Salut! To Italian Wines

article and photo by Frank Mangio

I’ve been doing a lot of saluting lately as Italian wines are bursting with new, beautiful releases up and down the peninsula.

There is no country quite like Italy with its varied complexity of varietals, from lovely whites at the northern border district of Trentino-Alto Adige to the dark, deep luster of Sicilian reds. There are over 300 regions sanctioned by the government, making wines from over 2,000 grape varietals.

Wine making has been going on for over 3,000 years. Unlike California which labels its wines by the grape, Italians label their wines by the district. A Sangiovese grape wine is labeled Chianti, a Nebbiolo grape wine is labeled Barolo or Barbaresco, favorite locations for the making of that wine.

Two recent wine tastings had me happily declaring the recent 2006 releases as the best since 2001: a gathering at When In Rome in Encinitas where Italian wine expert Marco Barat was holding court as special guest of G.M. Daniel Shaffer. Marco, in addition to his humorous one-liners, waxed poetic on five wines from Puglia, on the southeastern coast of Italy.


A Taste of Wine columnist Frank Mangio, When in Rome Manager Daniel Shaffer and Italian wine specialist Marco Barat.

As Daniel served Italian courses like “Grillata di Pesce” with halibut cheeks and scallops to add to the “Specialita d’ Puglia,” orichette pasta, broccoli and salcicccia, Marco poured the 2006 Feudi San Gregorio Fiano di Avellino and Ognissole Primitivo di Mandura. Both were beautifully balanced reds with light fruit to accent the floral, honey and coffee-like earthy flavors that are oh-so Italy. The capper was a 2001 Feudi San Gregorio di Aglianico Taurasi, a 94 point Robert Parker favorite. It retails for about $56.

Over to Wine Street in Carlsbad for their “Italian Harvest” of offerings, the two best bets from 2006 were: a Nero D’Avola from Chiaramonte, a delicious red from Sicily and a Taste of Wine previous Top Ten Taste ( $16.99); and a Romitorio Morelllino di Scansano ($19.99). Both are now selling at Wine Street. Ten of the top 100 wines in the world, as named by the influential Wine Spectator are from Italy. The highest rated was Pio Casare Barola, 2004 ( $62.)

A Journey Through Temecula Holiday Wine Country
Christmas and New Years Eve wine dinners, a light festival, hay rides, wine gift shops and much more will make Temecula Wine Country a must-enjoy for the holidays. Now through December 29, Keyways Winery has a holiday light festival from 6 to 9pm daily with hayrides and other activities. As with Ponte Winery which has theirs until December 23, you can marvel at over 200,000 LED lights that stretch over vineyards and rooftops. It’s family style fun and entertainment. For more at Keyways call 951-302-7888. For Ponte, 951-694-8855.

New Year’s eve is memorable as many wineries host special events:
South Coast Winery has its elegant dinner, dance and celebration at Vineyard Rose. You can also stay in one of the luxury vineyard villas. Reserve at 951-587-9463, ext 7230.

Wiens Family Cellars has “Jungle Boogie” with dinner, live music, dancing and animals from the Wild Animal Park. Call for RSVP’s at 951-694-9892.

Keyways has an all-star music concert with its dinner and dancing, including Ambrosia. Details at 951-302-7888.

Wilson Creek Winery has a “Sail Into the New year” extravaganza at their new events center. Call 951-699-9463.

Thornton Winery will have its gala including dinner, dancing and balloon drop. Get the full story at 951-699-0099. A good way to see all the Wine Country fun is by Going Grape and its holiday transportation tour packages. They are local and know the winemakers personally. For reservations, call 951-852-1923.

Wine Bytes
The Fallbrook Visitors Bureau is presenting a Wine & A Bite Holiday Walk through the historic downtown area, 4 to 7pm on Sat. Dec. 13. Sip wine, indulge in great food and shop the distinctive stores. Ten restaurants and Fallbrook Winery are providing nice food and drink. $10. pp, $15. at the door. Call for RSVP’s at 760-451-3282.

