We chose three white grape varieties from three different regions, each very symbolic (and important) for its region. One, like Albana di Romagna, with a great history behind it. Another recently rediscovered, like Timorasso in the Colli Tortonesi. Finally, a “youngster” like Pecorino in Abruzzo.
Albana is a white grape variety (golden yellow) typical of Romagna and is a real sugar factory, with high amounts of tannins in the seeds and skins. It gives rise to a famous and typical DOCG white wine, Albana di Romagna, which exists in dry, amabile, sweet and raisin versions.
Fattoria Zerbina for the Colli Romagnoli is a sure reference; modern but reliable wines from autictone grapes, a precise estate style, well articulated on the fruit without ever being banal. The vineyards are masterfully kept and conducted while in the winery they only try not to spoil the grapes. All thanks to Cristina Geminiani, the dynamic driving force behind Zerbina.
The wine we chose is:
Timorasso is a yellow-green vine with reduced vigor, prone to flower abortions and perhaps for this reason had been sidelined in favor of other, more productive varieties. Licensed in Piedmont and Lombardy, it finds its ideal location in the Colli Tortonesi, where it is the basis of white Doc.
Cantine Volpi, for more than 100 years and through five generations, has been among the leading players in the Colli Tortonesi area. Here, in 2003, Carlo Volpi crowned a dream by acquiring a new property in Volpedo, Cascina La Zerba, with nearly 10 hectares of vines, fruit trees and organic production. Right here, along with Barbera, he produces two excellent Timorasso wines.
Let’s finish with Pecorino, a white grape that was particularly popular in the Marche and Abruzzo regions as early as the 19th century, then abandoned as not very productive. It is an early-ripening variety that prefers cool, elevated hillside sites. In its recent rediscovery, there are several ways producers have taken to revive it. What we propose here is an orange wine from Podere Castorani.
A dynamic winery in the Pescaresi Hills in Abruzzo, Podere Castorani ‘s roots go back to the 1700s; in fact, the first records of the farm date back to the end of that century. The grapes produced are those typical of the area, particularly Montepulciano and Trebbiano, from native vines more than 30 years old grown organically, but also Pecorino. Today the estate is in the hands of Jarno Trulli, a famous Formula 1 driver who, after speeding through a world where thousandths of a second make the difference, here rediscovers the value of long time that imparts character and uniqueness to wine.
Click on the names of the wines to open the tab.
