The Erbaluce grape is a white grape variety, mainly cultivated in the north-western region of Italy, particularly in the Piedmont region, where it is said to have its origins in the Canavese area. It is a versatile variety, boasting a high level of acidity and a complex flavour profile that includes notes of citrus, honey and wild herbs. It is used to produce different styles of wine: still, sparkling and sweet. One of the most famous wines produced from the Erbaluce grape is the traditional 'Erbaluce di Caluso'; it can be sparkling and thus obtained using the Metodo Classico, the same used for Champagne. Or dry, or again, sweet like the famous 'Erbaluce Passito DOCG'. The grape is prized for its ability to age gracefully, with some wines exhibiting complex flavours and aromas after several years of bottle ageing.
The history of Erbaluce is relatively old, with the first mention of it at the beginning of the 17th century, when it was mentioned as Elbalus by Giovan Battista Croce, the jeweller to the Duke of Savoy Charles Emmanuel I. Despite this, its origins are much debated, for some it is a spontaneous variation of Trebbiano known as Bianchera in Lombardy. For others, however, it is a derivation of Cascarolo Bianco, as some genetic evidence seems to point out. a curiosity: before the introduction of Chardonnay, it was for a very long time the recommended white grape in the area that is now identified by the Metropolitan City of Turin. It is normally trained using the Pergola method, but modern viticulture increasingly uses alternative systems. The bunch is not particularly compact, which makes Erbaluce fairly resistant to mould, with a medium-sized, thick skin and high levels of Pruina.