by Caroline Helper

Italy is home to more than 1,000 grape varieties, and a handful of the lesser-known have found a happy home in Santa Barbara County. These off-the-beaten-path varieties, most of which are native to Northern Italy, are hard enough to find outside of their native region, so the opportunity to taste homegrown versions should prove irresistible to wine geeks.

Freisa, for example, is indigenous to Piedmont and has suffered a tarnished reputation ever since Robert Parker described it as "totally repugnant." While there's no way around the grape's rusticity, it can also produce delicate and expressive wines that pair well with food. 

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Source: http://www.independent.com/