Vermentino is a Mediterranean white grape found in Sardinia, in Liguria, along the Tuscan coast and in Corsica. DNA research established that several varieties long thought distinct are in fact the same one: Ligurian Pigato, Piedmontese Favorita and Provençal Rolle are all Vermentino. Four names, four local traditions, one variety.
The recurring link is the sea. Vermentino is at its best in coastal, breezy places, and you recognise it by a salinity that seems to quote the ground it grew in. Its regulatory summit is in Sardinia, where Vermentino di Gallura is the island's only DOCG; on the Tuscan coast much of the production is bottled as IGT instead — and those initials, as always, describe the rules rather than the worth.
In the glass: citrus, Mediterranean herbs, and a bitter-almond finish that is its signature. Acidity is moderate and the body fuller than the pale colour suggests. It is the classic fish white, but it also stands up to bitter greens and fresh cheeses.