Big Bold Reds is the theme of the wine tasting at Vino 100 in San Marcos Fri. and Sat. from 5 to 9pm. Cost is $15. ea. For more, contact Vino 100 at 760-591-9113.

Holiday wine tasting is sure to please at the 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Encinitas Sat. Dec. 13 from 2 to 5pm. Tasting fee is $10. for 10 tastings. RSVP requested at 760-942-2104.

San Diego Wine Company on Miramar Road has its annual top ten values to taste on Sat. Dec. 13 during business hours for just $10. or just $1. with an unwrapped toy or gift card to benefit a childrens fund. More at 858-586-9463.

Italian Grape from Chianti Revealed in California

LEON SANTORO, the FAMED "RHONE RANGER" TASTING THE NECTAR OF ORFILA WINERY (Foto by Frank)

by Frank Mangio

Italian winemakers are a romantic lot. The language of wine, especially in Tuscany, is meandering poetry, words of love and some hyberbole.

Take Chianti, or more recently, Chianti Classico. Over the years Chianti was getting a bad name, so some of the more influential vintners coaxed the government to crack down and raise the standards. Now, Chianti can only be made in a district called Chianti Classico. It not named for the grape, which in my judgment is one of the most lovely in the world: Sangiovese. Sangiovese has relaxed elegance with a taste of the terroir, the earth from which it was raised. You will taste a lively acidity that begs for cheese, olive oil and rustic breads. I find that newly won disciples of wine that may not know wine terminology, just simply like it a lot!

Sangiovese in California is the focus of this week’s column. From north to south, unlike Italy, this grape is boldly proclaimed on the label of an increasing number of wineries and is gaining in popularity. In the north, look to Sonoma for some delicious examples as wineries like Pedroncelli grow it in Dry Creek Valley near Geyserville. Their ’05 is just out and is pleasing to the palate. The Seghesio family, back in the late 1800’s, was bottling a Chianti containing a blend of Sangiovese, considered America’s oldest Sangiovese planting. On the Central Coast, a small winery, Javardi in Paso Robles has an ’04 Sangiovese that is tasting beautifully.

I am most excited about what I see and taste in Southern California, namely Temecula’s wineries like Palumbo Family, La Cereza, Falkner, Briar Rose and others. In Escondido, Orfila Vineyards and Winery with Leon Santoro ( see accompanying photo) brings 13 years of Sangiovese love to the table. Leon himself comes from Tuscany. In 1995, his Sangiovese “Di Collina” (means hillside) won Gold at the San Francisco Fair. He smiled and said “we would have won double gold then but the Tuscan vineyard we received our plantings from, Fattoria Le Bocce, won with their ’93.” Each year since that first accolade, Orfila’s Sangiovese has medaled, including five double golds. See more at www.orfila.com.

Italian and Rhone Valley French style grape-growing represent the single best hope to put Southern California wineries on the map. The wave of wineries gaining success with Sangiovese is a real trend that is here to stay.

One Closed Case of 1982 Chateau Mouton Rothschild...
What’s it Worth?

Twelve bottles, a case of the above named wine treasures, have been sitting since 1984 in perfectly temperature controlled storage, owned by Gary Parker of WineSellar Brasserie in San Diego. This “vintage of the century” was one of the first to receive a 100 point rating. The wine, in the Bordeaux appellation, is considered a benchmark for the greatest wines ever made. This unopened case is being offered sealed and aged for some 25 years. A single bottle has been priced at an average $2,000.

The public has a unique opportunity to participate in an on-line auction for this case of wine. Between now and midnight March 20, Parker will be taking offers for this rare case. “I urge you to make your best offer right away…I will certainly envy the fortunate person who will ultimately possess one of the most amazing cases of wine on the planet” he said. You can send your offers or any questions you may have to Parker at GParker@WineSellar.com. His phone is 858-450-9557.