At its best, Verdicchio smells like citrus zest, crushed almond, fennel. The palate is marked with green apple-like acidity, a firm, almost saline backbone, and that signature bitter almond finish that makes it a killer with food. It ages too. Give it a few years and it shows beeswax and dried herbs. Verdicchio is the grape you think you know - until it shows you it was playing the long game all along.

Importantly, it holds acidity well, even in warm southern climates, which keeps it from ever tipping into flabbiness. That balance of power and freshness is what makes Fiano such a sleeper hit among Italy’s white grapes. You can crush it young with grilled prawns or come back to it in five years with aged cheese and roasted chicken. A glorious grape.

Structurally, Carricante is all about tension. Expect lemon peel, green apple, wild fennel, and crushed rock. It rarely shows exuberant fruit. Some producers, like Benanti or Graci, bring a light touch of lees or old wood to add texture, but the grape’s soul is always linear and driven. Ageing potential is excellent. Young Carricante is taut and angular; with time, it deepens into something more waxy and smoky, with a saline finish that practically begs for raw seafood or hard cheeses.

Best known as the backbone of Soave, Garganega thrives in the rolling hills of Veneto, especially where volcanic and limestone soils intersect. When yields are kept in check and ripeness is managed carefully, the grape reveals a striking balance of freshness and texture. Its hallmark is subtlety: almond skin, chamomile, preserved lemon, white peach. The structure is gently phenolic, sometimes even waxy, giving the wines a nice grip beneath their soft, open-knit fruit.

What defines it is citrus peel, wild fennel, pear skin, sea spray. When grown thoughtfully and harvested at the right moment, it walks the line between texture and tension - making it both versatile and unmistakably regional. In Gallura (Sardinia’s granite-soiled north), Vermentino takes on extra structure and salinity. In Liguria, it leans lighter and crisper, often under the name Pigato. And in Maremma, where breezes meet clay and sand, it tends toward softness and perfume. For drinkers looking beyond the usual Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc, Vermentino offers something familiar yet quietly distinctive: coastal, confident, and deeply rooted in where it grows.

In Italy, Malvasia appears in both white and red versions, with dozens of local clones adapted to different regions and styles. Some are dry and mineral, others sweet and lush; some lightly sparkling, others skin-contact and wild. It’s this shape-shifting nature that makes Malvasia both exciting and misunderstood. At its most classic - in places like Friuli, Emilia-Romagna, or Lipari - it’s floral and fleshy, with notes of apricot, orange blossom, and bitter almond. There’s often a gentle oiliness to the texture, offset by freshness or gentle spritz. In the volcanic soils of the Aeolian Islands, Malvasia delle Lipari can yield stunning passito wines - amber-toned, salty-sweet, and hauntingly aromatic.

FULL LINEUP:

Umani Ronchi Ca Sal di Serra 2022

Vignai da Duline Chioma Integrale 2023

Kaffefi Societa Agricola Tancanica 2023

Pietracupa Cupo 2020

Pietracupa Greco di Tufo 2016*

Pieropan La Rocca 2023

Cascina degli Ulivi Ivag 2021

Tenuta sant’Helena Caterina 2022

*WOTN

It’s a grape with two personalities. Fresh, dry Zibibbo bursts with orange blossom, lemon peel, and a strong whiff of incense - think sun-drenched Aperitivo hour. But the passito version, made from dried grapes, is where it becomes unforgettable: golden, intense, laced with apricot jam, dates, saffron, and sea salt.

But even outside the amphora and long-maceration world, Ribolla holds its own. In its more classical form, it’s bright, citrus-edged, and minerally, with notes of lemon pith, yellow flowers, and green apple skin. The acidity is high, the alcohol modest, and the finish often marked by a gentle phenolic grip - making it brilliant with food and beautifully age-worthy in the right hands. Whether handled with oxidative daring or clean-lined restraint, Ribolla Gialla always carries a signature: a quiet firmness, a pulse of acidity, a sense of something just beneath the surface.

In the glass, Greco brings citrus peel, almond skin, and wet stone, with a structure that leans firmly dry and savoury. Acidity is brisk, sometimes even austere in youth, but it softens with time, letting the smoky, minerally depth come through. It’s not a wine that tries to charm immediately. It’s more of a slow burn - the kind of white that reveals its detail sip by sip, especially when paired with seafood, fried stuff, or anything with a bit of oily richness.

Cortese has been grown in the region for centuries, but its reputation was largely built on simplicity - clean, crisp, uncomplicated wines designed to be drunk young. That’s still part of its charm. But a growing number of producers are showing how much more it can offer. With lower yields and careful farming, Cortese reveals delicate layers: lemon pith, green almond, crushed stone, even a touch of white pepper. The acidity is vivid, but never lean or piercing. The finish, saline and just slightly savoury, lingers longer than you expect.