A Successful Search for Vermentino #ItalianFTW

This month our Italian Food Travel and Wine group is featuring Vermentino.  This event is being hosted by Susannah of Avvinare.  Stop by and visit her Invitation Post.  She has some beautiful photos and awesome information about this grape and the regions where it is grown.


Here is some more information I found about this grape:

Vermentino is a light-skinned wine grape variety, primarily found in Italian wine. It is widely planted in Sardinia, in Liguria primarily under the name Pigato, to some extent in Corsica, in Piedmont under the name Favorita, and in increasing amounts in Languedoc-Roussillon. The leaves are dark green and pentagonal. The grapes are amber-yellow and hang in pyramidal bunches. The vines are often grown on slopes facing the sea where they can benefit from the additional reflected light. The Vitis International Variety Catalogue now gives Italy as its origin.  Source:Wikepedia





I also learned, during my research, that it is often compared with Sauvignon Blanc in terms of complexity.  This made me happy.  I love Sauv Blanc.

Wine Folly  suggested pairing this grape with chicken and seafood.  It mentions that pesto and Vermentino are a very good pairing.  It also loves cheeses, herbs and vegetables of all sorts.

I excitedly went on my quest to find a bottle of this wine.  I checked my local grocers without any luck so I sent a text to my friend, Gassan, who owns a wine store about a half an hour from my house.  He said he didn't have any in the store but he would be happy to order some up for me.  This was on April 22nd.

On the 28th he contacted me and told me that he had found some for the Wednesday delivery but it was out of stock.  He had a call into another vendor.  On May 2nd, I got a call that it was in.  That's cutting it close but hey.....I love a challenge.

May 2nd happens to be our Anniversary and we were going to be passing Gassan's store on our way to dinner so we stopped in and retrieved a bottle of Monteoro Vermentino Di Gallura DOCG 2012 Superiore from Sella & Mosca.  This winery, located on the island of Sardinia, is one of Europe's largest Estates with over 1200 acres of grapes.

I happily stowed my hard sought after bottle in the car and we headed to dinner at LakeFX, a restaurant that prides itself on serving products from Michigan.  

Michigan is known as the Great Lakes State.  We are surrounded by water and have some amazing fishing.  While we don't enjoy seafood from Michigan, our freshwater fish is hard to beat.  I will put up Fresh Michigan Salmon against Salmon from any other part of the Country and I'm pretty sure it would be the winner. At least in my book.

source: Bing Images

We have Pickerel and Perch that is beyond compare.  We have Brook Trout that is always a wonderful treat.  And then, from the cold waters of Lake Superior comes White Fish.

We feasted on White Fish, first enjoying it smoked as a spread for crackers and then fried up crisp and golden brown. 

The smoked spread was so good.  We forced ourselves not to eat it all so we would have room for dinner.  We brought the remainder home and enjoyed it with the Vermentino the next evening as a late night snack after choir practice.

This wine paired reasonably well with the spread.  I think it would have been better with a seafood dish that wasn't smoked.  It really didn't matter though because the wine drinks beautifully on it's own.  Fuller bodied than a Sauvignon Blanc, it leaves a smooth feel in the mouth. It is not quite as crisp and citrusy as a Sauv Blanc.  It has more minerality and grassy flavors.  It is a perfect spring and summer sipping wine that I hope to enjoy more of.....If I can find another few bottles......

Let's see what the others thought of this wine........

• Gwen from Wine Predator is sharing “You Need To Know Vermentino: Paired with Carbonara #ItalianFWT”
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish is writing “Vegetarian Plates and Pigato from A.A. Durin: Perfect for Your Summer Table”
• Jill from L’Occasion is adding “Vermentino from Maremma, Land of The Butteri Tuscan Cowboys”
• Jane from Always Ravenous is penning “Which Vermentino to Pair With Shrimp & Fresh Herb Pilaf?”
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest is contributing “One Italian Island White Wine You Must Try”
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures is dishing on “Vermentino by Antonella Corda – An expression of Sardinia Terroir”
• David from Cookingchatfood is giving us “Salmon with Lemon Olive Relish and a Vermentino”
• Jennifer from Vino Travels Italy is reflecting on “Vermentino of Toscana with Aia Vecchia”
• Nicole Ruiz Hudson from Somm's Table is bringing “Piero Mancini Vermentino and Salmon Two Ways”
• Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Cam is posting “From Sardegna to the Land Down Under: Vermentino + Pizza alle Vongole”
• Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm gives us “A Successful Search for Vermentino”.
• Susannah at Avvinare, is all about “Vermentino in its Varied Styles from Liguria to Sardegna”

Please join us for twitter chat where we will be further discussing this wine today at 11 AM ET.  You will find us at #ItalianFWT.