A Sexy Italian

By / Magazine / November 1st, 2010 / 1

We met at the Wine Reserve in Toronto, an underground secret hideaway for wine and wine lovers. He is tall with dancing eyes, an easy smile and a dishy Italian accent. The sexiest part about him, however, is his wine, and that is saying a lot.

Carlo Schiopetto, (along with his sister Maria Angela and brother Giorgio), now runs Schiopetto Wines, the winery their father started in 1965 in the vineyards surrounding the residence of the Bishop of Gorizia, one of the oldest wine estates in Collio. Their innovative wine-making techniques produce wines of superior quality from old vines. I tasted them with Carlo, then asked him which of the wines was his personal favourite. He hesitated before answering; it is like asking which of his children he prefers.

The darling of the day was Schiopetto Pinot Bianco Colio DOC 2008. A versatile wine, it is round and fruity with a balanced acidity and an elegance that carries through. In my humble opinion, this Pinot Bianco far overshadows the more popular Pinot Grigio we get here. Carlo likes it for his own reasons.

“In my opinion, this is a great feminine wine. It represents my favourite woman.” He drinks it often. Serve at 12º. 2500 cases available from Le Sommelier. $29.95 (6/cs).EW

While I enjoyed all five of the white Schiopetto wines presented, I found the red to be very intriguing. Podere dei Blumeri Rosso IGT 2003 hit me with a smoky-dusty nose that made me want to dive into the glass. When I did so, I found it was rich, refined and elegant with a table-loving acidity and spicy flavours. Very yummy. I wanted to kidnap the bottle and take it to dinner. A mix of Merlot, Refosco and Cabernet Sauvignon, this quaffable wine is available from Le Sommelier while supplies last. $45.00. 850 cases.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brenda McMillan is thrilled by new sights, sounds, aromas and flavours, and old buildings, barrels and friends. She travels at the drop of a corkscrew and is always "just back" from somewhere.

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