GIO'S WINE NOTES

2012-01-29T08:15:00.000-06:00

Con pan y vino se anda el camino

With bread and wine you can walk your road

Spanish Proverb
Gio reviews readily available wines from around the world, most under $15.00, in a straightforward, honest way. The wines to which Gio gives his highest recommendation are noted by the MUST TRY label. The wines which Gio recommends you avoid--and even drink water or Diet Coke, instead, when confronted with them--are noted by the RUN AWAY NOW label. This label is intended to save you the trouble--and the money.

The table of contents (at right) includes the following additional categories:

Color (red or white)
Country of origin
Short posts offering Gio's insights and wine tips
Region of origin
Varietal or official designation

To get started, make your selection, and click. Salute'!

TEMPRANILLO: SPAIN

2012-01-29T06:00:00.000-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Bodegas Lan Rioja Crianza
Espana: Rioja
100% Tempranillo (red)
2006
$10.99
89 pts
Two strong Tempranillos in a row! The 2006 LAN Rioja Crianza, available at Binny's for under eleven bucks, is a top-notch Spanish red priced about the same as the Kool-Aid wines that line the shelves of most grocery stores. Deep ruby red in the color, this wine offers red fruit, black pepper and a hint of leather on the nose. The taste profile features plum, dark cherry, plenty of earthy barnyard (in true Old World style), and a bit of vanilla on the back end. There's a nice balance to this wine, too, with the red fruit and earthiness and hints of oak working in concert, each complementing the others and ultimately blending nicely into a unified whole...no showboats in this glass! Highly recommend the Lan Rioja Crianza. Drawbacks? Flavor a bit light on the finish, and the length is decent but not great. But hey, for ten bucks, you'd have a very hard time IMO finding a better vino tinto. Salud!

+MUST TRY+
Bodegas Ochoa Garnacha & Tempranillo
Espana: Navarra
50% Tempranillo, 50% Garnacha (red blend)
2008
$13.00
90 pts
At $13.00, this is a great buy...a very solid wine for little dough. The nose offers vanilla, tobacco, black cherry and white pepper. For $13.00, that's a whole lot on the aroma. Hell, I'd pay five bucks just to smell this wine. It really is fragrant and appealing. The initial attack offers raspberry & plums, followed by mucho tobacco and, on the very back end of the taste profile, flowers and some Spanish dirt, earth. Color is a pretty dark purple. The length? Nice, as well. Recently had an entry-level Barolo I paid over thirty bucks for, and it was nowhere near as rich, complex and rewarding as the Ochoa Garnacha & Tempranillo. Picked this up at Vino 100 on Elston. And I recommend it: a definite +MUST TRY+. Could be one of my Wines of Winter 2011-12!

Tierra de Vientos Tempranillo (by Bodegas Altizia)
Espana: Castilla-La Mancha
Tempranillo (red)
2005
$11.99
87 pts
The Tierra de Vientos is a rich and beautiful violet color, and offers a wonderful nose with tart cherries--a pleasing Sweet Tart candy aroma that makes me salivate--with some licorice or cocoa notes. There is also a unique savory quality to the nose, almost gamy. On the palette, the initial attack is full of the savoriness, followed by lots of black licorice and then, on the finish, the bright cherries. While I certainly appreciate the variety of flavors this wine offers--and it possesses a decent length, too--the mid-palette really lacks punch. It's a little like a movie with an intriguing start, a long dull middle, and a fun ending. It won't win an Oscar, but at this price, and given how much garbage is out there at any given time, it's worth checking out On Demand, after it's left theaters. By no means is this a true Spanish Tempranillo (no earth here at all, not much to indicate its Old World roots, and over-oaked for my taste) but an interesting little wine at a discount price--and one I'd buy again, but only in a pinch. PS: Translation? Tierra de Vientos = Wind of the Earth: kind of cheesy.

Ercavio Tempranillo Roble
Espana: Manchuela
Tempranillo (red)
2007
$10.99
84 pts
This is an average Tempranillo, despite the Wine Advocate's ridiculously high 90+ rating. Yikes. It's not offensive, mind you, but it's just there. The color is absolutely gorgeous...black cherry, ruby red. The taste offers the same black cherries, along with a little lingering black pepper on the back end, but the mid-palette is a weak vanishing act, and the weight is awfully light. Length, though, is above average. Offers nice, soft tannins. Drinkable, but in the end, lacking flavor, complexity, and the ability to stand up to most foods one would enjoy with Spanish red. In a pinch would be better than most $10.00 reds, but overall, just an okay wine.

Protocolo (by Dominio De Eguren)
Espana: Manchuela
Tempranillo (red)
2006
$7.99
86+ pts
Decent Spanish red at a discount price; hint of pepper, licorice; not bad for $8.00. Clearly an Old World, musty kind of flavor profile that many will not like, but I don't mind. However, for just $5.00 more you can land the Ergo Tempranillo (see below), which is, for me, a 90+ wine. But if had only $8.00 to spend and had to drink a Tempranillo here in the states...I'd go with this one. (:

Sierra Cantabria Crianza (by Bodegas Sierra Cantabria)
Espana: Rioja
Tempranillo + Graciano (red)
2004
84 pts
Bought in Spain in December 2008; a spicy, really hot red; lots of pepper; not my favorite Spanish red.

+MUST TRY+
Ergo Tempranillo (by Bodegas Martin Codax)
Espana: Rioja
Tempranillo 85%, Mazuelo 15% (red)
2006
$12.99
90 pts
This is an outstanding Spanish red, with good black pepper and tobacco (the tobacco really pops on the bouquet). The red fruit is subtle but rewarding, and the Ergo offers a rock-solid finish and very good length. Dana bought this for me once, and after a quick smell and a single taste, I was hooked. Along with the da Vinci Chianti, this is my winter workhorse wine. Affordable, a great example of what the Spaniards from Rioja can do with Tempranillo, and readily available here at home. Not easy to find a $13.00 wine with this kind of integrity and reliability, year after year. This one's a MUST TRY!

VALPOLICELLA: ITALY

2012-01-07T08:11:00.001-06:00

Giuseppe Lonardi Valpolicella Classico
Italia: Veneto (foothills of the Italian Alps, just west of Verona)
A Blend: 75% Corvina Veronese, 20% Rondinella, 5% Molinara (red)
2009
86 pts
$15.99
On our trip to Italy for Thanksgiving 2011, we visited Verona in the region of Veneto, near the area in which Valpolicella is produced--and the wine I tasted there--a light-hearted, smooth, easy drinking red--was so beautiful. It was delicate, and yet flavorful at the same time. So upon our return to Chicago, I picked up a bottle of Valpolicella Classico to enjoy on New Year's Day 2012. Turns out, though, that the Lonardi Valpolicella Classico is a decent but overall unremarkable wine...at least to me. The nose offers abundant cherries, and the taste follows suit, along with a bit of cocoa. There may also be some light spice on the very back end. But with this particular Valpolicella, the lightness--characteristic of this region's wine, which is supposed to be consumed within just a few years of production--seemed more annoying to me than enhancing...not delicate, but lacking. Somehow the weight and body and flavors just don't work in harmony here for my palette. It's certainly not a lousy wine, but at sixteen dollars a bottle I believe one can find a better Valpolicella (such as the Buglioni, rated 89 points below). This one's not swill, but it's also not one to seek out.

+MUST TRY+
Buglioni Valpolicella Classico (by Buglioni Winery)
Italia: Veneto (foothills of the Italian Alps, just west of Verona)
A Blend: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Molinara (red)
2008
89 pts
$15.99

Earlier this week wandered into Dunlay's on Clark with Dana, and saw this Italian red on the D.O.C. wine list for the first time, and so I ordered a glass--wow! While I didn't find the nose appealing at first--had a candy-sweet scent to it that seemed artificial, reminding me of plastic somehow, or pre-sweetened Kool-Aid as a kid, with way too much powder added--I found the taste of this wine to be very satisfying, with a rich dark cherry flavor that lingered with a wonderful finish (especially in the lower part of the mouth), and nice tannins, too. The hint of acid provided, at least for me, more balance than I expected. I highly recommend this wine, especially if you enjoy cherries. Knew nothing about Valpolicella, and so did some research when I got home. Seems that this Italian blend is native to the north, west of Verona, near the mountains, and that its reputation has been damaged severely over the years due to poor production methods and little attention to quality. This is a light, everyday kind of wine--not really a special occasion wine--although like I said, it tasted really good in my mouth, and what more can one ask from a wine? Adam at Dunlay's told me it's meant to be drunk young, within about 2-3 years of the vintage. The light red color toward the top is common for its age. One thing that surprised me about this wine is that while it's fruity and young, I found the tannins (the pucker quality) very nice, just the same. $10.00 a glass at Dunlay's or, if you can find it, just over fifteen bucks a bottle. Available on the Internet. I say give this one a try!

RED BLENDS: PORTUGAL

2012-01-07T08:00:00.000-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Charamba Vinho Tinto
Portugal: Douro
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Francesa,
Tinta Barroca and Tinta Roriz (blend)
2007
$6.99
88+ pts
Named for a traditional Portuguese dance, this may just be the absolute best bottle of $7.00 wine on the market in the United States. That is not to say that this is an interesting, complex or life-altering wine (in fact, it is none of those things). BUT what it is--a delicious Old World-style red with a beautiful rich ruby coloring, a nose of red berries and black pepper, and a taste profile that includes strawberries, barnyard and bit of green vegetables--is exceptional for a wine that retails at Binny's for $6.99 a bottle. If your tastes run Old World (bit more earthy and dirty than giant New World fruit bomb), this red from Portugal, at this price, should be in your starting line-up for Tuesday night kind-of wines. I'm a fan!

+MUST TRY+
Quinta do Côa Vinho Tinto
Portugal: Almendra, Douro Superior (northern Portugal)
Touriga Nacional, Touriga Franca & Tinta Roriz, which the Spanish call Tempranillo (blend)
2006
$23.99
89 pts
Very nice! This vinho tinto, a deep, dark red, offers plum and blackberry on the nose, and delivers a wonderful multi-faceted flavor, starting with blackberries and transitioning to plum, with an undercurrent of gentle spice before...wait for it...a chocolate finish! Really. Chocolate. While twenty-four bucks is certainly not a bargain-priced wine, this one earns its keep, with interest, a measure of complexity, and most importantly, great taste. Picked this up last summer at House of Glunz on Wells in Old Town, and I highly recommend it. Tip: Portuguese red continues to offer great quality for the price, with very good wines available for tens of dollars less than comparable wines from France and California. The same is true of Chilean reds.

Chaminé (by Cortes de Cima)
Portugal: Alentejano (Southern Portugal)
Aragonez (Tempranillo) 43%, Syrah 42%, and the remainder Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira, Cabernet Sauvignon, Alicante Bouchet and Petit Verdot (blend)
2007
$13.99
87+ pts
The nose on this Portuguese red leads with fresh earth, with bright cherry undertones next, before closing with a hint of hospital (a distinct chemical or cleaning aroma). In the mouth, Chaminé (Chimney, in Portuguese, named after a feature of the original vineyard), is a light-to-medium bodied wine with a bright, zesty initial attack of candy-like raspberries. This is followed by lots of enjoyable musty earthiness, although the raspberries sneak back in on the finish. The length? Very nice, well above average. At fourteen bucks a bottle (available at Binny's), this is an interesting and fine wine...but one word of caution: the combination of bright young raspberries and soulful rich earth (almost manure-like) isn't for everyone. And while Chaminé achieves a reasonable coherence, a unity, it's also a little disjointed, as if it doesn't know, ultimately, which way to go (fruit or earth), and tries to have it both ways. It works well enough--but not brilliantly. A good wine to try because of its character and originality, but not one you need to keep on hand in the home, IMO.

+MUST TRY+
Dão Sul Cabriz Reserva
Portugal: Dão
Touriga Nacional 40%, Alfrocheiro 40% and Tinta Roriz 20% (blend)
2004
$15.50
89 pts
Picked up this wonderful Portuguese red blend at Lush Wines in Chicago last week. The Dão region, located in north central Portugal, is mountainous with a sandy, granite-rich soil, and is known for reds that are dry, with nice minerality and a gentle, easy red fruit. They're usually food-friendly, since the fruit isn't overpowering and the wines contain decent acidity. The Dão Sul Cabriz Reserva is a nice example of what this region has to offer--and what you can get today in a Portuguese red for just about $15.00 (a very good buy). The color is an attractive rich plum, with hints of bright red on the swirl. As for bouquet, I get red berries up front, and maybe cherries, too, followed by a deep, earthy Old World barnyard scent that is not unappealing. As for mouth feel, it's one of the wine's great strengths: in your mouth, it's soft, smooth silk. In terms of flavor, the initial attack is red fruit, followed by an extremely subtle spice on the mid-palette, and closing with an enjoyable, rocky limestone-like minerality. The finish is definitely dry, with near-maximum pucker quality from the tannins (which I like). Good length, too. There isn't much Old World earth on the taste profile (although it's definitely on the nose), but this wine does offer the balance for which the region is known. A pleasant, easy drinking red that's perfect for those who find the intensity of high-power, fruit driven wines (a more New World style) over-powering, over-the-top. The oak employed in the aging process by this producer is French, and so, happily, this wine also lacks the intense oakiness that can kill the unique terroir in your glass. To like this wine, though, one really has to enjoy serious dryness and a mineral taste profile--which I do. For me, this one's a MUST TRY.

Old Vine Red (by Restoration Wines)
Portugal: Alentejano
Tina Roriz--called Tempranillo in Spain--Trincadeira Preta, and an offspring of Grenache - a blend (red)
2007
$9.99
86 pts
Starts hot on the front, finishes smooth; just a hint of tobacco on the back end; decent fruit, too; a little on the light side for my palette, and a slight flat aftertaste, but still a decent Portuguese red for the price. Available at Cost Plus World Market.

RED WINES: CHILE

2011-10-16T16:00:00.000-05:00

Castillo de Molina Cabernet Sauvignon Reserva (from Vina San Pedro)
Chile: Curico Valley (Central Valley)
90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah (red)
2008
$10.99
84 pts
While Chilean Cab is now on fire, the Vina San Pedro fails to inspire...much of anything, really. Violet in the glass, the nose is a tight one, with some some oak and vanilla. The weight is light, and the taste profile includes the aforementioned vanilla, black pepper, spice, dark red fruit (mostly raspberries), and earthy mushrooms. While there's a pleasing (for my palette) dryness on the back end, and the finish (mocha) is good, the length is average at best and the transitions between flavors lack coherence. I want to like this wine more--certainly features multiple flavors--but don't. Reminds me of taking a piece of choocolate candy from a big box (Whitman's?) as a kid, and biting into it expecting something delicious...but then experiencing a disjointed chocolate, fruit and spice mix that just didn't do it for me. Not the worst Cab ever made, mind you, especially at about eleven bucks. But by no means a wine to seek out.

+MUST TRY+
Santa Rita Medalla Real Cabernet Sauvignon
Chile: Maipo Valley (Central Valley)
93% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc (red)
2006
$19.99
90 pts
Chile is sure hot for well-priced, high quality cabs, and the Santa Rita Medalla Real is a great example. For twenty bucks one can enjoy a quality that blows away a fair number of California cabs at twice the price. The nose on this one is an exact replica of red raspberry preserves, causing me to crave peanut butter, having lived on peanut butter & raspberry jam on toast for breakfast through my childhood. The taste profile is multifaceted, starting out with red fruit, transitioning smoothly to green vegetables, and then finishing with coffee. There's also an underlying spice just beneath the surface. The length? To me, this is a weakness on this wine, just average at best. I also think the coffee finish could be richer, deeper, fuller...while it's good, it leaves me just a bit unsatisfied. However, overall this is a wonderful Cabernet, not over-oaked (aged in French barrels), tasty as hell, and very nicely priced for a varietal very much in demand. While Wine Spectator gives this one 91 points, because of the length and my desire for a richer coffee flavor, I'm going with 90. But in the end, that doesn't matter. This is a great Cabernet, making Chile proud--and sending me running for that jar of peanut butter!

PROSECCO: ITALY

2011-09-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Foss Marai Extra Dry
Italia: Veneto
Prosecco (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$14.99
90 pts
This is a wonderful bottle of Prosecco. The nose offers the smell of just-baked bread and green apples...inviting and delicious (couldn't wait to get this in my mouth!). Once there, the Foss Marai Extra Dry is soft and creamy, with a perfect weight--it's a wine that actually feels good to drink. The taste profile includes a bit of pear, a hint of the green apples enjoyed on the bouquet, and then some gently bitter flowers before concluding with a long, pleasing mineral finish...a little taste of the Veneto. A tasty, refreshing and interesting dry sparkler that I recommend highly!

+MUST TRY+
Astoria Lounge Prosecco
Italia: Veneto
90% Prosecco; 10% Chardonnay (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$11.99
89 pts
This Prosecco offers a lovely, creamy bouquet, with up-front peach followed by a pleasant smokiness. The creaminess on the nose carries right through into the mouth, while the taste profile includes some gentle peach notes, but is dominated by a florality (with nice bitterness on the finish). This wine also possesses a pleasing weight. While I love the Astoria Lounge Prosecco--increasingly I find flowers appealing in terms of taste--it's not for everyone, particularly if you prefer a bit more pronounced fruit in your wine, and don't appreciate floral bitterness. As I let the wine warm a bit (for getting a better handle on the flavors), a stony minerality started to come through. Also tasty! A solid wine, and the price is right. As the back of the bottle reads, "Enjoy the lounge experience." A MUST TRY!

Maschio Prosecco Brut
Italia: Veneto
Prosecco (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$10.99
85 pts
There are two positive things I can say about the Maschio Prosecco Brut, and in the spirit of the season, I'll start there. First, it's not terrible. And second, the color is a beautiful, almost luminescent gold. The aroma is closed, difficult to pick up much of anything. The mouth feel is interesting--a sort of creaminess, along with a bouncy little sparkle. The attack offers mostly apple (with a bit of peach fuzz along the edges), but the overall flavor profile here is dominated by the stones and flowers on the back end. While this is often a good thing for my palette, in this case, the various aspects of this wine just don't seem to fit together well. The creamy sensation and the sparkle make an odd combination. The apple and peach don't seem complementary. And the lingering taste on the finish--after the stones and into the flowers--is somewhat unpleasant. On the whole, this wine falls flat. This is the second prosecco in a row that I've reviewed where the individual elements seem terribly disjointed. Is this a common characteristic of bad prosecco? Hmmm. Something I'll keep an eye on.

Vigna del Sole Prosecco Treviso Extra Dry
Italia: Veneto (Treviso)
Prosecco (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$13.50
84 pts
Purchased this Prosecco at Vinic Wines on Chicago Avenue in Evanston last week, an elegant little shop with a thoughtful selection of European wines. Friendly service, too. Not a huge fan of the Vigna del Sole, however: a weak opening, a good mid-palette (pear definitely, maybe some apple, too), and a floral finish. The length is pretty good. But my problem with this Prosecco is not really the individual parts (except for the delayed start upon the first sip); it's that the transitions are so disjointed. When I drink this, I feel like I'm sipping completely different wines from different glasses, rotating sips from one to the other. The first one tastes like nothing, the next one (mid-palatte) is nice and fruity (a hint of acidity from a citrus flavor mixed in?), and the final one is full of flowers, with a little bitterness (perhaps too much bitterness for my palette). It's like watching three one-act plays (one about nothing, and two mildly entertaining ones)--as opposed to a single play in three acts that leaves you both entertained and intrigued. Just not a good effort in its entirety.

