Vibrant tropical aromas layered with apricot and honeycomb on the nose. The palate offers passionfruit, pineapple and stone fruit components.  Thorough acidity supports delightful freshness, and good fruit intensity. Slight lemon pith on the longer finish.

WINE INFORMATION

Cantina Velenosi was founded in 1984 by a young couple, Angela and Ercole Velenosi. They took advantage of a government agricultural program that provided financial and technical incentives for young people to move from urban to rural areas with the express purpose of reviving the local wine industry, focusing on vineyard, cellar, and marketing work. Angela, at 20, was the driving force of the couple. They started with two wines and nine hectares (22 acres) in central Italy’s le Marche, in the province of Ascoli Piceno. Since this humble beginning, Velenosi has grown to 148 ha of vineyards, producing 34 different wines. The annual output is 2.5 million bottles, sold in 52 countries. Velenosi makes both still and sparkling wines with a focus on local grapes. Since 2005 Attilo Pagli has been the consulting winemaker for the still wines; Decanter magazine named him on of the 30 best winemakers in the world. Cesare Ferrari consults for the sparkling wines.

Grapes for this wine come from a nine-hectare vineyard in Offida, which became a DOC in 2001 and was promoted to DOCG status in 2011. Grapes are sustainably grown on sandy-clay soils at 300-350 m with a S-SE exposure; vines are 15-35 years old. Pecorino is an early-ripening grape resistant to both downy and powdery mildew. It was probably domesticated long ago from local wild grapes. The name comes from pecora, “sheep.” Shepherds would drive their flocks into the hills in the summer and return to the lowlands in the fall, when grapes were ripe. Both men and (even more so) beasts found the fruit of this vine irresistible, hence its name. The grapes go through a cold maceration and fermentation in stainless steel, followed by six months on the fine lees and a further two months in bottle.

Cheese, Chicken/Turkey, Cream Sauce Pasta, Ham, Lobster & Crab, Pork, Shellfish