Rondinella is an Italian red-wine grape variety that most commonly appears in the blended wines of Valpolicella and Bardolino. Rarely grown outside the Veneto region, Rondinella's key attribute is its prolific yields. However, this attribute rarely equates to good quality and, consequently, Rondinella is hardly ever produced as a varietal wine. Rather, it is used to add herbal flavors to Corvina-based wines and to flesh out the blend.

Corvina shares more than just traditional blending practices with Rondinella, as DNA profiling in the early 21st Century established it as a parent variety to Rondinella. Like its parent, Rondinella has thick skin that is resistant to rot and well suited to the appassimento method of drying grapes. Consequently, Rondinella is often used in Recioto and Amarone blends.


Rondinella Grapes