WineLife365

Posts Tagged ‘Italy’

Autumn is in full swing in my neck of the woods:  the colorful leaves are falling and cooler temperatures are quickly setting in.  With the change of the season, I thought I’d share a wine with you – a Cabernet Franc – whose hues of red, with scents of earthiness and cedar, match perfectly with fall weather and a variety of simmering home cooked meals.

Cabernet Franc was originally planted in France. Over the years, Cabernet Franc has been successfully grown in places like Australia, California, Canada, Chile, Italy, South Africa, and Washington State, to name a few. Compared to the brawny characteristic style of many Cabernet Sauvignons, Cabernet Francs tend to be lighter in color and a bit ‘fruitier’ and ‘softer’ on the palate.  The other big difference between the two varietals is that most Cabernet Francs are not made for ageing – they’re meant to be drunk young.

I recently had a wonderful fall sipper that came all the way from Friuli, Italy which is in the far northeast corner of Italy, wedged between the wine-growing region of Veneto and the Italian border.   In Italy, especially in Friuli, Cabernet Franc is known as “Bordo” or “Cabernet Frank.”  It’s very common to see Italian Cabernet Francs labeled simply as “Cabernet” when in fact, they’re really Cabernet Francs – perhaps to market the wine better?  Whatever the reason, it’s a crying shame that not many of this Italian red can be found in the American market – or at least in my general vicinity!

Fortunately, the 2005 Beltrame Cabernet Franc was one Italian Franc that did make the long journey to the US.

Founded in 1991, Beltrame Vineyards covers an area of 40 hectares, 25 of which are solely devoted to grape growing.  Beltrame Vineyards produces both red and white wines.

The 2005 Beltrame Cabernet Franc (Sample, $20 MSRP) displays a tremendous herbaceous component that intertwines nicely with dark cherry, plum, and earthy cedar notes.  I’ll warn you ahead of time though:  this Italian Cabernet Franc is 100% Old World style – so it’s got some of that funk (i.e., earthy dirtiness) to it.  But give it a little time to breathe and you’ll be rewarded with a delightful, floral red that will grip your taste buds and pair nicely with beef stew or any comfort foods that warm you up.

3 Stars out of 4 for the 2005 Beltrame Cabernet Franc.  If you love Italian red wines like Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, consider giving this Cabernet a swirl!

Salute!

When thinking of Italian red wines, names like Amarone, Chianti, Montepulciano and Sangiovese certainly come to mind for many wine drinkers.  However, there is one lesser known (at least to me!) Italian red wine, called Lacrima, that you just might want to consider looking for the next time you’re out shopping for wine.

Lacrima dates back to ancient times and is not considered a true grape varietal because it generally includes the addition of either Montepulciano and/or Verdicchio grapes in its production.  This wine is mainly produced in the village of Morro d’Alba in Ancona Province, Marche.  The profile on this Italian wine is that it is a medium body wine with moderate acidity and mild tannins, and it possesses big floral and red-fruit aromas, while displaying earthy and herbal characteristics.  The flavors can also be somewhat sweet for a red wine.

About a week ago, I was looking for a red wine under $20 to go with our traditional Friday dinner of spaghetti and meatballs.  While I was talking it up with a buddy of mine, he suggested that I give the 2008 Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba a try.

Not being familiar with this particular style of Italian wine, I was expecting it to display a dried cherry/fruit characteristic, accompanied by a mild astringent finish that would tell my taste buds, “Hey buddy, you’re drinking an Italian red!”  What I didn’t expect to happen was to taste an Italian red wine that would break all of the “rules” of how I thought an Italian red wine was supposed to taste.

The 2008 Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a complete detour from your typical Italian red wine.  To start, when I smelled it, flowers was the first thing that came to mind – lavender, maybe?  As far as taste goes – it totally bails on the commonly used dried cherry/fruit component, and there is absolutely no hint of the familiar astringent aftertaste.  Instead, the folks at Velenosi opt for a massive blast of vibrant sweet berry flavors (an explosion of blueberries and boysenberries), then they lay the smack down on you with a velvety smooth, long finish that seems well… downright “Un-Italian”. 