Salvatore Principe Prosecco
Italia: Veneto
Prosecco (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$10.99
84 pts
Picked up the Salvatore Principe Prosecco for $11.00 at Cost Plus World Market, having no prior knowlege of this producer (from the Prestige Wine Group). In a word, I'd call this Italian sparkler acceptable. The color is an attractive light gold, with the tiniest, quickest little bubbles racing toward the top of the glass (very nice fizz). The bouquet, however, struck me as very odd: an oaky, woody. Chardonnay-like nose. As for flavor profile...I get the same thing: too much wood, at the expense of the floral and fruit (apple?) flavors. Interestingly, when I tried the wine, again, the next day, the floral flavor seemed strengthened, and the wood weakened a bit (a good thing, for my palette). And the fizz remained strong. But in the end, I'm just not a fan of this wine: it looks better than it tastes, and the strange oak flavor, so dominating on my first tastes, just isn't my idea of a prosecco. If you like strong oak in your wine (as well as floral, rather than fruit flavors), you might enjoy it, however--and the price is certainly reasonable enough. But the Riondo, Mionetto, and Zonin proseccos--reviewed below--are oh-so-much better.

+MUST TRY+
Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero NV (by Riondo)
Italia: Veneto
Prosecco (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$9.00
89+ pts
I don't want you to think I'm a prosecco lush, but at this point, a full 50 percent of the proseccos I've rated over the past year have been MUST TRYs, higher than any other varietal. Clearly, this is a grape I like. What I really enjoy about this wine, the Riondo Prosecco Spago Nero NV, is the wonderful balance it maintains between three flavors: floral, mineral, and fruit (apple and pear, I think). Subtle fruits--not too sweet, as is the point with this varietal--with a pleasing floral component, even to me, for whom the floral taste profile is not a favorite. And at the back end, I get nice but not overpowering minerals...and as crazy as it sounds, maybe even a hint of green vegetables? Gary V. describes the nose as a "band-aid" smell, and he's actually on target. Reminds one of a hospital room smell. Pretty funny. And the length is very nice on the Riondo. I rate this wine just a hair below the Mionetto Il Prosecco, costing about the same, simply because I give the taste profile for Mionetto--less complex, but a bit more fruit-driven--a slight edge (just my preference). That being said, they're both phenominal sparkling whites from Italy, that I enjoy and highly recommend.

+MUST TRY+
Il Prosecco (by Mionetto Wines)
Italia: Veneto
Prosecco - (soft sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$9.99
90 pts
This prosecco is I.G.T., a formal designation allowing for a little creative leeway in the way the wine is made, while still remaining ‘typical’ of the region. The Il Prosecco is frizzanti, possessing just a soft little fizz to it. In terms of color, the Il Prosecco appears light in the glass, like a translucent gold. It possesses a gentle peach bouquet and the delicate, light flavor to match (a drier wine). This is a tasty little prosecco at a bargain price (I purchased a chilled bottle at Binny’s Beverage Depot in Chicago for just $9.99). Also has a good, solid finish, with the pleasing flavor remaining in your mouth a good 15 seconds after the wine is gone. The presentation of this wine is unique, as well: the bottle is beautifully shaped and colored, sleek and modern, with a contemporary look to the logo, and it’s capped not with a cork, but with a metal crown top like those found on bottled beer and soda. While I know there are better proseccos on the market for more money—such as the Zonin Prosecco rated 90+ below—this is such a great value, combining affordability, taste, and unique presentation…I call this one a +MUST TRY+. A great wine to have on-hand in the home all summer long.

+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Pizzolato Prosecco (by Settimo Pizzolato)
Italia: Veneto Prosecco - organically grown grapes (sparkling white)
2006
$14.99
75 pts
I.G.T; don't like this organic prosecco at all; bitter, flat, with no finish; not sweet enough, not refreshing; completely unsatisfying; available by the glass at Dunlay's for $10.00. Tried it once, no need to do so, again.

Rustico Prosecco (by Nini Franco)
Italia: Veneto (Valdobbiadene)
Prosecco (sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
12.99
88 pts
A nice prosecco at this price point: fresh, with a decent finish, too. It's funny, though: there's an instant shot of fruit up front, then a 'break' at the mid-palette with not much going on at all...followed by a long fruit finish (lemon), even stronger than the opening. Not overly sweet (very dry), which is good for me, but Dana prefers a sweeter version. A decent buy at $13.00, but I think there are still less expensive proseccos that taste even better. Vaynerchuck calls it a buy, and Parker gives it 90 pts. I give it 88.

+MUST TRY+
Zonin Prosecco Special Cuve'e Brut Spumante (by Casa Vinicola Zonin)
Italia: Veneto (Gambellara)
Prosecco (sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$14.99
91 pts
This prosecco is outstanding, in my opinion. The flavor (a hint of lemon, of citrus) is not overpowering; for my tastes, this is the perfect level of sweetness in a prosecco. It's crisp and refreshing, with a good finish. A medium level of fizz. Would like it even more if it was just a few dollars cheaper, but the Rustico Prosecco (rated above), while two dollars less, lacks an evenness, with a hollow mid-palette. This Zonin is steady as she goes, from start to finish--and thus I give it a higher rating. Had a few glasses with Dana's homemade pesto and rotini for dinner tonight, and it was a perfect compliment. Also great with appetizers or by itself.

Presto Prosecco Brut (by Amistani Guarda Venegazzu Winery)
Italia: Veneto (Montebelluna)
A non-vintage wine
$9.99
86 pts
This is one of Whole Foods' Top 10 Summer Wines for 2009: hmmm. At 9.99, that's sure a decent price for Italian bubbly, and the taste is by no means bad--a dry, agreeable, easy to drink prosecco, with just a subtle hint of fruit--but this simple wine is just sort of blah. While one may enjoy sipping a few glasses this summer (as Dana and Leslie and I did on our rooftop deck last night), the Presto doesn't leave you with the desire to run out and buy more. I would describe this as a non-offensive and affordable little wine, but Mionetto's Il Prosecco (rated above), also at 9.99, is much better in terms of taste and finish. And for just $5.00 more one can pick up the Zonin (also rated above, at 91 pts), which has great balance, a more pleasing and complex fruit, and a much stronger finish. I'd compare drinking the Presto to drinking a typical iced tea in a restaurant, for those who like iced tea (not so much, for me): sort of hard to screw it up, and as long as it tastes like iced tea and is cold, it can be refreshing...but it's not the kind of drink one ever craves or gets excited about. That's Presto Prosecco Brut for me.

GARNARCHA: SPAIN

2011-08-21T15:30:00.004-05:00

Bodegas Borsao Tres Picos Garnacha
Spain: Zaragoza (Borja)
Garnacha (red)
2008
$16.99
88 pts
Just about everybody seems to love Tres Picos (Three Wine Guys, Robert Parker, Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar & more), but while I certainly have a lot of respect for Bodegas Borsao (a great producer), the Tres Picos is a good--but not great--wine. The name Tres Picos probably refers to the early 20th Century Spanish novella & ballet El Sombrero de Tres Picos, or The Three-Cornered Hat, about a government official who tries to seduce a miller's wife. Unlike the miller's wife, I wanted to fall for this wine, having read the rave reviews. But it just wasn't there. It's not that Tres Picos doesn't have its attractive qualities. The color is a deep black cherry with hints of purple, rich and inviting. Cherries and flowers and some underlying pepper explode from the nose. Very nice. In the mouth, one gets mature dark cherries and some more flowers, and I also get a green herbal finish. The mouth feel is smooth and velvety, and the length is solid. So what's my problem here? Well, not much. I mean, it's a solid wine that I give 88 points, and in the true spirit of the varietal, this garnacha would go great with a number of flavorful, savory foods. But it just doesn't blow me away. The fruit is rewarding, lasting through the initial attack into the mid-palette, but the floral and herbal components that follow the cherries are a bit awkward to me, almost as if they wandered accidentally into the wine from another glass, a bit lost or confused. I guess it lacks coherence or unity for me, keeping it from being a +MUST TRY+, but by no means a poorly made or distasteful wine. In short, Tres Picos, "It's not you: it's me."

Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de Fuego Old Vines
Spain: Calatayud
Garnacha (red)
2009
$9.99
86 pts
I've had this readily available, budget-priced Spanish red many times, most recently at Dunlay's on Clark, splitting a Wise Guy pizza with Dana last night (the Wise Guy is a delicious appetizer pizza, by the way). Garnacha is the Spanish name for Grenache. Deep dark red in color, the Bodegas Ateca Garnacha de Fuego offers cherries and just a hint of pepper on the nose. The taste profile is simplistic (delivers flavors that line up with the aroma neatly), but not unpleasant: starts with cherries, then delivers a shot of pepper, ending with just a hint of earthiness, maybe even a little manure. Not bad--and food friendly--but I find the overall flavor lacking in intensity. And the length is a weakness: this wine pulls a Houdini not long after the manure drops in...and quickly out. The mouth feel is fine, with a soft (perhaps too soft?), dry finish. Bottom line? For ten bucks or less a bottle, this is a decent Spanish red, a good option when looking to save a little money or keep it simple. But if seeking an above-average, memorable wine that just might blow your socks off...this one will disappoint. I won't keep a bottle on hand, but bet I drink Garnacha de Fuego, again. It's cheap, convenient, and you know exactly what to expect. McDonald's doesn't make the best hamburgers in the world, either, and yet once in a while I have one and enjoy it. That's the story of this wine.

PINOT NOIR: UNITED STATES

2011-08-20T21:30:00.002-05:00

+RUN AWAY NOW+
Plowbuster Pinot Noir
United States: Oregon (Willamette Valley)
Pinot Noir (red)
2009
$19.99
75 pts
I'm a big Willamette Valley Pinot fan...as is Scott. Clearly, we're not alone. This region and its thoughtful vintners nearly always deliver a solid Pinot Noir, one of the most difficult wines to produce, given the fragile, temperamental nature of these thin-skinned grapes. But the 2009 Plowbuster is not a wine I can recommend, particularly at twenty bucks a bottle. The best thing this wine has going for it is the pretty ruby color. The nose is stingy, perhaps revealing the tiniest whiff of black cherry, but it's awfully tight. The taste profile includes the aforementioned cherries on the mid-palette, followed by an unusual metallic minerality that has good length, but overpowers all, and just doesn't taste good to me. There is no initial attack on this wine at all. One simply has to wait...and wait...and wait...for the cherries, which then quickly give way to the powerful taste of, perhaps, tin? I find the 2009 Plowbuster disjointed, unbalanced, and distasteful. Perhaps a rough vintage? Wine Spectator gave the 2008 89 points, citing tea as part of its taste profile. I'm not a fan of tea, so maybe that's part of my dislike. I've read the winemaker says this particular plot of land is littered with bits of steel from plows that have worked the fields over the years. Interesting, but even if that accounts for the steely taste, that's more of a good story than a good plan to make wine. I say this one's a +RUN AWAY NOW+, and Scott agreed, refusing to drink any more of his own bottle of wine. Good thing we had a little Borsao Spanish red standing by to enjoy on that lovely night in the front yard with Dana & Gail!

NOTE: I rated this wine after a lengthy period of opening up, during which the taste profile seemed to transform from an overly sweet wine to a wine dominated by the steely minerality.

Benton Valley Pinot Noir
United States: Oregon (Willamette Valley: Monroe)
100% Pinot Noir (red)
2008
$18.00
87 pts
This Willamette Valley Pinot (by the way, recently learned locals pronounce Willamette like damn-it...suppose you Oregonians know, but had no clue...thanks, Dana!) offers a measure of cherries and the characteristic cocoa finish, but is awfully light, even for a Pinot. The fruit disappears after a quick hit of cherries, faster than a Republican candidate for President at an immigrant's rights rally. While this wine strikes me as needing another year or two to mature, as it stands now, the best part is the finish, with cocoa and a hint of musty earthiness emerging, and lingering rather pleasingly. Overall, it's a decent Pinot, but not a MUST TRY: just too thin, too lacking in fruit flavor, and without any coherent transition from the initial cherry to the cocoa finish. I'll say this, though: it's light, easy drinking...and it just does NOT go with Mike 'n Ike's candy. Trust me.

+MUST TRY+
Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
United States: Oregon (Willamette Valley: Newberg)
100% Pinot Noir (red)
2009
$22.99
90 pts
The nose on this wonderful northwestern US Pinot offers cherries, raspberries and fresh earth. In the mouth, the initial attack is young cherries with hints of earth underneath, followed by a surprising finish that almost explodes with candied sour cherries. The length? Outstanding! The first word that came to mind when this wine hit my mouth was "elegant"--it's smooth, refined (even at this young age), and confident. My guess is that with more time in the bottle, the youthful cherries on the front end will gain maturity and more sophistication. And perhaps the already rich earthiness will become even more pronounced in a few years. The Adelsheim Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is delicious, balanced and worth the price tag, just over twenty bucks.

Uptown Pinot Noir (by Uptown Cellars)
United States: Califorina (North Coast)
Pinot Noir (red)
2008
$12.00
88 pts
Scott brought this Pinot up to our rooftop deck last weekend for an informal gathering of neighbors from the building, and while I was already drinking Prosecco (and Verdejo, too), this wine was so good upon a taste that I had to have a glass...and he was kind enough to give me the rest of the bottle at the end of the night. Distributed by the Midwest Wine Exchange based in Novi, MI--which claims to specialize in small boutique wines at affordable prices--this is a very nice Pinot Noir at a good price. I find the color unusually dark for a Pinot Noir (dark cherry), but it is beautiful. The kind of wine when you examine the color in the light, you want to drink it. The weight is more typical of the varietal (light), but it has a creamy mouth feel which I like a great deal. As for taste profile, cherries, definitely (and maybe some raspberry notes, too), but on the back end, there is a subtle little hint of cocoa, or of chocolate, that leaves me feeling like I've just had a chocolate-covered cherry in my mouth (not the taste of the chocolate-covered cherry in my mouth per se, but the taste left there after consuming it; it's subtle). There's also a floral bitterness that lingers on the finish, which I'm not really crazy about (doesn't seem in harmony with the rest of the taste profile). But for about twelve bucks, this is a decent Pinot. Not a MUST TRY, but a slightly above average wine for the price, in my opinion--like a .280 hitter with no power and a good glove. Cooperstown won't be calling, but you could do worse than have him bat in the two spot.

VERDEJO: SPAIN

2011-08-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Angel Rodriguez Martinsancho Verdejo
Espana: Castilla y Leon (Rueda)
Verdejo (white)
2009
$15.99
90 pts
I really like this wine. Enjoyed a few glasses on a steamy summer evening on the veranda of The Boulevard Inn (St. Joseph, MI) with Dana recently, and I was blown away. It's grassy, herbal, floral and vegetal (green on all counts), with a fresh green melon nose, too. Unbelievably refreshing. And there's also some nice complementary minerality on the finish, with an above-average length. The fruit definitely takes a back seat to the herbs, flowers and green vegetables (melon most prevalent on the bouquet, not in the mouth), so it's possible some might not fall head-over-heels here on first taste. But this is a remarkably complex, tasty and rewarding wine: it feels good, makes you think (about what you're tasting), and cools you down. Now this is the way to get your vegetables. This one's a +MUST TRY+!

+RUN AWAY NOW+
Poligono 10 Verdejo (by Bodega Gotica)
Espana: Castilla y Leon (Rueda)
Verdejo (white)
2007
$7.99 on sale
75 pts
Well, it took me a long, long time, but I finally found a verdejo I don't like. Not that I was searching for one. It's just that I was beginning to think, perhaps, that this grape couldn't possibly be used to make wine that tastes bad. I like it that much. But the Bodega Gotica Poligono 10, I couldn't even bring myself to finish the contents of such a beautiful translucent blue bottle. This may sound crazy, but for starters, the color of this wine tastes terrible. Darker than any verdejo I've ever seen--the color of apple juice, or urine after one has consumed way too much beer (so I've heard)--it looked bad in the glass, unappealing, unpleasant, just strange. The bouquet was dominated by flowers, not a bad thing, but once in the mouth, it felt a little heavy for verdejo, then offered sort of a flat floral note, intense minerality, and a very tiny hint of citrus...all in about a second-and-a-half, before it vanished, entirely. The fact that this wine has almost no length is a good thing, since it looks, feels and tastes unpleasant. The various flavors it flashes can be brilliant if each tastes good on its own and they coordinate somehow, form a nice whole, offer balance. But here it's just a mess. The producer's website waxes poetic about this wine, even suggesting that "The yellow-greenish colours praise the sparkles of its luminosity." Nice effort, but I'm afraid that no amount of hyperbole can redeem this one. I say RUN AWAY NOW. Great grape, bad wine.

+MUST TRY+
Rueda Naia (by Bodegas Naia - Vina Sila)
Espana: Castilla y Leon (Rueda)
Verdejo (white)
2006
$17.99
95 pts
The BEST verdejo I have ever tasted. Cool, crisp and refreshing up front, with just the right amount of sweetness and citrus fruit (along with hints of freshly-mown grass); on the back end, long and so smooth. One of the best wines I've ever had. Tasted it for the first time at La Sala at La Valencia Hotel, on our spring 2009 trip to La Jolla, CA. This is one of my favorite wines. Available at Whole Foods for a few dollars less than above, too.

Castillo de Nava Verdejo (by Castillo de Nava)
Espana: Castilla y Leon (Rueda)
Verdejo + Viura (white)
2006
88+ pts
Sold by the glass at Dunlay's for $9.00; a tasty & refreshing Verdejo, with strong citrus (hint of pineapple) and a crisp front end; good, but not as good as the Bodegas Naia Verdejo, which has a very long, smooth, near-perfect finish.

VSolo Verdejo (by VSolo)
Espana: Castilla y Leon, Vallodolid (Rueda)
Verdejo 100% (white)
2008
$9.99
87 pts
Not a bad little wine for $10.00 (was on sale, regularly priced at 11.00 at Whole Foods)...but not a top-shelf Verdejo, either. The color of this wine is clear, almost like water, and the nose is quite nice, full of pineapple, especially. A first tasting reveals a lot of pineapple, as well, and it's not overly sweet (a plus for me). After breathing a while, the VSolo Verdejo does provide a bit more complexity, with a mineral element in addition to the pinapple that is not unpleasant. But this is a simple straightforward wine possessing a clear pineapple focus, with very little finish at all. It just seems to disappear during the midpalette, never to return. A little more complexity in flavor and any finish at all to speak of, and this could have been a MUST TRY. Still might be a good buy for those who love pineapple, and the price is right (marketed by the food chain as a Top 10 Summer Wine). Also, as a 2008 vintage, this is obviously a young wine. Might mature a bit with time. Will probably pick up another bottle and set it aside for a year or two, and see what happens. The name VSolo refers to the fact that this wine is made from the Verdejo varietal only.

