3 expressions of Vernaccia DOCG: white, red and sparkling wine!

When we talk about the Vernaccia grape, we immediately think of Tuscany, and of San Gimignano in particular. 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 see for ourselves that the &' excellence has been preserved, by tasting the Vernaccia DOCG Vigna Santa Margherita

The wine is very bright, straw yellow of medium intensity, with sweet floral aromas (hawthorn), exotic fruit (pineapple, grapefruit, but also citrus fruits), sweet spices (vanilla) and a mineral note. In the mouth it shows a nice structure, a soft and dry taste, with a good acidity that cleans the mouth and keeps everything in balance. While it persists for a long time, a note of bitter almond remains in the mouth and invites the next sip

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

Let's start with the ColleQuanto DOC (2015 vintage!) , the reference wine of Tenuta Stefano Graidi Terre di Serrapetrona, a pure Vernaccia aged for 18 months in wooden barrels and then later in

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

In the mouth it has a nice structure, soft and dry, pronounced acidity and well-blended tannins. Long and elegant finish. Great value for money

What if we combined 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 (natural) even 3 times. How? Only a part of the grapes harvested are vinified immediately (first fermentation), the remaining part is left to dry until mid-January. The must obtained from dried grapes is then decanted into October wine and becomes the base wine for the second fermentation. Once maturation is complete, the third and last natural fermentation (in autoclave) is carried out to obtain a unique sparkling wine of surprising aromatic complexity, sweet or dry (depending on the winemaker's choices

L&' opening the bottle, also by Tenuta Stefano Graidi, reveals a ruby red color with intense violet reflections and a fine and persistent perlage. On the nose, the “typical” scents of Vernaccia, such as flowers (purple), fruit (cherries and blackberries), spices (cinnamon and pepper) and then a lively, fresh and balanced sip. It goes perfectly with a plate of cold cuts and cheeses

These 3 wines are suitable for anyone who wants to discover native, rare and sincere vines.

Cornelia Hassmueller