V is for Verdicchio!

For the most part, I am what you may call a "seasonal" wine drinker, meaning that I tend to drink cool white or rosé wines in the summer, switching over to reds as temperatures start to dip and move into the darker days of winter.  Be that as it may, there's certainly nothing wrong with sampling a crisp, fresh and lively white from time to time during the cold, gray and dreary seasons and pair it with some tasty shellfish or sushi.  And it just so happens that a particularly delightful white varietal I sampled towards the end of the summer popped up again in a State Store tasting this past week. Indeed I had been meaning to do a post on this wine and now I have no excuse for any further procrastinating.

The 2013 Verdee Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi is a 100% Verdicchio from the Marches ("le Marche", pronounced lay MAR-kay, in Italian) region and is a lovely alternative for all you Sauvignon Blanc (or Muscadet) lovers as it offers many similar characteristics (bouquet, mouthfeel, body, crispness) yet with its own particular aura from the Italian terroir.  Grown in chalky soil, fermented in stainless steel tanks for 20 days, and refined on lees for 6 months before 3 months of bottle aging, this light straw colored wine bursts with refreshing notes of citrus blossom, grapefruit and lemon zest.  These citrusy aromas are complemented on the palate by hints of pear, apple and white-fleshed fruit for a balanced and harmonious amalgamation of fruit sensations, while maintaining a crisp acidity that pairs well with shellfish.  It retails for about $12.






If this particular Verdicchio is not available or you have trouble finding it, you may try asking for the a different one which was featured in a recent tasting at the Wine and Spirits Shop on 5th street in Philadelphia:

 Garofoli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore Macrina 2013

The estate is described as follows:

Winery Profile: Garofoli is one of the oldest wineries in the Marche,

dating back to 1871 when Antonio Garofoli began producing wine for the

local pilgrims coming to the famous church of Loreto. In 1901, Antonio's

son, Gioacchino, founded the Gioacchino Garofoli winery

Vineyards and Vinification: Hills are the predominant feature of the

Marches countryside. They slope down from the eastern side of the

Apennines toward the Adriatic sea. These hills are particularly wellsuited

to the cultivation of vines because they are sheltered from the

winds off the Adriatic Sea and have a warm, sunny exposure.