The Pecorino Grape

(Synonyms: Arquitano, Norcino, Pecorina Arquatanella, Pecorino di Osimo, Promotico, Uva delle Pecore, Uva Pecorina, Vissanello.)

Background

Pecorino is a white-wine grape likely originating in the Monti Sibillini area of the Marches region of Italy. Today, it is grown primarily Offida and Ripatransone in the Italian province of Ascoli Piceno. For monovarietal Pecorino wines, the DOCG is Offida (though even there, the Pecorino can, technically, be cut with up to 15% of other local white-wine grapes).

The wines of Pecorino, which is rapidly rising in stature, are distinctly mineral, often with crisp, refreshing acidity and flavors of herbs, spices, and (of course) lemon.

Factoid: the name Pecorino derives from the Italian word for sheep; it is unrelated to Pecorino cheese—made from sheep’s milk—save in the possibility that the grapes was so named owing to sheep frequently nibbling the grapes off the vines (though it is often remarked that the cheese and the wine go well together).

Some Descriptions of Pecorino Wines

Wine Searcher
“A classic Pecorino-based wine is dry and minerally, straw-yellow in color and has an elegantly floral bouquet of acacia and jasmine, sometimes spiced with a faint hint of licorice…Pecorino offers high acidity as well as a high sugar content, making it very useful in the winery. The sugar translates into reasonably high alcohol, but the acidity helps to balance this, ensuring the wines are still crisp and fresh.”
VinePair
“The grape itself has an exceptionally high sugar content and tends to reflect the terroir without reserve – it’s both sensitive and expressive, not unlike Pinot Noir, so it’s a grape for a patient, dedicated winemakerJ…Pecorino grapes are delicious because they’re sweet and so can make decently high-alcohol wines. But the grape isn’t just sweet – in fact, the sugar content is beautifully balanced by bracing acidity and complex minerality, making Pecorino a prime candidate for age-worthy wines. But the other beautiful thing about Pecorino – for white wine lovers especially – is the complexity you can find in a relatively young, affordable bottle. In a similarly priced Pecorino, you’ll get much more than a two-dimensionally crisp Pinot Grigio or slatey Sauvignon Blanc; you get character, noticeable terroir, a richer flavor profile than often accompanies ‘fresh’ white wines – notes of soft fruit, florals, dry herb, minerality, all balanced by freshening acid and a slightly heavier mouthfeel (thank you, sugar)…As for what to expect in the bottle, the beauty of Pecorino is its versatility: It can go unoaked, or take a kiss of oak; and it can land soft on the palate with stone-fruit sweetness overlaid by florals and delicate herbal notes, with lively bracing acidity and even sometimes an almost saline minerality, depending on the bottle (and the variation is worth exploring, vineyard to vineyard). The alcohol can creep up to as much as 14 percent, but treat such a wine like you would a big moody red, making it prime for winter sipping with a nice cheese board and some prosciutto or dry figs or maybe an herbed pork roast – subtly sweet, nutty, savory.”
Beppi Crosariol, The Globe and Mail
“Pecorino tends to be crisp and tightly structured thanks to its abundant, balancing acidity, displaying a lemony zip and subtle complexity, often with floral, herbal and mineral-like nuances…It’s usually graced with no more than a whisper of oak from time spent in barrel, the sort of treat for people who like their whites fresh and invigorating.”
World’s Best Wines
“A typical Pecorino wine is mild and dry with straw-yellow colour and faintly spiced with hints of elements like liquorice.”
Italian Wine Guide
“Offida Pecorino DOCG is an elegant straw yellow white wine with green reflections. The scent is typical and characteristic of the grape, with its notes of flowers, fruit, pineapple, anise and sage. The taste is fresh, mineral with a long aftertaste and pleasant acidity.”
Wine Paradigm
“Aromas of acacia, jasmine, lemon blossom, yellow fruit and nuts are followed by flavors of apricot, peach, pear and lemon, with a mineral edge and sometimes a slightly spicy finish. Occasionally, these wines can display more tropical fruit flavors (e.g. pineapple) and if oak is used you can expect notes of vanilla. Body: Medium to full; acidity: medium to high; ag[ing]: drink within two years of release, but the best wines need a few years in bottle to fully develop and can improve for up to ten years.”
Wine Taste at Home
“Pecorino is white Italian grape which is being rescued from distinction. It is grown on the eastern side of mid italy centered around [sic] the Abruzzo region. Actually it is a red skinned grape used to make a white wine by avoiding any contact as much as possible with the skins, but sometimes it does pcik up some tannins. It makes a medium bodied, medium acidity wine with melon, pear and white peach notes both on aroma and taste. It can have a minerally finish bordering on a saltiness sensation.”
Savor the Harvest
“Some say the best expression lies in Le Marche where the grape is commonly bottled under Offida Pecorino DOCG. It’s also used in the DOC wines of Falerio dei Colli Ascolani, Colli Maceratesi and Offida, and IGTs in this region. Others say the northern Abruzzo region where it’s bottled under Abruzzo DOC or one of the IGPs is where it truly shines. No matter where it grows, it likes higher altitudes: this is where it’s found in Abruzzo and Le Marche. In truth, it comes down to winemaking styles and personal preference. I’ve tasted fantastic Pecorino from both areas.”

Some Pecorinos to Try

The wines listed below are each a bit scarcer than we prefer, but are none of them really rare or hard to find. And they demonstrate the nice quality of Pecorinos on the market now.

For a Splurge

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This page was last modified on Saturday, 30 October 2021, at 11:26 pm Pacific Time.

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