These days, when wine drinkers are looking for more freshness and less weighty richness, northern Italy’s Alto Adige and Friuli regions are impossible to ignore. Hillside — often extremely dramatic — vineyards, cool temperatures, and a range of varieties from the very familiar (Pinot Grigio) to the very obscure (Picolit) make these almost uniformly crisp whites wildly adaptable to dishes of all kinds.
And prices, except for the very top cuvées, have remained relatively affordable even as acclaim has risen. Here are 8 crisp, and affordable, Italian white wines that deliver pure freshness in every sip.
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2023 Marco Felluga Just Molamatta Friuli Bianco ($18)
Friulian winemaker Marco Felluga died in 2024 at age 96, but his work continues, carried on by his granddaughter Ilaria. This vivid white blend is full of green-apple and grapefruit notes; it’s intensely refreshing.
2023 Pojer e Sandri Palai Müller-Thurgau ($18)
Extravagant aromas of pineapple and citrus lead into the tangy flavors of this bright yet savory white from renowned vignerons (and longtime friends) Mario Pojer and Fiorentino Sandri. It’s hard to imagine a better match for a plate of fluke crudo.
2023 Gradis’ciutta Collio Sauvignon ($24)
Robert Princic founded Gradis’ciutta in 1997 at age 20, making ultra-precise whites from his organically farmed vineyards. This Sauvignon is the hue of 12-karat gold, and its aroma and flavor suggest fresh pineapple, lemon zest, and dry hay.
Related: Move Over Brunello, Rosso di Montalcino Should Be Your Next Favorite Italian Wine
2024 Elena Walch Alto Adige Sauvignon ($26)
Sisters and fifth-generation vintners Julia and Karoline Walch run this renowned family-owned Alto Adige estate. This is a zesty northern Italian Sauvignon, all passion fruit and lime zest, with very little of the variety’s typical herbaceousness.
2023 I Clivi San Pietro Friulano ($26)
This bracing, aromatic Friulano — the signature white grape of Italy’s northeastern Friuli region — comes from 70-year-old organic vines in the Gramogliano hills. Light-bodied with green-apple tartness, it finishes on a subtle almond note.
2023 Cantina Terlano Terlaner Cuvée ($26)
This lush but focused blend of 60% Pinot Bianco, 30% Chardonnay, and 10% Sauvignon Blanc suggests wildflower honey and Bosc pears. It comes from one of Alto Adige’s top grower co-ops. (Their basic Pinot Grigio is also a year-in-year-out steal.)
Related: Why Italy Is Leading the Charge on Low-Alcohol, Food-Friendly White Wines
2024 Abbazia di Novacella Kerner ($29)
Abbazia di Novacella has been owned by an order of Augustinian monks since the 1100s. Among the many wines they produce is this grapefruit-scented, juicy white, whose flavors end on a mint-tarragon note. (Kerner is an early 20th-century cross of Trollinger and Riesling.)
2022 La Roncaia Eclisse ($35)
La Roncaia, in Friuli’s Colli Orientali region, makes a number of impressive wines. The winery’s top white is this blend of Sauvignon and the local Picolit variety, which offers flamboyant aromas of melon, peach, and tangerine; those lead into a full-bodied wine bolstered by juicy acidity.
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