This name appears in documents early as 1268. It may be derived from the italian word for "fog" (nebbia), the reference being either to the waxy bloom that covers its riper grapes, or to the fact that this is a late-ripening variety, which means that autuman fogs are an accompaniment to the grape harvest.
The cradle of this variety lies in the hills around Alba, where it was probably already to be found in antiquity. Indirect evidence of its remote origin can be seen in the fact that it shares with white muscat the distinction of being the Piedmontese variety with the greatest genetic differentiation, the outcome of mutations over the course of the centuries. It is a vigorous wine, but its output is incostant: good if spring is mild and dry, otherwise very poor. It is best grown on sunny, but not too dry hillsides. For this reason, it is quite at home at almost mountainous altitudes, provided it gets plenty of sun and is sheltered from cold winds.
Last updated 30-Jun-97
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