http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-vino-novello-new-wine.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-vino-novello-new-wine.html Wed, 29 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0600
What is exactly is new wine (vino novello in Italy; vin nouveau, often Beaujolais nouveau in France)? New wine is the first of the crop, released in early November. The exact date depends on the country. In 2006, Italy permitted the sale of Vino Novello on November 6th, beating France, the major player in the new wine market, by a full 10 days.

New wines are produced by a special method, carbonic maceration, in which whole grapes ferment in stainless steel tanks, often reaching a temperature of 25 to 30 degrees Centigrade (77 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit). This process lasts for about 5 to 20 days, and may be followed by crushing the grapes, which then undergo traditional fermentation for a few days. The exact procedure varies from one winemaker to another, but the ensuing wine is virtually tannin free. The lack of tannins implies a short shelf life. While you don’t have to drink the wine immediately, most people finish the season by Easter.

New wines are usually colored bright red or violet. They tend to be fruity, tasting of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, banana, and freshly squeezed grapes, depending on the grape variety used, the production method, and the area in which the grapes are grown. Detractors talk about bubble gum, lollipops, nail polish, and jello. Many feel that new wine tastes of grape juice with alcohol. One thing is certain, if you don’t like a given new wine, don’t store it away to try it again in two years. It won’t improve with time.

Italy is a major producer of new wine, bringing to market about 18 million bottles a year. About one third of its output is exported to Germany. The most important Italian new wine regions are Veneto and Tuscany, followed by Piedmont and Trentino-Alto Adige. Let’s take a closer look at two new wines.

Wines Reviewed Nosio Spa Novio Mezzacorona 2006 Vigneti Delle Dolomiti IGT 12% about $8.50 and
Cantina di Negrar Novello del Veneto IGT 12% about $8

I went to a small wine store and bought these two bottles on the day that the 2006 Beaujolais Nouveau was released (November 16, 2006). The following day I went to a major wine store, expecting additional offerings from Italy, but there were none. I did buy one bottle of Beaujolais Nouveau, which I will review in another article.

The Novio Mezzacorona is produced from Teroldego and Lagrein grapes native to the Trentino-Alto Adige region in northeastern Italy. Interestingly enough, the Teroldego grape is quite tannic. Furthermore, the Lagrein grape is known for meaty wines. Neither of these characteristics showed up in the final products.

The Novello del Veneto wine, with a designer label, is made from Corvina and Rondinella grapes native to the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. Interestingly enough, the Corvina grape is quite tannic, but you would never guess from tasting the final product. You may be familiar with these two grape varieties; they are the major components of Valpolicella and other well-known Veneto wines. I’ll spare you the gushing marketing materials that purported to describe these two wines.

I first tasted these wines with braised, slow-cooked beef ribs and potatoes. The Novio Mezzacorona was fruity, a nice complement to the food’s grease. It lingered in my mouth. In contrast, the Veneto tasted of bubble gum, both with the meal and on its own.

The next tasting involved bagels and smoked salmon, accompanied by a dainty grilled artichoke dip and caponata, a savory Italian-style salad composed of eggplants (including their skin), tomatoes, and onions. The Novio Mezzacorona was weak when paired with the smoked salmon but handled itself better with the caponata. The wine showed its strength with the artichoke dip, without overpowering it. The Veneto was a bit fruitier with the smoked salmon, the bubble gum flavor no longer dominated.

Then I moved on to the cheeses. Asiago is a semi-sharp cheese produced in both the Trentino Alto-Adige and Veneto regions. The Novio Mezzacorona was almost pleasant with this cheese. The Veneto did better, it came close to being a winner. Montasio Veneto is a sharper cheese, produced in the Veneto region. This cheese overpowered the Novio Mezzacorona and rendered the Veneto wine flat.

The final tasting involved an omelette containing non-imported Provolone cheese, and once again a side of caponata. The Novio Mezzacorona was round and tasted of dark fruits but was quite short. It was more complex when imbibed with the caponata. The Veneto wine still tasted of bubble gum. It also tasted of dark fruits and was short.

Final verdict. For many years I have not been a fan of new wines. I taste them every year, and am always willing to change my mind. These two bottles gave me no reason to budge an inch. Having said this, there still is the Beaujolais Nouveau to taste and review. I cheated a bit; I bought the most expensive bottle available. Let’s hope that it works out better than these two wines.




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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com .


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-lombardy-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-lombardy-region.html Wed, 25 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Mountainous Lombardy is located in the north central zone of Italy on the Swiss border. It is one of the few regions of Italy without a seacoast. On the other hand Lombardy is known for its beautiful lakes. Lombardy owes its name to the Lombards, a Germanic people who ruled it and neighboring regions for two hundred years well over a thousand years ago. Other rulers included the Celts, the Romans, and the Franks. Its population is 9.4 million, the largest in Italy. In fact, about one of six Italian residents lives in Lombardy.

