I have discovered a new appreciation for Grignolino (pronounced “green-yo-lee-no”) lately. I found this bottle of 100% Grignolino d’Asti from Agostino Pavia & Figli at K&L Wine Merchants in Hollywood the other day. It’s juicy, fresh and so easy to drink with just about anything. When I went online to do a little research about the grape, I found this awesome article by Patricia Thomson where she recalls a conversation with Rafaella di Bolgona, of Braida di Giacomo Bolgona winery about Grignolino.
Rafaella recalls how difficult a grape it is to grow and to vinify. Rafaella quotes, “I confess, Grignolino is the only wine I cried over. When I started as a winemaker, I didn’t understand it.”
She stresses that “Grignolino, like Nebbiolo, was a grape of nobility”. I love how proud Italians are of their own local heritage and histories. It is a beautiful thing to honor these ancient grapes, because they are an integral part of Italy’s culture and ancestry.
Grignolino: affordable, drinkable, geeky and delicious.