Cellar Tastings

Italy, known by the Greeks as “Enotria” (Land of Wine) is home to an astounding 2,000 indigenous grape varietals. The diversity of Italian wine styles and names is mind boggling and fascinating for the wine lover. Perhaps the best-known wine from the Italian Peninsula, to foreigners, is Chianti. Who hasn’t used one of the straw covered flasks as a candleholder during their college years? Luckily, Chianti these days tastes a lot better than the stuff we drank in college, particularly in Chianti Classico. Chianti comes from the greater region of Toscana, or Tuscany, famed for top producers such as Antinori, and wine styles such as Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Verniacca di San Ginignano and “Super Tuscans”.

Franciacorta

This tiny beautiful wine region located just in between Lake Como and Lake Garda, near the town of Brescia. The region is most famous for producing Italy’s most prestigious traditional method sparkling wine. While Venice’s Prosecco is better known abroad, to Italians themselves, Franciacorta is the crème de la crème sparkler. Called “The Champagne of Italy”, this Spumante has in fact beat Champagne wines in blind tastings. Top wineries include Bellavista and Contadi Castaldi (both of which belong to Italy’s famous Moretti family, who also own many Relais Chateaux in Italy and wineries in Tuscany and Sicily), Ca’ del Bosco (a beautiful winery equally famous for its “ambassador”, Maurizio Zanella as its classy wines, including Franciacorta Cuvee Annamaria Clementi) and Cavalleri (a family who have a winmaking history that goes back to the 15th century and who nowadays make excellent sparklers, and still whites and reds, including single vineyard “Terre di Franciacorta”). Grapes generally used in the production of DOCG Franciacorta include: Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero, with smaller amounts of Riesling, merlot and cabernet Sauvignon being used for the still reds and whites.

Italian Islands- Sicily and Sardinia

Wines from Southern Italy have, until recently, held far less prestige than the glamorous wines from the north (Amarone, Brunello and Barolo, for example). Two of the largest islands in the Mediterranean, Sardinia and Sicily both have a wine culture that dates back literally thousands of years. While these beautiful regions have long been the source of bulk wine, they have recently risen to the demands of the international palate and are now being led by a few key wine producers in the objective to make quality wine and raise the profile for their wine regions. In Sardinia, Sella & Mosca are without a doubt the leading producer. The winery dates back 110 years and the winemaker Mario Consorte has become quite famous for his bestselling Vermentino di Sardegna, and top red Alghero Cabernet Marchese. Grapes used in Sardinia’s wine production include Vermentino, Moscato Nasco and Malvasia (whites) and Cannonau, Carignano and Bovale (reds).

Sicily, world famous for its sweet Marsala wines, is now becoming famous for “California style” reds and whites. Planeta, in particular, has gained huge international acclaim. Their chardonnay is considered th ebest in Italy as a whole, and their Santa Cecilia (a blend of the local Nero d’Avola, Cab Sauv and Merlot) has become a cult wine. Other notable producers in Sicily include COS Vittoria (in Ragusa, making an excellent red wine called “Cerasuolo di Vittoria”), cantine Torrevecchia (owned by the Favuzza family, making interesting Syrahs and nero d’Avolas, including “Rosso Casale dei Biscari”), Colosi (a historic winery, making “Malvasia delle Lipari” and a gorgeous “Passito di Pantelleria”, both sweet wines) and Benanti (one of the most famous producers making wine on the slopes of Mount Etna).

