Incrocio Manzoni

What Is Incrocio Manzoni?

Incrocio Manzoni is a white grape created in Veneto by crossing Riesling with Pinot Bianco, and today grown mainly in Veneto and Trentino. It makes dry, aromatic and fresh whites with citrus, peach, white flowers and a mineral finish, often labelled Manzoni Bianco.

Incrocio means "crossing" in Italian. The grape was bred by Professor Luigi Manzoni at the wine school of Conegliano, near Treviso, in the 1930s, as part of his research on new varieties for northern Italy. Its full name is Incrocio Manzoni 6.0.13, after its number in his trials. The aim was to join the aroma and acidity of Riesling with the reliability and body of Pinot Bianco. Manzoni also created other crossings, including red ones, but this white is the most successful.

Where Incrocio Manzoni Grows

• Treviso hills (Veneto): the area around Conegliano, where the grape was born, and the Piave plain.
• Trentino: hillside vineyards, where some producers make long-lived varietal wines.
• Elsewhere in Veneto: including the area of Lake Garda, where it is a minor grape in some white blends.
• Alto Adige, Friuli and Tuscany: small plantings.

Incrocio Manzoni and Italian Denominations

• Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT: used for many varietal wines from Trentino.
• Veneto IGT: used for varietal wines and blends.
• Delle Venezie IGT: a wide label across northeast Italy.
• Bianco di Custoza DOC: may be part of the blend, with Garganega, Trebbiano and other grapes.
• Colli Trevigiani IGT and Marca Trevigiana IGT: local labels in the province of Treviso.

Flavor Profile and Tasting Notes

• Fruit: lemon, grapefruit, white peach, apricot and green apple.
• Other notes: white flowers, herbs, honey and, with age, sometimes a light hint of petrol, as in Riesling.
• Structure: medium body, fresh acidity, dry finish with good length.

Most Incrocio Manzoni is fresh and fragrant, best within three or four years. Wines from good hillside sites, especially those aged on the lees or partly in wood, are fuller and can age for several years.

Food Pairing

• Fish: grilled or baked fish, trout and shellfish.
• Risotto: with vegetables, herbs or seafood.
• Asparagus: white asparagus from Bassano, a classic of Veneto.
• White meat: chicken and veal in light sauces.
• Cheese: fresh and medium-aged cheeses such as Asiago.

How to Choose and Where to Start

Start with a varietal Manzoni Bianco from Veneto or Trentino. Producers worth knowing include Foradori (Fontanasanta), Gregoletto, Casa Belfi, Calalta, Zanotelli and Le Vigne di San Pietro. A few estates in Tuscany, such as Guado al Melo and Podere Ranieri, also grow it.

Incrocio Manzoni is a crossing of Riesling and Pinot Bianco. Like Müller-Thurgau, it is a modern crossing, and it grows in the Treviso hills next to Glera. Read our best Veneto wines, the best Trentino-Alto Adige wines, or browse the grape varieties index.