A Pair From Valpolicella

This year is the 100th anniversary of the Italian winery Pasqua Wines. The business has been family-owned since 1925, for three generations. Just last year Wine Enthusiast named Pasqua the Innovator of the year. 

The 2015 Pasqua Mai Dire Mai Valpolicella Superiore is made from grapes grown in the Monte Vegro vineyard. The blend is 50% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 10% Rondinella, and 10% Oseleta. The grapes are vinified in steel tanks, then aged for a year and a half in French oak. Alcohol sits at a lofty 15% abv while the 2015 vintage sells for about $50.

This wine is a deep ruby red in the glass, with brick tones starting to show around the edge. The nose is powerful and savory, with the dark fruit accompanied by notes of cedar, tobacco, earth, and licorice. The palate is lean, as the fruit lets the stage be stolen by the savory side. The acidity is quite refreshing, and the tannins have a bit of bite left in them. I paired mine with some Italian beans, but it could also serve well with a steak or a plate of meatballs.

The 2017 Famiglia Pasqua Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG is a classic Amarone made from hand picked grapes that undergo a three-month drying process before fermentation. During this time, the grapes lose about a quarter of their weight. (Maybe I should try it.) That helps bring out the velvety tannins and deep sugar concentration. The grapes were then vinified and aged about a year and a half in French oak. Those grape varieties, by the way, are 65% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, and 10% Corvinone. Alcohol is 15% abv in this wine as well. It retails for $60.

This wine is medium dark garnet with some brown starting to show. The nose brings enough savory for everybody. Currant, fig, and blackberry notes are draped in earthy scents like pepper, tobacco, oak spice, coffee, and tarragon. The palate holds a set of firm tannins and a racy acidity. Flavors of dark berries, cherry, and plum define the wine's profile. It will pair well with pork, lamb, or veal.

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Vermentino From Sardinia

Argiolas was the dream of Antonio Argiolas, passed down to his sons Franco and Giuseppe, and today helmed by his grandchildren Valentina, Francesca and Antonio. It's been a family affair for generations, and no doubt will be for generations to come.

The label of the Argiolas Costamolino Vermentino de Sardegna carries the word "Duemilaventuno," which a translator tells me means "two thousand twenty one" in Italian. That's a couple of years off for the vintage, however. It's 2023. I guess in Italy, as everywhere else, labels are expensive to change. 

The wine, made from Vermentino grapes, of course, was aged in the bottle for just a couple of months before release. Alcohol sits at 14% abv and it sold for $20 at Eataly. 

This wine is yellow in the glass, with hints of green showing. The nose displays massive citrus fruit, some apricot and melon aromas, and a big whiff of salinity. The palate has an interesting mix of lemon, peach, and orange peel. There is a savory slant to the flavors, too. The acidity is fresh, stopping just short of bracing. The suggested pairings with seafood and soft cheeses are right on target. It goes well with butter-sauteed spinach, too. 

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Vermentino Goes To The Beach

Like many of the wines sold at Trader Joe's, there is little information available about the 2023 Terre del Casone Vermentino. The label indicates that it was made from grapes grown in coastal Tuscan vineyards. It was bottled by Castellani in Pontedera, near Pisa, and imported in the U.S. by Latitude Wines of Danville, California.

Terre del Casone Vermentino 2023 is a Toscana IGT wine, with alcohol at 12.5% abv and a price tag of only $7 at Trader Joe's. 

This wine is a pale yellow in the glass. Its nose has notes of citrus, peach and pear, but mostly there is a blast of salt sea air in the sniff. There is a very nice salinity on the palate as well, with citrus leading the way as far as flavors go. The acidity is nothing to write home about, but I had mine with some crackers and a homemade raita. It was fine. I would not want to waste crab or lobster on it, though. 

