The origin of the name comes from the ancient name "Pino Lieto", already used by Pliny the Elder (first century AD) in his work Naturalis Historia, when he described the wine drawn from this grape as not sweet enough to be good. According to another version the etymology depends on the form the grape, similar to a small pine cone. Recent DNA analysis have revealed that some genetic traits of Pignoletto are identical to the ones of Grechetto of Todi and therefore have overturned a previous theory that was considered a variant of Pinot Blanc or Riesling Italico. The bunch is medium-sized, with medium-large, oval-shaped grapes, rich in bloom, with a thick skin and greenish-yellow color.
