What are the absolute Best Italian white wines that are not Pinot Grigio? (Updated)
Italian Wines are Great!
Yay!
Too many choices though!
Wait, what? That’s a bad thing?
Let’s talk about it.
First things first:
There are hundreds (seriously, hundreds) of white wine grape varieties in Italy.
But, many are regional and never make it out of Italy though.
To help you on your wine journey, I am giving you my six (now 8) suggestions for way more interesting Italian white wines. I easily could have given more, but it would get overwhelming.
(Just updated with 2 more grape varieties because they are too delicious to not mention! I almost did 3. I’m really trying not to overwhelm everyone. So many insanely good choices!!!)
Absolute best? You decide.
You want to be able to recognize these wines at a store and on a wine list. If the names are familiar you may give it a second or third glance. Read on.
REMEMBER, Italian wines, both red and white, are generally food wines. That means they are better with food. Most are high acid wines.
If you just said, UGH! Acid! You need to know this:
As I wrote in my post Top 10 things you need to know to have a useful wine vocabulary (Hint, hint: Click on the title if you want all the information.):
Many people hear acid and think, OH NO! That sounds bad. (I anticipated the UGH response. Forgive me, if I’m wrong.)
But acid in wine is the sidekick that can bring life to the party! It can add brightness and make the wine taste more refreshing. It is great balancing out the sweetness in wine. It also can make you salivate which really helps when matching with food. I often mention that Italian wines are food wines. The acid in them goes great with food. Without food you may be too aware of the acid.
Just letting you know: the next vocabulary word was balance.
Again, a link to the vocabulary.
Not to be too deep here, but wine, like life, needs balance.
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Common wisdom in the wine world says that in Italy what grows together, goes together. Well, that is all well and good if you live in Italy, where local wines are served with local food.
Elsewhere, we look at a wine list or shop for a wine in the supermarket or wine store.
Well, why not Pinot Grigio?
Too many people order Pinot Grigio because they have heard of it. Some Pinot Grigios that are exported are good; most are not. Too many are just plain boring. (Hint: If you ever do order Pinot Grigio look for one from Friuli’s Collio region.)
Need to know stuff: The grape variety is called Pinot Gris outside of Italy. It is stylistically different. With all grape varieties, different places and different winemakers can produce different styles.
Back to what you should drink instead of Pinot Grigio.
Look further than the familiar, and you will discover fantastic options that have so much more flavor and personality than what you may have been drinking (if you were drinking Pinot Grigio, that is.)
Explore. Expand your horizons. Have fun with it.
Talk about top billing for Pinot Grigio! Think beyond. There were some other wines mixed in, but you can see the headline!
What you have been patiently waiting for:
My 6 (now 8!) suggestions for more interesting Italian white wines. You want to be able to recognize these wines at a store and on a wine list. If you recognize the names, you may want to try them.
I will not give a bunch of tasting notes. Give them a try and see for yourself. Have fun with it!
First off:
Soave (Garganega is the grape variety)
This wine is named after the area and not the grape. That is typical of Old World Wines. Think Europe. This wine comes from the Veneto region in Northeast Italy.
There are 2 types to look out for – Soave Classico DOCG or the Superiore version if you’re after something more full-bodied. (Hint: When talking about the body of a wine, think skim milk/milk/cream in terms of mouth feel.)
The term Classico means they are from the historic center of the Soave vineyard zone. The grapes are grown in the volcanic soils around the town of Soave. In general Classico wines will be of higher quality than those that are not from this area. They may also cost more.
As I’ve written before:
Old World wines come from Europe and they have a ton of rules and regulations about what can be grown where. The smaller the area, the more requirements. Use these rules as a guide, BUT do not assume that a more expensive wine from a small area will be worth the price. Sometimes it is just supply and demand.
This is a Soave from Trader Joe’s that was insanely delicious and reasonably priced. Prices for Soave will vary widely everywhere else.
I wrote about it in a previous post. You can read about it HERE, should you want to.