Lombardy is second to Emilia-Romagna in agricultural production. Among its many agricultural products are rice, wheat, corn, fruits, olives, cattle, pigs, and sheep. Natives still eat more risotto (a rice dish) and polenta (corn bread) than pasta.

The capital of Lombardy’s is Milan, Italy’s financial, fashion, and media center. With a population of 1.3 million, Milan is larger than seven regions of Italy.

Lombardy devotes about 66 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 11th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 44 million gallons, also giving it an 11th place. About 62% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 38% for white. The region produces 15 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Franciacorta, a sparkling wine made in the traditional (Champagne) manner, and 2 red wines; Valtellina Superiore, reviewed below, and Sforzato di Valtellina. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 47% of Lombardy’s wine carries the DOC or the DOCG designation. Lombardy is home to about four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, approximately three fifths red and two fifths white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Pinot Bianco, known as Pinot Blanc outside of Italy, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The best known Italian white varieties are Gargena, an Italian variety of Riesling, Renano Italico, and an Italian variety of Trebbiano, Trebbiano di Lugana.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Pinot Noir. The best known strictly Italian red varieties are Barbera, Bonarda, Lambrusco, and a local Nebbiolo called Chiavennasca.

Before we reviewing the Lombardy wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Pizzoccheri della Valtellina, Buckwheat Flour Ribbons with Wilted Cabbage, Potatoes, and Mountain Cheese.
For a second course try Ossobuco all Milanese, Braised Veal Shanks with Grenolata (Parsley, Garlic, and Lemon).
And for dessert, indulge in Budino di Pannetone, Pannetone Bread Pudding

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Triaccio ‘Sassela’ Valtellina Superiore 2002 13% alcohol about $16.50 DOCG

In his work Codice Atlantico, Leonardo da Vinci described Valtellina, the source of this wine as “A valley surrounded by tall and terrible mountains, it makes really powerful wines.” This area has made wine since the days of the Etruscans and the Ligurians, prior to the ancient Romans. It is the northernmost area for growing the Nebbiolo grape. The wine itself is one of the three DOCG wines in Lombardy.

The marketing materials stated that its nose is quite outspoken, with aromas including mushroom, dried cranberry, and paraffin. It is dry with good fruit, surrounded by supple tannins. This medium-bodied wine is recommended with hard cheeses or grilled game birds.

This wine was aged 18 months in large wooden casks and a further 6 months in steel tanks. The producer says it can be cellared for 8-10 years and suggests drinking it with pasta of all sorts, air-dried beef, and cheese.

I first tasted this wine with beef ribs. It was round but a bit intimidated by the spicy cumin and curry sauce. Paired with a slow cooked beef and potato stew it handled itself better. It was quite fruity and cut the meal’s grease. It almost tasted like a Beaujolais.

I tried it with two cheeses. Grana Padano is a classic Parmesan-type cheese made for a millennium in northern Italy including the Lombardy region. It is a cylindrical, cooked, semi-fat cheese which matures slowly. It has a grainy consistency and may be sliced or grated. The cheese’s taste is fragrant and delicate. The wine brought out the nutty aspect of the cheese, while intensifying its fruit. It paired well with Pecorino Toscana from Tuscany, two regions south of Lombardy.

Final verdict. I was a bit disappointed with this wine, DOCG is supposed to mean top of the line, and it was not.




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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-launching-a-series.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-launching-a-series.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Italy is the king of microclimates: 40% of its territory is mountainous and another 40% is hilly. Such territory can often be ideal for vineyards, even if of little value for other agricultural products. The country is surrounded by five bodies of water; the Ligurian Sea in the northwest, the Tyrrhenian Seas in the southwest, the Ionian Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in the south, and the Adriatic Sea in the east. All these geographical factors mean that vineyards a few kilometers apart may yield vastly different wines.

Did you know that Italy is divided into twenty regions? Each and every one produces wine, its own distinctive style or usually styles of wine that accompany its regional food specialties. Almost all regions produce wine for export to North America. Of course some regions are doing better than others, but in many cases regions that were once known for their bland, and perhaps baked wines, have turned the corner and are now making some excellent wines. Because the public is not yet generally aware of these wine-making regions, there are still bargains to be had. Keep posted, I'll be making specific recommendations.

Italy can be divided into three major sections: Northern Italy, sharing a border with four European countries (France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia), Central Italy, and the South, traditionally the poorest part of Italy.

Northern Italy is composed of eight regions: The Aosta Valley, Piedmont (whose capital is Turin), Lombardy (whose capital is Milan), Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, The Veneto (whose capital is Venice), Emilia-Romagna, and Liguria (whose capital is Genoa). Because wines from the first and last of these regions are quite difficult to find in North America, we are planning articles on only six of these regions.

Central Italy is composed of six regions: Tuscany (whose capital is Florence), Umbria, The Marches, Abruzzi, Molise, and Latium (whose capital is Rome). We are planning at least one article on each of these regions.

