white grape · regional specialty
Albana
Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Say it
al·bah·nah
On the palate
apricotwhite peachorange peelquincealmondhoney
How you spot it blind: bitter-almond finish on a golden, textured dry white
The story
First written down · c. 1303, Romagna (Pier de' Crescenzi, Ruralia Commoda)
Italy's first white DOCG appellation (1987, widely criticized as politically rather than merit-driven); 2008 DNA profiling found genetic proximity to Garganega.
Where it lives
Romagna (Forlì-Cesena, Ravenna, Bologna provinces), Italy
Shows up as
still drysweetpassitoRomagna Albana DOCG