Paso A Paso Verdejo (by Paso A Paso)
Espana: La Mancha
Verdejo (white)
2007
$10.99
85 pts
This is an okay Verdejo, but not great, and even though the $11.00 price tag is quite reasonable, the Rueda Naia (at $17.99) and even the Castillo de Nava are so much better, that I can't justify buying this one again. Has a tight nose that doesn't open up much even after airing, and while the pear flavor is nice at first, there is a somewhat overpowering bitterness that follows, and lingers on the finish. Nice acid, though. In terms of color, this wine is so light, so clear, it almost resembles water (although in fairness it doesn't taste as light as it looks, and has some degree of substance to it). Overall, I find this to be an average grade verdejo...and isn't life just too short to settle for average when the price difference is so close?

+MUST TRY+
Monte Palma Verdejo (by Monte Palma Winery)
Verdejo 100% (white)
Espana: Rueda (Segovia)
2008
$11.99
89 pts
Lincoln Park Market began carrying this Verdejo, recently, and we picked up a bottle there to share with family on Father's Day...and I'm really glad we did. At $12.00, this is a tremendous find. This wine has a beautiful straw color with hints of green. The bouquet is exceptional, with a delightful citrus aroma that seems to jump from the glass upon the slightest twirl. The taste begins with grapefruit, and finishes with pear, offering a complexity not common to wines in this price range. This wine is made to be consumed upon production, but setting aside a bottle or two for a year may be interesting. Even now, this is a nice affordable verdejo, a great summer wine for sipping on the deck, at the pool, or with appetizers or white grilled meats (I'd even say regular pizza, too). Not as remarkable as the Naia (rated above), one of the best wines I've ever tasted. But for $12.00, as an everyday wine that goes great with a lot of different foods, or alone--if Spanish whites were a baseball team, I'd want the Monte Palma Verdejo to be my shortstop.

GRUNER VELTLINER: AUSTRIA

2011-07-26T19:43:00.001-05:00

Weingut Hutter Smaragd Gruner Veltliner
Austria: Wachau (Lower Austria)
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2006
88 pts
$15.99
Rocks and apples! That's the style here. Plus a little hint of vegetation (herbs). Has the all minerality I love in a Gruner but more of the herbal component than I've found in previous producers. For that reason, I find the Hutter GV interesting. The fruit definitely takes a back seat in the true Old World tradition, with even a hint of earthiness (almost a red-wine style mustiness) creeping into an already pretty complex taste profile. Color is pale yellow (not necessarily an attractive color to me...a bit urine-like, in fact). But the taste is well worth the somewhat awkward coloring. The nose reveals apples and stones and earth. An intriguing, tasty Austrian white...something different and original--and what's not to like about that? In the end, just a hint short of a MUST TRY for my palette (more rocks, less herbs, please), but still worth a try!

Mo-Velt Gruner Veltliner
Austria: Burgenland
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2008
80 pts
$8.99
Think of something you love, absolutely love. Could be a certain decadent chocolate, or your favorite Chicago pizza. Or maybe even your grandmother's homemade ravioli...or Mollie's Cupcakes? (tip: peach cobbler rocks for me, plain cupcake with buttercream frosting for Dana). Now, consider a cheap knockoff of the thing you love, seemingly market-tested to appeal to the widest possible audience, offending no one, and completely lacking the character, the substance, and the unique qualities (and quality) of the original. So it is with the Mo-Velt Gruner Veltliner, which drinks more like a Chenin Blanc than a Gruner. Lots of tart fruit (mostly citrus, a hint of apple skin), and while there is a bit of minerality on the dry finish, this one's not true to the character of GV, selling out the rocks for the fruit. With this wonderful and refreshing Austrian varietal, one should taste the stony, rocky limestone northeast of Vienna, at least as much as the fruit. But the Mo-Velt misses the mark: it's like lemon-lime Koolaid flavored with a single stone on the bottom. Not disgusting, mind you, but a bastardization of the varietal that offers nothing you can't easily get from grocery-store producers in California or Australia, probably for even less than $8.99. It's also named after Mozart (with related artwork on the label), which is odd, since ol' Wolfgang was from Salzburg, nowhere near the Mo-Velt winery in Burgenland (more than 200 km away). Perhaps some may argue this is an "entry level' Gruner, but IMO it just goes too far, to the point where one can't really even distinguish it from other varietals. Looking for love in all the wrong places...and not a wine I'll buy again.

+MUST TRY+
Johann Kattus Hochriegl Halbsüß
Austria: Vienna
Gruner Veltliner & Riesling Blend (white sparkling)
A Non-Vintage Wine
89 pts
$8.00
What an interesting little sparkler. Purchased a mini-bottle at the grocery store in Hallstatt's new town for about €2,00 when we were in Austria last summer, carried it home in the suitcase, and tasted it just yesterday, a rainy Saturday in Chicago, mid-September. The aroma of this wine is oaky and buttery, ala a New World Chardonnay, and yet there's no Chardonnay in this wine. As far as taste, I really like the Hochriegl: the minerality of the Gruner clearly comes through, especially on the mid-palette and finish, but there's a balance with fruit, too (delicate peach) that works for me. The fruit is the initial attack, while the transition to the minerals seems to pause (like mid-air slow motion) just long enough for some Old World funk to come through...also an unusual flavor for a white sparkler. As if that's not enough going on, there are also buttery oak undertones; I'm guessing the Riesling used in the blend spent some time in French oak? I've learned that this is a popular sparkling wine in Austria, and I can certainly see why: offers some nice complexity for about $8.00 US per regular-sized bottle. Alas, it doesn't look like this wine is available for purchase, however, in the States, although it is available in some countries of Europe beyond Austria. Because the flavor profile of this dry sparkling white is more mineral and funk than fruit, I'm not sure everyone will love this wine (although the hints of oak are nicely, subtly done). But it strikes the right balance for me, and it has an authenticity to it...tastes a little like Austria in a glass. If you're in the neighborhood (Vienna or Salzburg, let's say!), I think you should try this one. It sure won't break the bank.

Meinklang Gruner Veltliner
Austria: Burgenland (far eastern Austria, bordering Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia)
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2008
82 pts
$12.99
Will cut to the chase on this one: tasteless for the vast majority of time this wine is in your mouth, followed by a quick pear-citrus combo, and then the lingering minerality common to the varietal on the finish. But in the case of the Meinklang Gruner Veltliner, while the length is very sound, the aftertaste--post finish, really--is not one I find pleasing. While I like the mouth feel--even picking up a hint of creaminess, perhaps?--the taste just doesn't come close to the potential Gruner Veltliner possesses. Interestingly, this is an organic wine, with the grapes grown sans chemical fertilizers, and the firm actually owns about 300 of its own angus cows, using the dung for fertilizer. Purchased this wine at Cellar Rat on North Avenue in Chicago, an interesting little shop that strives to introduce wine lovers to smaller family vineyards ("Corporate Wine Still Sucks" appears to be its motto). This isn't a terrible Gruner Veltliner, and I do understand that the biodynamic wines appeal to those seeking a more organic food and wine experience--and I've read one reviewer who thinks this wine shows better when paired with food--but to me, if it can't stand on its own merits in terms of taste, everything else is just spin. Will finish the bottle--because that's how I roll--but don't recommend this one, and won't buy it again.

Salomon Undhof Hochterrassen Gruner Veltliner (by Salomon Undhof)
Austria: Kremstal
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2009
85 pts
$14.99
This Austrian white has received very strong marks by distinguished critics for recent vintages—and Salomon is a respected producer of both Rieslings and Gruner Veltliners, with its vineyards split equally between these two varietals—but the 2009 I picked up at a wine shop on Linzergasse (in Salzburg’s new town) last month, to bring home and enjoy, while it has its strengths, it’s just not my cup of tea. On the plus side, this wine possesses a nice, smooth mouth feel (medium) and is loaded with the varietal’s characteristic citrus flavor (mostly lime, here). In addition, it finishes with the pleasant minerality that ties this fine Austrian grape neatly to its rocky limestone terroir. I also find the length on the wine slightly above average. However, this GV is just too damn tart for my palette, so tart in fact that I winced a few times, the way I would as a kid when consuming the intentionally turbo-tart offshoot of Sweet Tart candy. And while the fruit this wine offers could never be accused of being too discreet, in terms of balance, I find it a little heavy-handed, coming on too strong, at least for my tastes. As for bouquet, I found it to be tight, not revealing very much to pique interest. I can’t recommend the Salomom Undhoff Hochterrassen Gruner Veltliner, although it's not a terrible wine. I suspect those who enjoy the sensation of extreme tart would enjoy this wine, and it does possess some fine characteristics of the varietal. I also wonder if the bottle aged a bit, a few years, perhaps, if the fruit would calm down a little, and the tartness, too. That experiment might be worth the $15.00 US, but to buy to drink now, not so much.

+MUST TRY+
Fred Loimer Gruner Veltliner "Lois" (by Fred Loimer)
Austria: Kamptal Region (north-northeast of Krems)
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2008
90 pts
$10.99 (sale) - $13.99 (regular)
Two for two with Gru-Vee! The Loimer Gruner Veltliner Lois, for my palette, is a Must Try for four simple reasons: the balance this wine strikes between fruit and minerality is fascinating and delicious (mostly pear, some apple, and then heavy minerality on the back end); this crisp light-to-medium bodied Austrian white, with just a touch of sparkle, feels great in the mouth; the length of the Lois is outstanding; and at $11.00 to $14.00 a bottle, this is a great bargain. Tastes great, feels great, lasts long, affordable and multi-dimensional. I think it's a hair less satisfying than the Fass 4, rated below at 90+, but the Lois is also $3.00-$6.00 cheaper per bottle. This is a wonderful wine.

+MUST TRY+
Gruner Veltliner Fass 4 (by Wiengut Bernhard Ott)
Austria: Wagram (14 miles NE of Vienna)
Gruner Veltliner (white)
2007
90+ pts
$17.00
I ordered this Austrian white a few months before our first trip to Austria--let's call it legitimate research--from Gary Vaynerchuck's Wine Library for $16.98: Wow. Have had a few other Gruner Veltliners (a grape native to Austria, accounting for 37% of the total vineyards there), and while they've generally been pleasant and well-suited to food (light bodied, with very subtle hints of minerals and citrus), I've found them almost too subtle, nearly without taste. But this is most certainly not the case with the Fass 4 by Ott winery. This wine has a nice nose, a lot of tobacco, which I always enjoy (in wine, that is), along with the customary GV hint of citrus. And the taste profile is just wonderful. I get nice apple, along with pear, with a very pleasing undercurrent of tobacco, to match the nose. And it's a more full-bodied wine than the other GVs I've tasted. As for length...the pleasant taste (which finishes with some of the minerality common to the region) lingers for minutes after swallowing, almost making one salivate. This is a refreshing white wine great with or without food, with a delicious yet multi-faceted taste and an outstanding finish--all at a very reasonable price. This one's a MUST TRY for me, maybe even the white wine for summer 2010. Not at all surprised to see that Wine Library has added this one to its best summer wines under $25.00 promotion. Highly recommend you give the Gruner Veltliner Fass 4 by Bernhard Ott a try...and soon!

Gio's Little List of Odd Wine Tips

2011-07-23T15:19:00.136-05:00

Here's a little list of five odd tips I've picked up about wine:

The foil wrapper around the top of a bottle possesses no functionality whatsoever, and is there today for decoration, only (shelf-appeal, mainly). So when I buy a bottle, I cut the foil off before storing...making opening and serving the wine later more convenient (especially when entertaining more than a handful of guests)
If you hold your wine glass with your hand wrapped around the bowl (rather than by the stem) you'll warm the wine with your body heat and quickly change its taste profile as a result. Use the stem as a handle...and avoid stemless glasses
The most approachable, affordable and refreshing bubbly does not originate from France's Champagne region, but from Catalunya, Spain (Cava) and Italy's Veneto (Prosecco)
An easy way to ballpark the origin of a wine is to swirl it in the glass rapidly for about 10 seconds, and sniff: the more earth you smell (dirt, barnyard, must, grass, herbs, floral, minerals) the more likely the wine is Old World. The more fruit (fresh or candied), New World. This can get interesting, as some European wines are now produced in a New World style (fruit forward), and vice-versa. Note: Chilean reds are a knuckle ball, nearly always coming up Old World!
For reds, the browner the wine appears in your glass, the older the vintage is likely to be. Or put another way, the brighter the red, the younger the wine.

CHIANTI: ITALY

2011-05-08T17:00:00.001-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Collezione di Paolo Chianti
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti, Rufina)
Sangiovese (red)
2009
$15.99
89 pts
This is a young (still a little green) but delicious Chianti, full of flavorful sour cherries on the initial attack and right through the mid-palette, before finishing with a hint of mushroom, some barnyard, and just a bite of chocolate for desert. The mouth feel is smooth and the tannins firm, and I get the sense that this wine will achieve even more depth over the next few years, with the earthiness stepping up as a full partner with the fresh red cherries (will be interesting to see if the chocolate becomes more pronounced, too). Having received a case from my brother-in-law today (what a wonderful gift!), I look forward to enjoying the Collezione di Paolo Chianti over the next two years as it matures. In the short run, think I'll decant it a bit before consumption. At sixteen bucks, this is a wonderful wine for pizza and pasta.

+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti Reserva (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
100% Sangiovese (red)
2004
$24.99
90 pts
Received this Reserva (12 months in French oak plus 4 months bottle aging) from Dana as an early Christmas gift in 2010--an awesome gift, considering how much I enjoy this winery's Chianti! Had not tried the Reserva, however, and could not wait until December 25th. So here I am in Sarasota on holiday on 22 December, drinking my gift. The color is reddish-brown. The aroma on this wine is awfully tight, tough to pin down, even after 45 minutes of breathing. I definitley get clear white pepper on the back end, along with a hint of mustiness and some blueberry. But as I said, it's a pretty closed nose. The mouth feel is light. Taste profile? I get blueberry, followed by some plum, and then a heavy minerality, with a bit of the fruit hanging on through the finish (dark fruit), closing with the pepper that was so recognizable on the nose. This is a delightfully dry Chianti, with near-max pucker quality. Compared to the non-Reserva da Vinci, this wine offers less fruit, more minerality, and more pepper. The fruit it does offer is considerably darker, as well. If it has a weakness, it's length: it just doesn't stick around very long. Another issue might be the lack of aromatics. However, I really like this wine: it's an extremely dry Tuscan red that offers authentic minerality from the region, with some mature dark fruit that's unique and not overpowering, plus nice white pepper. But beware: the fruit isn't the star here--it plays a supporting role. I think everyone should give this one a try, if for nothing else, than to sample a Chianti that has something different to offer than the run-of-the-mill stuff available at pizza joints city-wide. Salute'!

+MUST TRY+
Da Vinci Chianti (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
90% Sangiovese, 10% Merlot (red)
2006
$14.99
90+ pts
Just revisited this delicious Chianti--drinking a glass right now, in fact!--and I love it as much today as I did two years ago, despite a broadening of my palette over that same period. This is a wonderful, high-quality Chianti priced to drink everyday--and that's saying something, considering how many tasteless Chiantis exist in our all-too-imperfect world. Ruby red color in the glass, the aroma offers deep, rich soil, with, perhaps, mushrooms. In terms of taste, the initial attack features cherries, plums, and some spice hints on the tongue (cherry skin, too). Then, underneath, bridging the initial attack and mid-palette as stylishly as Ponte Vecchio bridges the shores of the River Arno, this real-deal Chianti offers some Old World, earthy undertones, a little taste of Tuscan dirt (with a hint of manure) that screams authenticity. The small percentage of Merlot helps soften the tannins, and smooth out the finish. Nice length, too. Two years ago I reported this Italian red, great by itself or with pizza or pasta, is worth its weight in gold. And as 2010 nears its end--it still is. Easy to find throughout Chicagoland. Do yourself a favor, and find a bottle soon!

+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Banfi Chianti Classico Reserva (by Castello Banfi)
Italia: Tuscany (Montalcino)
A Blend: Sangiovese, Canaiolo Nero, Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2005
75 pts
$25.00
Received as a gift, and online I've seen this wine priced anywhere between $18.00 and $35.00. Very odd. This is a bad Chianti. Had this at a wine-tasting at our place with some friends, and I so wanted to like it, a gift from two of my nieces last Christmas (and I'm a big fan of a good Chianti). But I found the Banfi Chianti Classico Rerserva to be paper-thin, with an artificial, almost plastic taste. I also think the color was much too dark for Chianti, perhaps indicating too little Sangiovese and too much of the Nero or Cab? In any event, I wasn't alone, as this wine received the lowest rating of the eight we tasted that night. And particularly at this price, it's not something I will drink, again. I see that Wine & Spirits gave this vino 91 points. Yikes! I say run from this wine: it's just not good.

Bolla Chianti (by Bolla Wines)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti)
San Giovese + Cannaiolo (red)
2007
$8.99
85 pts
D.O.C.G.; not horrible, but nowhere near as good as the Da Vinci; no finish; this wine just falls flat. And the Da Vinci, so much better, is also less expensive. Dana bought this at Lincoln Park Market. Not a great wine at all, but this store does have a nice selection of vino, fyi. And Dana enjoys the 'samples' when it's time to do some grocery shopping! .

+MUST TRY+
Chianti Colli Senesi (by Agricola Ficomontanino)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti Classico, near Siena)
San Giovesese 90%, Colorino 5%, Canaiolo 3%, Trebbiano 2% (red)
2005
92 pts
Bought in Italy December 2007; fresh, with good fruit, great with beef or white meat; D.O.C.G.

RED WINES: ARGENTINA

2011-04-09T10:00:00.000-05:00

Bodegas Nieto Senetiner Pinot Noir
Argentina: Mendoza
Pinot Noir 100% (red)
2009
$11.99
86 points
Had a few glasses of this Argentinian Pinot at Dunlays on Clark last Thursday evening--our buddy Wes was in, visiting from Zurich--and while this medium, rather gentle wine worked well with my fried calamari and cocktail sauce, it's nothing to get excited about by its lonesome. The rich ruby color is beautiful in the glass, and the nose offers some dark red cherry. And while the mouth feel is decent, the taste profile is a one-for-three hitter, striking out on the initial attack (a slow starting wine, with a weak opening...waiting for fruit...waiting...waiting...). The mid-palette is only slightly better, with cherries coming through, and maybe plums, too, but nothing spectacular....let's call it a hard grounder deep in the hole, fielded by the shortstop, throwing out the runner in a bang-bang play at first. It isn't until the finish that this wine reaches base safely, a unique steely, metallic, mineral finish, which I find both interesting and refreshing. As the wine opened up, just a hint of barnyard crept in, too. The length is, perhaps, just a hair above average. Overall, by no means a lousy wine...just average. For twelve bucks the Nieto Pinot Noir is worthwhile when faced with really poor options at the 7-11 or drug store, but otherwise, I think you can do better.

