Category: italy

As we get into our cold, dark, winter days, many of us gravitate toward fuller-bodied red wines and deeper, more savoury dishes.  I received this bottle of Monte del Frà Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2018 to sample for you.  Amarone sits at the top of the deeper, fuller-bodied red wines of Valpolicella.  There is quite a process to create Amarone…

Monte Del Frá, from the Verona region of Italy for the past 60+ years has produced wines from indigenous grapes; both red and white grapes. Verona is a province within the Veneto wine region in Northeast Italy. They make two fun wines I’ve written about in the past, but bringing it up again as they are fun wines, easy to…

I and other Trade individuals were invited to Discover Extraordinary Italian Wines.  Some of the wineries at the event were searching for local representation, while other wineries already have an agent and their wines are in BC Liquor stores or private wine shops and restaurants.  I’ve put a “*” beside those wineries that have local representation, so you should be…

Amaro is a type of Italian herbal liqueur renowned for its complex flavours and often bittersweet profile. The name “amaro” translates to “bitter” in Italian, which is a fitting descriptor for this diverse and intriguing spirit. Typically enjoyed as a digestif after a meal, Amaro is celebrated for its ability to aid digestion, though its use has evolved into a…

I was fortunate to be invited to taste the wines made by Cristiana Tiberio at a lunch seminar held at Pepino’s Spaghetti House on Commercial Drive. From the winery, “Agricola Tiberio is a family-owned estate, specializing in wines made from authentic Abruzzo native grape varieties. The story of Agricola Tiberio began in 2000 when Riccardo Tiberio purchased the eight-hectare plot…

Gambero Rosso is the leading platform for the promotion of Italian wine in the world.  Each year they have a tasting of all Italian wines submitted to them and they rank the wines with the top wines given the title of Tre Bicchieri, Three Cups in English.   Last year a selection of people from Gambero Rosso reviewed 2,647 Italian wineries…

Gambero Rosso is an Italian food and wine magazine and publishing group founded in 1986.  Last year a selection of people from Gambero Rosso reviewed 2,647 Italian wineries and a total of 25,231 wines, rating them from 1 to 3 glasses according to the quality of the wines. Through a series of blind tastings, 498 wines were awarded their top…

The Vancouver International Wine Festival 2024 had lots of wonderful wines and events to attend.  I spent most of my time in the Festival Tasting Room sipping Italian wines and speaking with the Italian winery principals.  I did also attend some seminars and dinners.  Below is a list of all the articles that I wrote for VanWineFest 2024.  Have fun…

This seminar, Challenge of the Red Titans, was fun.  It was held Friday afternoon and we had spent the week preceding with serious discussions of Italian wines.  We deserved a dash of fun, but the seminar still provided us with valuable information about Italian red wines.  We learned a bit about how the big Italian blockbuster wineries are reshaping themselves…

While Italy has been known to produce robust, hearty reds, many of the country’s greatest wines offer a lighter touch without sacrificing flavour. This seminar, “Italy’s Lightness of Being”, led by Filippo Bartolotta and Michaela Morris, took us through sparkling wines, white wines with texture, and much more.  Winery principals, Fabio Bosio, Tommaso Chiarli, Daniel Grace, Stefano Inama, Nicola Mazzella,…