2012 Collazzi Libertà & 2009 Cune Rioja Reserva

Here's a glimpse behind the curtain of the wine writing world. A lot of people think that a sommelier shows up at your door, knocks politely, and then proceeds to poor a perfectly curated selection of wines that are all related to each other. Three vintages of a specific Chateau, for instance.

In reality, it is common to receive completely unrelated wines, but these are often linked by importer or distributor, or sometimes by grape or style. Thus the pairing shown here of two hearty reds in the $20 range.

2012 Collazzi Libertà
Toscana IGT
55% Merlot, 30% Syrah, 15% Sangiovese
$24, 14% abv.

Syrah and Sangiovese really dominate with the Merlot playing a surprisingly background role. Big tannins, spice, black pepper, and a long finish. Don't save this one for pizza night--make a marinara sauce from scratch and boil up a big pot of spaghetti and meatballs. This wine deserves a home cooked meal.

2009 Cune Rioja Reserva
Rioja, Spain
$20, 13.5% abv.
85% Tempranillo, 5% Mazuelo, 5% Graciano, 5% Garnacha Tinta

Light chocolate and leather profile, smooth body with mild tannins. Delightful balance and an elegant finish. Rioja remains an outstanding bargain across many producers and you'll see what wonders a mere five years of aging is able to accomplish with these grapes. Serve with a thick, medium-rare roasted pork chop that is heavily marbled and you'll never forget the meal.

Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.

NV La Marca Prosecco

In my last post, I talked about pairing a California Zinfandel with BBQ. And in that case, I'm referring to the standard pork shoulder or ribs, smoked and served with a savory-sweet sauce. In Texas, beef is king and while we have native antipathy towards the infidels, I have to admit that brisket done well is quite good.

However, what is often missed in the various competitions and TV shows is how much smoked chicken and other goodies show up on Southern picnic tables. Steamed corn wrapped in foil, grilled summer squash, skewers of shrimp... So many of these foods cry out for a white wine, particularly one that is served cold. Here's where I like to break out Prosecco, Italy's casual, affordable sparkling wine from the north.

In addition to its role as a fun "grape soda" for the outdoor party, Prosecco is perfect for making sparkling wine cocktails like the Mimosa or Bellini. At the price, it's worth it to pick up a half case and play around with different combinations.

NV La Marca Prosecco
DOC Veneto
100% Glera
$15, 11.3% abv.

Dry and crisp with a splash of lemony acidity. Earthy and floral notes are barely present on the nose, making this wine an interesting one to sip. Tiny bubbles and good overall balance, something to be enjoyed in a bargain Prosecco.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2011 Kris Heart Rosso

Kris Wine is an Italian winery based in Alto Adige, the northern region that borders Austria and Switzerland. As I've written before, the area is heavily influenced by Germanic culture and language, and thus is often associated with the kind of lighter white wines you'll find in those countries, as well as similar border regions like Alsace.

While this wine was made in Alto Adige, the grapes were sourced from throughout the entire length of the country, and the varieties involved are not what you normally think of when you're thinking about when you're looking at the Dolomite Mountains.

The distinctive labels were created by the polymath Riccardo Schweizer (1925–2004, painter, sculptor, designer, architect, etc.), who studied under Pablo Picasso and Joan Miró. Sometimes a wine label is just a one off design that came out of a cubicle somewhere (like when I worked in graphic design), and other times there is a deeper story there. It's amazing how much great art we pass by every day without stopping to take a look and appreciate it.

2011 Kris Heart Rosso
Italy
60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Montepulciano
$14, 13.5% abv.

I would suggest letting this one breathe a little bit to soften before serving. It starts out with tart raspberry and cherry aromas, firm tannins, and a long cherry skin finish. However, with a little air and time, it balances out and serves as a great casual, mid-week, pizza and burger kind of wine. I had it with a plate of St. Louis-style toasted ravioli and marinara sauce, a childhood favorite that I still revisit once in a while.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2013 Elena Walch 20/26 Rosé

After a recent review of the Elena Walch Gewürztraminer made in Italy, I was contacted by a publicist and offered the chance to try anything from the product lineup. Whenever I'm presented with this opportunity, I don't head for the most expensive or prestigious option, but rather the one that I find the most interesting.

