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PRODUCER: Marchese Antinori
NAME: Tenuta La Braccesca
GRAPES: 90% Prugnolo Gentile (Sangiovese), 10% Merlot
APPELLATION: Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
REGION: Toscana
YEAR: 2003
ALCHOOL %: 13.5
DRINK: Now-2010
ACCOMPANIMENT: Bistecca alla Fiorentina
COST: SAQ $24.50, LCBO $32.95
SAQ#: 00869438
LCBO#: 566216 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
The Antinori family has been making wine for over six hundred years, since Giovanni di Piero Antinori became part of the Arte Fiorentina dei Vinattieri in 1385. Throughout its long history, spanning 26 generations, the family has always managed the business personally, making innovative, sometimes courageous choices, always with unwavering respect for tradition and the land.
Today Marchese Piero Antinori is director of the company, assisted by his three daughters, Albiera, Allegra and Alessia. The Antinori family first purchased land on the Tenuta Braccesca estate back in 1990. The land is a few kilometres from Montepulciano in southeast Tuscany, near the border with Umbria
La Braccesca estate covers a total of 238 hectares. The 151 hectares of vineyards between Montepulciano and Cortona are about 280-300m above sea level. Classic grape varieties have been planted, like Prugnolo Gentile (a local variety of Sangiovese) and Canaiolo Nero, as well as non-native varieties like Merlot and Syrah, which have found an ideal environment in the foothills of Cortona.
A very careful selection of grapes from the best vineyards of La Braccesca is made at harvest time. The wine is aged for a period of 14 months in barrels. After blending, the Vino Nobile is bottled and then aged for 12 more months.
Tasting notes: Deep violet in color, with a very dense and intense nose that leans more towards jam, rather than single berries. It deploys aromas of fruits, spices and leather, with a delicate hint of vanilla. On the palate, it possesses great acidity, excellent structure and balanced. Best paired with "Bistecca alla Fiorentina" (grilled T-bone steak) and aged cheese.
Mario Couture
Mario participated to a DiVino Wine Studio tour of Tuscany in May 2007. He tastes hundreds of wines every year and he is very knowledgeable and passionate about Italian wines.
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 Director Soini, journalist Ravanello
 The unique 'Bottaia'
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PRODUCER: Cantina Produttori di Cormòns
GRAPES: Pinot Grigio
APPELLATION: Isonzo del Friuli DOC
REGION: Friuli Venezia Giulia
YEAR: 2006
ACCOMPANIMENT: Trout, grilled or smoked
COST: $14.95
LCBO#: 734038 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
The Cantina Produttori di Cormòns is one of the most active and dynamic wine cellars in Friuli and the rest of Italy. It is located near the town of Cormòns and it showcases a large 2,300,000-bottle production facility.
Their cellar is really a pleasure to visit, as it blends wine, culture, and art. Its courtyard is enriched by giant bottles that catch the attention of visitors, and its “bottaia” is where the wine rest peacefully in big casks and smaller oak “barriques” that are embellished by splendid artistic prints. Its store is large and spacious and sells the winery’s products, as well as other gastronomic products that are famous in this part of Italy.
Their different wine products are truly collectable items, thanks to the original hand-drawn labels, and include the well-known “Vino della Pace” (Wine of Peace) and the “Vino da Messa” (Mass Wine). Since 1990, the Cantina Produttori di Cormòns has been sending bottles of this wine to The Holy Father at the Vatican, to be used to celebrate The Holy Mass. A truly celestial wine!
Cinzia Tosetti, Italian Journalist, ASA (Italian Food and Agricolture Press Association)
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  Michele Satta
 The town of Castagneto Carducci
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PRODUCER: Michele Satta
WINE NAME: Cavaliere
GRAPES: 100% Sangiovese
APPELLATION: IGT Toscana
REGION: Tuscany
YEAR: 2001
ALCHOOL %: 13.5
DRINK: 2004-2011
ACCOMPANIMENT: Meat and game dishes
COST: SAQ $41.50
SAQ#: 00939827
The estate was established in 1984 when Michele Satta decided to leave his previous occupation in farm management to take on the challenge of becoming a specialist in wine making. A product like wine, which involves technical as well as cultural aspects, fascinated him. After completing university studies, he knew that he was destined to become a winegrower. Today he possesses 25 hectares of planted and cultivated vineyard in Castagneto Carducci (near Bolgheri).
