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Howard W. Hewitt

~ … The "W" stands for wine!

Howard W. Hewitt

Tag Archives: Brunello

Fall is Great Brunello Weather

13 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Howard in Italy

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Brunello, Tuscany, Villa Al Cortile

I just don’t drink enough Brunello!

But, other than those living in the heart of Tuscany, who really drinks enough great Italian wine?

brunelloThere are plenty of so-so or down right unpalatable Chianti wines. There are some good ones as well, of course. But for the true expression of the Sangiovese grape and Tuscany’s finest, you have to drink Brunello.

Now there is a drawback and that’s price. Brunello isn’t cheap. A decent bottle of Tuscany’s best expression of the great Italian grape starts at about $50 – and that is the low end. A really good bottle will probably cost you between $60-$90.

I had a tough week juggling personal, professional and more the past seven days then on Friday closed on a nice bungalow I shall live in for a few years before retirement. I painted and worked today only to realize I didn’t celebrate the closing.

Mild sausage, ground turkey, seasoned tomatoes, crushed tomatos, garlic, onion, splash of red wine, beef broth and cook the heck out of it!

Mild sausage, ground turkey, seasoned tomatoes, crushed tomatos, garlic, onion, splash of red wine, beef broth and cook the heck out of it!

So after whipping up some pretty tasty pasta, I started sipping a killer Piccini Villa al Cortile 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Full disclosure: This is an $80 bottle of wine in my wine rack as a trade sample.

The online ratings were all over the place but I liked it a lot. Picini is a very old name with more than 100 years of winemaking experience. The wine is aged in stainless steel and oak. It has a killer nose and wonderful dark fruit, chocolate, tobacco and earthiness.

Many will tell you not to touch a Brunello for 10 years. I’m not sure about that, but this bottle was doing some pretty great things at six years. It did improve with some decanting and time to open up.

Piccini is a brand that’s on many better wine shop shelves. But think about a Reserva and the price point when you want a great bottle of Italian Brunello.

Piccini Villa al Cortile 2008 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva, SRP $90, Trade Sample, Very Highly Recommended

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Tasting Oregon to Tuscany

21 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by Howard in Food & Travel, Italy, Oregon

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Brunello, Chianti, Oregon, Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Tuscany, Willamette Valley

SIENA, ITALY – From the lush green countryside of Oregon’s Willamette Valley to the majesty and golden valleys of Tuscany, a common refrain connects wine lovers. There’s nothing better than good food and good wine.

Grape Sense LogoGrape Sense’s first private wine tour, a five-day exploration of Oregon, was followed by a 10-day excursion in Italy’s Siena, Florence, and Rome. The first trip was private and wine/food focused while the current trip is about education and paying-job related. But in Italy there is no escaping the wine and food. And, who would want to do that any way?

In Italy the gracious ristorante and trattoria owners offer smiles, warmth, and endless platters of great food. A mid-week drive through the heart of Tuscany was time for a short lesson on Italian wine. The travel group of 20 seems to enjoy wine but wanted to understand Tuscany for its wine as well as its art and history. The college professor leading the tour handed me the touring coach microphone for a quick lesson.

It occurred to me as we resumed the ride, it’s a lesson that needs repeated.

The not-so-difficult hurdle to understanding Italian, for that matter French, wine is to understand geography. The Old World wine countries identifiy wines by region and not grape. If you’re having steak and want a nice big California Cabernet, you head to the wine shop and buy a Cabernet. But in Italy you might buy a Super Tuscan or Brunello – neither of those wines are a grape. But each are made from Sangiovese – the grape most identified with Europe’s boot.

I shot this vineyard photo about 10 mi. from Montalcino

I shot this vineyard photo about 10 mi. from Montalcino

Sangiovese dominates Tuscany and makes the Chianti, Chianti Classico, and Brunello wines. Sangiovese is usually blended with Cabernet, and sometimes a bit of Merlot or even Syrah, in the Super Tuscan wines.

In Italy’s Trattorias (think small restaurant) to the nice ristorantes the Rosso flows freely from the jug or pitcher. A Rosso is essentially a table wine and almost always Sangiovese. It’s not fair to over generalize Sangiovese as bottom of the barrel wine production, but who ever said we’d be fair.

The Rosso wines are pleasant enough and usually lighter than a Chianti with less acidity and less of the full dark cherry flavor of most Chianti. The quality varies greatly but it’s satisfying enough for the average tourist palate.

Our travel group enjoyed an unique picnic in Montalcino, a hilltop town in the very heart of Brunello – Sangiovese’s shining-moment wine.

We had a huge spread of crusty bread, salami, and Italy’s wonderful prosciutto and smoked prosciutto. We bought three different Brunello wines and a white to show our friends the difference between Italy’s entry level Rosso and its biggest star.

It was a big hit. Many had come to Italy expecting great wine at each meal and were slightly disappointed they had not found that. But now they’re spoiled and my work is complete!

But on a more serious note, there is nothing better than exploring everything a new wine region – whether it’s a state or country – has to offer. And when the opportunity arises, explore that wine region from its least to its best.

Chianti wines are widely available from the supermarket to wine shops. I always suggest trying the Chianti Classico which offers softer tannins and richer fruit for just a few dollars more. Great Classicos can be found at under $25. Brunello is king of the Tuscan mountains but substantially more expensive, starting at twice the per bottle cost of a good Classico.

We’re off to Florence as this is written and then Rome – more great wild boar sauce, pasta, beef, veal and Sangiovese await.

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