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A Wine A Day

A Wine A Day – The Noble Botryotinia Fuckeliana Sauvignon Blanc 2011

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What a name…UH?!?!

Australia, the land that has given us Kangaroos, is now also giving us wines; and they are WILD!

This botrytized wine is interesting for the price, and surely something different form the usual Sauternes and Tokaji.

If you are wondering, botrytized wines are:
Wines affected by Botrysis Cinerea (a rare and special fungal infection that under certain climatic circumstances can develop into a “noble” gray rot). The fungus attacks some of the grapes randomly, while still on the vines, and drys them. This causes the grape sugars to concentrate and produce wines with lower alcohol levels and higher sweetness.  

While surely missing the finesse of its two “big brothers” (Sauternes and Tokaji), this lusciously sweet wine is great to sip while eating gelato or when looking for a casual late evening treat pairing it with some medium body cheeses.

Low in alcohol (just over 10%), this late harvest sweet (VERY sweet –  194.5 g/L sugar content) wine is packed with flavors.

Tropical fruits (especially passion fruit), orange marmelade and an unfortunately not so high acidity to keep up with the minerality and herbacious hints are what you should expect from this wine. I find Botryotinia Fuckeliana overwelming when drinked by itself, but absolutely pleasant when paired with Asiago or Parmesan Cheese (36 months).

Overall a good wine definetely worth a shot considering its price point of around 20$.
Cheers!

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!

A Wine A Day

A Wine A Day – Battenfeld Spanier Riesling

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Riesling anyone???

If your crush with a bad temper and an intriguing personality was a wine, it would be this one.

Let’s face it, people don’t drink enough Riesling, and it’s such a bad mistake.

This grape varietal, which originated in the Rhine region of Germany, can give you some very good times!

With relatively low alcohol (usually around 12%) and great minerality, it should be your go-to wine when eating winter vegetables such as squash and brussel sprouts; or apple and pear tarts.

Belived by many nowadays to be the best white variety in the world, it still suffers a bad reputation from the past. Though some poor quality wines were produced in the past, they are now better than ever.

Another big misconception is that German Rieslings are always sweet, but this Battenfeld Spanier Riesling is bone dry. Bright since the very first moment and with a great complexity, this fruity wine really got me.

With “just ripe” pear, apple, nectarine and lime developing at every sip,  this chalky and minerally wine, has a great personality and, it won’t leave you disappointed if you are looking to expand your knowledge of this magnificient style of wine.

Advise: definetely not the wine you want to bring to a party with friends ( if they are not into riesling of course), but, perfect to spice up a dinner with shelfish or vegetables.

For just over 15$ it will leave you curious to explore more.

Buy it today and enjoy it fresh or, age it for a few years and it will give even more thrills!

Cheers!

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