Southern Italy is composed of six regions: Apulia, Campania (whose capital is Naples), Basilicata, Calabria, and the islands of Sicily (whose capital is Palermo) and Sardinia. We are planning at least one article on each of these regions.


Each article will discuss the region and its distinctiveness. We'll talk about the wines and the foods that characterize the region. We'll taste at least one wine as we are preparing the articles, and sometimes refer to memorable wines that we have tasted months or years previously. When possible, we'll taste the wine with an imported Italian cheese that typifies the region.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review have been purchased at the full retail price.

Now back to the subject of Italian wines.

Wine Classification.
Italy has legally defined four wine classifications that presumably help the consumer make a selection when faced dozens of unfamiliar choices. In 1963 Italy devised the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (Denomination of Controlled Origin) wine legislation largely modeled on the French legislation. The goal of the DOC system was to classify and regulate wine production in given geographical areas and help these areas develop their own specific identity. Don't get confused, in addition to designating the Italian wine classification system, DOC also designates the third classification level within this system.

While most wine producing countries have instituted official wine classifications, arguably the Italian system is the most controversial, some would say the most abused, and the most ignored by the wine producers themselves. Look for these classifications on the wine label. But be warned, a higher classification does not always mean a better wine.

VdT stands for Vino da Tavola, translated as table wine. These wines may be made from any grape, or mixture of grapes, anywhere within Italy. Usually table wines are pretty ordinary, and in Italy they are often served directly from the barrel. And yet on occasion VdT wines are excellent and priced accordingly. Why should these lowest-rated wines be better than their supposedly fancier competitors? Some innovative producers didn't want to be told by government officials how to make wine (see DOC below). In essence they said, "We'll do it our way and let the market decide." The classic examples of outstanding VdT wines are Super-Tuscans, often going for $50 or more a bottle.

IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which may be translated as Typical Geographic Indication, in other words a wine that typifies its specific location. This classification was created in 1992 to provide a level of wine above table wine, and below DOC, described next. The IGT classification defines the wine's geography but not its composition or production method. Once again, don't jump to conclusions about the wine's quality. I clearly remember drinking an exceptional IGT served at a public Italian wine dinner. It was a Rosso di Toscana IGT Croce di Bibbiano "Santo Chiodo" Super Tuscan that unfortunately is unavailable in my area. It costs more than most DOC and DOCG wines (see below) and in my opinion, this wine is worth it.

DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. Each and every region has at least one DOC wine, for example, the Apulia region has 25 DOCs while its neighbor Bascilicata has only one. A given DOC defines the permissible grape or grape varieties as well as numerous details about the grape growing and wine making process. The first DOC wine dates back to 1966. About one fifth of Italian wine is classified DOC or better. Perhaps you can guess from this statistic that a DOC on the label is no guarantee of quality.

DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin. Please realize that this letter G on the label is no guarantee of quality. For example, the first red wine to achieve DOCG status (in 1980), the Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino is quite highly regarded. In contrast, the first white wine to achieve DOCG status (in 1987 after considerable debate) the Albana di Romagna from the neighboring region of Emilia-Romagna is not highly regarded at all. I have never tasted this particular wine, but the best comment I have ever read it is that this wine is pleasantly fruity. In my opinion, such weak praise hardly justifies its top-of-the-line official status. Perhaps what is required is a DOCGG classification (I'll let you do the translation.)





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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-calabria-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-calabria-region.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Historically, the region’s first name was Italia, probably from the Italic tribes that inhabited the area. Over time, Calabria has belonged to the Greeks, the Romans, and the Byzantines. Others who lived in the area include Armenians, Bulgarians, Catalans, Goths, Spaniards, Normans, and Bourbons. Talk about multiculturalism.

While Calabria has been poor, its agricultural production is important. For example, it is the source of about 25% of Italian olive oil. Other agricultural products include vegetables, especially eggplants, peppers, tomatoes, artichokes, asparagus, and mushrooms. Its citrus fruits and figs are special. There is plenty of wheat for pasta, country-style bread, focaccia, and pizza. The main meat is pork, and some Calabrian salami is famous. Other meats include lamb and goat. The seas yield anchovies, cod, sardines, swordfish, and tuna. Cheeses include Caciocavallo Silano and Crotonese, reviewed below. Christmas and Easter are accompanied by traditional desserts. You won’t go hungry in Calabria.

Perhaps you haven’t heard of Calabria’s cities including Cosenza, Reggio di Calabria, and the regional capital, Catanzaro. The largest of the three, Reggio di Calabria, has fewer than 200 thousand people. But big cities are hardly a requirement for good wine. Few would ever claim that Italy’s best wines come from Rome, or the surrounding area. Hills and mountains, sunny days and cool nights, maritime breezes, low rainfall, and poor soil are all factors that can lead to excellent wines. Calabria definitely has winemaking potential.

