Borgo Paglianetto Petrara
written by: Joseph F Coniglio
“Wine is more than just the glass that goes with dinner. It’s what gets the conversion going at book clubs, gives any girls’ night a reason to run long, and can make cooking feel like an adventure.” (Taken from an article in Southern Living)
In Italy, a “Borgo” is a small town steeped in history, possibly dating from medieval times. It can be surrounded by walls and is normally named for the nobles who first occupied it. So the Borgo di Medici would be the village or settlement of the Medici family. An equivalent of an American borough it can also be set outside the walls of an older city with its own church, post office, and town center. Here tradition is the dominant lifestyle with culture and festivals set to the regional past. Borgo Paglianetto is one of about 260 Borgos located in Italy.
Verdicchio wine has its name taken from the grape. In Italian the word is a derivative of “verde” meaning “green.” The grape itself has a slightly greenish color and the wines made from it tend to share that hue. Verdicchio has a long history in the Marche region dating back to the fourteenth century. Because it can be rather temperamental and sensitive to climate conditions, yields and quality can vary greatly from year to year. But in spite of this, it remains very popular in central Italy and is actually planted more than some other varieties, most notably Chardonnay and Sangiovese.
Borgo Paglianetto “Petrara” is named for an ancient town over which the vines are now planted. Founded in 2008 in a valley between Fabriano and Camerino, its unique location enables the vines to be planted in a north-south orientation which is pretty unusual. This accounts for a sort of microclimate that allows the grapes to grow to their highest quality. And this wine boasts of a singular grape, verdicchio, for its taste and character. Harvested in late September to early October the wine is refined for six months in stainless steel tanks before bottling and then settles and rests for an additional two months.
In the bottle, the wine, like other Verdicchio, does sport its characteristic greenish hue. Now, it is unusual to decant a white wine. This is an exception. Because of the color, this wine stands out in a clean, clear decanter. Placed under proper lighting and allowed to aerate the light will reflect not only green tones but also some red, yellow, and gold highlights. So it is quite beautiful to behold. On the nose, some citrus is apparent but the real aroma is just clean. On the palate, there are hints of melon and apple. Just enough sweetness to make it a summertime favorite, but with enough acidity to challenge a meal. Although it would complement poultry and white fish very well, this wine is better served as an aperitif. Pair it with pecorino or pecorino romano cheese, olives, and assorted dried meats and you have something special that will take up an entire afternoon. Slightly chilled, use some frozen green grapes instead of ice cubes, this wine is truly a patio favorite.
Awards for this wine are many. Mundus Vini Biofach 2021: gold medal for Petrara ’19. Guide Vinibuoni d’Italia 2020: 4 stars at Petrara ’18. DWWA 2019: bronze medal for Petrara ’18. The list goes on and is very impressive.
In all, this is an excellent wine for the coming summertime months. Served alone, with appetizers, afternoon snacks, or light dinners, this wine will perform very well and will become a fast favorite.
Alcohol – 13%
Price – about $15
Closure – natural cork
My own personal rating – I would give this wine a rating of 8.75 grapes out of an unattainable 10.
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