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

Zibibbo is also know as Muscat of Alexandria and is typically used to make dessert wines.

This is made from 100% Cataratto grapes in Sicily.  Silvery/green in color, clear and bright.  The nose is refreshing with peach, sea air and slight char.  Medium bodied.  Slightly viscous, "liquidy" texture.  On the palate, peaches with a slight bitter almond note (in a good way) and char.  Plenty of depth here.  Long finish.  This is a complex wine but also refreshing.  It is crisp, food friendly and reasonably priced.  This is lovely on its own and would be great with fried shrimp or other sea food. Drink over the next fiver to eight years.  

This is a very well priced Prosecco from Italy. It is a blend of 90% Glerra and 10% Pinot Noir. Pale Salmon pink in color, clear and bright. Very frothy with a lot of smaller-ish bubbles. The nose is interesting with cherries, slight apples, and a subtle smoky/earthy note. Medium bodied. good acidity. On the palate this is dry with cherries, slight cranberries with a light minerality. Long finish. This drinks nicely on its own and is very food friendly. Drink over the next few years.

This is 100% Aglianico from Basilicata (the arch of the boot) in southern Italy.  Don Anselmo is the grandfather of the current owners and the person who started the winery.  This is their top bottling.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great.  Black cherries, cherries, balsamic, spice and leather.  Full bodied.  Tannins are present but mostly integrated.  Great balance.  On the palate, this is delicious with black cherry fruit, tobacco, forest floor, dust and slight char.  Long finish.  Complex and deep.  This drinks great on its own but really needs food.  This would work

This is made from Primitivo grapes which is a close relative of Zinfandel in Apulia, Italy (the heel of the boot).  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with raspberries, cherries, bramble, orange peel and black pepper.  Soft texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, black and red raspberries with a touch of milk chocolate.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  This drinks well on its own but would be better with food.  A great choice for Pizza night.  Drink over the next few years.

This is 100% Aglianico from Campagna in Italy.  This is a grape that can be made for ageing and this bottling is the wineries top choice for having a long life.  At age 9, it is showing some age but seems like it has a lot left to offer.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with black cherries, smoked fruits, spice, coffee beans and minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Good acidity especially for such a ripe wine.  On the palate, this has a deep, layered complexity.  Flavors of black cherries, some boysenberries with minerality and char.  Long finish.  Thi

One of the  best values in top Chianti, this is fairly priced, ageable and outstanding.  Purple in color with some ruby hues, mostly clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, sandalwood, spice, slight anise and black cherries.  Medium bodied.  Excellent acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, cherries with some black cherries, anise and spice.  Long finish.  This is very nice on its own but it is made for food.  It will work with most foods (not seafood) and is a great choice with pasta or pizza.  Drink over the next twenty years.  

Gini is one of the top producers of Soave white wines from Northeastern Italy.  This is 100% Gargenega grapes made from vines that are over 100 years old.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a floral quality (yellow and white flowers) with a touch of lemons and a bit of minerality/salinity.  Light to medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Nice, lean but firm texture.  On the palate, the lemony notes come out more with a touch of minerality.  Long finish.  There is come depth and concentration.  This is nice on its own but better with food.  It would be great with a plate of past

This is 100% Nebbiolo from the Piedmont in Italy.  This is a soft accessible version of Nebbiolo.  Ruby in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries along with some mustiness, ash and mint.  Soft texture but firm tannins.  It comes alive on the palate with cherries and a hard cherry candy note along with a slight earthiness.  Good acidity.  Nice finish.  Very open and drinking well.  This was a hot vintage but the fruit is not raisined or under ripe.  It drinks well on its own but will be better with food.  A great choice for a weekday pasta or pizza night.  Drink over the nex

I am a big fan of Costco/Kirkland wines.  They often don't get the credit they deserve as people consider them "discount" wines, but it seems they are usually well done and from very good source.  This one was tasted directly after tasting nice other Chiantis that were a couple of years of older and it showed just fine.  It turns out that this wine is made by Baron Ricasoli, a quality producer in Chianti.  Ruby/purple in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has black cherries, slight dust, tea leaves and spice.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Light tannins.  On the palate, this has br