All posts tagged: Italian Wine

Furlani “Joannizza” Pét-Nat

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Grown in the alpine city of Trento, Italy, “Joannizza” is created from Joannita, a grape created in 1968 from a cross of Riesling, Seyve-Villard, Rulander, and Gutedel.  This varietal is fungus and disease resistant…and rare. It is only grown in a few places, mostly in Germany and Switzerland. The Furlani family vineyard has 2.5 acres of Joannita. This vineyard is currently in the hands of Matteo Furlani, a 4th generation winemaker. While the family has always practiced organic farming, Matteo has also introduced some biodynamic techniques. Additionally, wines are fermented with no yeast or sulfur, in cement tanks and small glass jugs with no temperature control. The wines are placed outside in the snow to settle. This hands-off, small-batch approach is reflected in the wine. With a week of fermentation on the skins of the grape, the secondary fermentation is completed in the bottle with conserved grape must, resulting in lovely and persistent medium-sized bubbles. The hue is a bright and cheerful lemonade yellow, with strong aromas of yeasty baked bread, unripe apricot, and toasted …

Bele Casel Prosecco ColFòndo

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The natural wine movement is in full swing, and I’ve been on a hunt for a trendy “pét-nat,” or a sparkling wine that has used the pétillant naturel method. What is the pétillant naturel method? Basically, it is the process of bottling a partially fermented wine and completing the fermentation in the bottle, which produces the bubbles. The wine placed in the bottle is raw and often unfiltered – it is “natural.” This is considered the simplest way to produce effervescence, but it also has the most risk.  Since the wine in the bottle is unfinished, it’s always a gamble as to how it will turn out. Given the popularity of pét-nats, it was fairly hard to find one.  Finally, I found a cool, local wine store that had not one, but two pét-nats.  I purchased both and decided to try the Prosecco first. However, I quickly found out this Bele Casel Prosecco is not a traditional pét-nat. This one is made like a Champagne, with finished (versus unfinished) wine completing fermentation in the bottle.  Unlike …

Featured Wine of the Week – Orange Wines

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Orange wines seem to be popping up all over my Instagram feed, in some of my favorite wine bars and in the stores!  What are orange wines?  They are not wines made from oranges, as you might guess.  They are a style of wine where the white grape is fermented with the skins, like how red wine is made.  This technique is intended to produce fuller bodied, more tannic wines from white grapes. I took a class on orange wines several years ago, and was not impressed.  While they were beautiful to look at, they were bitter and lacked any kind of real character.  However, it seems the wine making process on these orange wines has gotten better, because suddenly I (and everyone else, it seems) have found a couple of orange wines I like.  Details: Albino Armani Pinot Grigio 2017 12.5% Alcohol Valdadage, Veneto, Italy Cold mascerated, soft pressed   Tasting Notes: Flirty in nature, this wine demonstrates its desire to please with its gorgeous copper color.  It greets with a bouquet of lilacs …

Featured Wine of the Week

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Happy Wine Wednesday! I’ve been tasting a lot of delicious wines lately. Banfi Rosa Regale was a lost favorite. I used to drink this for dessert at one of my favorite Italian restaurants. The restaurant closed a few years ago, and with it went my tradition. I was happy to rediscover this wine at my local BevMo. Details: Banfi Rosa Regale 2018 100% Brachetto Alcohol: 7% Piedmont, Italy Sparkling Red Wine Tasting Notes: This gorgeous wine is ruby colored in the glass with aromas of roses. This sweet, sparkling wine delights the tongue with its effervescence and flavors of raspberries, rose petals and just a hint of earthiness. It would pair well with chocolate and fattier meats like lamb or pork. Trivia: According to legend, both Julius Caesar and Marc Anthony gifted Cleopatra with Brachetto. She had them drink it to “unleash their passions.” Cheers!

Featured Wine of the Week

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“My doctor said I need to drink more water, so I bought a case of Pinot Grigio”  ~@ShitMySommelierSays I saw this quote on Twitter a few years ago, and it made me laugh.  Admittedly, I’m not much of a Pinot Grigio drinker these days.  I usually prefer richer, bolder wines.  However, my mother’s favorite wine was Pinot Grigio.  So, in tribute to her, I decided to feature one this week. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a Pinot Grigio, and honestly, I’ve always thought of it as a “food wine” – something that pairs nicely with most foods, but I wouldn’t drink it alone. The Pinot Grigio I selected and tried for today changed my mind on all of this.  It was lovely, bright, and surprisingly robust! Details: Villa Borghetti Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie “Grigio Luna” 2017 Verona, Italy DOC 12% Alcohol White Wine Tasting Notes: Light straw in color, this wine surprises with a fragrant bouquet.  It smells floral and fruity, with notes of kiwi, pear, green apple, and honeysuckle.  It is crisp …

Italian Wines, or More Specifically, Gavi

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I had the most wonderful meal at a new Italian restaurant.  Finally!  There is a world-class Italian restaurant in this town.  I was really beginning to think I was going to have to make do with the Olive Garden. By chance, I got to sit down and have a conversation with the Italian-born owner, Dario, prior to my meal there. He was ebullient and engaging.  He asked me my history and was happy to talk to another person who had lived in Los Angeles.  He did his education at UCLA. Then he asked me about my “passion for Italian wines.”  I paused.  I’ve been working in the California wine industry for long enough that I’ve almost ignored the rest of the world.  How unfortunate!  I smiled and explained how laser focused I’ve been in the last few years.  That said, I have always adored Italian wine, especially Prosecco, Dolcetto, and all things Sangiovese. He asked me what I thought of his wine list.  I commented on the Super Tuscan and an Amarone on his list.  …