The Grandi Marchi, is a collaboration of eighteen winemaking families across Italy to promote the culture and commercialization of Italian high-quality wine on world markets. All the wineries are family-owned, have been in operation for at least 25 years (some for centuries), own their estate vineyards, are innovators, and much more. We had nine of the eighteen families visiting in Vancouver to tell us about their wines. The wineries come from all corners of the country.
My Wine Tasting Notes
Carpene Malvolti 1924 Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. Brut – from the Veneto region. This was the first winery in the region to produce Prosecco in 1868. At that time it was labelled Champagne-Italiano until 1923. In 1924 it was renamed Prosecco, which is why we see 1924 on the label of this wine. This family only produces Prosecco Superiore. In 1876 the family helped to form the first oenological school in the area. 2000 students attend this school each year. This wine is made from 90% Glera grapes and the remaining is a mix of three different historical white grape varieties. This wine has a light lemon colour. Medium-intensity sweet stone fruit aromas. Dry, with high acidity and smaller creamy bubbles. Fresh stone fruit flavours with touches of nuttiness and tartness. Medium length. Quality. 
Argiolas, Costamolino, Vermentino di Sargena D.O.C. 2022 – from the Sardenia region located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Africa is 120 km south while Rome is 400km east. The temperature in Sardenia is very hot with no rain for 7-8 months each year. They spend time to try growing different clones to see which does the best in the area. When they are ready to plant vines in a new field, they select the clone(s) that will do the best in that soil. The Vermentino wine we tasted was grown in limestone clay soil which gives minerality. The vineyard is also located near the sea which they feel also helps promote minerality in the wine. This wine has a medium-plus intensity bright lemon colour. Aromas of pine needles, nettles and citrus. Dry, fuller body with a round, waxy mouthfeel. Medium plus acidity leaves a pleasant acidic prickle in your mouth. Fresh fruit flavours, stone fruit, honey, and a touch of nettles. Spearmint, pepperiness and stony minerality on the finish. This wine is sub $17 at BC Liquor stores. A great deal! – 
Umani Ronchi Vecchie Vigne, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi D.O.C. Classico Superiore 2021 – This winery was recently announced as the 2024 Winery of the Year by Gambero Rosso. Congratulations. The winery started in 1957 and their goal was yearly constant improvement. The grape is grown in the Marche region. Vecchie Vigne marks the history of white wine in this region. The 2009 vintage won White Wine of the Year by Gambero Rosso. The soils of this region is very varied as well as the biodiversity. Umani Ronchi had to find specific areas within this biodiversity where the Verdicchio grapes would grow well. The grapes for this wine were planted in the late 1960s and are now over 50 years old. The wines once made are aged for one year in concrete tanks before being bottled. This wine has a medium-intensity bright lemon colour. Very light stone fruit aromas. This wine is medium-bodied, smooth, silky, with a round mouthfeel. Lower acidity. Light nutty, citrus, apple skin and stone fruit flavours. Light-intensity flavours. More texture and mouthfeel. Medium-plus length. 
–
Michele Chiarlo Cerequio, Barolo D.O.C.G. 2019 – from the region of Langhe within Piedmont. 1956 the winery was started. They try to represent and offer success for all the wineries in their region. Cerequio is the name of the vineyard outside the town of La Morra. The vineyard covers 16 ha. Their family owns 8 ha of this vineyard. In the first classification of vineyards in 1880, Cerequio was viewed as one of the top Cru of Barolo. The Cerequio vineyard tends to be a few degrees warmer than the other Barolo vineyards as the town of La Morra, which is uphill from the vineyard, blocks some of the cold breezes in the area. We were told that it takes 8-10 years for the wine to mature and then begin to take on a balsamic character. This wine, made from the Nebbiolo grape, has a medium-intensity clear garnet colour. Medium-minus intensity aromas of Old World oak, red fruit and red cherries. Pretty aromas. Dry, medium-plus body smooth, soft, and round mouthfeel. Fresh, sweet red cherries, Old World oak, and touches of pepperiness and vanilla. Medium intensity fine-grained tannins. Medium-plus length finishing with cedar and red fruit flavours. A light mouthfeel overall. –
Col d’Orcia Poggio al Vento, Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G. Riserva 2015 – coming from the Montalcino area within the large Tuscany region. It is the third-largest estate in Montalcino. The family encourages biodiversity in the vineyard with plantings of farrow and olive trees. The family also works with the local university on clones and registered two clones so that other vineyards can grow their clones. In 2013 the entire property was certified organic. The wine we tasted comes from a 7 ha plot. They do not make the “Riserva” wine yearly. It needs to be an exceptional vintage. This wine has a deeper, clear garnet colour. Lighter intensity ripe cherry and a touch of floral aromas. Medium-plus body, smooth, round mouthfeel. Medium-intensity tannins get strong toward the finish. Medium acidity. Subdued sweet cherry and oak flavours. Medium-plus length with a very dry tannic finish.
