It’s only the most widely planted grape variety in Italy, accounting for around 10% of all vineyards, but Trebbiano is hardly the first white that comes to mind when you think of the wines of Italy. It is a grape variety prized for its resistance to disease and prodigious yields, yet much of it is cruelly underrated by the wine drinking public.

Naturally high in acidity, low in alcohol and often more savoury than fruity, Trebbiano is by definition a classic food wine, if often limited to good quality table wine status. It is known as Ugni-Blanc in France, where it is also widely grown.

Pinot Grigio is the most popular Italian white here in Ireland, and of course there are plenty of fabulous examples from that variety, the Farnese Pinot Grigio from Abruzzo (pictured) being one. Dry, fruity, an undeniably very drinkable crowd pleaser, it probably out-sells the Trebbiano in the same range by 4 to 1, but it is in fact the Trebbiano that is the true wine drinkers wine, and in my opinion, the classier of the two. I like to think of it as the poor man’s Italian Chablis.

Another seriously good drinking Trebbiano from Italy are those of the Lombardia region, specifically on the shores of Lake Garda. The soil is made up of layers of calcareous clay created during the post-glacial era of the lake. It gives the wine its characteristic straw colour, accentuating the aromas of almonds and slightly salty, sappy flavour. Our choice is made by the Lugana Tenuta Maiolo.

If your preference is that savoury style, then Italian Trebbiano might be the economical answer to Chablis, particularly if there is 20% off Italy during July and August.

I’m always on the look out for good Chablis. It was at Ramore restaurant in Portrush that I first tried a Chablis. Those university days were tight enough for cash, but my girlfriend and I were out to treat ourselves. At the time, it was one of those big discoveries of my food and wine adventures, and it was the elegance and finesse of an old world white that had won me over to this mad fuss about wine with food.

France and Italy have a special knack for producing good food wines. One of the most recent to make me sit up and take notice was an incredibly elegant and fresh Trebbiano from the shores of Lake Garda in northern Italy. You may be familiar with Trebbiano already – it’s known as Ugni Blanc in France.

The Italian Lugana Tenuta Maiolo, one of our stellar finds, is one for all those wine critics who say Trebbiano doesn’t reach the quality heights of the more traditional varietals, like Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. Its similar to Chablis in style, with a definite mineral edge, which may well be derived from the ancient post-glacial soils around the shores of the lake.

As well as being rich in oxides and mineral salts, the vineyard, founded in 1710, consists of layers of calcareous clay. This gives the wine its characteristic straw colour with green highlights, its delicate bouquet of almonds and its very slightly salty, sappy flavour. It’s this fresh saltiness that makes the Lugana the perfect partner for shellfish.

As with most good old world wines, there’s really no secret to the winemaking process behind Lugana. In this family-run winery, owned by Fabio and Patrizia Contato, the grapes are handpicked, gently pressed and then undergo controlled fermentation. It was put to the test in February’s wine tasting in Cork, and managed to stand up very well against a more pronounced Spanish Albarino. Certainly one for the ‘must try’ list.

This salmon dish is about as healthy as it gets as it is steamed along with the vegetables and served with a super simple soy dipping sauce.

This is the sort of dish you would eat if you were on a healthy diet which got me to wondering if there was such a thing as a healthy wine, or at least a wine that was more healthy than another? Perhaps not and it could be wishful thinking on my part but I am pretty sure that there would at least be a “lighter” wine of some sort that will compliment the delicate and simple natural flavours of the salmon.

As I am no expert on wines I’ll hand it over to the lads to match something nice up…..

Mike’s wine match:

‘Light’ could mean one of a number of things in wine terms, but mostly relate to body and/or alcohol. In relation to body, whites are obviously generally lighter than reds, although there are some lovely light-bodied reds that go very well with fish, such as Beaujolais.

I think I’d stick with white on this one, (a) because we’re specifically looking for a ‘light’ wine, and (b) because the saltiness of the soy dipping sauce is more easily complemented.

So, two delicious but quite different options:

1. Dr Wagner Saar Riesling – medium-dry and deliciously fruity, with that trademark stony minerality of quality Mosel Riesling, and at only 9% alcohol light in every sense (so, healthier in per glass terms, or you can drink more of it for the same number of units of a higher alcohol wine!).
2. Lugana Tenuta Maiolo DOC – higher in alcohol (12.5%) but still a light wine. What makes the Lugana a particularly great match for this dish is the very slight salty, sappy flavour from the calcareous clay used to grow the Trebbiano grapes – perfect with the salty soy and salmon.

Enjoy!

Niall Harbison is Co-Founder and Master Chef at Look and Taste.