Nebbiolo is the Robert De Niro of California wines. Both have an Italian heritage; both can be changeable, moody and unpredictable with a rough exterior but soft, compassionate soul; and both can be problematic to work with. Because of their distinctive personalities and professional versatility, they are often referred to as the “king” of their respective realms.

Nebbiolo is the royal grape of the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy where it originated. While written references to the grape date to the 9th century, Nebbiolo was first cultivated in the 14th century in the Valtellina valley of the neighboring Lombardy region at the foot of the Italian Alps north of Lake Como.

There are two possible origins of the name for Nebbiolo. First, the Italian word for “fog” is nebbia and ripe Nebbiolo grapes display a characteristic “foggy” or “frosty” look on their surface prior to harvest. A second allusion to nebbia could refer to the morning fogs that can blanket Piedmont in early fall as the grapes ripen. The other possibility for Nebbiolo could come from the Italian word for “noble” since Italian royalty has historically pronounced wines from the grape to be “the wine of kings, and king of wines.”

While Nebbiolo is not the most prolific grape of Piedmont, it is certainly the most respected. Although only three percent of the grapes grown in the Piedmont are Nebbiolo, they make some of the world’s most sought-after red wines – Barolo and Barbaresco. These unique wines are prized for their depth, concentration, and tannic structure that allow them to bottle age gracefully for decades.

Throughout history, Nebbiolo has been jealously guarded in its Italian homeland and very few cuttings were exported outside of Piedmont. In 1882, John T. Doyle of Cupertino was the first Californian to import Nebbiolo. Some time later, Napa’s Charles Krug used the grape to make a wine called Spanna, another name for Nebbiolo in Piedmont. During the 1890s, Italian Swiss Colony produced a wine labeled Barolo made from Nebbiolo and regularly blended into their famous Tipo Chianti. By the turn of the century, Nebbiolo had all but disappeared from the lexicon of California grape varieties. It wasn’t until the 1950s that Nebbiolo re-emerged in Tulare County. Horace Lanza of Italian Vineyard Company used these grapes to make California’s first post-Repeal Nebbiolo wine.

Today, there are 348 acres of Nebbiolo vines in California. About half of this acreage is in the south coast region (Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo) while some 95 acres of Nebbiolo are found in the Sierra foothills and northern Sacramento Valley.

Nebbiolo can be a challenging grape for growers as well as vintners. It is highly sensitive to environmental and climatic conditions including soil and sun exposure. Nebbiolo is a relatively late ripening variety that does best when cultivated on south or southwest facing hillsides of calcareous (limestone-based) soils. The vines prefer climates that feature warm-to-hot summers and long autumns that allow the berries to fully mature and ripen. The thin-skinned, Nebbiolo is remarkably tough and resistant to most molds and vineyard pests.

Because of the vine’s sensitivity to environmental conditions, Nebbiolo grapes often produce wines of widely varying body, tannin, acidy, and character. The great wines from the Piedmont villages of Barolo and Barbaresco showcase the schizophrenic nature of Nebbiolo. The classic wines of Barolo tend to be dark, robust and bold with intense earthy aromas of tar, tobacco and violets supported by a powerful tannic structure. Classic Barbarescos on the other hand, are somewhat softer, showing a more feminine side with elegance, grace, and style. Certainly more approachable in their youth, Barbarescos exhibit more fruitiness while maintaining the character of high acidity and tannic exuberance.

California Nebbiolo producers have yet to duplicate the unique character of the Italian Barolos and Barbarescos and probably never will or should. Nebbiolos made in California have individual characteristics that vary with their origins. The most successful California wines are full-bodied and tannic with deep color and flavors of violets, cherries, raspberries, truffles, tobacco, and prunes. Like their Italian cousins, California Nebbiolo can be aged in the cellar for two or three decades but the wines are most approachable at least three to four years after vintage.

Great wines, like great actors, don’t necessarily appeal to every audience. Sometimes they can be rough, tough and rude while at other times, gentle benevolent and likable. But isn’t that what makes them both great?