I Love Italian Wine And Food - A Vino Nobile Di Montepulciano From Tuscany

Image via WikipediaI think that this wine's name, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, is quite exciting, but perhaps it's just a case of marketing hype. The Lodola Nuova estate property has records going back to the mid Thirteenth Century. It has been producing wine since at least 1452. Its major vineyard is 87 hectares (about 215 acres) near the medieval village of Valiano. The property was purchased by the major Tuscany Ruffino winery about twenty years ago. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a well-known Tuscan red produced from the Prugnolo Gentile version of the Sangiovese grape. It is one of the Tuscany Big Three, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile, and Brunello de Montalcino. Some say that it's a neglected middle child.

Wine Tasting at Chianti Hills – An Experience to Remember!

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Author: nfmmbs

When it comes to exotic wines, nothing can even come close to the Tuscan wine! Wouldn't it be exciting if you get a chance to visit the Chianti Hills in Tuscany and actually be a part of the wonderful wine making process itself? Your mouth will start watering even as you think about it. Stop dreaming and start planning a Tuscan wine tour just for the love of wine!

Chianti Hills is undoubtedly the best and the most popular wine region in Italy. It's no wonder that Chianti is synonymous with excellent wine all around the world'. The enthralling hills of Chianti stand gigantically amidst Italy's art cities such as Tuscany, Florence, Siena, and Arezzo.

A Tuscan Winery Tour at Castello Banfi in Montalcino Italy

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Tuscany is Italy’s quintessential wine region. It is the birthplace of one of Italy’s blockbuster red wines, Brunello di Montalcino. This  is an opulent wine made from sangiovese grapes. It has an intense ruby-red color and displays the complex aromas of black cherry, rasberry and violets.
Restrictive government regulations prescribe wine-making practices in Italy and define areas where specific wines can be made using the acronyms DOCG, DOC, and IGT.
Brunello di Montalcino is a DOCG wine which means  “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita” (the most prestigious/elite Italian wines).  This means that the wine has the following characteristics:
The location is certified and guaranteed
 Provides more stringent government regulations
Requires longer aging periods and lower yields per vine
Brunello is Tuscany’s rarest and most expensive wine. It is produced in the walled medieval village of Montalcino, south of the Chianti Classico zone. The climate is warmer and the hills are steeper. The wine is aged longer and it must be aged in oak barrels to enhance the character of the wines.

The Banfi WInery was the first winery in the world to be awarded international recognition for exceptional environmental, ethical and social responsibility. It won the 2009 VinItaly International Award and has been designated Italy’s Premier Vineyard estate for 11 consecutive years.

The winery is nestled on 7100 acres of land and it is owned by two wine-making brothers from Long Island, New York.

They have a state of the art winery with a glass museum.

Taste their Brunello di Montalcino at the Winery’s Enoteca.


 Dine at their Tuscan Taverna
The restaurant is located in the vaulted cellars of the Castello. Enjoy three and five-course tasting menus of traditional Tuscan cooking on rustic wooden tables situated under gorgeous brick arches.

 You can even stay in the restored rooms and suites of the Castello Il Borgo.


To learn more about wine tasting in Tuscany visit www.vino-con-vista.com. Salute!!


Filed under: ebooks, Italy, Montalcino, Tuscany, vino con vista, World Heritage Sites Tagged: Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Italian wine, Italy, italy travel, Travel and Tourism, Tuscany, unesco, vino con vista, World Heritage Site

A Moderate Priced Chianti

Image via Wikipedia I Love Organic Wine - A Moderate Priced <a class="zem_slink freebase/en/chianti" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chianti" title="Chianti" rel="wikipedia nofollow">Chianti</a>

I Love Organic Wine - A Moderate Priced Chianti

By: Levi Reiss

We have reviewed many Italian wines and at least two Chiantis, one running about $20 and another at half the price. As you may know, Chianti has evolved over the years and what was once considered a mere table wine now shares Italy's top wine designation with both great and not so great wines. This Chianti has broken with tradition; it is made from organic grapes and is not aged in barrels. Furthermore, it is Certified Organic by the Italian agency ICEA, Instituto Certificazione Etica e Ambientale (Institute for Ethical and Environmental Certification).

The producer La Castellaccia is located in Tuscany halfway between Florence and Sienna. They use organic fertilizer and the grapes are hand picked. Check out their website for more information on their production process. Interestingly enough these people also run a stud farm for a horse breed that originated in Turkmenistan.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed La Castellaccia Chianti Colli Senesi 2007 13.7% alcohol about $15.50

Let's start by quoting the marketing materials. Description: Our Quality Assurance Laboratory has determined this wine contains 25 mg/L of free sulphur. Tasting Note: Generous and finely made using traditional Chianti grapes of Sangiovese, Canaiolo and Ciliegiolo, from the Siena hills, this Chianti breaks with tradition by using no oak ageing. There are intense aromas of blackberry, blueberry and spice. Dry, excellent fruit core with an equally impressive freshness for balance. Full-bodied with a long fruit-forward finish. Almost New World in style. Enjoy with spaghetti and meatballs. (VINTAGES panel, Nov. 2008) And now for my review.

The first sips indicated quite a bit of fruit. There didn't seem to be any tannins. The initial food pairing involved an overcooked commercial barbecued chicken breast, a tomato and garlic salsa, and potatoes roasted in chicken fat. In the presence of the meat the wine was a bit thin but spicy. With the salad the wine's fruit started to come out. In the presence of the potatoes the wine's acidity was brushed with harshness but I did taste some black cherry.

The second pairing involved slow-cooked beef ribs with sliced potatoes. The Chianti was harsh and not at all round. There was some tobacco but I also noticed an aftertaste. I swirled the wine vigorously to get rid of the aftertaste but then the Chianti became thin. When I added some jalapeno sauce to the meat the wine actually improved, showing more fruit.

The final meal centered around a Middle-Eastern specialty kube, also called kibbeh. This is ground beef in crushed bulghar jackets with an acidic broth containing Swiss chard. I tasted some tobacco and the wine was fairly round, but thin.

Probably the best part was the cheese pairings. When tasted with a yellow cheddar, the Chianti was round and fruity. The tannins weren't present. With a Swiss emmenthaler the wine picked up a bit.

Final verdict. I would not buy this wine again. Except for the cheese, the pairings were not quite up to snuff. The bargain Chianti was better, independent of the price. Maybe I miss the oak.

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Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, but really prefers fine Italian or other wine, with good food and company. He loves teaching computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com features a weekly review of $10 wines and new sections writing about and tasting organic and kosher wines. His Italian travel website is www.travelitalytravel.com .

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