Anthony Gismondi: Trend continues for Pinot Grigios at wine festival

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No one knows what lies ahead, but it is sometimes easier to spot trends in the wine business, given past behaviour.

The growing interest in white wines will continue in 2024 and beyond. The variety of grapes, the lighter alcohol, and the fresher demeanour all fit the new, younger palate. They are also far more appealing than the run-of-the-mill red wines that now flood the low end of the market. Finally, they are generally cheaper, something bound to get the attention of any wine drinker. Expect you and your friends to drink more white wine this year.

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Italy would be a great place to begin your search, and it dovetails nicely with the upcoming Vancouver International Wine Festival next month. Private wine shops and restaurants will have the most comprehensive selection, and don’t be too fussy about the producer to start. It is essential to discover the wine and the grape variety first to create what could be a lifelong journey.

Italian Pinot Grigio has a terrible reputation for tasting like plonk, but there is more than one style. The cheap and cheerful that floods the low end of our market, and then there are the labels we call the good stuff. The latter are typically grown further north against the Italian Alps, namely in Friuli and Alto-Adige. Start your journey with the Bollini Pinot Grigio from Trentino. Before you know it, you will be drinking Livio Felluga Pinot Grigio, a herby mineral storm of juice reminiscent of its home in the Colli Orientali near the Slovenian border.

The “V” wines are a revelation to many first-time drinkers. I’m talking about Vermentino and Verdicchio. Vermentino grows mainly in Italy on the island of Sardinia, parts of Liguria and in Piedmont as Favorita in Piedmont. It’s been compared with Sauvignon Blanc but is more complex, with more mineral notes and a soft saline finish. It is a perfect wine for seafood. Verdicchio is a primary white grape grown in the Marche region of central Italy. It has been cultivated for over 600 years. Its name is derived from verde, meaning green, a nod to its faint, greenish hue. It produces crisp, dry, mineral wines of naturally high acidity, often with hints of citrus fruits and almonds. Pasta is a great partner.

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Arneis is another grape emerging from Northern Italy. Similar to Viognier’s rebirth, there were but a few hectares in Italy in the 1960s. Today, more than 605 hectares of Arneis vines can be found in Piedmont, where the late Alfredo Currado — a beloved Vietti wine family, revived its fortunes. Arneis has become the darling of the Roero region in Piedmont, boasting a mix of fragile floral notes, generous hits of pears and apricots, and a hint of hazelnuts.

Grillo takes us to Sicily, where hilly countryside and Mediterranean breezes give life to its white wines despite the warm climate. Grillo was often used in Marsala, but the high-yielding Catarratto has become the preferred choice for Marsala. The subsequent decline of plantings encouraged a shift in the Grillo style. With improved viticulture and winemaking, it is becoming a fun, fresh, light, nutty white with a lemon-apple flavour similar to the Garganaga of Soave and the Cortese of Gavi.

We are running out of room and have only scratched the surface. We didn’t get to Nascetta, another rare variety grown in Piednont’s Langhe region that has been revived since the early 1990s, capturing fans with its perfumed floral scents and tropical fruit aromas. There is also the minerally nutty, rich Fiano, the star performer from the Apennine Mountains of Campania.

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I know many of you are preparing for the Big Bs of Italy to be in the tasting room, but you may well find that the Brunellos, Barolos and Barbarescos have a lot more company this time around, and a lot of that will be the exploding world of Indigenous white Italian grapes.

You can start your homework in the Italian section of private wine shops and B.C. liquor stores and reach for a white wine you do not recognize. Our weekend picks look back at some of our favourites since the fall. I think you will love the prices. Viva Italia.

Weekend wine picks

Fontanafredda Briccotonda Langhe Arneis 2021, Piedmont, Italy

$17.99 I 88/100

UPC: 08000174350026

Italy is the theme of next month’s wine festival, and Arneis is one of its grapes that deserves more attention. The grapes are picked, pressed and fermented before aging briefly in stainless steel for four to five months. There is no malolactic fermentation. Keep it fresh and bright. The palate is a mix of exotic fruit flavours, honey and pears that slide down easily. It is a versatile food wine with seafood hors-d’oeuvre or assorted pasta dishes.