Calabria devotes about sixty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 13th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is slightly less than twenty million gallons, giving it a 15th place. About 91% of the wine production is red or rosé (a bit of rosé), leaving 9% for white. The region produces 12 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only 2.4% of Calabria wine carries the DOC designation. The region is home to almost three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Chardonnay, Trebbiano, and Malvasia. The best known, strictly Italian white variety is Greco Bianco, which makes an excellent sweet wine that is very hard to find outside of the region. In general, Calabrian white wines are difficult to find in North America.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Gaglioppo, whose flagship wine, Ciró we review below. Keep your eyes open for wines made from the indigenous Magliocco red grape.

Before reviewing the Calabria wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Pitta Chicculiata, Pizza with Tuna, Tomato, Anchovies, Black Olives, and Capers.
Then try La Carne ‘Ncantarata dei Fratelli Alia, Pork Loin in Honey-Chili Glaze. For dessert, indulge yourself with Fichi al Cioccolato, Chocolate-Covered Roasted Figs.


OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.


Wine Reviewed
Librandi ‘Duce San Felice’ Ciró Reserva 2001 13.5% alcohol about $15

Some claim that Ciró is the oldest existing wine. It is said to come from a wine consumed by victorious Calabrian athletes on their return from the Olympics well over 2500 years ago. This DOC wine grows in the low hills near the Ionian Sea in eastern Calabria not far from the Sila Massif plateau. If you ask me, the geographical characteristics worked out quite well for this wine.

Ciró is made from the indigenous Gaglioppo red grape, which has a light-colored pulp and very thick skin. In spite of the grape skins, this wine contains light tannins. Personally I found the tannins excellent, they melted into the food and I say this as someone who is not overly fond of tannins. I tried this Ciró with barbecued boneless beef ribs marinated in a somewhat spicy tomato sauce and loved the way the fruit flavors accompanied the food. Sometime after the meal I reread the wine store’s review and agreed with their quote “…This Librandi has tangy texture with complex, juicy red fruit, and overall it’s very attractive. It’s just great for barbecued meats…”

Crotonese is a pure sheep’s milk cheese found in Calabria. It is made in 4 pound wheels with a very light rind. Its color ranges from pale yellow to creamy yellow. Crotonese is an excellent grating cheese. Another recommendation is to slice it thinly and drizzle olive oil, especially Calabrian Crotonese olive oil, over it. Its flavor is both salty and sweet, and is mildly sharp. I tried it for lunch with a mixture of humus (ground chickpeas) and processed vegetables, toast, and the Ciró Reserva. The wine and cheese flavors blended well. Another recommended wine for Crotonese cheese is the classic Tuscan Brunello di Montalcino at about three times the cost of this Ciró.




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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-latium-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-latium-region.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Latium, also called Lazio, was settled by Indo-European tribes during the 2nd millennium B. C. Later it became Etruscran. When the Etruscans were driven out by the Romans, the area became impoverished and remained so for centuries.

Food abounds, you name it and it’s probably grown in the region. The region’s most special vegetable is the artichoke. It may surprise you to learn that Latium is a center of kiwi production. It is also known for seafood, fish, and shark. Meat raised here includes beef, lamb, pork, and veal. The regions most famous cheese is Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, Mozzarella made from the milk of water buffalo. According to the popular local legend, Julius Caesar sent Marc Anthony to Egypt, where he fell in love with Cleopatra and this cheese. He sent water buffalo back home and local residents have been enjoying this Mozzarella ever since. Whether or not this legend is true, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese has been popular for centuries. Latium once produced Falernian, which was considered the best wine in the Classical World.

Latium’s major city is Rome, the capital of Italy. As the Italian writer Silvio Negro said, “Roma, non basta una vita,” Rome, a lifetime is not enough. Ancient Rome was a center of wine production and of amprhorae, clay wine jugs. The area still produces wine. A short Internet search revealed an 18th Century villa for rent 35 minutes from the heart of Rome, surrounded by 30 acres of vineyards and olive groves.

Latium devotes three hundred thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 7th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 78 million gallons, also giving it a 7th place. About 16% of the wine production is red or rosé, leaving 84% for white. The region produces 25 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only 6.5% of Latium wine carries the DOC designation. Latium is home to three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia, Chardonnay, Trebbiano, and. Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are subvarieties of Trebbiano, the yellow Trebbiano Giallo, the green Trebbiano Verde, and Trebbiano Toscano.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon. and Merlot. The best known strictly Italian red variety is Cesane. Also popular is Sangiovese, an Italian grape now found elsewhere including in California.

