Jane Garvey's Monthly Dozen: Italian Whites | Atlanta Wine School

Valdo Prosecco Brut DOC NV Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 90 Tasting Note: The grape we always called Prosecco since 2009, when the DOCG for the region was approved, has been renamed Glera. It‘s an old grape, perhaps going back to Roman times, that may have originated in a village named Prosecco in the province of Trieste. Although still versions do exist, the grape is typically used to make the sparkling wine we continue to call Prosecco. Made entirely from the Glera grape, the wine offers moderate alcohol (12%) and 12 grams per liter of residual sugar, which puts just a notch below the 15 g/l threshold for brut. In this example, which shows a pale yellow color, the quite tiny bubbles maintain a persistent thread or bead. As the wine opens in the glass, the soft fruity fragrance becomes more intense, and the clean, pure fruit flavors show alluring Golden Delicious apple and pear notes. The acid/fruit balance seems perfect. The winery recommends serving at 45F/6-8C, but I find that way too cold, and prefer 55F/13C. Use a flute if you prefer, although a white wine glass is perhaps even better. Superior value. On the wine list at 246 in Decatur. Suggested Food Pairings: Cocktail fare, such as bruschetta with seafood; sushi (but not with oily fish such as mackerel); tempura; shrimp salad with dill and capers; scallop carpaccio with lemon and olive oil, sea salt; grilled squid salad with marinated onion strips and thin strips of green pepper; Asian dumplings (shumai) with Ponzu dipping sauce and other dim sum; Not good with pungent cheeses, such as Parmigiano-Reggiano. Distributors: Georgia Crown $11.00   2010 Altadonna Grillo I.G.T. Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 91 Tasting Note: From Sicily, Grillo is a white grape that handles well the heat of its home turf and is among the white wine grapes used to make Marsala (along with Inzolia and Catarratto). Cool breezes temper the heat, and Mt. Etna lends volcanic elements (and thus minerality) to the soil and thus to the wine. This is a medium-bodied dry white wine with moderate alcohol (12.5%) and a lovely light lemon yellow color. Aromas hit on notes of fresh herbs, citrus (especially lemon) and white stone fruits, while on the palate fresh fruit characters and an intriguing sea salty tang in the finish lift the entire tasting experience with a refreshing zing. The wine is vinified and aged briefly in stainless steel plus a month in bottle, so it’s fresh and lively. If you want a white wine that fairly sings of spring and summer, this is it. Let the good times roll!! Tasted at the High Museum of Art Wine Auction. Repeatedly. This will be in my summer stash. The 2011 vintage will roll into the market in June. Suggested Food Pairings: Simple grilled seafood and fish; composed salads; fried calamari with lemon aïoli; sushi and sashimi; Spanish ensaladilla rusa (vegetables with a mayonnaise-based dressing and sometimes tiny shrimp); scallop carpaccio with olive oil, Meyer lemon and sea salt. Distributors: Prime Wine & Spirits $15.00   2008 Sant Elena Traminer Aromatico delle Venezie Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 92 Tasting Note: Traminer or Gewürztraminer is as much a wine of northern Italy as it is of Alsace or Germany. Showing a deep medium gold in color, this full-bodied dry white wine emits all the classic characters of Gewürztraminer–from lichi nut to rose petal to spice. On the palate, your first impression is one of fleshy texture followed by juicy, spicy Golden Delicious apple and pear fruit. Blessed with good acidity and a long finish, this is a classic of the genre and no less appropriate for being Italian. Gewürztramner with good acidity can age, and this one is a fresh today, almost four years after harvest, as it was the day it was made. The 2008 is the current vintage. Suggested Food Pairings: Light curry chicken or seafood salad; pork tenderloin with mustard cream sauce; grilled apple sausage with whole-grain mustard, roasted cabbage and mashed potatoes; roast turkey with bread stuffing or cornbread dressing and gravy; wild sock-eye salmon with Thai curry coconut panko crumbs; sweet-potato-stuffed baked Vidalia onion; Reblechon or other well-aged, ripe cheese–try it with Georgia’s Nature’s Harmony “Harmony Encore” from Elberton. Distributors: Vinifera $21.00   2010 Corte del Sole Soave Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 90 Tasting Note: Soave is a white Italian wine that many consumers disdain as we were