A Guide to Italian Wine – Here's why U.S. Loves Italy
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Once upon a time, you took your chances with Italian wine. A handful of bottles were world class, but most were decidedly less so. Shopping list |
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How do you begin discovering Italian wines that are stylish yet affordable? Go south.
"Start with reds from southern Italy and then work your way north," says Italian-born Claudio Villani, the sommelier at San Francisco's Incanto restaurant. "Southern wines tend to be similar in style to New World wines because of new wine making techniques and a climate similar to California."
Two places to look for exciting wines are the Puglia region and the island of Sicily. (If Italy is shaped like a boot, then Puglia is essentially the heel and Sicily is located squarely off the boot's toe.) Some of the hottest, best-value wines are produced from native red grapes such as Sicily's Nero d'Avola and Primitivo from Puglia.
If ripe, juicy old-vine Zinfandel is your style, seek out the 2001 A-Mano Primitivo from Puglia ($10), because this grape is essentially the same variety as Zinfandel. Made from vines that are 70 to 100 years old by a California vintner who moved to Puglia, the A-Mano is smooth and spicy yet with alcohol levels that are in check, a feat for many of today's Zins. This wine has generated so much buzz in recent years that it pays to stock up.
The 2001 Feudo Monaci Primitivo ($9) is more rustic with dried red-berry fruit flavors and hints of leather. Paired with a grilled steak, the wine comes alive. For a fuller, chewier wine with chocolatey aromas, uncork the 2001 Feudo Monaci Salice Salentino ($9), which is made primarily from the Negroamaro grape.
The same team that creates A-Mano is responsible for the delicious 2001 Promessa Rosso Salento ($8). With tart plum flavors and a whiff of allspice, it's a blend of mostly Negroamaro with Primitivo grapes that are grown on Puglia's sunny Salento peninsula.
Sicily's signature red grape is Nero D'Avola and a top example is the 2001 Santa Anastasia ($10). It is lush with wild-berry flavors and raisiny richness, ripe with plenty of racy acidity.
Up to the central part of Italy are good values from Tuscany. Sangiovese is the star grape, typically contributing to wines with more elegance, noticeable tannins and vibrant red-fruit character than its southern brethren. The Tuscan wine zone of Chianti produces the most well-known expression of Sangiovese. Two easy-drinking Chiantis are the 2001 Toscolo ($10) and 2001 Straccali ($7). Both embrace their signature dusty, earthy character but wrap it with bright berry fruitiness.
Several famous names are crafting worthwhile versions of Sangiovese-based wines with grapes grown throughout Tuscany. From Antinori comes the 2002 Santa Cristina Sangiovese ($7). While not terribly complex, it's a refreshingly light, cherry-scented wine. The Frescobaldi family, another highly regarded Tuscan producer, offers a fleshier take with the 2001 Remole ($9), which sports a dash of Cabernet Sauvignon.
For a touch more depth and structure, reach for the 2000 Monte Antico ($10). A project of boutique importer Neil Empson, who partnered with a top Italian enologist to create an affordable and complex Sangiovese, it is produced from grapes grown on steep hillsides in Tuscany.
Heading north, the food friendliness of cooler-climate reds becomes apparent. With mountains and glacial lakes defining the landscape of northern Italy, the wines generally showcase higher levels of palate-cleansing acidity. This makes it easy for them to dance with a dish instead of wrestling it into submission.
Though the northwestern corner of Italy is home to classic wines such as Barolo and Barbaresco that are produced from the Nebbiolo grape, Barbera is the workhorse grape of the Piedmont region. A shining example is the 2001 Marchesi di Barolo Maraia Barbera ($10). It's ultra smooth and supple, with tangy blackberry-fruit flavors and a whisper of white chocolate.
Re-published from the San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, October 16, 2003- © 2003 |
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