Part 2 of 6 - Casa Roma - Marzemina Bianca

This wine is made of 100% Marzemina grape. There are 2 produces in the region. It's a difficult grape to grow so an attempt at growing this grape is not for the faint hearted. The vines that made this bottle of delight are about 80 years old that cover 80 hectares on the Casa Roma estate.

Wine made from the Marzemina was a favourite amongst the aristocracy of Venice during the Renaissance period but most of the vines were destroyed by Phylloxera. I think it's marvellous that Luigi is bringing back these ancient vines. There's no oak, the grapes are fermented in stainless steel tanks.

To look at:
Golden yellow in colour with a light edge. It sticks to the glass so could be high in alcohol. There's a few bubbles clinging to the glass too.

On the nose:
A real white fruit cocktail, pears, melons.

Taste:
Slight fizz on the tongue with lovely fruity ripe pears and honey. There's a distinct minerality to the taste that's very hard describe. It's like the freshness you taste in mineral water as apposed to tap water. This wine is sweet at first with a long dry finish.

It's served with honey and cheese from the area and it's a perfect match. The sweetness of the honey creates a smooth balance on the tongue; this finished with slight effervescent is very engaging. It's young (2005) and vibrant with definite pizzazz.

I bought couple of bottles for £10.95 each (this includes a discount for buying on the night) of this delightful wine in anticipation of the festive season.