We’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 MoreI love both Montepulciano Rosso and Cerasuolo style wines. I’ve said many times that both the variety and the style (and this goes for the Cerasuolo style’s Sicilian cousin, too) remind me of the beaming sunshine of southern Italy. Both the beauty of the places and the juiciness of the wines can only but make you smile.
Read MoreGarofoli 2012 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Podium: Though three years old, this Verdicchio has an impressively pale straw color. Mostly matured beyond primary fruits, smoky minerality, wet slate, damp wood and fresh mushrooms accent its light grapiness. The lingering finish and tight structure suggest this will keep improving through 2017.
Read MoreI was craving Pinot Noir, but the price points weren’t to my value-oriented mood. As I finished that importer tasting with Italian wines, Cerasuolo – a blend of Nero d’Avola and Frappato grapes – popped into my mind.
Read MoreThis varietal Muscat, locally called Zibibbo, starts with serious aromatic pop. It’s plump with lime zest, pink grapefruit, white peppercorn and Mediterranean scrub-baking-under-a-hot-summer-sun. The palate is crisp, dry and light. The combination is so drinkable that you just might think the liquid is evaporating from your glass.
Read MoreBriefly, for the uninitiated: “orange” wines are made from white grape varieties. Rather than discard the skins once the juice is pressed from the grapes, the skins and juice remain together during the fermentation and aging processes. This contributes the orange color to the wines, along with tannins and denser texture, the latter two characteristics more akin to red rather than white wine.
Read MoreGermany is Kerner’s homeland, but in New York, we mostly see those that hail from Italy’s Alto Adige. They are often from Valle Isarco, a Kerner hotbed.
Read MoreMenu in hand, we quickly decided to order a white then open one of our reds. Then, diving deeper into the list a few more minutes, we abandoned the BYO idea. I hovered over the Italian whites not only because the cuisine was Italian but also because the options were equally delicious and cool. There was a Vitovska, a Greco di Tufo and a Garganega, but this Kerner called to me.
Read MoreMy parents and I sat down for lunch with one of my best pals. Just days away from Christmas, we three ladies were feeling festive, so nothing but bubbly could do. (Dad enjoyed his usual iced tea.)
Read MoreAlways hunting for new, southern Italian wines hailing from regions other than Campania, Abruzzo, Puglia and the islands, I bought Terre di Balbia’s 2006 SerraMonte Rosso because it’s fifty percent Magliocco. All I knew of this grape was that it usually plays a supporting, not a lead, role, and little is planted.
Read MoreMy companion pointed out a Negroamaro aged in Anfora under the first, “light in color” category. How impossible could that be? A grape named “black bitter” that makes a wine light in color? Well, it can be done, and this unusual example is done very well.
Read MoreI had chosen the Roasted Squid with Charred Scallions and a Radicchio, Endive and Lettuce Salad with Valdeon and Fried Pistachio Nuts. These may sound like white wine dishes, but the savoriness from the roasting process and the rich blue cheese made a red wine pairing possible.
Read MoreHere’s a quick decoder to some of the most sought-after Super Tuscans, along with their second and, sometimes, third and even fourth wines. Percentages are approximate and subject to change depending on the vintage and the winemaker’s and owner’s whims.
Read MoreAs the translator, Elaine Trigiani describes, with regard to a true love or a perfectly harmonious wine, “It’s nearly impossible to describe or explain, but you now it when you’re in it.” This is a great encapsulation of Salvo Foti’s thinking and writing.
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 MoreThis past week, a bus filled with 20 Masters of Wine traveled 2,000 kilometers around Sicily. It was a phenomenal trip; I wish we were still there. Alas, we did leave, but not before saying grazie. The old guard was literary. They were also quite competitive. You didn’t want to be giving the last thank-you of the trip – so many grazie to top!
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.
Read MoreThis is a week where “home run” and “pinch hitter” wines are both often needed. Mix and match throughout this week’s Advent Calendar suggestions as required!
Read MoreThere are so many wines to open as the next set of holidays approach, and there are so many choices! It’s hard to know where to start, much less select some bottles, especially when Italy is under consideration. However, I taste dozens of Italian wines each month, so here’s my go at it. These suggestions are based on my notes for wines tasted in the last four months (meaning they should generally be in retail stores now), in quasi-Advent Calendar style….
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