Veneto

• Prosecco
• Soave

From one of the top producers in this part of the world,  His Valpolicellas are better and more serious than most Amarones (and more expensive, too).  This is a blend of 70% Corvina,  20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina and 5% Oseleta grapes.  Purple in color, opaque and flat.  This is a dense, concentrated wine.  The nose has cherries, cedar, leather, dark chocolate and a hint of VA (just enough to raise the aromatics without being off putting).  Full bodied.  Concentrated.  Firm tannins with a lush texture.  On the palate, this is teeth staining and delicious.  Cherries, black cherries, with some

From Magnum.  Pop and pour, it took about 45 minutes to open.  Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight prunes, slight dark chocolate, raspberries and spice.  Full bodied.  Dry.  On the palate, cherries, raspberries, chocolate with an underlying earthiness.  Nice acidity.  Great mouthfeel.  This is still on the young side, but should be about at peak from a 750ML.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  This drinks well on its own but worked great with a variety of Italian foods.  

From the heart of Prosecco country in northeasy Italy, this is a serious Prosecco.  Made from 85% Glera with the remaining 15% other varietals.  Pale silvery/gold in color.  Lots of smaller bubbles.  The nose has minerals and Vernors soda (sort of carmelized ginger and seltzer).  It has a bigger presence.  Ginger and mineral notes, slightly candied.  Not tart, but well balanced.  Almost dry.  Long finish.  This drinks well on its own but will work better with food.  Fried chicken would be a nice choice.  A real crowd pleaser.  

This is from the northeast corner of Italy made from the Friulano grape (formerly known as Toaky Friulano).  Very pretty wine that is priced expensively.  Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nosee has minerals especially iron along with slight lime and pear notes.  Viscous.  Dry.  The minerality comes thru on the palate big time along with a bit of  salinity.  Some orange peel kicks in at the end.  Good finish.  This will drink well on its own and would work well with heartier sea food. Drink over the next five to seven years.  

Another "lesser" wine from Bussola.  And yes, while his Amarone's are amazing, they are also pricey.  This Valpolicella is much more affordable and even in a poor vintage like 2014, he made great wine.  This is a blend of Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella, Molinara and other grapes.  Fifty percent of the grapes for this wine are harvested in September and are dried for 3 months.

Dal Forno makes some of the best Amarone.  Unfortunately, the price is prohibitive.  That said, his Valpolicella's are better than most Amarone and while expensive, they can be worth doing.  This one certainly was.  So much better than a bottle tasted five years ago that was tight, oaked and unforgiving.  This bottle has really started to show a glimpse of its best.  Purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, slight vanilla, cloves and leather.  Full bodied.  On the palate, this has up front black cherry fruit with underlying spice and dried

Bussola is one of the greatest Amarone producers, but this is just a simple Valpolicella that is relatively inexpensive.  That said, this was excellent and a great value.  Purple in color with ruby at the rim.  Mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black and red currants, slight raisins, dust and spices.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, black currant fruit with underlying spice and some raisins.  Light tannins.  Dry.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This is delicious.  It worked well with a pasta and tomato sauce.  This should drink well over the next five to seven years.  

This is a nice, well priced, Pinot Grigio from northeast Italy.  Silvery/green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has limes, seltzer and a floral (white?) note.  There is also an underlying minerality.  On the palate, this is crisp.  The limes carry thru as does the underlying minerality.  Easy drinking on its own.  This will work with lighter foods such as salads or sushi.  Drink over the next year or two.  

This is a sparkling wine from northeast Italy.  It comes in an attractive packaging with a clear bottle.  Silver/green with a bit of white gold in color.  There is a nice mousse with a stream of medium sized bubbles.  It has a very nice nose with lanolin, lime, soda and also a bit of peach.  On the palate, this is very refreshing.  At 11% abv, it is lively with nice energy.  The lime/lime soda qualities carry thru to the palate with a nice crispness.  Solid finish.  This is made to be drunk now and in the next year or two.  It will work well on its own and also with a pasta in cream sauce.