As those of you know if you read Monday’s post, I “fell in love every two minutes” at Tre Bicchieri in Chicago last week. And if you didn’t read the article, the following is what Tre Bicchieri is all about…
Tre Bicchieri literally means “three glasses”. In this case, the catalyst of Tre Bicchieri World Tour 2012 are those at Gambero Rosso, the influential Italian food and wine magazine. Over 20,000 wines were tasted by the Gambero Rosso panels (and if they need any help next year, please call me…) and 375 labels attained the status of Vini d’Italia which is the hightest category. Those labels were invited to take place in the tour which this year included venues in New York City and San Francisco. Everyone I met, from fellow wine writers to sommeliers, winemakers, distributors, and wine afficianados, was friendly, informative, and gracious.
What I love about going to these tastings presented by those in the wine industry, is that I have the opportunity to talk to the winemakers or distributors themselves. I am able to hear why they are excited about a particular wine, see the wine for myself, and naturally, have a taste (or two). These events are moments when I can learn about a region of a country which I may not have even thought of or an area of which I need to learn more. And then I can share all of this with you! So, at Tre Bicchieri I enjoyed learning about and tasting the wines of many regions, three of which are worth a mention~
Emilia-Romagna
This province is found in Central Italy south of the River Po where the terrain is flat and fertile and capable of vast yields. Its best known grape is Lambrusco which is exactly what I tried from the winery of Medici Ermete. I was fortunate to meet the interesting and quite regal Alberto Medici whose family owns the winery which focuses on producing outstanding Lambrusco. Medici Ermete is considered a premium producer of that grape and the wine I tasted was given a Tres Bicchieri award.
**2010 Concerto Lambrusco Reggiano – This was a sparkling ruby red wine which was dry and fruity. It has 11.5% alcohol and is available for less than $30.00. Sorry about the short tasting notes…too busy tasting to do justice to the notes:)…more info is available on the Medici Ermete website.
Alto Adige
Located in Northeast Italy, this area is incredibly mountainous and only 15% of the area can be cultivated. Vines are found on terraces on the lower slopes of the valley wall of the River Adige. Alto Adige was once part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and both German and Italian are the languages often found on the wine labels. Red wine is primo, but white wines such as Pinot Grigio, Gerwuztraminer, Pinot Bianco, Sauvignon Blanc,, and Riesling are gaining popularity. I had a Gewurztraminer as well as a Pinot Grigio at the event.
**2010 Tramin Gewurztraminer Nussbaumer – Consisting of 100% Gewurztraminer grapes, I could smell and taste the spices of cinnamon and cloves in this wine. Wow! If you’re a Gewurztraminer fan, look for this~ Its price is around $35.00.
**2010 Tramin Pinot Grigio Unterebner – Again, another purist consisting of 100% Pinot Grigio grapes, this wine has 14% alcohol and its minerality and crispness were refreshing…as well as the price at $25.00!
Veneto
Also in Northeast Italy, the Veneto is Italy’s largest wine producing region and both Soave and Valpolicello are Italy’s top exports. Vineyards are from the foothills of the Dolomites across to the river Piave north of Venice with the most plantings surrounding Verona. From this area I was fortunate to have a taste of…
**2007 Allegrini Amarone della Valpolicella Classico (DOCG) – Last but not least, I loved this balanced, full bodied, hearty wine with spicy aromas of raisined fruit and bursting with flavors of red fruits such as black cherry and oak. This Amarone is made using the grape drying process of appassimento using the grapes of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella, and Oseleta. Alcohol content is 15.5% and the price is on the high side as well (but well worth it) at $80.00.
I’ll be attending Vinitaly in Chicago on April 30 so I’ll be writing about more amazing wines and gracious people from this incredible country!
Salute! ~ Cindy
