ITALIAN WHITES ARE IDEAL FOR WARMER WEATHER, PART 1: NORTHERN ITALY
While Italy is best known for its reds, there are numerous distinctive whites, primarily from indigenous grape varieties, most of them budget friendly and perfect for summer sipping. Let’s take a tour of Northern Italy. If there is a common thread, they use little or no oak and are notable for dramatic aromas, precise structure, and crisp, refreshing character.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the far northeast corner, especially the Collio subregion (near the border with Slovenia in view of the Alps and Adriatic Sea), is prized for superior white wines.
Notable for the American palate is Pinot Grigio. If you are used to American Pinot Grigio, recalibrate your expectations. These are not simple, light, subtle wines. These are brisk, juicy, and crisp, with an interplay of citrus, apple, pear, stone fruit, melon, and mineral.
- 2022 Russiz Superiore ($35) high elevation estate owned by Marco Felluga, aromatic, energetic
- 2022 Livio Felluga ($32) estate bottled, sinewy, refined, lush
- 2022 Marco Felluga “Mongris” ($21) fruity, almond, spicy herbs
The area also produces other distinctive white wines, such as the vibrant, citrusy, 2022 Attems “Cicinis” Sauvignon Blanc ($29); and the 2019 Livio Felluga “Sigar” Friulano ($65) estate bottled, complex, creamy rich, velvety, almond.
Trentino-Alto Adige. Stretching north of Verona to the Dolomite Alps just below Austria, it is noteworthy mostly for distinctive white wines (generally varietally labeled, rather than geographically) with bracing acidity and substantive character.
Pinot Grigio is stellar. As with the 2022 Alois Lageder “Porer” ($30), distinguished by a winemaking process that pressed some of the biodynamic grapes immediately to retain freshness, then allowed a portion to macerate on its skins for 15 hours, and a third portion with stems and skins for a year. The skin contact adding a slight tannic structure. And with two Lageder projects: 2022 Terra Alpina ($17) and 2022 Cantina Riff ($11) both using organic grapes from a select group of neighboring grape growers and representing excellent values.
And Lageder’s biodynamic, bright, complex 2021 “Versalto” Pinot Bianco ($28) showcases another specialty of the region.
Veneto. Most consumers probably know Soave, produced around the city of Verona. Made predominantly of garganega, Soave charms with nectarine, apple, and melon. The impressive 2020 Inama Soave Classico “Carbonare” ($30) is a special selection from an old vine, organically farmed vineyard on the slopes of Monte Foscarino volcano.
Piedmont. Many are surprised that fine white wines are produced in Piedmont, notably form native varieties moscato bianco, arneis and cortese. Cortese produces a distinctive wine in the hands of a top producer like La Scolca whose 2022 Gavi dei Gavi ($45) is the winery’s flagship thanks to its old vine, estate grown, grapes yielding measured floral aromas of lime with nutty apple.