Delicious, Refreshing & Likely Unknown

Every wine lover has a favorite grape. For some, it may be like picking your favorite child (but everyone has one of those too, right?). For others, it’s easy to explain just which grapes are superior to others and which ones are less desirable when it comes to drinking wine.

Some wine grapes and styles even have cult followers. There are the raging oaked chardonnay fans, the only Napa cabernet clique and even die-hard grenache heads. Anyone out there a self-proclaimed pinot grigio devotee?

Perhaps the latter is one of the more polarizing grapes. There are folks who will say they either only order the popular Italian white wine or that they don’t ever enjoy it, period. Either way, pinot grigio has become almost synonymous with Italian white wines for many casual consumers. However, this isn’t the full story of what Italy has to offer when it comes to refreshing whites.

Whether you love it or hate it, let’s leave pinot grigio off the table and explore other easy-drinking Italian white wines, from the northern part of the country all the way south to Sicily and everywhere in between.

Italy has an abundance of grapes grown all over the country, and it would take an entire book to go into detail about even just the white ones. The examples of non-pinot grigio whites we’re sharing here hardly scratch the surface, but simply offer a snapshot of a few wines that are easy to find, will cost less than $20 and can help you stretch those Italian white wine drinking legs.

Next time you are reaching for a go-to pinot grigio at the store, instead, consider …

Italy’s Central-East Coast

Trebbiano, an Italian white grape that is widely planted and seen as a fairly middle-of-the-road wine. It would be hard to find anyone offended by a glass. Though these wines may not win any fancy awards, in the dead of Miami’s summer, a cold glass of trebbiano might be just what you need.

Located on Italy’s central-east coast on the Adriatic Sea is the region of Abruzzo, famous for red Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wines. It’s here that you’ll find Fantini’s 2020 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo, a summertime steal at about $12 on the shelves. This wine is moderately aromatic on the nose and offers citrus and floral characteristics. It’s fresh and simple, like a white linen suit, and easy to drink on its own. You can try this bottle with some young cheese, but make sure your snack isn’t too stinky, as you don’t want it to overpower the delicate white.

The Northern Region

From the northern region of Lugana on Lake Garda, comes Zenato’s San Benedetto 2020 ($19), which is 100% Trebbiano di Lugana. The grapes come from the San Benedetto vineyard in Lugana DOC, and the wine is aged entirely in stainless steel. It’s light bodied with refreshing acidity and soft, fruity flavors of lemon, apple, ripe peach and apricot. Like summer in a glass! There’s nothing too complicated here. You could easily sip on this wine while sitting on a sailboat on the beautiful blue waters of Lake Garda, where the vines line the surrounding hillsides. San Benedetto also pairs well with “lake foods” like grilled trout and perhaps tinned fish, if you’re into that.

It’s important to note that trebbiano di lugana is the historic grape name used by Zenato for its wine. There is new evidence that the grape here, now called turbiana, has a different DNA profile than trebbiano.

Bottles From Tuscany

Tuscany is famous for sangiovese wines like Chianti and Brunello di Montalcino, but there are some white wines made here, too. Italian producer Frescobaldi’s Castello Pomino Pomino Bianco 2021 ($18) is a blend primarily of chardonnay and pinot bianco from grapes grown in the Pomino region of Tuscany. This is an inviting blend featuring flavors of sharp lemon, green apple, tropical fruit, lily and a touch of baking spice. It’s fresh but fuller bodied, with a lingering citrus finish. Maturation takes place partially in wooden barrels, which adds to that rounded feel in the mouth. A good pairing bet would be to drink it with a white fish and citrus butter sauce.

Sicilian Options

On the island of Sicily, you’ll find wines made with grillo, an indigenous grape that has historically been part of the blend in Marsala, Sicily’s famous fortified wine. This large Mediterranean island presents an extremely unique grape growing environment with a very warm climate, volcanic soils, and salty ocean air.

Grillo wines are more herbal – with a distinct savory quality – and showcase some Sicilian island salinity. The Duca di Salaparuta Kados Grillo 2020 ($19.99) has that signature herbal citrus aroma, along with some minerality and honied characteristic on the nose. In the mouth, the flavors reflect the aromas complete with crisp acidity and a powerful citrus finish. Because this wine has a bit more weight to it but still maintains that medium-high acidity, think in terms of pairing it with heavier dishes such as a seafood risotto.