How many wine regions are there in Italy? You can probably think of Tuscany, Piemonte, and Veneto, but there are many more. In total, Italy has 20 wine regions. These regions are (from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_wine):
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“ItalianWineRegions” map. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons – https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ItalianWineRegions.jpg#/media/File:ItalianWineRegions.jpg - Piemonte
- Liguria
- Lombardia
- Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
- Friuli-Venezia Giulia
- Veneto
- Emilia-Romagna
- Toscana
- Marche
- Umbria
- Lazio
- Sardinia
- Abruzzo
- Molise
- Campania
- Basilicata
- Puglia
- Calabria
- Sicily
These regions are listed from the North to the South. Each area in general has it’s grapes and/or type of wine of note. Chianti for example from Tuscany. Recently the Italian Trade Commission invited the wine trade, including Media to try a trade tasting. There were approximately 100 wineries present, and each had several wines to showcase, which made for a very interesting tasting, but due to limited time, not every wine could be appreciated in the glass. I sampled through as many as I could, took detailed notes, spoke with the winery principals in some cases, and I present to you, what I think are some outstanding wines. Most of the wines do have representation in BC and/or Alberta, and for those that do not yet an agent, I will note it, as these wines may come in with an agent in the near future. Enjoy!
Sparkling Wines
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Bisol Crede Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut 2014 Bisol Crede Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Spumante Brut 2014, Veneto, Italy – Crede is Italian for “clay”, the soil where the Glera grapes are grown for this Prosecco. Light stone fruit nose. Dry, medium body with high acidity. Citrus and stone fruit flavours followed by flowers on the finish. Rating:
- Tenute d’Italia Pignoletto Spumante DOC 2014, Emilia Romagna, Italy – Made from the Pignoletto grape, this sparkling wine has nice citrus and stone fruit aromas. Slightly off-dry, with small bubble. Nutty and stone fruit flavours. Dry finish. (Not yet in BC.) Rating:
White Wines
- Amastuola Salento IGP Bianco 2014, Puglia, Italy – A blend of Malvasia Bianca 75% and Fiano 25%. A nice orangy nose. Medium minus body, round and soft with medium acidity. Stone fruit and nettle leaves flavours, followed by a salty minerality which builds to the finish. The saltiness is a peculiarity of this wine. Rating:
- ATS Wine Sicily Terre Siciliane IGP Vino Lauria Grillo Gardinello 2014, Sicilia, Italy – A wine made with 100% Grillo grapes. A nice nose with aromas of honeysuckle and ripe stone fruits. Medium minus body, dry with medium acid. Ripe pears and nettles/herbal quality. Honeysuckle on mid palate, and spiciness on the finish. (Not yet in BC/AB). Rating:
- Castelfeder Alto Adige DOC Pinot Grigio “15” 2014, Trentino Alto Adige, Italy – This is 100% Pinot Grigio, coming from the northern reaches of Italy, bordering with Switzerland and Germany, which can explain the German sounding name of this winery. It has a light peach nose. Dry, medium body and soft, with a slightly viscous feel. The peach flavour builds to the finish. Rating:
- Domodimonti Societa Agricola Licoste Offida DOCG Pecorino 2014, Marche, Italy – 100% Pecorino grapes in this wine. Ripe pears and apples on the nose. Full bodied, tropical fruit and oak on the palate. Round. A big wine! Rating:
- Rivera Castel del Monte DOC Marese 2014, Puglia, Italy – A wine made from 100% Bombino Bianco. I have never tried wine made from this grape and was greatly intrigued. It had a nice ripe honey and stone fruit nose. Off dry with apples, stone fruit and sweet spice on the palate. Medium acid. A fun white wine! Rating:
Red Wines
- ATS Wine Sicily Terre Siciliane IGP Vino Lauria Alacre 2012, Sicilia, Italy – A blend of 95% Nero d’Avola and 5% Syrah. A closed nose, but dark fruit still noticeable. Medium plus body and acidity. Dry with ripe raspberry flavours followed up with spice. Soft tannins. Rating:
- Casale del Giglio Petit Verdot Lazio IGT 2013, Lazio, Italy – Ripe cherry and cranberry aromas. Fuller body, silky feeling, with ripe red fruit, some spice and woodiness. Rating|:
- Castello di Gabbiano Toscana IGT Alleanza 2012, Toscana, Italy – Super ripe, almost porty nose; Dark ripe fruit. Full body, ripe dark fruit with light oak treatment. Very intense flavours. Medium acidity with fine tannins. Rating:
- Casa E. di Mirafiore Barolo DOCG 2010, Piemonte, Italy – Nebbiolo is the grape of Piemonte and Barolo. Nice woody and red fruit aromas. Fuller body, dry with a light mouth feel. Red fruit, apples, and nutmeg. Nice. Rating:
- Castello di Gabbiano Toscana IGT Alleanza 2012, Toscana, Italy – A blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine has super ripe, almost a porty nose; Dark ripe fruit. Full bodied with ripe dark fruit flavours that are very intense. Light oak treatment. Medium acidity and light tannins. Rating:
- Cusumano Terre Siciliane IGT Nero d’Avola 2014, Sicilia, Itay – This wine has nice raspberry aroma which pours over onto the palate. Medium body, quite fruity. Some spice. A fun wine. Rating:
- Piedmontop Consorzio Barolo DOCG 2011, Piemonte, Italy – 100% Nebbiolo grapes. Ripe, pruny fruit nose. Dry, fuller bodied with higher acidity, and a bit of acidic prickle on the tongue. Bright ripe cherry, plum, and blackberry flavours. Spice on the finish. (Not yet in BC.) Rating:
- Rocca Delle Macie Toscana IGT Roccato 2010, Toscana, Italy – A blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has ripe cherries and vanilla on the nose. Fuller bodied, round and soft with medium plus acidity. Ripe plums, with light oak to support. Peppery finish. A nice balanced wine. Rating:
A Hint of What is Yet to Come
I mentioned that there is a hint of what is yet to come, as the theme country for the Vancouver International Wine Festival is Italy. Some of these wineries will be present, and typically many specialty wines are brought in for the Festival, where you can purchase them.
Discounted tickets to select 2016 Vancouver International Wine Festival events go on sale Tuesday, November 3 at 9:30 a.m. Save $10 to $20 until December 31, or while quantities last, on International Festival Tasting tickets, the Delta Air Lines Tasting Lounge and the Gold Pass. Or get a free ticket by booking a hotel via beVancouver.com. The 38th festival features ITALIA! and runs February 20 to 28, showcasing 156 wineries from 14 countries. Buy at vanwinefest.ca or call 604-873-3311, toll free 1-877-321-3121 (weekdays 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.)