This Sangiovese wine is fermented in open wooden barrels. Maceration of the fruit takes place in these barrels for twenty days, with the cap of the wine pushed down by hand daily. The wine is then pressed and placed into small French oak barriques of 225 litres for twelve months. Afterwards, the wine is bottled without filtration, and cellared for approximately one year.
This is an elegant wine, lush and rich on the palate with refined aromas. It is sensuous, very intense, but never overpowering. A deep ruby red/purple colour is accompanied by sumptuous fruity aromas with notes of prune, blackberries, liquorice and violets, which are balanced alongside hints of vanilla and cocoa, that evolve into notes of leather and tobacco on the finish. It is a full, flavourful, and persistent wine, with slightly granular tannins mid-mouth, that reveal its aging potential. This long, layered, multidimensional Tuscan wine is extremely impressive and can remain in the cellar for 10 to 12 years.
Mario Couture
Mario participated to a DiVino Wine Studio tour of Tuscany in May 2007. He tastes hundreds of wines every year and he is very knowledgeable and passionate about Italian wines.
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PRODUCER: Montalto
GRAPES: Nero d'Avola, Cabernet Sauvignon
APPELLATION: IGT Sicilia
REGION: Sicily
YEAR: 2006
COST: $9.15
LCBO#: 621151 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
We discovered this great value during our research wine tasting that we hosted last October, in preparation for the Sicilian theme dinner.
A group of us, "friends of DiVino Wine Studio", including instructors, chefs and students, get together from time to time to sample different wines and decide which ones would best match the menu offered at the following Italian regional theme dinner. The selected wines, are then included in the final wine list that is offered at the dinner.
This time we selected this very well-made blend of Nero d'Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon to match our Bucatini alla Norma, bucatini pasta with eggplant, tomato, and ''ricotta salata'' cheese. A great success!
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Tenuta Sant'Isidoro
WINE NAME: Corithus
GRAPES: Sangiovese 50%, Montepulciano 30%, Merlot 20%
APPELLATION: IGT Lazio
REGION: Lazio
YEAR: 2004
COST: $19
AGENT: ex-Cellars (416) 822-8187
This wine bears its name from ancient Tarquinia, the Etruscan capital, as quoted by the poet Virgil in his writings. The Church of St. James, built in the XI century, is pictured on the label. It is a small jewel set in the suburb of medieval Tarquinia. In 1600 a nymphaeum, a place for burial, was added to the church.
The ancient church rises up on the hill above the town, and, together with the towers and the walls of the castle, as well as other wonderful medieval architecture, helps give the visitor the ancestral and suggestive atmosphere of a past that is still alive.
Corithus will be featured at Notte sotto le Stelle Italian regional theme dinner, and will be paired with Coda alla Vaccinara (braised oxtail), according to authentic Roman tradition!
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Sandrone
WINE NAME: Dolcetto d'Alba
GRAPES: Dolcetto
APPELLATION: DOC Dolcetto d'Alba
REGION: Piemonte
YEAR: 2005
COST: $20.95
RELEASE DATE: July 7, 2007
LCBO#: 026245 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
A great companion to risotto ai funghi (mushroom risotto)
Last week, I was invited to attend the graduation dinner at Algonquin College for the new Sommeliers who had passed the challenging serving exam.
A question came up that evening at our table about the best wine to pair with mushroom risotto. Various kinds of wines were mentioned, which indicates how many choices there can be.
I picked a Barbera or a Dolcetto from the region of Piemonte, from an area where the scenic land smells of truffles and mushrooms! (Once, I had a Dolcetto with the pasta and porcini mushroom you see pictured here... What a great memory of that little moment!)
July 7, 2007, Vintages Release features a Dolcetto d'Alba, one of the 7 (yes, seven!) appellations of the grape Dolcetto in South Piemonte.
Locals there, inheriting their grandfather’s traditions, grow Dolcetto in their backyard. They make it into wine in their 'cantina' and serve it proudly to you, welcomed guest, as their best 'Vino della Casa', in the best carafe they have!
