Summer Whites from Italy

Life has not been lived entirely through Rosé colored wine glasses this summer. I have also been pouring a variety of reasonably priced lighter Italian white wines as well. In addition to being fairly wallet sensitive and easy to find, they are refreshing and food friendly, making each of these perfect for summer sipping.

2011 Bolla Soave Classico 883 Selection
I received this as a media sample but I would purchase it again. It is easy to find, it is affordable at under $10 and it is a versatile wine to keep on hand. Floral aromas of honeysuckle with lemongrass and a fresh citrus flavor. Dry, light to medium body, medium+ acidity and a mineral laced finish. I served this as a poolside aperitif before a casual early weekend supper with my brother's family where it was well received.

2009 Tommasi il grigio Ramato Pinot Grigio
This wine was purchased for approximately $15 at Spec's. While this wine is made from the familiar Pinot Grigio grape, in this particular wine, the juice was left in contact with the skins, as in red wine production, for 36 hours resulting in a coppery-orange colored different style of Pinot Grigio more similar to a rosé wine. Pronounced aromas and flavors of citrus, apples and berries. Dry, medium body, medium acidity with a smooth fruity finish. I served this with an easy dinner of take-out rotisserie chicken, tossed salad and rosemary bread.

2011 Fontana Candida Frascati Superiore Secco
This wine comes from the Frascati DOC near Rome. I think I purchased this for approximately $10 at Whole Foods. Aromas and flavors of lemon and almond with a light citrus blossom floral note. Dry, light body, medium+ acidity with a slightly nutty finish. I served this wine with grilled shrimp and rice pilaf. An easy wine with an easy meal, very nice.

2012 Banfi Centine Toscana IGT
I received this as a media sample but it is also easy to find at approximately $12. This wine is sourced from southern Tuscany and is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio. It had aromas and flavors of grapefruit and pear with a light herbal note. Dry, medium body and acidity with a soft fruity finish. I served this with grilled chicken breasts and vegetables.

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Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

Nocera - A Native Grape from Sicily

Nocera is a native grape from Sicily. It comes from the Messina province which is located in the northeast. Nocera is a quality red wine grape that is most known as a blender in the red wines of the Faro DOC. I had the opportunity to taste some pure versions (which according to Wine Searcher are rare) this week at a trade tasting held at Roma Restaurant in Houston. Wine production in the region dates back to the 14th Century BC, however, phylloxera decimated the vineyard area in 1881 leaving it at a fraction of its original size. The area boasts a Mediterranean climate with sunny days and coastal breezes, moderate rainfall, and mild winters, all ideal for grape growing. The Nocera grape is a bluish/black color and has a thick skin which allows for the production of structured wines with prominent tannins which are balanced by good acidity. High alcohol is common. Red wines produced from the grapes are an intense ruby color with purple highlights and aromas and flavors of dark fruits a

The Salta Tour 2012

Vine Connections and Pioneer Wine Company hosted a seminar and tasting event for Houston's wine trade and media at Backstreet Cafe yesterday. All but two of the wines were from the Salta Province of Argentina. Salta is the most northern wine region in Argentina lying close to the Bolivian border. The climate is very extreme due to the high altitude. Plantings start at 5,000 feet above sea level and climb to 9,000 feet, making these vineyards the highest in the world. The intense sunlight the area receives helps to create grapes with more anthocyanins, these are the color pigments which result in softer tannins, lower astringency and more intense flavor. The wines produced are extremely pure, concentrated and terroir specific. Torrontes Riojano which is considered the best of the three Torrontes clones is the most widely planted grape with plantings of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tannat increasing. The seminar started with a tasting of four Torrontes wines, three from diff

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