What’s better than sunny weather and a glass of cold Italian white wine?
Italy enjoys a variety of climates, from the cooler northern regions to the sun-drenched island of Sicily in the south. The combined output of these wine regions provides a cornucopia of white wine experiences: from the fresh, melon and honey inflected Gavi di Gavi of Piedmont to the saline and citrussy Verdicchios of Le Marche; and from the spicy, juicy Greco di Matera of Basilicata to the mineral, appley whites of Etna.
‘It’s impossible to think of Italian wine outside the context of food,’ said Fiona Beckett, in her guide to Italy’s best white wines with food.
Most of these wines have enough acidity and flavour intensity to make them great for classic al fresco dining, particularly when paired with a crisp salad or grilled chicken or white fish.
‘Italian wines tend to be more food- friendly because they have higher acidity – a key factor in food pairing,’ Jack Lewens, ex-sommelier, now wine producer, told Andy Howard MW in his top food friendly wines from around Italy.
We’ve also included a couple of white sparkling wines in the selection too, to help get the party started.
Italy is known for offering tremendous value for money and most of the wines here are well under £20, with many coming in under £10. We’ve included a handful of supermarket own-label wines too, as there’s plenty of value to be found at your local supermarket when it comes to Italy.
