Take a weekend trip to Italy with these wines

Flavourful whites perfect for summer

With a long weekend upon us, I thought we should take a trip — to Italy.

The home of pizza, gelato and Ferraris, Italy boasts a treasure trove of lesser-known native grapes with character and charm.

Since Italy’s bold red wines get all the glory — and because we are in the height of summer

— I thought I would focus on white grapes this time. Salute.

PIEROPAN 2016 SOAVE CLASSICO, VENETO, ITALY

Located east of Verona and west of Venice in northeastern Italy, Soave is home to one of Italy’s most important white wines. Named after the region the grapes are grown in — like in much of Europe — Soave is a white wine relying mainly on the grape Garganega, though Trebbiano di Soave, Pinot Blanc and even Chardonnay are allowed in smaller amounts.

The Pieropan family — which has been producing wine since the 1880s — has built a solid reputation as a leader in Soave.

All their vines are planted on the volcanic hillsides of the Classico sub-region, leading to wines with more intense flavours than those grown on the valley floor.

Its Soave Classico (pronounced swavv-eh class-eeko) is a textbook example of this fresh, light-bodied wine. With a hint of sweetness, the flavours include orange blossom, pear, lemon pith, green apple, camomile. The finish trails along wonderfully.

Price: About $20. Look for the wine at Bin 905, Britannia Wine Merchants, Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Cork Fine Wine, Liquor and Ale, Craft Cellars, Heritage Wine and Spirits, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Merlo Vinoteca, Skyway Wine and Liquor, The Cellar, Vine Arts Wine and Spirits, Vine Styles, Willow Park Wines and Spirits, Zyn the Wine Market and Bankers Hall location. Drink: Now. Enjoy it with whitefleshed fish, shellfish or chicken. Screw cap; 12 per cent alc./vol.

DIPINTI 2015 PINOT GRIGIO, TRENTINO- ALTO ADIGE, ITALY

Pinot Grigio has certainly broken through on the North American market. While wineries all around the world make the hot seller, the birthplace for this style is northern Italy. Pinot Gris, another name for the grape, is generally a richer, fuller-bodied wine than Pinot Grigio.

Dipinti is produced by Cantina La Vis, a large co-operative sourcing fruit from hundreds of growers. While such large operations can mean quality takes a back seat to quantity, at La Vis they say the focus is on producing top-quality wine. This one certainly fits the bill.

Medium-bodied, with a hint of sweetness, the wine features flavours of pear, mandarin orange, lemon pith, green apple and ginger. It’s fresh and easy going.

Price: About $20. It’s available at Aspen Wine and Spirits, Crowfoot Centre Liquor Store, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Sundance Wine Market, The Cellar, Vine Arts Wine and Spirits, Willow Park Wines and Spirits.

Drink: Now. Try it with spaghetti carbonara, grilled trout or grilled cheese. Cork; 12.5 per cent alc./ vol.

COLLAZZI 2015 OTTO MURI, TUSCANY, ITALY

If you’re ever visiting Florence, and you want to visit a winery, Collazzi is about as close as you can get.

In the hillsides just 10 kilometres from Florence’s famous Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Collazzi is located on a beautiful 400-hectare estate of which 25 hectares are planted to grapes and 120 hectares to olives.

The property also boasts an inn designed by Michelangelo.

The winery runs a bit against the grain. The local wine is Chianti, made predominantly from Sangiovese. While Collazzi makes a Chianti, they also produce blends more typical of Bordeaux plus the white Otto Muri, which is based on the grape Fiano.

You’ll find a rich mouth feel thanks to extended aging on the dead yeast cells called lees. Medium-bodied, it offers flavours of butter, apricot, tarragon, lemon pith, pear, vanilla and double-cream brie.

It’s very similar in style to a well-made Chardonnay.

Price: $23. Co-op Wines Spirits Beer, Craft Cellars, CSN Wine and Spirits, Highlander Wine and Spirits, Northmount Liquor Store, The Cellar, Willow Park Wines and Spirits have carried it.

Drink: Now, or set it aside for a few years. Try it with roast chicken, a white-creamed pasta or halibut. Cork; 13.5 per cent alc./vol.

FONZONE 2015 GRECO DI TUFO, CAMPANIA, ITALY

Lorenzo Fonzone Caccese started the winery in 2005 on land that has been in the family since 1856.

The modern, hilltop operation is about 80 kilometres east of Naples, in Campania, a region with a wine history dating back to the ancient Greeks.

Fonzone follows sustainable practices, avoiding herbicides in the vineyards and limiting the use of sulphur in the cellar. All the wines are standouts, including this light-medium-bodied Greco. Flavours of baked lemon, green pear skin, mandarin orange are prominent. The long finish gets a boost from a mineral tang. Refreshing, with intensity, this is a beautiful wine.

Price: About $35. Look for it at Cork Fine Wines and Rocky Mountain Beer, Wine & Spirits.

Drink: Now. Try it with sushi, cheeses such as Gouda or Fontina, or a ham quiche. Cork; 13 per cent alc./vol.