Italian white wines have a bad reputation. For most wine drinkers, the only Italian white wine they know is Pinot Grigio, which with some exceptions is fresh, fruity, and insipid.
That is a shame because there are many interesting Italian white wines.
Friuli-Venezia Giulia produces Ribolla Gialla and Friuliano, the Soave region of Veneto does good things with the Garganega grape, Trentino Alto-Adige with its German varietals, and Gavi in Piemonte have their charms.
Italian white wines have a unique character. Crisp and acidic, they are made to accompany food and are all about refreshment, not power or finesse. Even Italian wines made from international varieties such as Chardonnay, have this focus. Thus, Italy’s best white wines are grown in the cooler northern climate—a flabby Italian white is as unusual as an honest Italian politician.
If Italian whites have a bad reputation, wines from Italy’s southern regions are utterly infamous. Long a region for making cheap juice destined for bargain-basement bulk wines, only recently have Southern Italians awakened to the promise of quality wines that take advantage of their Mediterranean climate. Slowly but surely their quality is improving.
This Tormaresca Chardonnay from Puglia (owned by Antinori) is an example of bargain refreshment from southern Italy. Lemon zest permeates the nose accompanied by a thin layer of hazelnut and bursts of white flowers. The palate has more lemon and searing acidity perched on a medium body. A prickly quality introduces the tart but not angular finish. There is no trace of oak.
You want this wine on a hot day; it will cut through any encrustation of long hours, sweaty labor, or annoying rabble that led you to seek solace in a glass. This is the irreconcilable antipode of California Chardonnay.
Price: $11
Score: 85/100
Exploring the Philosophy of Food and Wine 
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