Three Italian whites wines that are not pinot grigio, which actually originated in France
The Umani Ronchi family winery has been championing the country’s indigenous whites wines for more than 60 years.
Pinot grigio, a grape that originated in Burgundy, France, may be the basis of the most popular white wine in Italy these days, but the country has a deep repository of indigenous white varieties, which are packed with flavour and pair well with food.
Verdicchio, whose name is derived from the Italian word verde (“green”) and references the grape’s skin colour, can be used to make a broad range of wines, from dry to sparkling to sweet. The variety, which originated in Marche, central Italy, tends to be minerally, with citrus fruit and high natural acidity, giving the wines long cellaring potential.
Another white variety, “pecorino” is probably better known as a cheese made from sheep’s milk (pecorais Italian for “sheep”). It is also the name of a white grape variety from Marche and Abruzzo, along Italy’s eastern coastal area. According to local legend, the grape was named for the sheep that grazed on the sweet fruit.
Family winery Umani Ronchi makes good examples of verdicchio and pecorino. Founded in 1957, the winery has grown to encompass about 210 hectares of vineyards in Marche and Abruzzo. Its wines are modern, pure and showcase the quintessential style of the grape varieties and their place of origin.
Umani Ronchi, Vecchie Vigne, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC Classico Superiore 2015. HK$240
Made from 100 per cent verdicchio vines planted in the 1970s. The vineyards are on clay-based soils planted 250 to 300 metres above sea level. The grapes are fermented in stainless-steel tanks and don’t undergo secondary fermentation, which helps retain freshness and acidity levels. They are further aged in concrete tanks for 10 months on lees and bottle-aged for six months before release.
