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

One  of the best from Chianti.  This is a great wine.  It retails for under $50 which is expensive for Chianti but a great value for the quality offered.  Purple in color, ruby swirls.  The nose is great with cherries, tobacco, tea leaves, and a slight pine note.  With air, some cedar and earth emerge.  On the palate, this has firm tannins still.  Lots of dark cherry fruit layered with wet tea leaves (or maybe tobacco) and spice.  Deep and complex.  A strong backbone of acidity.  Long finish.  This is quite food friendly but especially meats and pasta.  Still young, this has at least 5 more

From Magnum.  Ruby in color, clear and bright.  The nose has cherries, slight dried cherries, some tar and roses.  Pretty classic actually.  On the palate, this has nice acidity.  Cherries, dried cherries tar and forest floor in tight layers that unwind in the glass.  Some mild tannins.  It was drinking just fine at this point and just to the younger side of mature.  Worked with with food.  No hurry but this does seem to be ageing a bit quicker than expected.  Of course, it is 11 years from vintage so not too quickly.  

Kirkland is the in house brand for Costco.  They contract out a wide variety of wines and many of them including this one are very good and great values.  This sells for $7.Silvery green and gold in color.  A modicum of medium sized bubbles.  The nose is reticent but with minerals and limes/green apples.  It opens with a bit of air but is never strong.  It is better and stronger on the palate.  Clean.  Just a hint of sweetness, just barely.  Good acidity.  Good finish.  This is food friendly and easy to drink.  Made for immediate consumption, for $7, this is a no brainer for parties and coo

Gavi's a nice refreshing white wines from the north of Italy.  They are meant to be drunk young and this one is pushing it but still drinking well for immediate consumption.  Light golden in color.  The nose is nice with a steely minerality and some melon.  On the palate, it turns more citrus (grapefruits?) and still minerals.  Good acidity.  This is very food friendly and works with a wide variety of foods.  Long finish.  

Bussola is one of the top three producers of Amarone.  What separates him from the other two is pricing.  Bussola's wines are affordable.  This is his base wine and it retails for around $50.  That is not inexpensive, but it is worth it.  One caveat, to really get the full bang for your buck, let them age for a while.  This one is still not yet at peak but showing quite well especially with a bit of air.  Purple in color with some ruby swirls.  On the nose this has cherries, black cherries, tobacco, dried currants, slight sandalwood and prune.  Very deep.  On the palate, this is dry but fee

Sadly, this wine was just about DOA.  The cork was good.  The wine was pale ruby and watery looking.  The wine was oxidized.  Oh well, I had hoped for better but that was a lot to ask.  

This is 100% Nero D'Avola from Sicily.  $45 on the restaurant list, it seems to retail for around $30.  Fairly priced.  Purple in color, ruby at the rim.  There is a lot of barnyard on the nose.  Fair warning, I loved it but this may be off putting to some.  Seems to be brettanomyces which also leads to a bit of a yeasty note.  Our bottle was served at restaurant room temp so that probably encouraged a blooming of yeast.  Cooler stored bottles may be less pronounced.  Also a bit of cherries, tobacco and licorice.  On the palate, cherries, black cherries and slight forest floor.  There is a

Another interesting wine from Italy and Sicily.  This is a blend of Nerello Mascalese, and Nerello Cappuccio.  Grown on slopes on Mt.

This was $25 on a restaurant list but retails for between $15 and $20 making it a great value.  The grape is Lacrima.  My first time trying the grape and the wine.  Pop and pour.  The color is purple/ruby, mostly clear and bright.  On the nose, this is very interesting.  Plums, celery, and bitters (think Campari or Aperol).  Someone said oranges but I think it is more a bitters quality made from citrus, at least for me.  On the palate, this is hugely tannic.  Our bottle did not last long, so I am not sure if air would help or even how it ages.  There is plenty of fruit so maybe everything i

Deep ruby in color.  The nose has cherries, sandalwood and slight tea leaves.  Medium bodied.  Good not strong acidity.  On the palate, this is pretty close to peak but not quite.  Light tannins.  Good cherry flavor.  Plenty of depth.  Some layering of earth and fruit.  Nice finish.  Needs a bit more cellar time but quite nice.