Let’s Talk Pecorino.

I am having a bit of a ✨ Pecorino moment ✨. It’s a grape that I keep coming back to from time to time… and everytime I return to it I wonder, WHY am I not drinking this more?!

🧀 Now, you might be confused and thinking that I’m talking about the wine’s more famous homonym, Pecorino cheese. Although they both mean ‘little sheep’, the wine and the cheese are not related. There are several theories as to the origin of the wine’s name, with one theory being that the grape is so called because it was a favorite treat for flocks of sheep driven to lower pastures.

🇮🇹 The Pecorino grape is primarily grown in central Italy, particularly in the regions of Marche, Abruzzo, and Umbria. These areas provide the grape with diverse terroirs, including hilly and coastal environments, where it has shown a remarkable adaptability. The Offida DOCG is the only DOCG appellation that allows varietal wines from the grape.

🤩 So what makes Pecorino wine so great? Let me count the ways:

👃🏽 It’s highly aromatic: Pecorino wines are known for their complex bouquets, often showing deep citrus notes intermingled with florals and elderflower.

🍋 It’s vibrant: Pecorino wines are usually bright and zesty, with citrus notes in the forefront.

🥝 It’s complex: The best Pecorinos can be quite complex behind those citrus notes. My favorite variations feature stone fruit and green fruit such as kiwi and Bartlett pear.

🌊 Its finish is thought-provoking: my favorite Pecorinos finish with herbal and saline notes: think basil with flecks of sea salt.

If you haven’t tried a Pecorino wine yet, or if it’s been awhile: do yourself a favor and grab a bottle! I’ve made a vow to always keep a bottle in my white wine collection at all times moving forward. You never know when a Pecorino moment will arise 😏