Five of us recently spent an overnight at a friend’s apartment on the top of Russian Hill in San Francisco. In the morning we trekked down the Broadway steps to China Town and North Beach, where we foraged for appetizers at Molinari’s delicatessen. We came away with salami, various cheeses, fresh sourdough bread, and a terrific bottle of Barbera d’Alba, which we shared in the afternoon — a sort of urban picnic.

In the evening we walked the few blocks to Ristorante Milano on Pacific Street for dinner. As usual, we ordered the gamut of Italian cuisine from osso buco, to pasta puttanesca, caprese salad, fish, clams, and fettucine with Alfredo sauce. Rather than try to match flavors and texture to a particular dish, I often find a simple white is just the ticket. It acts as a palate cleanser between bites. There are plenty of Italian whites that could fit bill — Arneis from Piemonte, Vermentino from
Sardegna, Verdicchio from Marche’, Trebbiano from Abruzzo, and Pinot Grigio from Alto Adige, to name a few. All are widely available in the U.S. market. I was surprised, however, to find a relatively rare Pecorino on Milano’s list, and at an affordable price to boot. While there are Tuscan and Umbrian versions, the largest concentration of Pecorino vineyards surrounds the Tronto river valley that separates Abruzzo from Marche’.

That night we had a Pecorino from Velenosi winery on the Marche’ side of the river and let it work its magic.

Because Pecorino is such an early ripening variety, it is often planted on north-facing slopes.

Like the cheese of the same name, the root word, Pecora, refers to sheep. In the case of the wine, the theory is that the grapes, being an early ripening variety, was a favorite of sheep as they migrated from the high pastures in the Apennine mountains to the rolling foothills along the Adriatic sea. In its modern iteration, it yields a wine of delicate fruit flavors — hints of peaches, pears, citrus, unripe pineapple — with vibrant minerality and herbal undertones.

As synchronicity would have it, shortly thereafter a contingent of Pecorino producers from Abruzzo blew into town. Here are a few recommendations:

Talamonti, Trabocchetto, Pecorino Superiore: Yummy pear, pineapple, and mint. Hints of pear and jasmine. 92 points

2020 Pasetti, Collecivetta, Pecorino Superiore DOP: Reminiscent of cantaloupe and citrus, with crisp acidity. Six months in stainless steel vats on fine lees gives this example a fuller mouthfeel.  91 points

2018 Velenosi, Villa Angela, Offida DOCG Pecorino: A bright, vivacious wine with notes of mandarins and lemon zest with a hint of sage. 91 points

2021 Colonnella, Parhelia, Pecorino IGP: Fascinating nose of peaches, banana, and a hint of strawberry. A fuller-bodied version than most. 90 points