The Good Wine Guru » Italian Wine

Bolla Soave Classico DOC 2010

George — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 14:00:42 +0000

Varietal: 90% Garganega; 10% Trebbiano di Soave
Region: Soave – Italy
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale straw in color with aromas of flowers and pear. Medium-bodied, harmonious, and balanced with hints of lemon and acacia honey. Pair with antipasto, risottos, seafood, and pizza.

My Review: Having already tried the first Soave that was sent to me, I didn’t want to wait too long before trying the other so that I could see the difference in them, so when my wife and I recently put together a dinner of calamari and sauteed shrimp, opening up the bottle sounded like a good idea.

Middle of the road is probably the best way to describe this wine. There aren’t a lot of aromas, though some floral notes came through. In the mouth it’s not particularly full bodied, but neither is it particularly big on the acid and citrus, though it was good and crisp. If I was making a wine for somebody that wanted something less rounded than a Chardonnay but wanted less citrus than a Sauvignon Blanc, this is probably the wine I would make.

The wine paired well enough with the food, but it didn’t exactly enhance, nor was enhanced, by the food. As a crisp white wine to sip on while sitting on a deck in warm weather when you’re looking for something refreshing that you don’t have to think too much about you’ll do well with this wine.

Compared to the 2009 Fattori Soave Classico DOC “Runcaris” I enjoyed this one better. That being said, it didn’t blow me away, though I would give it another look in the summer when I’m out on the deck with a book.

Vivi Falanghina 2009

George — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 17:36:49 +0000

Varietal: 100% Falanghina
Region: Italy
Cost: $10

Winemaker’s Notes: Pale yellow color with a greenish shimmer. Aromas and flavors of tiny white flowers, fruit, “limongella” apple, tropical lime, and a clean balanced taste and finish. Pairs well with seafood, chicken, or creamy pasta dishes.

My Review: I will admit that before this bottle showed up, I was completely unfamiliar with the Falanghina grape. I had never heard of it, never seen it on a shelf, and actually had to check the tasting sheet included with the wine to make sure that Falanghina was the grape and not some branding on the wine.

The wine definitely has a greenish hue to it when held up to the light, but otherwise is a very pale yellow in color. There’s a lot of citrus both on the nose and in the mouth, and while I got lime, it was otherwise a fairly nondescript “citrus” flavor in the mouth, with no one flavor really jumping out to me. Paired with a dinner of pesto tilapia it complimented the dish and I could see pairing it with a cream dish like pasta with alfredo sauce.

Much like the 2009 Vivi Primitivo, my overall impression of this wine was just…meh. It’s certainly not bad, but it also doesn’t really impress me either. The citrus in the mouth was nice, but not being able to distinguish any other flavor than lime was a bit off-putting to me. Like the Primitivo, I’m not saying avoid at all costs, but only that I don’t know that I’d buy it and take it to a dinner party. If you do want to pick up a bottle to give a try to, if for no other reason than to try a new grape, you can find it by following this link.

Vivi Primitivo 2009

George — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 17:00:40 +0000

Varietal: 100% Primitivo
Region: Italy – Manduria
Cost: $10 (SRP)

Winemaker’s Notes: Red in color with aromas of cherry, strawberry and spices. Fresh and balanced on the palate with evenly distributed minerals and fine tannins, with notes of fruit and cinnamon in the finish. Pairs well with cheese, tomato-based pasta dishes, BBQ, and spicy entrees such as chili.

My Review: I’ve only had Primitivo a few times, so when I received this sample I was very interested to try it, especially given as how my wife and I usually look towards tomato-based pasta dishes when we’re looking for a quick and easy dinner. Last night was no exception to that, so this bottle got opened.

In the glass the wine was a nice red color, and I definitely got aromas of cherry and strawberry, both of which carried through to the palate along with a jammyness that I typically associate with Zinfandel. I bring up Zinfandel because Primitivo is a relative of Zinfandel and is often referred to as Italy’s Zinfandel.