People often ask me what I like in a wine, and I generally say that I'd love to try something I've never had before. I'm always far more excited to try a grape or region that is new to me versus going back to the same bottle over and over again. There is nothing wrong with finding your sweet spot and sticking to it, but I've got a curious palate that is constantly wanting to experience new things.

I'm a long time fan of dry-rosé, and I couldn't pass up the chance to try something made from Lagrein, Pinot Nero, and Merlot. Except for the Pinot, you don't see these grapes often in the pink format, and it's also unusual to see these grapes combined anywhere in the world.

2013 Elena Walch 20/26 Rosé
IGT Vigneti delle Dolomiti
33% Lagrein, 33% Pinot Nero, 33% Merlot
$18, 13% abv.

Bright red berry flavors but with a round mouthfeel. Gentle raspberry aromas with a light and refreshing finish. Perfect spring rosé. Serve this one cold and preferably with a nice picnic lunch of cold fried chicken, fresh slices of watermelon, and cubes of feta cheese. If it weren't raining outside right now I'd be tempted to put a blanket out in the backyard and have this meal myself.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2011 Avignonesi Rosso di Montepulciano

I've written several times about my trip to Italy with my college girlfriend, back in the halcyon days of 1996. I've recently unearthed a lot of photos (back when we used to take those on film and get them printed at the pharmacy) as well as my handwritten journal from the trip (prior to Blogger, Twitter, Facebook, etc.). I've got enough content to fill a book, but at the end of the day I know that what was a life-changing event for me has been repeated many times over the centuries. Young folks go to Italy, drink some wine, look at some art, and try to avoid getting robbed while figuring out a crazy street system in each unique city.

It doesn't mean that I'll never write about that trip in detail, but it has been on my mind recently. I miss the adventure of trucking out on foreign streets and conversing in a foreign language. I would be more than happy to trade my half hour car ride through horrible traffic clutching a V8 or Diet Coke with a quiet, contemplative train ride that I could enjoy with a newspaper, caffe latte, and chunk of bread. Let me fill out the crossword in the International Herald Tribune in peace before I have to spend hours creating performance metric dashboards.

Back to the wine, which brought back fond memories of tasty Tuscan reds that I sipped with wild abandon back in 1996, never asking for alcohol percentages, grape composition, or how long the family had been making wine.

2011 Avignonesi Rosso di Montepulciano
Montepulciano
94% Sangiovese, 6% other local red grapes
$19, 14% abv.

The wine shows classic Tuscan aromas of black cherry and plum with firm tannins and a long, lingering finish. It's chewy, a little tannic, and quite tasty when served with a rustic roast beef meal accompanied by grilled asparagus. Delicious and true to the region, and one that I hope you will enjoy here in the States as well as back in the home country.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2012 Maculan Dindarello Moscato

This weekend I had the pleasure of hosting a baby shower at my parents' house for The Woman Formerly Known As The Roommate. Just around the time for her first wedding anniversary, she is due to give birth to her first child. I have been granted honorary Uncle status, and wish everyone the best.

The baby shower was a lot of fun, as it was co-ed and I brought along a dozen bottles of wine. Dad smoked chicken drummies on the Big Green Egg, Mom helped coordinate everything, and Bella ran around begging for appetizers. It was a pleasure to catch up with so many friends and to celebrate the Easter weekend together.

I brought along this particular wine specifically for my mother and my sister-in-law, who are connoisseurs of the sweet wines. This Italian sample performed admirably...

2012 Maculan Dindarello Moscato
Veneto IGT
100% Moscato
$22/375mL, 11.5% abv.

Intensely floral nose. Great honeysuckle and jasmine with hints of citrus flower. On the palate it shows a deep, sweet, and musky flavor sparked by a great tang of lemony acidity. Not terribly cloying, and it doesn't hang on the glass that long. This is a great dessert wine that is not explicitly a dessert wine; more a tasty after dinner wine that needs to be served with good cheese. Highly recommended.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

A German Grape Takes a Tour of Europe

I've always been interested in studying transitional geographical regions--places that have changed hands over the centuries and today contain elements of the various cultures that have occupied the physical area. Granted, a lot of that involved war, religious persecution, or other horrible things, but they remind us that national borders are not firm laws set down from time immemorial, but often redrawn when one side has more power, and endure when the other side doesn't feel like fighting back for the dozenth time.