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An Italian Red For Your Valentine

If you are seeking a nice wine for your special one on Valentine's Day, you can hardly go wrong with an Italian wine. My friendly neighborhood publicity person contends that, "Romance is a language best expressed through the senses." The 2022 Varvaglione 12 e Mezzo Primitivo Salento will keep your sense of smell and taste busy, so you can save your vision and touch for the object of your affection.

Salento is an area in southern Puglia. It is the sun-soaked heel of Italy's boot shape. The wine's name, 12 e mezzo, means twelve and a half in Italian, which is the alcohol level found in the bottle. That's lower than most other wines from Apulia. Primitivo is the Italian equivalent of what we call Zinfandel, and it is a 100% varietal wine.

After malolactic fermentation, the wine was aged in American oak barriques for about three months. Alcohol at 12.5% abv means you can have an extra glass without getting too tipsy. The price isn't too high, either, about $20.

This wine is colored medium ruby in the glass. The nose gives bright cherry, red plum, and raspberry aromas, with a hint of chocolate and a faint herbal note. The tannins are medium firm and the acidity is zippy. This will pair nicely with a spaghetti sauce, meaty or marinara, and should go nicely with some of the chocolates from the Valentine box.

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Why I Love To Buy Wine From Eataly - Alois Lageder Schiava

A recent visit to Eataly in Los Angeles resulted in a few great Italian wines following me home. For me, it is about the experience with wine. 

The 2023 Alois Lageder Schiava is made with organic grapes grown in the Alto Adige DOC in northern Italy. The Schiava grape is known in German as Vernatsch, but my bottle was labeled simply as Schiava. The grape is native to Italy and has been important in the red wines of Alto Adige.

These grapes grew from the limestone influenced soil of vineyard sites in Caldaro and Cordaccia. The wine was vinified in steel and concrete over about six months. Alcohol sits comfortably at 11.5% abv and the retail price is around $19.

This wine pours up in a  medium-dark ruby color, with some rosy lavender hints around the rim. The nose hit me as almost unpleasantly funky. And I like funk. There is an extremely earthy quality to the smell, almost burying the dark fruit. The mouthfeel is a bit thin, and the palate shows flavors of plum, black currant and blackberry. Notes of cola become more noticeable on the finish, putting me in mind of a Pinot Noir. It is a clean, fresh sip, with no oak to get in the way. The tannins are tame, so pairing with chicken is probably a better idea than beef. 

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Why I Love To Buy Wine From Eataly - Salchetto Obvius Bianco

The Salchetto winery is in Montepulciano. The appellation is Toscana Bianco IGT. The grapes for the 2022 Salchetto Obvius Unfiltered Bianco were grown organically. The blend is 75% Trebbiano from the Poggio Piglia vineyard and 25% Vermentino grown in partnership with the Greppiano di Lamporecchio winery. Four months of aging took place in 70% Stainless steel and 30% oak. Alcohol sits at a reasonable 13% abv and the retail price, if memory serves, was just under $20 at Eataly in Los Angeles. 

This wine has a beautiful golden hue. Its nose captivates me. Salinity comes first, like a whiff of an ocean breeze. Then comes stone fruit, ripe apricots and peaches. There is a hint of orange peel. The palate is loaded with fruit, a savory saltiness, and a bracing acidity. This is a really well made wine. The finish is clean and lively, with the savory aspects lasting longest. 

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Why I Love To Buy Wine From Eataly - Statti Gaglioppo

The 2022 Statti Gaglioppo is made from 100% Gaglioppo grapes in the Calabria IGT, which stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica. The grapes were vinified with skin contact for seven days, then aged in stainless steel tanks for three months. Alcohol sits low, at 13% abv, and it sells for about $24.

This wine has a medium ruby color to it. The nose is full of black fruit and savory aromas. Plum, blackberry, and currant bring sweetness, which is balanced by notes of earth, tar, and pepper. The palate shows clean, fresh fruit and a brisk acidity with firm tannins. It's a great chance to add the Gaglioppo grape to your century club list. 

