“Like the best wine…that goeth down sweetly, causing the lips of those who are asleep to speak,” Song of Soloman 7:9.
There are more than 1,000 documented grape varieties and 900,000 vineyards throughout Italy’s 20 wine-growing regions. One author compares the vineyards to our lawns – omnipresent. Of all worldwide wine produced each year, Italy and France account for more than 30 percent.
Italian wines vary tremendously in simplicity, quality and power, from simple and quaffable Montepulciano D’Abruzzos to deeply inky, intense and profound Barolos and Barbarescos. My personal favorite for moderate daily consumption remains the former. The rest get more complicated, tannic and pricey, depending upon the producer.
For many years, Italian winemakers paid more attention to quantity production than to quality, and its reputation suffered as we noted more Chiantis in wicker baskets, Bolla brands, etc. However, in the 1970s they began to wake up, touring friendly competitors in France and California and learning techniques to give depth and complexity to their wines. The government cooperated in these efforts, and Italian wines are now classified into three quality levels: generic (like Soave, Valipolicella or Chianti), DOC, DOCG and IGT, with each being more rigorously and specifically quality-oriented than the others. DOCG wines, for instance, carry a pink collar around the neck that confirms their provenance – a simple “buy me,” which I think is a sensible quality signal.
Italy ranks first in wine producing and consuming countries worldwide, and its citizens enjoy, on average, 14.51 gallons per year, mostly in conjunction with its marvelously simple food.
Now on to my tasting. As has been the case previously, I’ve ranked these on an “A”-“F” scale. Most of these wines are available at Discount Liquor, Grasch, Otto’s, Ray’s or Sendiks:
1. Maculan Pinot & Toi, 2008, $11.99: A blend of Pinot Bianco, Tocai and Pinot Grigio, each of which brings a lot to the party. (For you California lovers, this is very similar to Caymus Vineyards’ Conundrum.) Light body with a dancingly fruity nose from the Tocai. Medium-rich middle (from the Pinot Bianco) and a pleasantly tart, slightly acidic finish (from the Pinot Grigio). B+
2. Stella Montepulciano, 2008, $6.99-7.99: A grape that’s similar to Sangiovese. Light/medium body with a rich, deep nose and notes of perfume. Good fruit and dry finish. C+
3. Arancio (means “Orange”) Nero D’Avola, 2008, $7.99: From the warm area of Sicily, this is called “The dark one from Avola.” Medium-plus body with a deep, rich nose and notes of plum and spice. This baby continued to improve in the glass over a period of hours. A-
4. Di Majo Norante Sangiovese, 2008, $9.99: When the Latins tried this in 200 B.C., they called it “Blood of Jupiter.” Medium-heavy body with deep red color and huge, brooding nose. Richly deep notes with hints of spice. B-
5. Prunotto Dolcetto D’Alba, 2007, $11.99: Deep red hue with medium-heavy body. Intense nose with deep, rich fruit on the palate. Clean finish. B
6. Pio Cesare Dolcetto D’Alba, 2007, $19.99: Similar to the previous entry but with a tad more class. B+
The overall winner was the Nero D’Avola. For price/value, it was the Montepulciano D’Abruzzo (guess you’re getting the hang of my palate).
