Molinara (grape)

Molinara is a red Italian wine grape which accounted for 595 ha of planting land in Italy as of 2010, almost exclusively in the Veneto region. It adds acidity to the wines of the Valpolicella and Bardolino regions, which are made with blends of Corvina, Corvinone, Molinara and Rondinella. The wine's high propensity for oxidation, coupled with its low color extract, has caused a decline in favor and plantings among Venetian vineyards, declining in ten years by more than half from an area of 1301 ha in 2000. There has been debate about whether the grape is purple or blue. This grape is occasionally blended with Merlot to produce soft elegant rosés, and Molinara also accounts for 122 ha of planting land in Spain.