Italian Wines & Cheese Tasting
November 3rd & 5th
Thursday 5:00 PM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 12 PM – 5:00 PM
Ajello Grillo 2009
Origin: Sicily, Italy
Varietal: 100% Grillo
Tasting Notes: A local Sicilian white varietal that produces an elegant, refreshing and fruity wine with a characteristic bouquet of jasmine, white flowers and Tropical fruits. “Lots of peach and honey aromas create a big, heavy bouquet. Golden Delicious apple and pineapple flavors are prominent, while the finish provides a full mix of apple and citrus notes.
Food Pairing: It
goes well with seafood, pasta with vegetables, white meats and baked fish. Serving Temperature: 50-54°F
Alteo Chianti DOCG 2007
Origin: Tuscany, Italy. Donna Laura specializes in producing wines from first-class Sangiovese grapes grown in the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. The name Alteo is a combination of the names of owner Lia Tolaini-Banville’s sons, Alessandro and Matteo.
Varietal: This Chianti from Donna Laura winery comes from two vineyards: one is traditional and the other is high density. The older sangiovese clone of grape brings great structure to Alteo while the newer vines bear a fruitier sangiovese. Perfect balance from the vines.
Tasting Notes : Clear ruby-red color with clean aromas of wild rose, black currant and sour black cherry. Persistent flavors of red berries with soft tannins and an overall fine structure.
Food Pairing: Suggested
food pairings include angus filet mignon, lamb chops,
veal parmigiano and Osso bucco. Chianti
Classico also goes well with semi-mature Pecorino Toscano cheese, crostini alla toscana and fagioli al fiasco.
Italo Pietrantonj Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2007
Origin: Abruzzo, Italy. This lovely Montepulciano d'Abruzzo comes from the house of Italo Pietrantonj, a family winery that has been making wine in the same estate in the small town of Vitorita since 1830.
Varietal: 100% Montepulciano D’Abruzzo
Tasting Notes: The black label Montepulciano d'Abruzzo is one that can stand up to the big boys. This wine is full of dried floral and fruit notes complemented by soft leather and earthy aromas. Aged in large oak vats for two years, it offers sweet spice flavors of vanilla, anise and dried tobacco in the mouth with a hint of chocolate on the finish. This wine is full flavored and rich without being too heavy in body.
Food
Pairing: Easy
going and ready to be enjoyed, this is a versatile, authentic Italian red:
delicious by the glass and perfect with hearty food such as eggplant
parmigiana, meat-based pasta sauce, sausages, meatballs and salami.
Prunotto Barbera d’Asti Fiulot DOC 2009
Origin: Asti, Piemonte, Italy
Varietal: This Barbera d’Asti is made from 100% Barbera grapes from selected vineyards in the area of Asti, in Piedmont.
Tasting Notes: Vivid ruby-red in color, Fiulot offers supple aromas of ripe plums and red cherries. Warm and well-balanced on the palate, Fiulot is round and generous, with rich spicy flavors of coffee and dried figs. "Fiulot", which means young man in Italian, is the name that Prunotto has cleverly chosen for the most youthful wine in their portfolio. This Barbera d’Asti is made entirely from Barbera grapes from select vineyards in the area of Asti. The wine is fermented and refined in stainless steel tanks for four months before it is bottled in the spring.
Food Pairing: Barbera
Fiulot is recommended with roasted or grilled red and white meat,
pasta, risottos, Salmon and lamb chops. The
ideal serving temperature is 55-59 degrees
.
Tommasi Poggio Al Tufo 2009
Origin: Rompicollo Vineyard, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
Varietal: Sangiovese 60%, Cabernet Sauvignon 40% In general, the definition of a super-Tuscan wine is a non-traditional wine from the Tuscan wine region of Italy. These wines could not be called Chianti--either because they were produced outside the Chianti zone in Tuscany or because their grape blend (generally Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and/or Sangiovese) did not conform to the government regulation requirements for Chianti.
Tasting Notes: The 2009 Rompicollo showcases a beautiful ruby red color and intense aromas of ripe red berries. Flavors of raspberries and cherries abound with layers of anise and espresso intermingled. It is a medium-bodied wine with all of the traditional benefits of Sangiovese. The Cabernet adds depth and breadth and balances the whole package. It is aged for 12 months in Slavonian oak. I Vini di Veronelli 89 points
Food Pairing: Well-matched for the flavors of chicken, red meat, fish, lamb, pork, pastas, stews or well-aged cheeses.