3 Vernaccia DOCG varieties: white, red, and sparkling!

When talking about the Vernaccia grape, one immediately thinks of Tuscany, and particularly San Gimignano. The place of the legendary Vernaccia bianca, which in 1966 was the first Italian wine to receive the Denomination of Origin, an autochthonous grape variety par excellence, awarded after 800 years of history to ensure renewal and future growth. We can personally verify that excellence has been preserved by tasting the Vernaccia DOCG Vigna Santa Margherita 2018 by Panizzi.

The wine is very bright, medium-intensity straw yellow, with sweet floral aromas (hawthorn), exotic fruits (pineapple, grapefruit, but also citrus), sweet spices (vanilla), and a mineral note. On the palate, it shows a nice structure, with a soft and dry taste, and good acidity that cleanses the mouth and keeps everything in balance. While it lingers, a note of bitter almond remains in the mouth and invites another sip.

Let’s change the area and discover a true rarity, a "black pearl," the Vernaccia nera di Serrapetrona, produced as sparkling red, still red wine or passito, and often vinified with (partially) dried grapes.

We begin with the Collequanto DOC (2015 vintage!), the reference wine of the Tenuta Stefano Graidi Terre di Serrapetrona, a pure Vernaccia aged for 18 months in wooden barrels and then further in bottles.

We pour a first taste of this intense ruby red wine into our glass, and we are immediately excited by the aromas: red and black fruits (sour cherry, black currant, pomegranate), spices (black pepper, cloves, cinnamon), balsamic notes (from the forest), and tobacco.

On the palate, it presents a nice structure, soft and dry, pronounced acidity, and well-integrated tannins. Long and elegant finish. Excellent quality-price ratio.

What if we paired it with a nice ragù or grilled meat?

Our third wine to discover is the Vernaccia nera DOCG di Serrapetrona. The only Italian sparkling wine that ferments (naturally) as many as 3 times. How? Only part of the harvested grapes is vinified immediately (1st fermentation), while the remaining part is left to dry until mid-January. The must obtained from the dried grapes is then transferred to the October wine and becomes the base wine for the second fermentation. Once maturation is complete, the third and final natural fermentation (in autoclave) takes place to produce a unique sparkling wine of surprising aromatic complexity, sweet or dry (depending on the winemaker's choices).

The opening of the bottle, always from Tenuta Stefano Graidi, reveals a ruby red color with intense violet reflections and a fine, persistent perlage. On the nose, the "typical" aromas of Vernaccia, such as flowers (violet), fruit (cherries and blackberries), spices (cinnamon and pepper), and then a lively, fresh, and balanced sip. It pairs perfectly with a plate of cold cuts and cheeses.

These 3 wines are suitable for anyone who wants to discover autochthonous, rare, and genuine grape varieties.