Winter White - Argillae Orvieto 2013

The temperatures may be quite frosty here in the northeast but if I'm eating a pan fried delicate fish like flounder, I'm still gonna want a white wine. I'm big on Italian whites these days. There's such incredible variety and value in Italy's biancos that it's a shame that most consumers won't take a chance with some of the great offerings in the everyday price points. There is so much enjoyment to be had beyond Pinot Grigio.

Our trip to Italy last spring turned me on to the beauty of Orvieto's wines. It's a DOC that is Umbria's biggest yet it used to produce mostly dull, uninteresting juice. But now the so-called world-wide quality revolution has obviously touched this little corner of the the globe also. Argillae is a producer repped by one of my favorite importers, Vias. Vias is one of those companies that seems to have no weak spots in the portfolio. There's quality up and down the line. So when I turn a bottle to the back label and see Vias' name, I have no doubt that the wine will be good.

Grechetto and Trebbiano are the main grapes of Orvieto and must account for at least 60% of the blend. Malvasia and Canaiolo Biano will usually make up the balance but in this case there's Sauvignon Blanc and some Chardonnay in the blend also. Now as an Italy purist, I generally eschew international varietals in my Italian wine, but the Argillae Orvieto is so tasty I had to climb down off of my high horse. This $11.99 beauty, which is fermented in stainless steel, has prominent pear and peach aromas along with floral notes and a nutty nuance that comes from a bit of aging on the lees (dead yeast cells). The orchard fruit flavors repeat boldly on the generous mid-palate, but there's bright, crisp acidity on the back end giving this wine lift. Enjoy.

Off the Beaten Path Italy - Terredora Dipaolo Falanghina 2010

Southern Italy boasts a huge number of overlooked, under appreciated  and downright ignored indigenous varietals. Names like Gaglioppo, Cannonau, Fiano, Piedirosso, Negroamaro and Grillo are just a few of the grape names that make southern Italian wines. As a fan of the local varietals, nothing is more interesting to me than delving into wines derived from this fruit. In the southern Italian region of Campania, several white varietals make wines that some of us are familiar with. Names like Fiano di Avellino, Lacryma Christi and Greco di Tufo are fairly common in the American marketplace. Falanghina on the other hand, is less well known. And, for everyday purposes like mine, those more well known wines are most likely going to cost more than $15 and more often approach the $20 mark.

Not so with Terredora Dipaolo's wonderful $13.99 Falanghina. This virtually unknown varietal makes a wine that is a crisp, refreshing everyday white that will work well with all your fish dishes, grilled shrimp and even simple grilled chicken. I tasted the 2010 for this post but with the consistently nice weather in this part of Italy, vintage is less important than with other wine regions. This tasty wine has some typical hot climate white wine aromas of candied apple and white peach along with apricot and floral notes. In the mouth, it's fairly fat and fruity with apple, peach and citrus flavors, but it is still balanced out with bright acidity. It finishes with toast and honey notes. Aged for a time on it's lees in stainless steel, this refreshing wine sees no wood whatsoever. It's imported by one of my favorites, Vias. Also, one of my favorite wine writers, Tom Hyland, has a couple of reports on Campania whites on his blog, learnitalianwines. Be sure to check him out. Cheers!

Colosi Rosso 2009

   One of the first good, inexpensive wines I encountered on my wine journey was the Colosi Rosso. It delivered the goods at a very affordable price and it was a staple in my kitchen. Time and experience have taken me down many side roads on this journey but when I sampled the Colosi again recently, I was glad to see that things had not changed much. This bottling, which is made entirely from Nero d'Avola, the most important grape of Sicily, is almost a sure bet year in and year out. It's fermented entirely in stainless steel and sees a short 6 months in Slavonian oak. It's got attractive aromatics of plum, baked cherry and coffee, excellent medium-bodied dark cherry and over-ripe raspberry flavors and wonderful acidity which gives it lift. It finishes lightly tannic and long with some herbal notes. You can absolutely not do much better for $8.99 a bottle. Imported by one of my favorites, Vias, this is one bottle you should not hesitate to try with a tomato based pasta sauce or your favorite pizza. Cheers!

Cantele Primitivo 2009

   Experts used to think that the Italian varietal Primitivo was the genetic ancestor of our American Zinfandel. Although DNA testing has since proven that false (they are both related to a Croatian varietal named Crljenak Kaštelanski - don't ask me how to pronounce that), the taste similarities between the 2 grapes remains. They both produce wines that are quite dark in color and feature large scaled flavors of baked cherry and plum with notes of black pepper. There's a definite roasted quality to the fruit here as full ripeness is easily attained in a hot climate such as this. Primitivo is grown primarily in Puglia and this version by Cantele is from Salento, the southeastern most tip of Puglia. When it's all in balance and the alcohol isn't too prominent in the form of heat, these wines can be a perfect partner for your weeknight pasta or pizza. This quaffer delivers all the aforementioned aromas and flavors, and while there is a touch of that alcoholic heat on the back end, the fruit is sweet and the flavors are bold enough to balance it all out. An import of Vias, this brawny wine cost me $9.99. Cheers.