Vermentino is a versatile white wine grape variety able to produce high quality still and sparkling wines, including late-harvest, and passito styles. Vermentino is genetically the same grape as Favorita (Piemonte) and Pigato (western Liguria) which are considered biotypes of Vermentino as they do not look identical in the field (like Pinots Blanc, Gris and Noir which also look very different but are genetically identical). Despite this, all are officially listed as three separate grape varieties.

Other names for Vermentino: Rolle, Carbesso, Malvoisie à Gros Grains, Malvasia Grossa, Verlantin.

Where grown: Liguria, Tuscany, Sardinia, Umbria, Abruzzo, Lazio, Sicily (D’Agata: 2014 p.471). ‘The Vermentino variety can be found under fairly intensive cultivation in nearly all the Mediterranean coastal districts from Spain to Liguria and on the two major islands semi-enclosed by that arc, Corsica and Sardinia. It is also grown in small areas on the island of Madeira and in some places in southern France. Vermentino is seemingly Spanish in origin. It travelled from Spain to Corsica in the 14th century and from there went on to Liguria. Its appearance on Sardinia was fairly recent, the final decades of the last century, and it was first planted in the Gallura at the island’s northernmost tip,’ (Doug Wregg in Les Caves de Pyrène list July 2011). In addition, there are 20-plus DOPs scattered throughout Tuscany, Liguria, Sardinia, Piedmont and Umbria based on Vermentino- Favorita-Pigato. It is also grown outside Italy, especially in southeastern France and Corsica.

Winemaking & Style: A high-quality variety with a saline undertow and showing a wide range of aromas and flavours. Examples include musk, acacia flower, rosemary, thyme, yellow fruits and flowers, citrus, peach, apricot, apple, tropical notes, and salinity. Vermentino can be made in many styles, including dry and still, sparkling, late-harvest, and passito. Vermentino suits oak and lees stirring too. As Pigato, the wines can be richer and creamier, but still with the hallmark salinity.

Wines: Riviera Ligure di Ponente DOC (as Pigato, Liguria). | Vermentino di Sardegna DOC (Sardinia). | Vermentino di Gallura DOCG (Sardinia).

Bibliography

Ian D’Agata, Native Wine Grapes of Italy (University of California Press, 2014 p.6, 22, 207, 471-74.

Italian Wine Unplugged (Positive Press, 2017), p.285.