In the Beginning
I was presented this wine and grape for the first time nearly 3 years ago. Verdeca was the variety. I have never tasted this grape in my 14 year history of tasting wine. Having started my career at an Italian restaurant building an all Italian wine list and then years later working for Terroni (Toronto’s most important influential Italian family of eateries and Italian only wine program) , I thought I had tasted a good many wines of Italy. I was happily and humbly proven wrong.
Verdeca is a white grape currently grown in the southern province of Puglia, the province considered the heel of the boot, overlooking the Adriatic Sea. The producer I was presented with was Masseria Li Veli. They are exactly located at Celino San Marco on the plains of Salento covering 33 hectares dedicated to mainly the black grapes of Negroamaro, Primitivo and the lesser known but equally compelling Susumaniello, Malvasia Nera and Aleatico. Aleatico mainly conserved for passito dessert wines of great concentration. There are 2 white wines from the Li Veli property, the first from the grape Fiano. I have listed their Fiano of Salento, which is quite vibrant, sun kissed and a delicious aperitif style wine. The second white wine comes from the grape Verdeca which has charmed me since the first time I tasted. This wine is part of the ‘Askos’ line of their production. Askos = wine jar, a vessel for wine in the ancient Greek language. The ‘Askos’ is series of wines (red and white) of greater quality and focus on indigenous grapes with the intent of paying homage to the Greek influence on wine and wine cultivation in this part of Italy.
Masseria Li Veli ‘Askos’ Verdeca 2018 Salento, Puglia. Italy - Lockdown Tastings
Verdeca in the past was highly productive and is also resistant to heat, making it an ideal candidate for bulk wine production to blend for Vermouth, the poor mans wine. Masseria Li Veli, recognized the quality of this grape and with mature vines, attention to detail and lower production have been able to make wines of greater quality and expression. Since 2009 Li Veli has been focused on Verdeca and I was privileged enough to taste recent vintages, as a result, I have since included the wines in pairing menus the last 3 years.
At home with a bottle over this period of lockdown, pandemic and social distancing my notes are attempting to be more evocative in place of the classic structured ‘wine note’.
Masseria Li Veli ‘Askos’ Verdeca 2018
Like a fresh salad of golden apple with wedges of mandarin, peach, and apricot - bright, with an undertone of tart and sweet lemon curd, candy lemon popsicle. There is mineral tone akin to the sun kissed, sunbathed salty sweet nape of the neck of your lover just dry from a dip in the Adriatic Sea.
Or perhaps the shoulder.
Full, rounded, naturally.
With drips of almond oil.