Tilia Malbec (by Bodegas Esmeralda)
Argentina: Mendoza
Malbec 100% (red)
2009
$8.99
85+ points
Tilia is the Latin word for Linden, and this Argentinian Malbec is named Tilia in honor of the native Linden trees of the Mendoza region, in eastern Argentina, in the foothills of the Andes. Had three glasses of Tilia at Dunlays on Clark on burger night with Dane, Joanna & Marshall last night (Wednesdays, $5.00 burgers and fries, great deal), and since that clearly makes me an expert on this wine, let me start with the positive qualities of the Tilia Malbec. The Tilia offers wonderful up-front black fruit on the palette (black berry), an initial attack that is rich, smooth and delightful. And it follows with a bit of spice (white pepper comes to mind), before closing shop for the day with just a hint of vanilla and some toasty oak (by no means over-the-top oak, either). In addition, this wine, while roughly $8.00 a glass in restaurants, retails for an average of about $8.99 per bottle in stores. As good as all of this may sound, there are some real challenges here, too, challenges that keep this wine (which, it seems to me, really aspires to be something cool) from reaching its full potential. First, that pleasing fruit attack passes like a high-speed train: in your face one second and long-gone the next. Second, there is no transition at all between the initial blast of fruit and the secondary flavors of spice, vanilla and toast: this is a wine with a great beginning, an okay middle (even if it seems disjointed from the opening), and NO finish…along with almost no length. It just vanishes, almost instantly, after the quick mid-palette. This wine reminds me of a promising young pitcher who has a great spring training but then gets rocked in "The Show" come April, and is quickly sent back down. Bodegas Esmeralda certainly has something to offer based on this wine, but like that kid riding the team bus to Grand Rapids at midnight, it’s just not ready for the Bigs. The Tilia is a serviceable wine, but has some serious holes in its game. It's okay when your working with a short bench and have few viable options, but not a player you get excited about penciling into your wine lineup.

RIESLING: GERMANY

2011-04-01T17:00:00.000-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Dr. Heidemans-Bergweiler Riesling
Germany: Mosel River Valley
Riesling (white)
2009
89+ pts
$12.99
Picked up this German Riesling at Binny's Beverage Depot on Clark Street for thirteen bucks (it's a Gary Vaynerchuck rec on Daily Grape.com). GV got this one right; hell, I even think he may have underplayed it a bit, for my palette. This is a delicious wine, one I think that can change some minds about this varietal for those who view Riesling as a distasteful, Koolaid-like sweet wine...especially Rieslings at this price. While I find the nose to be awfully stingy, the mouth feel, taste, and length are outstanding. This is a medium-bodied German white offering bright citrus, fresh apple, and a long, dry finish with plenty of minerality. It's also a wonderfully balanced wine, with smooth, seamless transitions from the initial citrus burst to the mouthful of apples, and then to the encore of river rock-like minerals. The mineral finish, in particular, is rewarding...sort of like a Springsteen encore featuring Thunder Road and Jungleland: as good as the show was, the encore blows you away. Needless to say I like this wine, and give it a most-definite MUST TRY.

Starling Castle Riesling
Germany: Mosel-Saar Ruwer
Riesling (white)
2006
86+ pts
$9.99
The nose on this straw-colored, semi-sweet Riesling offers pear with a hint of tobacco, while the taste profile includes peach on the front end, heavy pear on the mid-palette, and a minerality on the finish. This wine starts sweet and finishes a bit sour. The length is slightly above average, and on extreme back end, there is even a nice dry finish (odd, really, in a semi-sweet Riesling). That's all pretty cool for a ten dollar bottle of wine, and if you prefer sweetness in your whites (as opposed to more mineralty or florality), this wine might be a MUST TRY for you. For my palette, it's a bit too sweet up front. Tried this wine with corned beef and cabbage, including a bit of horseradish with the beef. Not a great pairing. By no means a ripoff at ten bucks, but also not a wine I'm eager to keep on hand.

Römerhof Weinkellerei Riesling
Germany: Mosel River Valley (Trittenheim)
Riesling (white)
2009
85 pts
$8.99
Received this bottle of Mosel Riesling as part of a Christmas gift basket from a kind family at school, and opened her up this evening to try with Dana's homemade pesto and pasta. In terms of a food pairing--Riesling is so damn food friendly--a spicier dish would have been better, given the sweetness of this wine. The nose is awfully stingy--after it has warmed up a bit in the glass, I do get a little butter--but the mouth feel is quite pleasing (butter again comes to mind). The taste profile is quite fruit-forward, as one would expect, with quick little hits of peach and apricot and stronger, more sustained apple and pear flavors. The very back end possesses a hint of minerality (which I like), while the length is practically non-existent: poof! and it's gone. This is not a terrible wine, and in a pinch could go well with some spicey Asian dishes. But it's also not the kind of wine I enjoy drinking sans food, and despite the variety of fruit flavors offered, it drinks as a one-dimensional wine. Back in '09 Whole Foods had this wine on its Top Ten Holiday Wine List, and I can see it being consumed with cranberry sauce and stuffing, but still, just an average wine for my palette: beter than the worst junk Rieslings out there (i.e., Polka Dot), but nothing to get excited about, either.

+MUST TRY+
Carl Reh Riesling
Germany: Mosel River Valley
Riesling (white)
2009
89 pts
$9.99
Just enjoyed a few glasses of this bright and delicious Riesling from Germany at Dozika Pan-Asian in Evanston, where Sara, Ken, Jessica and I had lunch the day before Thanksgiving. Wow. Paired it with spicy Kung Pao chicken, which worked very nicely (Riesling is so food-friendly, given its acidity and potential for balancing out spicy dishes with a little sweetness and minerality). This wine, priced at $7.00 a glass at Dozika but about ten bucks a bottle retail, can also stand tall on its own. It's fresh, full of life, with a delightful taste that is reminiscent of the Apricot preserves my grandmother used to buy and serve on toasted white bread. This strikes me as a semi-dry wine, however (not at all candy sweet like some Kool-Aid style Rieslings) and even offers hints of minerality on the finish. Perhaps the only shortcoming is that the length is average, vanishing soon after consumption--and this, along with a lack of real complexity, of an interesting story to tell in terms of taste--keeps the Carl Reh Riesling from being a 90 point wine. That being said, this kind of deliciousness, along with such high potential for pairing with spicy Asian foods, at ten bucks a bottle? It's a MUST TRY!

S.A. Prüm "Essence" Riesling
Germany: Mosel River Valley
Riesling (white)
2009
87 pts
$13.00
Enjoyed dinner in Winter Park, FL with my dad, his wife Linda, and my sister Kim last night, at Ruth's Chris steak house. Not a steak guy, really, but this gave me the opportunity to test out a spicy Asian food-dry Riesling pairing, something I read about in Jay McInerney's book A Hedonist in the Cellar. I selected as my entree the large calamari appetizer, served at Ruth's Chris with a sweet & spicy Asian sauce, and as my wine, the Prum Essence Riesling. The citrus and sweetness in this German white are supposed to complement and balance the spiciness of Asian sauces and food. As it turns out, I like this wine a lot, but the pairing with this dish was just so-so. While the wine had a wonderful minerality to it and pleasing hints of lime--with a nice mouth feel and a slightly above average finish--this near dry/semi-sweet Riesling, so mineral driven, just didn't do enough to balance out the spices used on the calamari (could have used a bit more acidity, for my palette). I've since learned that the blue slate in the soil of this mid-valley estate accounts for the nice minerality. Still, on it's own or served with seafood or fish sans Asian spices, I think this is a good, solid semi-dry Riesling at a reasonable price--and a wine I would certainly drink, again. Compared to the Polka Dot Riesling reviewed below, this is a 91 point wine. On its own, I give it 87...nice, but not a mind blower, either.

+RUN AWAY NOW+
Polka Dot Medium Dry Riesling
Germany: Pfalz
Riesling (white)
2006
75 pts
$10.00
Need to start with two realities here: first, just about everyone who's rated the Polka Dot Medium Dry Riesling likes it a lot--but not me. Second, this is the first Riesling I've rated officially, and I'm no expert on the specific characteristics of this varietal. Those points aside, here's my honest take.

The color of this wine is yellow straw (light, even sort of airy), and the bouquet offers pear and nectarine. The company claims apricot on the nose, as well, but I don't pick that up. It's a sweet smell dominated by those fruits. As for taste, it's very light in the mouth (I've read this is an expected characteristic of the varietal, however), and the sweetness of the fruit--opening with pear, then transitioning, rather awkwardly, to a longer nectarine flavor--is displeasing for my palette: just too much for a wine described as Medium Dry. I also pick up a secondary floral taste, but that flavor does not seem at all in harmony with the dominating, sweet fruit. And the length of this wine is below average, a disappearing act. Riesling is recognized as one of the most food-friendly wines in the world, and I can see how the sweetness (plus a bit of acidity) would complement certain spicy foods (especially Asian?), but I don't care for the mouth feel, dominant flavors, level of sweetness, balance, or finish on the Polka Dot Riesling. It's just not a wine I want to drink again.

ROSE' WINES: EUROPE

2011-03-19T18:31:00.154-06:00

Bodegas Borsao Rosado
Spain: Aragon: Campo de Borja
100% Garnacha (rosé)
2009
88+ pts
$8.99
This is my Wine of the Summer, 2011! My criteria? Refreshing, easy-drinking, decent acidity (for pairing with all kinds of snacks and appetizers), light but not too light, no heat (that is, no over-the-top alcohol in the mouth), and, finally, a discount price that enables one to keep plenty on hand to enjoy and share right through September. While the Monte Palma Verdejo played this role for me in 2010--and I'm still crazy for Austrian Grüner Veltliner, too--the notion of enjoying some red fruit through June, July and August appeals to me. Dana and I tried the Borsao Rosado at Cafe-Ba-Ba-Reeba this afternoon, and I knew after one sip I was set for the summer sun. This is by no means a complex, multifaceted wine destined to rack up big awards for its unique approach or flawless execution. But it does meet my criteria for Wine of the Summer. The nose offers watermelon candy with hints of fresh orange zest (Dana nailed the oranges!). Research indicates there are strawberries on the nose, too, but neither of us picked them up. The taste profile includes lots of fresh melon (watermelon, yes, but other summer melons, too), along with with some floral notes (violets?) and minerality on the finish. And the length is very good. Borsao continues to impress me as a solid, affordable Spanish producer, and with this medium-bodied tasty wine available for nine bucks a bottle at Binny's, I'm ready for summer in Chicago: a MUST TRY!

MONTEPULCIANO D'ABRUZZO: ITALY

2011-02-27T17:00:00.001-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Terre Palladiane Zonin Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (by Casa Vinicola Zonin)
Italia: Abruzzi
92% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, 8% Sangiovese (red)
2008
$9.99
88 pts
Picked up this bottle at the airport in München in July of 2010, with a few Euros left to spend before our departure for home. I'm a fan of Zonin's Prosecco, so I thought I'd try the firm's Montepulciano d'Abruzzo--and I'm sure enjoying this wine, especially at the ten dollar price point. It's by no means complex, or rich, or of great depth. And it's also rather stingy, aromatically, with a hint of cherry and perhaps a minuscule amount of licorice on the nose. But in the mouth, it's smooth, with soft tannins, offering bright cherries and--following a hollow mid-palette--a pleasant and lingering black licorice flavor. The length is decent enough, too (especially for ten bucks). The color is a deep, dark ruby red, rather attractive. Zonin is a family operation in its seventh generation, and while founded and headquartered in the Veneto, where the family's roots lie, the firm today holds more Italian land for viticulture than any other private entity, with vineyards throughout the country...and even in the American state of Virginia! A straightforward, easy drinking little wine for just under $10.00 US. Not big enough, deep enough, nor interesting enough to get to 90 points--and there's the weak nose and hollow middle, too--but to me, this is a great weeknight-at-home-wine, and worth every cent.

Masciarelli Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (by Azienda Agricolo Masciarelli)
Italia: Abruzzi (San Martino)
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (red)
2006
$11.99
86 pts
From the region in which my maternal grandmother's family originated (Abruzzi), this varietal, at its best, can offer an affordable and wonderful everyday Italian red to enjoy with dinner...but the 2006 Masciarelli (actually produced by Il Casale in Italy, but imported and distributed by the Massachussets-based Masciarelli company) is just so-so. The color is ruby red, and not unappealing, while the nose is decent, with cherry and raspberry aromas. The taste is primarily straightforward dark cherry, with an average finish and no "Wow!" to speak of. Some have suggested hints of tobacco, but I just don't get that here...not that complex. In addition, this is an extremely dry wine, so much so that one puckers after a few tastes--and I, generally, prefer dry reds. In a pinch, this wine beats the heck out of a plastic, candy-sweet red of some type, or even a really cheap, poorly-made Chianti, as a pairing with pizza, pasta with red sauce, or red meat. But there are many other wines at this price level (and below) that are far superior. The Masciarelli is not something I feel compelled to have on hand or seek out, again. But I can envision circumstances where it might be better than the alternative.

CHAMPAGNE: FRANCE

2011-02-21T11:41:00.053-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Comte Audoin de Dampierre Grand Cuvée
France: Champagne
30% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinots Meuniers (blend)
A Non-Vintage Sparkling Wine
$30.00
91 pts
Yes, yes, yes! Happy pears, dancing apples, and a wonderful, clean minerality that lingers nicely on the back end, from the Champagne region's famous gravel. A delicious, creamy French sparkler that was recommended by Greg at Chicago's D.O.C. Wine Bar; paired beautifully with fried calamari. The best-tasting champagne I've ever had...and since I don't have the dough to drop a hundred bucks or more on a bottle, this one may just be top-of-line for me! And I sure don't mind.

AGLIANICO: ITALY

2011-02-17T17:00:00.006-06:00

Terredora DiPaolo Aglianico Campania I.G.T.
Italia: Campania
100% Aglianico (red)
2008
$14.99
88+ pts
My first taste of Aglianico, an ancient Greek grape that was transplanted by Greek settlers to the area of today's Italian region of Campania--a magical area, with Pompeii, Naples, Sorrento, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast--thousands of years ago. In the glass, this wine is a striking ruby color, with an attractive clarity and legs (or tears) that reflect its ABV content of 13 percent. The nose is equally as appealing, offering just the right amount of barnyard for my taste, as well as cherries, some white pepper, and a hint of toastiness. The mouthfeel is light--a bit too light, I think--and the taste profile (which, to be honest, is a bit of disappointment following the nose) features youthful cherries, maybe some licorice, flower petals, and a unique (in a good way) minerality on the finish, something I've found more common on the finish of dry whites, as opposed to reds. The length is nice...the licorice transitions to florality which ends with a lingering minerality. I can certainly see why some expert tasters have rated this southern Italian red 90 points, with this much depth and character at fifteen bucks. But the barnyard earthiness I enjoyed on the nose (and the ripe cherries, too), once I got this wine in my mouth, seemed to vanish: the barnyard disappears entirely, and the ripe cherries seem unripe, green, on the palette. Still, it is an interesting wine to try, and since it's my first-ever taste of Aglianico as a grape, I'm inclined to go 88+ points, for interest and intrigue (and the originality of the mineral finish). A MUST TRY? Not for my palette right now. I feel about this Aglianico sort of the way I feel about Alicia Keyes: I don't generally love her music, but I sure-as-hell know she's one talented artist.

ZWEIGELT: AUSTRIA

2011-01-30T08:01:00.004-06:00

+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Neckenmart Zweigelt (by Winzerkeller Neckenmarkt)
Austria: Burgenland (eastern Austria, south of Vienna)
Zweigelt (red)
2008
77 pts
$11.99
BRUTAL. Absolutely brutal. A big fan of Austrian wines, especially the dry white Gruner Veltliner (lovely minerals and rocks), and I've been anxious to explore Zweigelt, a varietal that dates only to 1922, but an Austrian red many experts say has a lot to offer if it can overcome some obvious marketing hurdles, i.e. a name that doesn't exactly roll off the tongue in English and the fact that it's an unknown varietal to most. The Neckenmart Zweigelt is one of three featured wines in D.O.C. Wine Bar's Old World Red Flight (a good buy at $15.00). But while this flight also includes the delightful Domaine de Fontsainte Corbieres (click HERE for my rating), the Neckenmart may just be the worst wine I've had in the past year. The fact that the weight is water-thin is about the best thing that can be said of this wine. The nose is ALL barnyard...not even earthy, really (I generally like earthiness) but an overpowering, offensive stench of dung. There are wines with this element that I actually enjoy, but those wines give one the sense that the manure is complementary as you enjoy the fruit and minerals in your glass...perhaps standing in a green field with your glass in hand as the barnyard aroma drifts faintly by, adding to the richness, the authenticity of the experience. But with this wine, you are standing in the same field buried up to your neck in cow manure, drinking a glass of watery cherry Kool Aid... with pieces of dung floating in it. One almost has to choke it down. Not only are the aroma and flavor distasteful, the two elements of the taste profile--cherries and dung--are completely disjointed, unrelated...except in that they both offend. Based on what I've heard and read, the Neckenmart cannot be a good example of what Zweigelt has to offer. Run away from this wine--fast--but more to come in future posts on this varietal. Grüß Gott!

RED BLENDS: FRANCE

2011-01-30T08:00:00.005-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Domaine de Fontsainte Corbieres
France: Languedoc Roussillon
Red Blend: 60% Carignan, 30% Grenache Noir, 10% Syrah
2006
88+ pts
$12.99
Scott, Dana and I tried the D.O.C. Wine Bar Old World Red flight last night in the hood--a great buy at $15.00--and of the three wines presented (a 2006 Chianti Classico & a 2008 Austrian Zwiegelt among them), the 2006 Domaine de Fontsainte Corbieres not only emerged as the clear winner, but established itself in my mind as a MUST TRY--especially with a retail price in stores of about thirteen bucks a bottle, and a per-full-glass price at Dunlay's of nine bucks (not a bad restaurant price for a wine with some character, at least in the city). This tasty, interesting red from southern France offers earth, mushrooms, a bit of green vegetable, and even some flowers on the nose. On the palette, there's a complex blend of barnyard, raspberries, green vegetable, a hint of black pepper, and even a subtle florality that makes a quick cameo. And more importantly, there's a natural unity in play here: somehow all of these distinct flavors transition nicely, complement one another. It just works. The nose provides a fairly accurate preview of what's to follow, but once in your mouth--a wonderful weight and pleasant mouth feel, too--the flavors emerge as if on cue: this is a wine with very good timing, and I highly recommend it.

+MUST TRY+
La Chapelle Notre Dame d'Aubune Beaumes-de-Venise
France: Cotes du Rhone
Red Blend: 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 5% Cinsault & 5% Mourvedre
2009
90 pts
$12.97
This nice Cotes du Rhone red offers a gorgeous ruby color (and yet it's bright, too), along with the aroma of red berries and lots of black pepper--with just a hint of earthiness on the nose, once it's opened up a bit. And it delivers on flavor, too: raspberries, definite pepper, some fresh earth (a gentle mustiness), and on the very back end, I get a little bitter, dark chocolate. The mouth feel is smooth, and the length is above average on this dry, delicious wine from southern France's Rhone Valley. Very food friendly, too, I think. Looks like I've found my favorite budget-buy red for winter 2010! Bought this wine at Schaefer's in Skokie--well worth keeping a few bottles on hand for holiday entertaining. I know we will.