accustomed to cheap plonk sold under that name, and that frankly did damage to the genre. But there are good examples to be found in many places, and this is one of them. Made entirely from Garganega, the wine is fermented in stainless steel. Medium-bodied with a bright greenish gold color, the wine exhibits clean, mineral-rich aromas with hints of almonds that carry through to the palate. Expect bright, lime-kissed fruit flavors with good acidity that prolongs the finish. Mouthwatering. A good food wine, this is one that you’ll want to keep handy for the hot summer days that almost surely are in our immediate future. A great value, too. Serving temps: Winery recommends 50-54F/10-14C, but I think that’s a little too cold. The almond characters emerge when the wine warms up to about 55-60F/10-15C. Suggested Food Pairings: Shrimp or crab cakes; calamari with lemon aïoli; pan-grilled shrimp in the shell with white wine and garlic (use this one); grilled, medium-rare scallops; scallop salad with fresh herbs; any seafood salad; pistachio-crusted flounder; grilled rainbow trout stuffed with fresh herbs, with grilled lemon halves; goat cheese with minced fresh herbs; poached seafood sausages with beurre blanc; fried oysters. Distributors: Bacco Fine Wine $11.00   2010 S. Michael-Eppan Pinot Bianco Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 91 Tasting Note: This large cooperative with 350 members was founded in June 1907 in the Alto Adige, or South Tyrol, Italy‘s most northern region that until the end of World War I was part of Austria. Although a cooperative, it was selected as the 2000 Winery of the Year by Gambero Rosso. Among the many varieties vinified is Pinot Bianco, done in stainless steel tanks to preserve the fresh fruit character the wine exhibits. This is a medium- full-bodied, dry white wine with a bright green-hued yellow color. Lively fresh fruit aromas and flavors are focused on white fruits (pear, apple and white melon) with some citrus notes. The smooth, silky texture is balanced by striking minerality and fine acidity, contributing to its utility with food. Tasted at Cucina Asellina in Midtown. Suggested Food Pairings: Fried or grilled calamari with tartar sauce or lemon aïoli; pizza bianca; poached, chilled chicken breast with a trace of homemade mayonnaise across a bed of greens; grilled whole fish (fresh sardines, trout) with fresh herbs and lemon; mild cheeses. Distributors: Prime Wine & Spirits $18.00   2010 Ciavolich Pecorino I.G.T. Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 93 Tasting Note: In this instance, Pecorino isn’t a cheese; it’s an ancient and nearly vanished grape type grown in Abruzzo (as is this example) and the Marche, chiefly. Thought to have disappeared, the grape was found growing wild in the latter region, where sheep liked to nibble on it–perhaps thus the cheese? Who knows? Anyway, we’re after the grape, and the wine made from it by this 150-year-old family-owned winery. Even though young, it shows a bright deep greenish gold color. Medium- to full-bodied, it exhibits aromas and flavors that capture tropical fruit characters with some herbal characters in the aromas. Pineapple, melon, toasted hazelnuts, citrus and a sort of salty element in the finish get tangled with a good bit of acidity. This is a unique experience, so savor it in a large tulip-shaped glass with a slightly closed top to capture aromas. This is one white wine that definitely should NOT be served cold; cool room temperature is just right, about 60F/15C. Suggested Food Pairings: Shrimp cakes; lightly curried chicken or seafood salad; pasta with goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts and breadcrumbs, olive oil; chicken pot pie; chicken fritters/croquettes with honey mustard dipping sauce; Winery suggests mushroom-based dishes, then if letting a bottle age then having it with foie gras, pâté; blue-veined cheeses; liver mousse. Apparently when aged, the wine adds honey notes, apricots and hazelnuts. Distributors: Big Boat Wine Co. $30.00   2009 Valdinera Bricco della Quaglia Favorita Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 91 Tasting Note: From the Piemonte, this is likely a grape you’ve not heard of: Favorita, which may have originated in Spain and might be a cousin of Vermentino. Chiefly planted in the Roero near Alba on the left bank of the Tanaro River, some vines, including those that produced this example, are planted on the right bank of the river in the Langhe hills. Like Arneis, it was used until the 20th century to soften the tannins in