I've written a lot about Alsace and how I feel it is its own unique European region nestled between Germany and France, hence the reason for using the flag of Alsace rather than the tricolore. In today's post, I'll extend the same courtesy to the Alto Adige region of Italy, an autonomous state that borders Austria and Switzerland. I make these decisions not for political reasons but more for cultural ones--Trentino-Alto Adige (or Südtirol) was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until after WWI, and German is still spoken there. In both cases, you've got German-speaking folks living on the borders of other countries, growing their grapes for a long, long time.

Although this particular quartet of Gewürztraminer presents a fun orthographical dichotomy: Italy uses the umlaut, France doesn't. I'll respect the choices for the names of the wines, but since the grape is more commonly spelled with the umlaut, I'll use that for the varietal name... So ist das Leben.

2011 Hugel Gewurztraminer
Alsace, France
100% Gewürztraminer
$23, 14% abv.

This bottle showed up sweet and spicy, round with low acidity. Really a classic Gewürztraminer and one that would fall in well with both German and New World versions.

2008 Domaines Schlumberger Les Princes Abbes Gewurztraminer
Alsace, France
100% Gewürztraminer
$28, 13% abv.

I found the Schlumberger similar to the above, but more earthy and with a honey element. Obviously it has aged quite well without becoming cloying. There's a lot of depth here as well as structured acidity, which almost pushes this into dessert wine territory. A great bargain for a well-aged wine.

2013 Elena Walch Selezione Gewürztraminer
Alto Adige, Italy
100% Gewürztraminer
$20, 14.5% abv.

It showed great apricot and floral notes, almost perfume-like, but in contrast to the Alsatian wines this was quite dry with low acidity and a round mouthfeel. Good minerality. Excellent wine made in the Austrian style.

2012 Elena Walch Kastelaz Gewürztraminer
Alto Adige, Italy
100% Gewürztraminer
$32, 14.5% abv.

Coming to the end of the quartet, I've got to say that Alto Adige won me over, and this particular bottle was my favorite of the four. It has many of the attributes of the former Elena Walch wine but with a luscious honeysuckle aroma that captures my heart every time. However, this bottle had better acidity, firmer body, making it a more serious wine all around. Serve this with roast quail and a winter vegetable purée and you've got a magical combination during this lingering cold weather.

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Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.

2012 Taburno Falanghina del Sannio

Grabbing a bottle of wine in North Carolina during the snow storm and sampling it out of little water tumblers brought back fond memories of my previous life as a corporate trainer, living out of hotels for two week stretches for a couple of years. Even the familiar scents of the Hampton Inn were oddly comforting during this visit, though the little knobbly soap is a new one for me.

While I had an amazing time with everyone on the trip, I am an introvert at heart and prize those hours I can grasp in the afternoon to read some news, enjoy a glass of wine, and maybe take a nap before starting the evening feast and socialization. Indeed, we had a long conversation about this topic over sushi while I was talking about the Meyers-Briggs Test and my lifelong bouncing around INTP and ISTJ.

Back to to The Wine Feed in downtown Raleigh... Once again, I was able to procure something that I had not tried before, and also got the opportunity to try a new grape in the process.

2012 Taburno Falanghina del Sannio
DOC Taburno
100% Falanghina
$18, 13.5% abv.

Dominant notes of lychee and dried fruit with a firm, slightly bitter, and completely dry flavor. Mineral finish with a slight acidic tone. Although the country doesn't match, I'd highly recommend this with a broad assortment of tapas to allow the salty and savory snacks to play against the interesting white wine.

NV Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui

I've had this sweet sparkling wine before, but this particular sample came with a bar of Brix Chocolate, a nice dark blend designed to match well with wine and invented by Dr. Nick Proia, an Ohio pulmonologist. I enjoyed the combination: the nicely bitter dark chocolate went along great with the slightly fizzy dessert wine.

Brachetto d'Acqui is also divine with a thick slice of cheesecake topped with a raspberry reduction sauce. Even better if said cheesecake has a crust made from ladyfingers and is decorated with shavings of white chocolate.

