Thursday was another miserable day in the saddle for the peloton, as wind and rain made the narrow mountain roads of Abruzzo and Le Marche even more treacherous than usual. By day’s end, an unlikely gang of riders (including most of the top ten GC contenders as well as speedsters like Mathieu Van Der Poel and Fillipo Ganna) battled to the line.

Here’s a recap:

While the cyclists suffered, we marveled at the dramatic landscapes. And we sipped wine from the nearby region of Offida DOCG, a place well-regarded for its white wines made from the Pecorino grape.

Pecorino is a low-yielding grape that favors cooler climates, especially those that experience a large diurnal temperature shift. That makes it a happy camper in the Offida DOCG which, as I’ve mentioned, benefits from cool sea breezes and the elevated slopes of the Apennine foothills, as well as lots of sunshine. Pecorino farmed here gives rise to fuller-bodied wines with high acidity, a combination much-favored by many wine lovers.

Tenuta Santori’s Pecorino grows on predominantly limestone soils perched at 300 meters above sea level, with excellent exposure to sunlight and the salty sea breezes that moderate warm summer temperatures. Grapes are harvested by hand. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks to preserve primary fruit aromas and flavors.

Color: Deep lemon, almost all the way to the rim.

Nose: Ripe yellow apple and pear; lemon peel; wet rocks; white flowers.

Palate: Right away I notice the mouth-coating texture of this wine: it has weight without being heavy and offers a clean edge of acidity that cuts through the unctuousness. Flavors reflect the nose, with ripe yellow fruit and citrus. The finish is long, with hints of saline, lemon, and fresh basil. There’s quite a lot going on in the glass! As it opens, there are more soft herbaceous notes (imagine a just-opened box of arugula) and a mineral-petrichor element. Super wine.