Coastal Whites
Often considered wines intended for refreshment rather than reflection, Italy's coastal white wines have been widely regarded as being better sipped from a sweaty glass in the sun than on a table in a critically acclaimed restaurant. This is changing, though. Many coastal appellations throughout the country have been producing interesting and structured wines that naturally complement seafood, and appease the palates of both serious oenophiles and casual diners alike.
Three prime examples are the wines of Cinque Terre in Liguria, Paestum in Campania, and those of the appellations of Castelli di Jesi and Matelica in Le Marche. Wines from these areas express undeniable complexity and, in some cases, unexpected longevity.
An explanation of the concept of terroir would be made much easier if accompanied by a glass of one of these wines. To taste a well-made bianco from Cinque Terre, fiano from Paestum, or verdicchio from Le Marche is to taste a marriage between sun-drenched fruit, coastal earth, and the sea.
Vineyard conditions are optimal for growth in these areas for a number of reasons. One of the most important factors in viticulture is the sun, and many of these seaside vineyards benefit from both uninhibited direct sunlight as well as its reflection off the water. Ventilation is another factor, and coastal breezes minimize the threat of developing mold, an often-detrimental issue that leads to the loss of fruit before harvest.
Cinque Terre (DOC)
When speaking of coastal Italian appellations, one has to mention the Cinque Terre (Five Lands), named for the villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, and Monterosso al Mare. In many places, its terraced vineyards are literally carved out of cliffs
that tower over the Mediterranean coastline, and are arguably the most breathtaking in
the country.
The ancient Greeks first planted vines here thousands of years ago, and due to the steep
slope-side location of the vineyards, modern viticulture technology is out of the question. Everything, from start to finish, must be done by hand.
Despite the tireless effort of the vineyard workers and winemakers of the region, the wines have in the past been written off as simple in nature. In fact, the most recent edition of The Oxford Companion to Wine suggests that Cinque Terre bianco "rarely rises above thirst-quenching level." While there may have been a fair amount of truth to generalizations like this in the past, today there are a handful of producers turning out wonderful blends of the area's native varieties: bosco, vermentino, and albarola.
Two of these producers are Pierluigi Lugano and Walter DeBatte. Lugano's Enoteca Bisson was started in 1978 and has evolved into one of Cinque Terre's better-known wineries in New York. His Cinque Terre Marea--a blend of bosco, vermentino, albarola grapes--is an approachable bottling that is a great introduction to this style of wine. Lush fruit is complemented by subtle salinity, earthiness, and herbaceous notes.
Walter DeBatte's Harmoge is a more unctuous and concentrated wine that
incorporates bosco and albarola grapes from Cinque Terre, and vermentino grapes
from the neighboring Val di Magra. DeBatte attributes the complexity of the wine to a
combination of the constantly circulating sea spray during the growing season and
naturally occurring sea yeasts the wine rests on during its extended sur lie treatment in
the barrel. The wine's name, which means "harmony" in Old Latin, truly resonates when
the wine is given enough time in a glass to achieve its full potential.
Paestum (IGT)
South of Campania's famed Amalfi coast, on the Golfo di Salerno, is the IGT of
Paestum. Most popular for its mozzarella di bufala cheese, this area is emerging
as one of the region's most exciting wine production zones. While not as drastic a landscape as Cinque Terre, the coastal vineyards are quite picturesque, and the area is rich in history as well. During the Roman Empire, the white wines of Campania were among Italy's most favored, and also some of the first to be exported to Gaul and other Mediterranean countries of that time.
Paestum's indigenous white varietal is fiano, and arguably produces some of the most complex white wines in all of Campania. To the north in Avellino, where fiano has had the most international success, the wines show a profound flinty minerality, or smokiness, that is attributed to the volcanic soil that surrounds Mt. Vesuvius. In Paestum, though, fiano produces a more focused wine in which the minerality and acidity is more integrated with the ripe melon fruit. A good example of this is Luigi Maffini's Kratos, named after the Greek god of war. The wine is a perfect match with many of the area's well-known crustacean dishes.
A unique expression of fiano from the area is made by Bruno De Conciliis. His Antece wine, an ode to ancient winemaking, is an age-worthy white that is produced only in the best vintages. The juice is left with the grape skins for an extended period of time and produces tannin not found in other expressions of the varietal. Antece is a natural pairing with richer seafood preparations, or as a meditative wine to be enjoyed on its own.
De Conciliis attributes the success of his vineyards not only to the sea, but also to his desire to make wine in different styles. He recently remarked that people who live near the sea are natural explorers, and this inspires him to explore the vast potential of the grapes grown in his vineyards.
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi (DOC) and Verdicchio di Matelica (DOC)
On the central coast of the Adriatic, in the region of Le Marche, lie the verdicchioproducing vineyards of Castelli di Jesi and, further inland, Matelica. Verdicchio is a wine that, after overproduction and marketing in oddly shaped bottles, has experienced a revival with wine lovers in the past few years. Producers like Bucci, and a few others, have been making serious wines for many years, but smaller producers have gone relatively, and undeservedly, unnoticed.
Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is an area just west of the city of Ancona. While the vineyards lay 15 miles inland, unobstructed views of the Adriatic Sea are visible from many vineyard sites. The soil composition is mostly clay with some marl, supporting fuller-bodied wines, and riserva bottlings are often made. One such wine is biodynamic producer Pievalta's San Paolo Verdicchio, which ages six months in the barrel and rests one year in the bottle before release. The result is a textured, mineral-rich wine, expressing mature fruit as well as savory characteristics. They are not meant to be drunk young, and early opening has resulted in many critics deeming these wines bitter.
In contrast, Verdicchio di Matelica is a generally livelier wine that, despite its further-inland vineyards, expresses unmistakable briny minerality. This is attributed to its soil composition of chalk and marine sediment. Producers like Bisci and Fontezoppa make focused, high-acid wines that beg for simply prepared ocean fish.
These wines, like most of the others, are often found at an approachable price point and redefine what an inexpensive Italian white wine can be.