Taking a hint from the tasting notes, my wife and I made a dinner of baked penne pasta in a tomato sauce with some meatballs and topped with some mozzarella cheese. The flavors of the wine paired well with the dish, but if I had one complaint about the wine is that I was hoping for some more body or oomph out of it.

A bit later as the bottle opened up I got some more boldness out of it, along with a musty/footy note that I didn’t find unappealing, but overall while I didn’t dislike the wine, it just didn’t blow me away. Would I drink it again? Sure. Would I choose it over something new? Probably not. I’m not going to say avoid this wine, but if you’re looking for something a bit bigger to pair with a meal, you might want to look at something else. If you do want to try the 2009 Vivi Primitivo (and I’d love to hear your opinion on it if you do…maybe I was just being picky), and you can’t find it at your local store, you can follow this link to have some shipped to your home or office.

Planeta Burdese 2005

George — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 16:00:01 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (70% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Cabernet Franc)
Region: Sicily
Cost: $43

Dark red color with aromas of wild berry, black cherry, leather, earth, and mineral. Palate carries over the flavors with the addition of spice and balsamic notes. Pairs well with meaty pasta, meats, and some cheeses.

Recommendations: This bottle was given as a gift to me, and I have to say it was pretty enjoyable. I had been holding off on opening it until I could pair it with something Italian in nature, and I finally got around to it last Friday. My wife decided to make these lasagna rolls that are stuffed with Italian sausage and ricotta cheese, then topped with red sauce and mozzarella and thrown in the oven to bake. Very tasty.

As for the wine itself, the dark color was appealing in the glass, and the aromas of berry and black cherry with a hint of earth were enticing. On the palate, I continued to get black cherry, and a bit of the spice did come through at the finish for me. Nice tannins on the finish made it a great pairing with the lasagna rolls.

My only complaint with this wine is the price. I really hope the friend that gave it to me didn’t actually pay $43 for it, because while the wine was good, it wasn’t that good. Would I recommend picking this up at around $20-$30 a bottle? Absolutely. But would I say pay any more than that? Nope. It was a good wine, but you can find other wines with similar flavor profiles for much less than $40. Good, but not worth the suggested prices I found online.

Conte Fini Pinot Grigio Valdadige 2009

George — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:00:10 +0000

Varietal: Pinot Grigio
Region: Italy
Cost: $12

Pale straw color with aromas of pear and citrus that carry through to the palate with the addition of apple. Pairs well with seafood, appetizers, and cream-based pasta dishes.

Recommendations: Last night my wife and I decided we wanted some white wine to go with a dinner of mostly finger foods. Unfortunately we didn’t have any in the house (I realize this is becoming a trend). Running down to the store, we picked up a 6-pack of pumpkin beer for my wife, and a bottle of the 2009 Conte Fini Pinot Grigio for dinner.

We realized as we were buying the wine that it had been a really long time since we had bought or drank Pinot Grigio, partly because of typically drinking Sauvignon Blanc where we would normally choose Pinot Grigio. It was time to branch out.

The wine was nice and light, with aromas of pear and apple. In the mouth I got primarily apple, with a hint of pear on the finish. Paired with a dinner of bacon wrapped scallops and some crab puffs, it was light enough to not overwhelm the fish, and the acid did a nice job of cutting through the fat of the scallops.

While it’s certainly been a while since I’ve had any Pinot Grigio, last night reminded me of why I used to keep a couple of bottles of it on hand. The Conte Fini was a nice wine that I can definitely see myself picking up again for exactly this reason. One worth checking out if you’re like me and haven’t had Pinot Grigio in a while, or even if you have it almost every day.

Ruffino Chianti 2008

George — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:00:05 +0000

Varietal: Chianti
Region: Italy
Cost: $9

Ruby red in color with aromas of spice, cherry, and hazelnut. Flavors of fruit and berry in a medium-bodied wine. Pairs well with pasta, pizza, and most traditional Italian dishes.

Recommendations: I picked up this bottle last night after a long day of work. I’d had other Ruffino wines before and enjoyed them and was just in the mood for Chianti and thought this would be a safe bet. I should have grabbed another one. While the color and the aromas of the wine were nice – ruby red and cherry – I felt the wine was lighter than I was expecting in the mouth. The flavors were all there, berry, some cherry, and a noticeable tannic finish, but while Ruffino claims it’s medium-bodied, I felt it leaned more towards the lighter side.