Before we reviewing the Latium wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Spaghetti with Cream, Pancetta (Italian bacon), and Egg.
Then try Luccio Brodettato alla Romana, Pike in an Egg-Lemon Sauce.
For dessert indulge yourself with Pizza di Polenta e Ricotta, not a pizza, but Sweet Polenta Ricotta Cake.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Tenuta Gasperini’ Vigneti VillaFranca ‘Castelli Romani Rosso DOC 2002 13.5% alcohol about $13

This wine was produced about 20 kilometers south of Rome. It is a 50/50 blend of Sangiovese and Montepulciano, two popular Italian red varieties. I found it a bit acidic and relatively tasteless at first. I tried it with kube also called kibbe, a Middle-Eastern specialty, balls of ground rice filled with ground meat. They were cooked overnight with potatoes in a somewhat spicy tomato sauce. The wine tasted a bit of cherries and tobacco. In a meal of chicken burgers and zucchini in a bland tomato and onion sauce, the tobacco taste was stronger than previously. The marketing materials for this wine mentioned raspberry, plum jam, leather, sweet spice, and tomato leaf. When looking for them I found plum jam and leather, but not the other elements. The distributor recommends this wine with baked pasta or veal medallions in a red wine sauce. Maybe.

Pecorino Toscano is a sheep’s milk cheese made in Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. It is also produced in Latium. Soft Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. This cheese is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. I tried this wine with sliced soft Pecorino Toscano on toast with a somewhat spicy Moroccan tomato and pimento based dip. The flavors blended well, and the wine wasn’t thin. However, in the final analysis I would not buy this wine again. It seems overpriced and cannot compete with many other wines that I have tasted in this series.





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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-piedmont-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-piedmont-region.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Piedmont is located in the northwest of Italy. It borders on France and Switzerland and is surrounded on three sides by the Alps. The name Piedmont means the foot of the mountain. Piedmont is one of the most industrialized regions of Italy. It is considered the best organized region of Italy for wine tourism. Its population is about 4.4 million.

Piedmont was originally settled by the Celts. It was conquered by Hannibal and reconquered by the Ancient Romans. Piedmont was ruled by the French Savoy family for almost five hundred years. It was a center in the fight to unify Italy. Victor Emmanuel II, the king of Piedmont and Sardinia, became the first king of modern Italy in 1861.

Agriculturally Piedmont has it all. For example, meats include beef, kid, lamb, rabbit, and veal. Game includes hare, partridge, pheasant, and venison. Donkey meat stew is a local specialty. Another specialty is grissini, breadsticks that are a yard long. The region makes nine protected varieties of cheese. About the only food that seems to be a bit short is fresh fish, with the exception of trout.

Piedmont’s capital and largest city is Turin, a city of nine hundred thousand that is the capital of the Italian automobile industry and the site of the 2006 Winter Olympics. This city was the first capital of united Italy (from 1861 to 1865) and remains to this day the world capital of vermouth.

Piedmont devotes over one hundred forty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 6th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about ninety million gallons, also giving it a 6th place. About 70% of the wine production is red or rosé (only a bit of rosé), leaving 30% for white. The region produces 44 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 7 DOCG wines. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior Almost 56% of Piedmont wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Piedmont is home to four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, somewhat more red than white varieties.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Muscat (in particular Moscato Bianco) and Chardonnay. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are Arneis, Cortese, and Erbaluce.

International red grape varieties are not important in Piedmont. It is the center for Nebbiolo, felt by many to be Italy’s noblest red variety, the base of Italy’s world famous Barolo and Barbaresco wines. Other Italian red varieties include Barbera, Brachetto, and Dolcetto, some of which are grown elsewhere.

Before reviewing the Piedmont wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Cipollata Rossa Monferrina, Spicy Robiola Cheese and Scallion Spread.
For the second course try Tasca Ripiena, Veal Stuffed with Salami and Scallions. For dessert indulge yourself with Budino Freddo Gianduja, Decadent Hazelnut-Chocolate Pudding.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Surì Rosso Barbera d’Asti Villa Giada 2004 Andrea-Faccio Viticoltore (Winemaker) DOC 13.5% alcohol about $10.90 plus tax

Unlike the other wines in this series, I purchased this bottle while on vacation in Seattle, Washington. Frankly I thought that I was drinking the cousin of a $40 bottle of wine. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if it were the equal of some $40 bottles. While three other Italian grape red varieties are authorized to a maximum of 15% in the Barbera d’Asti DOC, this particular wine is 100% Barbera.

I found the wine very powerful, perhaps too strong for pasta. Its tastes included tobacco, leather, cherry, and black cherry. An Italian wine site states: "An imposing wine that is always rather severe but richly and exquisitely perfumed and with a flavor that couples strength with finesse.” I agree except that I didn’t find it severe. I also drank it with a marinated, barbecued rib steak. The wine cut through the steak’s grease. Once again the flavors came out well.

Gran Padano is a classic Parmesan-type cheese made for a millennium in northern Italy including the Piedmont region. It is a cylindrical, cooked, semi-fat cheese which matures slowly. It has a grainy consistency and may be sliced or grated. Its taste is fragrant and delicate. I tried this wine with grated Gran Padano cheese on toast with a somewhat spicy Moroccan tomato and pimento based dip.The combination was excellent; I felt that both the wine and cheese flavors were accentuated. The term mouth-filling came to mind.





