Wine Pairing: Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG
What Vernaccia di Serrapetrona Is
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG is a sparkling red wine from the hills of the province of Macerata, in the Marche, and one of the most unusual wines in Italy. It is made from the red grape Vernaccia Nera, and part of the grapes are dried before they are used, as for a passito, then the wine goes through further fermentations until it becomes a deep purple spumante with a fine, lively foam.
It is made in two versions, secco (dry) and dolce (sweet). The dry version is a red sparkling wine for the table, with dark fruit and spice; the sweet version is a dessert wine with the same aromas and a rounded sweetness kept fresh by the bubbles. The appellation is among the smallest in Italy, which is why the wine is rarely seen outside the Marche and treasured by those who know it.
The Territory of Serrapetrona
Serrapetrona is a small hill town in the upper valley of the Chienti, at the foot of the Apennines, in the province of Macerata. The production area covers the whole municipality of Serrapetrona and parts of the neighboring municipalities of Belforte del Chienti and San Severino Marche. The vineyards lie on hillsides at a fair altitude, where days are warm in late summer and nights are cool, conditions that keep the acidity and aromas of the grapes.
The landscape is inland Marche: woods, pastures and small fields between the mountains and the hills that run down to the Adriatic. It is a farming country of small producers, and Vernaccia Nera was for a long time a family wine, made for feasts and holidays. The appellation was recognized as a DOC in 1971 and raised to DOCG, the highest Italian classification, in 2004.
Grapes and Production Rules
The wine must be made from at least 85 percent Vernaccia Nera, with the remainder from other red grapes authorized in the area. The defining rule concerns the drying of the grapes: a large share of the harvest, at least 40 percent, is laid out to dry for several weeks after picking, concentrating sugar and aroma. The rest is vinified at once into a base wine.
In winter the dried grapes are pressed and their sweet must is added to the base wine, which starts a second fermentation. A third fermentation, usually in pressurized tanks, then creates the bubbles. This sequence of fermentations, unique among Italian sparkling reds, gives the wine its depth of fruit together with its freshness. The degree of sweetness left at the end decides whether the wine is labeled secco or dolce.
Tasting Profile
In the glass Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is a deep ruby with violet reflections and a lively, persistent purple foam. The nose is intense: blackberry, black cherry and plum, violet, and a spicy note of black pepper that is typical of Vernaccia Nera, with a hint of dried fruit from the dried grapes.
The dry version is fresh and fruity, with soft tannins and a slightly bitter finish that cleanses the palate. The sweet version is round and jammy, with notes of blackberry jam and cherry in syrup, but never heavy, because the acidity and the bubbles lift the sweetness. Both are moderate in alcohol and easy to drink.
Serving Temperature, Glassware and Decanting
Serve the dry version at about 50 to 54°F (10 to 12°C) and the sweet version slightly cooler, at about 46 to 50°F (8 to 10°C). Too cold and the aromas close; too warm and the sweetness and the foam become heavy. Chill the bottle in the refrigerator for about 2 hours, or 20 minutes in a bucket of ice and water.
Use a tulip-shaped glass, wider than a flute, so the dark fruit and the spice can open while the bubbles are kept. Never decant a sparkling wine: open the bottle gently, holding the cork, and pour slowly to keep the foam.
Pairing Principles
The dry version works like a sparkling red from central Italy: its bubbles and acidity cut fat, and its fruit suits cured pork. It is excellent with the salumi of the Marche, such as Ciauscolo IGP, the soft spreadable salami of the province of Macerata, with vincisgrassi, the rich baked pasta of the Marche, and with roast pork and grilled sausages.
The sweet version belongs to dessert, and above all to the sweets of the Marche made with dried fruit, chocolate and cooked must. It is the natural partner of frustingo, the Marche Christmas cake of figs, nuts, chocolate and sapa, whose recipe ZAFFERANO & CO. pairs with this wine first. It also suits a crostata of sour cherry jam, the dry ciambellone ring cake, cicerchiata, the honey-coated fried dough of Carnival, and simple desserts of dark chocolate and red fruit. The rule is to pair it with sweets that are not more sugary than the wine itself.
Producers to Know
Production is in the hands of a small number of wineries, most of them family estates, so availability outside Italy is limited. The best-known name is Alberto Quacquarini in Serrapetrona, whose family has made Vernaccia di Serrapetrona for decades and whose dry and sweet wines are the reference for many drinkers.
When buying, look for the DOCG designation and the words secco or dolce on the label, and choose the most recent vintage or bottling available. Italian specialty wine shops in the United States sometimes carry it, especially around the holidays, and it can be ordered through importers of Marche wines.
Price and Value
In the United States a bottle of Vernaccia di Serrapetrona DOCG usually sells for about $25 to $40, depending on the producer and the importer. For a DOCG sparkling wine made with dried grapes and several fermentations, a labor-intensive method, it is good value.
Its rarity is part of its appeal. It is a wine to bring to a holiday table where guests have never tasted a sweet sparkling red with this depth, and it costs far less than many dessert wines of comparable complexity.
Aging and Storage
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona is made to be enjoyed young, while its fruit and its foam are fresh, usually within two to three years of release. It does not gain from long cellaring: the bubbles soften and the fruit fades.
Store the bottles lying down or upright for a short time, in a cool, dark place at a steady temperature, away from light and vibration. Once opened, close the bottle with a sparkling wine stopper and keep it in the refrigerator for no more than one or two days.
Common Mistakes
The most common mistake is serving it as a still red, at room temperature. Warm, it loses its foam and the sweet version becomes heavy; it must be chilled like any sparkling wine.
The second is pairing the sweet version with very sugary desserts, such as a frosted cake or a sweet cream, next to which it tastes thin and sour. The third is confusing it with Vernaccia di San Gimignano, the dry white wine of Tuscany: the two share only a name.
Why Vernaccia di Serrapetrona Matters
Vernaccia di Serrapetrona shows how much variety Italian wine still holds in its small appellations. It joins the method of passito wines to that of sparkling wines in a way found nowhere else, and it keeps alive a native grape that grows almost only around one hill town of the Marche.
For a food lover it is also a key to the Marche, a region still little known in the United States, whose cooking is built on pork, wild herbs, cooked must and the sweets of farmhouse holidays. A glass of Vernaccia di Serrapetrona with a slice of frustingo is the Marche Christmas in one taste.
ZAFFERANO & CO. EDITOR
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