Viva Vino Bianco!

If Spiraling white-wine costs are driving you to lager and lemonade, hang in, chum--the Italians are coming. In fact, they're here! With over two billion gallons produced annually, Italy is the world's largest winegrower. Fortunately, the paisanos are willing to share this bounty to the extent that half our imported wines come from Italy.

While there are no great Italian white table wines, a veritable river of modestly priced vino runs through the boot, from Trentino on the Austrian border to Calabria in the south, with Sicily and Sardinia thrown in for good measure. Italy's big four in the white-wine category are Soave, Orvieto, Frascati and Verdicchio, with Soave easily (continued on page 172) Vino Bianco (continued from page 133) the most popular. It is an agreeable, lightish, dry wine with a delicate aroma. Its best offerings have a touch of fruit and a little bite in the finish that adds interest. It is produced in the Verona hills, hard by the ancient walled city of Soave--hence the name. Wines labeled classico take their grapes from the oldest and presumably finest vineyards, and a superiore must meet minimal alcohol requirements, which are not stringent. There's also an uncommon Recioto di Soave, for which the grapes are picked, left to dry and then crushed. It is rich, velvety and lightly to moderately sweet.

Orvieto and Frascati are also place names. The town of Orvieto, in the region of Umbria, lends its name to that venerable vino, a favorite of Renaissance popes, who summered nearby. At one time, it was predominantly abboccato, on the sweet side, but in response to current market pressures, most Orvieto is now secco--dry.

If you've been to Rome, you know Frascati. It's dispensed directly from the cask in copious quantities at virtually every Roman trattoria. This amiable lemon-colored wine actually comes from the Castelli Romani, a hilly zone dotted with castles, just southeast of the Eternal City. Frascati is also made semisweet and sweet, as are many of these wines.

Verdicchio is the most delicate and can be the most interesting of the big four whites. The name is borrowed from its principal grape--the Verdicchio. It is dry, light but firm in body, with a herby bouquet. Verdicchios are recognizable by their amphora-shaped bottles.

You'll find some of the better values in Italian wines in this group, particularly in the jug sizes. They're clean, palatable and offer a lot more for the buck than French wines. Bars and restaurants favor them as pouring wines, sold by the glass. Just bear in mind that they're good only when fresh. Baron Ricasoli, a respected vintner, prefers them within a year of the harvest. Right now, you should be looking for '78s, or at least '77s; approach anything older with caution. There's also been a proliferation of proprietaries and private labels, simply called dry white wine, or bianco. They tend to be fragrant, low in alcohol and frizzante--spritzy. Labels read Mellow--Serve Chilled; code words for a touch of sweetness. Try them if the price is right. With a little luck, you'll find one that pleases your palate. Chances are, though, you'll do better staying with the popular brands. They turn over much faster, get supervision in the field and should be in better condition. Bottlings of the co-ops, Cantine Sociali, can be temptingly inexpensive. However, they produce three or four grades, the bottom levels containing press wine, so caveat emplor.

While the big four are most familiar to Americans, there are 933 varieties of white wine (someone counted) grown in Italy--and many are beginning to be sent here. Two that seem to be getting a play are Pinot Grigio and Corvo. Oddly enough, they're from opposite ends of the country. Pinot Grigio, called Pinot Gris in France, is quite dry, balanced and grassy and is from the cool, hilly northeastern area, the Triveneto, which is also an abundant source of other appealing white wines, made with traditional European wine grapes. Corvo is from sun-baked Sicily, an unlikely locale for such a clean, sprightly wine--but the proof is in the glass.

Two unremarkable wines, Est! Est!! Est!!! and Lacryma Christi (Tears of Christ), owe their renown to colorful names and folk tales. There's one about a sybaritic 12th Century bishop on his way to Rome who sent his steward on ahead to rate the vino. The word Est--loosely, "This is the place"--was to signal the good stops. At Montefiascone, the wine was so impressive that the man scrawled Est! Est!! Est!!! all over the tavern door.

Campania, home of Lacryma Christi, yields other estimable white wines, Greco di Tufo and Fiano, now trickling into the States. Tuscany is famous for Chianti, but at one time white wines prevailed in the region, and they're coming back again. Tuscan whites are sturdy, fairly full, with a bit of perfume in the nose from the malvasia grape. Similarly, Piedmont and Lombardy, noted for their red wines, produce worthy whites, too. Cortese, particularly Cortese di Gavi, Bianco Dei Roeri (made with the red Nebbiolo grape) and Erbaluce are crisp, fruity, delightful Piedmonts. Lombardy offers tart, light Lugana--an ideal seafood wine, Franciacorta Pinot, Frecciarossa and a beguiling proprietary, Castel Chiuro. And Valle d'Aosta, perched above Piedmont, sends bracing Blanc de Morgex. The French name is a relic of past occupations.

If your impression of Italian biancos goes back a bit, these new-generation whites may surprise you. They've improved considerably in recent years, due 10 several bold moves. First was the Denominazione di Origine Controllata law, passed in 1963. The D.O.C. award tells you that prescribed growing and wine-making procedures for the region were followed and that label information is accurate. Its impact is now becoming evident. Belatedly, Italian vintners are introducing modern equipment and technology. They're also bottling and shipping much younger wines and limiting or eliminating the aging period. All are steps calculated to maximize the verve, fruity aroma and refreshing snap prized in white wines. Italian trade commissioner Dr. Lucio Caputo feels the sheer wealth of wine should act as a brake on prices.

The guide below is designed to clue you in to the more reliable and available brands. Dependable names in limited distribution include Enofriulia, Collavini, Livo Felluga, Mastroberardino and Duca Badoglio. Prices are approximate, varying from store to store. Since the beginning of this year, all bottlings have been in standard metric sizes.

As they say along the Via Veneto--Cin-Cin!

"If your impression of Italian biancos goes back a bit, these new-generation whites may surprise you."