Terra di Seta Chianti Classico 2010 (about $17)

About the Wine: The Gallo Nero (black rooster) is a mark of quality in Chianti.  Please feel free to insert your own cock joke here.  It is not the end all be all of great Chianti, but it is an encouraging sign when a Chianti carries it.  This is the first Kosher Chianti I have ever seen and it is very encouraging for the progress that department is making.


About THIS Wine:  It is a clear, ruby red in the glass.  The nose presents notes of cherry and leather.  The palate is dry with nice berry notes that go on in the finish.


Drinking This Wine:  This one can be enjoyed by itself, but it definitely wants food.  Pasta or maybe a soft cheese would make a good pairing.


Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable, especially for a Kosher wine of this quality.  This wine is reasonable for the price.

Saporoia Rosso Di Montalcino 2012 (about $15)

About the Wine:  One of the fun things about studying wine is learning about the obscure, tucked away corners of the world where wine grows.  There are regions within regions and all but unknown regions that border some of the most famous.  Montalcino is a region is Tuscany, the same part of the world that gives us Chianti.  Brunello is the best known red from Montalcino, a wine that generally starts at around $40 per bottle and can age upwards of a decade.  Rosso Di Montalcino is sometimes called "Baby Brunello" because it is made from the same varietal, Sangiovese Grosso, but does not need to age nearly as long and is much cheaper.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is blood red with a lighter red rim.  Cherry and cedar notes are present on the nose.  The palate is full and savory with a bone dry, tannic finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Let it breath for an hour and then have it with something hearty.

Overall Impression:  This is not a bad bottle, though I would say a little less complex than I would have hoped for.  The wine is reasonable for the price.

(About $12)

About the Wine:  I had never come across Nero Di Troia before and the price was right.  It was brought to Italy by survivors from the Trojan War (Troians) according to a legend that I just made up, literally just now.  If you want to read some actual research about the varietal, you can do that here.  The varietal seems to have a similar story as Sagrantino.  It has always had potential and a local following, but it takes a certain touch to make it at all accessible to the larger market.


About THIS Wine:  The wine is ruby red in the glass with an almost clear pink rim.  I must confess, I am a little disappointed.  I was expecting something black as night to go with the name.  The nose is dark and brooding.  It has some of the elements of a young  Nebbiolo, but has nice cherry notes to soften things up a bit.  The palate is very weighty and tannic but it has a freshness of fruit that balances things out.  While more approachable than something like a Nebbiolo of the same age, this is no fruity Barbera or even light Dolcetto.  It is a big wine.


Drinking This Wine:  Pork steak or a hearty sandwich would make a good paring.  There is something soft and casual about the wine that I would say makes it inappropriate for anything formal but great for a Tuesday night selection.


Overall Impression:  I am a sucker for obscure varietals that are inexpensive and drinkable.  This wine is a good value.

Cantinia di Casteggio Barbera Oltrepo Pavese 2012 (about $11)

About the Wine:  Oltrepo Pavese is a wine region in Lombardy in the far north of Italy.  I do not believe I had heard of the DOC before I picked up this bottle, so I have no idea what to expect.  Wikipedia informs me that it is in the general vicinity of Franciacorta.  That region makes some of the best sparkling wine in the world outside of Champagne, so perhaps there is reason for optimism.

About THIS Wine:  In the glass it is a clear, ruby red.  The nose is reserved for a Barbera.  Strawberry jam notes do come through with time.  That rich strawberry defines the palate.  There is more tannin structure than I am used to from a Barbera.  It is not tannic per se, just tannic for the varietal.

Drinking This Wine:  This is another good barbecue wine.

Overall Impression:  It's a nice bottle and I would not have been upset if I had paid $15 for it.  It is good for the price.

Le Redini 2010 (About $20)

About the Wine:  A fun fact about Italian wine is that there are something like 4,000 varietals actively cultivated there.  That means that is a practically infinite number of blends and combinations possible with native grapes, not even including whatever varietals are imported.  This wine is 90% Merlot and 10% Alicante.  It is an international wine with a regional accent.

