Oho, Wine Tasters.
One wine event on the heels of the next this week. As to the first event, our Last Sunday tasting this month is the second installment in our Wines of the Southwest series of tastings. This month’s southwest: Italy. While Italy is geographically lacking in the Southwest department in that it mostly projects to the Southeast, we’re picking the two most Southwesterly regions for our tasting: Campania and Sicily. And as luck would have it, Samantha Cristiani, the Italian wine specialist of Young’s Market distributing, will be here in town and has graciously agreed to lead our tasting. The tasting is at 3:30 pm on Sunday, September 29, here at Feast. The cost will be $30 and it will include the customary paired tastes of food that always accompany our Last Sunday tastings. As usual, please call 326-9363 to hold a place at the event, as web and email reservations will not guarantee you a place.
Wines of the Southwest: Italy
2012 Donnafugata ‘Anthilia’ (Cataratto blend), Sicilia $15.00
Anthilia 2012 reveals flowery fragrances of meadow flowers on a mineral background (flint). Harmonious on the palate: hints of white-flesh fruit, particularly white peaches, merge with the flowery notes. An extremely pleasant wine, characterized by a crisp aroma and taste.
2011 Feudi di San Gregorio Falanghina, Campania $17.00
Elegant, intense aromas of apple, banana and pineapple with hints of white flowers on the nose. This medium-bodied white holds bright citrus flavors with a lingering mineral finish.
2011 Feudi di San Gregorio ‘Rubrato’ Aglianico, Campania $20.00
A brilliant ruby red, this Aglianico offers an intense, rich aroma of red berries from wild strawberries to notes of cherry and spice. Fresh on the palate, soft and balanced, with flavors of strawberries and cherries leading into a smooth finish.
2009 Donnafugata ‘Sedara’ (Nero d’Avola blend), Sicilia $15.00
A pleasant red, Sedàra 2011 displays intense aromas of red fruits (cherry and strawberry) and delicate flowery notes. In the mouth it is fresh, elegant and persistent with soft tannins: a versatile red for many kind of food pairings throughout the whole meal.
2010 Feudo Maccari ‘Saia’ (Nero d’Avola), Sicilia $23.00
Offers aromas and flavors of dark and sour red cherries, spearmint, spice and oak. A velvety palate of lush, concentrated fruit balanced by a fine acidic underpinning and ripe, sweet tannins ends in a long finish. Volcanic soil and white sand percolate through the midpalate.
2007 Planeta ‘Santa Cecilia’ Nero d’Avola, Sicilia $44.00
Aromas of red fruit such as plums and berries mingle with notes of citrus, carob, and licorice. Elegant on the palate with compact tannins; fills the mouth with balanced texture and distinctive pleasant tang.