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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-sardinia-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-sardinia-region.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean, located in the Tyrrhenian Sea west of mainland Italy. Sardinia’s terrain is mountainous, and its beaches are excellent. Sardinia is known for archeological ruins and has become a tourist destination for the international jet set. Because of its exceptional location Sardinia has always popular, Invaders include Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Byzantines, Arabs, and Spaniards, without mentioning numerous Italian peoples. During part of the 18th and 19th Century it was united with the northern region of Piedmont in the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia. The population is about 1.6 million.

Sardinia’s administrative center is Cagliari, an ancient university town on the southern coast of the island. Its population is approximately one hundred sixty thousand. The famous author D. H. Lawrence compared this beautiful city to a “White Jerusalem.” Another city of interest is Sassari, which has the best collection of Sardinian art.

Sardinia is Italy’s leading source of organic produce, and includes nearly one-third of Italy’s land cultivated biologically. The climate is subtropical and more than half the territory is devoted to pasture land. Food is plentiful, it is said that there are over 500 kinds of bread, perhaps one for every village. The inland is full of meat, including lamb, goat, pork and game, while the coast teems with fish, lobster, and eel.

Sardinia devotes about 107 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 8th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 28 million gallons, giving it a 12th place. About 57% of the wine production is red or rosé (only a bit of rosé), leaving 43% for white. The region produces 19 DOC wines and one DOCG wine, Vermentino di Gallura, one of the two DOCG wines produced in southern Italy. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. About 15% of Sardinian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Sardinia is home to almost dozen four major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.

There are no widely grown international white grape varieties in Sardinia. The best known Italian white varieties are Vermentino, Nuragus, and Vernaccia.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cannonau, known as Garnacha in Spain, and Grenache in France and elsewhere, and Carignano, known as Carignan in France. The best known Italian red variety is Monica, which probably originated in Spain, and may be related to California’s Mission grape variety.

Before we review the Sardinian wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Melanzane in Pinzimonio, Smoked Eggplants in Mint-Basil Oil.
As a second course try Aragosta Arrosto, Roasted Lobster with Parsley and Bread Crumbs.
For dessert indulge yourself with Seadas, Pastry with Cheese and Bitter Honey.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.


Wine Reviewed
Sella and Mosca Cannonau di Sardegna (V) DOC Reserva 2003 13.5% alcohol about $12.50

Cannonau wine may qualify as the mother of all European wines. It is made from the Grenache grape, which originated in Spain. The producer, Sella and Mosca, has the second largest contiguous vineyard in Italy. Over 6 million bottles are year are produced on an estate of more than 1500 acres. Some will say that such a humongous estate is unlikely to produce an outstanding wine. Such a claim may be incorrect, but this wine was far from outstanding.

The marketing materials stated that this wine is more or less ruby in color, tending to orange upon aging, with a light scent of grapes with a characteristic flavor ranging from dry to sweetish. It was aged three years in oak prior to its release and may be cellared for a decade or more. The wine is said to be particularly suitable to accompany red meats and seasoned cheeses. Uncork it at least one hour before serving.

I found that it had quite a light color for a red wine. To my mind, it was thin but pleasant with very little nose. I first tasted it with a rib steak marinated in a spicy sauce. This pairing brought out the fruit, and the wine was pleasantly acidic, but I would have preferred a more robust wine to balance the meat. I finished the bottle withy barbequed hamburgers, and it didn’t go quite as well. The wine was weak, perhaps affected by staying too long in the bottle.

Pecorino Sardo is a traditional sheep’s milk, semi-cooked hard cheese that comes in a "sweet" or "ripened" variety. The sweet variety is soft, and the ripened variety is hard. My cheese was ripened and treated with balsamic vinegar. A commercial roasted eggplant with sweet red peppers accompanied the wine and cheese. Everything went well together, the nutty flavors of the cheese balanced the wine’s fruit. In conclusion, I liked the wine best with the cheese. I don’t plan on buying this wine again, I found it a bit overpriced. Even though it didn’t cost a lot, one might have thought that a mass-produced wine from Sardinia would be somewhat less expensive.





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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-abruzzi-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-abruzzi-region.html Sun, 22 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Abruzzi is located on the central eastern part of Italy on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. The area is 2/3 mountains and 1/3 hills. Over time Abruzzi has belonged to the Romans, the Lombards, and the kingdom of Naples. While this area was once very poor, its income is now growing. Abruzzi and Molise were a single region from 1948 to 1965. Its population is 1.275 million.

