During a recent 16-day springtime excursion to Italy as part of a tour group, I discovered passionate people, their food and their wine.  I enjoyed homemade soups, pasta, olives and olive oil, mozzarella and parmigiana reggiano cheese, prosciutto, seafood, pizza, risotto, gelato, tiramisu, limoncello and a variety of amazing coffees.

Italy is the home of the “Dolce Vita” sweet life of physical pleasure and self-indulgence. It has the subliminal charm of fine leathers, renaissance art, classical music and of course, great food and wine.

My wife Valerie and I had the wonderful opportunity to travel by bus through the regions of Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, Lazio and Campania where we enjoyed the regional cuisine and wines.

We began our excursion in Veneto, the home of the cities of Venice and Verona where the white sparkling wine Prosecco is enjoyed in numerous cocktails; most notably Aperol Spritz and Bellini.  Aperol Spritz consists of 3 parts Prosecco, 2 parts Aperol and 1 part soda.  It is then garnished with an orange slice before serving.

A classic Bellini consists of 1 1/2 oz. of peach puree, topped off with chilled Prosecco.  It is served in a champagne glass and garnished with a peach slice.  Both drinks are refreshing on a warm sunny day.

The first winery we visited was the Le Fraghe winery near Verona, where we sampled several of their wines. First was Camporengo Garganega, which is straw yellow in colour.  It has a balanced bouquet of floral hints of acacia and mimosa with peach and apple. It has full body flavour.

The second wine, Ròdon Chiaretto di Bardolino, consists of red Corvina and Rondinella grapes. Cherry red with rich purple highlights, Ròdon has fragrant aromas. Notes of wild rose are the first to emerge, followed by nuances of wild strawberry and redcurrant. The wine is crisp and full bodied.  It also had excellent tannins and acidity with a lengthy finish.

Brol Grande Bardolino Classico consists of Corvina and Rondinella grapes.  Brol Grande is a purple-tinged ruby red of medium intensity. Its bouquet is the result of a blend of the fruity essences of sweet-sour cherry and blueberry, along with spicy nuances of cinnamon and black pepper. The one-year barrel time helps the development of the wine. It has a long and slightly salted finish.

All three wines contain Italy’s DOC designation.  They are occasionally available in wine stores in Ontario and Quebec.

Veneto is also the home of Valpolicella and Amarone wines.  Unfortunately we did not have the opportunity to visit one of these wineries.

The second winery we visited was the Fattoria Poggio Alloro winery, in San Gimignano, Tuscany. The name Poggio Alloro means Bay Leaf Hill, and it refers to the bay laurel bushes that grow on the property. The farm is a family business. At the present time it consists of one hundred hectares and it is completely organic. The grape varietals include Vernaccia di San Gimignano (a local grape that grows only in this town), Sangiovese (to produce the famous Chianti wine), Canaiolo, Colorino, Malvasia and Trebbiano, Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Merlot.

We sampled six wines while we were there, three white and three red.  The white wines included Montecarlo Bianco, which is a blend of 50% Vermentino Toscano and the balance consisting of Vermentino, Roussanne, Sauvignon and Pinot Bianco.  This combination produces a light, clear wine with a straw yellow colour. The aroma is delicate while the taste is dry, delicate and well-balanced.  Montecarlo Bianco has the DOC designation.

The second white was Montecarlo Bianco Otium, which consists of 40% Trebbiano Toscano, 20% Vermentino, 20% Roussanne, 10% Sauvignon and 10% Pinot Bianco.  This wine also contained the DOC designation.

The final white was Incantate Bianco IGT Toscana, which was made totally of Chardonnay grapes. The flavour is tropical and the wine is well balanced.

The first red wine presented was Montecarlo Rosso, which was a blend consisting of 60% Sangiovese, Syrah, Canaiolo, Malvasia and Merlot. It is a light red wine with an aroma that is intense, and the taste is delightfully smooth and dry.  It contains the DOC designation.

The second red was Montecarlo Rosso Otium, a DOC designated wine consisting of 50% Sangiovese, 30% Syrah, 10% Cabernet and 10% Merlot.  It was aged in oak barrels for four months.

The final wine was Incantate Rosso Toscana which was a bold and structured blend of 60% Merlot and 40% Syrah.

There are also 1,500 olive trees on the farm that are utilized to produce extra-virgin olive oil. The olives are completely hand picked each November and then cold pressed to guarantee the superior quality of this product.

The final winery that we attended was the Tenuta Torciano winery, also in the San Gimignano area.  The winery provided a wonderful lunch to accompany the wine tasting but unfortunately the staff did not display the labels of the wines or describe the wines in any detail.  The wines are available to be ordered online but they did not say whether any could be purchased from wine stores within Canada.

One wine that we sampled was Tenuta Torciano Baldassarre “IGT Toscana”. This wine is a blend of Sangiovese Grosso, Cabernet and Merlot. It had a deep ruby red colour which transitions to garnet as it ages.  It has an elegant bouquet. Hints of wood can be perceived amidst the typical herbaceous notes. Its flavour is dry, full and smooth.

Chianti Classico “Doge” DOCG red wine is produced with Sangiovese grapes, which are harvested by hand and then aged for 12 months.

Doge is characterized by an intense ruby red color. The nose contains hints of violet, then enriched with nuances of ripe red fruit, licorice and vanilla. The taste is full and harmonious, with soft tannins.

Tenuta Torciano Chianti Classico Riserva “Godenzio” is made from Sangiovese and Canaiolo grapes.  It has a deep ruby red colour with a penetrating bouquet and full and smooth taste.

Overall, many wines produced in Italy are not intended for export but to be consumed as table wine within Italy itself.  These wines are released and drank at a young age, have an abundance of fruit flavour and a slightly lower alcohol level. Examples of these wines include Dolcetto, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola, Aglianico and Negroamaro.

Unfortunately, being part of a tour, we were at the mercy of the tour company as to which wineries we visited.  On the other hand, we had the opportunity to travel to two cheese factories, a couple of olive farms, a Prosciutto farm and a limoncello producer where we enjoyed experiences we otherwise wouldn’t have.

Sláinte mhaith