Last week was the first round of the blind tastings held by a local wine shop. They do this every summer, and it can be fun. All of the wines this week were Italian. Somehow I aced the whites and completely screwed up on the reds, which is unfortunate because I wasn't all that fond of the whites. Hey, I've never claimed to be an expert on Italian wines. I have found that I prefer them with food, at least in terms of the bargain wines. For the most part I was not impressed with these wines.
Wine 1: Terredora Di Paolo Prosecco NV. Campania, Italy. So this wasn't too hard to pick out. Two sparkling wines, one dry, one sweet. Fish in a barrel. The prosecco was crisp and lemony, with a sparkling mineral water quality to it. Prosecco is one of my bargain favorites for kicking off a dinner party. $11.
Wine 2: 2005 Principessa Gavia di Gavi. Piemonte, Italy. Very light and thin, with a slightly harsh aftertaste. Made from the Cortese grape. $15.
Wine 3: 2005 Kris Pinot Grigio. Vento, Italy. Mild, with a little fruit, but ultimately unspectacular. Very flat. And of course, it's a Pinot Grigio. $14.
Wine 4: 2004 Villa Sparina Gavi. Piemonte, Italy. Hints of nutmeg, bolder fruit than the previous wines. A little apple comes through on the flavor. $20.
Wine 5: 2004 Bigi Est! Est!! Est!!!. Orvieto, Italy. I don't think I've drunk any wines with exclamation points in their names. Light and watery, not interesting. Very little flavor. $10.
Wine 6: Scrapona Moscato d'Asti NV. No info. I love Moscato d'Asti, and this didn't disappoint. Honeysuckle aromas and flavor. Medium sweet. $19.
Wine 7: 2004 Tommasi Rompicollo Toscana IGT. Tuscany, Italy. Strawberries and mild tannins. Some plum flavors. $16.
WIne 8: 2000 Lodola Nuova Nobile di Montepulciano. Tuscany, Italy. Herbal and vegetal, slightly harsh aroma. Mild, light and slightly tannic. $24.
Wine 9: 2003 Caparzo Rosso di Montalcino. Tuscany, Italy. Very thin, no tannins, no dominant flavors and slightly bitter. Made from Sangiovese. $18.
Wine 10: 2001 Zaccagnini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Abruzzi, Italy. I love this wine, and didn't recognize it. Great berry flavors, firm and tart and delicious. $16.
Wine 11: 2003 Zenato Ripassa Valpolicella. Verona, Italy. Dark cherry flavors, full bodied and tannic. $26.
Wine 12: 2002 Vidussi Ari di Miute Collio Rosso. Friuli-Venezia, Italy. No info. Fuller alcohol aroma, dark fruit, mellow tannins and a smooth finish. Actually quite nice. $29.
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