I've mostly seen this wine in the 375mL format that is a better fit for serving two people, though the 750mL will work well for a double date or group dinner. Julia and I snacked on it and the chocolate after a lunch of lobster rolls on a cold Sunday afternoon, a weekend in which the city of Memphis was mostly incapacitated by less than an inch of snow.

At a scant 7% alcohol, this is a gentle beverage that won't overwhelm anyone and would be a great introductory wine for someone just getting into the fermented grape game.

NV Rosa Regale Brachetto d'Acqui
100% Brachetto
Brachetto d’Acqui D.O.C.G.
$18, 7% abv.

Sweet and slightly fizzy with a dominant aroma and flavor of raspberries with just a touch of the woody seed elements. Sticky on the edge of the glass and a long, sweet finish. Definitely made for dessert, and best served well-chilled.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

Sparkling Rosé for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is coming up, and what says romance more than pink bubbles?

There was a time in my life when I thought such a bottle would be cheesy, some sort of artificially colored Champale with a plastic "cork" sold for $5 next to the box of chocolates that contain more wax than cacao. Over time, the concept of the dry rosé became one of my favorite wine styles, and the sparkling versions are just as fascinating. The pink color can come in many different shades, but what you're really getting is something made like a white wine with some of the depth of a red wine, a combination that makes such bottles inherently food-friendly.

Don't save these for dessert, but rather open them up early in the meal with appetizers--salted nuts, cheeses, salumi, olives. The acidity will play well against the salt and the whole experience will open up your palate for the meal to follow. Plus both of these are very affordable, although the second one comes in a half bottle size (which is ideal for two people during an appetizer course).

NV Juvé y Camps Brut Rosé
Cava DO
100% Pinot Noir
$13, 12% abv.

I've had several Cavas made from Pinot Noir, but I believe this is the deepest rosé. Classic aromas of wild strawberry and a touch of earth way in the background. On the palate there are big bubbles with a tart and acidic finish. While great on its own, the aforementioned salty snacks will really bring out the bold berry flavors.

NV Ferrari Rosé
Trento DOC
60% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay
$17/375mL, 12.5% abv.

The Italian bottle is also heavy on the Pinot Noir, though made in a lighter style. It pours a lovely pale salmon color with a nutty and toasty nose. The Champagne-style grape combination produces a more classic French flavor. Medium bubbles and firm acidity. Long lemony finish. This one is going to work a little better with some fresh oysters, marinated calamari, or grilled baby octopus.

Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.

NV Enza Prosecco

This sparkling wine is "Extra Dry", which actually means a little sweet due to the odd relationship between French winemakers selling to British customers. What does that have to do with Italy?

Prosecco is usually crisp and dry, but like anything else, can be made in a variety of styles to meet the demands of the market. I'd imagine that the widespread popularity of Moscato (and the slightly fizzy Moscato d'Asti) has opened up the door for a little more sugar. And while I prefer my wines dry, these can be great crowd pleasers for group dinners as well as excellent introductory wines for people that are just getting into the subject. As always, I highly recommend Prosecco for both casual consumption as well as for blending in various cocktails. True, you can break out that $85 bottle of fine Champagne, but if you're going to start adding fruit juices and liqueurs, I'd stay stick to the sub $20 bottles.

This wine is made by Cantine Sacchetto, founded in the Veneto in 1915.

NV Enza Prosecco
DOC Veneto
100% Prosecco
$15, 11% abv.

A clean nose with a touch of sweetness on the palate. The wine shows loads of lemony acidity with a little apple flavor in the background and big bubbles. An excellent popcorn and potato chip wine for snacking while watching a good movie.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2012 Castello di Pomino Bianco

The venerable house Marchesi de Frescobaldi has been in the wine business in Tuscany for seven centuries. I've talked about the family history before--trading Michelangelo wine for paintings, ledgers that still list sales to Henry VIII, etc. There are not that many industries out there that are growing, have new companies coming into the market every year, and yet still have established brands going back so long. It also makes me wonder which American producers will still be going strong in the 28th century.

