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 indigenous grape par excellence, awarded after 800 years of history to ensure renewal and future growth. We can personally confirm 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, a soft and dry taste, with good acidity that cleanses the mouth and keeps everything in balance. While it lingers long, a note of bitter almond remains in the mouth, inviting the next sip.

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

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

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

And 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) no less than 3 times. How? Only a portion 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 into the wine from October and becomes the base wine for the second fermentation. Once maturation is complete, the third and final natural fermentation (in autoclave) is carried out to obtain a unique sparkling wine with surprising aromatic complexity, sweet or dry (depending on the winemaker's choices).

Opening the bottle, also 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 platter of cured meats and cheeses.

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