Saturday, October 10, 2009

TREBBIANO D'ABRUZZO: ITALY

+MUST TRY+
Barone di Valforte (by Tenute Barone di Valforte)
Italia: Abruzzo (Teramo Hills)
Trebbiano d' Abruzzo 100% (white)
2007
89 pts
$15.99
This is an outstanding Italian white: it's loaded with flavorful fruit (apple mostly), with hints of green grass. A rich, delicious, and crisp wine, and on the dry side (fruity, but dry, not too sweet), perfect for my tastes. Have read that this varietal (Trebbiano d' Abruzzo) is traditional and ancient, referred to in imperial Rome as "the soldiers' wine" because it was so popular with Roman troops. To me, this proves what I've always suspected: while soldiers through history have eagerly consumed just about any alcoholic beverage available to them (and who can blame them, with long periods of boredom interrupted only by moments of shear terror), they also learned to recognize a good vino when they get their hands on one. This wine also has a personal connection for me, in that my grandmother Elizabeth Zappacosta (Durkin), who emigrated to the US during World War II from Ontario, Canada, had her Italian roots--and thus to an extent, my roots--in the Italian region of Abruzzo. I picked this wine up at a neat little shop called The Gourmet Grape (3530 N Halsted, Chicago), and Dana, me, and our friend Scott tasted it together. Scott picked up on the apple flavor immediately, I recognized the fresh, grassy taste, and Dana really like the fruit level. Not a cheap wine at $16.00, but well worth the price tag. The only reason I haven't awarded this wine 90 points is the finish--it has a good length, but just short of what I expect in terms of finish from a 90 point wine. Still, I highly recommend you give this one a try.

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CLICK PHOTO TO SEE MORE OF WONDERFUL BARCELONA
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CLICK PHOTO TO SEE MORE OF HISTORIC FLORENCE

CLICK PHOTO TO SEE MORE OF HISTORIC FLORENCE
We have dined twice now at Trattoria Gobbi 13 in Florence, Italy, including a memorable Christmas Eve dinner in 2007. We returned in June of 2008.

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