Italy

• Abruzzo
• Alto Adige
• Apulia
• Basilicata
• Calabria
• Campagna
• Emilia-Romagna
• Friuli-Venezia Giulia
• Liguria
• Lombardia
  • Franciacorta
• Marche
• Molise
• Piedmont (Piemonte)
• Sicily
  • Mt. Etna
• Trentino-Alto Adige
• Tuscany
  • Brunello di Montalcino
  • Chianti
• Umbria
• Valle d'Aosta
• Veneto
  • Prosecco
  • Soave
• Sardinia

Having tasted this back in 2010, it was nice to revisit this.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  Lovely nose of cherries, sandalwood, black cherries and tea leaves.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, black cherries, some cherries with underlying forest floor.  Nice finish.  Still on the youthful side but starting to show some maturity.  Complex and deep.  Tightly layered.  This should drink well for another seven to fifteen years.  Very nice with a pasta with tomato vodka sauce.  

This sparkling wine is 100% Chardonnay from northern Italy.  Light golden in color with lots of tiny bubbles.  Clear and bright.  The nose is nice with notes of baked bread, slight lemon curd and spice.  Medium bodied.  Excellent acidity.  On the palate, this is mineral driven with a touch of lemons.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own and will work great with fish.  Roasted trout would be a nice combination.  Drink over the next five to ten years.  

An almost shy wine, this flagship red from Donnafugata does not announce itself with overt fruit. The wine needs some time to coax out the subtle flavors and the tight tannins at the outset tell you to wait a while before it opens up. When it does plum, muted strawberry, pomegranate, baked cherry and rose water dominate the opening. Comprised of Nero d’Avola, Petit Verdot, and Syrah, the tannins and acidity support the judicious use of oak. Aged 14 months in small French oak barrels it then spent 20 months in bottle rest. The result is a lovely wine that will work with a variety of foods.

This is a pleasant white that was consumed over Passover, 2023.  Pale straw in color with green hues, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with pear notes.  Light bodied.  On the palate, pears with an almond note on the finish.  Easy.  Short finish.  This is more the type to sip on the patio on a nice day.  Drink over the next year.  

This is a Kosher for Passover version of this wine.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has dust, cherries, slight plums and spice.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, nice cherry fruit.  Easy drinking.  Moderate finish.  This wine needs food and worked well with Eggplant Parmesan.  Drink over the next three to five years.  

Outside of Italy, Nero d’Avola sees little production elsewhere. But in the hands of the right winemaker, Nero can be a beautifully complex wine, as is the case here. On the nose, it is fruit-forward with notes of rhubarb, pepper, tobacco, and nutmeg, which makes this a sultry wine to indulge in. Lively tannins and supple softness blend together to a harmonious whole. An intense wine that shows a little of its age, it drinks like a beautiful layered wine.

Pale golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has pears with a slight herbal note.  Medium bodied.  Dry.  On the palate, this is refreshing with some depth. Moderate acidity.  The palate has pears, minerals and slight wax.  Moderate finish.  This will work well with lighter foods but a Margherita pizza would work well, too.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This is a Rose wine from Sicily made from Nero Mascalese grapes.  Pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  Fresh nose with cherries, slight cranberries, char and salinity.  Light to medium bodied.  On the palate, this has nice lively acidity.  Cherries, cherry juice and char.  Long finish.  This drinks very easily and it is also quite food friendly.  From Salmon to a Steak, this will pair nicely.  Drink over the next two to three years.  

This is made from 100% Trebbiano de Lugano in Veneto, Italy.  Light straw gold in color, clear and bright.  Lovely nose of honeysuckle and minerality with a bit of sea air.  Light bodied.  On the palate, this has a lot of sprightly energy.  Minerals and slight citrus.  With air, more salinity comes out.  This will work well with lighter foods.  It worked with fried Tofu, but sea food would be a good choice.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This is Carricante from Sicily but made by California winery owner Kevin Harvery (Rhys).  Light golden in color, some darker gold swirls, clear and bright.  The nose is intriguing with minerality, some char, lemons, almonds and salinity.  Lovely, slightly viscous texture.  Light tannins.  On the palate, loads of minerality, some lemons and slight smoke.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own, but would be better with food such as a Lemon Pasta.  Drink over the next ten years.