Pietro Stara è autore del libro “Il discorso del vino” (ZIC Milano, 2013), con cui ha vinto, nel 2015, il premio per la saggistica edita del Centro Pavesiano – CEPAM e del libro “Il vino e la storia” (Sabatelli editore, Savona 2025). La sua ricerca si concentra sul mondo del vino, esplorando temi legati alla sua storia, alla viticoltura e all’enologia. Collabora con diverse testate giornalistiche, sia online che cartacee, approfondendo le tematiche relative al settore. Oltre al suo impegno nel giornalismo, insegna antropologia culturale e sociologia dei consumi, come docente a contratto, presso l’Università di Scienze Gastronomiche di Pollenzo.

Pietro Stara

Pietro Stara, autore di "Il discorso del vino" e "Il vino e la storia". Scrittore ed esperto che esplora cultura, storia e filosofia del vino.

Pietro Stara - Autore | Il discorso del vino, Il vino e la

The history of grignolino: roots and legacy of a great Piedmontese grape Dive into the enigmatic world of grignolino with this compelling historical investigation by renowned researcher Pietro Stara. Using an "evidential paradigm"—a detective-like approach—Stara uncovers the mysteries and complex identities of a grape variety that has shaped Piedmontese viticulture, yet whose history has often been overlooked. A historical enigma unfolds The journey begins in the 13th century (1249), tracing the grape’s earliest footsteps back to the monks of Sant’Evasio in Casale Monferrato. At the time, it was known as "Berbesino" or "Barbesino". It wasn’t until a 1614 inventory of the Casale Castle that the name "grignolino" finally appeared in official records. Key highlights of the research: The identity quest: discover how 19th-century ampelographers like Demaria, Leardi, and the traveler Giorgio Gallesio solved the puzzle of its many synonyms, confirming that the "barbesino" of Alessandria and the "grignolino" of Asti were, in fact, the same soul. The etymological debate: the book tackles the fierce disputes linking grignolino to barbera, debunking myths through the rigorous historical analysis of scholars like Senator Desana and Dalmasso. A sparkling past: in a surprising revelation, the text explores grignolino’s role as a pioneer of Italian sparkling wine. Long before its current still-wine reputation, it was crafted using the Méthode Champenoise, winning prestigious awards and ranking as a top choice for spumante production as late as 1924. The white mystery: the investigation even touches upon the elusive "white grignolino," a rare variety mentioned in historical texts and immortalized in the famous 1858 wax fruit models by Francesco Garnier Valletti.

