#WineWednesday: Amazed by Italy

By / Wine + Drinks / November 13th, 2013 / 3

Over the past couple of weeks the Italians have crossed Canada (from Vancouver to Montreal) with their annual roadshow … if you have never been it truly is a sight to see.

I attend the one in Toronto annually (held at Roy Thompson Hall on the first Monday in November) and every year I am amazed at how many wines they can pack into those halls: the tasting ‘booklet’ has got to be thicker than the King James bible.

And that seems an apt comparison, because to the Italians wine is a religion – and they treat it with the reverence it deserves.  Every producer makes “something special” that you just “have to try”, and more times than not, they are right.

What really gets me every single year, is the quality – sure the Italians are known for putting some expensive wines on our tables – from Super Tuscans to Amarone – but there are also some great value wines that over-deliver  at their price point – those are the ones that make you scratch your head and say, “how’d they do that?”

Here is just a small sampling of some of those wines:

Pasqua 2010 Villa Borghetti Passimento Rosso ($15.45)

Using dried grapes they derive coffee, cherry and mocha notes, all for so little money down.

Banfi 2011 Centine Rosso ($15.95)

The complete package at this price, fresh and lively fruit, good acidity, long finish – what more could you want?

Caldora 2009 Yume Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($19.95)

You see Montepulciano d’Abruzzo a lot, from $7 and up, but this wine takes that variety to a whole new level: chocolate, black cherry and the right amount of smokiness.

For more wine suggestions, see our other #WineWednesday posts.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael is an award-winning journalist: Promoting the Promoters Award Cuvée 2010 and Ontario Wine Awards Journalist of the Year 2012.  He is also a national and international wine judge - Ontario Wine Awards, All Canadian Wine Championships; Best of Riesling — Germany; Essencia do Vinho — "Top Wines of Portugal".  He is currently the President of the Wine Writers Circle of Canada and the wine columnist for Ottawa Life and Grand magazine as well as regular contributor to Tidings, and Grapevine ... his reviews have also appeared in the LCBO Vintages magazine. Michael has also added a YouTube channel to his activities where he reviews bottles of great Ontario wine on a weekly basis. In whatever he does, it is Michael’s desire to educate, inspire and encourage others to grow their own love and enthusiasm for wine – and to realize that it is their palate that ultimately makes the decision.

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