Learning about grape varieties is a great way to expand your wine knowledge. The best way to learn is by tasting, but sometimes, knowing where to begin is hard. Doing a little reading before heading to the wine store is one way to get a handle on which type of wine you may enjoy most.
Let’s start with Vermentino, a white wine grape variety primarily grown in Italy and France in the seaside regions of Sardinia, Liguria, Tuscany, Corsica, and Provence (called Rolle). In recent decades, Vermentino has also been successfully planted in the USA and Australia, yielding good results.
I was inspired to start this Spotlight On Grape Varieties series (more grapes to come!) while thinking about which kind of wine I wanted to pair with spaghetti with clams and garlic. Since Vermentino and clams both hail from coastal areas, it makes sense that they would sit well together at the table.
Like magic, Vermentino will transport your taste buds to the Mediterranean Sea. Typically pale yellow in color, the wine’s aromas of salty sea spray and citrus, stone, and tropical fruits lead to a fresh and lively palate with a saline minerality. Sometimes, when sipping Vermentino, you can taste wild Mediterranean herbs, particularly rosemary, sage, oregano, and thyme.
Vermentino wine is usually medium-bodied, but its weight can vary depending on the region where it is grown. For example, Vermentino from the southern area of Sardinia, where the soils are calcareous, tends to be rich and creamy in
This Article was originally published on The Wine Chef
