Veneto

• Prosecco
• Soave

Great showing for this Amarone at age 12.  This was served on board the Celebrity Millennium Cruise ship off the coast of Alaska.  It is 80% Corvina Veronese, and 20% Rondinella. Purple with ruby swirls, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is powerful with cherries, slight raisins and some alcohol showing.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate cherries with slight char notes.  Complex and deep.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but would be better with a plate of pasta with truffles in a cream sauce.  Drink over the next ten years.  

A blend of 80% Corvina and 20% Rondinella.  Deep garnet in color.  Slightly flat.  The nose is nice with stewed fruits, figs, cherries and spices.  Full bodied.  Nice acidity.  On the palate, prunes, cherries and spice.  Depth.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now.  It is dry but with a feeling of sweetness.  Nice finish.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would work well with Eggplant Parmesan.  Drink over the next seven to ten years.  

A very nice way to start an evening especially with a crowd.  Silvery/green in color, clear and bright.  A nice mousse with medium bubbles.  On the nose, an effervescent lemon/lime quality.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is dry with minerality and lime notes.  A bit of lemon hard candy on the finish.  This drinks well on its own and will work with most foods.  Drink now.  

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.  

In describing this wine, calling it basically an Amarone, is not correct but a pretty close and useful phrase. It is a blend of 70% Corvina and Corvina grossa, 20% Rondinella, 5% Croatina, and 5% Oseleta.   Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.

Fattori began making wine in 1900 in this Northeastern region of Italy. Now, as a 5th generation run operation, they are turning out wonderful wines. Made from 85% Corvina along with Rondinella, Molinara and a few other varieties, this offers light, bright cherry, black cherry, pomegranate, rhubarb and plum notes. This fairly simple wine is an ideal companion with a diversity of foods. It’s not an aggressive, heavy tannic thing, but a mellow, warm and delightful wine meant to work well with others. Briefly aged, the fruit is perky and beaming.

This is a blend of Glera and Pinot Noir grapes.  Salmon pink in color.  Frothy with a variety of sized bubbles.  The nose has strawberries and slight apple notes.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, there is nice acidity.  Slightly sweet.  Cherries and strawberries.  A lingering finish.  An enjoyable Prosecco with some depth as well.  Very nice on its own, this should work well with food.  It would go nicely with roasted turkey or duck.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This an Organic, semi-sparkling Prosecco from Italy.  It is made from 85% Glera grapes, with 15% other allowed varieties.  The packaging is attractive.  Silvery/green/gold in color with a good amount of frothy bubbles.  The nose has minerality and some salinity along with green apples.  Refreshing.  On the palate, the green apples come thru along with a bit of sweetness.  Nice acidity to balance that.  Good finish.  This is nice on its own and should work well at the beginning or end of a meal.  It will work nice with fired calamari and also a not too sweet pound cake.  

One of the ubiquitous Amarones and it usually delivers.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has dust, cherries, black cherries and herbs.  Full bodied.  On the palate, cherries and slight char.  Nice finish.  This is drinking well now and should continue for 8 to 12 years,  Nice on its own, this will work well with heavier foods such Osso Bucco.