This is what good wine from the Vespolina grape tastes like

Wine from the Italian Vespolina grape is dark red, spicy and firm with lively tannin - if you get the chance to drink a wine made from Vespolina alone, that is, since it is usually blended with other grapes, for example with Nebbiolo.

Vespolina is a typically North Italian grape. It grows mainly in Gattinara and Ghemme, in the north of Piedmont. Occasionally you come across it under the alias Ughetta in Lombardy. The sweet grape has an irresistible attraction for wasps ('vespa' in Italian), and that probably explains where it gets its name from.

Vespolina has been planted less and less in recent decades. Many winegrowers prefer to replace it with the more popular Barbera.