Posts Tagged ‘Tuscany’
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 18th and 19th 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. Read the rest of this entry »
Varietal: Chianti/Sangiovese
Region: Italy
Cost: $29
Ruby red in color with aromas of red berries. Smooth on the palate with a medium body, and great tannins on the end. Flavors of cherry and a bit of spice.
Recommendations: My wife, parents, and some extended family went to lunch in San Francisco at Tony’s Pizzeria Napoletana, and it soon fell to me to select wine for our meal. Wanting something a bit more dry to pair with the brick oven pizza, I quickly moved to the Sangiovese section of the wine menu.
I was a bit hesitant about selecting a wine from a TV show, but given that it’s an estate wine from Tuscany, I was hopeful that it would deliver. It did.
At $29 in the restaurant (about $15 in stores), it’s a great value for a chianti, especially one that will pair so well with pasta or pizza. Nice ruby coloring with aromas of red berries and flavors of cherry and spice with a great tannic finish make this a great wine to keep on hand.
If you’ve seen this and have been hesitant about picking it up because of the Iron Chef affiliation, go ahead and grab it. It’s worth it.
Varietal: Chianti
Region: Tuscany – Italy
Cost: $9.99 – $12.99
Slightly fruity nose that has leads into spicy notes the more you inhale. This ruby red medium-bodied wine has a slightly fruity taste with just the right amount of tannins on the back end to fit perfectly with a traditional Italian dinner, but not so much as to make it hard to drink by itself.
Recommendation: If you’re not a big Chianti drinker and want to get into it, this is a good one to start with. Nice and smooth with a slightly more subtle finish than some other Chiantis, this will go great with pasta, steak, lamb, and pretty much anything that’s juicy or saucy. However, thanks to the smoother finish, this is also a great wine to enjoy by itself, something I find very appealing about the Ruffino. While it’s not my favorite Chianti (Gabbiano and Bell’agio hold my heart), it’s really hard to pass on for the price if you’re looking for something to mix in with your red sauce and then enjoy with a pasta dinner. Don’t pay more than $9.99 for this, but worth it at that price.
