I provided few clues for the class: None of the wines were from California. A student asked if there was any Zinfandel or Pinot Noir. Nope. I encouraged them to think outside of their comfort zone, to trust what they were smelling and tasting.
The wines - mostly from my own cellar - were all from different regions of Italy. Because I like Italian wines, and I had enough to share. And I enjoy torturing my classes with wines they probably have not encountered. That may sound evil, but my aim is to have the group focus on what they are actually smelling and tasting, and not worry about whether or not they're right or wrong. It's all about trusting your senses and building from there.
And so we began:
2017 Citra Trebbiano
d’Abruzzo, Italy
– Trebbiano d'Abruzzo is the Abruzzo region of Central Italy's dry white wine
appellation partner to its iconic red, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It is the only
DOC in Abruzzo specializing exclusively in white wine. According to the
official DOC laws, a Trebbiano d'Abruzzo wine must be made from at least 85 to
100 percent of Trebbiano Toscano or Trebbiano Abruzzese or a combination of the
two grapes. Trebbiano Toscano is also known as Ugni Blanc, a grape originating
in Italy, but used to great effect in France, specifically in Cognac and
Armagnac. One student thought she recognized it - and indeed she had, as I previously poured this wine in my class on Tasting Spring Wines.
2013 Tenentino Forli
Sangiovese IGT, Giovanna Madonia Cantina di Bertinoro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy – Forli IGT is a key IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) title of
the Emilia-Romagna region in central Italy. It covers the province of
Forli-Cesena, in the region's south-eastern corner, on the Adriatic coast.
Sangiovese, a dark-berried vine, is the most widely
planted grape variety in Italy. Half a dozen students correctly identified this wine with little difficulty. I was so proud!
2013 Carignano del
Sulcis DOC Riserva Buio Buio, Sardinia, Italy – Carignano del Sulcis is an Italian
wine DOC of Sardinia. It is reserved exclusively for
red and rose wines made from Carignan, or Carignano as it is known there, grown
in the very south-western corner of the island. Carignan is
a black-skinned wine grape variety, most likely native to Aragon, Spain. The variety
is found in wines along the Mediterranean coast, particularly in northeastern
Spain and in France's Languedoc-Roussillon region. It is used most commonly for
blending with many of the region's other key varieties – most famously
Grenache, Syrah and Mourvedre. Carignan prefers warm, dry climates when the
grape can express high tannins, acid and color. This makes it an excellent
addition to red wine blends that have plenty of aroma and flavor, but lack body
and depth of color. Carignan is only rarely made as a varietal wine, but the
best examples can show characteristics of dark and black fruits, pepper,
licorice, and spicy and savory accents. One student correctly identified the variety. Others thought there was greater age in this particular wine due to a bit of oxidation.
2011 Marraioli Sannio
Aglianico Riserva DOP, Antica Masseria Venditti, Campania, Italy – Aglianico is a red
wine grape variety native to southern Italy. It is known to produce full-bodied
red wines that show musky berry flavors with firm tannins and good aging
potential. Even when grown in hot climates, Aglianico is capable of reaching
high levels of acidity, which makes it a particularly useful vine in the
Mediterranean. Sannio is a hilly area north of Naples, straddling the provinces
of Benevento and Avellino in the heart of the Campania region, south-west
Italy. It extends over the historical grape-growing region of Samnium, the land
of the Samnites, a pre-Roman people. Its historical heritage was mentioned in
the works of the philosophers Pliny, Cato and Horace, who described the wines
as having a "slightly smoky aroma" and an "intense resinous
scent". This was my fave of the night, with delicious fruit and a long finish.
2013 Salice Salentino
DOC Rosso Riserva, Leone de Castris, Puglia, Italy – Negroamaro is a
dark-skinned grape variety that has been associated with the Puglia region in
southern Italy for at least 1500 years. Most commonly found in a blend,
alongside Primitivo, Malvasia Nera, Sangiovese, or Montepulciano, Negroamaro is
valued for its deep color, medium-full tannins and dark berry fruit flavors. The
variety can also add earthy tones that can cross over into slightly medicinal
flavors. It is mildly aromatic and can produce complex wines that show
characteristics of ground brown spices such as clove, cinnamon and allspice. Puglia's
Salento Peninsula is arguably the source of the finest Negroamaro wines,
particularly those produced under the Salice Salentino DOC title. The warm
Mediterranean-style climate here suits the variety well, allowing the vines to
achieve optimum levels of ripeness. A relatively drought-hardy variety, it is
rarely troubled by the area's limited rainfall. This wine stymied a bunch of students, but one showed me a photo of a bottle of Negroamaro that she drank in Italy!
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