Rather, ampelographers believe that Colombana nera is named after the Abbey of San Colombano located in the commune of Bobbio in the Piacenza province of Emilia-Romagna where the grape has had a long history of cultivation.
[1] Ampelographers believe that first mention of Colombana nera was likely in the posthumous work of the Italian viticulturist Giovan Vettorio Soderini that described a grape known as San Colombane growing in Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna in 1600.
That early synonym and the grape's current name is believed to be taken from the Abbey of San Colombano in Bobbio where Colombana nera has a long history of being grown.
[1] Colombana nera is a late ripening grape variety that can be very vigorous and high yielding if not kept in check by winter pruning and green harvesting.
It is used primarily as a blending grape and is a permitted variety in the Colli di Luni DOC that includes both northern Tuscany and southeastern Liguria.