+CORKED WINE+
Domaine de Courbissac Minervois Eos
France: Languedoc
Red Blend: 60% Carignan, 20% Cinsault, 20% Grenache
2007
Corked
$8.99
Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. For the first time since launching Gio's Wine Notes, I encountered a corked bottle of wine. Was looking forward to tasting the Courbissac Eos Vin de Pays, since this bio-dynamic producer has earned fine marks since launching in 2002. The bouquet on this wine--damp, wet, moldy basement, with hints of sewage--is unmistakable. The taste--yes, I was still curious to taste it, although I did not swallow--was an odd combination of tastelessness and rot. Estimates of the percentage of wine that is corked range anywhere from two to eight percent. When a wine is said to have been corked, it means the cork has been contaminated by a fungus called trichloroanisole (TGA), which then interacts chemically with the wine, tainting it. While the increasingly popular aluminum screw top solves this problem once and for all, tradition and history and romance--and the cork industry, too--are certain to keep old-fashioned, natural corks around for a long, long time. Will get back to you on the Eos as soon as I can find another bottle!

Chateau Cablanc Bordeaux (by Jean-Lou Debart)
France: Bordeaux (Right Bank: St.-Pey-De-Castets)
Red Blend: 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon
2006
87 pts
$12.99
This Right Bank Merlot-based red is not bad at all. The aroma is cherries, tobacco and hints of earth, and it possesses a pleasant, soft mouth feel (the Merlot provides the gentle tannins, I suppose). As for taste, I get black cherries on the initial attack, followed by some of of that Old World earthiness I enjoy, and very light tobacco. The flavors offered are subtle (maybe too much so?) but this is still a wine I am enjoying drinking tonight, and can certainly see myself drinking again--and looking forward to it. But where it falls flat is the finish: after the up-front cherries and mid-palette earth, this wine heads for the hills faster than a Tea Party candidate for Congress fleeing reporters posing actual questions. But at about $13.00 (and even cheaper on sale), this everyday affordable Bordeaux is a decent French red at a bargain price.

Vignobles David Cotes du Rhone Le Mourre de l'Isle Red
France: Cotes-du-Rhone
Red Blend: 60% Grenache, 40% Syrah
2006
82 pts
$13.99
This Kosher red from the southern Rhone Valley offers some interest, but in the end, lacks enough flavor to carry the day. The color is attractive (ruby red with purple overtones), and the nose, while a bit tight at first, is certainly appealing (nearly mouth-watering), with dark cherries, berries, and some black pepper, if you're willing to work for it. The mouth feel is very chalky (the chalkiest wine I've ever had)--feels like I just had chalk dust clapped into my mouth from a couple of school erasers, along with some very small bits of chalk on the tongue. As I said, the Le Mourre de l'Isle does offer some unique characteristics. But while this dry, chalky red does deliver velvety tannins, the flavor--dark berries, I guess, with some slight bitter coffee, perhaps, on the finish--is just lacking punch, intensity. It does not taste badly; it just does not taste enough. After my review, I tried it with a grilled burger (a slightly over-cooked grilled burger, since I was busy tasting the wine while the burgers got a little overdone), and between the chalk-dust wine and the dried up burger...let's just say I now feel like I've held sawdust in my mouth for an hour. An interesting but ultimately unappealing Cotes-du-Rhone. Perhaps with more flavor the intense dryness would work, but as it stands, it's not a wine I recommend.

+MUST TRY+
Ferraton Pere & Fils Plan de Dieu Cotes du Rhone Villages Red
France: Cotes-du-Rhone Villages
Red Blend: Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre & Carignan
2008
89+ pts
$13.00
I had this delicious red blend from Cotes du Rhone Villages (AOC) at the legendary Chicago rib joint in Old Town, Twin Anchors, a long-time post-concert Sinatra haunt and the setting for scenes in the 2000 film, Return to Me. I found the nose a little tight, but the glass in which the wine was served was too small, making it tough to open up the aroma with swirling. However, the taste profile was a good match for my palette, with dark fruit (black berries?) and spiciness, with hints, I think, of green vegetables as the wine opened up. On the back end, some lingering funk/mustiness, earthiness. Matured in concrete vats, the wine lacks the oak flavoring that I often find too strong or even fake. Also possesses nice, supple tanins. And when I paired this red with pulled pork and Twin Anchors' zesty barbecue sauce...wow...a phenomenal complement. The pork and sauce seemed to smooth out the wine even further, enhancing my enjoyment of both. Highly recommend this pairing ($8.00 a glass), and this wine, especially at this price per bottle.

La Grange Daniel (by Domaine Alary)
France: Cotes-du-Rhone, Village Cairanne
Red Blend: Grenache, Syrah, Cinsault & Cabernet Sauvignon
2007
87 pts
$11.99 (on sale)
This Vin de Pays (country wine, one designation above table wine in France, offering a wide array of grapes, flexibility for the producer, and good prices, too) is a good buy on sale at $11.99, but I place it below the MUST TRY category. On the positive side, it possesses a very pretty black cherry coloring, and a pleasing vegetable and pepper combination taste profile, along with cherry undertones (I notice the cherry more on the back end). I also find the weight of this wine--medium-light, I'll call it--enjoyable. It's quite drinkable. On the other hand, the finish isn't anything to write home about in terms of length, and it burns a little going down (14% alcohol). While these limitations keep this French country blend, for me, below the 90 point range, as I said, it's still a decent wine at a fair price, and I'll probably pickup a bottle once in a while when I see it on sale at Binny's. A nice everyday wine to enjoy with a burger on the grill, in my book.

+MUST TRY+
Schaefer's Signature Rouge (produced for Schaefer's Wine, Food & Spirits, Skokie, Il: http://schaefers.com)
France: Bordeaux
Unknown Blend (red)
A Non-Vintage Wine
88+ pts
$7.50 on sale; $14.95 otherwise
Had this humble, straightforward French table wine from Bordeaux at a school event recently (I was the bartender, and felt obliged to make sure it measured up), and was quite surprised at the quality of its flavor and finish. A pleasant strawberry flavor (cranberry, too?) with just a hint of spice on the back end, and a decent (but not 90 pt quality) length--all for under eight bucks on sale? At this price, it's a MUST TRY in my book. This is a quality (simple, not complex) Bordeaux at an unbelievable price: the fruit is restrained, not over-the-top. As is common for French table wines, the grape varietals used in production are not identified, but the geographical identity--Bordeaux--suggests a drier, tannic wine, which this certainly is. A nice everyday day French red you can rely on without breaking the bank.

GIO'S WINE TIPS 8-10

2011-01-26T13:55:00.193-06:00

Back for more! Three more simple observations that can enhance the pleasure you derive from wine:

When smelling and tasting wine, it is easier to experience and identify the aromas and flavors when the wine is warmer (warmer than the temperature at which it would ordinarily be consumed). So, for instance, one approach is to pop the cork on that bottle of Spanish Albarino you've purchased when it's still room temperature, study the color, smell it, and taste it a few times, and only then properly chill it, before savoring a few glasses at the temperature that is most pleasing and refreshing

When it comes to pairing wine with food, don't get too caught up in color. While quality, big and robust reds--Cabs, Merlots, a decent Bordeaux (a blend of the two preceding varietals), a Rhone (Syrah & Grenache), and even a Red Zin--stand up nicely to a steak and enhance the flavor of the beef, the color of the wine does not have to always match the color of the food. A Pinot Noir could, for instance, compliment a burger or steak, and I've had both Italian Prosecco and Spanish Verdejo (white wines, one sparkling, one still) with sausage pizza, to great effect. In general, you're looking for a wine that either a) compliments the food by offering a balance, a counter flavor--the way the sweetness of a Riesling compliments the spiciness of many Asian dishes--or a wine that brings out further or enriches the predominant taste of the meat, fish or appetizer. Experimentation and balance are the key concepts: you don't want to pair two flavors that are so similar that the primary taste becomes overpowering and thus distasteful, and you also don't want to pair two flavors that react negatively to one another in your mouth, i.e. intense and bright red fruit in your glass, with buttery grilled perch on your plate. Yikes!

If you don't care for wines with a flavor profile dominated by oak, with up-front cedar, toast, pine, tar, ash and smoke, a general rule-of-thumb is to avoid wines aged in American oak, only. Not all wines aged in American oak are so over-the-top, masking the taste of the fruit and earth, but a higher percentage seem to be, in my experience, than wines aged in French oak (which is more expensive for wineries to use for their barrels) and which offers more subtle flavors, greater nuance. Instead of American oak, then, seek out your favorite varietals that have been aged in French oak, or a combination of time in French and American oak, or stainless steel vats...knowing, however, that some wineries using stainless steel add oak flavoring during the process, and can certainly over-do it, at times. While I find many Chardonnays distastefully oaked, one can seek out un-oaked Chards as an alternative. My point is this: just because so much wine is now selling that features wood as much as fruit in the flavor profile (perhaps to hide bad fruit?), it does not mean you have to accept that reality if you don't enjoy that type of wine. You have options!

GIO'S WINE TIPS #s 1-7

2011-01-22T10:45:00.027-06:00

Closing in on the 100-wine mark--in terms of individual wines reviewed on Gio's Wine Notes--and I am now prepared to put my name on some basic tips to get the most pleasure out of your glass today.

If you drink only red wine or white wine--or never touch sparkling or rose' wines--you are cheating yourself! Imagine being a fan of the theatre but restricting yourself to tragedy OR comedy. In pursuing your passion so narrowly, you may be moved by Hamlet but will never experience the ironic playfulness of The Importance of Being Earnest. Let it go--and drink it all

A Portuguese red (Touriga Nacional) or Chilean red (Cab) around $10.00-$12.00 is nearly always more interesting and satisfying than any Bordeaux or California red at that price and up to about $20.00 (Cotes du Rhones, in my experience, are more likely to offer good wine at a lower price, in comparison with Bordeax and California, but not as likely as wines from Portugal and Chile)

A Spanish white (Albarino, Verdejo, or blends) OR an Austrian Gruner Veltliner at around $10.00-$12.00 is nearly always more interesting and satisfying than any producer's Pinot Grigio, Riesling, Chardonnay, or Sauvignon Blanc at that price and up to about $20.00

Garnacha (Spain) or Grenache (France) is one of the most food-friendly and affordable reds on the market today

Spanish sparkling Cava and Italian sparkling Prosecco offer much more quality for the money than Champagne. For what one has to spend to get good Champagne one could easily purchase three or four bottles of high-quality Cava or Prosecco

Don't write off Riesling as a GREAT appetizer or dinner wine. They're not all Kool-Aid sweet, and when paired with spicy Asian fare or seafood with a spicy sauce...wow.

While there's a lot of low-quality, tasteless Italian Pinot Grigio on the market, there are also some wonderful wines made with Washington state Pinot Gris...go Northwest!

Cin, cin!

WHITE BLENDS: SPAIN

2011-01-13T20:02:00.036-06:00

Protocolo Blanco (by Dominio de Eguren)
Espana: Castilla-la Mancha
70% Airen, 30% Macabeo (blend)
2009
$6.95
84
For a discount wine ringing in at about seven bucks a bottle, the Protocolo Spanish white--while no great shakes--is a serviceable wine, offering nice weight, a smooth mouth feel, and a soundbite preview of what more legit white wines from Espana have to offer: a nice balance between fruit and floral flavors and a much-appreciated contrast with the usual tasteless Pinot Grigio, oaked-to-death Chard or one-dimensional Sauvignon Blanc that dominate this price point. The fruit is citrus with some hints of pear, while the not unpleasant floral bitterness that follows clearly distinguishes this wine from its more popular Kool-Aid shelf-mates. The length? Not much staying power here. I give the Protocolo white 84 points. It's not a wine to seek out, but on a last place team--the Pittsburgh Pirates, for instance--the Protocolo could be an All-Star, maybe getting an inning in the field late in the game. And when you're paying league minimum, what more can you ask?

CAVA: SPAIN

2010-12-25T22:00:00.002-06:00

Codorníu Original
Espana: Catalunya (Sant Sadurní d’Anoia, Penedés) - about 40 km south of Barcelona
A Blend: 40% Macabeo, 30 % Parellada, 20 % Xarel·lo, 10 % Reserve wine (sparkling white)
Non-Vintage
$8.99
87 pts
Had the Codorníu Original cava for the first time on Christmas day 2010, in Sarasota, Florida. Purchased three 187 ml bottles at Publix to enjoy with various deserts (i.e., cannoli and cheese cake) and this pairing worked very nicely, with the floral and mineral aspects of the wine complementing rich pastries. The color on this light Spanish sparkler is a soft pale yellow. The nose is stingy, offering floral notes. But the taste is pleasant: while a bit bland, lacking a distinct character, it's also very easy-drinking. Pear dominates in terms of fruit, but there's some apple present, too. The back end features good floral flavors, with minerality close behind. As for length, there's not much to write home about. While this cava won't blow you away, it's a wonderful option (at a great price) for serving with desert: it certainly won't overpower the flavors of the pastries, especially cheese-based pastries, and, in fact, it enhances the flavors. The sparkle is minimal on this wine, but it's just enough to give one that sense of a special occasion (and playfulness) that makes sparkling wine unique. And like all cavas, the alcohol content, at 11.5%, is lower than most wines, making it ideal for serving later in the evening.

Segura Viudas Brut Reserva Cava
Espana: Catalunya (Penedés)
A Blend: 50% Macabeo, 35% Parellada, 15% Xarel-lo (sparkling white)
Non-Vintage
$8.99
88+ pts
Went to see our cousin Phil Angotti, quite a talented singer-songwriter-player, play at The Elbo Room in Chicago recently, and while this fun old-school music bar has a typically banal wine list--the usual Pinot Grigios, Merlots and friends, along with a very strong beer line-up--they had a cava on the list, so throwing image to the dogs, I stood there in a rock 'n roll bar on a Saturday night with Dana and Max and Leslie and sipped my crisp Spanish cava from a flute, while all around me consumed appropriately masculine beverages in dark, thick glass bottles. But I was glad I did. The Sugura Viudas Brut Reserva cava is a very nice, pleasing sparkler (not as enjoyable to me as my favorite Italian proseccos, mind you, but a good wine, nonetheless). I got tobacco on the nose--really strange, I think, for a white wine--but that's what I got. Also, the smell of flowers, which was nice. As for taste, for such an inexpensive wine, there's some good complexity here, probably requiring more than one glass for me to sort out. I definitely tasted a smokiness, the flowers I picked up on the nose, good minerality, and a little fruit, too (apple, I think). That's an awful lot going on for a discount-priced sparkler from Spain...and it all works well together, coherent, with a decent length. The only thing that keeps me from giving this wine a MUST TRY rating of 89 or higher is that, for my palette, I prefer a bit more of the minerality and little less of the herbs and flowers, so for me, it's about the nature of the balance. But in a way, that's nit-picking: this is a great wine at a really good price, and I think a lot of people will enjoy it as much as I did, if not more.

NERO D'AVOLA: ITALY

2010-12-07T20:11:00.197-06:00

Mulinea Nero d'Avola (by Casa Vinicola Curatolo)
Italia: Sicily (Marsala)
100% Nero d'Avola (red)
2008
85 pts
$12.99
Nero d'Avola, Sicily's great varietal, was once used to beef-up weaker wines, but today is standing tall on its own as an interesting bargain-buy, sometimes similar to Sryah (bold, full-bodied, and fruit-forward, but with some earthiness, too) and sometimes just a bit too much. The Mulinea is the first Nero d'Avola I'm rating, although it will not be the last. This full-bodied wine is the color of a dark plum skin. The nose offers some bright, candy-like raspberry and then black pepper, with earthy, musty undertones. Nice. The flavor profile, at least with the 2008 vintage, is very young, reminiscent of unripe dark fruit (blue or blackberries, dark red?), followed by a whole lot of nothing...no pepper, and none of the earthy undertones, which one does pick up on the aroma. The finish is not much to write home about, either, and the length is below average, a bit of a Houdini. This isn't a terrible wine (or I would not have consumed half the bottle, tonight), but it's also not a wine to seek out, to get excited about. Supposed to stand up well to beef and lamb dishes. I'm just getting started with this varietal...more to come!

RED BLENDS: SPAIN

2010-11-29T20:00:00.001-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Borsao Crianza Seleccion (by Bordegas Borsao)
Espana: Aragon (Campo de Borja)
A Blend: 50% Grenache, 25% Tempranillo and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2006
90+ pts
$14.99
Picked up the Borsao Crianza at Kafka Wine last month. The color is a striking mahogany. The pleasing, multi-layered aroma is rich in black pepper, but also features candied cherries, manure and petrol (really). Spain's official crianza designation means the wine is two years old when sold, with about half of that time spent in oak (in the case of this Borsao, a combination of French and American oak). The taste profile of this dry red is also complex (amazingly so for a wine that retails under fifteen bucks), offering spiciness along with bright cherries, plums, a little hot pepper, a floral component (gentle rose petal bitterness) on the back end, and some soft, subtle oak (French style)...all with an amazing length. Earlier reviewed the simple Borsao red (which retails for about $7.00), and while that discount wine is okay for the dough, the 2006 Borsao Crianza is an absolute steal at $15.00. MUST TRY!

Mestizaje (by Bodegas Mustiguillo)
Espana: Valencia
A Blend of Bobal, Tempranillo, Garnacha and Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2006
87+ pts
$18.99
This Spanish red blends 70% Bobal (a grape I'd never tried before), with the remainder composed of Tempranillo (one of my favorites), Garnacha, and Cab. I have to be honest: I think Jay Miller of Wine Advocate missed this one. Miller gave this a whopping 91 points. I find this to be a servicable wine, around 87+ points for my palette...decent enough, but not a Must Try wine. The nose is musty (not a bad thing, necessarily), with red berries. The color is a dark ruby red, actually quite nice. But I find the taste--obviously the key point for any wine--lacking. The tannins are nice and firm (good pucker quality) and the length is good, but the taste for my palette falls flat, even a bit bitter to me, and overpowering. Maybe because by 2010 this wine has lost its soul (or maybe the mushroom plus mineral taste profile just doesn't appeal to me); it's just not a wine I love. I do like its earthiness, and the dark cherry overtones are not unpleasant, but the whole thing seems overpowered, in the end, by a mushroom-like mustiness that's not for me. If you like mushrooms a lot, this might be a good try for you.

Borsao Red Wine (by Bodegas Borsao)
Espana: Aragon (Campo de Borja)
Blend: Grenache 80%, Tempranillo 20% (red)
2005
$6.99
85+ pts
Not bad for a discount wine, and so-called experts say this winery is reliable; a very old world, 'dirty' wine, with strong manure, earth and mineral components, to me; can find on sale for $5.99, often; for my pallete, though, a little too dirty; servicible and affordable, but not a favorite; drink now when you have it; not a wine to hold.

RED BLENDS: UNITED STATES

2010-11-27T17:00:00.001-06:00

+MUST TRY+
Abbot's Table Wine (by Owen Roe Winery)
United States of America: Columbia Valley, Washington State
Blend: 25% Zinfandel, 20% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Syrah, Grenache 13%, 7% Blaufrankish, 2% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec,1% Merlot (red)
2009
21.99
89+ pts
Received this bottle as a gift from a friend (thanks Jessica!), which always makes reviewing awkward--that is, when the wine sucks. But in this case, it was an absolute pleasure to taste. This Washington state gem is a complex blend of nine varietals, and is no ordinary table wine. The color is a rich plum, and the mouth-watering aroma offers red fruit (raspberries definitely, but also cherries, maybe), along with some intense white pepper and, after opening up a few minutes in the glass, even a hint of old barnyard on the back end. As for taste, the initial attack is a rapid, lively and bright shot of red fruit (mostly raspberry), that transitions very quickly (a good thing for my palette) to subtle dancing white pepper on the tongue. And then, for the finale', some good Washington state earthiness takes the stage and lingers pleasantly for an encore, with an above average length. While it is certainly true that so-called "table wine" seldom reaches breaches the twenty-dollar mark, I'll say it, again: the Owen Roe Abbot's Table Wine is no ordinary table wine. Soon I'll be enjoying a glass with turkey and stuffing (Dana's cooking up a post-Thanksgiving storm...and no, I haven't tired of turkey), and I suspect this wine will prove to be very food friendly, as the name suggests, with good but not overpowering and oppressive fruitiness (when it comes to fruit-forward wine--and Zin does make up 25% of this wine--I prefer a meaningful cameo to gross over-exposure). This one fits my play bill perfectly, and is a MUST TRY!