While this bottle hasn’t turned me off of Ruffino wines, I definitely won’t be getting this one again, especially as there are other Chiantis out there for about the same price that have delivered for me in the past. Kinda disappointing.

Avignonesi Rosso Toscana 2007

George — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 16:00:21 +0000

Varietal: Blended Red Wine (40% Prugnolo Gentile; 30% Cabernet Sauvignon; 30% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $21

Deep ruby red color with aromas of spring flowers, red fruits, minerals, and subtle earth tones. Fruit flavors are continued on the palate. Pairs well with lentil soup, minestrone soup, rotisserie chickens, or a bread and cheese platter.

Recommendations: This past weekend I was in Charleston, South Carolina visiting my brother-in-law and his wife and I took this bottle with me to share with family – something about Italian wine has always beckoned me to share it with others. While in the space between preparing dinner (hamburgers on the grill) and actually eating dinner, we opened up the bottle to help us relax after a long day.

I was instantly impressed by the color, being a sucker for dark red wines. Aromas of mineral and earth were very noticeable to me, with hints of fruit on the nose as well. The fruit on the palate was subtle, but I did a nice earthiness at the finish that I found very enjoyable. While we didn’t pair this with any actual food, I could definitely see pairing this with a range of foods, from a nice minestone soup to a more robust meal of either pasta or grilled meats.

When asked my opinion on it by the others drinking the wine, I simply said that it was Italian. It’s hard for me to really put into words what that really means, but the second I sipped the wine, I instantly got the image of sitting in Tuscany, sipping wine and munching on fresh baked pizza from a stone oven. My father-in-laws reaction to the wine was more along the lines of “mmm…I like it!” I like to think he means the same thing I do.

Special thanks to the International Wine of the Month Club for supplying the wine for this review.

A Wine Journey from Florence to Sienna

George — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 16:00:09 +0000

So September is the grape harvest in Chianti, and in time for that I was sent this lovely email detailing a great path to follow from Florence to Sienna to really take advantage of all of the festivals going on in the Tuscan region. While I won’t be able to fly out there and take experience this myself, I thought I would share it with my readers and if any of you do take the trip, I’d love to hear about it.

Here’s the email that was sent to me:

The Chianti area has been one of the most important wine producing regions in Italy for over two centuries. It was the family of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Lopold I that began cultivating grapes during the 18^th and 19^th centuries in the region that would become modern Chianti.

The Chiantigiana (SR 222) is one of the most scenic and charming motoring routes in Italy, running directly south from Florence to Sienna cutting through the heart of the Chianti Classico wine zone. The road sweeps around rolling Tuscan hills and past thousands of hectares of vineyards, all producing outstanding Chianti Classico DOCG (the highest classification of Chianti).

The best time of year to visit Tuscany (Toscana) is at harvest time in September, or just before harvest to see the vines bowing heavily with ripening Sangiovese grapes. During September most towns in Chianti celebrate the Sangiovese harvest with wine festivals such as the Vino al Vino held on the third week in September (17-19) in the small town of Panzano in Chianti, where many local wines can be sampled by the glass.

For a truly inspiring tour along Chiantigiana road, make time to visit some of the ancient towns of Chianti and surrounding vineyards. Most vineyards are open to the public, but it’s worth checking before you visit.

Greve in Chianti

Greve is a principle market town 31km south of Florence (Firenze). During the second week of September, the Rassegna del Chianti Classico festival takes place in Greve.

Feste dell’uva
This is a wonderful festival held in the pretty village of Vagliagli. There will be a parade and dancing, lots to eat and drink

The Chianti Classico wine festival is also recommended and takes place between the 10 – 12 September.

Radda

Radda in Chianti is principle market town in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 35 km southeast of Florence and about 15 km north of Siena.

Gaiole

Gaiole in Chianti is principle market town in the Province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany, located about 40 km southeast of Florence and about 15 km northeast of Siena. Forbes magazine named it number one in its list of “Europe’s Most Idyllic Places To Live.”

