Producers in the Asti region try to model Grignolino on the wines of
Beaujolais and those made from the
Dolcetto grape in the
Cuneo. These
light bodied, pale colored wines are made to be consumed young and while waiting for the brawnier,
Nebbiolo and
Barbera based wines of the region to
age. While the grapes are relatively low in
alcohol at around 11–12%
ABV, they do have a significant amount of tannins due to the abundance of pips, or seeds. Modern winemaking techniques try to minimize the amount of tannin extraction by utilizing slow and gentle pressings. Wines made from Grignolino can have noticeably strong acidity and fruity aroma with alpine notes. Grignolino is also prone to
millerandage, with clusters (or even grapes within a single cluster) at different stages of ripening. The severity of the millderandage varies from year to year and can dramatically affect the quality and
yield totals of any given
vintage.
Wine regions Grignolino is primarily planted in the Asti province of Piedmont and is rarely found outside this region. One notable exception is the
California producer
Heitz Wine Cellars that grows a limited amount in their
Napa Valley vineyard. Grignolino is also grown in the Santa Clara Valley at Guglielmo Winery in Morgan Hill. Guglielmo produces a dry Grignolino rose and also a red wine, both 100% Grignolino. Additionally, Grignolino is grown and blended with Dolcetto by Ripken Vineyards and Winery in Lodi, CA. ==Synonyms==