quite complex, medium-bodied flavor, fresh and with good flavor. Generally it is not vinified alone, but blended with other grapes from the Valpolicella area or Bardolino.
The Rossola nera vine is present exclusively in Valtellina. It makes part of wines made from local varieties, but is not explicitly mentioned in any of them. The color of the grapes has probably given rise to its name. In the blends made of Valtellina’s grapes Rossola nera brings good acidity, encouraging the preservation and aging.
Its berry is black, medium, and spherical with thin, violet skin. The bunch is medium, cylindrical, compact, with a medium-small, pentagonal, three-lobed leaf.
This grape has excellent resistance to cold spring, good vigor and fertility with grapes characterized by high acidity. It is, however, sensitive to botrytis and powdery mildew.
The Rossola black gives a ruby red wine. It is characterized by good acidity that makes it useful in blends with other varieties for the fresh intake.
The Ruchè grape has ancient origins, and it is almost certainly native of Monferrato. Some believe it came from Spain, others believe its precursors came from France, carried by monks who planted it in the area around the monastery of San Rocco (which no longer exists) in Portacomaro. This seems to be the origin of the name (Fortresses), but according to others it would mean “rocks” in the sense that the Ruchè seems to prefer the steepest hill areas.
The berry is black, medium, spheroid with slightly waxy and thick skin. The bunch is medium or medium-large, elongated and winged (1 to 3 wings), medium loose with a medium, pentagonal, three-lobed or five-lobed leaf.
The Ruchè vine vigor is medium-high with medium productivity, quite regular.
The Ruchè grape gives a wine of a ruby red color with purple hues. The scent is fine, intense, fruity, with notes of cherry and geranium. The taste is full-bodied, soft, with strong alcohol content.
Sagrantino is a red grape variety native of Umbria, central Italy, and it is mainly grown in the Montefalco area with its cultivated area slowly increasing. The name Sagrantino has uncertain origin, it is thought it comes from either sagra (town's food celebration) or sacrestia (vestry), wine used during the mass celebration.
Initially used for making passito style wines, from the 1970s winemakers have started to abandon the passito for the secco, dry style.
The Sagrantino grape has one of the highest tannin level in the world amongst all grapes, and these tannins gives the wine longevity, Sagrantino made wines tend to be dark, with black fruit notes and spicy in the nose and full on the palate, its most famous wine is the Sagrantino di Montefalco.
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