Top Ten Italian White Wines

In a country famous for red wine, Italy’s white wines are often overlooked. Although the country has gone global with a range of crisp, well-priced and crowd-pleasing whites, there’s plenty of seriously impressive Italian white wine waiting to be discovered.

Here are just ten examples of Italian white wines that deserve a place in any wine rack.

1. Verdicchio, Marche

Let’s start with the most underrated, shall we? Verdicchio is a speciality of the Marche region, at its best in the DOCs of Jesi and Matelica. The wines of Jesi are closer to the sea and the wines are crisp and more delicate than their cousins from Matelica, up in the hills, where you’ll find more intensity on the palate. The better wines from each area can age remarkably well, given the chance.

What does Verdicchio taste like?
Fresh and zippy with flavours of green apple and pear, sometimes with a note of fresh bay leaves or sea spray, and a certain delicacy and juiciness of fruit.

Producers to look out for: 
Umani Ronchi, Sartarelli, Borgo Paglianetto, Bisci, Villa Bucci, Fattoria San Lorenzo

2. Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Tuscany

The Chicago of Siena, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval skyscrapers and has featured in cultural touchstones as diverse as the works of E.M. Forster and Assassin’s Creed II. Vernaccia di San Gimignano was Italy’s first DOC in 1966, in recognition of its historical importance. Known to Chaucer and Dante, it remains one of the jewels of Tuscany. Traditionally made with skin contact, today many wines are modern and fairly neutral, but among the top producers, there are signs that Vernaccia has something more to offer than easy-drinking piazza whites.

What does Vernaccia di San Gimignano taste like?
In the better wines you’ll find deep flavors of spiced pears and ripe lemons, with some floral notes like chamomile and a full texture. These are best with food.

Producers to look out for: 
Montenidoli, Il Colombaio di Santachiara

3. Etna Bianco, Sicily

Carricante is the grape variety responsible for the best Etna Bianco, and although other varieties are sometimes blended, the combination of Carricante and volcanic terroir is electric. Late-ripening and yet remarkably low in alcohol, Carricante is distinctly mineral, grippy and stony in texture, and in many ways bears closer comparison to a wine like Chablis than with its mainland Italian cousins. Etna Bianco also ages well, particularly from the small but top-quality subregion of Milo, whose vineyards are entitled to the Etna Bianco Superiore designation.

What does Etna Bianco taste like?
Briny green olives, dry vermouth, crisp yellow apples and wet stones. Mineral and zesty, Etna Bianco is a distinctly Mediterranean white with unusual freshness and zip.

Producers to look out for: 
Barone di Vilagrande, I Vigneri, Benanti, Pietradolce, Biondi, Girolamo Russo

4. Timorasso, Piemonte

Thanks to the singular efforts of Walter Massa to preserve this historic variety from the Tortona hills in Piemonte, today we can enjoy one of Italy’s most distinctive and characterful white grapes. Late-ripening, full-bodied and high in extract and acidity, Timorasso is a real mouthful. It is often better after a couple of years in bottle after release and gains substantial complexity and richness with age.

What does Timorasso taste like?
It has a rich texture, sometimes waxy, with olive oil notes, and flavors of lime and much less of the floral character of many Italian white wines. It unwinds with time to give a more petrolly, Riesling-esque flavors, so it is wise to give it two or three years of age after the vintage date on the label. It’s much broader and less delicate in texture than Riesling, however.

Producers to look out for: 
Vigneti Walter Massa, Marina Coppi, I Carpini, La Colombera, Francesco Iandolo

5. Friulano, Friuli-Venezia Giulia

The variety formerly known as Tocai Friulano is one of the indigenous highlights of the eastern Friuli region. Friulano comes in a variety of guises, but the best, such as the wines of Enzo Pontoni at Miani, are age-worthy, world-class whites. The variety also makes attractive, earlier-drinking wines that can offer good value. Quite easy to like and versatile, but somewhat off the radar of most Italian wine lovers. Generally, it doesn’t need food, but can pair well with lighter dishes, particularly those with a herbal element such as asparagus or artichoke.