1. History, mathematics and abduction

2. The nineteenth-century ampelographies and Grignolino, or Barbesino

3. Grignolino - TABLE XXI

4. Giorgio Gallesio. The travel journals

5. The nineteenth and twentieth centuries

6. Aldo di Ricaldone and the erroneous attribution of barbesine grapes to ancient Barbera

7. Desana and the refutation of the theses proposed by Father Coppo and then by Giovanni Aldo di Ricaldone

8. A viticultural sub-lexicon

9. A white barbesino or a white Grignolino?

10. Grignolino and the traditional method

11. Documentary appendix

12. Bibliography

8 A viticultural sub-lexicon In the meticulous and invaluable philological work in which Thomas Hohnerlein-Buchinger engaged, there are some hypotheses for the etymological reconstruction of the three types of grapes: regarding Barbissina, the scholar tends, differently from what was deEned by Fmilio .accioli, to believe that the derivation was BARDITIUM   barbisino   berbizino. Barbosino goes back to a *BARBOSUS   BARBAz Fmilio .accioli had instead hypothesiPed, referring to the work of 'ietro deC LrescenPi, Ruralia commoda, that these grapes took their name from Berbigene: or berbigano, from late ;atin berbix: sheep1 grape appreciated by sheepz In a note, then, .accioli shadows the hypothesis that the Locerina grape was also related to the previous one, although not better identiEable" z (Barbissina Cspecies of vine and grapeC 3additions to ;FI szvz BARBITIUM 3)zbz7: "84M, 2itterpacher 6,"91 "805, .abbroni "51 "46A, Gcerbi 6A87, Berbigene 3caz ")65, LrescenPi, .accioli "048, "57, Berbexino 3"6A6, LarteLasalez Sabotto.issoBqqq M","4 seD z7, Barbesino 3"46A, Gcerbi 4"1 "4M8, GmpelograEaItal 9,4"1 "059, 2olon )047, 'iedmontese uva barbisina 3RiqantCGlbino1 Sribaudo-qeglie7, ossolzprealpz 3vallanPz7 barbi ina a Sysling, 2ilanese barbisinna Lherubini, lombzorz 3bergz7 barbis ! TiraboschiGpp, vogherz 3iiga barbiz   2aragliano, 3iiga7 varbz   ibz, 3iiga7 barbi- "z Fmilio .accioli 3edz7, L'arte della cucina in Italia. Libri di ricette e trattati sulla civilt  della tavola dal XIV al XIX secolo, in 'IFN RF LNFqLFZVI, Finaudi, Turin, "048, note "", pz "" 

G UITILX;TXNG; qXB-;FOIL§Z 9) z   ibz1 3iiga7 verbz   ibz, Barbosino 3"9MM, Tanara Fconomia M67, Barbosina 3"46A, Gcerbi 60A7z Etymology: .accioli "048, "" 3nz "57 believes a late ;atin etymology BERBIX for the form Berbigene, because grape appreciated by sheepz Siven that in Zorthern Italy the passage of -a   -ebefore r- + consonant is very widespread 3cfz NohlfsSrammqtor = 6M7 and due to the uncertainty of orthography regarding the outcome of -ti- 3cfz Nohlfs Srammqtor = 6057, I maintain a ;atin origin BARDITIUM   barbisino   berbizino. Barbosino goes back to a *BARBOSUS   BARBAz Gragnolata Cvariety of vineC 3"650, Tortona, Bqqq )5,648   vineam de grignolato   Grignolino1 caz ")65, LrescenPi, .accioli "048,41 "9"M, GqTorino, Lamera, artz M06, fascz"957: Granolata 3"450, Targioni ToPPetti7z lower 'iedmontese 3UalenPa7 Grignol  3"46A, Gcerbi 4"7z Etymology: There are those who believe a ;atin base Grandeola (hailstone( 3qFF deli A"M7 for the shape and siPe of the grape 3B7z However, given LrescenPiCs deEnition 3uve que gragnolata dicitur longum habet aliquantulum granum qellaFmil7, one must also consider a ;atin solution Graneola Cgrain of wheatC   Grignolino, RFI "4AM1 UFI A"6 Grignol  Cspecies of vine from Zorthern ItalyC 3"84Mz 2itterpacher 6z"81 "805, .abbroni "51 "46Az Gcerbi 6A91 "059z 2olon 9A51 before "066, NYbora, 3B7z lombzocc 3comz7 grignol  2onti, 2ilanese - 3Lherubini1 Gngiolini7, Gngnolerio 3"))8-4z LLqS, LombaUigne "))87z Grignolino Cspecies of grape variety, the red grape it produces and the wine made from it 3"9"M, Inventario Lasalez LombaUigne-6z64A* "49)z Nossitti Uiti .riuli 95* "448, GmpelograEaIta 9,4"1 "448, Larducci, RF;I1 "05"z Bruttini1 "05Az 'anPini B1 "059, 2olon 9M4* ante "054, 'esci, B1 "0A8z Larena: "09)z 2onelliz B: "088z qoldati )401 R§ "0051 "005, Ueronelli M)* '. "006* Ving "00M7z 'iedmontese grignolin Ri qantCGlbino, uva grignolina ibz, grignulin ;evi, G'icmz 3castellz7 grig ulin 3Top- 

Roots and Evidence of a Great Piedmontese Grape Variety - The History of Grignolino