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Native Italian Varietals
Guided recommendations, pairings, and tasting notes.
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This young, lively Rosè has a surprise for you. It’s a frizzante! Ornella Molon crafts this refreshingly light wine from Cabernet Franc grapes harvested from estate vineyards southeast of Treviso next to the Piave River. After a brief maceration with the grape skins, the wine is cold fermented...
$26.99
Giancarlo and Stefano crafted this classic Pinot Grigio from 100% fruit harvested from their vineyards in the Colli Orientali district, renown for its terroir and producing world-class white wines. This white shows bright, golden yellow hues in the glass and delivers fresh floral aromas with hints of fresh...
$19.99
Valpolicella Classico is born from the careful selection of the classic varietal grapes- Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Croatina, and Molinara cultivated in the historical Valpolicella area. The 5 Ha vineyards lay in the Marano di Valpolicella “Valgatara”, facing the southwest. This is a fresh and brilliant wine. Complex aromas...
$49.99
This legacy wine from the Sobrero Family is named after their original home in the vineyards. “Ciabot” means “small house” in Piedmontese dialect. The “Ciabot” was in the middle of nebbiolo vineyards and it was where they made the tools used in the vineyards. Flavio Sobrero selects the...
The eruption of Mount Vesuvius (Monte Vesuvio) in AD 79 blanketed the region in volcanic ash and rock, and it also created one of the most unique viniculture regions in Italy known today as Campania. We journeyed into the province of Avellino in Campania in April in search of the "Barolo of the South"- Taurasi- crafted from the ancient varietal Aglianico. After landing at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport and pointing our rented cinquecento south on the E45 for two hours, we were navigating the country roads around Avellino and hill towns of Taurasi and Tufo. Vineyards of the ancient varietals Aglianico, Greco, and Falanghina blanket the hills at remarkable elevations—400-500 meters above sea level. The Irpinia district of Avellino...
Great wine! What am I drinking? I often hear this from clients unfamiliar with Italian wines. They closely inspect the labels but see nothing that they recognize as the name of a grape varietal that has crossed their palate before. Traditional California wine labels prominently place the variety, e.g. Zinfandel, in a grand font where your eyes can instantly lock on. Add the winery name, vintage, perhaps the appellation, and you essentially have a complete brand label. As California winemakers have begun to embrace blending, the varietal name has been replaced with a provocative “fanciful name”, and the labels have become less recognizable. So what makes old world wine labels so intimidating for some? Old World (France, Italy) have tightly...
The 2015 harvest has come to an end; and while it is too early to make any judgments about the quality of the vintage, it appears to have been an excellent growing season and harvest. Nearly all districts in Northern Italy reported experiencing a cold, wet winter and moderately wet spring. As I traveled the small country roads in the Barolo and Barbaresco at the end of March, I was drenched in downpours and remarked at the amount of standing water on the saturated soils. The ample moisture prepared the vines well for the relatively high temperatures in June and July. Flavio Sobrero at Azienda Agricola Sobrero Francesco in the Barolo commune of Castiglione Falletto, reports it was an excellent...
I always considered myself a “red” drinker. You know the type. I drank only reds because whites didn’t offer my palate the depth of character, body, and complexity offered by the reds. You may be a member of the same club. I was a member for decades, that is, until I met some old world Italians. The chance meeting happened in the Langhe in 2013. If you are not familiar with the “Langhe”, it is an area in Italy’s Piemonte region, in the province of Cuneo, and considered as the area south and east of the Tanaro River. The area is known for its spectacular beauty, and famous for its cuisine, especially its cheeses, white truffles, and, of course, its...