Written by L.M. Archer
L.M. Archer is an award-winning writer and photojournalist. You can follow her on Instagram at @lmarcherml
Instead of reaching for red wine this winter, why not try an Italian white? Fun, versatile, and approachable, Italian white wines brighten even the gloomiest winter day. Plus, they pair well with everything - from holiday celebrations and Sunday brunches, to cozy aprés-ski fondue and evening firesides. Not sure where to start? Consider these five Italian white wine styles to share with your friends and family this winter:
Trentodoc Metodo Classico
Trentino-Alto Adige
Cellar of Trentodoc Producer
Lively Trentodoc Metodo Classico sparkling wine hails from northeastern Italy’s chilly Dolomite mountains. This high-altitude sparkler’s distinctive, mountain meadow aromas earn it high marks in sparkling wine competitions worldwide. Ultra-fine bubbles, cashmere-like mousse, and toasty brioche, citron, and golden apple notes make this an ideal start to any celebration.
One to try: Maso Sette Fontane, founded in 1734, fashions an elegant Cesarini Sforza Aquia Reale Riserva Trento DOC from 100% Chardonnay.
Lugana Reserva Trebbiano
Lombardy
Sirmione, Lake Garda. Credit: shutterstock
Lake Garda’s Lugana Reserva presents an attractive, aged white wine alternative to traditional Bourgogne blanc. Crafted from high-acid Trebbiano di Lugano (locally called Turbiana), Lugana Reserva ages for a minimum of 24 months on lees. The result? A complex, high-quality white wine, available for a fraction of the cost of aged white Burgundies. Serve this textured, saline-kissed wine at formal holiday dinners to compliment roasted meats or fish.
One to try: Family-owned Le Morette Lugana DOC Riserva bursts with notes of white grapefruit, lemon zest, and bergamot.
Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle
Valle d’Aosta
Valle d’Aosta vineyards under snow. Credit: shutterstock
Considered Italy’s smallest wine producing region, Valle d’Aosta spans only 72 acres in northwest Italy, near Mont Blanc. Here, acid-driven Valle d’Aosta Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle derives from region’s rare white grape, Prié Blanc. Locals prefer to drink this bracing, mineral-driven white wine aprés-ski, paired with warm alpine cheese fondue.
One to try: Famed Azienda Vitivinicola Ermes Pavese Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, much prized by sommeliers for its low alcohol content (12%) and racy acidity.
Verdicchio
Le Marche
Glass of a top Verdicchio. Credit: La Dolce Vigna
Marche skirts the Adriatic Sea along Italy’s tangled, eastern peninsula. More rustic than nearby Tuscany, Marche produces compelling, crisp white wines from its indigenous variety, Verdicchio. Enticing notes of fennel, yellow herbs, lemon zest, and zingy minerality cut through richer fare like creamy pasta and truffles.
One to try: Garofoli Supèra Verdicchio Di Matelica DOC , produced by one of Marche’s oldest family estates from grapes grown in the mountainous Matelica Valley.
Fiano
Campania
Credit: shutterstock
Campania lies northeast of Naples in southern Italy, near the wind-swept Tyrrhenian Sea. This formerly obscure wine region enjoys growing popularity, in part because of authors like Robert V. Camuto. Indeed, Camuto writes in his recent book about southern Italian wine, South of Somewhere, “wines from the Campania countryside are good enough to bottle and send north - and around the world.” In particular, Camuto cites Campania’s dense, weighty Fiano de Avellino. This deeply nuanced white wine, brimming with layers of floral and stone fruit, offers the perfect interlude to long winter nights.
One to try: Sumptuous Pietracupa Fiano by much-lauded, maverick winemaker Sabino Loffredo.