I must say that it doesn’t quite jive with spaghetti and meatballs the way a traditional Italian red would, but don’t let this discourage you in the least from trying this fabulous, well-crafted wine.  It totally rocks on its own and seems to be an ideal match for rack of lamb, roasted chicken, duck, or any other gamey stuff.  A big high five to Frank for sharing this magnificent discovery with me!

 4 Stars out of 4.  The 2008 Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d’Alba is a big, juicy, and unique Italian red wine!

($19.99)

Choosing a bottle of wine based on its label appeal is certainly one method of selection, but another factor that you might want to consider the next time you’re out shopping for wine is “Bottle Weight”.  While shopping a few weeks ago for a wine tasting party and sizing up some Italian wines, I came across a bottle of Ripasso (often called “Baby Amarone”) that was heavy enough to give someone a frickin’ hernia.  My wheels started turning…with so much mass surrounding the 2007 Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella Ripasso Montere, I thought, “maybe the folks at Tinazzi Eugenio & Figli meant for this glass vessel to be used as a bodyguard to protect the precious cargo inside?”  With that said, I decided that I would put my new theory to a test.

After I got home, I placed the little pocket Hercules on a scale to find out how much it weighed (as my kids stared at me quizzically).  To my astonishment, it clocked in at a whopping 4lbs!  This probably doesn’t sound like much to you as you’re reading this post, but try tipping and pouring this behemoth of a bottle about 4-6 times.  It won’t take long before you start saying to yourself, “I should have eaten my Wheaties this morning!”

Now I don’t know if there is any credence behind my new bottle weight theory, but after having the 2007 Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella Ripasso Montere I think I might start testing it more.  Made predominately from Corvina grapes, this red wine is dense, muscular, persistent and rich, just like its protective outer shell.  It displays loads of satisfying sweet black cherry, prune and raisin flavors with the perfect spot of wood to smooth things out.  A great buy and workout for under $20!

3 Stars out 4.  – Stretch before lifting!

Like a lot of other people this past Sunday night, we were glued to the TV set sayin’, “Man, she looks terrible!” or “Wow, she looks really great!”  We were also wondering if James Cameron and Jon Landau’s 10 year project, “Avatar”, would runaway with all of the Oscar trophies.  But just like so many other past Oscar nights, there was that dark horse in the bunch that surprised everyone.  This year, it was a night to remember for the folks involved with the film “The Hurt Locker”, which won six Academy Awards including “Best Picture”.

As we watched “The Hurt Locker” put a hurtin’ on fellow nominees, we were putting a hurtin’ on a couple great bottles of wine!

The first of the evening was the 2009 Finca La Linda Torrontes bottled by Luigi Bosca.  This wine was produced in Argentina and consists of 100% Torrontes grape.  Torrontes is the wonderful and distinctively aromatic signature white grape of Argentina.  If you’ve never tried a Torrontes before, this one will certainly make a great first impression on you!  There’s a lot of interesting layers of flavors swirling around in this wine.  It’s a bombshell of racy, crisp acidity, packed full of tropical flavors, that reminded me of a Pina Colada.  The 2009 Finca La Linda Torrontes was a big winner and left us wanting more.  Costing less than $10, it secures a lofty 4 star WineLife365 taste rating and also earned itself many repeat visits as the weather in our neck of the woods continues to warm up.

Next up was the 2006 La Corte Solyss Negroamaro.  This red wine is from the South of Italy in the Puglia (Apulia) region.  Negroamaro, also known as Negro amaro, is one of the most widely planted native red grapes grown in the Southern regions of Italy.  It’s grown almost exclusively in Puglia (Apulia) and also in Salento, which is located at the “heel” of Italy.  The Negroamaro grape and the winemakers in this region tend to allow these wines to express rustic, earthy, and natural tasting characteristics.  This particular Old World red showcases some really interesting mineral, herbaceous and cherry twists that will undoubtedly make you question whether you’re a fan of it or not.  We were fans of 2006 La Corte Solyss Negroamaro and give it 3 stars out of 4 on our taste scale.  One final note on this wine – I paid $12 for it at a local retailer, but I’ve seen it as high as $25 online.  I’m not sure whether or not I’d be willing to fork over 25 bones for it, but if you can find it for less than $20, it’s certainly worth a shot!

With the 2010 Oscars behind us, I can’t say that there were many moments that will replay in my mind for any length of time.  However, I did find some winners that will have repeat performances in my glass.