Principe Strozzi Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2014

Tuscany is best known for its fine red - Chianti - but taste this terrific honeyed lemon and leafy Vernaccia and you'll wonder why there isn't equal clamour for Tuscany's whites. It's from the Strozzi family - one of the oldest in Italy, whose estate in San Gimignano, the best area for Vernaccia, dates back to AD 994. They were powerful bankers, statesmen and rivals to the Medicis. Niccolò Machiavelli began his career in their employ and they count Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, the 'Mona Lisa', among their ancestors. They are also distant relatives to Winston Churchill, and the current generation comprises two princesses, Natalia and Irina. With citrus, peach and spice notes, this elegant white is a great match for fish, risotto or seafood.