Riunite is produced in Italy's Emilia Romagna region, where a great portion of Lambrusco is made. The wine is imported in the US by Frederick Wildman and Sons of New York City. Alcohol is quite restrained, at a mere 8% abv, and the Sweet-O-Meter on the back label shows sweetness in the "high" range. It sells in most supermarkets for less than $10.
This wine pours up delightfully frizzante. It has a deep purple color, and even the bubbles are purple. The nose is earthy and grapey. It's simple, but very pleasant. There are more complex Lambruscos, but finding a less expensive one will probably prove difficult.
As it happened, my wife went shopping at Eataly while I was occupied, which meant I would miss out on one of my favorite shopping excursions, Italian wine. I asked her to pick up a couple of bottles for me. She asked, "What would you like?" I told her to go with her feelings. She didn't pick up any wine from Abruzzo, but that's okay since I was tasting plenty of it at Jeremy's event. One of the wines she selected was from Sicily.
The Benanti family pioneered Etna wine and today they make what respected reviewers call some of the best wines in Italy. They champion indigenous grapes like Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Carricante, and farm them under organic practices.
The 2022 Benanti Etna Rosato was made from 100% Nerello Mascalese red grapes which were grown on the southeastern slope of the Mt. Etna volcano. After a cold maceration and a soft pressing, they were vinified in stainless steel tanks, then left to sit on their lees with no skin contact. Alcohol rests at 12.5% abv and the bottle cost $27 at Eataly in Los Angeles.
This wine has a dusty rose color, darker than pink but lighter than red. The nose was a surprise, and not a particularly good one. There was hardly any fruit to speak of at all. The dominant aroma was a funky, barnyard sort of smell. On the palate there were flavors of cherry and Meyer lemon, with a savory overlay and a ton of salinity. If you can get past the first whiff, the taste is a treat. Mine paired very well with a spicy soppressata, some cheese, and an onion focaccia bread.
The 2022 Castello del Trebbio Chianti Superiore was made from organic grapes, 85% Sangiovese and 15% Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo grapes. The wine was vinified in stainless steel tanks, aged for six months in big oak barrels, then another six months in stainless steel. Alcohol sits at 13% abv and it retails for around $20.
This wine has a medium red color in the glass. Its nose is lovely, with purple flowers jumping out first, followed by cherries and red licorice whips. Cherry flavor dominates the palate, with a hint of oak spice. The oak is handled very lightly. The tannins are smooth and the acidity is refreshing. It is really a nice wine to sip, but pairing it with an Italian sub is working just fine, too.
Her 2022 Ansonaco Toscana IGT is made completely from golden, Demeter certified organic Ansonica grapes. Ansonica is primarily grown in western Sicily, but the white fruit has found a home in Tuscany, too. Vinification takes place in giant terracotta amphorae, clay vats that are as tall as Elena. Six months aging takes place in the amphora, with another for months in the bottle. Alcohol is a comfortable 13% abv and the wine sells for about $32.
This wine is striking to look at. The color is a strident yellow, almost the shade of an amber ale. The nose brings a huge note of dried apricots, almost a sugary sense. There is also a nuttiness to the sniff. On the palate, a mix of apricot and Meyer lemon present one of the more unusual flavor profiles I've had recently in a wine. Salinity is high, acidity is fresh, but not sharp. It is quite an exceptional wine, if maybe just not for everyone. At the very least, it's an opportunity to mark the Ansonica grape on your Century Club list.
Lazio is home not only to Rome, but to Casale del Giglio. Vintner Antonio Santarelli and Winemaker Paolo Tiefenthaler got 14 awards recently for their concoctions. They dedicated those awards to the Italian region they call home, Lazio.
The Cesanese grape ripens late and is usually not harvested until October. Alcohol sits at 13.5% abv. I purchased their 2022 Cesanese Rosso for $23 at Eataly in Los Angeles.
