One of the more thrilling aspects of Italy’s countless grape varieties is that the best examples resist facile comparisons. Take this crisp, zesty white wine from the Veneto, for example, made from Manzoni Bianco, a variety bred by Luigi Manzoni in the 1920-30s. After a few sips, I was ready to pronounce Gregoletto’s Manzoni Bianco “Italy’s Muscadet.” Then, I took another couple of sips and thought: or is it Italy’s answer to Chablis? Upon even further reflection, I wondered if this bianco, made in the gorgeous hills of Conegliano—aka Prosecco territory—was actually most similar to the driest examples of Alsatian Riesling or Pinot Blanc, given Manzoni Bianco’s ancestry.*
     The truth is, it’s somewhere in between and, therefore, imitates none of those, which is great news because if you want Muscadet, Chablis, or a dry Alsatian white, buy those. Buy this Manzoni Bianco, meanwhile, to add a dose of stimulating diversity to your rotation of chiseled white wines that serve equally well as an apéritif as they do alongside shellfish or a piece of grilled chicken. I poured a glass to go with an easy, but dangerously good dish of pasta with spinach and ricotta—courtesy of Marcella Hazan—and I could not have been more pleased.

*In Native Wine Grapes of Italy, Ian d’Agata writes that while Manzoni Bianco “was long believed to be a crossing of Riesling and Pinot Bianco, recent genetic studies suggest that Chardonnay may have been used instead of the latter.” The jury, however, is still out on this matter.