Italian Wine Podcast Ep. 2309 Understanding maturity by the glass: old whites from Italy with Cristina Mercuri DipWSET and Gill Gordon Smith IWE | wine2wine Business Forum 2024
Apr 3, 2025
Join Gill Gordon Smith, a passionate wine educator and producer from McLaren Vale, alongside Cristina Mercuri, a skilled taster and educator specializing in Italian wines. They dive into the fascinating world of Italian white wines, challenging the misconception that only reds age well. The duo discusses the unique characteristics and aging potential of iconic varietals like Verdicchio and Garganega. They emphasize the need for better communication about these whites’ value, advocating for their rightful place in cellars around the world.
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Rising Potential of Italian Whites
- Italian wines are traditionally known for reds, but white wine consumption is rising globally.
- High-quality Italian native white grapes have strong aging potential that deserves more focus.
Key Factors in White Wine Maturity
- To understand white wine maturity, assess fruit concentration, acidity, alcohol, residual sugar, and layered palate structure.
- Oak and lees influence maturation but natural factors like grape variety and terroir also matter.
Aged Italian Whites Are Underappreciated
- Italian white wines like Verdicchio, Garganega, Fiano, and Greco have excellent aging potential.
- Despite this, restaurants often only serve very young vintages which limits exposure to aged whites.