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Italian Moscato Sips Very Well

The 2023 Ceretto Vignaioli di Santo Stefano Moscato is from the appellation of Moscato d'Asti DOCG. The 100% Moscato grapes were grown on more than 100 acres of estate vineyards. The average age of the vines there is 30 years. The winery has been making this wine since the late 1970s, and it has been a popular bottling the whole time.  Alcohol is quite low, at 5.5% abv, and the retail price is about $19.

This wine has a pale yellow color. The most noticeable thing about it is the incredibly fragrant nose, full of apricots, peaches and pears. The palate offers those sweet fruits as well, with the addition of a bit of earthiness wrapped around them. The acidity is brisk and the finish is sweet. Pair it with cheese, or just sip it, because it is a very nice sip. 

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Italian Merlot From Volcanic Soil

Famiglia Cotarella is in Lazio, located along the central part of the front of Italy's "boot," overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea. It's where Rome is. The volcanic soils in the region is what attracted the Cotarella family to the place. They figured they could make a good Merlot from grapes grown there. And they did.

The grapes for the 2020 Cotarella Sodale Merlot were crushed on their skins for nearly two weeks. Then they were fermented in stainless steel tanks and aged in oak barrels for ten months. 

This wine is colored dark ruby and shows a ring of deep purple around the edge of the glass. The nose features plenty of ripe, red fruit and a trace of earthy salinity. On the palate, the fruit stands out, while savory oak notes, such as cedar, vanilla and tobacco, drift in towards the end of the sip. The tannins are quite firm and ready to be given a steak on which to work. The finish is lengthy and holds the savory aspect longer than the fruit. 

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Italian Rosso To Cook With, And To Drink

I found myself looking for an Italian red for cooking. This 2019 Piccolo Fiore Terre Siciliane Rosso did the trick. Like Julia Child always said, only use a wine for cooking which you would drink on its own. 

It was fermented in stainless steel, which I love to see in a red wine. The grapes in this wine are Syrah and Nero d'Avola.  The Bronco Wine website shows no mention of oak, but I think there was oak aging. Alcohol is somewhat restrained at 13.5% abv and it sold for $9 at Whole Foods Market.

This wine is medium dark. The nose is savory, full of tar, earth, tobacco, licorice, plums and raspberries. The palate is similarly dark and savory, with sweet tannins and good acidity. I made a pasta sauce with my first pour, then enjoyed the second pour while it cooked. It was delightful. 

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A Gifted Brunello, 2005

The 2005 La Velona Brunello di Montalcino is 100% Sangiovese at 14% abv alcohol content. I don't know how much the bottle originally cost, but it sells now for around $35, according to Wine-Searcher. 

It was a gift from a friend of ours who culled it from her mother's home when mom had to move to a smaller place. It was nice of her to think of her friendly, neighborhood wine writer.

This wine has some years on it, and it shows. In the glass, the ruby core goes to brick red along the edge. The nose has savory notes of forest floor, tea, tar, and thyme. The palate is a bit thin. Tart, red fruit has faded over the nearly two decades since its vintage. There are still spices, and some herbal elements to be enjoyed. The tannins are firm enough for food, yet gentle enough for sipping. 

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Brunello Di Montalcino Is How You Say Sangiovese

Castiglion del Bosco has been the home of Tuscan luxury since the 13th-century. The estate was acquired in 2003 by Massimo Ferragamo. It's in Montalcino, within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Val d'Orcia. The estate went to organic farming in 2016. 

The winery boasts that Cecilia Leoneschi has been their winemaker at since Massimo took over the estate. "Having devoted much of her career to understanding the complexities and nuances of the sangiovese grape," they say, "Cecilia continuously works to hone the vinification and aging techniques" for that variety.

The influences of the sea are felt in this area. Hot, dry summers and constant winds remove moisture. The "galestro" stone in the soil gives the wine its unique aroma, complexity and structure. 

