Biancame is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the

Marche Marche ( , ) is one of the twenty regions of Italy. In English, the region is sometimes referred to as The Marches ( ). The region is located in the central area of the country, bordered by Emilia-Romagna and the republic of San Marino to the ...

and Emilia-Romagna regions of Italy. Here it is an important component in the ''

Denominazione di origine controllata The following four classification of wine, classifications of wine constitute the Italy, Italian system of labelling and legally protecting Italian wine: * ''Denominazione di origine'' (DO, rarely used; ; English language, English: “designatio ...

'' (DOC) wines of

Bianchello del Metauro Bianchello del Metauro is a denominazione di origine controllata wine made in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, in the region of Marche, Italy. The DOC was created in 1969. Geography The region lies on the eastern coast of Italy, close to Pesaro, ...

and

Colli di Rimini Colli may refer to: Places of Italy ;Municipalities (''comuni'') * Colli a Volturno, in the province of Isernia * Colli del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno *Colli sul Velino, in the province of Rieti ;Civil parishes (''frazioni'') *Colli ...

.J. Robinson, J. Harding and J. Vouillamoz ''Wine Grapes - A complete guide to 1,368 vine varieties, including their origins and flavours'' pg 102 Allen Lane 2012

History

Ampelographer Ampelography ( ἄμπελος, "vine" + γράφος, "writing") is the field of botany concerned with the identification and classification of grapevines, ''Vitis'' spp. Traditionally this has been done by comparing the shape and colour of the ...

s believe that Biancame likely originated in the Marche region of east-central Italy. The origins of the name Biancame is not yet known but the grape may have also been known as ''Morbidella'' in the past and has been frequently confused with other grape varieties that share similar synonyms and features.

Viticulture

Biancame is a mid to late-ripening grapevine that can be vigorous and prone to produce large canopies of leaves that need to be managed in the vineyard.

Wine regions

In 2000, there were of Biancame planted in Italy. The majority of plantings are found in the Marche provinces of

Ancona Ancona (, also , ) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region in central Italy, with a population of around 101,997 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region. The city is located northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic ...

Ascoli Piceno Ascoli Piceno (; la, Asculum; dialetto ascolano: Ascule) is a town and ''comune'' in the Marche region of Italy, capital of the province of the same name. Its population is around 46,000 but the urban area of the city has more than 93,000. Geo ...

and

Pesaro and Urbino The Province of Pesaro and Urbino ( it, Provincia di Pesaro e Urbino, ) is a province in the Marche region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Pesaro. It also borders the state of San Marino. The province is surrounded by San Marino and Emilia ...

as well as the Emilia-Romagna

province of Forlì-Cesena The province of Forlì-Cesena ( it, provincia di Forlì-Cesena) is a province in the Emilia–Romagna region of Italy. Its capital is the city of Forlì. The province has a population of 394,273 as of 2016 over an area of . It contains 30 '' co ...

Wines

According to

Master of Wine Master of Wine (MW) is a qualification (not an academic degree) issued by The Institute of Masters of Wine in the United Kingdom. The MW qualification is generally regarded in the wine industry as one of the highest standards of professional kno ...

Jancis Robinson Jancis Mary Robinson OBE, ComMA, MW (born 22 April 1950) is a British wine critic, journalist and wine writer. She currently writes a weekly column for the ''Financial Times'', and writes for her website JancisRobinson.com, updated daily. She ...

, Biancame tends to produce delicate white wines with fruity flavors and floral aromas. The grape is the primary component in the Marche DOC wine of ''Bianchello del Metauro'' produced in the province Pesaro and Urbino. While the wine can be 100%

varietal A varietal wine is a wine made primarily from a single named grape variety, and which typically displays the name of that variety on the wine label.The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition, 2000.winepros.com.au. ...

Biancame, up to 5% of

Malvasia bianca Lunga Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

(known locally as Malvasia Toscana), can also be included. Likewise, Biancame can be a varietal or blending component in the white DOC wine of Colli di Rimini produced in the

province of Rimini The province of Rimini ( it, provincia di Rimini) is a province in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. The provincial capital is the eponymous city of Rimini. The province borders the independent Republic of San Marino. As of 2019, the prov ...

in Emilia-Romagna. Here Biancame must make up at least 85% of the blend with Pignoletto,

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from England to New Zealand. For new ...

Riesling Italico Welschriesling is a white wine grape variety, unrelated to the Rhine Riesling, that is grown throughout Central Europe. Origin The descendance of Welschriesling is uncertain. The German name ''Welschriesling'' literally means ' Romanic Riesling' ...

Sauvignon blanc is a green-skinned grape variety that originates from the Bordeaux region of France. The grape most likely gets its name from the French words ''sauvage'' ("wild") and ''blanc'' ("white") due to its early origins as an indigenous grape in ...

Pinot blanc Pinot blanc is a white wine grape. It is a point genetic mutation of Pinot noir. Pinot noir is genetically unstable and will occasionally experience a point mutation in which a vine bears all black fruit except for one cane which produces ...

and

Müller-Thurgau Müller-Thurgau is a white grape variety (sp. ''Vitis vinifera'') which was created by Hermann Müller from the Swiss Canton of Thurgau in 1882 at the Geisenheim Grape Breeding Institute in Germany. It is a crossing of Riesling with Madeleine ...

permitted to collectively fill in the remaining 15%.P. Saunders ''Wine Label Language'' pg 149 Firefly Books 2004

Synonyms and confusion with other grapes

Over the years, several varieties have been known under the synonym of ''Biancame'' including

Malvasia di Sardegna Malvasia (, also known as Malvazia) is a group of wine grape varieties grown historically in the Mediterranean region, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands and the island of Madeira, but now grown in many of the winemaking regions of the world. ...

Trebbiano Toscano Trebbiano is an Italian wine grape, one of the most widely planted grape varieties in the world. It gives good yields, but tends to yield undistinguished wine. It can be fresh and fruity, but does not keep long. Also known as ugni blanc, it h ...

and Albana.

Vitis International Variety Catalogue The Vitis International Variety Catalogue (VIVC) is a database of various species and varieties/cultivars of grapevine, the genus ''Vitis''. VIVC is administered by the Geilweilerhof Institute for Grape Breeding (''Institut für Rebenzüchtung G ...

(VIVC)
Albana
'' Accessed: February 17th, 2014 In addition to being confused with these varieties due to the naming similarities, Biancame has also been confused for the Marche grape

Passerina The genus ''Passerina'' is a group of birds in the cardinal family ( Cardinalidae). Although not directly related to buntings in the family Emberizidae, they are sometimes known as the North American buntings (the North American Emberizidae a ...

as well as Trebbiano due to similarities in the grapevine's appearances. While there are no official synonyms for the Biancame grape of Marche and Emilia-Romagna listed in the

(VIVC), wine experts Jancis Robinson, Julia Harding and José Vouillamoz note that ''Morbidella'' has been possibly used as a synonym for Biancame in the past.

References

{{reflist White wine grape varieties