Six Italian Whites We’re Drinking This Spring
Spring calls for white wines with energy. Wines with freshness, texture and enough personality to carry them from the first aperitivo through to a long lunch.
Italy does this better than most. From the alpine vineyards of Alto Adige to the rolling hills of Marche and the volcanic south, its native white varieties offer a spectrum of styles that feels perfectly suited to the season.
These are six bottles from the DS Wine portfolio we’re reaching for this spring.
1. Picollo Ernesto — Gavi DOCG 2024
Piemonte | Cortese
There is something effortlessly spring-like about great Gavi. Bright, mineral and quietly elegant, Picollo Ernesto’s expression comes from Rovereto di Gavi, one of the most highly regarded areas of the appellation. The family works exclusively with Cortese, producing wines shaped by mineral-rich soils and a strong sense of place.
This is the bottle for seafood, antipasti and long lunches in the sun — clean, precise and incredibly easy to come back to.
The mood: Crisp, mineral, effortless.
2. Elena Walch — Pinot Bianco DOC Alto Adige 2025
Alto Adige | Pinot Bianco
High-altitude vineyards, cool alpine air and one of the most important names in Alto Adige.
Elena Walch has helped define the modern identity of the region, producing wines of remarkable precision from vineyards around Tramin and Kaltern. Her Pinot Bianco captures everything we love about northern Italian whites: freshness, restraint and purity.
It is subtle rather than showy, with the kind of freshness that makes it a natural partner for spring vegetables, crudo and lighter dishes.
The mood: Alpine, polished, precise.
3. Friuli-Venezia Giulia Dai Dai - Skin-Contact White Blend
Not every spring white needs to be crisp, pale and predictable.
Fiegl’s ‘Dai Dai’ brings a little more texture to the table. Produced in Friuli Isonzo by a family estate with roots dating back to 1782, it is a skin-contact white that sits comfortably between freshness and structure — vibrant enough for warmer weather, but with a savoury edge that makes it far more interesting than a conventional aperitivo white.
It is exactly the kind of bottle we love for spring: slightly unconventional, incredibly food-friendly and made for sharing.
Pour it with antipasti, anchovies, hard cheeses or anything salty and let the wine do the rest.
The mood: Textural, energetic, a little wild.
4. Mastroberardino — Falanghina del Sannio DOC 2024
Campania | Falanghina
If the wines of northern Italy bring mountain air and minerality, Campania brings sunshine.
Mastroberardino has been one of the great custodians of southern Italian wine since 1878, playing a crucial role in preserving Campania’s indigenous grape varieties and bringing them to the attention of the wider wine world.
Falanghina is aromatic, vibrant and unmistakably Mediterranean. It brings brightness and generosity without losing freshness, making it an ideal bottle for warmer afternoons, grilled seafood and anything involving lemon and olive oil.
The mood: Southern Italian sunshine.
5. Bucci — Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2023
Marche | Verdicchio
Verdicchio deserves far more attention than it gets, and Bucci is one of the producers responsible for proving just how serious the variety can be.
The family has roots in the Castelli di Jesi area stretching back centuries and today farms 26 hectares of vineyards across six sites, all under certified organic practices. Traditional winemaking and extended maturation give the wines a combination of freshness, texture and longevity that has made Bucci one of Italy’s benchmark white wine estates.
The 2023 Classico Superiore is everything we want from a spring white: bright, savoury, saline and quietly complex.
The mood: The Adriatic classic.
6. Zaccagnini — Pecorino d’Abruzzo ‘Chronicon’ DOC 2024
Abruzzo | Pecorino
Pecorino is one of those Italian white varieties that deserves to be on more tables.
From the rolling hills of Abruzzo, Zaccagnini has built its reputation around native varieties and wines that speak clearly of the region. Family-owned and established in 1978, the estate has become one of Abruzzo’s most recognisable producers while maintaining a strong connection to local grapes and sustainable farming.
The Chronicon Pecorino is bright, energetic and full of character — the kind of white that works just as well with a plate of seafood as it does poured on its own before lunch.
Fresh enough for spring, but with enough texture and personality to keep things interesting.
The mood: Bright, coastal, unmistakably Abruzzo.