Italy

By another name

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Roger Harmston

Posted in Terroir 2 Comments

A wonderful dinner of lamb chops. Asparagus. Boil Potatoes with mint in lemon water with a wonderful accompaniment.

Perhaps the greatest wines in the Chianti area are the Brunello wines, which are also made from Sangiovese. These wines are much bolder, richer, and more similar to the best of California Cabs.

While the red wines in Chianti are the most recognizable in Central Italy, the “Super Tuscan” wines get the most attention from critics.

The wines of Central Italy are big in flavor and popularity. This area is known for blending the most famous Italian grape Sangiovese with Cabernet Sauvignon, the most famous grape from France.

The cult-following “Super Tuscans” and the robust Brunello wines also come from this area, as well as the very fine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.

Sangiovese is the most famous grape from Italy, and its home in Chianti is the focus of Central Italy. This classic style is much less fruity than the red wines of California and a little bit lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon.

The quality of Central Italy’s less expensive wines is getting better all the time and some especially great values can be found in the wines of Chianti Classico.

ROSSO DI TORGIANO – LUNGAROTTI RUBESCO 2017

$23.49 on sale from $25.99

14% alcohol

UPC: 08016044010501

Subtle and crisp

Posted on September 1, 2020 by Roger Harmston

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VALDADIGE PINOT GRIGIO – SANTA MARGHERITA 2018

UPC:00632987111112

Regularly $20.99 on sale for $18.99

12% alcohol

ALTITUDE: 985 – 1475 ft. above sea level

TYPE OF SOIL: Moderately loose and pebbly of morainic and fluvial origin. In the Italian Alps region of Alto Adige.Soft crushed.

Very dry. Serve it nice and cold. It’s a great way to start any meal (fish, shell fish, chicken). Flavours are subtle, but stick around. The next bottle of this will be with cheeses.

You know what they look like

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Roger Harmston

Posted in Terroir 1 Comment

BCLCB 30513

2016 Salice Salentino Riserva

$14.99

The Puglia Region – provinces of Brindisi and Lecce – has been cultivated for over 1500 years. Lots of limey soil, which this grape likes.

There are two schools of thought on the origin of the Negroamaro’s name. The first is that it is a modern Italian translation (where negro means black and amaro means bitter) referring to the variety’s dark colouring and savory flavours. However, the hot southern extremity of Italy is known to produce ripe red wines with high sugar levels, so bitter should not be taken too literally. The second school of thought employs a Latin-Greek interpretation and says it means dark black, a reference to Negroamaro’s intense colour.

Rich, black fruit flavours. Medium structure with a lovely balance. Each sip grows on you. I like the earthiness.

I’d certainly use this again … maybe instead of a Chianti

You’all know what sausages look like on the plate (apricot with goat cheese), and you know what perogies look like (potato/bacon/onion), so we will dispense with the pictures of the plate. Suffice to say that they were yummy, with sheep yogurt instead of sour cream with the perogies.

Who the Hell is Mary?

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Roger Harmston

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Regularly $19.99, it was offered (and accepted) at $17.99 when Danielle put together the mystery case.

code: 862003

It even includes a vine cutting on the bottle.
Lovely depth. We have always liked Montepulciano and this one was especially nice … particularly after having been open for about 2 hours.

I’d call it full bodied and robust. VERY full glasses were savoured and sipped. Before and during dinner.

They say where there is a vineyard – there is civilization. So I figured I had to be somewhat civilized about the way I did the lamb roast. Just a little guy, weighing in at slightly over a pound. So the civilized part was simply salt/pepper/fresh rosemary and olive oil. Roasted veggies were leek, potatoes, Japanese Eggplant, yellow and orange pepper and some onion thrown in. Anna Olsen provided the inspiration for the date/goat cheese/pistachio salsa.

Simply Italian

Posted on June 19, 2020 by Roger Harmston

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Product code: 899195

CASTEL DEL MONTE BOMBINO BIANCO – RIVERA MARESE

$18.99

91 Points, James Suckling: “Cooked apples, honeysuckle and honeydew melon. There’s some nice acidity on the medium-to full-bodied palate that does well to carry the fleshy stone fruit on offer.”

The Marese denotes at best the uniqueness of Bombino Bianco, native variety of the DOC Castel del Monte. The grapes are harvested overdue with a grade of advanced maturity, in order to balance the natural acidity and express the best varietal character. The result is a wine with an intense bouquet and complex palate, mineral finish with a pleasant freshness. Excellent with hors d’oeuvres and fish or as an aperitif.

This is a new friend you might want to see a lot of in the future. Your first encounter leaves a great impression and that lingers into the after taste. Unlike the 1st Crudo Zibibbo, you know immediately you like this.

We figured we would stay Italian and I thought back to my Kootenay roots and decided on a combo of chicken and shrimp, done with authentic Italian Egg noodle pasta. Sautéed garlic, red and yellow peppers, some mushrooms, leek rings, zucchini and onion rounded out the medley. Topped at the end with fresh parmesan and shredded basil.

Dessert was a naughty combo of pomegranate molasses and Grand Marnier trickled over vanilla frozen yogurt.