Pecorino isn’t necessarily a white you’ll fall for from the first sip. It’s more about texture and substance than zippy freshness, and drunk on its own, that can sometimes make it feel a little serious. Put it alongside food, though, and it’s a different story.
That extra weight suddenly makes sense. Pecorino has enough about it to stand up to dinner, whether that’s a simple plate of seafood or something richer, and you don’t need to spend much to find a good one.
We’ve picked six worth knowing about, from an easy-going £8 bottle to the £19.95 wine that was the undisputed star of our tasting.
If you’re completely new to the grape, head to our Pecorino wine guide for the full story, including where it’s grown, and, yes, why it shares its name with the cheese.
6 Pecorino Wines to Try Now
For when you want to see what Pecorino can really do
Pecorino dei Colli Aprutini, Collepietro, Faraone 2024
This was the star of the tasting.
Everything is turned up a notch: more flavour, more richness and more complexity.
This is Pecorino in an Anderson & Sheppard suit. Refined, sophisticated and beautifully put together.
If you’ve only ever encountered Pecorino as a cheerful, inexpensive Italian white, this is the bottle that shows you what happens when it gets a little more serious.
Buy it: £19.95, Berry Bros. & Rudd – Shop
For people who like their whites fruity
Niro Pecorino
Pineapple, papaya and passionfruit – the Niro isn’t shy about where it sits on the fruit spectrum.
And, importantly, all that tropical fruit doesn’t disappear after you’ve smelled it. It’s there when you drink it too, making this the juiciest and most exuberant of our six.
There’s enough substance behind the fruit to keep things interesting, though. We’d skip the oysters and give this something a little richer: roast chicken or creamy pasta.
If you’re the person who complains that some white wines don’t taste of very much, here’s your Pecorino.
Buy it: £10, Majestic – Shop
The crowd-pleaser
Contesa Pecorino
There’s something rather sunny about this one.
It starts with golden straw and sun-warmed hay, followed by elderflower, white flowers and fresh white fruit. It’s bright, easy-going and considerably less interested in showing off than the Niro.
And that’s exactly why we like it.
This is the bottle we’d open when several people are coming over and we have absolutely no intention of conducting a survey of everyone’s white-wine preferences first.
Not every bottle needs to start a conversation, some just need everyone to ask for another glass.
Buy it: £10.50, Majestic – Shop
For Pinot Grigio drinkers looking to branch out
Roversi Pecorino
This is Pecorino with the volume turned down.
It’s lighter, simpler and more citrus-led than the others, without the tropical fruit of the Niro or some of the more distinctive savoury flavours Pecorino can show.
Which makes it a very useful £8 bottle.
If Pinot Grigio is your usual order and you want to venture somewhere new without finding yourself in completely unfamiliar territory, start here.
Buy it: £8, Asda – Shop
For the savoury side of Pecorino
Tesco Finest Pecorino
If you want to understand why we keep banging on about Pecorino being good with food, spend £8.50 at Tesco.
This one heads away from overt fruitiness and towards the grape’s more savoury side: herbs, a little saltiness and a gentle bitter edge, with enough fruit underneath to keep everything friendly.
We’d get this one out with dinner: fish, shellfish, green vegetables, herby pasta – anything that gives those savoury flavours something to play with.
Buy it: £8.50, Tesco – Shop
For something bright but not boring
Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference Pecorino
This is the bright one.
There’s plenty of yellow fruit and everything feels bright and fresh, but it isn’t one of those white wines that arrives all citrus and acidity and then promptly disappears.
It’s softer and more generous than that, with enough substance to make it satisfying without tipping over into richness. Think fresh rather than sharp; fruity rather than tropical.
If the Roversi sounds a little too restrained but the Niro’s pineapple-and-passionfruit exuberance sounds like a bit much, this lands rather neatly between the two.
Buy it: £8.50, Sainsbury’s – Shop
What should you eat with Pecorino?
Pecorino belongs at the dinner table, but what you put alongside it depends on the bottle. Think seafood and fish for lighter styles, with fuller and fruitier Pecorinos able to take on richer dishes.
And despite the shared name, Pecorino cheese isn’t necessarily its perfect partner.
For more pairing ideas, head to our Pecorino Wine Guide.