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| Scuola Italiana – The Italian Northeast Wine Regions – Part 2 |
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Reported by Jim Gallivan In another in his series on Italian wines, Guild Director Antonio Mauriello led a tasting of the wines from the lesser known regions of Northeastern Italy, Trentino/Alto Adige, Friuli/Venezia Giula, Lombardia, and Emilia Romagna. The evening started with a Lambrusco from Emilia Romagna served with a Parmigiano Reggianno. The Lambrusco was a frizzante, dark red, and fruity wine with aromas of fresh grapes and cranberries—a light quaffer on a winter evening.  The first flight featured whites. The first was a Tramin Sauvignon Blanc from Alto Adige—hardly a well known Italian grape, although apparently quite common in the area. It was almost a typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with a herbaceous nose and clean finish. The second wine, and overall favourite of the flight, was a La Tunella Pinot Grigio from the Colli Orientali del Friuli. The nose was wet wool and almonds. On the palate it was slightly sweet with a rounded mouthfeel and acidic finish. The third wine was a La Due Torri Tocai Friuliano from Grave. This was an oaked wine and the heaviest of the flight, although heavy is light in comparison. The wine had light caramel and nutty tones, with good body and a mineral finish. The second flight featured a 2003 Barbera from Lombardia and two 2003 Sangioveses from Emilia Romagna. The Barbera from Autari in Oltrepo Pavese was a heavy wine, a deep opaque red with a complex fruity nose and a dry, dusty finish. It drank nicely, but will age as well. The Sangioveses were from La Berta in Romagna, the western part of Emilia Romagna. The first was the regular bottling and the second (Solana) was the Riserva. The first was fruity with floral notes, and had a relatively light body and a tannic finish. The second was much heavier with a dark cherry, peppery nose, and again, a good finish. It was the favourite of the flight.  The third flight started with a 2004 Teroldego Rotaliano from Foradori in Trentino Alto Adige—hardly a well known grape, although it seems to be worthy of its own DOC. It was somewhat closed, but opened up to notes of cherry chocolate, coffee, and leather. It had good tannins and a long finish. The next two wines were Sangioveses from Emilia Romagna, a 1999 Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva from Drei Dona and a 2001 IGT Forli from Castelluccio. The 1999 had a cherry nose, with smoky, medicinal notes. The high alcohol (14%) gave it a somewhat jammy flavour, but it had good acid to balance. The 2001 had a coconut, rich chocolate, mocha nose overlaying loads of fruit with lots of tannins. This wine has many years ahead of and was the favourite of the flight. The fourth flight featured two Nebbiolos, or Chiavennascas as they are known in the region, from Valtellina Superiore DOC in Lombardia, and a Malbek and Cabernet from Friuli Venezia Giulia. The first Nebbiolo was a 1999 Sassella Riserva with a nose of cherry and truffles, a medium body and a dry, acidic finish. The second was a 1978 Inferno with a nose of dried flowers and violets. It was amber with a medium to light body. The finish had softened, but still retained acidity. For those who want bargain Barolos, these wines are a great deal. Unfortunately the Malbek had a leaking cork and was madeirized. The Cabernet del Piave was a 1973. It was dark brown with raisin nose—like PX without the cloying sweetness. It was the favourite of the flight and matched the foods. The wines were matched with cheeses, meats and olives. The cheeses were a Parmigiano Reggiano (a DOP from Emilia-Romagna) with the aperitif and second flight, and a Taleggio (a DOP from the region of Lombardia) with third and fourth flight. The meats were a Bresaola della Valtellina (a DOP from the region of Lombardia) with second flight, and a Prosciutto di Parma (a DOP from the region of Emilia- Romagna) with third and fourth flight. A mix of green and black olives from Puglia and Greece accompanied all flights, except for Veneto, because the North-East does not produce many olives. Antonio is to be commended for organizing another interesting and educational tasting. With wines ranging from international varieties (Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet) to little known local grapes such as Teroldego, the slide show, and the foods to match, this was another enjoyable and informative evening. Starter
Flight 1
Flight 3
Flight 4
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 03 February 2007 ) |
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| Moderation |
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 The National Capital Sommelier Guild strongly supports moderate and responsible consumption of wine and spirits. Guild dinner events allow a designated driver to attend at a reduced price. The designated driver will not be served alcohol. Guild tasting events provide and encourage the use of spit buckets. |
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