DOLCETTO D'ALBA: ITALY

2010-11-08T19:31:00.142-06:00

Rocche Costamagna Dolcetto D'Alba Murrae
Italia: Piemonte (town of La Morra)
100% Dolcetto (red)
2007
88 pts
$13.99
Picked up this northern Italian red at Kafka Wines on Halsted last week during a Sunday night walk (at this point, Dana expects any walk to result in a bottle), and wasn't disappointed. While the color is a rich red with hints of purple and even some pink, the nose offers red berries, pepper, and Old World barnyard (very nice). The taste possesses three components: first, the subtle red berries (some cherries, too, perhaps), followed by the earthy barnyard, which makes a very definitive appearance. The flavor concludes with a nice floral bitterness (can't seem to place the flower, exactly, but I'm guessing violets). A little light/weak on the back end (quick fade out; the finish is underwhelming), but because I enjoy all aspects of this wine's taste profile, I'm a fan. Not a MUST TRY, but a nice wine for those who like a little Italian barnyard in their glass, along with smooth tannins and a pleasing dryness. These grapes are grown in sandy, tufa-rich soil on hills in northwestern Italy. This is a D.O.C. wine, meaning the region has been recognized for producing a wine from these grapes over many years that is of consistent character, true to its locale and history. Pretty high alcohol content at 14%. If you like more earth than fruit, you will probably enjoy this one.

BARBERA: ITALY

2010-10-28T19:00:00.000-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Castelvero Barbera
Italia: Piemonte (Monferrato Hills)
100% Barbera (red)
2007
89 pts
$10.00
This bright, fruity, light-to-medium body red from the Piedmont is not ordinarily my style, but I really like it. The color is a dark, ruby red. The aroma offers raspberry preserves (Jewel brand!), the kind my grandmother used to buy--and used to let me eat for breakfast, too, on toast with peanut butter. The taste profile is definitely fruit driven (red berries, raspberry and perhaps strawberry), and certainly not complex, but on the back end, I get some mocha that lingers nicely, and a fleeting hint of earth, along with a very chill dryness, smooth tannins. At twenty bucks I'd call this a decent wine but not a MUST TRY, but for ten bucks...it's a great value--and one definitely worth trying. Barbera is meant to be consumed not long after purchase, so if you buy a bottle, drink up. Cin, cin!

Il Pozzo Barbera D'Asti (by Il Pozzo Winery)
Italia: Piemonte (Rufina)
Barbera D'Asti (red)
2006
87 pts
$18.00
Bought this Italian red from Piedmont at the Munich Airport on our way home from Italy summer 2009. Learned later that the Barbera varietal is one of the oldest (13th Century) and the third most produced varietals in Italy (Sangiovese is first, of course, and Montepulciano second). It is intended to serve as the source for every day wine, as opposed to the more complex and long-lasting vinos. I liked this wine (a serviceable, pleasant Italian red), and if I could find it in the $10.00-$12.00 price range, I'd buy it, again. It's not a home run, though, not a MUST TRY, especially given my 12 Euro price tag. The color is a ruby red, so dark mid-glass that it's almost dark purple. Definitely taste dark berries, and cherries, too, but none of the vanilla and hints of oak the best of this wine is said to offer. It's a little thin for me, but a decent enough finish, with some lingering flavor. Okay, overall...but nothing to get too excited about.

VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO: ITALY

2010-10-25T20:38:00.082-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Vernaccia di San Gimignano (by Fontaleoni)
Italy: San Gimignano (Siena Province), Tuscany
100% Vernaccia
2009
89 pts
$13.99
Wow! If you like a gentle floral bitterness (soft) in your white, along with a distinct nuttiness and a smooth dry finish (lingering minerals), this wine is for you! The Fontaleoni Vernaccia also features apple juice throughout. That's a lot going on for fourteen bucks, and it all works together well. The length is also quite good. Picked this up at Kafka Wines on Halsted last night, never having heard of the Vernaccia varietal. Just coincidentally, Dana and I were talking a few hours before about a possible visit to the Medieval town of San Gimignano in Tuscany, and when I saw this wine from the same town, well...I had to give it a shot. And am I glad I did. Turns out Vernaccia was the first wine to earn Italy's D.O.C. status back in the sixties, and has a history possibly dating back to the Etruscans (and Medieval Popes and Kings loved the stuff). The name may reference the Latin word for "vernacular," or local, or perhaps the beautiful Cinque Terre village of Vernazza, with the grape, some suggest, getting its start in Liguria before being transplanted to Tuscany. Either way, this is a new and exciting varietal for me, and one I look forward to exploring further. At Kafka, they've placed the wine under the "Fruity" section, but I'm not sure that's where it belongs. I get more flowers and minerals and nuts than fruit, although the fruit is there. I highly recommend this one!

ZINFANDEL: UNITED STATES

2010-09-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Chronic Cellars Paso Robles Purple Paradise
United States of America: Paso Robles, CA
95% Zinfandel; 5% Petite Sirah (red)
2007
$14.00
89 pts
One of the best California Zins I've had, and at less than fifteen bucks per delicious bottle, a wine I highly recommend. Our friend from the building Gail brought this over last night, and she, Dana, Scott and I hung out really enjoying the Chronic Cellars Purple Paradise. The color is a pretty purple, as the name suggests. On the nose, I got plenty of black pepper with hints of red berries. The taste profile? Strawberries, chocolate (Scott called it right with fresh milk chocolate) and then, on the back end, the Petite Sirah comes through, with a vegetal or herbal component, green pepper maybe. Beneath it all lies a a delicate spiciness which works well. The label on this wine is wild, too: a smiling Day of the Dead-like skull, on a black background with the wine's name in a font reminiscent of Halloween or horror films. Turns out the young producers (who went to college in the area and became fascinated with the wine culture there) used to employ the term chronic to describe anything cool to them, and thus the name Chronic Cellars. A fun but quality wine...probably only available to Chicago-area residents via the Internet, but well worth the cost of shipping. A +MUST TRY+.

Seghesio Family Vineyards Sonoma Zinfandel
United States of America: Sonoma County, CA
Zinfandel (red)
2007
$23.99
85 pts
This is by no means a budget-priced bottle of wine (given as a gift to us over a year ago at a party we held). And having done a little research, I see that it has scored very nicely, even in the hands of some tough professional critics. But for my palette, the Seghesio Family Vineyards Zinfandel is just not a winner--especially priced over twenty bucks. I decanted this wine for more than hour, giving it some time to really open up. The nose offers some smokiness (which I like), but is dominated by jammy dark fruit, a candy-like sweetness that I find unappealing. I will say this, however: it is very aromatic. The color is a rather dark violet. As for taste, lots of blueberry jam, with some peppery spice on the back end, finishing with a lingering green vegetable flavor (and you can really taste the alcohol). I can see why the pros like this wine, since it does offer rich coloring, strong aromatics, and a complex taste profile (with at least three distinct tastes, in succession, that transition reasonably well). So what's my problem with this wine? It's elemental: I don't like the dominant taste, reminding me a bit of the old Blueberry Buckle baby food that I once liked (sadly, into my teens), articifical, candy-esque, and ultimately unsatisfying, lacking substance. Generally, I prefer an Old World taste profile, with more earth and dirt and flowers and minerals than fruit (or at least more of a balance with the fruit), and this wine is exactly the kind of artificial-tasting, fruit-forward wine that I just don't care for, although I readily admit that many people do. If you prefer fruit (especially jammy blueberries) over farmland, rocks and flowers, you may enjoy this one, but me...not so much.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON: UNITED STATES

2010-09-24T19:09:00.001-05:00

+RUN AWAY NOW+
Blossom Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
United States of America: San Benito County, CA
Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2008
$10.00
65 pts
Yikes, yikes and triple yikes. This Cabernet may be England's most disconcerting contribution to America since The Spice Girls. Owned by an English firm (and, in fact, one of the UK's top-selling producers, if not the leader), the Blossom Hill label seeks to capture that magical, big California fruit in a discount-priced bottle for wine enthusiasts in both the USA and the UK. The firm boasts that its Cab offers robust red berries, black currant, and subtle oak. And in using the word subtle, I think we find a wonderful example of the classic English use of understatement as a comedic device: this wine, even thinner than water itself, is absolutely tasteless. The aroma is a closed door, offering, perhaps, a whiff of Welch's Grape Juice (remember?). The attack, if it can be called that, brings watered-down Kool-Aid, and to speak plainly, there is no mid-palate, no finish, and no length. Kind of tough to comment further on things that don't exist. The only reason I'm going as high as 65 points is that despite drinking three glasses of this stuff last night in a relatively short period of time, I was not hungover this morning (65 gratitude points). This is the first wine in my experience where even after three glasses, it didn't improve one bit, in my mind (shattering my theory that every wine becomes a 90 point wine as you approach glass number four). There are some good quality wines out there for ten bucks if one looks hard and gets outside the usual varietals--and then there's a whole lot of junk. The Blossom Hill Cabernet is junk.

Chalone Vineyards Monterey County Cabernet Sauvignon (by Chalone Vineyards)
United States of America: Monterey, California
Cabernet Sauvignon (red)
2006
$18.00
88 pts
This California Cab possesses a rich and beautiful dark cherry color, with the black cherry nose to match. The taste profile is fairly complex for a wine under twenty bucks: good black fruit up front, with some pepper midway, and a hint of vanilla on the back end. But I also experienced an undercurrent throughout--strongest on the tail end of the above-average length of this wine--of an earthy, musty, mushroom taste, not something the nose offered at all. I give this one 88 points, decent because of its interest-level and complexity (and I find the fruit and pepper aspects appealing...it's not a typical Cab by any stretch), but not a MUST TRY wine, for my money, because the lingering mushroom in the end is just too much, at least for my palette. This is an interesting, unusual Cabernet Sauvignon, probably worth trying, but more for its uniqueness than its quality. I find the various aspects to be somewhat disjointed. That being said, I've had two glasses so far, and as usual, the more I drink, the better it seems!

RED BLENDS: ITALY

2010-09-24T07:58:00.003-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Tormaresca Neprica
Italia: Puglia
Negroamaro 40%, Primitivo 30%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30% (red)
2008
$12.99
89+ pts
If you like a little Old World in your red, this is a great find. This blend comes from the southern Italian region of Puglia, the heel of the boot, just east of Calabria along the Adriatic coast. The taste profile here is rich, indeed: dark cherries, plum, spice and musty earth--plus floral hints and perhaps coffee on the back end. Posseses a gorgeous ruby red color, a nose that offers some cherries plus petroleum and pepper, and a wonderfully smooth mouth feel. A nice, dry Old World red (good pucker quality), with an okay length (falls just a bit shy of 90 points here, largely because of the abbreviated length). Negroamaro and Primitivo are two native Italian grapes little known in the States, so this wine has a nice interest level, too. The name--Tormaresca--means "Tower by the Sea," referencing the old warning towers that dot the Italian coast in Puglia. All of this for about $13.00 US, and even less when on sale. The 2008 Tormaresca Neprica has a whole lot going on at one helluva good price. It's a MUST TRY!

Salice Salentino (by La Corte)
Italia: Puglia (Salentino Peninsula)
Negroamaro 85%, Malvasia Nero 15% (red)
2006
$9.99
87+ pts
Sold by the glass at Dunlay's, $8.00; a decent red, with mixed berry, good tobacco, and a lot of earthy flavors (hint of manure); old world taste; like it, but have to be in the mood.

+MUST TRY+
Vitiano (by Falesco)
Italia: Umbria (Montecchio, Terni Region)
Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese blend (red)
2006
$9.99
90 pts
A delicious Italian blend (I.G.T. label, indicating it's true to the region, in this case Umbria, but also allowing some greater liberty for the winemaker to get jiggy wit it); full of delicious jammy red fruit, but also some complexity; nice acidity; this wine, at just $10.00 a bottle, is one of the best values I've found. A tremendous wine, especially warming on a winter night.

36 MONTHS & HUNDREDS OF GLASSES: WHAT I'VE LEARNED ABOUT WINE SO FAR

2010-09-13T19:00:00.010-05:00

First, a shameful confession: I'll drink anything...once.

Then, a declaration: anytime I buy a bottle of wine I already know I like, I insist on buying something new, too--a varietal, a producer, a region, a country--something I've never had before. That way I feel like all that drinking goes to a good cause, beyond transporting me to that happy, chill place good wine and the company of good friends inevitably creates. Seeking new experiences widens my knowledge and develops further my ability to describe what I like, and--always the bigger challenge--why I like it.

After about three years of exploring wine, I'm also beginning to see that one's taste preferences change over time. Just two years ago I was repulsed by lighter, mineral driven whites like Austrian Gruner Veltliner--and today I can't get enough. I mean, how could you not love the taste of chilled limestone in a glass? When I first started, I was all about the dry reds--especially Italian Chianti (Sangiovese) and Spanish Tempranillo, and while I still love quality Italian and Spanish reds (subdued red fruit, with tobacco and earth overtones) I drink a lot of white these days, too, Verdejo from Rueda, Pinot Gris from Oregon, and even sparkling whites like Spanish Cava and Italian Prosecco (although I still feel kind of self-conscious with the sparkling wine flute, particularly when everyone else in the bar seems to be drinking rum and coke, gin and tonic, or a pint of beer...but hey, you can look masculine and sip Cava from a flute, can't you? Dana thinks so, at any rate, and that's good enough for me).

Lately, I'm focusing on French reds, especially Cotes-du-Rhones (Grenache, Syrah), but also looking forward to tasting some French Chardonnays, sans oak. And lately I'm starting to enjoy the unique flavors and velvety mouth feel of Pinot Noir, thanks to Scott, having had a California Pinot recently that tasted like chocolate covered cherries to me.

After 36 months exploring wine, here's a quick rundown of the top ten things I've learned:

In the ten to twenty dollar range, there is frequently no correlation between the price on the bottle and the quality of the wine contained therein
You may think you like only red or white wine, but after a week of drinking both, you'll never think that way, again
The pretentiousness and air of superiority affected by some (by no means all) in the wine and restaurant industries is not to be feared, and in fact, should be mocked at every opportunity
I prefer Old World wines, which have a tendency toward more subtle fruit, earthiness, minerality, grassiness, and floral notes, as opposed to big, intense, fruit-forward New World wines
I also prefer dry wines to sweet, although I'm learning there's a wide spectrum from bone-dry to syrupy sweet, with plenty of variations in between--and when paired with the right food, a wine you might ordinarily dislike can take on a whole new character
I really hate a sweet nose on a red wine that's plastic in character, calling to mind cheap candy or artificial syrup
Swirling wine clockwise in your glass and smelling it may look silly, but it really does open up the aroma, telling you something about what you're about to drink
White wine is often served much too cold (it's not supposed to be the equivalent of an ice-cold beer), and red wine much too warm (not intended, generally, to be consumed at room temperature). In the absence of a wine fridge, take a chilled white out of your kitchen fridge 15-20 minutes before drinking, and place a red in your fridge for 15-20 minutes before consumption
Reds from Portugal, whites from Spain and sparkling Italian Prosecco (as opposed to Champagne) are great values right now, when one considers the high quality available at really reasonable prices
Despite the long history (2,000 years), rich traditions, and enormous complexity of making, bottling and distributing wine around the world--and what might be called the scientific, historical, and literary aspects of enjoying wine--one should never lose sight of the three central reasons I believe people have always consumed wine (and continue to do so today):

They enjoy the taste
Sharing it with others brings them closer to family and friends
They find pleasure in the unique way wine altars their mood or consciousness

If you encounter a wine that does not please you on these most elemental levels, then no matter what an expert says, it's not a 90 point wine for you. And when it comes to putting something in your mouth and ingesting it...well, it seems to me that's an awfully personal thing. It's your opinion that matters most.

GIO'S SIX WINES FOR AUTUMN - From $6.00-$23.00 US

2010-09-08T12:05:00.001-05:00

When the weather turns cool in Chicago each autumn--school resumes; the late afternoon sunlight begins its slow but inexorable retreat; the Cubs prepare for a merciful hibernation following yet another long, hot, and disappointing summer; and the bone-chilling winds off Lake Michigan begin to re-assert themselves, meekly at first, but with greater confidence with each passing week, until the cold rains arrive and embolden them further--well, when fall is in the air, I look forward to being warmed, physically and spiritually, with wine uniquely suited to this change in seasons.

Here are my top six wines for autumn, ranging in price from $6.00 (on sale) to $23.00, all wines that can be purchased right here in Chicagoland:

1. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (by La Braccesca/Antinori)
Italy: Tuscany (near Montepulciano)
Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) 90%, Merlot 10% (red blend)
2005
$23.00
This is an excellent Tuscan red, possessing a rich ruby color in the glass, and offering aromas of cherries and some very light oak. The mouth feel is smooth and pleasing (with a medium-light weight), while the taste profile includes wonderful cherries, hints of black pepper, and minerals on the back end. The finish is excellent, with the minerality lingering in your mouth long after swallowing. The tannins are near perfect, soft and gentle, but with good pucker-quality. I suspect the small percentage of Merlot in the blend helps lend the tannins their softness. Just learned that this wine--which Dana and I purchased in Monterosso al Mare (Liguria, Italy) in July of 2009--is available at Binny's Beverage Depot for about $23.00. Not inexpensive, but this delicious wine is worth the cost.

2. Zonin Prosecco Special Cuve'e Brut Spumante (by Casa Vinicola Zonin)
Italia: Veneto (Gambellara)
Prosecco (sparkling white)
A non-vintage wine
$14.99 (on sale now at Trader Joe's for $5.99)
This Prosecco is outstanding. The flavor (a hint of lemon, of citrus) is not overpowering; for my tastes, this is the perfect level of sweetness in a Prosecco. It's crisp and refreshing, with a good finish. A medium level of fizz. Zonin is steady as she goes, from start to finish. Had a few glasses with Dana's homemade pesto and rotini for dinner, and it was a perfect compliment. Also great with appetizers or a before dinner drink when entertaining this fall (Thanksgiving?).

3. Ergo Tempranillo (by Bodegas Martin Codax)
Espana: Rioja
Tempranillo 85%, Mazuelo 15% (red)
2006
$12.99
This is an outstanding Spanish red, with good black pepper and tobacco (the tobacco really pops on the bouquet). The red fruit is subtle but rewarding, and the Ergo offers a rock-solid finish and very good length. Dana bought this for me once, and after a quick smell and a single taste, I was hooked. Along with the da Vinci Chianti, this is my cold weather workhorse wine. Affordable, a great example of what the Spaniards from Rioja can do with Tempranillo, and readily available here at home. Not easy to find a $13.00 wine with this kind of integrity and reliability, year after year.

