On Sunday morning I woke up early and went to the market. Overnight, we had what I hope will be the last snow of the winter and it seemed like perfect weather for meatballs. I got home from the market and went to work. I like to make my meatballs and sauce in the morning [...]
Archive for the ‘Italy’ Category
Cappellano Dolcetto d’Alba Gabutti 2007
Posted in Food & Wine, Italy, tagged Cappellano Dolcetto d’Alba Gabutti 2007, Louis/Dressner Selections, Teobaldo Cappellano on March 28, 2011 | 3 Comments »
Gulfi Neromàccari Nero d’Avola 2000
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Gulfi, Gulfi Neromàccari Nero d'Avola 2000, Nero d'Avola, Pachino, Selected Estates of Europe, Sicily on February 21, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Gulfi is a relatively new producer of organic wines — their wines aren’t widely available but worth seeking out. Astor Wines in NY and the Wine Exchange usually have some of their wines in stock. Gulfi was established in 1996 and current production is about 20,000 cases. It is made from the Sicilian red grape [...]
Occhipinti IGT Sicilia Siccagno Nero D’Avola 2007
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Arianna Occhipinti, Joe Dressner, Louis/Dressner Selections, Nero d'Avola, Occhipinti IGT Sicilia Siccagno Nero D'Avola 2007 on July 30, 2010 | Leave a Comment »
Arianna Occhipinti is from the Vittoria region of Southern Sicily. She has been making wine for ten years under the tutelage of her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, who owns the well-known winery COS. She produces first rate wines from biodynamically grown local varieties such as Nero d’Avola and Frappato. In her mid-20s, Arianna already seems to [...]
Occhipinti SP68 Rosso Vittoria 2008
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Arianna Occhipinti, Frappato, Occhipinti SP68 Rosso Vittoria 2008 on August 1, 2009 | 9 Comments »
Arianna Occhipinti is from the Vittoria region of Southern Sicily. She has been making wine for ten years under the tutelage of her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, who owns the well-known winery COS. She produces first rate wines from biodynamically grown local varieties such as Nero d’Avola and Frappato. In her mid-20s, Arianna already seems to [...]
Arianna Occhipinti Il Frappato Sicilia IGT 2006
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Arianna Occhipinti, Frappato, Louis/Dressner Selections, Sicilan wine on July 3, 2009 | 6 Comments »
Arianna Occhipinti is from the Vittoria region of Southern Sicily. She has been making wine for ten years under the tutelage of her uncle, Giusto Occhipinti, who owns the well-known winery COS. She produces first rate wines from biodynamically grown local varieties such as Nero d’Avola and Frappato. In her mid-20s, Arianna already seems to [...]
Antinori Tignanello Toscana IGT 1998
Posted in Italy, Recommended, Uncategorized, tagged Antinori, Super Tuscan, Tignanello on May 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
The original Super-Tuscan, Tignanello is produced exclusively from the Tignanello vineyard, a 47 hectares (116 acres) southwest-facing, calcareous rocky-marl and limestone soil plot, planted between 1,150 and 1,312 feet above sea level at Antinori’s Santa Cristina Estate. It was the first Sangiovese to be aged in small oak barrels, the first red wine in modern [...]
Giuseppe Quintarelli Valpolicella Classico Superiore 1999
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Giuseppe Quintarelli, Valpolicella on April 12, 2009 | 3 Comments »
My friend Jon and his family came to visit this week, creating a perfect opportunity to open a number of bottles that have been patiently waiting for a special occasion. This might have been my favorite from the week. Dark garnet in color and showing a bit of age. Beautiful and complex aromatics of raisin, [...]
Fontodi Chianti Classico 1998
Posted in Italy, tagged Chianti Classico, Fontodi on March 28, 2009 | 1 Comment »
The Fontodi estate is located in Panzano, almost at the center of the Chianti Classico region. Like Felsina, which claims an Etruscan origin for its name, Fontodi also has a long history; vines have been cultivated here since the time of the Roman empire, and documents prove there was vinification here as far back as [...]
Castello della Paneretta Terrine 1999
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Canaiolo, Castello della Paneretta Terrine 1999, Sangiovese on March 16, 2009 | 2 Comments »
This wine is a 50-50 blend of Sangiovese and Canaiolo from Castello della Paneretta. Terrine is named after the vineyard where the old Canaiolo vines were grown. I opened a bottle of the ’99 a few years ago, and remember thinking it was on its last breath. I was trying to organize my wines on [...]
Passopisciaro Sicily IGT 2005
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Andrea Franchetti, Nerello Mascaleseis, Passopisciaro, Ridculously Tasty on February 1, 2009 | 1 Comment »
It’s always wonderful to share wine with friends and find people who have similar palates. When it comes to wine, trusted sources always seem to be too few in number, making them even more treasured. My friend and former colleague behind Ridculously Tasty recommended this wine to me 6-8 months ago and I figured I [...]
Villa Carafa Campi Flegrei Falanghina 2003
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Falanghina, Villa Carafa on December 7, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
I uncovered this wine while I was moving. I actually didn’t think much about it and opened it without many expectations. That began to change as soon as I poured it into a glass. The wine was a beautiful, deep golden straw in color. The nose was also impressive, filled with floral elements with white [...]
Serpico Dei Feudi Di San Gregorio 2001
Posted in Italy, Recommended, tagged Aglianico, Campania, Feudi, Irpinia, Serpico on July 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Serpico is the critically acclaimed signature wine of Feudi di San Gregorio. Some have gone as far to say that this is probably the best red wine from southern Italy (with Parker rating this vintage a 98 and the Spectator a 94). The name of the wine is dedicated to the home town of the [...]
Quintarelli Bianco Secco Ca’ del Merlo, 2005
Posted in Italy, tagged Bianco Secco, Garganega, Italian Wine, Quintarelli on May 29, 2008 | 1 Comment »
This wine is a blend of Garganega, Trebbiano Toscano, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Saorin (believed to be a clone of the Tokay grape and meaning “flavor” in Veronese dialect). Garganega is the 5th most widely planted white grape in Italy and the main grape used in the production of Soave (it constitutes 70-100% of the [...]
