Snippets from the Italian Scene
Vermentino: A White to Look Out
For
Winding down, a couple of years I wrote about Vermentino, a white grape that appears to have traveled from Spain to Sardegna and Corsica, from whence it reached the French and Ligurian coasts via sailors who brought home cuttings to plant. It's a fascinating varietal capable of producing wines of great finesse and elegance, and though those from Sardegna are widely known. However, Vermentini of Tuscany and Liguria were much more difficult to come by, to the point that one almost had to visit the area to find them (a trip well worth making, especially in the summer months; there are both the Valle di Luni and the Tuscan coast to enjoy.). This will likely change, however, now that the Vermentino vineyards Antinori has planted in Bolgheri are entering fully into production, and the company is exporting the wine. You should be able to find the Antinori Vermentino DOC Bolgheri 2000 both in Northern Europe and in the US (the 99 was released only in Italy), and if the new wine captures the attention I hope it will, other importers should begin importing other Vermentini as well. Sea breezes do marvelous things to Vermentino grapes, and the wine works very well with fish, vegetable-based pasta sauces and stuffed pastas, and white meats. If you like whites, seek out a bottle and try it.
A presto,
Kyle Phillips
Webweaver, About Italian Cuisine
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