Hi there NYC Nom Nom readers. I am very excited to announce that I have partnered with Jonas, from Excellent Everyday Wines, to guest blog monthly for NYC Nom Nom about WINE. Jonas has spent a portion of his career in the wine industry and I have very much enjoyed reading his posts that suggest great wines at everyday prices. His first guest post is about life beyond Pinot Grigio. Enjoy!
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Greetings. Let me first say that I am very excited to be guest blogging with NYCNomNom about my favorite beverage. While filling in on the floor of a friend’s wine shop over Easter weekend, I couldn’t help but notice that the vast majority of people asking for an Italian white wine asked for pinot grigio. Now don’t get me wrong, there are quite a few great pinot grigios in the 10 to 15 dollar range. But there are also many other Italian whites that are readily available and are great values. I did a mini-tasting of 3 of them recently for NYCnomnom.
My wife and I tasted a Gavi “La Luciana” from Araldica, A Soave from Allegrini and a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from Fattoria Laila. All are fine bargains at $9.99 each for the Gavi and Soave and $10.99 for the Verdicchio. Gavi is made form the cortese grape, an early ripening varietal that does well in the cooler climate of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It was the lightest of the 3 and really opened up after warming a bit. It had beautiful white peach and flowers on the nose along with a touch of apricot. It is light-bodied and delicate with ample fruit and wonderful balancing acidity. It really has a crisp, refreshing feel.
As for the Soave, this is not your parents Bolla Soave. Soave is made from the garganega grape and this version has 20% chardonnay in the blend. Allegrini usually produces great wines and their Soave features slowly opening aromas of pear, flowers and roasted nuts. It has a little more body than the Gavi with pear and green apple fruit in the mouth and a smooth finish. This wine also has good acidity and goes well with shellfish. As soon as the peas come up in the garden, Janet makes us some tagliatelle with mussels and peas and a good Soave goes great with that dish.
As for the Verdicchio from Fattoria Laila, this wine was my favorite of the trio. It comes from the Marches on the east coast of Italy where it grows in sandy soil with a layer of chalk rich in fossilized marine animals. This soil gives it a distinct mineral spine to go along with it’s aromas of pear and mint. It had the biggest mid-palate of the 3 but it was also the most complex, and it has great balancing acidity.
All 3 of these wines are vinified in stainless steel tanks and see no oak whatsoever. They are imported by 3 of my favorite importers of Italian wine. The Gavi is imported by Vias, the Soave by Leonardo LoCasio via Winebow, and the Verdicchio is imported by Montecastelli. Look for other wines from these great portfolios. Cheers!