The 2019 vintage featured a dry winter with below-average rainfall, which was then largely restored in the cool and rainy month of May. Summer was in no hurry to arrive, but the July heat eventually came. The rains returned in late August, followed by a cool, breezy September that gave the grapes plenty of time for optimal ripening.

Once vinified, the wine aged for 24 months in French oak, 20% new, then another two years in the bottle. Alcohol resides at 15% abv and the retail price is $65.

This wine has a dark garnet color in the glass, with a bit of brick red around the edge. Dark fruit dominates the nose, with aromas of cherry, black cherry and plum. Notes of tar, anise and sage adorning the fruit. The palate offers a savory mix of minerals, spices and cedar. The acidity is brisk and the tannins are firm. A medium-length finish highlights the savory aspect of the wine. It is a very smooth sip considering the 15% alcohol.  

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Chardonnay From The Heel Of Italy's Boot

The 2023 Varvaglione 12 e Mezzo Chardonnay is a Puglia IGP wine. "12 e mezzo" is Italian for twelve and a half. The name refers to the wine's alcohol content, which is lower than many of its Pugliese counterparts. 

The Chardonnay grapes are organic, grown in the Taranto province of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. The stainless steel production means you get to taste the grapes, not the oak. Alcohol, as mentioned, rests at 12.5% abv and the retail price is $17.

This wine's color is a pale yellow, tinted green. The nose is rather muted, but it displays the best of the unadorned grape, without the oak. Citrus aromas dominate, with a healthy minerality, and a sweet floral note adds complexity. The palate has a lemon flavor with a strong element of salinity. It's a great wine to pair with crab or oysters. The acidity is medium strength and the finish highlights the mineral aspect. 

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A Sicilian Wine For Come Over October

Come Over October is a campaign dreamed up by a wine writer and a couple of publicists. The idea is, share wine with friends and family during the month. It is an admirable aspiration, if a little bit pedantic. Who do they think I'm drinking with during the rest of the year? Total strangers? People I don't like very much? Maybe, but they had better bring their own bottles. 

Seriously, it's a nice promotion to further the conviviality of wine consumption. Hopefully it will move a few more bottles off the shelves. Also hopefully, it will prompt folks to drink wine with people they like. It's much more enjoyable that way.

My friendly neighborhood publicist jumped on the opportunity created by this movement, and sent to me a bottle of a Sicilian wine. It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

The 2020 vintage of Tenuta Regaleali Lamùri Nero d'Avola was produced by Sicily's Tasca family. They have been making it for six decades now, so you can be sure they know what they are doing. 

Tenuta Regaleali is the family's flagship estate, located in the highlands of central Sicily. How high are the highlands? About 1800 feet, I'm told. March of the 2020 vintage was very rainy, which is good since the spring was hot and the summer dry.

The 100% Nero d’Avola grapes were grown on five estate vineyards, fermented in steel tanks and aged half in stainless steel and half in large Slavonian oak barrels for just six months. Alcohol checks in at 13% abv and the wine retails for  $16.

This wine is quite dark in the glass. Its nose is powerful, loaded with dark notes like black cherry, tar, leather, and tobacco. The palate is just as dark, with brambly cherry and plum flavors and a heavy dose of earthy minerality. The finish fades more quickly than I would like, because a savory delight is left behind after the sip. I would have this with a lamb burger or Italian sausage and be very happy with the pairing. 

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Five Prosecco Wines

Prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine produced in a large area spanning nine provinces in the regions of Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Traditionally, Glera is the favored grape for making Prosecco. Why shouldn't it be? It was known as Prosecco until the name was changed in 2009. Glera must make up at least 85% of a Prosecco wine. Other grapes in the remaining 15% include Verdiso, Bianchetta Trevigiana, Perera, Glera Lunga, Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Nero, vinified off the skins.

Consorzio Tutela, the organization that promotes and protects the Prosecco name, explains how the method of vinification differs from other sparkling wines, which are given a secondary fermentation in the bottle through the Champagne method.