The Pomino DOC is much younger by comparison, established in the 1970s and permitting the use of traditionally French grapes in both red and white blends. This is my first exposure to this particular DOC, and I was pleased with the style. This particular wine is aged in stainless steel with a small amount held in French barriques for three months.

2012 Castello di Pomino Bianco
Pomino DOC
Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco with other unspecified white grapes
$15, 12.5% abv.

Gentle aromas of melon. The nose opens up with floral notes, while on the palate there is light white fruit flavors and with a chalky element that is enticing. Medium acidity and a soft mineral finish. Great complexity at an affordable price point. I'd recommend it along with clams and pasta with lots of garlic.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

Culurgiones with Brown Butter

A lot of my news reading these days is through RSS (I use Feedly). It's a quick and convenient way to zip through hundreds of websites in a short period of time. When something jumps out at me, I'll go to the originating website and read the article in full. Thus I discovered the obscure deliciousness of Sardinian culurgiones. In the article on TastingTable.com, Philadelphia chef Adam Leonti admits that he had to use YouTube to figure out the technique for making these little potato dumplings. Frankly, I don't think I could have accomplished anything remotely like the finished product without watching his video demonstrating the process.

There have been many times in my life when I've been entranced by a beautiful picture in a cookbook or magazine and then had to stare sadly at a poor, deformed imitation, or worse, flames erupting from the oven. My white whale is still the magnificent croquembouche. But through diligence and effort I have taught myself to make things that stymied a younger Benito, and considering my recent success with homemade pasta, I decided to give this a shot.

The recipe is fairly simple but there are some challenges. The dough is made without eggs, oil, or other proteins, though I found that it was remarkably easy to work with using the little hand-cranked pasta machine. The filling is ridiculously simple, although I don't think I've ever had potatoes, cheese, and mint in the same dish together. And making brown butter and shaving some Pecorino over the finished dish? No sweat.

The final product was delicious, though I will admit that my dumpling-making skills are somewhat lacking. This was the only one that looked good even though I made three dozen. Watch out for stacking the circles of cut dough, as they will stick together and by the end you can't separate them. If you're not looking to impress anyone, you might as well just crimp the edges with a fork, in effect making pierogies. It's great to make a thing of beauty, but the little pinch-and-twist trick takes some work and I had difficulty repeating it. I enjoyed the dumplings with thin slices of steak and a salad, and the dough is so easy to make that I'm considering exploring other stuffed pastas and Asian equivalents.

Chianti Trio

I've been making a lot of Italian-American dishes recently, born out of a joy of making tomato sauces, slow cooking, and recipes that freeze well. Things like baked ziti, spaghetti and meatballs, and even making my own pizza dough. I'd say that my biggest joy comes from making Sunday gravy with lots of different meats in the sauce, which can then be repurposed into multiple applications over the course of the following week.

When it comes time to serve wine with these dishes, I'm usually just grabbing whatever leftover red is available, but recently I had the chance to try three bargain Chiantis that are perfectly matched to the old school red and white checker table cloth cuisine.

2011 Bolla Chianti
Chianti DOCG
90% Sangiovese, 10% Canaiolo Nero
$8, 13% abv.

A real winner on the QPR. Currant and ash on the nose, with tart raspberry flavors and firm tannins. Long tannic finish. Delicious pizza wine.

2010 Cecchi Chianti Classico
Castellina, Chianti DOCG
90% Sangiovese, 10% Other Red Grapes
$12, 13.5% abv.

Blackberry aromas, with a little coffee and spice underneath. Firm tannins and a long finish, and a wine that benefits from decanting or breathing.

2009 Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva
Chianti DOCG
"Almost exclusively Sangiovese"
$16, 13% abv.

Interesting wine with a major focus on raspberries, followed by a little brambly character. Good tartness and a nice, long finish. Like the others, firm tannins, but a wine that was a perfect match for my baked ziti.

Note: These wines were provided as samples for review.

NV Riunite Lambrusco

Advertising is a powerful thing and can stick with you for a long time. Due to the near total lack of wine advertising in the Mid-South during the early 80s and the continuing scarcity of wine commercials during network TV, the first wine brand that I was exposed to as a callow youth was Riunite, which I seem to recall from ad breaks while Mom was watching Dallas or Remington Steele.

