Tag Archives: Sangiovese

Chianti Isn’t That Complicated

10 Friday Mar 2017

Posted by in Italy, Uncategorized

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The charm in the old Italian restaurant of a short, fat bottle of wine that’s covered in straw is undeniable for many Americans of a certain age. The wine inside of that iconic Italian imagery, unfortunately, didn’t do the great Chianti wines of today any favors.

grape-sense-logoChianti is the most-recognizable red wine of Italy. It’s a table wine and a fine wine but it has a checkered past. Chianti producers were making swill and taking liberties with their wine blends until the international explosion of wine sales started in the 1990s. It was about that time, along with a younger generation of winemakers, that Tuscany wines took a leap in quality. New Italian government regulations narrowed how the wines were to be made.

Chianti is a wine region largely encompassing Florence down through Siena, Italy. The heart of Chianti is a designated grape-growing region for the best wines, Chianti Classico. The grape of these wines is Sangiovese. Chianti Classico can be 100 percent of the varietal but must be at least 80 percent Sangiovese to be called a Classico. The Italian grapes Canaiolo and Colorino are often used in the blend with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot also used to round out the flavor.

Chianti wines are most associated with red sauces. Or yes, pasta dishes and Chianti wines are the great pairing we know and often enjoy.

Chianti is not a sipping wine its best paired with food. Chianti often has bold acidity and can be quite tart but that’s why it pairs so nicely with red sauces.

Basic Chianti can always be found under $20. Chianti Classico has a bit of a higher price point but is worth the extra dollars. Classico usually has softer fruit and a more pleasing roundness to enjoy with your food.

Here are a couple of recent Chianti wines I’ve enjoyed:

Cecchi 2014 Chianti Classico – Tart cherry flavor and great balance. The Cecchi label is widely available. The wine can be found anywhere from $15 to $22. Cecchi Chianti Classico is a great value entry point for red Italian.

Castello di Albola  2013 Chianti Classico – Another entry level wine that is a bit softer on the palate but lighter on the fruit. The Albola was missing the typical pronounced acidity. I’d recommend this wine to folks trying Chianti for the first time. The wine can be purchased for around $16.

There are lots of Chianti choices in most wine shops, even liquor stores. There are too many for specific recommendations. A safe bet is to go with the Classico and enjoy Italy’s great Sangiovese grape with a good red sauce and pasta.

Buon Appetito!

 

Tasting Oregon to Tuscany

21 Saturday Jun 2014

Posted by in Food & Travel, Italy, Oregon

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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.

A Classic Italian Label Delivers

26 Tuesday Mar 2013

Posted by in Italy

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Frescobaldi is a name that belongs along side the Antinori label as one of the great wines from Tuscany.

frescobaldiThe Tenuta Frescobaldi Di Castiglioni 2010 Toscana is a really nice bold wine perfect for steaks, roasts, and hearty pasta. The Tuscan blend is 50 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 30 percent Merlot, 12 percent Cabernet Franc, and 8 percent Sangiovese.

The Frescobaldi delivers the typically big and bold taste of a Tuscan. It’s an inky dark red wine with notes of currant, plum and dark fruit. I get chocolate and spices on the mid palate that I really like.

The wine was pretty tannic initially but but opened nicely with a little time in the decanter.

I was taken by the wine’s balance  once it had some time to air. I loved the acidic finish as the tannics softened a bit. This affordable Tuscan is a classic example of really good Italian wine.

This wine is the flagship bottle for Frescobaldi. The grapes were hand picked and went through malolactic fermentation before 12 months in barrels and 2 months in bottles before release. It also comes in at a very reasonable 13.5 percent alcohol.

The wine has pretty consistent scores of 89-91 from top publications through recent vintages.

Tenuta Frescobaldi Di Castiglioni 2010 Toscana, SRP $25, found on the internet down to $18, Trade Sample, Highly Recommended.

savinoTesting Out New Wine Device

I’ve been talking with the developers of a new device for saving that extra wine left over when you don’t finish a bottle for a few months. The “Savino” arrived last week.

