Vermentino: From Underrated to Unforgettable with a Hint of Controversy
– why Vermentino should be on your radar
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I have just decided Vermentino may be the most under appreciated grape!
The advantage of that for us as consumers is we can get high-quality Vermentino for great value.
Never heard of it!
While in Florence, Italy in 2023, Husband and I hit the hotel bar. I was unsure of my wine choice. I prefer Italian reds with food, and I was saving my appetite for the night’s steak Florentine. So, no red.
At this point, my perception of Italian whites was that were very neutral, and frankly, boring. I went to the bartender asking him for help given my desperate plight.
Ah, the humanity!
Barman recommended a Vermentino from Bolgheri on the Tuscan coast. It is considered ‘THE’ region’s white wine, a fun coincidental foreshadowing as this was our next destination.
Vermentino is a semi-aromatic grape and is generally made in two styles. The first style is a lighter and zestier medium body wine, like the 2023 vintage of today’s featured wine. The second style is richer, creamier, and fuller bodied, like the 2022 vintage of today’s featured wine and the wine featured in the Paso Robles article.
Vermentino produces wine with complex flavors, including a subtle bitter flavor that can range from grapefruit pith or green almond to lime peel and fresh almond. Additional fruit flavors can range from green fruit and citrus to tropical, along with engaging dried herb and saline notes.
The most interesting aspects regarding Vermentino are not where is grown, how it is made, or which ancient civilization, monk order, king, or pope was involved. But rather – a naming controversy.
Huh?
In France Vermentino is mostly grown in the south. In Corsica it is sometimes called Vermentinu and in Provence and Languedoc-Roussillon it is labelled as Rolle but verbally people call it Vermentino.
It was in Languedoc when I first heard rumblings of a dispute. Most do not like the less catchy name Rolle. However, locals explained, Italy does not want them to use the name Vermentino.
I agree, Vermentino is a way better name. It’s got panache!
Initially I took this as a friendly inter-country rivalry. Sort of like Canadian hockey fans giving a ribbing to fans of a rival team. But later I found out that this is a legal thing.
Before we go further, I need to give you some additional information.
In my articles, I use the terms wine region and sub-region, but the technical wine term is Protected Designation of Origins (PDO). All countries have different names for their own national PDO(s) in their national language.
For example, Italy has 2 PDOs: Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) and Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita (DOCG).
To keep things succinct and avoid explaining the specific PDO in every article, I simply use the terms region and sub-region. My intended audience is the person who is keen to explore and drink better wines but has little to no formal wine education.
Okay, back to the name controversy.
Two PDOs in Italy have the term Vermentino in their name: Vermentino di Sardegna DOC and Vermentino di Gallura DOCG. Italy is saying because of this, the term Vermentino is a protected term (like a copyright) and is only allowed on wine labels in Italy. (Note: Three countries, Australia, Croatia, and the USA, have negotiated their own permissions and can therefore use Vermentino on their labels).
Isn’t this déjà vu!
Italy did the same in 2009 for the term Prosecco. Prosecco used to be the name of the grape used to make Italy’s famed sparkling wine.
Some Italian commercial masterminds decided to create new sparkling wine PDOs named Prosecco. They also stopped calling the grape itself Prosecco, switching to the name Glera instead, an existing Prosecco grape synonym already used in some regions of Italy.
This resulted in Prosecco becoming a protected term. Commercially, this has been highly successful for Italy and Prosecco DOC and DOCG!
In my opinion, neither of these situations Italy created with Prosecco and Vermentino seem appropriate.
In the case of Vermentino, the name of a grape is a historical one not only used in Italy. There is French technical documentation from the early 1900s using the name Vermentino (see image below – ampelography is the field that IDs and classifies grapevines). Why would Italy over 100 years later get rights over the name?
A marvelous article was written in jancisrobinson.com. I love how the authors suggest the French should start a chicken fight. Then even came up with PDO names with some of the world’s most widely grown grape varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon de Bordeaux and Chardonnay de Bourgogne.
This would certainly be fighting fire with fire considering Italy grows these grapes too, and Cabernet Sauvignon is a blending component of some of their most prized wines.
Maybe this will show the EU that this isn't the best path for the wine world as a whole.
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La Spinetta Toscana Vermentino 2023 from Tuscany, Italy
Style: Dry mineral medium body white
Varieties: 100% Vermentino
This crispy wine shows flavors of lemon curd, lime zest, grapefruit pith, underripe pear, granny smith apple, underripe peach and nectarine, quince, green almond, salinity, and crushed rocks. It is an outstanding wine that checks all the boxes: long finish, concentration, acidity integration, as well as complexity and precision of flavors!
Best pairings: Calamari, Grilled shrimp, Light seafood pasta, Green salads with citrus vinaigrette, Frittata with asparagus and zucchini, Lightly seasoned chicken dishes, Goat and Oka cheeses.
Serving Temperature: 7 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Enjoy
Cost: ~$27 Cdn
La Spinetta Toscana Vermentino 2022 from Tuscany, Italy
Style: Dry mineral medium (plus) body white
Varieties: 100% Vermentino
This plush wine shows flavors of yellow fruit including lemon, pear, yellow apple, unripe apricot and mango. The complexity of a little bitterness (grapefruit and almond) and saline character give the wine additional intrigue, not to mention its long finish.
Best pairings: Lobster, Chicken or Seafood Alfredo, White Pizza, Greek salad, Antipasto plate with hummus, soft and medium hard cheeses, olives.
Serving Temperature: 9 degrees Celsius
Serving Tips: Enjoy
I have compiled all my wine recommendations in one place. I will do my best to keep this up to date. I also include the link(s) to the article in which the wine was featured.
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SOURCES:
Camuto, R. (2023) Just don’t call it that! the problem for Vermentino from the south of France, Wine Spectator. Available at: https://www.winespectator.com/articles/just-don-t-call-it-that-the-problem-for-vermentino-from-the-south-of-france (Accessed: 29 July 2024).
Caputo, P. (2024) Vermentino is a fresh white wine for a hotter world, Forbes. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulcaputo/2024/02/21/vermentino-is-a-fresh-white-wine-for-a-hotter-world/ (Accessed: 29 July 2024).
Currin, T. and Robinson, J. (2024) Italians grab Vermentino now, JancisRobinson.com. Available at: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/articles/italians-grab-vermentino-now (Accessed: 29 July 2024).
Fantastic, underrated Vermentino Wine (no date) Wine Folly. Available at: https://winefolly.com/deep-dive/vermentino-wine-guide/ (Accessed: 29 July 2024).
Harding, J. and Robinson, J. (2023) The oxford companion to wine. Oxford, United Kingdom: Oxford University Press.
Vermentino (Rolle) - white wine grape variety (2024) Wine. Available at: https://www.wine-searcher.com/grape-525-vermentino-rolle (Accessed: 29 July 2024).
Wine & Spirit Education Trust (2021) D3: Wines of the World - An accompaniment to the WSET Level 4 Diploma in Wines. Version 1.2. London: Wine & Spirit Education Trust.
The other name controversy is that Pigato (from Liguria) and Favorita (from Piemonte) are both likely Vermentino biotypes. But it depends on who you ask.
Also, I would recommend Verm from Gallura in Sardegna and/or those from Liguria (Verm or Pigato)
Loved this back story! A good reminder to try some on my upcoming trip. Thank you!