Fiano IGT Salento Cortices

An Orange Wine from Salento that shows what happens when an old Southern Italian grape variety is vinified with patience and skin contact: the Cortices from Schola Sarmenti is not a typical white wine — and it doesn't want to be.

Schola Sarmenti works in Salento, the heel of the Italian boot, with autochthonous grape varieties that have been rooted in this area for centuries. The Cortices is made from 100% Fiano, an old white variety with natural structure and aromatic depth. 13 days of skin contact give the wine its characteristic amber color, plus tannins that give the wine grip and texture — a rarity for white wine.

In the glass, herbs, ripe apricot, and orange peel appear, along with a slightly tannic, grippy structure on the palate that clearly sets it apart from lean white wines. The finish is dry, spicy, and long.

Best served at 14–16 °C — cooler than a red wine, warmer than a classic white wine. Pairs well with grilled vegetables with herbs, pasta with bottarga, spicy sheep's cheese, or lamb with oriental spices.