With a casual glance at the symbol on the front of the Enrico Serafino label, and you might think you're looking at a drawing of a grape cluster. Look more closely and apply some imagination; now you may see that this is the cross-section of a conch shell, symbolizing the Piedmontese soils that were once under the sea.
Read MoreBarbaresco tends to be a wine that needs time before it can be enjoyed, but the idea behind all of the Reversanti wines is to make them immediately enjoyable upon release. I wrote this tasting note before I looked into the winery, so I can honestly say that they have succeeded in that mission with this wine!
Read MoreEnrico Serafino is a well-established house in Piemonte’s Roero. In fact, it is the oldest continually operating winery there. That’s not for nothing.
Read MoreOn the first night, I was surprised to find that this was an unremarkable set of wines. The next night, however, the wines began to expand in the glass and show more verve. If you can’t bear to wait, give them an aggressive splash decanting a few hours before serving them. In their current state, these Piedmont bottlings are definitely wines for a table laden with hearty fare.
Read MoreThe family-run Michele Chiarlo has been harvesting native Piemontese grape varieties for over sixty years. Today, Stefano and Alberto, the sons of Michele, run the winery. I taste the Chiarlo wines from time to time, admittedly mostly at industry tastings. So, I appreciated this opportunity to “work through” a bottle of the family’s Barbera over a leisurely dinner.
Read MoreWhoa! This youthful Nebbiolo packs a powerful punch. It is as vibrantly driven with red currant and dried red cranberry fruit as much as it is by punchy tannins and invigorating acidity. Its perfume is heady with dried rose petals and anise.
Read MoreRoero Arneis can be all up-front aroma with no follow-through on the palate. This one is distinctively different. That isn’t only because Vietti was the first to bottle this long-lost variety as a varietal wine all the way back in 1967. (Yep, old vines help give depth of flavor.)
Read MoreCoppo 2010 Barbera d’Asti Pomorosso: This is swank wine. It is sweet with unabashedly youthful fruit highlighted by savory touches of enticing development, like fallen autumn leaves and damp clay. This wine dances on the edges of palate happiness.
Read MoreWhen I was offered the opportunity to taste the latest releases from Boroli, I jumped. I loved the recent story of the winery discovering a long-lost cru, La Brunella, in Piedmont’s Castiglione Falletto. While you’re waiting to get your hands on some La Brunella, check out these gems to reassure yourself it’s worth the wait!
Read MoreWe’d chosen big-flavored dishes, and I figured we either could match their rusticity or contrast it with a fruit-driven wine. A few Puglians and a Vino Nobile di Montepulciano met the first consideration while a Dolcetto matched the second.
Read MoreMarchesi di Gresy 2014 Nebbiolo Langhe Martinenga: This may well have been my favorite of this tasting of Marchesi di Gresy. It is perfumed and accessible, showing all the intrigue and joy Nebbiolo can bring. This wine smells of rose petals, dried strawberries, tobacco leaf and beef jerky spices - just as Nebbiolo should by its textbook description.
Read MoreFrom where did Nascetta originally come? Nascetta is the only white vine native to Langhe. Arneis is indigenous to Roero and Cortese comes from Alessandria.
Read MoreIt’s the home stretch; it’s the last leg of the marathon. A week of merriment…and still more preparation. It’s a never-ending circle, this holiday process! Remember, there’s always a bottom to the bottle, so don’t be caught short on stock.
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