Grape variety
Trebbiano (Ugni Blanc)
Trebbiano Toscano, called Ugni Blanc in France: a hugely planted white grape and the base of Cognac and Armagnac. Family, style, food.
- Colour
- White
- Origin
- Trebbiano is a family of varieties with no common ancestor: Trebbiano Toscano is Ugni Blanc, Trebbiano di Soave is Verdicchio
- Main regions
- France (Cognac, Armagnac; about 80,000 hectares), Italy (Tuscany, Abruzzo and other central regions; about 20,000 hectares)
- Typical aromas
- Lemon, green apple, blossom; neutral, high acidity, low alcohol
- Classic pairing
- Fried fish and seafood, light pasta, salads, fresh cheese
- Synonyms
- Ugni Blanc, Saint-Émilion (Charente), Procanico (Italy)
Trebbiano is not a single grape but a name Italy has given to a whole group of whites. DNA studies have found large differences and no common ancestor: Trebbiano di Soave is genetically identical to Verdicchio, and Trebbiano Abruzzese is regarded as a variety of its own. What is usually meant is Trebbiano Toscano, which the French call Ugni Blanc and which is also known as Saint-Émilion in the Charente. With about 111,000 hectares worldwide (2015) it is one of the few varieties above 100,000 hectares, of which about 80,000 are in France and about 20,000 in Italy.
Its success has simple reasons. The vine buds late and withstands spring frost well, is vigorous and crops heavily. The berries give a neutral wine with high acidity and low alcohol: not thrilling at the table, but ideal as a base for distillation. In France Ugni Blanc is therefore the grape of Cognac, whose vineyards cover more than 70,000 hectares and are planted overwhelmingly with it. The base wine often has only 8 to 9 per cent alcohol. It is also one of the main grapes of Armagnac, alongside Baco Blanc, Folle Blanche and Colombard.
In Italy Trebbiano hides in countless white wines, often as a blending partner that brings freshness without dominating. Trebbiano d’Abruzzo has had its own DOC since 1972; the bianco must contain at least 85 per cent Trebbiano, and estates such as Valentini in Loreto Aprutino and Emidio Pepe in Torano Nuovo have shown that, from old vines and with patience, it can age for decades. In Tuscany it forms, with Malvasia, the base of Vin Santo, for which the grapes are dried and the wines aged for years in small barrels. Balsamic vinegar of Modena may also be made from the must of Trebbiano, among other grapes.
In the glass Trebbiano is mostly unpretentious: pale, lemony, lively in acidity and light in body. That makes it an easy companion for fried fish, seafood, light pasta, salads and fresh cheese. Its family is better than its reputation: DNA studies found a close relationship with the Garganega of Soave without settling which of the two is the parent, and Ugni Blanc was used to breed the hybrid Vidal, one of the world’s most important ice wine grapes. Drink it young and well chilled.