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 bottle (bought on release) was allowed to breathe for 6 hours, then decanted for four more before being double decanted back into the original bottle.  It needed every bit of that as it was still a bit on the young side.  Deep ruby in color, mostly clear and bright.  Great nose with cherries, slight menthol, slight dark chocolate, fresh asphalt and dried flowers.  Firm tannins.  Medium to full bodied.  Great acidity and balance.  On the palate, juicy cherries with some tar and dried earth.  Deep and complex.  Long finish.  This needs food to really shine and it went quite well with mus

This bottle had been purchased at the winery.  Deep ruby  in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with cherries, sandalwood, tea leaves and spice.  Medium to full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this seems at peak.  Complex and delicious.  Flavors of cherries, some black cherries, spice and char.  Long finish.  This is nice on its own but much better with food. Perfect with a plate of pasta.  Drink over the next five to seven years.  

This is a white blend from Sicily  made from 90% Carricante and 10% Catarratto grapes.  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose is deep and interesting.  A bit of blood orange, lots of minerality, some char and a bit of wild thyme.  Medium bodied.  Creamy texture. Crisp with good acidity.  On the palate, its all about the minerality.  Crushed rocks, char and slight salinity with a slight citrus note.  Nice finish.  This is a tasty wine that is nice on its own but better with food.  This would be a nice wine with grilled scallops.  Drink over the next couple of years.  

This is drinking well now at about at peak.  Garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight root beer, spice and forest floor.  Medium bodied.  Good acidity.  Tannins are resolved.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  Flavors of cherries, slight dried cherries and some earthy notes.  Good finish.  This needs food to come together.  A nice plate of your  favorite pasta would be perfect.  Drink over the next few years.

This is labeled as NV, but the Euro Number indicates 2022, although it was release in 2023.  It is a blend of 85/15 Glera/Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) made from organic grapes.  This release has a new bottle and label and is very attractive packaging.  Salmon pink in color with frothy bubbles.  The nose is lovely.  Chalky with minerality along with strawberries and cherries and a slight cherry blossom note.  Full bodied.  Good acidity.  Light sweetness on the palate.  Also flavors of strawberries, cherries and minerals.  Nice on its own, but better with food.  This worked well with baked Brie to

This has 15% Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) blended into 85% Glera.

This is a blend of Glera and Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) grapes made in northeast Italy.  Pale salmon pink in color.  A nice mousse with smaller bubbles.  Clear and bright.  Beautiful packaging in a sparkling bottle. The nose has orange zest with a bit of peach. Full bodied.  Good acidity.  On the palate, the orange zest comes thru with some lemon and underlying minerality.  Long finish.  This has some depth and intensity.  Very food friendly.  This would work great with a Mushroom Pâte.  Drink now.  Great value in Prosecco.

Prosecco has a long and varied history, originally made as a still wine it eventually morphed into the world’s most popular sparkling wine. And now Voga has decided to take Prosecco back to its roots, and is making a “still Prosecco,” specifically without bubbles. Comprised entirely of Glera (the grape name which was also called Prosecco at one point) this offers softer notes of apricot, resin, and light guava, but this is not a fruity wine – there are more stone fruit characteristics – white peach, quince and loquat.

Sirmione is on the southern side of Lake garda in northern Italy.  This wine is 100 Turbiana grapes which is a local clone of Trebbiano di Lugana although it is genetically closer to Verdicchio.  Pale silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is nice with peach and slight minerality.  Light bodied.  Good balance.  On the palate, some peach and some minerality.  Moderate finish.  This is nice and easy on its own and would be a nice wine with lighter foods such as Tuna or Chicken Salad.  Drink now.  

FIOL was only founded in 2010 but has since created a strong following. Their 2021 iteration is a blend of 15% Pinot Noir and 85% Glera, which together create creamy bubbles that lead into a soft and pleasant patch of strawberry, raspberry, light lemon notes, hints of cranberry and red delicious apple. This is not an overly complicated wine, it is deceptively simple, and simple sometimes is difficult to create. This is a very enjoyable wine, especially during the summer months when all you want is something pleasing and flavorful.