On the Hunt for the Pecorino Grape #ItalianFWT
Pecorino shows a pretty pale gold in the glass
Is Pecorino the Next Big Thing?
Phoenix rising from the ashes, Cinderella, rags to riches. They all describe the recent arc of the Pecorino Grape in central Italy. Pecorino is an old grape, believed to be indigenous to the Sibillini mountains in the Marche region of Italy. The grape ripens early, and legend says it earned its name because sheep coming out of the mountains in the summer to their fall pastures loved to stop and eat the ripe grapes.
In 2000, there were only only 87 hectares (1 ha = 2.2 acres) planted in all of Italy. My go-to reference on Italian wine has always been “Vino Italiano”, even though it was published back in the early 2000’s; things just don’t change very fast in Italian wine. Vino Italiano had no mention of Pecorino, only a single word map reference to the Offida DOC (which is Pecorino based). The book lists Verdicchio as the only white grape worth knowing from the Marche.
The yearly “Slow Wine” guide is only occasionally available in English, and my 2014 copy does list Pecorino, and elevates one example to their Great Wine status. Today, the grape continues to gain recognition and is now up to 1800 ha! At higher elevations, it shows as light and crisp, gaining fullness and ripe character when planted at more moderate altitude. If you’e like to read more, here are a couple of articles from Wikipedia and Imbibe magazine.
Pecorino in Minneapolis
Minneapolis is blessed with a number of small independent importers and a vital group of independent wine shops. I usually have no trouble finding examples of even rare Italian wines in town. Alas, Pecorino has yet to be discovered in Minnesota. After striking out at several independent shops, I was able to find a bottle at Total Wine, thanks to their willingness to put all their stock online. Several of my favorite indie shops have done this, I sure wish everyone would join in. Hint Hint!
It seems the association of Pecorino and sheep extends to the branding for many producers of the wine!
Saladini Pilastri Pecorino Offida DOCG 2017 ($13 at Total Wine, or online here) 13% abv
Eye: Clear, pale gold color
Nose: Clean, medium+ intensity. Floral, white flowers with underripe pear, peach, with a bit of chalk.
Mouth: Dry, medium intensity flavors. Medium+ acidity with tartness balanced by a nice creamy texture. Medium body with medium alcohol and a nice lingering finish.
Certified organic grape growing. Bottled by Saladini Pilastri in Spinetoli Italy.
Pecorino with Seared Scallops and Risotto
While this Pecorino was more on the light & crisp side, it had refreshing acidity and a nice medium, creamy texture. It went well with the rich umami flavors from the seared scallops, backed by the herb and pea flavored risotto. All in all a delicious meal.
Other Pecorino Posts from Fellow Italian Food, Wine and Travel Bloggers
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures with Camilla will dazzle us with “Oven-Roasted Trout with Citrus Salsa Crudo + 2017 Lunaria “Civitas” Pecorino”.
- Gwendolyn, the Wine Predator is “Pairing Pecorino d’Abuzzo from Ferzo: Lemon Caper Shrimp #ItalianFWT”.
- Linda at My Full Wine Glass shares “Sheepish about new kinds of wine? Try Pecorino! #ItalianFWT”.
- Cindy at Grape Experiences does a “Twirl. Sip. Savor. Creamy Garlic Shrimp with Linguini with 2016 Tenuta Cocci Grifoni Offida Pecorino Colle Vecchio”.
- Lauren at The Swirling Dervish asks “Looking for a New White Wine to Serve this Spring? Try Pecorino from Tenuta Santori in Italy!”.
- Susannah from Avvinare shares “Pecorino from the Lady from Le Marche – Angela Velenosi- Velenosi Vini”
- Jeff at Food Wine Click goes “On the Hunt for the Pecorino Grape”.
- David from Cooking Chat shares “Roasted Asparagus Pasta with Pecorino”.
- Jennifer at Vino Travels discovers “Grape of the Sheep with Umani Ronchi Pecorino”.
- Steven from Steven’s Wine and Food Blog cooks up a “Brodetto di Pesce Wine Pairing #ItalianFWT”.
- Katarina at Grapevine Adventures discusses “Le Marche & Abruzzo – Two Regions… Two Expressions of Pecorino”.
- Kevin from SnarkyWine shares “Pecorino – Welcome to the Fold”
- And Lynn at Savor the Harvest, presents “Discovering the Pecorino Grape #ItalianFWT”
Scallops and risotto are nice and rich, so you’ll appreciate a white wine with a bit of body. Pecorino fits the bill!
Ingredients InstructionsSeared Scallops on a Spring Risotto
There are two parts to the texture of a risotto. The texture of the rice kernels should be cooked but still a bit firm with a bit of bite, not mushy. The overall firmness of the dish is up to the cook’s preference. Some prefer their risotto nearly soup-like. Others like it firm enough to mound on its own, or even be molded. Still in all cases the individual kernels should be the same: cooked but not soft & mushy.
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foodwineclick 
Causal yet elegant pairing – the Saladini Pilastri Pecorino Offida and the perfectly seared scallop.
I tasted the Saladini Pilastri Pecorino some time ago. Looking back on tasting notes, both bottles were pretty consistent. Thanks for the reminder of the Slow Wine guide. I was able to down load an English copy to Kindle on my computer but out of sight, out… Their description of Pecorino, aromatic sophistication is right on!
Love a Pecorino. Was in Le Marche last year and got to try lots of great examples. Should have saved the names!
Great that you could find a bottle of Pecorino at last. 🙂
Yeah, I used Vino Italiano when I taught at a local university here for American students. A bit biased book in my opinion, and very kind of 1990s Robert Parker inspired often. In my opinion, it is not a book really revealing the local reality even in the 1990s ;-)…But that is for another discussion 🙂
Beautiful dish! The pecorino seems to be well priced amongst the group too. I love Vino Italiano as well, but I do find situations like this we need an updated version.
Yum! That scallop dish looks scrumptious. You’re lucky to have such variety of wine available in Minneapolis. It can be a challenge to find less-common bottles in Miami so, when I’m in NYC I take full advantage of the bounty!
We have a ways to go, but in my book, Pecorino is up front and center as a delicious white wine from Italy. Thanks for the delicious recipe – what a wonderful pairing!