Unique Italian Wines You Should Try
Can’t make it to Italy for an Easter getaway? Well, it’s time to bring Italy to the table with one of the 7 best Italian wines for Easter. The country offers a wide range of fabulous wines that can complement traditional Easter dishes beautifully, whether you’re doing brunch, lunch, dinner, or all of the above.
Explore these unique Italian wines you should try!
Vermentino
Juicy, fresh, and invigorating – Vermentino is a white wine that will please many. While it is definitely Italian, the origins of this grape are actually unknown. But, we know where it grows! You will find Vermentino coastal areas of Italy, and it carries on the essence of the Mediterranean in every sip. The love for Vermentino has carried it outside of it’s Italian home, as far as California and Australia.
So, what does Vermentino taste like? Vermentino produces wines with vibrant acidity, refreshing minerality, and distinct aromatic qualities. It can have notes of citrus, herbs, and sometimes even some subtle tropical undertones. It will go excellently with soft cheeses or fish appetizers and main courses.
Ciliegiolo
You’re about to meet your new favorite pasta wine! Ciliegiolo is a red wine grape variety primarily grown in the Italian regions of Tuscany, Umbria, and Lazio. Its name comes from the Italian word for cherry, “ciliegia,” reflecting the wine’s distinct aroma of ripe cherries. It’s a wine that is easy to love and is very food friendly.
When it comes to flavor, Ciliegiolo wines typically boast flavors of red fruits such as cherry, raspberry, and strawberry, along with floral notes and sometimes hints of spice. This all depends on where the grapes are grown and how the wine is produced!
Ciliegiolo has also traveled – in fact, it is grown and vinified in California. Check out Domenico Winery’s 2019 Ciliegiolo, filled with cherry, chocolate, and spice.
Freisa
Heading to the hills of
Piemonte, we find Freisa – a fragrant wine with lots of personality. Freisa wines are adored for their vibrant acidity and bright red fruit flavors. That said, Freisa wines are usually made to drink quite soon, though the wine as beautiful aging potential. This expressive wine usually exudes aromas of strawberries, raspberries, and sometimes floral notes.
Though this wine is still under the radar outside of Italy, it has made its way to California. Domenico Winery grows and vinifies Freisa with an excellent California twist. Their 2019 Freisa is aged with deep complex flavors.
Sagrantino
This is one of the healthiest (and holiest!) wines around. Sagrantino comes from Umbria, the only landlocked region in Italy with an ancient winemaking history. During the Middle Ages, the Church used Sagrantino as its main wine, though then it was a sweet wine. They didn’t have the modern mechanization to tame Sagrantino’s intense tannins, which are full of antioxidants! Today’s modern winemaking techniques allow us to enjoy a dry, elegant Sagrantino with such a profound flavor profile. It’s the ultimate match for a steak dinner.
Try out something different – a California Sagrantino, from Domenico Winery.
Greco di Tufo
Let’s take a quick trip to Campania. Not too far from the Amalfi Coast is the town of Tufo, where a special grape grows: Greco, known for its high acidity and aromatic qualities. In fact, it holds a DOCG (a denomination of controlled origin) by the Italian government and the EU. Not only does the designation protect the history, but also the qualities that make the area unique, such as its volcanic soil, rich in sulfur and minerals, which defines the wines, lending a unique minerality and complexity.
Once ready to drink, Greco di Tufo wines typically exhibit flavors of citrus, green apple, pear, and sometimes floral or herbal notes. The flavor profile will vary depending on how the wine is aged – Greco is adored for it’s incredible potential to age as a white wine!
Want to try Greco di Tufo? We are loving the Historia Antiqua 2018 Greco di Tufo!
Montepulciano
Did you know that
Montepulciano is Italy’s most widely planted grape variety? While it grows in its home region of Abruzzo, this wine grape has spread throughout the peninsula, and beyond! Now, we must say – don’t confuse this grape with the town, Montepulciano (that boasts a different wine, Rosso di Montepulciano, made with Sangiovese grapes).
Wines made from Montepulciano grapes can vary – their young versions are very fruity and easy to drink. The more sophisticated, aged versions are typically full-bodied and flavorful, with notes of dark fruits such as black cherry, plum, and blackberry, with undertones of spice and earth.
If Montepulciano isn’t new to you, it’s time to try something unique – Domenico Winery’s 2019 Montepulciano, from northern California, with the grapes grown in the special Tracy Hills AVA!