The Riunite on Ice--That's Nice ad campaign had a catchy title, an exotic, grown-up subject matter (wine!), and a bizarre first introduction to the pronunciation of Italian words. I didn't learn how to read via phonics but tended to do pretty well in matching up spoken language vs. spelling. McLeod pronounced "Mic Loud" never bothered me, and the name Riunite made sense alongside names like Yosemite or Gethsemane.

In the commercial, I love how they recommend serving the wine with burgers, tacos, fried chicken, salads... One might notice that your humble wine blogger does a lot of that as well, though I generally do not serve wine over ice unless in sangria form. who can argue with bringing the concept of a simple table wine to the masses?

NV Riunite Lambrusco
Emilia IGT
8% abv.

Aroma of Concord grape jelly, though just a touch of sweetness and a little fizz on the finish. The fizz is entirely gone by the second day, though the flavor remains constant.

To be honest, this is the first Lambrusco I've tried, and the style is not entirely matched to my palate. I find it a little cloying and a bit off balance, but the type and specific brand of this wine have been quite popular for a long time. Everyone needs an entryway into the world of wine, and while I generally recommend Vinho Verde, this bottle has inspired me to seek out some other Lambruscos to see what's out there. Suggestions are highly encouraged in the comments section!

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

2012 Banfi Centine Rosé

I wrote about the red blend Banfi Centine in 2006 and 2007, and since then I've frequently suggested the wine as an inexpensive but tasty Italian red that would work well with a wide range of Italian-American fare. While I'm always fond of the rich diversity of Italian food with so many unique ingredients and separate traditions, it's worth celebrating the fact that Italian cuisine branched off and formed a lot of new and delicious traditions here in the United States through the immigrant experience. Below, I'll provide the details for my chili mac that is pretty darned tasty as the weather is starting to get cold. A few days ago, I had to scrape a tiny layer of ice off my windshield for the first time this season, but today we were eating outside and eventually had to abandon the table because it was getting too warm, and the bees were out pollinating the trees that are still producing flowers in November. The joys of life in a hot climate.

Since it's still nice and warm, it's still time to enjoy a good rosé... hell, it's always time to drink pink. This is the rosato entry in the Centine line, and I was excited to open it up.

2012 Banfi Centine Rosé
Toscana IGT
Proprietary Blend of Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
$11, 12.5% abv.

It's very bright rosé with a noticeable strawberry scent with a hint of lemon. It has a tart body with a crisp finish. The pale salmon color looks beautiful in the glass, and the wine has a remarkably long aftertaste of really ripe strawberries. I think it pair well with grilled chicken and asparagus drizzled in reduced balsamic vinegar, but I had other plans.

On to the chili mac... Purists say that chili con carne is only meat based, and the only starches allowable are small amounts of masa to thicken it up. In the real world, people around the world stretch flavorful meat sauces with various carbohydrates. It's not a sign of cheapness, and if done properly, it can taste great. I've had chili with rice (not my favorite preparation), over corn chips (good in a Frito Pie), over spaghetti in Cincinnati, and occasionally with a slice of bread. I tend to add red kidney beans whenever possible, and I recently made a big batch of chili with ground beef and kidney beans for freezing in convenient portions. It was great on its own, but a few weeks later I was able to defrost it and prepare a batch of chili mac.

I used organic rotini and didn't quite cook it al dente. I stopped early so that it was still slightly chewy and drained it thoroughly. The idea was to allow it to soak up the juices from the chili rather than letting excess water dilute the existing flavors. In order to not make too much pasta, I poured the dish half-full of dry pasta, dumped that in the water, and then cooked it in a pot. I combined the cooked pasta, some cottage cheese, about a litre of chile, and covered the baking dish with foil. I cooked it slow for about an hour, then added a layer of shredded cheese to brown on top.