What does Friulano taste like?
Crisp and lightly herbal with a touch of mint, sometimes lightly floral, but often in a restrained style that, aside from the top wines, is best enjoyed within a few years of the vintage.

Producers to look out for:
Borgo del Tiglio, Miani, I Clivi, Schiopetto, Specogna, Villa Bogdano

6. Fiano di Avellino, Campania

Could this be Italy’s longest-lived grape variety? Although zippy and mineral when young, these are some of the most age-worthy Italian white wines if given a chance to develop in bottle. Mostly vinified in stainless steel, toasty, nutty complexity starts to emerge after two or three years in bottle and, just like Timorasso, it’s recommended to not drink them too young.

What does Fiano di Avellino taste like?
When youthful, it’s often surprisingly neutral and tight with a lime and apple flavor profile, but with age the more toasty, nutty and spicy nuances emerge.

Producers to look out for:
Pietracupa, Quintodecimo, I Favati, Rocca del Principe

7. Greco di Tufo, Campania

Campania is a bit spoiled, with two of Italy’s best white grape varieties. The DOCG of Greco di Tufo is the smallest in the subzone of Irpinia and is named after the tufo soils of the area, rich in sulphur, clay and volcanic minerals.

What does Greco di Tufo taste like?
Where Fiano tends to lime, Greco tends to orange; where Fiano gives linearity, Greco gives breadth. Both have great acidity and ageing potential. More honied, spicy and earthy than Fiano, Greco may be less well known but is no lesser in quality.

Producers to look out for:
Benito Ferrara, Mastroberardino, Feudi di San Gregorio, I Favati

8. Soave Classico, Veneto

Garganega is the great white grape of the volcanic Soave Classico DOC, a region whose wines and flavors are distinct from the often generic, neutral wines under the much wider Soave DOC denomination — so watch out for that all-important ‘Classico’ word on the label. The volcanic soils of the old Foscarino volcano add depth and complexity to the wines which are both appealing young and capable of ageing.

What does Soave Classico taste like?
Although Garganega has good acidity as a variety, the wines of Soave Classico are more typically characterized by a richness and smoothness of texture that is unusual in fine Italian white wines, with a creamy character that can be enhanced by judicious oak. Expect flavors of smoke, citrus and honey with age. Soave Classico is often the best starting point for white Burgundy lovers exploring Italian vino bianco.

Producers to look out for:
Inama, Pieropan, Gini, Prà

9. Trebbiano Abruzzese, Abruzzo

Various Trebbianos are scattered across the Italian peninsula. Thanks to the work of producers such as Valentini and Tiberio, we know that this particular variety, unrelated to the other Trebbianos, has the ability to make intense, concentrated and age-worthy whites. For many, Valentini’s Trebbiano Abruzzese is the greatest white wine in Italy. Do note, however, that Trebbiano Abruzzese is the variety; Trebbiano d’Abruzzo is the DOC, and more often than not the latter is not made with the former.

What does Trebbiano Abruzzese taste like?
We don’t have a lot to go on, but the best are intensely fresh, mineral and high in acidity with lemon notes when young, and have a proven ability to age harmoniously and build richness and complexity in bottle. Some tasters have drawn comparisons with Chablis.

Producers to look out for:
Valentini, Tiberio (Fonte Canale)

10. Vermentino, Sardegna

A speciality of Sardinia, Vermentino has also made its way over the sea to the coast of Tuscany, with significant plantings in Bolgheri. It’s also widely planted in Liguria, where it is known as Pigato. A small amount is even planted in Piemonte, under the name Favorita. No one is quite sure how it arrived. A Spanish origin is often posited, but the argument seems weak, as Vermentino is absent from modern Spanish vineyards.

What does Vermentino taste like?
Vermentino can be made in a neutral style with simple flavors of melon and pear, but the best have an attractive savory quality, with notes of celery and herbs, fresh peaches and pears and a full, rich texture on the palate.

Producers to look out for:
Argiolas, Antonella Corda, Cantine Pala, Grattamacco (Bolgheri)