Nebbiolo, but no longer, so it has become endangered. Done in stainless steel, this is a medium-bodied wine with a medium yellow color. Quite aromatic, the wine conveys the scent of lemon and lemon blossoms, and lemon continues to shape the palate, with emerging lemon zest as the wine finishes, enhanced by a fine thread of acidity. This wine may be cellared for a short while thanks to its acidity and low ph. Enjoy it at cool room temperatures, about 60F/15C in a medium tulip-shaped glass. Producer claims is organically grown. Suggested Food Pairings: Lobster; crisp breaded flounder with tartar sauce; pan-sautéed head-on shrimp with garlic; crab legs; scallop carpaccio with Meyer lemon, sea salt, olive oil and arugula; oysters (raw or steamed) with lemon; pasta with fresh herbs and lemon zest or with spinach and feta cheese; onion rings; unsalted potato chips with taramosalata; chicken wings with sesame seeds and ginger; roast herbed turkey breast. Distributors: Artisan Vines $19.00   2010 Grandi & Gabana Bianco dello Stella Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 91 Tasting Note: From the Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy, almost to the Slovenian border, this dry white wine is 60% Friulano (the new name for former Tocai Friulano) and 40% Malvasia Istriana. The latter grape may come from Turkey originally, but Istria is that peninsula that hangs down from Trieste and forms art of Slovenia and Croatia as it extends into the Adriatic. Malvasia Istriana is one of the oldest grapes in the Friuli, and contributes the bright greenish yellow color to the wine, along with a fair share of apricot and almond. The Friulano grape contributes the lemon/pear characters and the acidity. There’s a touch of dried herb in the palate as well. The long, clean finish is quite appealing. Overchilling this wine is a huge mistake. At about 60F/15C, the almond character becomes quite prominent, and as it’s very delightful, it shouldn’t be missed. Use a medium-sized tulip-shaped glass with a slightly inward closing opening. Really good value. Suggested Food Pairings: Sautéed soft-shell crab with brown butter and toasted slivered almonds; smoked trout; grilled trout stuffed with herbs; creamy chicken salad; roast chicken; fried calamari with aïoli. Distributors: Prime Wine & Spirits $15.00   2010 Conti degli Azoni Avogadro Carradori Grechetto I.G.T. Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 90 Tasting Note: Sounds like Greek? That’s because it IS Greek, in origin. Central Italy is where you’ll find Grechetto most widely planted, especially in Umbria, where it is used in DOC Orvieto. Chiefly it’s a blending grape, especially with Trebbiano and Verdello, but some varietal wine is produced. Resistant to downy mildew, it can endure until late in the season, so winds up in a good bit of vin santo. It plays a major role in Orvieto. This medium-bodied example, a dry white wine from the Marche (Marshes), shows a deep golden color with greenish hints. While the aromas are fairly shy, hinting at chalky minerals, the palate offers intriguing chalky minerality, stylish, well-evolved fruit, good acidity and a medium-long finish. Mouthwatering, this is a wine for heftier dishes. Don’t get it too cold, about 60F/15C will do it nicely. Suggested Food Pairings: Heftier fare: whole veal shank roasted then braised or roast chicken with mashed potatoes and natural jus; layered onion/potato casserole; roast turkey with scalloped potatoes; chicken pot pie; baked fish and mashed potatoes. Distributors: Big Boat Wine Co. $16.00   2009 Feudi della Medusa Albithia Vermentino di Sardegna Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 92 Tasting Note: The limestone soils of this vineyard in Sardinia (Sardegna), an island province of Italy in the Mediterranean and the second largest island in the Mediterranean, grow this Vermentino grape. Vermentino, also grown in North Carolina at Raffaldini in the Swan Creek AVA, goes by many different names, including Pigato (Liguria and Corsica), and in Piemonte as Favorita (see above). Increasingly, it’s grown in Languedoc-Roussillon, where it’s called Rolle. This example, a medium-bodied dry wine, presents aromas that suggest wet, warm mineral-rich stones and chalk. Complex with fresh fruit characters that are well evolved, a substantial and broad mid-palate, and a super long finish that doesn’t let up on the chalky minerality, this is a wine of broad appeal. All done in stainless steel, the wine one could be cellared under top-inotch circujmstances for 6-8 years following the