Vespaiola
Vespaiola is a white Italian wine grape variety planted primarily in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy, where it is often dried to produce passito style dessert wines. Along with Friulano, Vespaiola is an important component in the Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) white wine of Breganze produced in the province of Vicenza.
| Vespaiola | |
|---|---|
| Grape (Vitis) | |
Vespaiola grapes hung from the ceiling in a drying room to make a passito style wine | |
| Color of berry skin | Blanc |
| Species | Vitis vinifera |
| Also called | See list of synonyms |
| Origin | Italy |
| VIVC number | 13016 |
Vespaiola grapes ripen to high sugar levels and are used to produce sweet wines with a characteristic golden hue. In fact, the grapes of Vespaiola get so concentrated with sugars that the name Vespaiola comes from Vespa, in reference to wasps that are attracted to the sugary aromas in vineyards.
Despite its similar-sounding name, Vespaiola should not be confused with red Italian wine grape, Vespolina, which is grown in the Piedmont and Lombardy regions.