Most Americans who grew up in the 1970s or 1980s who hear the phrase “Italian wine” might immediately conjure up red wines that are somewhat tart and made to go with pastas and tomato sauces.
And at that time, that definition fit rather neatly. Most Italian wines sold in the United States were Chiantis, and most were designed to go with meat dishes or pastas, particularly those in which there were also tomatoes. The acidity in tomatoes pair nicely with the same element in the wine.
But that phrase “Italian wine” does not conjure up only red anymore, and part of the reason is that Italy today produces a vast array of slightly different white wines that might be considered some of the most chic and fascinating that you can possibly imagine.
However, the names might be slightly confusing simply because there are so many of them. When I began to write this column, I was going to discuss two or three of them. But I realized that there are at least 15 popular white wines coming from Italy, each of them delivering unique flavors that appeal to most Americans seeking alternative aromas and tastes.
There are good reasons why Italy didn’t develop a reputation for white wines until recently. One was a lack of the equipment necessary to capture the delicate aromatics from some of the most fascinating white wine grapes grown by grape-growing experts such as the Italians.
One look at a map of Italy shows that the country is long and narrow and surrounded by seas. Most of its vineyards are within proximity to major bodies of water that produce cool breezes that lower nighttime temperatures.
Such weather patterns help retain natural acidity in grapes, and not only in hilly vineyards on the mainland, but also in places such as Sicily and Sardinia and other island areas in which many of these grapes flourish.
One of the most easily visible Italian white wines is pinot grigio, made from the popular but simplistic grape that grows successfully in Friuli and four other Italian regions. It also grows well in at least 20 other areas of the world, where it makes slightly more distinctive white wines.
Soave is a wine from Veneto that was popular here in the 1960s because of its somewhat neutral aromatics and its low price. It is made from the tart grape garganega.
One Italian white grape that has become popular with Americans over the last few years is vermentino, which is widely planted in Sardinia as well as Piemonte, where it is occasionally referred to as “favorita.”
Vermentino makes a delightful, fresh, slightly spicy white wine with aromatics of tropical fruit and citrus. It has a bit more body than many other white wine grapes.
Vernaccia also offers a slight spice element in its aroma, particularly when it is young. It is the most popular wine by far in the Tuscan hill town of San Gimignano.
Arneis (ahr-nayce) grows beautifully in Piemonte, where it makes a fresh, uncomplicated and tasty sipping wine. It has become quite popular in the Barolo-adjacent district of Roero.
Heat-tolerant grillo makes a delicate white wine that’s tasty in Sicily. Grechetto and trebbiano both grow well in Umbria and combine to make a crisp white that often is seen as Orvieto, for the region it grows in.