Gavi (Cortese is the grape variety)
Once again, this wine is known by the region and not the grape variety. Gavi is a delicious wine from the Piedmont region of Italy. It is high acid (yep, we know) and often paired with shellfish. A worthwhile step up, in my opinion, is Gavi di Gavi. That means the grapes were grown in the actual town of Gavi. as opposed to the surrounding areas. Sort of like Classico with Soave.
Both of these are Gavi wines.
The signs below the wines listed them as Gavi di Gavi. Clearly you would have to read the fine print on the back. Gavi is a good choice regardless.
There is a Gavi that is sold at Trader Joe’s wines, should you be shopping there. I haven’t tried it, but as with many reasonably priced wines at Trader Joe’s there is no huge downside.
Verdicchio (this is actually the grape variety)
This grape variety is high acid (which really should go without saying with most Italian whites) and medium bodied. The wine comes from the Marche region of Italy (on the Central Eastern coast in case you want to visit.)
It is often underrated and totally worth a look. The “best”wine is Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi. However, it will probably be much pricier. As with all wines, you have to decide if it offers value to you.
Vermentino ( the grape variety)
This grape variety is from Liguria or Sardinia. The wines from Liguria are lighter than Sardinia because of the climate. That means that the ones from warmer climates are likely to be fuller bodied. Flavor wise, some people have described it as similar to Sauvignon Blanc. I wouldn’t, but some people do. Taste is subjective.
It is a beautiful and delicious wine. It has a lot to love about it.
Fiano (the grape variety)
Fiano is a favorite of mine. I love it when I see it on a wine list at a restaurant. It is grown in Southern Italy, and can be fuller bodied than some of the other Italian white wines. Totally delicious wine.
Fiano can range very widely with style. That also means it can pair with a wide range of food.
Some areas of Fiano are considered “better” than others. However, they will be much pricier. Have fun exploring the different options.
Trebbiano (Grape variety)
Trebbiano is planted in nearly every region of Italy. It is definitely a grape variety to know. As with many of the other grape varieties, styles and characteristics can vary greatly depending on where it is grown and made.
The well known wine blends from Orvieto include the Trebbiano grape (as well as other grape varieties.) Orvieto is considered similar to Pinot Grigio, but a lot more interesting.
The two new ones:
Catarratto (Grape Variety)
Catarratto is a grape variety primarily found in Sicily. While it sometimes doesn’t have the greatest reputation. I just had it at a wine tasting. My wine notes just said, “WOW!!!”
To be specific it was a Regaleali Bianco Catarratto Blend. It almost always costs less than $20 retail. If you can find it, I strongly recommend you buy it. Let me know if your wine notes includes the word WOW!
Pecorino (Grape Variety)
Yep, Pecorino like the name of the cheese. However, other than the name they aren’t related. The grape variety is usually found in the Marche and Abruzzo regions.
Wines from this wine have the acidity that Italian whites are known for. This makes it such a fantastic and interesting food wine.
Different winemakers are now exploring different winemaking styles with this grape. I think that no matter the style, the wine is delicious when made from this grape. It can also be found for less than $20. Enjoy!
There you have it. Your helpful guide to more interesting white Italian wines.
Best way to find out what you like is to try it. Best way to do that is to compare wines.
If you are in a restaurant and they have wines by the glass, ask to taste a few before ordering.
If you can find a wine salesperson, ask questions. With different prices of similar wines, ask why. If anyone tries to be intimidating or otherwise unhelpful, walk out.
The more you know and learn, the more confident and comfortable you will be.
Wine should be fun and add to your life.
Think of wine as an adventure!
Picture yourself in Rome while drinking a delicious glass of cold white wine. In Italy, even the “house” wine is fantastic.
Find yourself in the piazza overlooking the Trevi Fountain.
Are you sitting overlooking the Italian Seaside?
Enjoy a wonderful glass of wine and picture yourself there.
Wherever the wine takes you, savor it!!
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