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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Verdicchio Specialists

The Bisci estate is located on Italy's north side, in Marche, not that far from the Adriatic Sea. The winery has specialized for more than 50 years in the Verdicchio grape. The estate is planted primarily to that grape, with a much smaller amount of vineyard land given over to Sangiovese and Merlot.

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. 

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Couldn't Wait For Spring - Lambrusco Now!

The 2024 Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco di Modena DOC was made with organic Lambrusco Grasparossa grapes from the vineyard in Castelvetro di Modena, in Emilia-Romagna. The wine was produced using only a single fermentation, under pressure. There was very little aging, just a month in the bottle before release. Alcohol is Lambrusco low, at 11% abv, and it cost $18 at Eataly in Los Angeles.

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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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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A Wonderfully Savory Nero D'Avola

Tenuta Regaleali is the Tasca family's flagship estate, located in the green highlands of central Sicily. How high are the highlands? About 1800 feet, I'm told. The estate has been in the family since 1830, when the two Tasca brothers bought it. 2021 is the 66th vintage for the Tasca d'Almerita Regaleali Nero d'Avola.

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. 

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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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A Funky Tuscan Wine

San Polo winery is in Montalcino, a section of the noted Italian wine region of Tuscany. Tuscany is, of course, noted for many other reasons, but here we will just go with the wine reason. 

The 2022 San Polo Rubio Toscana IGT was made from 100% Sangiovese grapes. The juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks, then aged for ten months in steel and four months in the bottle. Alcohol is just under 13.5% abv and it retails for about $20 

This wine is medium-dark garnet. It has a fresh, ripe nose with a hint of funk present. The palate is full of bright, red fruit. Cherry, currant and raspberry flavors dominate, with a brisk mouthfeel of acidity and tannins. A savory side takes its cues from the earthiness found on the nose. Pair it with spaghetti and meatballs. 

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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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Italian Barbera For The Short Ribs

The Castelvero estate in Piedmont was named after a count who lived there once upon a time. The name wasn't hung on the door until 1970, but the recognition was nice. Piemonte is known as the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, even though more Barbera is made there.

The Castelvero Piemonte Barbera 2020 was grown in the Monferrato hills. Alcohol gets up there, to 14% abv, and the price was $10 at my local Whole Foods Market. I bought it use in my slow cooker short ribs meal, but it serves well as a sipper, too. 

This wine colors up a medium-dark cherry red. Cherry and raspberry aromas dominate the nose, with plenty of fruit that outlasts the savory aspect. The palate is also fruity, and the tannins are quite firm. There is a savory streak that runs through the palate, but it is not strong enough to wipe out the fruit. 

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Super Tuscan Earthy Red Blend

The Frescobaldi family has been making wine for more than 900 years in Tuscany. Their wines have graced the tables of kings and their reputation has grown through the centuries. 

The 2020 Castiglioni Toscana IGT contains Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Sangiovese grapes, all harvested from the namesake estate vineyard. The vintage was marked by an early spring, and long summer and timely rains during August. 

The wine spent 12 months in barriques after malolactic fermentation, then another two months in the bottle. Alcohol hits 14% abv and the retail price is $28. 

This wine is medium dark, with a bit of light getting through the glass. The nose presents a savory show of spice and fruit. Blackberry and plum aromas are joined by oak spice, earth and coffee notes. The palate has plenty of that dark fruit, but also plenty of that savory side. Good acidity and firm tannins refresh the mouthfeel. The finish is medium. This is a great wine to pair with pork or roasted chicken, but I think it would also be nice with turkey on the Thanksgiving table. 

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Fizzy Pinot Grigio Rosé From Italy

The Giardino Vivace Pinot Grigio Rosé was made for Trader Joe's by a producer in Veneto, Giardino Wines, in the delle Venezie DOC. Alcohol is low, at 11.5% abv, and so is the price, at just $5. This is a bargain wine I will go back to again. It is great by the pool or on the patio, where its fizzy nature provides refreshment. It is also a good pair with seafood or salad. 

This wine has a medium copper tint. It pours up frizzante in the glass. That's fun. On the nose I find tart apples and pears. The palate, however, presents very ripe red cherries, almost sweet. The wine is dry and the acidity is bracing. For a cheap little Trader Joe's rosé, this is a fairly nice wine. 

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