Vermentino dei Colli di Luni: An exciting Tosco-Ligurian White Wine

VERMENTINO DEI COLLI DI LUNI is one of Italy's so-called lesser white wines. Quite lesser; Antonio Piccinardi doesn't even mention it in his 650 page Dizionario dei Vini Italiani. This is actually a rather serious oversight on Mr. Piccinardi's part; Vermentino can have tremendous personality and finesse, and offers a refreshing change of pace from the far more common Pinot Grigios, Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs one finds in stores and restaurants.

Unfortunately, if you're in Italy and want to try Vermentino dei Colli di Luni you can either go to one of the best restaurants in town and hope its wine list is ample enough, or drive down to La Spezia, in Liguria -- as I did. You won't be disappointed; though the region is best known for the Cinque Terre (5 very pretty coastal towns just north of La Spezia, and also a white wine) there are many other things to see as well. Inland there's Tuscany and the Lunigiana region, a wild area with fortresses on almost every hill and enchanting Romanesque churches; there's also the Museo delle Stele (odd prehistoric statues) in Pontremoli and the Museo Etnografico in Villafranca in Lunigiana. To the south, along the Tuscan coast, there's Carrara, with its marble quarries, Massa, with more quarries, and a host of other attractions, including Versilia (an excellent area to work on a tan, with many fine restaurants) and Pietrasanta, where you can visit the studios where artisans transform the ideas of the world's great sculptors into finished pieces.

Returning to Vermentino, according to Antonio Piccinardi the grape is probably of Spanish origin; the Spaniards exported it to their possessions in Sardegna and Corsica, where Ligurian sailors took cuttings to take home and plant. It has adapted quite well to its new homeland, producing wines of considerable character and finesse. Though wine merchants have long been aware of this, the general public has not, because until quite recently Vermentino was mixed into other more lackluster wines to give them personality. Things began to change in the early 1980s when forward-looking producers decided make their Vermentino in purezza (by itself) and bottle it themselves; by the late 1980s Vermentino dei Colli di Luni received DOC status, and now the number of producers bottling has increased considerably.

Since many are new to bottling, and all are investing heavily to increase quality, things are very much in a state of flux -- a producer whose wines were nothing special last year can prove to be an extremely pleasant surprise this year. Most of the wines are fermented in steel, though a couple of producers are also experimenting with barrel fermentation. I have mixed feelings about this, because Vermentino is an extremely aromatic grape, producing wines with have charmingly nuanced bouquets. The bouquets of the barrel fermented Vermentini I have tasted do display the bitter almond overtones characteristic of Vermentino, but the other components -- floral notes, apples, apricots, strawberries, bell pepper, white pepper, and many more -- are drowned out by the vanilla from the barrique. Likewise, the complexities on the palate are overshadowed by the wood. Nobody I talked with is experimenting with the addition of extra-regional varietals, such as Chardonnay, primarily because they say the Vermentino would be overshadowed by the other grapes.

While in the area I visited three producers: Lambruschi, Giacomelli and Il Monticello. Of the three Lambruschi is perhaps the most famous -- Ottaviano Lambruschi quit his job in the quarries and planted a vineyard in 1973, and was one of the first producers to bottle, in 1982. Roberto Giacomelli's family has been making wine for generations, but began bottling when he joined the business in 1992. Monticello's Davide and Alessandro Neri discovered they'd inherited a way of life as well as a vineyard when everybody who had received a bottle of their first vintage as a Christmas gift came back for more. The Wines:

Lambruschi

1996 Vermentino dei Colli di Luni is Lambruschi's basic wine, made with the grapes that don't go into the crus described below. It's a straw yellow with greenish highlights, and has a pleasingly complex bouquet, with nice fruit, including apple and apricot balanced by green pepper, and faint bitter overtones. On the palate it has good fruit and nice structure, with a marked bitter almond finish. It will go well with crustaceans, fish soups, baked fish, and also with Ligurian cuisine. In terms of more adventuresome pairings, the bitter note might clash with more delicate oriental cuisines, but would be nice with Korean.

Vermentino Costa Marina 1996 is from the vineyard Ottaviano cleared in 1973 and is a stunning expression of the grape. The wine is a limpid pale amber and has an impressive bouquet with intriguing floral notes, white pepper, and wisteria that beautifully balance the characteristic bitterness of Vermentino. On the palate it is full, with nice fruit and has a somewhat tart finish with lasting bitter notes. This is a powerful wine that will be a perfect accompaniment to robustly flavored seafood such as Buridda, a Ligurian fish stew, or vegetable-based dishes such as ravioli with walnut sauce. It will also be quite nice with some Creole dishes.

Vermentino Sarticola 1996, produced from a vineyard the Lambruschis rented, is surprisingly different but equally interesting. It's a crystalline pale straw yellow and has an elegant, austere bouquet, with complex floral notes, strawberries, white pepper, and a faint sea tang. On the palate it is full, with nice fruit and pleasing peppery notes, and has a pleasing clean finish. It is extremely delicate and would beautifully compliment steamed fish or other subtle dishes; it would also be intriguing with sushi.

