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

Gran Selezione is the top level of Chianti wines.  This vintage, 2015, was an excellent vintage in Chianti.  And, this wine meets the high expectations those factors create.  Purple in color, with ruby swirls.  The nose is interesting with black cherries, cherries, saw dust and a strong streak of black olives.  Great acidity.  Firm tannins.  Nice texture.  On the palate, this is complex and deep while also delicious.  Black cherries, some cherries with slight tea leaves and char.  Long finish.  Still young, this should get better but drinking nicely now.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen

Barbera is an interesting grape and the wines produced from it cover a wide range of styles and price points.  This is at the lower end of the price range, but  the wine easily has the quality of wines three or four times as expensive.  Garnet in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, black cherries and slight dust.  Medium bodied.  Strong acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, black cherry fruit with great acidity.  Nice finish.  This wine demands food.  All of the classic "Italian Night" foods such as pizza, spaghetti, other pastas, etc.

This is a nice white wine from northern Italy.  It is made from 100% Cortese grapes and comes in around 12.5% abv.  It has a glass closure.  Pale yellow green in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of minerality with some pear.  Medium bodied.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate, the pears come out more but there is still that nice underlying minerality.  Nice finish.  This is a nice lighter white on its own, but will work well with lighter foods as well.  This would be great with a vegetable Risotto.  Drink over the next year or two.  Great value.

This is Masciarelli's top bottling.  15% abv.   Inky indigo in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight on opening but after about an hour, it opens nicely.  Notes of black cherries, clay, dried cherries, dark chocolate and black pepper.  A bit of sweet black raspberries come out with more air.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Polished texture.  Well balanced.  On the palate, black cherries with some char.  With air, chocolate notes come out.  Some black licorice on the finish.  Complex and deep if young.  This needs some time (or a long decant).  Ideally, cellar for five more years and dr

This is one of the "middle" offerings from Masciarelli.  It is made from 100% Montepulciano grapes from Abruzzo.  14.5% abv.  Deep garnet in color with a purple core, opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, black raspberries, black licorice and char.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, black cherries and black raspberries with underlying char.  Delicious.  Long, smooth finish.  This is delicious on its own and will work nice with grilled meats such as Lamb Chops.  Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  

This is a Rosé wine made from 100% Montepulciano grapes.  14% abv.  Pale garnet in color, clear and bright.  Very pretty in the glass.  Likewise, a very pretty nose with cherries, rhubarb, dry earth and the slightest celery seed note.  Nice texture.  Medium bodied.  Great acidity which keeps the wine lively and food friendly.  Light tannins.  The palate has cherry cough drop notes along with a slight touch of smoke.  Some warmth on the finish.  This is nice on its own but really begs for food.  it would work well with pasta but also it would be nice with slow cooked Chicken dishes (Paprikas

There seem to be a lot of references to this wine as coming from Colline Teatine IGT, but the bottle states Abruzzo Bianco DOC.  It is a blend of 50% Trebbiano, 30% Pecorino, and 20% Cococciola.  Golden in color with silver hues, clear and bright.  The nose has lots of minerality, some lemon notes and a hint of floral tones.  Medium to full bodied.  Slightly oily texture.  Crisp acidity.  On the palate apples, tart apples and minerality.  Deep.  Long finish.  This is an excellent white wine that would be double or triple the price if the label was from a more "prestigious" area.  

Pop the cork and had a quick taste.  This was stunning!  Came back a minute later and, uh-oh.  TCA.  This wine was badly corked.  Although this happens less than it used to, it still does happen.   What a shame.  I will need to revisit this.  Stay tuned.  

This is a blend of Glera and Pinot Noir grapes.  Light salmon pink  in color.  Nice mousse with medium to small bubbles.  The nose has cherries, pomegranate and slight fresh hay notes.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this has a slight sweetness.  Cherries with slight "crushed rocks".  Long finish.  This is easy drinking and would be a great choice for a holiday party.  Drink now.  It is nice on its own and should be food friendly.  Fried foods (think appetizers) are a good choice.  

Southern Italy is a great source of value in wine.  This one is from the arch in the foot of the boot - a region called Basilicata.  The predominant feature on the landscape is Mt.