Greetings, and welcome to the Boerne Star's new wine-related column!
I am grateful for the opportunity to write about wine. The topic today – a lovely wine from one of my favorite wine regions: Tuscany.
Why Tuscany as an introduction to this column? Easy! It’s simply because I currently am visiting Tuscany; in Siena to be exact. This is an opportunity to renew friendships that were forged during the three decades I spent involved in the wine business.
The country: Italy. The region: Tuscany. The subregions: San Miniato, San Gimignano, Montalcino and more. So many amazing villages, each with its own landscape, microclimate and specific “vinaiolo” traditions.
In this issue, the featured wine of choice is Palagetto Vernaccia DOCG.
Most everyone knows a few of the main white grape varieties – Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, etc. Not everyone is familiar with Vernaccia. Known as “the queen” of the region, it’s a grape that’s worth investigating.
Grown from 10-year-old vines at about 300 meters (984 feet) of altitude above sea level in the San Gimignano hills, Palagetto’s is 100 percent organic Vernaccia, manually harvested and sorted. Maceration is accomplished at low temperatures followed by destemming and gentle pressing.
It is then allowed to become inoculated by selected yeasts. This procedure is followed by temperature-controlled fermentation and aging in steel tanks for a crisp taste and finish.
Aged a minimum of 2 months before release , its straw-yellow color with greenish hues offers pleasant citrus and fruity notes in a solidly dry, yet fruit-extracted structure.
Enjoy it well chilled as a casual summer apéritif or with an assortment of crudité hors-d’œuvres, as well as with a variety of mains such as risottos, soups (think Gazpacho in the summer), medium-aged cheeses and fish.
Insider’s hint: Available on the wine list at Stout’s Signature at The Tobin Center.
Wine-related questions can be addressed directly to me at [email protected].
Until next time … Cin Cin!
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