With meat, pasta, and beans, it's incredibly filling, and even a small bowl is enough for an entire dinner. I was quite happy with it, and am still enjoying the leftovers days later. Obviously I'm adding a lot of hot sauce to my bowls, but I prepared the chili (and the casserole) mild to allow others to adjust their bowls as desired. Now, if only it would get a little colder.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

Morellino di Scansano

Morellino di Scansano is a newer wine region in coastal Tuscany, established as a DOC in 1978 and upgraded to DOCG in 2007. Like Chianti and Brunello, the backbone of the style is Sangiovese. Morellino seems to serve as a balance between tradition and the Super Tuscans: the wines must be at least 85% Sangiovese but the rest can come from other grapes, including French ones like Merlot. The baseline Morellino doesn't spend much time on oak and is released young, while the Riserva has to spend at least one year in the barrel and is not released until two years after harvest.

The color of the wine is surprising. Morellino means "little brown one", either a reference to a color of a horse in the region or the Morello cherry. It's also the name for the local clone of Sangiovese. There's a beautiful garnet hue that you don't often see in younger wines. Even though the 2008 has been resting for five years, it's a color that I've mostly seen in bottles that are at least ten years old.

Armed with crusty bread, nutty pecorino cheese, and a bit of prosciutto, I opened the following three wines on a rainy afternoon...

2010 Tenuta Pietramora di Colle Fagiano Petramora
Morellino di Scansano
85% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot
$15, 14% abv.

Bright red cherry profile, tart and snappy but with mild tannins and a quick finish. Quite refreshing and a great palate-opener. A great apéritif wine for a dinner party, where it should go well with lots of appetizers yet not overwhelm the tongue if you're going to be serving white wines with the first course.

2009 Fattoria le Pupille Poggio Valente Riserva
Morellino di Scansano
97% Sangiovese, 3% Merlot
$20, 14.5% abv.

This one has that rare aroma of pomegranate with a touch of vegetal, earthy darkness underneath. It has lower acidity than the first but with a softer mouthfeel. Medium tannins provide a bit more body and weight, meaning that it would stand up well to a nice roast duck.

2008 Mantellassi Le Sentinelle Riserva
Morellino di Scansano
85% Sangiovese, 15% Alicante (Grenache)
$23, 14% abv.

Nice earth tones on the nose, giving way to the scent of dark plum. The body and tannins are very similar to the Poggio Valente, though with another year of aging it's a bit softer and shows better balance. I found myself craving venison, and since deer season is coming up, I may get a chance to cook another sirloin roast depending on how successful my friends are this winter. And given the opportunity, I think I'll be searching the local shelves for another Morellino.

Note: These wines were provided as samples.

2006 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

I am not an expert when it comes to Brunello di Montalcino. If you're looking for a blogger who specializes in that tiny region, I would highly recommend you check out the blog of my friend Bob Fyke, a writer who specializes in that particular wine. And coincidentally, I met him in NYC the same weekend I met the delightful Susannah Gold, who graciously sent me this and many other wines that will be appearing here soon on BWR.

The name of the wine is a diminutive of Bruno, which is an old Germanic name popular in Italy and meaning "brown". Pouring the wine will help explain the name: as the first splash hits the glass and you see the color of the wine balanced against your white tile kitchen table, the color is garnet, a little brown or orange depending on the lighting, and your first thought is that the bottle is suffering from severe oxidation. Fear not, this is the natural coloring. Give it a few swirls and prepare to be impressed.

I made a heaving dish of baked ziti with my homemade sauce and meatballs, and allowed this wine to breathe for an hour before serving.

2006 La Fiorita Brunello di Montalcino Riserva
Tuscany
100% Sangiovese
$45, 14% abv.

The wine has aromas of tea, plum, and black cherry. On the palate it is as smooth as silk. Medium acidity in the background with mellow tannins. Delicious. Little touches of stewed fruit and fig appear on the second day. There is a long finish that keeps you thinking for a while after the last sip. It's an excellent bottle and I look forward to exploring more Brunello in the future.

Note: This wine was provided as a sample for review.

DaVinci Wines

The Cantine Leonardo da Vinci cooperative was formed in Tuscany in 1965 and continues making wine today in the spirit of the legendary Renaissance artist and inventor. Leonardo was a legendary doodler, and his sketches of helicopters and war machines and parachutes were strangely prophetic... Or perhaps less surprising if you've seen the school notebooks of bored young boys. Yes, I got to see my design of yard lights that would charge up via solar energy during the day and glow at night featured in the SkyMall catalog on a flight to Cincinnati.

