Italian Whites

If your memory of Italian whites extends only to the musty, somewhat tawny, dry, but musty wines of thirty years ago, or if you are new to Italian wine and the only white you have tried is not-quite-dry mass market Pinot Grigio, it just may be time to experiment a bit further. Every sort of white wine, from dry to sweet is made somewhere in Italy. There is also no shortage of sparkling and semi-sparkling white wine, also with versions from very dry to very sweet. Almost without exception, the new whites of Italy are food friendly, suggesting their use at the dinner table.

Pinot Grigio is all the rage and with some reason. At its best, especially in wines from Trentino and Alto Adige, the Pinot Grigio grape yields dry, mineral-laden wines with a complex long finish. As is often the case with anything popular, poor examples seem to sell just as readily as the best. Perhaps we just like saying “Pinot Grigio”. In any case, the typical example is light and dry and best drunk in its youth. The finest examples can be full flavored and rich with the evident mineral taste so common to many great whites.

Across the Northeast stretching up toward Austria in the same sections that make the finest Pinot Grigio many other “varietal” wines (naming the grape on the label) are offered in this same crisp, dry style. Here you can find familiar names like Chardonnay, Pinot Blanc, and Sauvignon Blanc from many producers. These find great favor here in the U.S. not only because they are often great value, but also because they are labeled in such a familiar manner. One less familiar example is the grape Prosecco, which arrives here most often in its bubbly version. Prosecco can be sweet or dry, sparkling or not, but it is worth seeking out in all its manifestations.

In the northwest region of the Piedmont the two standouts are Gavi (made with the cortese grape) and Arneis. Gavi is invariably dry but can be “still” or slightly bubbly. In either version it is usually best when very young and crisp. Arneis is a grape type gaining increasing fame for elegant whites in the home region of Barolo and Barbaresco (the Piedmont’s most famous reds).
In central Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano and Orvieto, two tradional favorites still excel. The best Vernaccia is minerally and a bit bitter. Orvieto, from Umbria, is made principally with Trebbianno, Verdello, and Grechetto grapes. Most examples are best consumed young, but single vinyard and “classico” editions can develop a rich, long finish with age. Sweet versions are prized in Italy but less often found in the U.S.

Tuscany and Umbria (with other regions in pursuit) have begun to show more and more examples of fine white wine from non-traditional grapes. A number of good examples of Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc in particular have appeared. Perhaps the only criticism of these “new age” wines is that they don’t taste very Italian.

Vermentino is a grape associated mostly with the Island of Sardinia where the finest examples are often labeled Vermentino di Gallura. In less volume the grape has shown great results in Liguria and even in coastal areas of Tuscany. At its best, Vermentino is a relative heavyweight capable of great richness and complexity.

The South of Italy has been coming on strong with a large number of “new age” wines, notably Chardonnay from modern wineries in Sicily. However several traditional wines are especially noteworthy. Gravina from Puglia (the heel of the boot) is light crisp and delicious. Greco di Tufo from Campania is generally just as dry but a bit more substantial. Marsala from Sicily has charms far beyond its use in cooking. It exists in many fortified (high alcohol) versions from dry to very sweet. Fine Marsala is seldom found in the U.S., but the best rival the great Ports.

With almost all of the above, and with virtually all of the modern white wines of Italy, youth is a virtue. Any, even many not listed here, can be joyous discoveries. Experiment widely!

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