The Turbiana Grape

This grape was long thought to be just another clonal variant of Verdicchio, which see; but relatively recent DNA analyses have shown that it is actually a truly different variety. It was and is grown almost exclusively in the area around Lake Garda in northeast Italy, and the growers there promptly settled on the old nickname of Turbiana as the new official designation of this newly identified variety.

Its general history and background may be presumed to be the same as for the true Verdicchio Bianco grape. And, as Lake Garda is in the Veneto regTrebbiano di Luganaion (at its extreme west end), it is likely the original home (at least in Italy) of the whole Verdicchio shebang, with the movement of Verdicchio Bianco down the the Marche region coming later.

As a wine, Turbiana shares many of the general qualities of Verdicchio Bianco (which is why they were long thought to be just clonal variants of one type). Those qualities are crisp acidity and a lemon overtone to the nose and flavor, often leaving a sort of bitter-almond after-taste (a quality prized by Italians). They display terroir well, and are considered age-worthy.

Noted Italian-wine expert Ian D’Agata, in his excellent book Native Wine Grapes of Italy, states that “Verdicchio is arguably Italy’s greatest white grape variety” (a remark that presumably applies as well now to Turbiana).

Factoid: A new high-speed railway would, if created as now planned, destroy 750 acres of Turbiana vineyards, a substantial fraction of the total acreage for this grape; using a proposed easy alternative route would add an estimated four minutes to travel time. Interesting equation: 4 minutes = 750 acres. Even in Italy, that seems grotesque. As of autumn of 2021, the world still awaits word on whether the alternative will be adopted.

Some Descriptions of Turbiana Wines

Madeline Puckette, Wine Folly
“Turbiana is indeed unique. The high quality examples have notes of pineapple, mandarin orange with a round and lush style supported by the classic Italian ’green almond‘ flavor. The bitter almond note morphs into hazelnut-like flavors as the wine ages and oxidizes. ”
Michael Bredahl, World’s Best Wines
“Wines made from Turbiana grapes carry heavy and intense flavors of lemon and grapefruit, showing not too much fruitiness neither sweetness nor aromatic although it displays aromas of mints and refreshing fresh lime upon opening. When grapes are too much ripe, they lose acidity and gives out natural grassy flavors while early picked grapes show overall bitter taste.”
Kerin O’Keefe, Wine Enthusiast
“Crisp and enticingly floral, Lugana DOC wines have flavors of juicy citrus, white stone fruit and almond. Rounder, fuller-bodied Lugana Superiore bottlings are aged for one year and show wild herb and saline notes. Riserva selections, poised and complex, are released after two years of aging and boast flinty mineral and spice. Today, most producers vinify in stainless steel with prolonged skin contact on the lees. For Superiore and Riserva bottlings, many producers age in both steel and wood to lend complexity without overwhelming oak sensations. Lugana can age for two to three years, while Superiore and Riserva selections can develop well for several years or more.”
Paul Caputo, Vinorandom
“Turbiana produces fresh white wines with delicate notes of tree fruit and white peach. In the Lugana DOC growing areas around the southern shore of Lake Garda the wines are all about purity in their youth while after a few years they develop a complex, nutty aroma.”
Rob Tebeau, Fringe Wine
[reviewing one particular Turbiana wine] “In the glass the wine had a medium silvery lemon color. The nose was nicely aromatic with lemony citrus, white peach and a kind of clean, stony river water sort of smell. On the palate the wine was medium bodied with medium acidity. There were flavors of white peach and lemon peel with that same stony kind of minerality on the finish. It was a little flat and could have used a bit more acidity. The nose was more enjoyable than the palate was, but it was still and pretty good wine for around $15. It wasn't all that complex or deep, but it was crisp and refreshing and sometimes that's just the sort of thing you need.”
Robert McIntosh, Thirst For Wine
“The wines made from this grape can take different characters, but at their core they maintain an attractive freshness, a lightness but also a strong, stony elegance that in many ways improves with age…There are two main characters in the region. On one side are the crisp, sharp, “mineral” and white petal style, usually found in the youngest wines, from the more chalky extreme vineayrds, and those enjoyed in Italy itself. These are mainly just labelled “Lugana” and sold as young and fresh as possible. On the other side are the wines that start to show more tropical, mandarin orange fruit and these can be young, from the traditional areas with their heavier clay soils, but also the style the wine adopts as it ages in tank and bottle. The [sic] could be labelled “Lugana” but you are more likely to find them as “Lugana Superiore”, or even better as “Lugana Riserva” — official classifications that requires the wines to be aged in the wineries before release, to really show their potential.”
Debbie Gioquindo, Hudson Valley Wine Goddess
“Clean with powerful aromas, white flowers, hints of almonds, citrus, salinity nice acidity and well balanced. An elegant white wine.”
Brianne Cohen
“Turbiana is the white grape used to make Lugana wine, a refreshing and dynamic white wine from the Lugana DOC near Lake Garda in northeast Italy…We begin with the entry-level Lugana, which covers over 90% of the wines that come out of the region. No aging requirements on this one. Next up we have the Lugana Superiore where the wine must age for at least one year for this designation. Lugana Riserva must age for at least 24 months (6 mos of which have to be in the bottle)…These wines show bright, fresh citrus and stone fruit aromas and flavors and strong acidity. Also, notes of white flowers and even nuttiness in some Lugana wine expressions.”
Erik Trinidad, Wine Pair
“Lake Garda’s weather and terroir bring forth depth and balance to Trebbiano di Lugana, with a firm acidity and a steely texture. Above all, the grapes of Lake Garda produce wines with excellent ageability — from the sparkling Lugana Metodo Classico Brut DOC, to the full-bodied Lugana San Benedetto DOC.”

Some Turbianas to Try

It is interesting and perhaps amusing that after all the pother the regional growers went to so as to get their local grape officially recognized as “Turbiano”, they virtually all instead still label their bottles as “Lugana”.

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Monday, 8 November 2021, at 6:29 am Pacific Time.

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