I could stew over that missed opportunity, or I could fix some tasty food and enjoy a pair of delicious Italian wine samples. Let's take the latter path.

2012 DaVinci Pinot Grigio
Alto Adige/Trento
90% Pinot Grigio, 10% Chardonnay
$12, 12.5% abv.

Peach and apricot with a touch of buttery popcorn underneath, making me think that the Chardonnay saw a little oak and gives the wine a little deeper structure. Bright fruit, tart acidity, and a medium finish. Great with a grilled chicken salad, chilled on a hot summer day.

2011 DaVinci Chianti
Chianti
90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot
$9, 13.5% abv.

Plum and spice dominate the nose, while there is a mild body with low tannins and a red cherry finish. This is a perfect middle-of-the-week pizza wine, tasty after a half hour in the refrigerator. Delicious with a nice NYC-style pepperoni floppy slice.


Note: These wines were provided as samples.

Montefalco Wines of Umbria

I rarely if ever quote directly from press releases or back labels, but this particular pitch caught my eye:

Don't you know about the bird? Well, in Italy everybody’s heard, about the bird! If you're not in the know, the bird is the hawk, the symbol of Montefalco, the medieval town in Central Italy (Umbria) rebuilt by Frederick II in 1249.

Little did the writer know that I'm the kind of guy who got excited about seeing a Cooper's Hawk in the cove outside my bedroom window. I ran outside and captured it in four different poses as it was chased away by a Mockingbird (state bird of Tennessee, natch). I'm not an active birder but I did truly enjoy the 2011 comedy The Big Year, and having spent a lot of time in the woods and traveling, I'm always excited to spot a bird I've never seen in the flesh before. Such an interest translates well into wine, with the opportunity to chase after certain rare grapes, regions, or vintages. Unlike birders, I get most of my interesting finds delivered to my doorstep.

Note to bird breeders and international rara avis smugglers: Please do not send me any bird samples. I prefer to wait for natural migration patterns or the odd summer storm to deliver interesting birds to my backyard.

As mentioned in the top quote, these wines come from one of those ancient little towns in the middle of Italy. Umbria is a region associated with famous towns like Assisi and Perugia, and I enjoyed my visit there. The cities are not big like Rome and Milan, the name is not as well associated with romantic writing about Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, but the food, wine, and people are wonderful. Here are three tasty wines from the small medieval town of about five thousand citizens. Two of them feature the iconic, tannic, regional, dark grape known as Sagrantino.

2011 Scacciadiavoli Grechetto dell'Umbria
Umbria IGT
100% Grechetto
$15, 13% abv.

This Greek grape found its way to Italy a very long time ago. Despite the thick skin this grape produces very delicate white pear flavors, low acidity, and a mild, clean finish. Serve with a traditional rustic fava bean soup.

2010 Arnaldo-Caprai Montefalco Rosso
Montefalco Rosso DOC
70% Sangiovese, 15% Sagrantino, 15% Merlot
$23, 14.5% abv.

This bottle had a nose of red cherry with tart acidity and firm tannins, showing that the Sagrantino can be really bold even at 15%. Later there were notes of leather and cedar on the finish. I'd suggest a simple quattro stagioni pizza with a single topping on each quarter representing a different season. I don't know why this dish hasn't caught on here in the US, perhaps in a version with our own local delicacies. The ones I had in Umbria featured ham, olives, artichoke hearts, and mushrooms above the tomato sauce and mozzarella. I finished off an entire one while chatting with the chef one cold December day in Perugia...

2007 Perticaia
Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG
100% Sagrantino
$48, 14% abv.

If Italy teaches you anything, it's patience. Despite the fact that this wine is six years old, the pure Sagrantino makeup means that it remains bold and big. Another half decade might be required to soften these strong grapes. The Perticaia features a dominant profile of black cherry with a touch of cinnamon. Bold tannins and blackberries follow on the palate. Nice, big finish. This would be amazing with a rich venison stew full of garlic and perhaps a few truffle shavings for depth. The wine would certainly stand up to it.

Interested in birds and wine? Be sure to check out my friend Dezel's site My Vine Spot. A lot of his reviews end with gorgeous photos of the local avian population of the Washington, D.C. area.

Note: These wines were provided as samples.