Three Italian whites worth knowing

There are hundreds of native grapes in Italy, which is wonderful and also slightly alarming when you are handed the list. The good news: a handful of whites will carry you through most menus, and they are worth seeking out once you are home, too.

Vermentino, for the coast

Bright, a little salty, often with a soft herbal note. Look for it in Sardinia and along the Ligurian and Tuscan coasts. It loves seafood, a terrace and nowhere to be.

Order it with: grilled fish, anything with lemon.

Vernaccia di San Gimignano, for the hill towns

From the town of towers in Tuscany, and one of Italy’s oldest named wines. Crisp, with a gentle almond finish. A lovely surprise in red-wine country.

Order it with: pecorino, a long lunch.

Fiano, for the south

Rounder and richer, with honeyed, nutty notes that deepen with a few years in bottle. Campania’s Fiano di Avellino is the classic. A white for people who think they only drink red.

Order it with: roast chicken, pasta with butter and sage.