History
While the exact origins of the grape are not clear, Picolit was well known internationally during the 18th century as a favorite of Count Fabio Asquini. The Count oversaw production of more than 100,000 bottles that was exported to the royal courts of the Holy Roman Empire, Great Britain, France, Holland, Russia, Saxony and Tuscany as well as the Vatican. Asquini was a pioneer who left diligent notes on his growing and winemaking methods to coax the most out of the limited resources that the Picolit vine produces, but the difficulty in growing the vine led to a sharp decline in plantings. The Perusini family invested many resources during the 20th century to develop new clones that would be easier to cultivate but still retain the desirable characteristics of the grape. While a brief spike in popularity in the 1960s & 1970s did elevate the Picolit wine to cult wine status, the work of the Perusini family is credited with keeping the grape from extinction. The popularity of Picolit wine has led to the illegal practice of blending it with inferior quality Verduzzo to stretch the supply.
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