What is "brugnola"

Brugnola is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Lombardy wine region of Valtellina. While historically, Brugnola was thought to be a local synonym for Emilia-Romagna wine grape Fortana, DNA analysis has shown that the two grapes are distinct variety and that, instead, Brugnola shares a close genetic relationship with the Piedmont wine grape Nebbiolo.

Today, Brugnola is a permitted grape variety in the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG) of Valtellina Superiore with the grape most often seen from the Valtellina subzone of Grumello.