Italian red wine blend is best of both worlds
January is always a good month to reorganize a wine cellar. After last week’s column on the dual meaning of “Montepulciano” (the grape versus the village), I was prompted to do a little updating of my Italian wine stash. So, I regrouped everything by province. In other words, all wines from Tuscany together, all wines from Veneto together, all wines from Piedmont together, etc. Those three provinces are the big ones, but every region of Italy has its gems.
In the process of establishing a new order in the cellar, I came across a tasty little gem from the province of Umbria that I had forgotten about. Umbria is a landlocked province in the center of Italy that makes great wines, although they don’t seem to be as mainstream as some. The famous white there is Orvietto, which is produced in the town of the same name and is a blend of indigenous grapes like trebbiano and grechetto. There are several famous Umbrian reds, too.
The charming medieval town of Torgiano makes superb red wines using Italy’s workhorse grape, Sangiovese (the wine is called Torgiano). And the vineyards around the town of Montefalco make some whopper red wines from a grape called Sagrantino (thus the name of the wine is Sagrantino di Montefalco).
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The above wines are all traditional wines that have earned respect for their unwavering dedication and ability to represent the flavor of the land from which they come. These wines come from controlled appellations (place names), and are subject to strict regulations from the Italian government on how they are to be made. But not everyone has to follow the local rules. And sometimes, that is when you find some really incredible outliers that happen to be great values.
And that was the wine that I pulled from my cellar the other day. It was so delicious that it earned the title of this week's “Wine to Try.”
Wine to try: Vitiano Rosso 2014. This wine has had different labels in the past, and was once called “Falesco Vitiano Rosso,” as Falesco is the name of the winery that produces the wine. Falesco Winery has become a signature of Umbria, and was founded by brothers Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella in 1995. Although the bottle appearance has changed over the years, you will always recognize it by the large letter “V” on the label. Just look for the Big V, and you’ve found the treasure.
Grapes: 34 percent Merlot, 33 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 33 percent Sangiovese. A fair distribution of all three grapes. This wine is a nice combination of Old World terroir and New World flavor. By using more international grapes (Merlot and Cabernet) alongside the traditional (Sangiovese), you get the best of both worlds. Very much like the category of Super Tuscan wines have tweaked the established winemaking of Tuscany, Vitiano has also added some diversity to the wine culture of Umbria.
Since the wine does not follow protocol for local grape selection and viticulture, it does not get the stamp of DOC (the appellation certification). Instead, you will see the phrase “Indicazione Geografica Protetta,” which means the wine is defined geographically, but does not have the regimented protocol for production. In other words, the winemakers get to do what they want!
Region: Selected vineyards around the region of Umbria. The grapes are crushed and fermented in steel tanks. Then the wine is aged for just three months in oak barrels, which allows the fruit to still steal the show here.
Taste: On the first sip, I immediately wondered why I hadn’t bought more of this. It is easy, uncomplicated, fruity, smooth, dry and balanced. It is all there. A bit of tannin, a hint of acidity, a moderate alcohol finish (13 percent), and plenty of ripe dark fruit to spare. This is a pleasure just to sip on its own, while you are visiting with a friend, or relaxing after work, or cleaning the Italian shelves of your wine cellar. But the heredity of this wine guarantees that it will be best when food is present.
Food pairings: I know it has only been a few weeks since diet resolutions, but hearty food can be healthy too. It’s all about the portion size, right? So, think small plates of lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, manicotti, eggplant parmigiana, margherita pizza, mussels marinara and stuffed calzones. Or, maybe a tossed green salad with tomatoes, basil and a light balsamic vinaigrette. (Big loaf of Italian ciabatta optional.)
Price: $10 for a bottle, and a wonderful everyday red for the winter season.