Piedmont

This lovely land of castles and vineyards, truffles and chocolate, is also home to one of the most famous wines in the world-Barolo. Barolo, and the equally famous Barbaresco, are both made with the inky Nebbiolo grape, called “Nebbiolo” because of the “nebbie” (mist) ever present in the atmospheric hills. Barolo has been brought to the world stage thanks in large part to the famed winemaker Angelo Gaja (who also makes superb Barbarescos and has new ventures with Super Tuscans in Bolgheri). Other famous wines from the Piedmont region include Asti (Moscato d’Asti, a sweet sparkling wine), Fresia di Chieri (a sparkling red wine made from the light Freisa grape), Barbera (the “new” stylish red wine, most famously made in Asti and Alba), Dolcetto (another great red, much lighter than Nebbiolo, made in the Langhe sub region), and Gavi (classy white wine, made south of the town of Alessandria). Top wine producers in Piedmont include: Bruno Rocca, Bruno Giacosa, Pio Cesrae, Marchese di Barolo, Alassia, Prunotto, and La Scolca. Piedmont is a particularly wonderful place for the wine loving tourist as many cellars are open to the public.

Tuscany

Brunello di Montalcino, Vin Santo, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano all of these mythical wines hail from the same lovely region- Toscana, Tuscany. The principal red grape varietal, responsible for all DOCG reds, is Sangiovese. Sangiovese clones are also used widely. The grape is capable of producing rich red wines with body and depth and is suitable to long oak ageing. Brunello di Montalcino is probably the most sought after example of Sangiovese, with Rosso di montalcino a close second. Top producers of these excellent wines include: Argiano, Barbi, Castello Banfi and Il Poggione. Montepulciano, a superbly preserved medieval village, produces some delicious red wines, the Vino Nobile, and also the famed dessert wine, Vin Santo. Avignonese is the most famous, rare and pricey example of Vin Santo. Boscarelli is another great winery.

Chianti Classico (the best of the Chiantis; the second best regarded sub region of Chianti being Chianti Rufina), is probably the most famous Italian wine there is. While there are some poor producers selling inferior wine with under the Chianti umbrella, there are some truly great Chainti wines. Chianti Classico stretches south from Florence to Siena and is one of the prettiest wine regions in Europe. World class vintages have included 1997 and 1990, with the wines of Badia a Coltibuono (owned by the Stucchi family), Marchesi Antinori (also famous for his Super Tuscans “Tignanello”, “Orenallaia”, “Masseto” and his Cab Sauv dominated “Solaia”) and Castello di Volpaia (a world class winery located in the gorgeous hamlet of Volpaia, making lovely Chiantis and Super Tuscans like “Balifico”), being some of the most prestigious and well-respected.

“Super Tuscans” are wines that have not been allowed to receive DOCG status (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita, the highest appellation in Italy) as they have been made with “non traditional grapes”, namely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Having the DOCG and being able to sell wine at hefty prices have nothing to do with each other as is evident in the prices of the superb “Super Tuscan” wines of Sassicaia and Tignanello. Southern Tuscany, Bolgheri and la Maremma, are the home to these “Super Tuscans”, and where it was once provocative to blend Sangiovese with French varietals, now it seems many producers are doing it with excellent results. Fabulous wineries include: Petra, Massa Vecchia, Erik Banti and Tua Rita.

Veneto

The Veneto, located in the Northeast of Italy with Venice being the most famous city, is home to some great classic wines such as Amarone della Valpolicella (rich red), Prosecco (sparkling “Spumante”), Soave (a light, refereshing white wine made with Garganega) and Recioto (similar to Amarone). Venice’s most famous drink, to be enjoyed at Harry’s Bar (which attracts American actors, European Counts and Dukes and curious tourists), is the Bellini- a gorgeous blend of Peach nectar and Prosecco. Bellinis are commonly served at Italian weddings and as aperitifs in Venetian households. The King of Veneto wines, though, is most certainly the unctuous elixir wine, Amarone della Valpolicella. Amarone is powerful, rich, and can be 15-16% and is served with game, roasts and smelly cheese. Amarone is made by partially drying the grapes ( ablend of Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella), concentrating the sugars like in raisons, and then added the juice from these grapes to the blend. Two of the best producers of Amarone include Allegrini, Zonin, Santi, Zenato and of course, Masi. Other famed wines from the Veneto include Lugana (delicious white with distinct pear flavours), Bardolino (a light red made at the shores of Lake Garda) and the other typical light red wine Valpolicella (made with the same grapes as Amarone).