Vernaccia is a pejorative form of the Italian word Vernaculo, meaning common or indigenous. It has been used in several wine regions around Italy to refer to a number of entirely unrelated grape varieties. This is a similar story to that of Malvasia (Malvoisie and Malmsey in French and English), which was originally Monemvasia, the name of the Peloponnese port through which so much sweet Malvasia wine was once shipped.
The commune or region in which a particular Vernaccia is grown often appends its name to that of the grape, creating such forms as Vernaccia di Oristano (from Oristano, Sardinia) and Vernaccia di San Gimignano (from Tuscanys San Gimignano).
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