Ribolla gialla is a white grape variety native to Friuli Venezia Giulia , Slovenia and Kefalonia , in the Ionian islands .

Theories that the grape originated in Greece as Robola were debunked following DNA profiling in 2007 and 2008, which showed that there was no genetic relationship between Robola and Ribolla Gialla. It is now thought to have originated in the Friuli Collio/Goriska Brda region. The first written documentation of the grape was in a 1289 notarial contract relating to wine-growing lands in the Friuli region.