All posts tagged Valpolicella

In Love With Folonari

by Kato on August 22, 2011 in Wine Picks with 1 Comment

FOLONARII’M IN LOVE WITH FOLONARI!

This week I was blown away by a pair of wines from the big Italian producer, Folonari.  Light, everyday wines with exuberance and a wonderful Summer feeling. I must stress the light – these are not BBQ wines.

Folonari’s Soave offers bold citrussy refreshment and lovely teases of flavour – all for $10. Hard to beat for August patio sipping.

Why not join Italy in its love of light red wines. Lightly chilled they are as refreshing as whites and they do exciting things to the palate in the before-meal times. Anyone who has been to Italy will have seen the locals gulping light reds by the gallon and I highly recommend we follow their lead. In moderation of course.

Valpolicella would be a good choice to start. The new vintage of Folonari Valpol is dangerously gulpable. Light/lively/refreshing and yummy. So simple and so good. Summer is its season so lightly chill and get on it.

FOLONARI 10 SOAVE, Veneto, Italy 176461 $9.95
FOLONARI 10 VALPOLICELLA, Veneto, Italy 828 $12.95

Fab Fabiano

by Kato on November 17, 2010 in Wine Picks with No comments

FABIANOVALPOLICELLLAIN PRAISE OF THE ‘NON-WINE’

Much of the time, you and I are pouring wine for people who are not terribly interested. Or who want an easy/gentle experience. New world reds usually fit the bill but I just tasted a Valpolicella that is sure to please the ‘non-wine drinker’. And the big-bottle-size is perfect for parties.

Fabiano’s wine is fruity, soft and lighthearted. There’s a happy feeling and the price is right. Lightly chill to boost the refreshment. Get some!!

Fabiano 09 Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 117259 1.5 litre $16.95

LCBO Vintages Saturday October 2

by Kato on September 30, 2010 in Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with No comments

THE LOW DOWN: I found something to recommend in all three of the catalogue ‘features’ – Australia, Italy and Thanksgiving. Consider buying my Aussie reds for a snapshot of the four principal wine styles produced in that country.

Quintarelli is a wine folk hero and always worth the experience. You are sure to please putting Malivoire’s Rosé on the Thanksgiving table. (And any of my white picks would be popular too.) Chateau St. Jean is a must for Pinot addicts.

ladybugROSE
wine style: dry rosé
MALIVOIRE 09 Rosé ‘Ladybug’, VQA Niagara 559088 $15.95
Delicious fruitiness and some richness. Perfect for Thanksgiving and stock up for Christmas too. Dry Rosé is a great food wine in general.

lehmannWHITES
wine style: fresh white
PETER LEHMANN 08 Riesling, Eden Valley, Australia 186361 $14.95
Tart, super refreshing with a tease of citrusy flavours. Unusually understated and low alcohol for an Aussie. Aperitif.

soellerwine style: nice & easy white
SOELLNER ‘Toni’ Grüner Veltliner, Austria 184085 $14.95
Zippy, spicy with a gentle and friendly feeling. Better than a happy pill.

torreswine style: rich white
TORRES ‘Gran Vina Sol’ 08 Chardonnay, Penedes, Spain 171660 $14.95
Semi-rich Chardonnay with a refreshing tartness. And a solid earthy feeling. Built for food, not glamour. Good value.

yerlingREDS
wine style: rustic red
LITTLE YERING 08 Pinot Noir, Yarra Valley, Australia 188094 $14.95
A great buy for fans of ‘barnyard’ Pinots. Raunchy and very Burgundian. Needs food. Check out more value wines from this winery on the regular LCBO shelves.

stJEANwine style: rich red
CHATEAU ST. JEAN 07 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, California 687970 $19.95
Big, lush and seductive. Very Californian. Would impress at a fancy dinner. St. Jean always does well with Pinot.
valpolicellawine style: rich red
QUINTARELLI 01 Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 986117 $84.95
Vapolicella that thinks it’s Tawny Port. Lush, spicy, earthy and full of mystery. More exciting, and more rare, than most Amarones or any wine at this price. Quintarelli delivers the goods. Treat yourself, or gift a good friend. Sip after dinner.

visanwine style: rich red
LES COTEAUX 07 ‘Visan’, Cotes du Rhone-Village, France 179226 $13.95
A yummy, spicy, peppery, rich red for those who missed the Rhone special a few weeks ago.
chickywine style: rich red
CHARLES CIMICKY 06 Shiraz ‘Trumps’, Barossa Valley, Australia 07383 $24.95
Dark, dense and solid. With a plummy, Port-like warmth. I’d pour this after dinner.

wynnwine style: rich red
WYNNS 06 Cabernet Sauvignon, Coonawarra, Australia 84996 $24.95
Wynns Coonawarra is an Australian classic. Modeled on Bordeaux, it combines boldness with some seriousness. As formal as it gets down under. Needs beef, of course.

fourroadswine style: rich red
MAXWELL 08 Shiraz/Grenache/Viognier ‘Four Roads’, McLaren Valley, Australia 57000 $19.95
Cotes du Rhone in style with extra ripeness and richness. Guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser with any hearty meal.

Billy’s Online Wine School

by Kato on May 20, 2010 in Billy's Online Wine School, Vintages Picks, Wine Picks with 1 Comment

TomassiLesson #11:  The Fun of a Good Café Red

Our culture is still relatively new to wine, so we tend to go for the big show – especially in reds. We entertain light/refreshing whites as long as we know there’s a blockbuster red to follow. But what about the idea of a red that will refresh, and complement most everyday foods? What the Europeans call café wine. A red to drink with gusto and which has some of the lipsmacking character of white wines. A red to have the minute you get home.

Valpolicella is one of the world’s great everyday reds. Vibrant, juicy and delightful. I drink a ton of the stuff. Chilled ever so lightly. Tommasi makes a good one.
TOMMASI 08 Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 669150 $13.95

P.S. If you live near a Vintages store you MUST try this Valpolicella.  
Juicy, furity flavours combined with high energy. A wow for the senses. Very invigorating and an invitation to get pasta on the table – and pour more wine. MONTE DEL FRA 08 Valpolicella ‘Lena di Mezzo’, Vento, Italy 160226 $13.95

Billy’s Online Wine School

by Kato on April 27, 2010 in Billy's Online Wine School, Wine Picks with 2 Comments

MasiCampoLesson #9 ITALY’S RICH RED

Italian families seldom drinks rich red wines. They keep the big hitters for weddings and other celebrations. We, however, drink rich reds all the time. It’s our default wine. But what about a compromise wine – the muscle without the brawn?

Ripasso is a brilliant Italian invention. Enriched Valpolicella. A red wine that feels substantial but not heavy. Vitality and earthiness partnered with nourishment. The last glass won’t knock you out. You could even entertain a second bottle.

The house of Masi are masters of Ripasso and the current 06 vintage is the best ever. Deep earthy flavours are delivered with an assured, confident feeling. You get a feeling of history as opposed to the obvious fruitiness on many of today’s wines. An invitation to put the wine with simply grilled meats, and good friends. Italian wines always invite food and company.

MASI 06 VALPOLICELLA RIPASSO ‘Campofiorin’, Veneto, Italy 155051 $17.45

 

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