July 17th-Passerina

Passerina is a somewhat rare and ancient white grape that is believed to be indigenous to the Adriatic coast in central Italy. It is widely grown in the Marche and Abruzzo regions, located northeast and east of Rome respectively. It can be used to make a varietal wine or it can be blended with other native grapes, such as Trebbiano Toscano or Pecorino. Some producers have been successful drying the grapes and making a dessert wine while others have harvested them early when they still have high levels of acid, ideal for making sparkling wines. Offida Passerino in Marche was given DOCG status. There is also a DOC designation in Marche (Falerio dei Colli Ascolani) and one in Abruzzo (Controguerra Passerina). The grape is named after ‘Passero’, the Italian word for sparrow because the ripe grapes are one of their favorite treats.

A couple weeks ago, I stopped at a local bar to try their wood fired neapolitan style pizza and found Passerina on their short wine list. The bartender poured me a tumbler full, which made it a bit of a challenge to evaluate but I found a way, after drinking about half the glass! I had a 2022 Tenuta Del Priore Campotino Passerina IGT. It was 100% Passerina grape. This wine is a pale lemon color. It was quite aromatic with scents of lemon, white grapefruit, pineapple, white pepper, elderflower, orange blossom, turmeric and wet stone. This dry wine has medium alcohol with significant levels of acid that help balance its fuller body. The citrus, floral and spice notes linger on the palate during the persistent finish. The pairing I had was with a mostly meat pizza, which wasn’t ideal, but I plan on returning to try it with a white sauced broccoli pizza next time! It would also be fantastic with fish tacos and french fries or pesto pasta. This wine can also be served when it’s chilled to a slushy form for an extra refreshing aperitif in the summer!