Lombardia

• Franciacorta

Sirmione is on the southern side of Lake garda in northern Italy.  This wine is 100 Turbiana grapes which is a local clone of Trebbiano di Lugana although it is genetically closer to Verdicchio.  Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with peach and slight minerality.  Light bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, some peach and some minerality.  Moderate finish.  This is nice and easy on its own and would be a nice wine with lighter foods such as Tuna or Chicken Salad.  Drink now.  

Lugana is a wine region in Italy along the southern side of Lake Garda.  The grape is Turbiana, previously known as Trebbiano di Lugana.  13% abv.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is spicy with slight peach.  My guess is that on release, the peach notes were stronger but have faded over time.  Slightly oily texture.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is some sweetness to the wine (demi-sec?).  Also apples.  This bottle seemed well past prime but it may not have been a proper bottle as it has some mustiness to it.  Was it TCA or just bottle stink?  Not sure.  Hopefully, I can

This is 95% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Noir from Italy.  Franciacorta is a great region for sparkling wines.  Light golden in color with a nice mousse of smaller bubbles.  The nose is big with cream soda and a bit of hazelnuts.  Full bodied.  On the palate, it seems to have just the slightest bit of residual sugar left.  Some citrus and plenty of minerality.  A bit shorter on the almond finish.  This is nice on its own and very food friendly.  It went great with assorted hard and soft cheeses.  Drink over the next ten years.  

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.  

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.  

Beautiful sparkling wine from the north center of Italy.  It is a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, and 15% Pinot Nero.  Light golden in color with a steady stream of tiny bubbles.  The nose has red apples, minerals and slight toast.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has a slight oxidative note along with apples and slight toast.  A nice backbone of acidity.  Long finish.  This drinks great on its own but will work well with a wide variety of food.  Everything from popcorn to fried, spicy chicken.  Long finish.  It will compete with everything in its price category from Champagne.

This is a fizzy, dry, red wine from central Italy.  At first it seemed like light TCA, but that blew off, so it must have been the odd scent in the bottle.  Purple/ruby in color, a light amount of fizz to it.  With some air, the nose has some plums, a bit of forest floor and a bit of clean compost notes.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has a bit of fizz to it but not overwhelming.  It is interesting but a little taste goes a long way.  It would work better with salty foods.  Drink now.  

This Rose is made in the Lake Garda area of northern Italy.  It is a blend of Uve Grapello, Marzemino, Sangiovese  and Barbera.  Salmon pink/orange in color, clear and bright.  Very different nose with cherries, green tea and an herbal note.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the cherries and the herbs come thru.  Dry.  These should be consumed sooner than later.  It went nicely with Fricos with artichoke dip - not an easy match.  

Franciacorta's are serious sparkling wines from Italy.  They are not to be confused with Prosecco's or some of the other lighter sparkling wines that are very popular these days.  The best Franciacorta's hold their own against sparkling wines made anywhere in the world.  Light golden in color.  There are a log of tiny bubbles.  The nose has toast, lemon and slight lanolin.  On the palate, this is slightly crisp.  Full bodied.  Nice, persistent lemon/lime notes.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with all but the meatiest of dishes.  It should probably be consumed in th

If you don't know Franciacorta, you should remedy that as soon as you can.  Franciacorta is a DOCG in Italy that makes wonderful sparkling wines.  Many are as good as all but the very finest of Champagnes and most are made using the same traditional method.  This one is a very nice value though they can be pricey.  This is very pale salmon pink in color.  Barely any color at all.  The nose has a bit of toast on it with a hint of cherry juice.  On the palate, the light cherry juice continues with great liveliness.