Antonio Mauriello
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Tajerin ai funghi porcini (typical piemontese fettuccine-like pasta with porcini mushroom)
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PRODUCER: Cavalier Dario, Bersano
WINE NAME: Freisa d'Asti
GRAPES: Freisa
APPELLATION: DOC Freisa d'Asti
REGION: Piemonte
YEAR: 2005
COST: $14.95
RELEASE DATE: June 9, 2007
LCBO#: 030841 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
A sweet unknown delicacy for the summer
As you probably know, when people ask me about the wine I prefer, I answer: 'the one I don't know'. I wonder if there is some reader out there who thinks like me! If there is, and if you have never tried a Freisa before, you must try this peculiar wine! Freisa is a lovely grape variety, one of the most ancient native grapes of Piemonte. If you travel to the picturesque areas of Piemonte, it's interesting to discover how different producers disagree over the real value of this grape. Some think that it is a great one and it should never be blended, while other only consider Freisa suitable for blending with other varieties.
Personally, I have always enjoyed this wine, in all its styles: dry (secco), semi-sweet (amabile), sweet (dolce). However, the sweet version is my favourite in the summer, a time when I eat a lot of fresh fruit. Besides, I love that tiny, shy bitterness on the finish, which balances the residual sugars (sweetness).
Serve it between 12 and 15 degrees (Celsius) in a large cup-style glass, with a fruit custard, panna cotta, zabaione or simply with a fresh fruit salad.
The characteristic, aromatic notes of this bubbly, red, sexy wine will inebriate you and your soul and get them going for the rest of the summer!
Buona estate!
(Happy summer)
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Dino Illuminati
WINE NAME: Zanna
GRAPES: Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
APPELLATION: DOCG Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane
REGION: Abruzzo
YEAR: 2003
COST: $29.95
RELEASE DATE: Apr 01, 2007
LCBO#: 23242 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
Wine lovers of the region of Abruzzo have just recently been rewarded with the first DOCG, starting from the vintage year 2003. The DOCG appellation, ''Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita'' is the highest appellation of origin, guaranteed by the government. The exact name for this appellation is: DOCG Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane (Hills of Teramo) and the rule dictates the use of almost all red Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grapes (it can be blended to a max of 10% with Sangiovese). Careful: DO NOT confuse this grape with the Tuscan town of Montepulciano and its wine (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano) which uses the Sangiovese grape!
I tasted this nice Zanna at Vinitaly on March 30, 2007 and I now understand why the regional match with this wine is 'Arrosticini'! Let's see if I can explain this in a few words.
---it is difficult to explain a regional Italian wine and food match.... you should try it! ---
'Arrosticini' is, simply, small lamb bocconcini put on skewers and roasted on coils.
I personally suggest the use of fresh mint leaves, eggplant cubes and bell pepper to insert between the lamb pieces. A glass of this smooth, fruity Montepulciano will contrast the burnt taste from the roasting. Don't forget to add a generous amount of extra-virgin olive oil at the end of cooking. This touch will let you better enjoy the tannins in the wine.
A gas barbecue, if you have no alternative, will do it, but it is better if you are surrounded by Abruzzo's mountains!
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Michele Castellani (now his son, Sergio)
WINE NAME: Amarone della Valpolicella
GRAPES: Corvina veronese 62%, Rondinella 20%, Molinara 5% + 13% of other native allowed varieties
APPELLATION: DOC Valpolicella Classico
REGION: Veneto
YEAR: 2001
COST: $36.95
RELEASE DATE: Mar 03, 2007
LCBO#: 739979 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
I went to find Sergio Castellani in April 2006 during my visit to Valpolicella right before the Vinitaly show in Verona. He now runs the winery founded by his father Michele right after the Second World War.
His smile welcomed me into his reign. We visited his production area and cellars, and he patiently explained to me all the secrets behind the renowned 'Trilogy': Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto, the three famous types of wines made in Valpolicella.
What I admire most of this man is his constant desire to give his followers quality and consistency. As matter of fact, he decided not to produce ANY of his wines in 2002! The year was not up to his expectations to keep quality and consistency in his products, so he took this drastic and painful decision!
When I tasted his Amarone 2001, he told me that the maceration with the skins lasts 40 days! No wonder such concentration of colours and flavours! It then ages for a couple of years in both new small oak barrels and big casks.
