Italian Wine Course, Class #1

My favorite wine shop, Gordon's Liquors in Waltham, MA, recently offered a new series of wine tasting classes with the focus on Italian wines. I readily admit that my knowledge of Italian wines is a little lacking, so I decided to sign up for the entire schedule of 6 classes. Italian wines are a daunting subject since there are >2000 indigenous grape varietals. Historically, the majority of Italian wines have been produced for local consumption, so production & quality standards have not been extremely rigorous. The formation of the Italian appellation system in 1963 served to simply codify existing winemaking practices that may or may not have been the best. Fortunately, globalization has begun to change this fault as winemaking practices are changed to compete on the global market.


The first class was held on Tuesday, March 23 at the Culinary Center in the back of the store. Bob Kaplan had selected the wine and held forth on regional information & wine details. This first class focused on wines from the southern regions of Sicily, Sardinia, Calabria, Basilicata, & Campania (regions #2, 3, 4, 14 & 19 in the map). These areas are less well developed than the northern regions of Italy and the wines are not as prestigious or well-regarded. Consequently, they are less expensive if you find a wine that you enjoy. The wines were paired with a Sottocenere with Truffles & a Pecorino Ginepro cheeses from Whole Foods.

White Wines

La Segreta Bianco ($15)
Region: Sicily IGT
Details: 50% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, 40% Falanghina
Review: Peaches & citrus in the nose. Tastes of apricot with a honeyed finish. Light bodied (good summer sipper)

Cantina Gallura Vermentino 2007 ($20)
Region: Sardinia DOCG
Review: Golden color, aromas & flavors of apricots, honey, raisins, & caramel. Extremely flat sherry-like finish. Tastes like this wine has oxidized. Not good

Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina ($19)
Region: Campania, near Avelino
Review: Aromas of pineapple, peaches, apricots, & honeysuckle. Dried apricot finish.

Feudi di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo ($24)
Region: Campania, near Avelino
Review: Light citrus & honeysuckle. Short finish. Tastes similar to a viognier

Red Wines:

Planeta La Segreta Rosso ($15)
Region: Sicily IGT
Review: Dark cherries, rosemary, vanilla. Medium body with a Concord-like grapey finish.

Templum Cannonau ($20) same grape as Granache
Region: Sardinia DOC
Review: Fairly bricked in color. Black cherry, cinnamon, little chalky on the finish. Mild tannins

Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria ($23)
Region: Sicily IGT
Review: Cherries, cassis, vanilla in the nose. Big fruity flavors with dancing raspberries, mild tannins, good mouthfeel. Went REALLY good with the Pecorino cheese!

Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato ($19)
Region: Campania
Review: Very dark lightly bricked color. Blackberries, blueberries, & chocolate with a little tobacco. Big, bold tannins & good mouthfeel.

Librandi Gravello ($35) blend of Cabernet Sauvignon & Delamonto
Region: Calabria, near the town of Churo
Review: Black cherry, raspberries, & currants. Balanced tannins. Chocolate, slightly tart finish.

Cantine dei Notario La Firma 2005 ($50)
Region: Basilicata
Review: Dark cherries, raspberries, light tobacco with soft tannins. Good, just not sure it's $50 good.

Cheers,
a Wine Student