Wines of the Month – 2011 Riondo Excelsa Soave, Verona, Italy & 2011 Fausti Fausto Rosso Piceno, Marches, Italy

label on riondo soave

2011 Riondo Excelsa Soave, Verona, Italy     $11

2011 Riondo Excelsa Soave produced in the Soave DOC just north of Verona. It is made from 100% Garganega grapes
This wine is a new style of Soave. It has a generous floral nose with apricot and pear hitting the palate with zesty acidity and lingering mineral finish. This is a great wine for grilled fish or spicy seafood curry.

 

 

 

 

label on Fausti FAusto Rosso Piceno

 2011 Fausti Fausto Rosso Piceno, Marches, Italy $12

Rosso Piceno is a blend of Montepulciano and Sangiovese. These are concentrated reds but with 12 month barrel aging they soften. Our selection is 2011 Fausti “Fausto” Rosso Piceno. It is 60% Montepulciano and 40% Sangiovese made from organic grapes.  This is a deep purple wine with scents of violets and wild cherry. On the palate it is clean with crisp cherry flavors and a hint of oak. This is a great pasta wine but consider pairing it with grilled sausages or hearty grilled chicken.

 

 

Wines of the Month – Purato Catarratto/Pinot Grigio 2011, Sicily & LeSalette Valpolicella Classico 2011, Veneto, Italy

Featured Wines for September – 2011 Purato Catarratto/Pinot Grigio, Sicily & 2011 Le Salette Valpolicella Classico, Veneto, Italy

 

Label for Purato Catarratto Pinot Grigio wine2011 Purato Catarratto/Pinot Grigio IGT, Sicily                                    $12

Purato Catarratto-Pinot Grigio IGT 2011 has 60% Catarratto which gives more body to the 40% Pinot Grigio. The blending of these two grapes creates an enjoyable, everyday drinking wine that offers intense aromas of both citrus, tropical fruit flavors and a hint of dried herbs. The palate is beautifully weighted with fine texture, balanced acidity and a lingering dry finish. This is perfect with seafood or as an aperitif. The packaging of this wine is interesting since the bottle is 85% recycled glass and the labels are recycled paper with vegetable ink. Even the wine cases are made with recycled cardboard. Alcohol: 13%

 

 

label for Le Salette Valpolicella wine from Veneto

2011 LeSalette Valpolicella Classico DOC, Veneto, Italy       $17

This is wine is produced in the viticulture zone, Valpolicella. Le Salette Valpolicella Classico DOC 2011 is 50% Corvina, 40% Rondinella and Sangiovese, 5% Molinara and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon – a classic Valpolicella blend. After decades of less than stellar wines Valpolicella has come back with more refined vintages. The color of this wine is a dark red ruby with garnet highlights. The bouquet is intense and full of dry fruit and spices. The palate is soft and balanced with a long finish very much like a Beaujolais. This is a great wine to pair with end of summer steaks on the grill. Alcohol: 12.5%