The white grape variety originates from Italy. Synonyms are Cacciadebiti, Caccione, Camplese, Pagadebito, Passera, Passeretta Bianca, Passerina Bianca, Scacciadebito, Tramarina, Trebbiano di Teramo, Uva d'Oro and Uva Fermana. It must not be confused with the varieties Biancame, Bombino Bianco, Mostosa, Trebbiano d'Abruzzo or Trebbiano Toscano, despite seemingly suggestive synonyms or morphological similarities. It is a very old variety, probably directly descended from wild vines. Genetically almost identical to Passerina is the Greek variety Korinthiaki Lefki. This was already established by Lambert J. von Babo (1790-1862) in 1844 and later by Pierre Galet (1921-2019). However, the two varieties differ slightly in the shape of the leaves and clusters. There is probably a Greek origin. The Italian variety may have reached Italy as early as the 6th century.
The name is derived from "passera" (Ital. for sparrow), because the small, extremely sweet berries are very much appreciated by these birds. The synonym "debit" (meaning "debt payer") refers to the high yields. The late-ripening vine is susceptible to botrytis, but resistant to powdery and downy mildew as well as frost. It produces high-acid, high-alcohol white wines with aromas of peaches, apples and pears with a slight bitter note, which are also excellent for making sparkling wines. However, the variety is also used as table grape. For example, it is permitted in the DOC white wines Controguerra (Abruzzo), as well as Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, Offida and Terre di Offida (Marche). In 2016, a total of 933 hectares of vineyards were designated in Italy, with a strong upward trend. In Switzerland, the variety is cultivated on 0.1 hectares in the canton of Ticino (Kym Anderson statistics). The picture is from the German botanist Johann S. Kerner (1755-1830) from his catalogue of German grape varieties.
Source: Wine Grapes / J. Robinson, J. Harding, J. Vouillamoz / Penguin Books Ltd. 2012
Image above: M.I.P.A.F - National Vine Certification Service