I have done a phone interview with the company founder and will share that in a future newspaper column.

Tonight’s big Tuscan wine seemed like the perfect first test for this wine saver. We’ll see!

Consider this a tease. I want to run several bottles through the Savino before coming to any judgment. There are lots of stoppers out there but I’ve not seen anything like this. And let’s face it, most of those plugs, corks, and other devices do a minimally crappy job of preserving the wine.

I did include a photo here to intrigue the curious. The product is not yet on the market but will be next week.

Stay tuned for further details!

Rosso di Montalcino a Great Wine Buy

15 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in Newspaper Column 2012

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Wine made from the Sangiovese grape may be the most diverse in the world.

The little black grape is closely associated with Italy and rightfully so. But it is also grown in Argentina and California. But in Italy, Sangiovese is king – the most widely planted grape in a country that ships more wine to the U.S. than even France.

Perhaps some readers have never heard of the grape? But if you’re a regular wine drinker it’s highly probably you have consumed wines made from Sangiovese.
That popular 60s and 70s bottle with the basket covering – that’s Sangiovese. If you’ve ever consumed a Chianti or Chianti Classico in a restaurant or bought a bottle – that’s Sangiovese wine.  Perhaps you’ve picked up a Rosso di Montalcino or the high-end Brunello. Both of those wines are Sangiovese.
A view of the hilltop town of Montalcino

I recently returned from Italy on a business trip and had the opportunity to drink a good amount of Rosso di Montalcino, or ‘baby Brunello’ as some will call it.

But first, let’s do some geography for novices. Florence sets in the north central region of Italy. Tuscany starts north of Florence and runs down through Siena. Just south of Florence you find the Chianti region of Italy and at its heart is the Chianti Classico designation. Remember, old world wines from France and Spain are named by region and not the grape.
Italian law dictates the blend for Chianti and Chianti Classico has to be 75-100 percent Sangiovese, up to 10 percent Canaiolo and up to 20 percent  of any other approved red grape variety such as Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, or Syrah.
A little farther to the south you enter the Montalcino region, centered around the lovely hilltop town of that name crowned by an ancient castle. The grapes there are also largely Sangiovese. Montalcino is the region for Sangiovese’s best representation in a bottle, Brunello wines.
Brunello is 100 percent Sangiovese and must be aged in oak at least two years. The wine tends to be silky smooth and full-flavored with considerable acidity which makes it perfect for food.
A photo I took from atop a castle tower in Montalcino

The problem with Brunello for many consumers is you can barely touch a bottle in the U.S. for $50.

The better alternative for most will be Rosso di Montalcino. The differences are, frankly, easy to understand. The winery owner or winemaker selects the very best grapes from their vineyard to make Brunello. The remainder of the crop goes into the Rosso which is often referred to as ‘table wine.’
Rosso di Montalcino is aged for just one year so you get a wine that is less tannic. The Rosso is richer and easier for wine novices to drink than it’s big brother Brunello.
I’m nearing the conclusion that Rosso di Montalcino might be the best value-for-the-money wine that you can pick up off a wine shelf. You can find Rosso wines anywhere from $15-$30. There are plenty of great selections at $15-$20.
You’ll get a great food wine but also a wine that can be sipped. The taste will have a smooth and often silky flavor. It will feature a recognizable cherry flavor from the great Chianti-styled Sangiovese wines. It will be less tannic and more rewarding for novice wine drinkers.
Sangiovese wines are great with red sauce Italian dishes, pizza and red meats.
Rosso di Montalcino is a wine you might never find in a supermarket and few liquor stores, but it’s worth the search. Most wine shops with a good selection of Italian wine will have a few bottles of Rosso di Montalcino.
Ciao!
Howard W. Hewitt, Crawfordsville, IN., writes every other week about wine for 18 Midwestern newspapers.

Send comment or questions to: hewitthoward@gmail.com