Collection: Vermentino

Vermentino is the great white grape variety of Italy’s western coast.
Its origins are difficult to pin down, shaped as they were by the eventful tides of Mediterranean history and the constantly shifting landscape of trade and territorial control. Some (notably the Iberians) believe the variety is originally from Spain; others (the Italians) claim it comes from Tuscany or Liguria.

Defining it in relation to other varieties is similarly complicated. For centuries, Vermentino, Ligurian Pigato, and Piedmontese Favorita were thought to be three distinct grapes. Today, ampelographers tend to consider them genetically identical—but many winemakers who have worked with them for generations disagree.

What’s certain is that Vermentino is well-traveled. It can be found throughout the Mediterranean: in Andalusia (one-third of Barranco Oscuro’s “Tres Uvas” is Vermentino), as well as in Corsica, Provence, and along the aforementioned Italian coast. Its main growing area, however, is Sardinia, though Vermentino is a relatively recent arrival in Italy’s oldest winegrowing region. It was first mentioned in the island’s Bolletino ampelografico at the end of the 19th century, when it made up less than 1% of vineyard plantings.

By 1960, it had already reached 1,366 hectares, and today it covers around 3,300 hectares—accounting for half of all Vermentino plantings in Italy.

There are three obvious reasons behind Vermentino’s long-standing appeal and still-growing popularity: its perfect adaptation to Mediterranean environments, its versatility, and the quality it delivers across a wide range of winemaking styles. It thrives in dry, hot climates and poor soils and has no trouble handling salty sea breezes.

Vermentino works beautifully as a classic white wine, offering aromatic notes of citrus, herbs, and flowers. With short maceration times, it develops subtle tannins that “don’t give the wine a heavy chassis, but instead enhance its nuances—yellow fruit, herbs” (Vini da Scoprire on Testalonga’s Vermentino). Longer maceration, on the other hand, can yield a wine with an enormous aromatic spectrum—mouth-filling yet vibrant, focused and substantial, with tannins that lend direction and structure.