About THIS Wine:  The bottles was actually substantially better the second night I had it open and tasted like it could have gone a little longer.  In the glass it is dark purple with a violet rim.  The nose is very smoky with a curious undercurrent of red fruit.  The palate is soft but not too soft with firm tannin in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This is not quite a steak wine but it definitely wants food.  I'm going to say pasta with meat sauce because it's hard to go wrong with that with an Italian red.

Overall Impression:  Wines of this style normally go for a lot more, at least $30.  So this is a good value.

Fanti Rosso di Montalcino 2010 (About $17)

About the Wine:  Brunello di Montalcino is a type of wine from Tuscany that usually starts at about $40 a bottle and requires substantial aging.  I like these wines.  I like to look at the bottles and gently fondle them before putting them back on the shelf.  Rosso di Montalcino is the baby brother of Brunello.  It is cheap and drinks relatively young.  But is it worth a whole seventeen dollars?

About THIS Wine:  It is red in the glass with a pink room.  The nose pops with jammy fruit, presenting more like a Syrah than a Brunello.  The palate is smoother and more refined than the nose would indicate with very well integrated tannins and a soft finish that lingers.

Drinking This Wine:  This is good by itself but I think it would be a perfect companion for roasted pork.

Overall Impression:  This is a tasty and unpretentious wine at a reasonable price.  At $17 a bottle it is fair for the price.

Bosco Dei Ricci Barbera d'Alba 2009 (about $15)

About the Wine:  I asked the manager of a posh wine shop for something affordable that does not taste like my own death.  This is what he gave me.

About THIS Wine:  This wine is opaque in the glass and has a purple rim.  Dark fruit and hints of spice make a juicy nose.  The palate is slightly sour with a lot of fruit and hints of spice.  Sour dark fruit lingers in the finish.  It bears mentioning that this is not the kind of sour that I associate with spoiled wine, rather it is the kind of sour I would associate with sour cherry. 

Drinking This Wine:  I had it with spaghetti and marinara sauce because that's always safe bet with an Italian red.  It went very well.  This is definitely better with food, preferably something a bit sweet to offset the sour.

Overall Impression:  This is an unusual and fairly pleasant wine.  At fifteen dollars a bottle it is good for the price.

Dainero Toscana 2010 (about $16)

About the Wine:  I chose the wine for tonight's post based on the fact that it was the most appealing of the three open bottles we had at the store where I work.  I said that I was always up for a Super Tuscan.  The manager corrected me, explaining that it was only a Tuscan blend and that Super Tuscans are very high end.  I thought about telling him that the wine expert from Italy I had talked to said something different, but I preferred to go home and drink my wine instead.

About THIS Wine:   Very dark red it the glass with a violet rim.  The nose is tannic and herbaceous, indicating that the wine may still be a little too young.  There is some very nice licorice and cherry on the palate, but the wine is still pretty tight.  Tannins are sharp on the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  It would be a sipping wine if it was a little and more developed.  I had it with a meat and rice dish and it went pretty well.

Overall Impression:  This is an Old World maker's attempt at a New World wine.  The result is pretentious and overpriced.

Mayro Montepulciano D'Abruzzo 2010 (about $10)

About the Wine:  Montepulciano is one of the most pedestrian of all wines.  The ten dollar price tag on this one is not unusual and the wines themselves tend to be fruit forward and easy drinking. 

About THIS Wine:  In the glass is a dark, opaque red with a crimson rim.  Cedar, earth, and green onions are present on the nose.  The tannins on the palate are a bit sharp but not so much so that the wine is really unpleasant.  The tannins even out in a nice red fruit finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This definitely needs food.  This is a good pizza wine.

Overall Impression:  Not great but not terrible and the price is right.  This one is reasonable for the price.

Bere Toscana 2009 (about $13)

About the Wine:  The Wine Hipster has recently changed jobs, to start work at a different wine store.  This is good because it means there is a whole new inventory to try.

About THIS Wine:  It is ruby red in the glass with a pink rim.  The nose is a bit tight but bramble berry and cranberry come through fairly strongly.  Red fruit is dominant on the palate with spicy notes in the mid palate.  The finish is dry with very light notes of dark chocolate.

Drinking This Wine:  This would do well with anything meaty.  Pasta with meat sauce seems especially promising.

