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 was my first time trying this wine and at least in this great vintage, this wine is outstanding.  Deep ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, forest floor/tea leaves, char and spice.  Full bodied.  The fruit is ripe but certainly not over done.  Flavors of cherries, char over an earthy/forest floor note.  Great acidity.  Nice finish.  The wine is still young and should continue to mature for another five to seven years and then will drink well for 10 more after that.  It should work great with any meat or fowl dish and of course, pizza or pasta.  This is a gr

Vietti makes some great value wines and some top Barolos.  This one is their entry level Barolo and it is a very nice value and a very nice Barolo!  At age 19 from a great vintage, this is showing some maturity but certainly not all the way there yet.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim with no browning.  The nose is nice with cherries, black cherries, spice and tar.  Medium to full bodied with light tannins.  On the palate, this has a nice complexity as the layers unwind in the glass.  Flavors of cherries over a bit of forest floor and damp earth.  Very smooth.  Nice finish.  This should con

This is a lightly sparkling (frizzante) red wine from Italy.  It is made from Brachetto grapes.  This is meant to be an easy, low alcohol (5.5%) fun wine and it achieves that goal.  Ruby in color with a pink froth.  Clear and bright.  The nose has cherries and sour cherries.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is sweet with cherries, strawberries and candied cherries.  It is easy to drink and probably a bit better on its own that with food although it will work well with chocolate.  Drink over the next year or two.  

 This is another fun wine from this producer.  It comes in attractive packaging although the screw top actually has a tiny leak in it and left a small pool in the fridge.  No worries, the wine was sound and it is only the second time I have seen such a closure fail.  This is a lightly sparkling (frizzante) rose that checks in at 5.5% abv.  It is a blend of Moscato and Brachetto grapes.  Pale salmon in color a white froth.  The nose has pink grapefruit and strawberries and slight simple syrup notes.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is semi-sweet with nice watermelon notes.  Great acidity

This is a Moscato from Italy.  It is made in Frizzante style meaning lightly sparkling.  This is made to be a fun, easy drinking wine.  It comes in a colorful, attractively packaged bottle.  At 5% alcohol, it is very easy to drink.  Silvery/gold/green in color, clear and bright. A nice frothiness to it in the glass.  The nose has minerality, seltzer and citrus (lime).  On the palate, this is sweet with minerals and lime.  Moderate finish.  This is a fun wine that drinks easily on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  Fun.    

This is a Cabernet Franc from Tuscany.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with black cherries, black raspberries, dark chocolate, slight floral notes and a hint of cigar box.  On the palate, this is ripe and a big wine.  Despite being 14 years old, it still shows medium tannins and fresh fruits.  Black cherries, some blueberries, chocolate and tobacco.  Nice balance.  Smooth finish.  This can compete with Cab Francs from anywhere.  It will easily do another decade.  A nice match for a steak or roast.  

Great showing for this wine.  Decanted for sediment and air for about 4 hours.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright.  No browning.  The nose is pretty with cherries, slight cherry juice, roses, black cherries and slight forest floor.  Medium to full bodied.  On the palate, the black cherries come thru a bit stronger.  Mild tannins.  Underlying forest floor.  Great acidity.  Long finish.  This has layers of fruit and earth.  It seems to be drinking close to prime now, but well stored bottles should easily have another decade.  This will work great with pasta, mushrooms or more savory meat

A birth year wine for me.  Light ruby in color, clear and bright with a slight, slight browning.  On the nose, there are fresh cherries, cola, slight tar and dried roses.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, the fresh cherry fruit comes thru.  Light tannins.  Nice acidity.  Round.  This is drinking older, but I would not have guessed 62 years.  it has a nice complexity and depth.  At this point, all bottles are a crap shoot, but this one could have gone a while longer.  Better with food.  Pasta in a cream sauce with mushrooms would be great.  

This wine is not for everyone.  It is rustic, rough and decidedly not a fruit bomb.

This is a lovely white from the Adriatic coast in central Italy.  Light golden in color.  The nose is very nice with minerality, apples, slight oak and some pear.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is plenty of depth.  Rounder but enough acidity to bring it all together.  Pears and minerals on the palate.  Nice finish.  This is one of those white wines that could use a bit of time.  This should improve with some short term cellaring.  It should be good for another five to seven years after that.  Drinks well on its own and will work well with pasta dishes in a cream or oil sauce or soft c