La Borgata Pecorino

Pecorino is a white Italian wine grape variety that is grown in the Marche, Abruzzo, Liguria, Tuscany, Umbria and Lazio regions of Italy. It is a particularly old varietal, and despite sharing its name with the Italian cheese, there is no actual direct link, instead, experts believe the name comes from the Italian for sheep, ‘pecoro’ as herds from these regions would graze on the grapes as they roamed through the valleys. It is an early ripening varietal, prone to low yields. A classic Pecorino-based wine is dry and minerally, straw-yellow in colour, and has an elegant floral bouquet of acacia and jasmine, sometimes spiced with a faint hint of liquorice. 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. It does particularly well at higher altitudes where there is good exposure to sunlight and cooling breezes.