Agricultural products include grapes, olives, wheat, sugar beets, tobacco, saffron, pigs, and sheep. The Adriatic Sea and inland lakes and streams provide a wide variety of fish and shellfish. If I remember correctly, the first time that I heard of this region was decades ago, when I learned that according to Craig Claiborne, at the time Food Editor of the New York Times, Italy’s best food was found in Abruzzi.

Abruzzi has no large cities. Its administrative center l’Aquila has a population of about 70 thousand. But big cities are hardly a requirement for good wine. Few would ever claim that Italy’s best wines come from Rome, or the surrounding area.

Abruzzi devotes about eighty two thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 10th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 110 million gallons, giving it a 5th place. About 90% of the wine production is red or rosé (not very much rosé), leaving 10% for white. The region produces 3 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG red wine, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. About 17% of Abruzzi wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Abruzzi is home to about two dozen major and secondary grape varieties, a few more white and than red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Trebbiano and Chardonnay. Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Trebbiano d’Abbruzzi, felt by some to be Bombino Bianco.
The best known Italian red variety is Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. The Montepulciano d’Abruzzo DOC is the most widely exported Italian DOC wine.

Before we reviewing the Abruzzi wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with local wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with a Pizza Rustica, Cinnamon-Scented Pie Stuffed with Proscuitto, Cheese, and Eggs.
Then move on to Polenta sulla Spianatora, Polenta (Cornbread) Topped with Sausage in Spicy Tomato Sauce.
For desert enjoy a Crostata di Ricotta, a Ricotta Tart.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Abruzzo Illuminati Montepulciano d’Abruzzo “Riparosso” 2004 DOC 13% alcohol about $11.50

The marketing materials state that this wine has hints of an Amarone (a much more expensive wine) or a Ripasso ( a more expensive wine). There are raisings, currants, and tar on the nose whilst the taste profile is ripe, mellow fruit flavors of raspberry jam and ocha. It doesn’t contain a lot of acidity so drink it within a year. Pair it with pizza, burgers, or any meat dish that you tend to eat during the week.

This wine is said to complement pasta, red meats, and savory cheeses.

I found the Riparosso to be somewhat robust, with cherry and plum flavors. I didn’t have the feeling that I was drinking a regular Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, but instead almost a Ripasso, a wine that I prefer. This wine managed to feel full-bodied even with its light tannins. It balanced nicely the tanginess of barbecued eggplant loaded with garlic, and demonstrated notable spiciness when paired with a meat ball and vegetable stew. Its acidity was pleasant. I did not discern all the flavors listed above. For me the dominant flavor was black cherry. The final meat dish that accompanied this wine was a barbecued boneless rib steak with a spicy curry and cumin sauce. The wine seemed to pick up strength to accompany this meat, which by the way, we don’t eat on a regular basis during the week.

I tasted this wine with two related cheeses. Pecorino Toscano is a soft, nutty cheese. Interestingly enough, I found that the wine was no longer robust, it seemed to soften to accompany this mild cheese. In the presence of a Pecorino Fiore Sardo, a balsamic sheep’s milk cheese with a stronger flavor and coarser consistency than its Tuscan cousin, the wine almost magically picked up flavor to meet the challenge.

Final verdict, as you can tell this wine is a definite keeper.

Extra note. Several months ago on a whim I bought a $6 bottle of Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. Given the realities of the marketplace, I really doubt that any producer can come up with a decent bottle at that price. At first the wine was terribly acidic. I held out, finished the bottle and the last glass was almost OK. Yes, there are bargains, such as this Riparosso, but few in the $6 range.




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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.


Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-emilia-romagna-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-emilia-romagna-region.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Emilia-Romagna produces a very wide variety of pasta, fruits and vegetables, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, cheese, and fresh and cured meats. Two of its biggest stars are a cheese, Parmigiano Regianno, and a ham, Prosciutto di Parma. Parmesan cheese as it’s known in English, was mentioned by the famous Italian author of the Fourteenth Century, Giovanni Boccaccio. We review it below. Parma ham, as it’s known in English, is an uncooked ham that is dry cured for at least ten months. Usually it is served in very thin slices, often as appetizer with melon.

Bologna whose population is about 375,000 is the administrative center of Emilia-Romagna. It is the home of the first university in the Western World, founded in the 11th Century. Bologna is also considered the capital of Italian gastronomy, in spite of its unfortunate association with a low-quality sandwich meat. Another city of interest is Rimini, a resort center on the Adriatic Sea with a population of 135 thousand.

Emilia-Romagna devotes about 178,000 acres to grapevines, it ranks 5th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 125 million gallons, giving it a 4th place. About 57% of the wine production is red, leaving 43% for white. The region produces 18 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG white wine, Albana di Romagna. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. In fact, while this wine was the first white wine to be accorded the DOCG designation in Italy (1987), many feel that Albana di Romagna does not deserve such an award. (I have never tasted this wine, and from the reviews that I’ve read, I’m in no hurry to taste it.) About 21% of Emilia-Romagna wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Emilia-Romagna is home to more than four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, a few more red than white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are Albana (source of the DOCG wine) and Pignoletto.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the only widely grown international red grape variety. The best known strictly Italian red variety is Bonarda. The Italian red varieties Barbera and Sangiovese are found elsewhere, including California.

