L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 26 L'Italo-Americano Vernaccia di San Gimignano A mong its riches, the City of Beautiful Towers, as San Gi- mignano is known, can claim culture, hi- story, art, nature – and a wonder- ful Tuscan white wine known as Vernaccia di San Gimignano. As early as 1276, San Gimi- gnano municipal records tell of a thriving wine trade for its Ver- naccia. Throughout history, Ver- naccia has charmed poets, artists, Popes, and noblemen alike: Dante Alighieri told of it in his Purgatorio (Purgatory); Mi- chelangelo sang of it; Vernaccia graced the table of the Medici; the wine steward for Pope Paul III made official requests for it. Although the historic Tuscan wine was first cited as Vernaccia, the term has over the years come to technically refer to a group of several unrelated grape varieties. Which is why, when referring to Vernaccia di San Gimignano, you may want to resist the temp- tation to shorten its name to "Ver- naccia" to avoid potential confu- sion. (Although I admit to using that very shorthand on occasion, hopefully limited to where con- text provides any necessary cla- rification.) I.E., it is nowadays in- sufficient to say only that one is drinking "Vernaccia." So then, to be clear, the Ver- naccia we are interested in here is Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the one strongly associated with Tuscany's San Gimignano terri- tory. (Grateful are we that any additional name-related confu- sion is eased by the fact that the name Vernaccia di San Gimi- gnano refers both to the wine and the grape variety from which it is produced.) As background information and point(s) of reference, the ter- ritory's climate would appear ideally suited to agriculture. The website of Consorzio del Vino Vernaccia di San Gimignano notes: "The production area is characterised by a Mediterranean climate with rather dry summers, not particularly harsh winters and rainfall concentrated in two pe- riods: April/May and November, with temperatures varying from -5°C to +37°C. The area benefits from good ventilation all year round and only rarely is it cloaked in fog." According to ita- lianwinecentral.com, as of 2018, the area under vine consists of 720 hectares / 1778 acres with a production of 440,000 cases. A grand history and perpe- tually good weather didn't save Vernaccia di San Gimignano from the ills of mass production, however: as with certain other Italian wines of the period, the 1980s saw Italy's first DOC wine – Vernaccia di San Gimignano was awarded DOC status in 1966 and elevated to DOCG sta- tus in 1993 - become rather blah. It was a vulnerable time for Ver- naccia di San Gimignano, with many thinking the variety hadn't much to offer. Ironically, while producers sought to make the wine more interesting with oak aging, adding other grape varie- ties, etc., the nature of Vernaccia di San Gimignano could be over- shadowed, in effect making things worse. But, thanks to the efforts of producers like Sono Montenidoli – an estate that has set what many believe to be the gold standard benchmark for Vernaccia di San Gimignano – the wine has now enjoyed years of ever-improving examples. At Sono Montenidoli, "… Vernaccia has always been con- sidered the red of white wines, because of its body, the climate from which it springs, and its ageworthiness. Its secondary aro- mas, which develop with time, are one of its strong points" (montendoli.com). Montenidoli make three different bottlings of DOCG Vernaccia di San Gimi- gnano (100% varietal) – their elegant and round lees-aged Fiore, complex, barrel-fermented Carato, and characterful Tradi- zionale, all are grand expressions of the variety and territory. Regarding the characterful na- ture of Vernaccia di San Gimi- gnano, in his book Italian Wine, wine writer Victor Hazan wrote that "this pale gold wine from the many-towered town has strength of character". I mention this in the hope that when discus- sing definitively Tuscan wines – definitively Italian wines, for that matter – readers might remember to include Vernaccia di San Gi- mignano in the conversation. Vernaccia di San Gimignano is typically the color of summer straw. The nose is attractively de- licate with a mix of fruit and flo- ral scents, dry in the mouth, with notes of savory herb. It may in- terest you to know that Vernaccia di San Gimignano responds to cellar time, rewarding your pa- tience with deepened golden co- lor and complexity in both bou- quet and flavor. Vernaccia di San Gimignano has a remarkable range at table. The wine pairs well with all man- ner of Mediterranean cuisine. Re- commended pairings include white meats, fish, pasta and rice dishes, vegetables and salads of all kinds, sushi, hearty soups, eggs, and cheeses. I absolutely adored Montenidoli's Tradizio- nale paired with a sturdy zuppa di farro. In addition to Sono Monteni- doli, other producers worth seeking out include Fontaleoni, Mormoraia, Panizza. Tasting Note Golden straw color, great cla- rity. Delicate, fruity perfume, hints of chamomile, sage, and hay. Tongue-smacking sense of mineral underlines generous fruit that settles with good weight on the palate. Lingering finish shows notes of almond, hay, wi- sps of ginger. - Piazza della Cisterna with a well (cisterna) in the middle is the main square of the medieval old town of the Tuscan city of San Gimignano © Wiktor Wojtas | Dreamstime.com Elisabetta Fagiuoli of Sono Montenidoli JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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