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Rapitalà Grillo Organic 2021, Sicily, Italy

$17.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8002010675423

This is a compelling expression of Gillo at an even more compelling price. There’s real depth and complexity, with a lovely interplay of fruit, florals, and savoury herbs. It’s crisp and refreshing, offering a combination of Anjou pear and white peach lifted by lime blossom and aromatic thyme. Plus, it’s certified organic to boot.

Umani Ronchi Casal di Serra Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2020, Marche, Italy

$19.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8032853721124

The engine of this wine is an organically grown Verdicchio vine now nearing 30 years of age. They sit on calcareous, clay, loamy hillsides and yield a fruity white that mixes citrus, pear, and toasted almonds, all supported by a stony, fresh, mineral undercurrent with a surprising amount of weight. Any shellfish selection, raw or cooked, on the West Coast would be the match. Fine value.

Barone di Valforte Pecorino 2022, Abruzzo, Italy

$21.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8033413003063

The Sorricchio family has owned the baronial fief of Valforte since the 13th century. The Vineyard lies within the DOCG Colline Teramane area, but the Pecorino grape is the star. The Pecorino takes its name from the Italian word for sheep, Pecora, which feeds off the golden grapes. The aromas are intoxicating, mixing wild honey and citrus with almonds, pears, and mineral undersides. In B.C., this is a terrific mussel wine, or you could serve it with a piece of aged pecorino cheese or roasted turkey. I love the super value here.

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Villa Sparina Gavi del commune di Gavi 2020, Gavi, Piedmont, Italy

$24.99 I 89/100

UPC: 8021321080719

Gavi di Gavi takes its name from the Gavi DOCG in Piedmont, but confusingly, it is made with the Cortese grape. Simplicity is the key to this delicious stainless steel fermented white and not much else. Fresh, floral, and bright, the 2020 edition has an orange undertone, adding to the exotic flecks that bring this mineral, citrus bombshell to life — delicate, fresh, seafood-friendly, especially with pasta, and fun to drink.

Calendar items

On Jan. 25 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the 39th Avenue and Cambie Street B.C. liquor store in Vancouver, Australia’s legendary Penfolds is planning an evening of sophistication and palate-pleasing wines at Crafting Excellence in Every Sip. Master Sommelier Gillian Ballance will lead the tasting of premium Australian and American wines made by Penfolds. The event will feature several Penfolds products, including the 2018 Grange. Tickets are $50 and must be purchased in advance at the customer service counter.

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If you are looking for something different in wine in the Kelowna area, you are invited to a cosy experience at Meadow Vista Honey Wines. Get ready to unwind by the fire and savour a unique pairing of warm mulled wine and S’mores you’ve roasted on the fire. This in-person event promises to give you the time to enjoy the farm, home to 150 hives of hardworking honeybees and garden beds of flowers, fruits, and vegetables. Tickets are available here.

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B.C. wine of the week

High Note Patter Brut Pinot Noir — Merlot 2022, B.C.

$30 I 87/100

UPC: 69685209943

According to the winery, the musical Patter is about precision, each note exactly where it should be. The songs are intricate and fast-paced, following the natural ebb and flow of speech. The High Note Patter Brut is a fresh and inviting Prosecco look-alike with a soft but fruity palate and clean finish. The apple-lemon red berry fruit mix stems from an 85/15 blend of Pinot Noir and Merlot grown in the south Okanagan. This is a fun summer or a pre-dinner sipper.

Value wine of the week

Uko Select Vineyards Malbec 2019, Paraje Altamira, Valle de Uco, Tunuyán, Mendoza, Argentina

$14.99 I 88/100

UPC: 7798284570168

This Malbec comes from Altamira, Uco Valley, and Mendoza, which is enough to buy a case without tasting it at this price. The Select Reserva is aged in second and third uses French oak barrels for 10 months, plus another three months in a bottle. The result is an intense nose of plummy red fruit lined with vanilla, dense sweet tannins, and a whiff of that stony minerality. Lamb chops work well here. It is on sale until the end of the month.

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