"The Martinotti method, invented by Dr. Federico Martinotti at the end of the 19th century, is used to produce spumante and frizzante sparkling wines with distinctive floral and fruity notes through a natural second fermentation process in large sealed tanks (autoclaves)." The Consorzio continues, "Dr. Antonio Carpenè, one of the founding members of the Conegliano School of Wine-making, was the first person to use this method to produce sparkling Prosecco wine with the characteristics that are so well known today. Prior to this, the wines were produced using second fermentation in the bottle."

I was given five different bottles of Prosecco to sample. I'll tackle them one by one. 

Brilla! Prosecco DOC 

The Brilla! website says the bubbly is targeted to "young people, millennials, party addicted." Well, don't I feel old, sitting here at home enjoying it all by myself. Maybe I should call a party addict to roll up on my place for some good ol' fashioned, newfangled cork poppin'. Maybe I'll yell for my wife to come downstairs and join me. The Brilla! Prosecco has restrained alcohol at 11% abv and a retail price of $15.

This wine has a pale yellow color and a slightly frizzante bubble situation. The nose displays citrus, green apple, pear and minerality. The palate has those flavors, along with a very nice acidity. It is an amazing aperitif and perfect for the patio. 

Brilla! Prosecco Rosé 2023

The Brilla! website is given more to style than substance. It is a good looking layout, though. This pink Prosecco is made from a blend of Glera and Pinot Nero which are vinified in steel tanks. Alcohol hits only 11% abv and the retail price is $20. 

This wine has an onion skin tint in the glass and plenty of bubbles, which dissipate quickly. The nose displays apples and strawberries with a hint of citrus. Flavors of red berries dominate the palate, while acidity is quite fresh and the finish is fruity. 

Avissi Prosecco DOC is made from 100% Glera grapes. It is vinified in concrete tanks, in small batches. 11% $13 

This wine has a golden tint in the glass. The nose is dominated by apple and pear, with a nice floral scent. Flavors of fruit lead the way on the palate, as apples, pears and citrus are joined by a light minerality. The bubbles are frothy, but they dissipate quickly. Acidity is bracing and the sip is quite dry. 

Bottega Gold Prosecco DOC 

The bottle is a golden mirror, sure to be a head-turner, but also probably drives the price upward, above most other Prosecco wines. Alcohol sits at 11% abv and the retail price is $29.

This wine pours up bubbly, and the dissipating bubbles leave a straw yellow wine with a greenish tint. The nose is quite savory, yet populated with flowers and fruit. The minerality comes through on the palate, as does the significant acidity. I paired it with my veggie stir fry, and it tasted great. 

Valdo Marca Oro Prosecco Brut Rosé 2023 

The Glera grape meets Pinot Noir in this pink sparkler. The blend is 90% Glera and only 10% Pinot. Alcohol sits at 11% abv and the retail price is $15. 

This wine colors up a light copper pink. The bubbles are festive, but they don't last long. The nose is quite sweet, with a strong floral element first and followed by red fruit and citrus. On the palate there is a racy acidity with a dry mouthfeel. Red berries are featured, and they last into the finish. 

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Tuscan Vermentino That Begs For A Food Pairing

Tenuta Ammiraglia Masso Vivo Toscana Vermentino 2023 is made of grapes grown in the Maremma region, on the Ammiraglia estate, an area known for huge outcroppings of yellow rock. That rocky soil is called masso vivo, or living rock. There is no better place for the name Masso Vivo than on the front label. It is the name of this Tuscan Vermentino. 

The wine was vinified and aged in stainless steel tanks, with aging done on the lees, or spent yeast cells. The 2023 vintage featured a mild winter with lots of rain in December and January and more in the spring, in March and April. Alcohol rests at 12.5% abv and Masso Vivo retails for $22.

