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A Wine A Day

The $10 Italian white you wanted – Verdicchio

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Villa Bianchi

– Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi –

Grown on the hills of the Marche region in Italy, the grapes of Verdicchio thrive in the lesser known Castelli di Jesi D.O.C.

Whoa, just whoa!

This 100% Verdicchio impressed me, and for $10 a bottle, it is a lot of wine for your cash.

Chalky and smooth with hints of honey and flavors of apple, pear and a touch of lemon; with just enough acid to make you crave more without being overwhelmed at the same time. This Verdicchio has a  a long finish and is not simple by any means.

As for Italian wine tradition, this wine is fantastic and inexpensive.

Grab a few bottles and enjoy it during the end of the summer and after. Low in alcohol and great with white fish and light pasta dishes, this wine is going to be your end of summer “crush”.

To drink by itself,  chill it to fridge temperature and serve. You will taste it develop new flavors in your glass one minute after the other.

For the more technical info, the 6-30 year-old vines are located between 500 and 1000 feet above sea level, facing south, and the harvest is carried by hand in early September.

There really isn’t anything else to say- buy, drink and repeat.

Cheers!

As usual, I want to remind that I am not payed to talk about any wine.

A Wine A Day

A Wine A Day – Chartogne Taillet Champagne Brut Cuvee Ste. Anne

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Chartogne Taillet Champagne.

Because it’s Champagne, you know…

Champagne, or as I like to call it:

“The reason why even Italian started to like the french!”

Let’s face it, we all love Champagne. With a crisp, bright feeling and the flavors of a bakery in the morning.

For those who don’t know where this unique wine is made; well, it’s made in Champagne ( duh!) , a French region north-east of Paris. Very close to Belgium, this region is the northernmost limit of French viticulture.

Usually, a so-called assemblage (literally: assembling, but mix seems more appropriate to me) of different vintages and varieties ( Pinot Noir, Meunieur and Chardonnay) are blended to reach the consistent flavor the wine maker aims to achieve.

Enough with the teaching, let’s get to the reason why you are here, this wine!

This 40% Pinot Noir, 60% Chardonnay is an assemblage of a 2014 base, with reserve from 2013 and 2012. The vines are 32 years old on average, giving a vigorous juice.

A great introductory Champagne, it is chalky and has DRINK ME WITH OYSTERS written all over. The hints of ginger, red apple, cherry blossom, almond, and lemon make it bright and elegant.

The mousse (the ‘foam’ for those of you who don’t speak French) is pretty aggressive but not unpleasant at all; it’s just a wine with some character, and I loved it!  All in all a great wine and for less than $50, just perfect.

Drink it now or age it, but for sure have one of these bottles handy at all times, you never know when you might need some bubbles in your life!

A Wine A Day

A Wine A Day – Oddero Barbera d’Alba 2013

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We all need a Barbera

Picture courtesy of a great night enjoying wines!

Italian wines are “difficult” – I get that a lot!

With generally high acidity and tannins, full body and not many tropical fruits that many love, Italian wines are the next step in a wine lover development.

Don’t be scared though, they can be easy to enjoy and an absolute blast, especially if paired with winter food.

The Barbera, a dark-skinned wine grape, is among the best of the best in Piedmont and a key D.O.C that will become one of your best friends.

Diffused all over Italy, Barbera is a vine that can produce astonishing wines. Most of the times it is best to enjoy wines from this grape while they are still young. You will appreciate the tartness, brightness and complexity that this relatively inexepensive wine can offer.

There are many different Barbera D.O.C.s all over the Piedmontese region. A few of the most popular are: Barbera d’Alba DOC, Barbera d’Asti DOCG , Barbera del Monferrato DOC, Piemonte Barbera DOC…you got the idea!

I consider Barbera the middle child between Nebbiolo and Dolcetto, with the relatively easy drinking vibe typical of Dolcetto and the complexity of Nebbiolo.

This grape variety is great when enjoyed during the winter thanks to all the available food pairings – from roasted beef to stew and mushrooms just to name the most common.

Let’s get to the real protagonist now: Oddero Barbera d’Alba 2013.

Grown from 40 years old vine in the south of the Piedmontese region and macerated for 15 days, this wine is as good as 15$ dollars can get!

As a generous woman, this wine is seductive and needs to be enjoyed while young and adventerous. 

It should not come as a surprise that Barbera is a feminine noun in Italian!

A full body wine with an intense ruby colour. The tannins are vibrant and sustain and elevate the fully mature, yet not over ripe, fruits like blackberries, blueberries, cherries, and strawberries. The light pepperedness and minerality complete the flavor structure with a note of freshness.

The balanced tartness makes it a long lasting wine with a soft and elegant finish.  An amazing pairing with mushrooms, duck, game birds, and many other favorites of the Piedmontese cuisine. I personally tried it in multiple occasions with big games and it really keeps the pace.

Even if meaty and hearty flavors are an easy pairing with this wine, it can be great with pasta dishes (hey, I am Italian after all!), especially ones with eggplants.

Essentially, a no brainer to drink everytime you are enjoying a meal with friends, especially if your friends are not too funny!

Cheers!