Shaking Hands with the Beach

The beauty of good Verdicchio is in its steadfastness. Alongside the dramatic flavors of garlic and basil often a wine built on a foundation of minerals will pair seamlessly. The Velenosi from the Castelli di Jesi is just such a wine. Terry Theise once said that drinking great Mosel riesling was like shaking hands with a mountain, if that's the case then drinking great Verdicchio is like shaking hands with the beach. The sandy soils of Angela Velenosi's vineyards hallmark for the region, make for a wine with terrific structure. In the hands winemaker Attilio Pagli the restrained white flower, almond and delicate fruit tones are revealed in perfect balance.

With the myriad of intense Italian flavors set against the neutrality of pasta, great Verdicchio is one which provides the mouth-watering counterpoint...just about perfectly. Of those, Velenosi is the real sleeper...restrained, subtly filigreed but, above all, steadfast.

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