For all the time people spend dreaming about luxuriating under the Tuscan sun, spritz in hand, or cruising around the Venetian laguna with a flute of Prosecco, the mention of Italian wine still tends to conjure bold, tannic reds ready to stand up to a big plate of pasta. But white grapes in Italy are having something of a renaissance, with more and more producers focusing on crafting exciting, delicious and satisfying wines with indigenous white grapes. These bottlings showcase Italy’s rare and dynamic terroir—and serve as a reminder that the peninsula has always had incredible wines of all colors.
The tricky part, as ever with Italian wine, is getting a handle on the vast landscape of possibilities, given the incredible diversity of white grapes and regional representations. Getting to know the top grapes takes a little time, but anyone willing to dive in can be sure they’ll be paid back in dividends. That’s because coming vintages of Italian whites are poised to be tremendous deals, with expressions that range from fresh, fun and eminently drinkable to serious, structured and ageable.
Where should an Italian white grape journey begin? The below varietals represent major players that are either widely planted across Italy or are huge stars in their region. While they’re all decidedly unique, what ties them together is their ability to capture the specific characteristics of the place they’re grown, the long history of their presence there and the people who shape them into wine.
Alamy
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