As I always point out, Amarone is a wine to drink by itself, with no food! A good example of 'Vino da Meditazione'!
Antonio Mauriello
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The tasting room at the winery
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PRODUCER: Apollonio (province of Lecce)
WINE NAME: Copertino Rosso
GRAPES: 70% Negroamaro
15% Montepulciano
5% Malvasia nera di Lecce
5% Malvasia nera di Brindisi
5%Sangiovese
APPELLATION: DOC Copertino
REGION: Puglia
YEAR: 2001
COST: $15.75
RELEASE DATE: Feb 03, 2007
LCBO#: 023226 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
I am always passionate about coastal Southern Italy. That warm climate, the salty breeze, the smell of fish cuisine all around. This month, I wanted to feature a wine from Puglia, because when I tasted it, it made me "travel" to that region.
There are lots of red fruit flavours in this wine, as well as that kind of taste that I call "salty and savory". Mouth-watering!
The wine-making techniques used for this wine are maceration with skins for 30-45 days, and fermentation of the must at controlled temperature. The wine then ages 6 months in French and Russian barrels and 6 months in bottles, before getting released to the market. The alcoholic strength is 14%.
This wine will definitely age a few more years. However, I suggest you enjoy it NOW with salmon in an Italian tomato sauce! Have you ever tried it? I would improvise this recipe like this: Prepare a base of onion and pine nuts with olive oil. When the onion starts to change colour, throw in the salmon in large pieces with fresh diced tomatoes, and cook it for just a few minutes to leave the taste of the tomato intact. Add the impeccable final touches to the pan: capers, olives, salt, a touch of sugar and lots of herbs of your choice (I like rosemary and oregano), so that you have a dish with earthy flavours to best match the wine. Don't forget lots of olive oil!
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Pierluigi Tolaini located in the town of Castelnuovo Berardenga (province of Siena)
WINE NAME: Al Passo
GRAPES: Sangiovese 80% Merlot 20%
APPELLATION: IGT Toscana
REGION: Toscana
YEAR: 2003
COST: $20.95
RELEASE DATE: Jan 20, 2007
LCBO#: 685164 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
Pierluigi is a native of Tuscany, he emigrated to Canada where he ran a successful business, then went back to Tuscany and opened a wine estate!
Castelnuovo Berardenga is one of the villages geographically located in the DOCG of Chianti Classico. This wine has more percentage of Merlot (20%) than what is allowed by the law of Chianti Classico DOCG (max 15% of red grapes other than Sangiovese and Canaiolo), therefore, its appellation is IGT.
Try a wild boar dish with this wine... well... even if you cannot find the wild wild wild one!... This is what the locals in those regions hunt and enjoy. You can have it stewed (lots of jus) or on home-made eggs fettuccine.
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Elisabetta Foradori
WINE NAME: Foradori
GRAPES: Teroldego Rotaliano 100%
APPELLATION: DOC Teroldego Rotaliano
REGION: Trentino
YEAR: 2004
COST: $26.95
RELEASE DATE: Jan 06, 2007
LCBO#: 712679 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
Teroldego Rotaliano, a 'wild' native Italian grape, the flag of Trentino's viticulture, finds its best terroir in this Alpine North-Eastern region.
While the name Rotaliano derives from ''Campo Rotaliano'', a well-known plateau in the middle of the Alps, Teroldego is of mysterious origin. It may originate from ''Tiroler Gold'', which is a historical territory split between Austria and Trentino-Alto Adige.
Elisabetta Foradori is one of the most daring winemakers in Italy. With only a few hectares of land, in 1985, she decided to go against the fashionable grapes Cabernet and Merlot, that were being planted all over in these regions, and she focused completely on the native Teroldego Rotaliano. She adopts the expensive practice of lowering the yields drastically in the vineyard to obtain power and structure in her final products.
This wine is perfect with pappardelle ai funghi porcini. Pappardelle is a wider version of fettuccine. Make sure to leave some moisture when you cook those mushrooms to add a feeling of creaminess to the dish!