Vino Bianco Da Tavola 1996: The wines above are fermented in steel. The Lambruschis are also experimenting with barrel fermentation, using the same must that produces Sarticola. The first vintage spent six months in wood and differs substantially from its steel-fermented sibling: It's a slightly deeper yellow, and has distinctive vanilla notes on the bouquet, which is laced with dried apricot and tropical fruit. On the palate it has a pleasant fullness derived in part from wood, which is well balanced by fruit, while the finish has butter notes that combine surprisingly well with the bitterness characteristic of Vermentino. It's a promising wine, and once it reaches its final form (it's still under development) should prove popular among those who like barrel fermented wines.

Giacomelli

Vermentino dei Colli di Luni 1996 is an intriguing pale gold that derives from a day's maceration on the skins before fermentation begins, which is undertaken to add complexity to the bouquet. It works; the bouquet is laced with honey and rich floral notes. On the palate the wine is delicate, full, and has nice fruit, but differs considerably from the other Vermentini I tasted -- it has marked citrus flavors that interweave with the underlying bitter notes characteristic of Vermentino. The finish, which is a mixture of lemon and bitter almond, leaves the palate very clean. This wine will go quite well with fish or white meats served in cream sauces, and would also be nice with rich soft-bodied cheeses.

Il Monticello

Vermentino dei Colli di Luni 1996 vintage is a pretty pale amber in color and has a crisp, elegant bouquet whose initial reserve gives way to the typical bitter sea tang of Vermentino laced with nice fruit, especially honeydew melon, and white pepper -- an odd but pleasant combination. On the palate it is clean and somewhat bittersweet. It is also zesty, with nice structure and body, and a pleasant tartness with lasting bitter notes on the finish. It will be a good aperitif, but will come into its own with crustaceans or flavorful dishes such as Buridda, a rich Ligurian fish stew. It will also go well with robust vegetarian dishes, and its bitter notes will allow it to stand up to pesto sauce or other garlicky foods; it could be perfect with Korean cuisine.

As a final note on Vermentino, Antinori has begun making one in Bolgheri, the town on south of Livorno best known for being home to Sassicaia. I found it pleasant but did not take notes when I tasted it in the course of a superb lunch at the Locanda delle Tamerici. The fact that Antinori have decided to work with Vermentino rather than plant still more of the foreign white grapes have gained them considerable acclaim is certainly significant: Vermentino bears watching.

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To close, when I sent the 900 page manuscript of my translation of Pellegrino Artusi's Scienza in Cucina e l'Arte di Mangiar Bene to Random House, Peter Smith, my editor, swallowed and said some of the 790 recipes would have to be culled to produce a book of manageable size -- by the time we were done we had removed 300: Variations on themes, and recipes that were good but less interesting to read (Artusi was an excellent storyteller who frequently went off on tangents). Here are three of the culled recipes that will go nicely with Vermentino:

PESCE SQUADRO IN UMIDO -- STEWED ANGEL FISH

The angel fish (Rhina squatina) is similar to rays in that its body is flattened. Its rough, tough skin is used to polish wood and ivory, and as a lining for sheaths for knifes, swords, and similar objects. The flesh of the fish is everyday fare, but when prepared as follows it makes for a very good family dish that's also cheap, given its abundance in our markets.

Assuming the fish weighs about a pound and a half, mince a bunch of parsley, a half a carrot, a 3-inch rib of celery, a half a clove of garlic, and a walnut sized piece of onion. Sauté the mixture in olive oil, and when the onion is lightly browned, stir in two or three tablespoons of tomato sauce or 1 tablespoon of tomato paste diluted in water. Season the sauce with salt and pepper and add the piece of fish, which should preferably come from the tail end, which is fatter. Simmer the fish, and when it is two thirds cooked, add a ball of butter rolled in flour to thicken the sauce.

[Artusi doesn't give cooking times -- one way of calculating them is to figure about 10 minutes per inch of thickness of the fish. Also, you will want about a quarter cup of olive oil. This will serve 3-4. ]

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TRIGLIE ALLA VIAREGGINA -- MULLET, VIAREGGIO STYLE

Assuming the mullet weigh about a pound and a quarter in all, mince two cloves of garlic and a bunch of parsley. Sauté the mixture in abundant olive oil, in a pan large enough for the fish to lie flat, and when it is lightly browned, stir in two or three tablespoons of tomato sauce. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, then add the mullet, turning them. Cover the pan and simmer the fish for a few minutes; when the liquid's almost completely reduced, sprinkle a finger (of a glass) of red wine, diluted with two fingers of water, into the pan. Let everything simmer a little longer and serve. [this will serve 2-3 people.]

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SFORMATO DI FINOCCHI -- FENNEL TIMBALE

This timbale, with its delicate aroma, and the sweetish flavor of the fennel, is one of the most refined there is.

Remove and discard the tough outer leaves of two to four fennel bulbs, depending upon their size, then dice them and cook them till they're two thirds done in salted water (they will be fork tender). Drain the fennel well and sauté it in butter. When it has absorbed the butter, sprinkle some milk into the pan. When the fennel has absorbed it too, add some béchamel sauce. Remove the fennel from the fire, either leaving it as it is, or putting it through a strainer. When it has cooled, stir in two tablespoons of grated Parmigiano, and, depending upon the volume of the ingredients, three or four beaten eggs. Pour the mixture into a round mold or a ring mold, steaming it as you would other timbales. [You can also cook it in a 325° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until firm.] Serve it hot, between courses, or as a side dish with boiled capon. You can also garnish it with a sauce made with cock's combs and sweetbreads.

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Good Food & Drink,
Kyle Phillips

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