Pronunciation – treb-ee-ah-noe
Trebbiano is one of the most planted white grape varieties in the world. It is a big family to which many grape varieties belong, almost from all around the world, Italy, France, Portugal, Bulgaria, Australia, Argentina, USA. but with different names. For example, in France it’s called Ugni Blanc, in Portugal it is called Tália or Thalia. Instead, Trebbiano Toscano, Trebbiano D’Abruzzo, Trebbiano Spoletino, Trebbiano di Romagna, Trebbiano Giallo and Trebbiano Modenese, are some examples of the names a Trebbiano can have depending on which part of Italy it grows.
Trebbiano has a very old history: references have been found in scripts dating back to the 14th Century!
Usually, wines from Trebbiano have been mainly used in blends with other grape varieties to add volume and freshness. This grape variety is quite neutral and, like Chardonnay, it’s like a blank? canvas, on which winemakers can paint their own style.
Trebbiano is a very vigorous grape variety capable of high yields; that’s why it has almost always been used in blends and seldom as a single variety, except for table wines. Though, in the last years and thanks to the efforts of a small number of highly rated Italian winemakers, Trebbiano is gaining popularity as a high quality single variety wine, commanding super premium prices.
Trebbiano Tasting Notes
In general wines from Trebbiano are simple, still and dry. Light-medium body with high levels of acidity and mainly primary flavors that range from blossom, lime, lemon, pear and stone fruits like peach, but never too intense or concentrated.
Except for a small number of highly rated winemakers that produce super premium wines, Trebbiano is a quite neutral grape variety that naturally doesn’t show very complex characteristics.
Trebbiano Styles
Trebbiano can have slight differences between the country or region in which it is grown, but has in common the freshness of the primary fruit flavors.
Thanks to its natural acidity, in Italy it is often blended with other grape varieties for the production of Vin Santo (a famous sweet wine from Tuscany). It Is not uncommon also in Umbria to find sweet wines based on Trebbiano Spoletino.
Small productions of sparkling methods are made from this grape variety.
Instead, in France, Ugni Blanc (local name of Trebbiano) takes a fundamental role in the production of Cognac and Armagnac.
Trebbiano Classifications
Trebbiano by itself is the base wine for 7 DOC in Italy, but it is found in more than 80 appellations!
The more recognized ones are: Trebbiano D’Abruzzo DOC, Trebbiano di Romagna DOC and Spoleto DOC.
It’s also allowed to have a small percentage (up to 10%) of Trebbiano for the production of the famous Chianti DOCG.
Best Years To Drink Trebbiano
Keeping in mind that Trebbiano is an easy drinking white wine, it would be best to enjoy it within a few years after commercialization, as it won’t improve with age.
Again, exceptions have to be mentioned with some quality-conscious producers. In fact, their wines can improve in the bottle also for some decades, developing very interesting notes of dried herbs, spices and ripe fruits. It’s not unusual to see bottles of Trebbiano D’Abruzzo of 15 or 20 years on the shelves of the specialist wine shops!
Trebbiano Average Prices
As mentioned before, Trebbiano is basically a simple, easy drinking wine mainly used as a blending component in wines and the prices reflect this. As a result, it’s possible to buy table wines or acceptable Trebbiano for less than 5€ in supermarkets.
Top premium producers command premium or super premium prices, more than 100€ per bottle.
Fun Facts About Trebbiano
Experiments have been carried out to cross Trebbiano with another grape variety: Gewurztraminer. The result is a pink skinned grape variety called “Manzoni Rosa”.
One kind of Trebbiano, specifically called Trebbiano Modenese, is mainly cultivated and used for the production of Aceto Balsamico di Modena.
One synonym of Trebbiano is Pagadebit. The name alludes to the vine’s high and reliable yields which can allow growers to settle their debts!