4. Rueda Naia (by Bodegas Naia - Vina Sila)
Espana: Castilla y Leon (Rueda)
Verdejo (white)
2006
$17.99
The BEST verdejo I have ever tasted. Cool, crisp and refreshing up front, with just the right amount of sweetness and citrus fruit (along with hints of freshly-mown grass); on the back end, long and so smooth. One of the best wines I've ever had. Tasted it for the first time at La Sala at La Valencia Hotel, on our spring 2009 trip to La Jolla, CA. This is one of my favorite wines. Available at Whole Foods for a few dollars less than above, too, and at the Cellar Rat on North Avenue in Chicago.

5. Vitiano (by Falesco)
Italia: Umbria (Montecchio, Terni Region)
Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese blend (red)
2006
$9.99
A delicious Italian blend (I.G.T. label, indicating it's true to the region, in this case Umbria, but also allowing some greater liberty for the winemaker to get jiggy wit it); full of delicious jammy red fruit, but also some complexity; nice acidity; this wine, at just $10.00 a bottle, is one of the best values I've found. A tremendous wine, especially warming on a winter night. Could go nicely with pizza, pasta or burgers, I think.

6. Da Vinci Chianti (by Cantine Leonardo Da Vinci)
Italia: Tuscano (Chianti) San Giovesese + Merlot (red)
2006
$12.99
A wonderful, high-quality Chianti priced to drink everyday! D.O.C.G. designation. Good paired with pizza, pasta, red meats, appetizers, or all by its lonesome. Ruby red color in the glass, with cherries, plums, and some spice hints on the tongue (especially cherry, and the cherry skin, too). Some old world, earthy undertones, as well. There is so much really terrible Chianti out there, so the da Vinci, still priced under $15.00 a bottle, is worth its weight in gold.

GETTING STARTED WITH FRENCH WINE

2010-09-08T07:26:00.009-05:00

Introduction
Making sense of the historic and often wonderful wines of France without having at least a passing knowledge of the major categories of wine and the national laws stipulating which grapes can be grown in which regions, is akin to developing a new chemical compound through experimentation, without having any awareness of chemical properties and the table of elements: in both instances, going in blind is one helluva gamble.

But while it may take a lifetime of exploration and study (and even travel) to truly master the wines of France--with the possible exception of Italy, no modern nation has devoted more time and energy over the past 2,000 years seeking to perfect wine and food, two of the most elemental but rewarding pleasures of life--a brief overview can go a long way towards making one more comfortable in exploring French wine.

Terroir and the French Wine Label
The French concept of terroir--the specific ground of a region or sub-region or even a single vineyard (the mineral composition of its soil), along with its climate (i.e., temperature, sun, wind, seasons) and nearby geographical features (i.e., rivers, trees, shrubs, hills)--is the organizing principle of French wine. For the French, the terroir determines the central characteristics of a wine, making it unique, specific to a particular place. This is why French wine labels do not tell the buyer on the front what grapes were used to make the wine (i.e., Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay) but instead tell the buyer the place the wine was made (i.e., Bordeaux, Alsace, Rhone, or sometimes even sub-regions or specific famous vineyards rather than regions, alone). Thus, in order for a buyer to know what type of wine he or she is purchasing, some knowledge of which grapes are allowed in which regions is required--although some producers do reveal the grape varietals used on the back label.

Three Appellations
There are three main appellations for French wines, not quality standards, per se, but standards about how closely wines are connected to a specific terroir/place and which grapes can be used in making the wine from that place.

The lowest standard is called Vin de Table, table wine, with no restrictions on the winemakers in regard to the grapes used (what varietals, how they are blended, and where they've come from). In general, Vin de Table are simple and straightforward, lacking in complexity and without the characteristics of outstanding wine (like a mid-palette flavor and length). These are the least expensive French wines (note that the grapes used can be bought by French winemakers from vineyards throughout Europe). However, some Vin de Table are quite tasty, and given the low price, finding one you enjoy can be fun. Generally speaking, though, these wines are everyday wines made for consumption with everyday food. Forty to fifty percent of the wine produced in France is Vin de Table.
The next standard is called Vin de Pays, or country wine. Vin de Pays, a step above French table wine, can be a an exciting source for well-priced, good quality French wine. Unlike Vin de Table, Vin de Pays are required to identify the geographical origin of the wine, must adhere to government regulations about the grape varietals used, and submit the wines for study and tasting (to ensure they are appropriate for the origin cited). Specific standards vary by region. According to Gary Vaynerchuck at Wine Library TV, this category, while uneven in the quality of its wines, can be fun to explore, offering more complexity than Vin de Table (along with more authentic connection to place) at affordable prices. About seventy-five percent of all Vin de Pays is produced in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of France (south-central France, along the Mediterranean coast and inland), while about twenty-five percent of all French wine is Vin de Pays.
The highest standard of French wine is Vin de Qualite Produit dans des Regions Determinee. These wines, subjected to the strictest regulation, are broken into two categories: AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee) and VDQS (Vin Délimité de Qualite Superieure). AOC is the more stringent appellation, with rigid rules about what grapes can be planted in limited geographical areas, what varietals and blends can be used in the wine from these areas, alcohol content, yield, and even pruning techniques. AOC wines are analyzed and tasted with great care. The idea is that the AOC wines can be relied upon to be the most true to their terroir, their history and tradition, and most reliable in their quality. This does not mean, of course, that every palette will enjoy the taste of every AOC wine, nor that factors like weather or the winemaker don't impact taste, as well. These wines are more expensive than Vin de Table and Vin de Pays, given the many hoops the producers must jump through to achieve the AOC appellation. There are dozens of areas that have achieved AOC, including many of the most famous names in French wine, including Bordeax, Pomerol, Cotes du Rhone, Champagne, and Chablis. The VDQS appellation adheres to stricter guidelines than Vin de Pays, but not as strict as the AOC.

Grapes Allowed in Key Regions
In addition to understanding France's appellation system, it is necessary to at least have a sense of what grapes are grown in the country's key wine-making areas, since most French wine bottles (with the exception of some Vin de Pays) are labeled by place of origin, only, not grape varietal, emphasizing the uniqueness of each terroir. This is by no means a comprehensive listing, but it's a good start for helping you know what varietal or blend of varietals you're purchasing when you next select a bottle of French wine:

Alsace: famous for white wines from Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc. The Riesling produced in Alsace is dry with a mineral flavor profile.

Bordeaux: famous for red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Malbec; whites include Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon. About eighty percent of the wine produced in Bordeaux is red. The two sub-regions are the Left and Right Banks of the Gironde River. Generally speaking, the Left Bank produces wine more likely to be based on Cabernet Sauvignon, while the Right Bank produces wine more likely to have a Merlot foundation. Producing some of the most expensive wines in the world, and enjoying such a fine reputation, one can encounter great and terrible wines from Bordeax, some living up to the hype, and some making a living on the marketing. Dominated by large estates producing big reds.

Burgundy: famous for Pinot Noir (red) and Chardonnay (white). The climate in this region--wonderfully warm summers but cold winters, with lots of rain--seems to provide the perfect balance for growing Pinot Noir, which is legendary for its hyper-sensitivity, its fragility. Burgundy includes many small wineries producing different types of wine. With the scale of the vineyards being so much smaller than Bordeaux and the variety of wines produced in Burgundy, exploring this region can be great fun.

Champagne: famous for Chardonnay (white) and Pinot Noir (red), the two primary grapes used in making champagne, a sparkling wine. Champagne varies from dry-as-can-be to exceptionally sweet, and can be of a particular vintage (when conditions produce near-perfect grapes in a year, and the grapes used are from one harvest) or non-vintage, a blend of the grapes harvested over the course of a few years.

Loire Valley: famous for white wines from Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadet, and the red grape Cabernet Franc. Most of the wines produced are white, and unlike New World whites, they tend to be sharp, without wood (no oak flavor), and high in acidity. There is, however, much variety here, with a western, central, and upper Loire Valley, and flavor profiles including sweet, butter, limestone, fruit, chalky, and grassy, just to name a few.

Southern France: in the southwest, white wines from Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon and red wines from Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Cabernet Franc; other southern areas produce red wines from Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Carignan and Cinsault. The south of France features tremendous diversity in terms of the type and quality of wine produced.

Rhone Valley: famous for reds from Grenache, Syrah, Carignan, Cinsault, and Mourvèdre, and whites from Viognier, Roussanne and Marsanne. Grenache does well in the south of this region, and can be quite food friendly, while Syrah is produced in the north, making a popular red called Hermitage.

If You Think Too Much, You Kill It
While there is certainly much more to understanding French wine--the history and characteristics of the terroir of each region, sub-region and some of the most legendary vineyards, as well as the classifications within regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy and Champagne, down to individual chateau (wineries)--mastering the overview provided here is a great place to start an exploration of French wine. As is always the case, the key is to gain a little knowledge, refuse to be intimidated by the history and language and complexity of the French system, and drink French wine, sorting out for yourself what tastes and feels good for you, whatever the price on the bottle, and whatever the classification.

As winemaker Michel Chapoutier points out to American wine writer Jay McInerney in A Hedonist in the Cellar: Adventures in Wine (2006), "If you think too much, you kill it...you don't need to be a gynecologist to make love."

VINO NOBILE DI MONTEPULCIANO DOCG: ITALY

2010-09-06T22:18:00.001-05:00

+MUST TRY+
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano (by La Braccesca/Antinori)
Italy: Tuscany (near Montepulciano)
Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese) 90%, Merlot 10% (red blend)
2005
$23.00
90 pts
This is an excellent Tuscan red, possessing a rich ruby color in the glass, and offering aromas of cherries and some very light oak. The mouth feel is smooth and pleasing (with a medium-light weight), while the taste profile includes wonderful cherries, hints of black pepper, and minerals on the back end. The finish is excellent, with the minerality lingering in your mouth long after swallowing. The tannins are near perfect, soft and gentle, but with good pucker-quality. I suspect the small percentage of Merlot in the blend helps lend the tannins their softness. Just learned that this wine--which Dana and I purchased in Monterosso al Mare (Liguria, Italy) in July of 2009--is available at Binny's Beverage Depot for about $23.00. Not inexpensive, but this delicious wine is worth the cost, and may be just the ticket for entertaining friends on weekends during the cold winter months to come. NOTE: Tasted this wine at room temp, and so I suspect it would perform even better when just a bit cooler.

CHENIN BLANC: SOUTH AFRICA

2010-08-08T07:00:00.002-05:00

+MUST TRY+
MAN Vintners' Chenin Blanc
South Africa: Perdeberg Region of Paarl
100% Chenin Blanc
2009
$8.99
89 pts
What a wonderful little budget-priced white! For under $10.00 US, the MAN Vintners' Chenin Blanc offers lively and rich citrus fruit, balanced with nice acidity (food friendly, indeed). But what makes this wine stand out to me is that on the very back end, post-fruit and post-acid--like a last little wink at the crowd before exiting stage right--there's a delightful hint of minerality, of the shale in the soil in Paarl. There are many good wines at this price that present decent fruit, but very few that also bring a pleasing bouquet of melons, a nice mouth feel, plus minerality (reflecting the unique terroir of the region) and a length that allows--albeit just barely--for such complexity. The 2009 MAN Vintners' Chenin Blanc is not the best wine in the world, nor the most sophisticated. But a versatile 89-point white that most would really enjoy with a meal or all by its lonesome on a warm day, for under ten bucks a bottle...this one's a MUST TRY.

FORGIARIN: ITALY

2010-07-17T07:22:00.013-05:00

+RUN AWAY NOW+
Emilio Bulfon Forgiarin
Italia: Friuli Venezia-Giulia
Forgiarin 100% (red)
2007
$19.99
80 pts
Let me say this first: Emilio Bulfon's efforts to resuscitate the traditional grapes--some hundreds of years old--of his native Friuli are noble, and as someone who prefers the typical Old World flavor profile (drier, earthier, changeable, with less polish) to the big, bold candy-fruitiness the New World, I respect and even appreciate Mr. Bulfon's work. However, his 2007 Forgiarin (a grape named for a small town in the west of Friuli), just didn't do it for me. Had never tasted this grape before--had never even heard of it, which I love--and was hopeful of a new and exciting discovery, having received this bottle as a gift from a wonderful family at school. The color of the Forgiarin is dark-cherry red. I wasn't able to pick up much on the nose, at first, except for a hint of petroleum, of all things. After a few seconds and a few more twirls in the glass, I did start to get some cherries. Overall, I would describe the bouqet as kind of tight, close, not revealing much. As for taste, certainly pucker-dry (which I don't mind), but it was so disjointed I struggled to put any name to the fruit. It seemed to me as if the mouth feel and flavor and weight were somehow all separated from one another in my mouth. After waiting a while, the wine did open up--and perhaps even pull itself together--a bit, but the fruit, which I've read since is supposed to capture blueberries...well, not for me, it didn't. I don't recommend the Bulfon Forgiarin, with or without food, I'm afraid. It's just doesn't offer enough coherence and flavor; I can live very nicely with a single pleasing flavor, or a complex balance of complimentary flavors, but this wine offers neither. The label is beautiful, though, designed by Bulfon himself, capturing a Medieval fresco of the Last Supper. But in the end, the producer's noble effort to make great wine in the 21st Century from old, traditional local grapes (and his beautiful label)...these are the best aspects of this wine. Maybe I'll try again in a few years--I'm pulling for him.

DOWNLOAD & PRINT GIO'S TOP RECS!

2010-06-04T23:46:00.017-05:00

Here they are! Gio's MUST TRY WINES, with 11 refreshing, cool whites and 8 warm and comforting reds, each bottle well under $20.00 U.S.:

Click Here to Download, Save and Print Gio's Top Wine Recs' Flyer!

Pictured: Naia Rueda 2006, a 95 pt Verdejo at about $18.00!

MORELLINO DI SCANSANO (SANGIOVESE): ITALY

2010-06-02T16:55:00.000-05:00

Villa Poggio Salvi Morellino di Scansano Vaio
Italy: Tuscany (southern coastal province of Grosetto, near village of Scansano)
Sangiovese 100% (red)
2008
$19.99
88 pts
Purchased this bottle of Morellino di Scansano in Liguria in July of 2009, in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre, Dana's most favorite place on earth. We popped the cork on Memorial Day weekend 2011 back in Chicago, at a family gathering at our place, and after letting it breathe for a few hours (per the rec of the wine seller in Monterosso), Kenny Joe, Kathi & I enjoyed a glass. Morellino di Scansano is the Italian D.O.C. designation for the Sangiovese wine made near the town of Scansano, which is located in the Tuscan province of Grosetto, the southernmost province in the region, immediately below the province of Siena. Having lugged this particular bottle from Italy, held it for about two years, and then decanted it for nearly three hours before our party...well, I was sure excited to get a taste. The nose offers black cherries, initially, and then secondary aromas of white pepper and spice. Attractive, indeed. The mouth feel is wonderfully smooth, rewarding. As for the taste profile, I got red berries (not cherries, but more berries...or a mix of raspberry and cherry, perhaps) on the front end, followed by spiciness and a cocoa/coffee finish. However, the body of the wine seemed a bit light to me, and the length was disappointing, disappearing more rapidly than a West Ham two-goal lead midway through the second half at Upton Park. But considering the attractive nose, the great mouth feel, the solid taste profile, and the price (about $20 US), these flaws are minor ones. Not a +MUST TRY+ for me, but close to one: a solid effort at 88 points.

La Mozza I Perazzi Morellino di Scansano
Italy: Tuscany (southern coastal, province of Grosetto, near village of Scansano)
Sangiovese 85%, Syrah 4%, Alicante 4%, Colorino 3%, Ciliegiolo 4% (red)
2006
$15.99
88+ pts
Renowned chef Mario Batali teams up with Lidia & Joe Bastianich to produce the Tuscan red from a vineyard near the town of Scansano. It's received 90 points from Parker's Wine Advocate. I picked it up for sixteen bucks at the House of Glunz on Wells in Old Town last summer, and with the news that Kerry Wood will be back at Wrigley next spring, I decided to pop the cork on this one tonight. The color is a gorgeous ruby red, but with a cool transparency (I can see my fingers beneath the bowl of the glass through the wine, looking down through the top). The nose offers earth and bright red fruit with some white pepper on the back end (and maybe just a hint of tobacco), a nice balance--no one aroma overpowers the others. I find the mouth feel gentle and light (maybe just a bit too light for my preference), but not unpleasing. The flavor profile offers deceiving complexity: quick earth, followed by spice and rich red fruit (a cherry blast), with licorice and a bit of mocha on the finish. The length is excellent, with lingering black licorice on the tongue. Strangely, this wine seems to be fuller and heavier in taste at the end than it is during the initial attack and through the mid-palette. Keeping with the Woody theme, the flavor profile on this Tuscan red is like a Kid Kerry curveball back in the day: the bite at the end of the pitch, the hook, is where the money is. I like this wine, but don't agree with Parker that it warrants 90 points. Perhaps with food I'd feel differently, but on it's own, I like a bit more earth, more even fruit (as opposed to the blast mid-way through this one), and a little more weight. Not bad at all, though. I rate it 88+ points.

Marchese de San Petri Sangiovese (by Il Valore Winery)
Italy: Puglia
Sangiovese (red)
2008
$5.99
82 pts
This Italian red from Italy's "heel" demonstrates what I'm starting to accept as a simple maxim: while wines that don't make one vomit within the hour can be found under $10.00, wines under that line of demarcation (with rare exception), even when palatable, are so tasteless or simple-minded that choosing to drink them is like choosing Papa John's Pizza when you have more substantial options available for just a few dollars more. Sold at Trader Joe's for next-to-nothing, this vino offers the wine drinker the flavor of generic red berries (if such berries could be produced), no bouquet to speak of, and a length comparable to a Sarah Palin-penned dissertation (on her hand, perhaps?). Puglia, as a region, certainly can deliver some interesting and delicious earthy wines (and is under-rated and under-priced in my opinion), but the Il Valore San Giovese...well, it's just not one of them. I've read that when paired with pizza or pasta with red sauce it delivers, and I've tried it with some great pizza from Renaldi's on Broadway, just north of Diversey, to no avail. Bland, boring, dull, lacking personality or interest entirely. I suppose for $6.00, tasting non-offensive--plus the 12.5% alcohol content--it can be viewed as a budget option. But if one can afford even $4.00 more, there is absolutely no reason in the world to drink this harmless, tasteless wine from Il Valore. We can all do better.

5 GREAT VARIETALS YOU MAY NOT HAVE TASTED

2010-05-28T12:55:00.070-05:00

It doesn't take an expert to recognize that retail store aisles and restaurant wine lists are dominated--absolutely dominated--by Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Cab and Zinfindel. There are perfectly good reasons for this--including the high-quality wines these grapes can produce in the right hands, the high yield internationally, the many possible food pairings they offer, and the availability of decent and inexpensive vintages to retailers, who, after all, rely on the markup for their profits.

The problem with this, of course, is that while selling fifteen different Chardonnays and eighteen different Cabernets helps keep bottles moving off the shelf and cash coming in, how is anyone short of a wine geek supposed to find out what other of the world's great varietals appeal to them? Well, it has to be a conscious choice, a decision to seek out something different, even if just once or twice a month.

