The fine features of Italy's localized white wines(1)
Italians love good food and wine with a contagious enthusiasm difficult to avoid.
Songs are written, movies made, pictures painted and books penned reflecting the Italian people's love of food and wine.
More than any other nation, Italy produces hundreds if not thousands of delicious little known wines many of which never leave their hometown, much less the country. When you have the opportunity to enjoy them close to where they are made, in the same soil, warmed by the same sun, where they breathed the same air as each particular region's indigenous food you realize the true meaning of terroir.
The most simple and elegant explanation of terroir I've heard is "the expression of place through the flavor of the products." I once picked up a handful of soil in a Tuscan vineyard, warmed and scuffed it between my hands to inhale its aroma. I have never drunk Italian wine since that that cool foggy morning on an Italian hillside hasn't come back to me.
Good Italian white wine is high in acid and extremely food friendly. Don't let the word acid put you off. Acid and crispness are synonomous. When wine is balanced acid is a good thing.
Italian whites tend to be a little lower in alcohol than their American cousins so are easier to drink with lunch. The acidity cleanses the palate. It washes away olive oil and salt, brightening the taste of fresh ripe tomatoes, grilled fish and grilled vegetables. One of my favorite lunches is a simple plate of hard cheese like parmesan, romano or asiago with a few oil-cured olives, some good Italian bread and a bright crisp cold Italian white wine.
A recent visit from the district representative of one of the larger American importers of Italian wine rekindled my appreciation of Italian whites. I'll pass a little spark along to you.
Proscecco, a sparkling wine ranging in sweetness, is the social lubricant of Venice. I prefer dry Proscecco. Proscecco is a wonderful aperitive.
Good ones have a dry nutty finish, close tight bubbles and should be served very cold. Sweeter Proscecco is delightful after dinner. This summer, drop a fresh native strawberry in it and call it dessert.
Pinot grigio is the best known of all Italian white wines — so well known that some producers have increased production and price to meet demand. Consequently, the consumer is often paying more for less quality. Experiment, look for lesser known brands. Your local wine merchant can steer you in the right direction and save you some money. Better yet, move away from Pinot grigio to something new.
We tried a wine from Sardinia called Argiolas. From the first sip we tasted salt air, minerals and sunshine. Without even thinking I said grilled fish. Heads nodded around the table. Someone else said fried sardines, frito misto. We were drinking liquid geography. Here is a short list of a few of my favorite Italian white wines:
Frascati is one of the oldest wine grapes known but the wine, bright and fresh and crisp, is best when young. Look for very recent vintages, 2002-3. Enjoy it with calamari. I would bet you could find a good bottle for less than $6 to $8.
Verdicchio is a little creamier and a little softer than Frascati, with more body and a smooth nutty finish. The nutty flavor compliments Parmesan Reggiano nicely. Good Verdicchio costs a little more, maybe $8 to $10. My recent favorite is Umani Ronchi, Casal Di Jesi and is a little more expensive.
Feudi is an Italian wine producer known for quality. Two whites come in a very elegant, dark, sculpted bottle perfect for entertaining. One is Feudi di San Gregorio Fiano Avellino, a wonderfully crafted white with a bright beginning of lemon, rich creamy body and a long nutty finish. I like it with pizza Margherita or grilled vegetable sandwiches on foccacia. The other is Feudi Di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo, made from what is believed to be the oldest grape known to man. The grape originated in Greece, hence the name. It got a bad rap when the Greeks laced the wine with tar so the invading Romans would avoid it. We're over all that now. The wine is delicious with a simple lunch or the fish course of an elegant evening of entertaining.
