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Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Just Try to Keep Up
Italy: North, featured
, Apr 2022
Friuli-Venezia Giulia is one of the most culturally and climatically diverse regions in Italy. It should come as no surprise that the region produces a vast range of wines as a result. From crisp varietal whites and richer blends, to wild, indigenous reds and extended skin-contact, amphora-aged wines, the wines of Friuli run the gamut. Quality can be variable, so readers must be selective.
On the Cusp of Evolution: Amarone and Valpolicella
Italy: North, featured
, Apr 2022
Amarone is one of Italy’s most well-known reds, and yet one of the last bottles we pull from our cellars when looking for that special wine. Producers in Valpolicella have been hard at work to change the perception of Amarone as being too big, too sweet and too much. The wines they are bottling are incredibly exciting.
Soave - The Long Road Home
Italy: North, featured
, Apr 2022
Soave’s most ambitious producers have worked hard to overcome the mixed reputation that was so penalizing in the past. It’s been a long journey and one fraught with many challenges, yet the first signs of that effort are starting to show in a bevy of wines that increasingly merit serious attention.
Alto Piemonte, Valtellina & Points North
Italy: Piedmont, Italy: North, featured
, Mar 2022
It is easy to get discouraged these days, as so many reference point wines continue to soar out of reach of the average consumer. But, there are still regions where the savvy wine lover can find truly distinctive wines; wines of place that are both compelling and reasonably priced. Inquisitive readers will find much to explore in the wines of Alto Piemonte, Valtellina and other nearby appellations.
Italy's Food and Wine Epicenter: Emilia-Romagna
Italy: North, featured
, Nov 2021
Emilia-Romagna is the source of Italy’s most beloved culinary creations. Can you imagine a world without Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto di Parma and aceto balsamico? Yet what we don’t often consider are the wines that make a perfect pairing for this rich and hearty cuisine. Add in one of Italy’s undiscovered sources of Sangiovese, and you have a region that no wine lover should ignore.
Against all Odds: Vie di Romans Sauvignon Blanc Vieris
Verticals & Retrospectives, Italy: North, featured
, Oct 2021
When we think of wines that will improve with age, challenging our palates and our intellects over decades of cellaring, it’s usually not a white that comes to mind, especially not a Sauvignon Blanc from Isonzo, Friuli. However, Gianfranco Gallo of Vie di Romans set out over forty years ago to prove us all wrong. Has he? With a fourteen-vintage vertical of the Sauvignon Blanc Vieris direct from the cellar, we’re about to find out.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Quintarelli Amarone della Valpolicella Classico
Cellar Favorites, cellar favorite, Italy: North
, Mar 2021
This bottle of Quintarelli’s 2006 Amarone della Valpolicella Classico made me feel like I was back in the cellar, tasting with the man himself, as I was lucky to do a few times before his passing.
Valpolicella & Soave: The Times, They Are A Changin’
Italy: North, featured
, Feb 2021
Veneto is home to a number of oenological riches, from the whites of Soave to the reds of the Valpolicella district, including the renowned Amarone, one of Italy’s most important wines. The region’s most dynamic, passionate producers are determined to show that their wines stand in stark contrast to the at times indifferent wines that once penalized the image of these appellations in the mind of the consumer.
Friuli Venezia Giulia – In Constant Motion
Italy: North, featured
, Jan 2021
This is not quite Italy, Austria or Slovenia; it is distinctly Friuli Venezia Giulia, and what forward-thinking producers in the region have accomplished through decades of toying and tinkering to find that perfect mix has created a kaleidoscope of styles from ancient to international to completely experimental.
Italy’s Sparkling Advantage: Prosecco and Franciacorta
Italy: North, featured
, Dec 2020
The holidays are upon us. It’s the season where more bubbly is purchased and consumed than at any other time of the year. Whether it’s for gifting, celebrating or the perfect pairing at your holiday meal, a bottle of bubbly always fits the bill. This report looks at Prosecco and Franciacorta, two of Italy’s greatest treasures.