Thank you to our friend Jennifer for this lovely review of our Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the Poggio Aicieli. Here is what she wrote.
Vernaccia di San Gimignano & food pairing
The first DOC wine of Italy
One of the star white grapes of Tuscany is Vernaccia, grown around the town of San Gimignano, southwest of Siena. San Gimignano is a medieval hilltop town, today surrounded by 13 towers.
Back in the 14th century there were 72 towers in total, built by the upper-class families to show off their status. San Gimignano is a great base for exploring the rest of Tuscany: the Chianti region is right at your fingertips, along with Pisa and Lucca to the north, and the celebrated wine towns of Montalcino and Montepulciano to the south, known for their Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.
Of all the grapes of Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first to be granted DOC status, in 1966, and later earned DOCG status in 1993.
Tasting the 2012 vintage
A great expression of the Vernaccia grape
About five months earlier I had written about the 2012 Crete Rosse Chianti D.O.C.G. that Tenuta Torciano, the San Gimignano winery, had shared with me. Today I'm sharing their 2012 Poggio Aicieli Vernaccia di San Gimignano — a sample I looked forward to, since I'm a fan of Vernaccia.
I thought this wine was a great expression of the grape. It's one you'll be able to find in many wine shops, not as hard to track down as some others I've shared with you. Tenuta Torciano also runs wine clubs that share 24 of their wines throughout the year, plus future discounts.
Poggio Aicieli means "hills to the skies." The wine had a slight tropical bouquet, an almost clear color with a hint of straw. Being lighter and refreshing, it was dry with mouthwatering acidity, nice minerality, some citrus, and plenty of sea saltiness on the finish.
At the table
Two dishes, two very different pairings
I paired this wine with a couple of dishes over a couple of days. The first was roasted chicken with roasted potatoes and black olives, alongside a spinach salad topped with goat cheese, cranberries, walnuts and a homemade vinaigrette.
I enjoyed at least half the glass on its own before eating, at the end of a nice summer day — there's no better way to unwind. It paired nicely with the chicken.
My next meal came from Frances Mayes' cookbook "The Tuscan Sun Cookbook": stuffed pasta shells with ricotta and pears, covered in a gorgonzola cream sauce and topped with toasted walnuts. Delicious! The creamy sauce smoothed out the wine's acidity and let its fruit come through more.
Two very different meals, both paired nicely in their own way, each showing the wine a little differently — that's the fun of wine and food pairing.
Pierluigi Giachi and his family are backed by 14 generations of winemaking. Their estate offers a wide variety of activities and a food and wine experience to satisfy your desires. Check them out, and seek out a Vernaccia this summer!
FAQ
Where is San Gimignano located?
San Gimignano is a medieval hilltop town southwest of Siena in Tuscany, surrounded today by 13 towers.
When did Vernaccia di San Gimignano receive DOC and DOCG status?
Of all the grapes of Italy, Vernaccia di San Gimignano was the first to be granted DOC status, in 1966, and later earned DOCG status in 1993.
What does the name Poggio Aicieli mean?
Poggio Aicieli means "hills to the skies."
What foods pair well with the Poggio Aicieli Vernaccia?
The wine paired nicely with roasted chicken, roasted potatoes and black olives, and also with stuffed pasta shells with ricotta and pears in a gorgonzola cream sauce.
Who produces the Poggio Aicieli Vernaccia di San Gimignano?
It is produced by Tenuta Torciano, a San Gimignano winery run by Pierluigi Giachi and his family, backed by 14 generations of winemaking.