To that end, here are five tremendous--and usually affordable--varietals that can help you enjoy well-made wine for many, many years...but that you won't find at your local grocer, convenience, or liquor store, along with at least one recommended producer to try. Look for these fantastic wines at wine speciality stores and online (listed here in no particular order):

VARIETAL: VERDEJO (Spanish White Wine) - Citrus, grapefruit, pear, green grass, crisp and refreshing, pleasant but not too much sweetness, great summer wine

Rueda Naia (by Bodegas Naia - Vina Sila)
$17.99
Gio's Rating: 95 pts
The BEST verdejo I have ever tasted. Cool, crisp and refreshing up front, with just the right amount of sweetness and fruit (along with hints of just-mown grass); on the back end, long and so smooth. One of the best wines I've ever had. Tasted it for the first time at La Sala at La Valencia Hotel, on our spring 2009 trip to La Jolla, CA. This is one of my favorite wines. Available at Whole Foods for a few dollars less than above, too.

Monte Palma Verdejo (by Monte Palma Winery)
Espana: Rueda (Segovia)
$11.99
Gio's Rating: 89 pts
Lincoln Park Market began carrying this Verdejo, recently, and we picked up a bottle there to share with family on Father's Day...and I'm really glad we did. At $12.00, this is a very nice find. This wine has a beautiful straw color with hints of green. The bouquet is exceptional, with a delightful citrus aroma that seems to jump from the glass upon the slightest twirl. The taste begins with grapefruit, and finishes with pear, offering a complexity not common to wines in this price range. This wine is made to be consumed upon production, but setting aside a bottle or two for a year may be interesting. Even now, this is a nice affordable verdejo, a great summer wine for sipping on the deck, at the pool, or with appetizers or white grilled meats (I'd even say regular pizza, too). Not as remarkable as the Naia (rated above), one of the best wines I've ever tasted. But for $12.00, as an everyday wine that goes great with a lot of different foods, or alone--if Spanish whites were a baseball team, I'd want the Monte Palma Verdejo to be my shortstop.

VARIETAL: TOURIGA NACIONAL (Portuguese Red Wine) - Blue or black berries (can be jammy), tobacco, spice, some floral flavors, dry

Tradicional (by Quinta Do Alqueve)
Portugal: Ribatejo
$11.99
Gio's Rating: 90 pts
Bought at Sam's Wine Club April 2009; Vaynerchuck says Portugal is producing tremendous reds at cheap prices, and if this wine is any indication, he's right on target. This is a delicious wine, with some decent complexity for the price: up front fruit (jammy, with berries on the nose), and yet some rich tobacco taste, too. Nice finish. But VERY dry, almost like cotton in the mouth. I like that, but it's probably not for every taste. Color is almost like a Pinot Noir. My first experience with the Touriga Nacional grape (this is a blend, though), and I'm certainly pleased with it. A nice wine for $12.00. Just had some with Dana's fajitas...excellent (there's not much spice in this wine, and so I find it pairs well with spicy food). Will definitely keep some on hand for what we'll call 'future exploration.'

VARIETAL: GRUNER VELTLINER (Austrian White Wine) - Minerality, pear, apple, dry, great with a variety of foods, not overpowering

Fred Loimer Gruner Veltliner "Lois" (by Fred Loimer)
Austria: Kamptal Region (north-northeast of Krems)
Gio's Rating: 90 pts
$10.99 (sale) - $13.99 (regular)
Two for two with Gru-Vee! The Loimer Gruner Veltliner Lois, for my palette, is a Must Try for four simple reasons: the balance this wine strikes between fruit and minerality is fascinating and delicious (mostly pear, some apple, and then heavy minerality on the back end); this crisp light-to-medium bodied Austrian white, with just a touch of sparkle, feels great in the mouth; the length of the Lois is outstanding; and at $11.00 to $14.00 a bottle, this is a great bargain. Tastes great, feels great, lasts long, affordable and multi-dimensional. I think it's a hair less satisfying than the Fass 4, rated below at 90+, but the Lois is also $3.00-$6.00 cheaper per bottle. This is a wonderful wine.

Gruner Veltliner Fass 4 (by Wiengut Bernhard Ott)
Austria: Wagram (14 miles NE of Vienna)
Gio's Rating: 90+ pts
$17.00
I ordered this Austrian white a few months before our first trip to Austria--let's call it legitimate research--from Gary Vaynerchuck's Wine Library for $16.98: Wow. Have had a few other Gruner Veltliners (a grape native to Austria, accounting for 37% of the total vineyards there), and while they've generally been pleasant and well-suited to food (light bodied, with very subtle hints of minerals and citrus), I've found them almost too subtle, nearly without taste. But this is most certainly not the case with the Fass 4 by Ott winery. This wine has a nice nose, a lot of tobacco, which I always enjoy (in wine, that is), along with the customary GV hint of citrus. And the taste profile is just wonderful. I get nice apple, along with pear, with a very pleasing undercurrent of tobacco, to match the nose. And it's a more full-bodied wine than the other GVs I've tasted. As for length...the pleasant taste (which finishes with some of the minerality common to the region) lingers for minutes after swallowing, almost making one salivate. This is a refreshing white wine great with or without food, with a delicious yet multi-faceted taste and an outstanding finish--all at a very reasonable price. This one's a MUST TRY for me, maybe even the white wine for summer 2010. Not at all surprised to see that Wine Library has added this one to its best summer wines under $25.00 promotion. Highly recommend you give the Gruner Veltliner Fass 4 by Bernhard Ott a try...and soon!

VALPOLICELLA (Italian Red Wine) - Cherry, red berries, light, pleasing touch of acidity, easy drinking

Buglioni Valpolicella Classico (by Buglioni Winery)
Italia: Veneto (foothills of the Italian Alps, just west of Verona)
Valpolicella is a Blend: Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, Molinara (red)
89 pts
$15.99
Earlier this week wandered into Dunlay's on Clark with Dana, and saw this Italian red on the D.O.C. wine list for the first time, and so I ordered a glass--wow! While I didn't find the nose appealing at first--had a candy-sweet scent to it that seemed artificial, reminding me of plastic somehow, or pre-sweetened Kool-Aid as a kid, with way too much powder added--I found the taste of this wine to be very satisfying, with a rich dark cherry flavor that lingered with a wonderful finish (especially in the lower part of the mouth), and nice tannins, too. The hint of acid provided, at least for me, more balance than I expected. I highly recommend this wine, especially if you enjoy cherries. Knew nothing about Valpolicella, and so did some research when I got home. Seems that this Italian blend is native to the north, west of Verona, near the mountains, and that its reputation has been damaged severely over the years due to poor production methods and little attention to quality. This is a light, everyday kind of wine--not really a special ocassion wine--although like I said, it tasted really good in my mouth, and what more can one ask from a wine? Adam at Dunlay's told me it's meant to be drunk young, within about 2-3 years of the vintage. The light red color toward the top is common for its age. One thing that surprised me about this wine is that while it's fruity and young, I found the tannins (the pucker quality) very nice, just the same. $10.00 a glass at Dunlay's or, if you can find it, just over fifteen bucks a bottle. Available on the Internet. I say give this one a try!

VARIETAL: TREBBIANO D'ABRUZZO (Italian White Wine) - Apple, green grass, dry and fresh, almond hints

Barone di Valforte (by Tenute Barone di Valforte)
Italia: Abruzzo (Teramo Hills)
Trebbiano D'Abruzzo is made of Bombino bianco or Trebbiano Toscano bianco grapes, blended with small quantities of local grapes
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 liked 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.

PINOT GRIS: UNITED STATES

2010-04-06T19:35:00.012-05:00

+MUST TRY+
King Estate Signature Pinot Gris (by King Estate)
United States of America: Eugene, Oregon
Pinot Gris (white)
2008
17.00
91
This is a crisp, delicious, and refreshing white, offering a wonderful complexity at this price point. The color is a beautiful pale yellow (nearly clear; this wine even looks refreshing), while the nose offers pear at first, and a hint of flowers after a few moments. As for taste, it's outstanding from beginning to end: starts with a pear fruit up front, adds a hint of citrus (lemon rind?) at the mid-palette, and closes with a mineral and floral combination. Wow. And the finish is very, very nice. Seldom have I tasted a wine in the $15.00-$20.00 range with such an interesting story to tell. Highly recommend this one--may be the wine for summer 2010, capable of carrying even a Cubs' fan through the dog-days of summer. One of the best first-tastings I've had in a long time: highly recommend this one!

PECORINO: ITALY

2010-02-24T18:25:00.026-06:00

Offida Pecorino (by Saladini Pilastri)
Italia: Marches (Ascoli Piceno province, near the town of Spinetoli)
Pecorino (white)
2008
$12.99
88+ pts
This is a really interesting Italian white, a varietal I had never had before...and thus one for which I lack a basis of comparison. That being said, I like it a great deal. The producer, the Saladini Pilastri winery located in Marches, Italy (east central Italy) is hundreds of years old, with an intriguing history (the original Count Saladini Pilastri dates back to the turn of the first millennium, for example). The color on this wine is a very pale yellow, almost clear, with a tiny hint of green. The nose has that delightful Old World earthy bouquet, which I love so much (and I even get tobacco on this nose, kind of unusual for me, with a white wine). I really struggled with describing the taste here, largely because while I'm making progress identifying a fruit taste profile, flowers and minerals throw me, usually. This is definitely a floral wine (not expert enough to ID the flowers) but I can say this: it's the first wine with a largely floral taste profile that I really like. No bitterness here, and to me, a tiny suggestion of apple as an undertone (Robert Parker, I think, tastes peach, but I get apple). The finish here is well above average, with a flavor burst on the back end. There's a nice acidity to this wine, as well...pleasing, but not too much. I'm betting you're like me, and have never even heard of the Pecorino grape--but have heard of the cheese--and so when you're in the mood for a completely different white, this is a nice buy. I wouldn't call this a MUST TRY wine, but it is a really interesting experience, at least for my palette--so I think I'll keep some on hand. Thanks to Graig Adler for sharing this one: salute'!

GIO'S TOP 8 WINES UNDER $15.00!

2009-10-12T18:00:00.003-05:00

Times are tough right now, but you can place a top-notch wine on your family's table every week without breaking the bank. Here are my top eight wines under $15.00 US, all readily available and Gio-Approved:

FOUR CAN'T-MISS REDS

da Vinci Chianti, 2006, from Tuscano, Italy - 91+ points - great with pizza, red meats, pasta, and appetizers...or all by its lonesome. Lots of bad Chianti out there, but not this one. Heartwarming on those damp, chilly fall nights to come!

Buglioni Valpolicella Classico, 2008, from Veneto, Italy - 88+ points - dark cherry flavor, nice finish, solid taninns...not crazy about its nose, but the fruit-forward taste is delightful! A nicely balanced wine.

Ergo Tempranillo, 2007, from Rioja, Spain - 91+ points - an outstanding Spanish red, with good black pepper, tobacco, subtle fruit, and a solid finish.

Vitiano by Falesco, 2006, from Umbria, Italy - 90 points - A delicious Italian blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot, full of jammy dark fruit, but also some complexity; nice acidity, and a solid finish, too.

FOUR CAN'T-MISS WHITES

Monte Palma Verdejo, 2008, from Rueda, Spain - 89 points - beautiful straw color with hints of green. Exceptional bouquet, with a delightful citrus that jumps from the glass. The taste begins with pineapple, and finishes with pear, offering a complexity not common to wines in this price range. And all of this from a 2008 vintage. Great wine for sipping on the deck or with appetizers or white griled meats. Salute'!

Nora Albarino, 2007, from Galicia, Spain - 91+ points - delicate fruit (especially pineapple), soft in the mouth, nice long finish, a very fresh wine...like a holiday for your mouth. (:

Il Prosecco by Mionetto Wines, Non-Vintage, from Veneto, Italy - 89 points -frizzanti, possessing a soft little fizz; color is translucent gold, with a gentle peach bouquet and the delicate, light flavor to match. Has a solid finish. Presentation is unique, too: the bottle is sleek and modern, colored green, with a contemporary look and a metal crown top. This is a winner!

Barone di Valforte Trebbiano d'Abruzzo, 2007, from Abruzzo, Italy - 89 points - 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).

WINE TASTING: A FEW SIMPLE STEPS

2009-10-10T20:26:00.004-05:00

When it comes to tasting wine, nothing--not the origin, producer, rating, cost, or the recommendation of a so-called expert--matters more than whether or not you like the taste of a particular wine in your mouth. A process for tasting wine has been developed over the years that maximizes your ability to focus on the taste and find the words to describe it.

Gio prefers a simple, straightforward version of the wine tasting process:

1. Pour a little in your glass to start.

2. Hold the glass up at an angle and examine the color. How would you describe it? Is it an attractive color to you? Does it remind you of anything?

3. Now spin the wine in the glass, as if you're a kid trying to make a tornado...remember?

4. Smell the wine immediately after spinning: can you put words to the wine's nose or bouquet, i.e. the type of fruit, or an earthy smell, or grass, or even vegetables? You may want to go through step 4 twice, as wines often 'open up' after being exposed to air in the glass.

5. Take a healthy sip of the wine, moving the wine around your mouth as if it is mouthwash. This ensures that all parts of your mouth get as much of the wine's flavor as possible.

6. Either swallow the wine (social situations) or spit the wine out (formal tasting situations). Try to describe the taste, thinking of the following:

a) the start, the first flavor or sensation you got as the wine hit your lips and tongue;

b) how the wine tasted and felt in the middle of your mouth, after the first sensation;

c) and finally the finish, once the wine was physically on its way out, did the taste and sensation created in your mouth change? And how long after the wine was gone from your mouth did the flavor or sensation remain? Most importantly, did you enjoy the flavors and sensation at each step--and do you want to drink more?

WHITE BLENDS: ITALY

2009-10-10T20:01:00.005-05:00

Cantalupo Bianco “Carolus” (by Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo Winery)
Italia: Piemonte
Greco di Ghemme 50%, Arneis 35% e Chardonnay 15% (white blend)
2007
$13.00
86+ pts
If you like wines on the sweeter side—and if you really like apples, the kind of apple flavor one gets from a cool glass of apple juice—then this white from Italy’s Piedmont is for you. First had this by-the-glass at A Mano on Dearborn downtown, and while this Italian white borders on being a little too sweet for my palette, the very reasonable price of $5.00 per glass and the chance to taste an Italian white blend drew my interest. This wine advertises itself as possessing melon undertones, and I suppose there is a very slight hint of melon there, but this is a simple, straightforward apple white with no real complexity—it’s all about the apples. The finish is nothing spectacular, but one gets apple juice on the nose, and from start to finish in the mouth, too. While the Cantalupo Bianco “Carolus” certainly falls short of my +MUST TRY+ recommendation, it’s not a bad little wine for the price…and those who love apple flavor might just find this one to be a diamond in the rough.

VERMENTINO: ITALY

2009-10-10T19:55:00.004-05:00

Costamolino Vermentino di Sardegna (by Argiolas)
Italia: Sardegna (southern end of the island)
Vermentino 90%, Other Native Grapes of Sardinia 10% (white)
2007
$13.99
86 pts
This Italian white based on the obscure Vermentino grape came highly recommended, with ratings near or even above 90 points by internationally recognized experts (Wine Weekly gave this vino a whopping 94 points!). I, however, don't care for it. This is a wine in which the herbacious flavors over-power the fruit, and for my palette, that's not a good thing. While I don't like intensely sweet, candy-style wines--in which the fruit is so over-powering that it's obnoxious--I also don't ordinarily enjoy a wine in which herbs and minerals (and even a hint of vegetables) dominate the flavor profile. I don't get much of a finish from this wine, either. While I certainly appreciate honest wines that reveal something about the earth in which the grapes are grown and capture the essence of the varietal (and this D.O.C. wine does fit that bill), the flavor of this selection and, perhaps, of the varietal, are just not for me. I give this wine 86 points--but if you enjoy wines with predominantly herbal and mineral flavors, you might want to give Argiolas Costamolino a shot. I've certainly tasted worse.

VERDUZZO DURATO: ITALY

2009-10-10T19:48:00.006-05:00

Verduzzo Durato Frizzante (by Molon Winery)
Italia: San Dona di Piave (Veneto)
100% Verduzzo Durato (sparkling white)
Non-Vintage
83 pts
$20.00 U.S.?
A gift left for us by two wonderful friends we made the last time we were in Monterosso al Mare, Cinque Terre (Liguria), Michele & Blake - thank you! Had never tasted this Italian varietal...until October 2009, when I popped open the bottle we received as a gift in Italy (summer 2009) to enjoy with Dana's homemade pesto and pasta one damp, cold Chicago night. The color is true yellow; could almost pass for a light beer in your glass! While the soft frizzanti fizz is appealing and the finish is nice in terms of length, the flavor profile is just not my thing...heavy floral. I think the very light sweetness is perfect, but for me, the nose and taste of flowers (not expert enough to identify which flowers, mind you), isn't pleasing at all. If you're into floral taste profiles, this could be a decent find for you. Otherwise, not so much. Still, was fun to try out a varietal I'd never even heard of before.

TREBBIANO D'ABRUZZO: ITALY

2009-10-10T19:43:00.006-05:00

+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.

GARGANEGA/SOAVE CLASSICO: ITALY

2009-10-10T19:41:00.004-05:00

Le Bine de Costiola Soave Classico (by Tamellini)
Italia: Veneto
Garganega 100% (white)
2005
$19.00
86 pts
A well-respected Italian white, the first produced by the Tamellini brothers; good with white meats or cheeses; mature, won't get better with age; ready to drink; is nice and smooth (like silk) in the mouth, but I found the taste hard to describe, and while the silky finish was long enough, again, it lacked flavor to me. Have no prior experience with this grape varietal, so maybe I'll revisit this wine down the road when I have a point of comparison. Not something I'd buy again at this price point, but at around $10.00-$12.00, I might.

SPANISH WINE: A FEW THOUGHTS

2009-10-10T19:40:00.003-05:00

Vinos de España

Tempranillo (red), Verdejo (white) and Albarino (white) are wonderful Spanish varietals. As with Italian wines, people often favor Spanish reds and overlook the wonderful whites produced in this fascinating country. Ironically, almost 62% of Spain's vineyards are white, but that's because of the country's large production of sherry and brandy. Did you know that Espana is now the fifth largest exporter of wine to the United States? The top four are Italia (certo!), Australia, France, and Chile. Gio highly recommends that you explore Spanish wines if you have not already done so. You won't regret it!

PINOT GRIGIO: ITALY

2009-10-10T19:36:00.006-05:00

+RUN AWAY NOW!+
Grigio Luna Pinot Grigio delle Venezia (by Villa Borghetti)
Italia: Veneto (Verona)
Pinot Grigio (white)
2005
Retail cost unknown (received as a gift at a house party)
78 pts
While this I.G.T. pinot doesn't taste badly, per se, it just doesn't taste much at all. Tastes and feels like chilled water with a slight hint of pear flavor up front, and just a touch more fruit at the mid-palette. Then the finish does a vanishing act...presto. Haven't tasted much pinot, so I'm by no means an expert, but have to believe that the best pinots out there have some taste. This wine lacks flavor, character, complexity. Even the nose, prior to drinking, is non-existent. A nice rich light-golden color, but looking pretty in a glass is about as good as this one gets.