The red grape variety originates from Italy. Synonyms are Oseleta Nera, Oselina and Useleta. The name is a corruption of "uccelli" (birds) and refers to the sweet berries that birds like to eat.

The ancestry (parentage) is unknown. According to DNA analyses carried out in 2003, there is a genetic relationship with the Garganega variety (ex Wine Grapes). According to one hypothesis, it was domesticated from a wild vine. According to a second hypothesis, it could be identical to the bird grape formerly cultivated in Styria (Austria).
The medium-ripening, low-yielding vine is susceptible to botrytis. It produces colourful, tannin-rich red wines with a rather neutral taste and light aromas of herbs and cinnamon.
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Dominik Trick
Technischer Lehrer, staatl. geprüfter Sommelier, Hotelfachschule Heidelberg