This wine is very dark. It looks that way and it smells that way, too. The nose offers a funky, earthy, dare I say barnyard-y package of aromas. The fruit that is there, the blackberry, currant, and black plum, is muted and dwarfed by the savory smells. Tar, creosote, forest floor, and cigars are the main event. The palate bears much more fruit. Flavors of dark berry, black currant, plum, black cherry, elderberry and black Mission fig all vie for attention. The mouthfeel is fairly elegant, which is surprising after the brute force of the nose. Fine tannins and a gentle acidity will make a nice pairing with meatballs in a Bolognese sauce or sautéed mushrooms.
The 2022 Cantina Terlano Tradition Pinot Bianco is a full varietal wine, 100% Pinot Bianco grapes grown in the Alto Adige region in Italy's northern area, near the Alps. It was aged on its lees in steel tanks for six or seven months. Alcohol is a modest 13.5% abv and it sells for around $20. Mine was provided by a publicist.
This wine has a pale yellow color with a greenish tint. The nose is amazing, full of minerality and salinity, with citrus, apple, and pear notes. The palate is loaded with minerals, too, and that beautiful, salty flavor. The acidity is invigorating, and the finish is lengthy. The winery suggests pairing with a wide variety of foods, including seafood, scampi, salads, even spaghetti carbonara. I had mine with a chicken salad sandwich, and again with some Rancho Gordo beans and rice. It was a great fit both ways.
The 2022 Rocca della Macìe Famiglia Zingarelli Chianti Classico DOCG is made from 95% Sangiovese grapes and 5% Merlot. After the wine completes malolactic fermentation, it ages in Slovenian and French oak barrels for six to ten months, then another month in the bottle. It is kosher for Passover, carries alcohol at 14.5% abv and sells for around $25.
This wine is medium dark garnet in the glass. The nose has a good supply of cherry and raspberry notes, dusted up with earth, tar and anise. The palate has a bit of licorice on it, but mainly serves as a showcase for the red fruit. There are some spicy elements, too. White pepper, nutmeg, and a very light clove sense brighten up the fruit. Tannic structure is firm and acidity refreshing. I had mine with a slow cooker red wine short rib dish, and the pairing was sublime.
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.
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.
The 2020 Cardedu Caladu Cannonau di Sardegna is made from 100% Cannonau grapes, spelled with one n on the front label. Cannonau is Sardegna's version of the Spanish Garnacha grape, and the most widely-planted grape on the island. Caladu is the Sardinian word for sunset.
Caladu was fermented in cement tanks, then aged three years in cement. Alcohol checks in at 13.5% abv and I paid $23 for it at Eataly.
This wine is inky dark. The nose has very dark fruit notes, but it is primarily savory. Aromas of tobacco, tar, smoke, and earth dominate, in a bold show. The palate has more fruit coming forward, but it still has to fight for attention with the savory flavors. I paired the Cannonau with a variety of cheeses to good effect, but it went quite well with sauteed mushrooms.
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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The 2023 Bisci Verdicchio di Matelica was vinified in cement tanks and aged there briefly, too. Winemaker Aroldo Bellelli oversees the process. The wine has alcohol at 13% abv and I paid $22 for it at Eataly, a price I consider to be a bargain.
This wine has a beautiful golden yellow color in the glass. Aromas of apple, citrus, and a good bit of salinity are on the nose. The palate shows apple, apricot, lemon peel, and that wonderful saline quality. The acidity is fresh, but not ripping. The finish leaves a savory fruit flavor behind. Pair it with chicken dishes, cacio e pepe, or risotto.
This wine pours up dark purple, with a matching head about one finger tall. It's a pretty pour. The nose is more complex than your garden variety grocery store Lambrusco. There is a ton of fruit showing, like cherry and strawberry flavors a la Jolly Rancher. The palate has darker fruit, black plum, currant and licorice. It’s fizzy for just awhile, so get your bubble thing on in a hurry.
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This wine is dark red in the glass, almost indigo. On the nose, the savory notes jump out first. Tar, spice, cedar and cigars combine for a superior olfactory presentation. The palate brings black fruit and savory notes together, as plum and blackberry meld with earth, leather and tobacco for a formidable display. The tannins are medium firm, which is great for sipping and functional for pairing with a pan fried pork chop.
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.