vintage. Don’t overchill. Suggested Food Pairings: Taramosalata or smoked trout dip/pâté on unsalted potato chips; hummus; raw, roasted or steamed oysters with lemon; oyster casserole; chicken pot pie. Distributors: Prime Wine & Spirits $26.00   2009 La Scolca Gavi White Label DOCG Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 93 Tasting Note: The grape for Gavi is Cortese, chiefly grown in the Piemonte in Alessandria and Asti, although it also appears in Lombardy and in the DOC white wines of the Veneto from Bianco di Custoza, a personal favorite that I haven’t seen in this market in many a moon. Well documented, Cortese goes back to at least the mid 17th century. The vines range in age from 20 to 30 years old. This example, like most, exhibit’s a pale straw color and aromas and flavors of white melon and pear with fine minerality. The finish presents a stoniness that enhances the complexity. Delicate and dry, it shows crisp acidity and is happily sipped by itself or goes with food. Vinified in stainless steel and aged on the lees, it shows its breeding in both aromas and flavors. Suggested Food Pairings: Oysters whether raw, roasted or steamed with lemon or fried with a lemon aïoli; fried onion rings with a spring garlic and pea tendril tartar sauce (tasted at Sprig Restaurant & Bar/Decatur); smoked trout dip with unsalted potato chips; grilled and chilled scallops or grilled head-on shrimp with Meyer lemon aïoli; soft-shell crabs (now in season) sautéed or fried; grilled sardines (get fresh ones at Buford Highway Farmers Market) with fresh lemon; grilled trout stuffed with herbs and pancetta. Distributors: Georgia Crown $22.00   2010 Demarie Langhe Arneis Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 92 Tasting Note: Arneis is an ancient grape, one that nearly vanished once Piemonte winemakers were no longer using it to blend with Nebbiolo. Most typically grown in the Roero region of the Piemonte northwest of Alba, the grape began a resurgence in the 1980s, and from only two producers in the 1970s, now there are some 1500 acres as of 2006 planted to the grape. It’s also found in California (Seghesio) and Oregon. (Ponzi). Difficult to grow, it’s name means “little rascal.” This medium- full-bodied example shows a medium pale yellow with slight greenish tones. Beautifully fragrant, with aromas of yellow stone fruits, the wine presents a complex fruit-rich palate, with ripe pears and white stone fruit flavors. The characteristic toasted almond note that so many white Italian wines offer Is here in abundance. Pleasing, too, is the wine’s texture, silky and soft, and its long finish positively mouthwatering. Suggested Food Pairings: Raw, steamed or roasted oysters with lemon; grilled whole fish with lemon, baked white fish, especially flounder stuffed with crab meat; sautéed fresh cod in salsa verde (fresh herbs, lemon and butter/olive oil); sautéed soft-shell crab with brown butter and almonds; seafood salads; pasta with herbs and cream or tossed with rcreamy herbed cheese (Boursin). Distributors: Prime Wine & Spirits $17.00   2010 Bigi Orvieto Classico Amabile DOC Review Date – 4/1/2012   Score – 90 Tasting Note: Tasted at the High Museum of Art Wine Auction trade show, the wine is a medium sweet white wine–the term “amabile” denotes some sweetness–made near Orvieto in Umbria, Italy, the only landlocked region in central Italy. It’s made from a blend of native white Italian grapes: Trebbiano; Grechetto; Drupeggio; Malvasia Bianca and Verdello. Trebbiano and Grechetto must, in fact, form 60% of the blend at least, while the balance may draw from other white wine grapes so long as they are able to be planted within the Classico zone. Orvieto DOC is only white wine, and may be either dry or sweet; the sweet version may well be the older of the two. Showing a bright pale yellow color, the wine emits heady aromas suggesting white tree fruits (pear) and a well-defined note of bitter almond that’s so often found in white Italian wines. Moderate acidity and alcohol. Fermentation is in stainless steel, so the fruit character is untouched by oak. Terrific value. Serve cool, about 50F/10C. First one I’ve seen in this market in a long time. Suggested Food Pairings: As soon as I tasted this, I ran for the cheeses: triple creams or gorgonzola dolce with fruit (low acid fruit as the acidity isn’t very high in the wine, so pears, also spicy dishes with shellfish (shrimp, scallops) or chicken; for dessert with a simple cookie or a fruit or custard tart, but not too sweet. Distributors: General Wholesale $11.00