This wine is tinted light yellow. The nose is what I really love about Vermentino. It smells of the ocean, with savory streaks of Meyer lemon and a hint of white blossoms. The palate is so full of salinity and minerals that it begs for a food pairing. This is exactly what I want in a white wine. 

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Italian Bubbles From The North

Here is an Italian sparkler which is actual sparkling wine, rather than Prosecco. It is from the Trentino area of Alto Adige, in the Dolomites. All the grapes used are Chardonnay. Only the free run juice is used, with no pressing involved. The wine is vinified in steel tanks, with no oak contact at all. Alcohol hits only 12.5% abv and it retails for around $20. 

This wine has a beautiful, rich salmon pink color. There are bubbles aplenty, which dissipate quickly. The nose features bright strawberry and cherry aromas, along with a nice yeasty element. The palate shows citrus in the form of lemon zest and a light touch of grapefruit. It is as dry as a bone, as the expression goes. Inhaling a bit with the sip nearly takes away the breath. It is an outstanding version of Italian bubbles done in the metodo classico. You may know that as methode champenoise. 

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Super Tuscan Scores In The Glass And On The Stove

Volpolo comes from Tuscany, the Bolgheri DOC, to be more precise. It is Podere Sapaio's second label. The winery was founded in the early 1990s, and the three and a half decades since then have shown the outfit to be quite adept at winemaking.

The 2022 Volpolo di Sapaio Bolgheri DOC is a Super Tuscan blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, 15% Merlot, and 15% Petit Verdot. The juice was fermented in steel tanks, aged in French oak barriques for 14 months, then given a rest in cement tanks before bottling. Alcohol tips 14.5% abv and the retail price is $36.

This wine is very dark in the glass, with almost no light getting through. The nose is full of blackberry, blueberry and plum, with savory notes of anise, black pepper, tobacco, tar and a hint of smoke joining the fruit. The palate has a savory bent as well, with spice and earth mixing in with the dark fruit flavors. The acidity is quite fresh and the tannins have a medium firm grip. I paired mine with slow cooker short ribs, and even used some in the recipe. Delicious. 

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Weird Name, Good Italian Wine

The wine with the unusual name Hey French, You Could Have Made This But You Didn't is an Italian white blend from Verona. The grape varieties are Garganega, Pinot Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc, grown in the Monte Calvarino Vineyard in Soave's eastern edge. Alcohol ticks 13.5% abv and it retails for $45. 

The Pasqua family has been in the wine business in Veneto since 1925. They bill the winery as the House of the Unconventional. The label art is certainly that, a shoutout to the winemakers west of Italy. The blending of five premier vintages (2016-2020) is also a bit off the straight and narrow. So is vinification and aging for six months in oak, then a transfer to steel tanks. It may seem a bit wacko, but it works. 

The wine exhibits a brilliant golden hue. On the nose are aromas of apricot, apples, citrus and a slight pineapple note. The palate is savory, with all the fruit mentioned plus salinity and a nuttiness. The acidity is quite fresh. Pair this one with anything from the sea or a pasta dish in a creamy white sauce. 

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A Savory Sicilian

The Nero d'Avola grape is from Sicily. It is named after a town, Avola, in the southern part of the Italian island. If you like Shiraz wines from Australia, you will probably like Nero d'Avola. The grape produces a full bodied, spicy red wine that pairs well with dishes featuring beef or tomato sauce.

The 2018 Cantine Ermes Epicentro Nero d'Avola Riserva shows how well this grape can age. It spent a year and a half in large oak barrels and another six months in the bottle before being shipped. It has been four years since then, and the additional time shows well in the juice. The alcohol number is 14% abv and the retail figure is $24. 

This wine is a deep purple color, very dark. It offers an extremely savory nose of black fruit and a heavy dose of tar, as well as clove and cardamom. The palate shows many of the same elements. Blackberry, plum and licorice flavors are noticeable, as are cedar, tobacco and cinnamon. The tannins are firm, but not bothersome, and the finish is long and savory. It is a beauty of a wine. 

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