Rivera Il Falcone, Castel del Monte Rosso D.O.C.G. Riserva 2016 – This wine comes from the area of Puglia which is a long region along the back of the “boot” of Italy where all the land is close to the sea. It has a Mediterranean climate. 1950 was the first vintage for the Rivera family. The family’s property is in the centre appellation of Puglia, called Castel del Monte. One of the important grapes in the region is called Nero di Troia. A late-ripening varietal with thick skin. As it was a hard grape to grow, wineries would blend it with another semi-indigenous grape called Montepulciano. In vineyards they would plant two rows of Nero di Troia and one row of Montepulciano, repeating. In 1971 when the appellation was formed, the father at the winery thought this wine had such a good personality, that it should get a new name. Il Falcone goes back to the Emperor in the region who was an avid hunter. He used birds, with the Falcon being a hunting bird. This wine, a blend of both varietals, 2/3 Nero di Troia and 1/3 Montepulciano, has a deeper, clear garnet colour. Medium-minus intensity aromas of Old World oak, sweet red cherries and red fruits. Nice aromas. This wine has a medium-plus body, and a smooth, soft mouthfeel. Medium tannins and acidity. Sweet ripe red cherries, red fruit and a touch of Old World oak flavours. Medium-plus length. Drying finish with sweet ripe red fruit flavours. –
Mastroberardino Radici, Taurasi D.O.C.G. Riserva 2016 – coming from the Campania region. The family started the winery in the 1700s. This family we were told introduced the region’s wines using their indigenous grapes to the world. In particular, the Aglianico red grape is used for this wine. Taurasi is the region where they grow the Aglianico grape. The soil in this region is volcanic. This wine has a deep clear garnet colour. Light red cherry, honey, and oak aromas. Fuller body, smooth, soft and round mouthfeel. Nice ripe red cherry flavour plus tart red fruits and light oak. Medium acidity. Stony minerality to the finish. Medium length, Puckering finish with red fruit and a touch of sweetness. –
Masi Riserva di Costasera, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico D.O.C.G. 2017 – from the Veneto region. Masi has been in the Canadian market for many years. This is the 7th generation running the winery. The Classico region is a specific geographic area, the heart of the appellation. Made with 100% dried grapes before fermentation: Corvina, Rondinella, Molinara, and Oseleta. Oseleta was a forgotten grape but then rediscovered 40 years ago. This grape provides acidity, lots of tannins, and deep structure to the wine. The drying process of the grapes in Italian is known as appassimento. This wine has a deep, opaque garnet colour. Medium-intensity aromas of butter, cedar, sweet spice, and red cherries. Fuller body, round and soft, with a thick mouthfeel. Buttery, sweet spices, dark fruit and red cherry flavours. Medium acidity and soft tannins. Delicious. –
Donnafugata Ben Rye, Passito di Pantelleria D.O.C. 2021 – from the island of Pantelleria within the Sicily region. The island is closer to Tunisia than it is to the Italian mainland. Pantelleria means daughter of the winds. Ben Ryé, the name of this wine, is Arabic, meaning “son of the winds”. Vines are bush-trained on the island. The white grapes used for this wine are known as Zibibbo (Moscato di Alessandria). They harvest the grapes closer to the coast and dry 30% of them for 20 days (appassimento). 70% of the wine comes from free-run juice (non-appassimento) from more island vineyards. This wine has a medium intensity, clear, bright copper colour. Pronounced aromas of orange, honey, marmalade, and apricots. Fuller body with medium sweetness and a thick round mouthfeel. Medium-plus length. Rich ripe apricots, orange, marmalade, dried stone fruit and a touch of pepperiness. Delicious. –
Where Can I Buy These Wines?
All these wineries have local agents, so the wines will either be in BC Liquor stores or at private wine shops, but you will need to check.
The Instituto Grandi Marchi visited Vancouver in 2017 and I wrote tasting notes about the wines I tried at the time. You may want to check out my article from 2017.
Thank you to the Instituto Grandi Marchi for the invitation to attend this seminar.