Overall Impression:  Nothing spectacular, but not bad either.  This an easy drinking wine and it is cheap enough.  This wine is good for the price.

Opula Toscana 2010 (about $13)

About the Wine:  I have written before about super Tuscans, red blends by Italian makers who refuse to accept the traditions and standards of Italian wine making.  This is a super Tuscan by Da Vinci, an established Chianti brand that is distributed by Gallo which means the maker is a very mainstream rebel.

About THIS Wine:  The center is dark red with a pink rim.  Earth and herbs are prominent on the nose.  Jammy red fruit is strong and fairly sharp on the palate.  Red fruit and spice make up a pleasant finish.

Drinking This Wine:  This wine is bold but not overly dry and as such could work as a sipping wine.  It would also go well with meaty lasagna.

Overall Impression:  The wine is good and the price is reasonable.  This one is good for the price.

Tenimenti Ca'Bianca Moscato d'Asti 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  The trend toward flavored and colored Moscatos seems to be dying (oh please, let it be dying.  I'm so tired of pink Moscato, red Moscato, and flavored Moscato.)  This is an example of a more classic Italian sweet white.

About THIS Wine:  It clear in the glass.  Peach nectar defines the nose and delivers on the palate, which is very sweet and slightly tart.  Sweet citrus lingers in the finish.

Drinking This Wine:  Patio pounder or a dessert wine.  This is not something you have with dinner.

Overall Impression:  This is an excellent Moscato and the price is not excessive.  This one is reasonable for the price.

Sweet Layla Moscato NV (about $11)

About the Wine:  The Brotherhood Winery in New York makes a product called Sweet Lolly that is approximately the sweetest thing in the history of ever.  It is certainly possible that the similarity in the names is coincidental and this not in fact a knock off of a third rate wine.  The cute label and lack of a vintage do not make me optimistic.

About THIS Wine:  The wine is clear in the glass.  The nose reminds of Fresca or Sierra Mist lemon lime soda.  The palate is overpoweringly sweet without any depth that I could detect.  There was no distinct finish that I could make out.

Drinking This Wine:  This is a good wine for drinking when your marriage unravels and you realize it was all your fault.  It is the perfect way to reflect on how sweetest things in life can be terrible.  Get comfortable in a cheap motel and curl up with this and some microwave burritos.

Overall Impression:  I can't imagine buying this at any price.

by Ben Stiebel

Colosi Nero d'Avola 2010 (about $14)

About the Wine:  This one is going to be kind of a cheat.  I went to a better wine store than the one where I work and talked to a very qualified wine consultant who, after a long discussion of my tastes, picked this bottle for me.  Such is the benefit of talking to qualified professionals rather than just picking up something with a pretty label.

About THIS Wine:  It is crimson in the glass with a distinct, violet rim.  Blackberry and cherry are very prominent on the nose along with hints of tomato.  I find the tomato smell common in Italian wine and I usually like the wines where I find it.  The palate is quite spicy with layers of red fruit that make for a very nice drinking experience.  It finishes with slightly dry cherry.

Drinking This Wine:  The salesman gave me this as a pasta wine, but I actually prefer it as a sipper.  It is both too light and too spicy for pasta.  By itself it is full, flavorful, and pleasant.

Overall Impression:  This is great wine.  If it was a less obscure varietal, a Cab or even a Zinfandel, it would go for twenty dollars easily.  At fourteen it is a steal.

by Ben Stiebel

Terre Di Chieti Merlot 2009 (about $10)

About the Wine:  Italian winemakers have been experimenting with new blends and varietals in recent years.  Super Tuscans, Red Bordeaux Blends, Merlots, and other concoctions have resulted, some quite wonderful.

About THIS Wine:  The purple center fades to a garnet rim.  Earth and musk are prominent on the nose.  Dark fruit defines a palate that is pleasant but lacking complexity.  The finish is dry with hints of spice.

Drinking This Wine:  This would go very well with lasagna or seasoned lamb.

Overall Impression:  I have insulted the products of the distributor who brought this so frequently and thoroughly that, when he has a supplier he really does not like, he brings that person by the shop for a dose of bile.  For once he brought a winner.  This wine is good for the price.

by Ben Stiebel