Whilst here, visit the Brolio winery. You can book wine tastings for small or large groups at the Brolio wine shop and learn about the Chianti Classico area through its most representative wines.

Panzano

A small town with Etruscan origins, Panzano is situated on the Chiantigiana road between Castellina and Greve. The piazza is charming and a perfect place to sip a Prosseco.

The Vino al Vino wine festival takes place between the 17 – 19 September and there are a couple of winereies well worth a visit including Le Fonti and Fattoria Montagliari. The later has a fantastic restaurant with genuine Tuscan cooking and breath-taking views over the Greve valley.

Castellina

Castellina plays host to The Grape and Wine Festival during the third week of September. A visit to the Villa Trasqua winery can be arranged wth a guided cellar tour and tasting session for 20 euros

Tuscan Villas in Chianti wine region

To make the most of the region’s excellent wine and local ingredients, it is recommend that you hire a villa. You have the freedom to cook up tasty Italian treats and relax on a veranda sipping local wine admitting the Tuscan countryside.

Villa Bernardi in Panzano in Chianti is a beautiful and spacious Tuscan farmhouse property situated on a hillside outside of the village of Panzano. The property dates back to the 11th Century and has been restored carefully to retain its original features and character. Laid out over 4 levels, this property is ideal for family groups with plenty of space to gather. The saltwater swimming pool is reached by a stone path across the lawn and enjoys views across the Chianti countryside. Sleeps up to 10 people and costs from £6552 per week

Or if there is just two of you, then the Panorama at Cornino in Castellina in Chianti is ideal. A spacious villa in the Hamlet of Cornino overlooking the Chianti hills, Panorama provides a peaceful retreat close to the town of Castellina. This beautifully restored property is surrounded by olive groves and unforgettable views. The property sleeps 3 people and costs from £546 per week.

To Tuscany has a wide choice of villas in Italy to choose from throughout the Tuscan wine regions. Visit www.to-tuscany.com to see a selection of properties and check availability.

Codirosso Chianti 2008

George — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 17:00:30 +0000

Varietal: Chianti
Region: Italy
Cost: $8

Medium dark color with notes of cherry on the nose with berry on the palate. Soft tannins pair well with pastas and meats.

Recommendations: Given as how Chianti is my first love of red wine, I was excited to open up this bottle, and finally got the opportunity this past weekend. Paired with a meal of Giada’s Lasagna Rolls (which my wife adds sausage to and I recommend anybody making this meal do as well), the cherry, berry, and slight earthiness of the wine came out great.

Unlike several Chiantis I’ve had in the past, this one was really easy on the tannins which made it really enjoyable even after the meal was finished. While this certainly isn’t a life-altering Chianti, at $8 it’s easily one of the best values I’ve come across in quite a while, and definitely worth giving a try if you’re looking for a good red table wine to keep around the house.

Special thanks to Wine & Beer Westpark for supplying the wine for this review.

Santa Cristina Sangiovese 2007

George — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:00:13 +0000

Varietal: Sangiovese (90% Sangiovese; 10% Merlot)
Region: Italy
Cost: $14

Ruby red with hints of purple color featuring aromas of ripe fruit with floral hints. Fruit on the palate with soft tannins on the finish. Pairs well with meat, roast beef, white meat, or medium-aged cheeses.

Recommendations: If you haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a fan of Sangiovese. While restocking my wine cellar, I picked up this wine with the pizza in my freezer in mind. Paired with a dinner of pepperoni pizza, the tannins managed to come out more than the alcohol (13%), though once the meal was gone that was less the case.

While I did get an initial aroma of ripe fruit on the nose, it was quickly overwhelmed by alcohol aromas, as were the fruit flavors in the mouth. While it doesn’t have the highest alcohol content of some wines I’ve had recently, it felt like it had more.

While I liked this better than the Il Valore Sangiovese that I had last week, I didn’t like it as much as the Di Majo Norante Sangiovese. A respectable wine that definitely needs a food pairing to be enjoyed.