Hello Dear Reader,
I hope you have had a fantastic Summer and you are enjoying your Sunday. I am finally back from my Summer break full of fresh recommendations, travel tips, wines and food content to share! I have been traveling around Europe and I’ll be sharing all the greatest food, wine and restaurant finds with you. I am currently traveling around Southern Italy and enjoying all the amazing foods and wines they have to offer.
In today’s Merenda I share with you my favorite Italian white wines I’ve discovered this Summer and a delicious bite to enjoy the wine with. For my paid subscribers I have a delicious and simple recipe to enjoy with the wines.
Cari Saluti,
Emilia in Bologna (and around)
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Summer Whites
This Summer with the heat and staying around the seaside I have been enjoying some wonderful, fresh and easy Italian white wines which I wanted to share with you.
1. Colli di Luni Vermentino
I discovered the Colli di Luni Vermentino white wine whilst following one of my many rules of thumb when it comes to wine (and food), which is to drink the local region’s wines. Colli di Luni Vermentino (DOC) comes from the hillside located in between Gulf of La Spezia and the Apulian Alps. It’s unique position gives it a microclimate, where both the sea and mountain breezes effect the landscape and territory.
The Vermentino is a light skinned Italian grape, primarily grown in Sardinia and Liguria. When visiting any restaurant at the Tuscan coast there’s most definitely a Vermentino on their menu. I’ve enjoyed several meals with Vermentino so far by the coast (more on that later on Merenda) but there’s one producer that I keep coming across.
Cantine Lunae is a wine producer in Colli di Luni with over 65 hectares of vines. They cultivate both organic viticulture, and commit to green energy by using solar and geothermal energy and production facilities with low environmental impact. Cantine Lunae produces three Vermentino wines differentiated by their black, grey and white labels. In addition to their Vermentino wine, Cantina Lunae also produces wines of other native grapes such as Albarola and Ciliegolo, Grappa and olive oil.
Where to find it
Cantina Lunae, Castelnuovo Magra, Via Palvotristia 2, 19030, Liguria
Tannico webshop
For my Finnish readers, check this Tuscan Vermentino from Alko’s selection.
I hope I get to visit the area and local wineries soon!
2. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is a DOC wine from the region of Marché nearby Ancona and the Adriatic coast. I first discovered the area (and the grape) from the WSET Master of Wine course. I have yet to visit the area, but it has been a white wine I’ve opted for several times this Summer when craving for something fresh, herbal and acidic. A typical Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wine has notes of green fruit, citrus and herbs with a high acidity, with some floral aromas and should contain at least 85 % of Verdicchio grape grown from the region.
I discovered Villa Torre Classico Superiore from Tenuta di Tavignano in July and it has become a fridge staple, as it is a medium-bodied, fresh and easy white with a good price point. It has notes of green apple, some tropical fruit, hay and almonds. The producer Tenuta di Tavignano also has a focus on both organic production and also sustainability in their viticulture (and a female CEO running the estate).
Where to find it
Antica Drogheria Calzolari, Via G. Petroni, 9, Bologna
Tannico webshop
Check this Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi from Alko's sale-to-order selection.
3. A delicious bite to pair with either Vermentino & Verdicchio
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