Italy: Regional White Varieties

Italy: Regional White Varieties

While Pinot Grigio dominates Italian white exports, several other native white grapes define important regional wines that WSET Level 2 expects you to recognise: Verdicchio in the Marche, Cortese in Piedmont, Garganega in the Veneto, and Fiano in Campania.

Verdicchio in the Marche: Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi

Verdicchio is grown on the Adriatic-facing hills of the Marche region, most famously around the town of Jesi. Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi wines show:

• Medium-plus acidity and light-to-medium body
• Green apple and lemon fruit, with a distinctive almond note on the finish
• Mostly made in a fresh, unoaked style for early drinking, though some producers make richer, longer-aged Riserva versions with more texture and ageing potential

Cortese in Piedmont: Gavi

Cortese is a high-acid, relatively neutral grape whose most famous expression is Gavi, named after the town in southeastern Piedmont where it is grown. Gavi is:

• Light-bodied with high acidity
• Subtle citrus and green-apple character rather than pronounced fruit or aromatic intensity
• Typically unoaked, made to preserve freshness — a refreshing, food-friendly white with DOCG status

Garganega in the Veneto: Soave

Garganega is the principal grape of Soave, grown on volcanic and limestone hillsides in the Veneto:

• Medium acidity, light-to-medium body
• Citrus, white-blossom and almond notes
• Soave Classico comes from the original, historic hillside zone — generally considered higher quality than wines from the wider, flatter Soave DOC area
• The same grape, dried using the appassimento technique (as with Corvina in Amarone), produces Recioto di Soave DOCG, a rich, sweet white — one of Italy's oldest recorded wine styles

Fiano in Campania: Fiano di Avellino

Fiano is widely considered southern Italy's most distinguished native white grape. Its benchmark wine, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, is grown at altitude on volcanic soils around Avellino in Campania:

• Fuller body and medium-plus acidity — noticeably more weight and texture than Verdicchio or Cortese
• More pronounced aromatics: honey, hazelnut, pear and spice, often with real ageing potential
• The altitude and volcanic soils around Avellino help the grape retain freshness despite Campania's otherwise warm southern-Italian climate

Climate & Soils

• Marche (Verdicchio): hills close to the Adriatic coast, moderate maritime influence, limestone-clay soils.
• Piedmont (Cortese): continental climate, limestone-clay soils around Gavi similar to those supporting Piedmont's red varieties further north.
• Veneto (Garganega): volcanic and limestone hills around Soave, giving minerality and freshness even in a warm growing season.
• Campania (Fiano): volcanic soils and higher-altitude sites around Avellino moderate an otherwise hot, southern climate, preserving the acidity that keeps Fiano balanced.

Gavi di Gavi: A Named Subzone

Within the broader Gavi DOCG, wines from vineyards immediately surrounding the town of Gavi itself may be labelled Gavi di Gavi, traditionally regarded as coming from the appellation's original, most favoured sites — a naming pattern similar to "Classico" zones elsewhere in Italy, even though the term is technically distinct.

Comparing the Four at a Glance

This progression — from Cortese's austere, high-acid neutrality through to Fiano's riper, more textured expression — is a useful mental ladder for placing an unfamiliar Italian white within the syllabus. All four are typically fermented and matured in stainless steel to preserve freshness and primary fruit character, reinforcing the general pattern that Italy's regional whites favour purity of fruit over oak influence.

Serving These Wines

All four are best served well chilled, in line with their light-to-medium body and role as refreshing, food-friendly whites; Fiano's extra weight and aromatic intensity means it can also stand up to slightly richer dishes than the leaner Verdicchio, Cortese or Garganega.

Quick Reference

Reading the Label

As with Italy's regional reds, these labels typically state place name and quality tier rather than always spelling out the grape — "Gavi" implies Cortese, "Soave" implies Garganega, just as "Fiano di Avellino" happens to name the grape directly. Watching for Classico (the original zone) and DOCG vs DOC status will help you judge relative quality even without tasting.