Discovering Wines on the Boot of Italy

The results are in on the 2013 Italian harvest and for those that enjoy a good Barolo, Chianti Classico, Primativo or Nero D’ Avola and hundreds of other Italian varietals, the news is good. You will of course have to wait until bottles of these favorites are ready to be shipped to the U.S. and other countries that enjoy a lovely Italian red. Balanced ripeness is what I read for 2013.
All well and good, but our sights are set on vintages that are ready to drink now, such as 2010 , 2011 and to some extent 2012. So let’s launch our latest wine tour of the “boot” with new releases from an old friend, Castello Banfi in Tuscany .  It was a time of celebration for Banfi and the popular Solare Italian Restaurant in San Diego .

 The Banfi team at Solare included:  Regional  Diane Naris, Ambassador Luciano Castiello
and Restaurants Rita Delello.

Recently a full house of diners was treated to the latest 2010 reds, affectionately called “Super Tuscans.” 2010 may be the finest vintage since 2001’s great year.  The intensity is there, as well as rich, berry fruit in the Sangiovese base grape.  For noble reds, the Summus Toscana with Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah is as tasty as they come. Banfi is founded and owned by the Mariani Family, whose achievements in wine are recognized worldwide. castellobanfi.com.

From icons to discoveries, two names to know in Italy are:  Stemmari from Sicily and Centanni from Le Marche .

Stemmari is the new label of Feudo Arancio, a major Sicilian wine enterprise owned by northern Italy ’s Mezzacorona, well known in the U.S. which buys half of its million plus cases per year, according to Wine Spectator.  Stemmari has focused in on its Nero D’Avola, Sicily ’s go-to wine.  Its calling card is “Celebrate the Art of Living.” ($9.99)  Other varietals in the Stemmari selections include:  an elegant Pinot Noir, a Pinot Grigio, a Moscato and two blends, Dalila and Cantodoro. All are $9.99 with the blends at $13.99. Go to stemmari.it.

Jonathan Zeiger is a young, fresh face distributing a growing list of new Italian names for us to know in SoCal.  His ZGR Imports specializes in wines from the Le Marche district of Italy, including Centanni. He is working hard setting up buyers at the largest wine event in the country, Vin Italy .  The first thing noticed about Centanni bottles is that they use the fascinating VinoLok glass tops.  These “eliminate the risk of cork taint, allow for easy opening and resealing, minimize additional oxidation on an open bottle and are aesthetically pleasing.”  The wines I favored include:  Pecorino 2012 with 100% Pecorino grapes ($28.99) and Monte Floris 2011 Marche Rosso with 100% Montepulciano grapes ($28.99). zgrimports.com.

San Diego International Wine Show
International wines from all around the world will be tasted at the 3rd annual San Diego International Wine Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Saturday April 26 and 27th from 1 to 5pm in the Paddock area.

Hundreds of local and world renowned wines will be brought in by experts in wine making, with music and seminars  all for a single event price of $55 advance, $65. at the door. Proceeds to benefit Country Friends non profit projects.

This show is a must for wine connoisseurs and those simply interested in trying new world-wide wines.  Sample cooking under a big tent is an extra special attraction with creative cooking demos from well known chefs.  Look for olive oil, cheeses and chocolates.  The fairgrounds 17 Hands restaurant will be open for menu items.  Buy tickets at sandiegointernationalwineshow.com. More information at 619-8WINESD.

Wine Bytes
The Grand Del Mar will host a Peay Vineyards Sonoma Wine Tasting Tues Apr. 22 from 6:30 to 8:30pm.  Delectable hors d’oeuvres, cheese, cold cuts and 6 wine selections.   $55. pp.  RSVP at 858-314-1996.

The Orange County California Wine Festival is Fri. Apr. 25 and Sat. Apr. 26 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Hotel and Lantern Bay Park , Dana Point . This 2 day show features Rare & Reserve Tasting Fri. 6-9pm and 1 to 4pm Sat.  Get all details and ticket info at californiawinefestival.com.

San Diego Magazine presents the Best of North County Fri. Apr. 25 from 6:30 to 9:30pm at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad .  It features the best restaurants, breweries, wineries and live entertainment.  $75. ea.  Visit sandiegomagazine.com/noco2014.

The DePortola Trail Wineries in Temecula is having their RedFest from 10am to 5pm on Sun. April 27.  10 wineries will serve samples of 3 wines each and a serving of food. Early Tickets are $49.  available at the website deportolawinetrail.com.