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Bava (located in the town of Cocconato, Piemonte)
WINE NAME: Moscato d'Asti
GRAPES: Moscato 100%
APPELLATION: DOCG Moscato d'Asti
REGION: Piemonte
YEAR: 2005
COST: $15.95
RELEASE DATE: Dec 09, 2006
LCBO#: 712547 -----> check availability in Ontario Liquor Stores
Discover the small town of Cocconato, the wine heart of Piemonte
- by Antonio Mauriello, December 2006
The last time I visited Cocconato, I really left a piece of heart in those tiny, narrow, romantic, stony streets. For sure, one of the most incredible places you can ever visit in Italy is this small, tiny, red-roofed village on the top of a hill surrounded by vineyards! During our last October wine tour, we stayed in Cocconato for three days, and the detail that caught our ‘smelling sense’ the most was the wet air full of the scent of truffle and porcini mushrooms, the seasonal treasures. I always smile when I see some of their wines sold here in Ontario. Cocconato is in the heart of the production area of Barbera grape near Asti (the DOC sub-region is called Monferrato). However, this month, Vintages is releasing a Moscato DOCG from 100% Moscato grape.
Easy drinking, low alcohol (5,5%) and of superb quality, try this delicate, sweet, fizzy (I am more tempted to say ‘effervescent’) white wine with fresh fruit pie, fruit salad or just . . . ‘by itself’. Careful . . . not ‘by yourself’ . . . Yes, always make sure you share it with your loved one!
PS. I actually dare you to pair this Moscato with a piece of white milk chocolate. . . Let me know!
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Food? What food?
- by Antonio Mauriello, November 2006
A participant defined our last wine and culinary tours in Italy as ‘drinking and eating’ trips!
Now that I am back, I am slowly realizing how true that was! Let’s just say that I have to exercise!
Ok, let’s move from the excitement of the Italian tours to our Vintage release. In the month of November, a few Italian wines are released. I picked the two that you see below. Keep in mind that on November 11 in Italy we celebrate San Martino, who was a generous Saint. Legend says that Martino, to escape from his enemies, one day hid himself inside a barrel in a farmer’s cellar. The persecutors reached the cellar, and, since they could not find him, started to drink the young wine inside the barrels. They ended up drunk and Martino was able escape. From there, came the proverb: "A San Martino ogni mosto e’ vino!" (On San Martino every must becomes wine).
Word to study: ‘MUST’= the mixture of crushed grapes before fermentation.
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PRODUCER: Azienda Agricola Colli Irpini– MONTESOLAE
WINE NAME: Fiano di Avellino
GRAPES: Fiano di Avellino 100%
APPELLATION: DOCG Fiano di Avellino
REGION: Campania
YEAR: 2005
RELEASE DATE: Nov 11, 2006
COST: $16.95
LCBO#: 013425
This ‘Azienda Agricola’ (Agriculture Estate) named ‘Colli Irpini’, from the hills of Irpinia near the city of Avellino, produces about 1 million bottles and is an emerging reality in the region of Campania. The commercial brand ‘Montesolae’ is named after the ancient name of the village, where the modern production facility is now located: ‘Monte Fulsulae’.
The native grape Fiano always presents both flowery and mineral notes, and its lovely acidity will always ‘smile at you’ in your glass. Even more so, if paired with a juicy clam spaghetti dish, sautéed in white wine.
Antonio Mauriello
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PRODUCER: Aurelio Settimo
WINE NAME: Dolcetto d'Alba
GRAPES: Dolcetto 100%
APPELLATION: DOC Dolcetto d'Alba
REGION: Piemonte
YEAR: 2005
RELEASE DATE: Nov 11, 2006
COST: $18.95
LCBO#: 640334
Once, a tour participant baptized me ‘Mr. Piemonte’. Well, what can I say? I really love Piemonte and every time I go, I discover something new and incredible that just fills my heart. Last time, in October, I was amazed by the Autumn's early morning mist in the Langhe Barolo and the incredible change of colours of the leaves in the vineyards! Dolcetto vine leaves turn yellow while the Barbera ones turn red. What a spectacular view!
From the village of La Morra, here is a Dolcetto d’Alba, ready to drink, with gentle tannins, just for you, ‘Dolcetto lovers’. A young wine, very food-friendly to be drunk young and to be paired with a creamy Porcini mushroom pappardelle (pappardelle = a type of pasta shaped like fettuccine but a lot larger).
A simpler match? Try Dolcetto with roasted chestnuts!
Antonio Mauriello
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