Everyone knows that Tuscany is the best producer of fine red wines, but not many know that there is an equal production of exquisite white wines.
Vermentino Toscano
Vermentino is a white grape variety present in eastern Liguria up to Tuscany, whose origins are discordant. It is thought to have originated in Spain and then spread from there to various regions of France (such as Languedoc-Roussillon), where it is known as Malvoisie Précoce d’Espagne or Malvoisie à gros Grains and Corsica (where it is the white grape more cultivated).
In Italy it has spread from Liguria to the south, in Tuscany, along the hills at the foot of the Apuan Alps, in the province of Massa-Carrara up to the Livorno Maremma and the Island of Elba. In these areas Vermentino has acquired varietal characteristics that make it clearly distinguishable from Ligurian or Sardinian Vermentino.
Vermentino, as from its name, is vermentino in color and on the palate it is dry and fruity.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano
The denomination of origin Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG is reserved for white wine produced from grapes of the Vernaccia di San Gimignano vine for at least 85%. Other non-aromatic white grape varieties suitable for cultivation for the Tuscany Region may contribute, up to a maximum of 15%. The production area includes the hilly terrain of the municipality of San Gimignano in the province of Siena.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG refers to two types of white wine, base and reserve. Vernaccia di San Gimignano DOCG wine in the Riserva type must undergo a period of refinement, also in wood, of at least 11 months and before being released for consumption, a period of refinement of three months in the bottle. For both wines the color is straw yellow with golden reflections which are more accentuated with ageing.
On the olfactory level there are delicate aromas with fruity scents which can evolve into spicy and mineral notes with aging. On the palate the wines have a dry, harmonious, savory flavour, sometimes with a characteristic almond aftertaste.