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

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.  

Pop and pour, this is drinking great. Made from the Pignolo grape. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose is concentrated with black cherries, cherries, anise and tobacco.  Medium bodied.  Nice balanced acidity.  On the palate, black cherries and cherries with slight underlying forest floor.  Good finish.  This is a wine made to be consumed with food.  It worked well with Mushroom Gnocchi.  Drink over the next five to seven 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.

Another top BdM from the consistently top producer.  Ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, spice, and a bit of tobacco.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has a tight complexity that unwinds in the glass.  Lots of cherry fruit with some underlying forest floor and slight tea leaves.  Good finish.  This is a classic pizza wine and in fact, went great with some really creative wood fired pizza.  Drink over the next ten years.  

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.

Amazing wine.  It is 100% Sangiovese.  Inky purple in color with some ruby around the rim.  The nose is great with black cherries, sandalwood, slight green olive note (in a good way), and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is still youthful but to the point where it is worth opening if you have more than one bottle in the cellar.  Loads of black cherry and cherry fruit, some anise, slight underlying forest floor.  good acidity.  Long finish.  No hurry, this has another ten to fifteen more years.

This was purchased at the winery and brought back by a friend.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is classic with cherries, tar and slight baking spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is surprisingly open.  Cherries with underlying asphalt.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This is obviously young but drinking well already.  It should drink well for the next twenty years.  Nice on its own, this would be better with food.  Pasta in a cream and mushroom sauce would be great.  

This is not your regular Chianti.  Deep garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is great with cherries, slight anise, slight tea leaves and spice.  Full bodied.  Great backbone of acidity.  On the palate, lots of bright cherries with some anise.  Long finish.  Deep and complex.  Light tannins.  Drinking great now and will continue for another ten to fifteen years.  This works great with food, pasta with a tomato sauces is a classic choice.