Before we reviewing the Emilia-Romagna wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Gelato di Parmigiano, Parmigiano “Ice Cream”, which includes heavy cream and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, suggested as an appetizer.
A more traditional dish is Scaloppine di Vitello alla Bolognese, Veal Scaloppine all Bolognese, which also includes Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, as well as other local specialties Prosciutto di Parma and balsamic vinegar.
For dessert (as if the ice cream wasn’t a dessert) try Torta Bonissima, a Honey and Nut Pie.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.


Wine Reviewed
Donini Lamberti Trebbiano-Chardonnay IGT 2005 12% alcohol about $8 (liter)

Everybody has prejudices. I approached this bottle with several of them. It seems to me that a liter of wine is usually too big, accentuating quantity at the expense of quality. Given the economics of the wine industry, I am usually reticent to purchase a bottle for $8, which would be $6 for a regular-sized bottle. And finally while Emilia-Romagna is often known for its red wines, it is not particularly known for its white wines, with an unfortunate exception, the DOCG wine Albana di Romagna, discussed above. And now to the actual wine.

The first time that I drank this wine I found that its taste was one of green apples, dominating everything else but still light on flavor if not unpleasant. It didn’t really accompany the food, a breaded chicken cutlet in sweet and sour sauce with potatoes cooked in chicken fat. As the wine aged a bit, (it takes a long time to finish a liter if you don’t care to drink very much at a time) it got better instead of worse. I have read that 3.5 million bottles of this type wine are produced yearly. I understand that it is popular in fish restaurants along the Adriatic Sea. I’d love to find out for sure. Final verdict, not bad for the price.

Parmigiano-Reggiano is a cooked, unpressed semi-fat hard cheese made from raw cow’s milk. It is encased in a thin, yellow rind. This cheese is finely grained and very flaky. Its taste is delicate and fragrant, and frankly wasted with a wine of this quality.



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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.



Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-umbria-region.html http://www.articletrader.com/food/wine/i-love-italian-wine-and-food-the-umbria-region.html Wed, 23 Aug 2006 00:00:00 -0500
Umbria was settled by the Umbri, perhaps the first inhabitants of Italy. They were forced into the mountains by the Etruscans, who were conquered by the Romans and then the Lombards. The poet Dante considered it the most violent part of Italy.

Umbria is particularly known for pork, dried pasta, and both black and white truffles. It also produces specialty breads and a wide variety of vegetables and meats. Fish and eels from the Tiber River and Lake Trasimeno abound. Cheeses include Pecorino Toscano, reviewed below.

Umbria’s capital is Perugia, a beautiful medieval city with a population of 150 thousand. Among other things Perugia is known for chocolates and Italian as a second language classes. Another famous Umbrian city is Assisi, the home of St. Francis of Assisi.
Umbria devotes about 41 thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 15th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 19.5 million gallons, giving it a 16th place. About 58% of the wine production is white, leaving 42% for red. The region produces 11 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine, and 2 DOCG red wines, Montefalco Sagrantino and Torgiano Rosso. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior.
About 30% of Umbrian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Umbria is home to about thirty major and secondary grape varieties, about two thirds white.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Chardonnay and Trebbiano. The best known strictly Italian white variety is Grechetto, used in the its flagship Orvieto DOC wines.

Widely grown international red grape varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Gamay, and Merlot. The best known Italian red variety is Sangiovese, now grown elsewhere such as in California.

Before we review the Umbrian wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Zuppa di Lenticchie di Castelluccio, Castelluccio Lentil Soup, which with local bread can be a meal in itself.
Later try Porchetta alla Perugina, Roasted Suckling Pig with Wild Fennel, Rosemary, and Garlic.
For dessert indulge yourself with Serpentone delle Monache di Perugia, Nut and Fruit “Snake” of the Capucin Nuns.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Lungaraotti Pinot Grigio 2004 12% about $12

I haven’t always been happy with Italian Pinot Grigio, or for that matter with non-Italian Pinot Gris. These wines often are weak. However, I thought that this particular Pinot Grigio was a fine wine for its price when it accompanied the right food. The sales literature suggested that this light-bodied, vivid, and balanced wine would be a great match for antipasti. My mistake was pairing it with non-imported antipasti, really more of a mediocre relish, which overpowered the wine. I later tried this wine with cold barbecued chicken in a moderately spicy Thai sauce and was quite pleased. Its citrus flavors really shone. I could taste this wine’s subtle complexity.

Pecorino Toscano is a sheep’s milk cheese that has been made in Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. Soft Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. It is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. I thought that it blended very nicely into the wine.



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About the Author
Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com . You can reach him at ital@mail.theworldwidewine.com.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>