Besgano bianco
A rare white grape once key to Vin Santo.
Besgano bianco is a white Italian wine grape variety that was historically used in the production of the dessert wine Vin Santo, blended with Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Verdea. Today it is rarely planted and is more often used for table grape production than winemaking. The grape is also known as Colombana bianca but is not a color mutation of the Tuscan and Emilia-Romagna wine grape Colombana nera.
Quick Facts
- Also known as
- Colombana bianca
- Historical use
- Vin Santo production
- Blended with
- Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Verdea
- Current status
- Rarely planted, more often used for table grapes
Facts from the source article.
Did You Know?
- The grape has historically been associated with the provinces of Genoa and Piacenza and the valleys of the Trebbia and Nure rivers.
- Synonyms include Grignolino bianco, Grignolo bianco, and Uva di Milano.
History
Ampelographers think Besgano bianco comes from north central Italy, though its exact birthplace remains unknown. The two most likely areas are Voghera in Lombardy’s Pavia province and Bobbio in Emilia-Romagna’s Piacenza province, home to the Abbey of San Colombano—which gives the grape its synonym Colombana bianca. Historically, winemakers used Besgano bianco for Vin Santo straw wine, especially in Liguria and Emilia-Romagna, blending it with Malvasia Bianca Lunga and Verdea. But after World War II, plantings dropped sharply, and by 2000 the grape had vanished from Italy’s official wine census.
More in White Wine Grape Varieties from Italy
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