Nov 2/09 Trade Tasting: Italian Wines

 The Time and Date: Monday, November 2, 2009  10AM to 6 PM
The Event: 14th edition of the Tasting of Wines from Italy, sponsored by
the Italian Trade Commission.
The Venue: Lobby, Roy Thomson Hall.
The Target Audience: wine trade.
The Availability/Catalogue: as usual, ICE gave us the entire catalogue
for the whole run of the trade show tour, which also included
Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, Ottawa, and Halifax. This resulted in a
210 page book of heavy paper. It was very hard to carry around and
write on it, plus handle a glass and spit, and talk to others. I
managed, but only barely. As usual, the listings gave us the
composition of the blended wines.
The Quote/Background: There were 98 wineries, including 18 from Sicily.
So there were about 500 wines to sip through. Choices had to be made.
The 10AM seminar, remarkably enough, began reasonably close to the
starting time. Attilio Scienza from Italy and Dave Lawrason from
Belleville led us through a variety of new white and red wines from
Sicily; this was an informative seminar. Canada is the 5th largest
destination for Italian wine exports, now at $323 million, making Italy
the second largest supplier of wines to Canada. By October 2009, Italy
was the largest supplier of wine to Ontario ($147 million).
The Wines: I tasted every single wine…just kidding. In actuality, I
used the serendipity approach to tasting: wine is where you find
it…Prices were spotty.

 

**** Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Abraxas Sicilia Passito di Pantelleria Scirafi 2007, 12 Euros FOB
-Abraxas Sicilia IGT Kuddia del Gallo 2008 (zibibbo and viognier)
-Ascheri Piedmont Moscato d'Asti Cristina Ascheri 2008
-Badia a Coltibuono Tuscany Chianti Classico Cultus Boni 2004
-Badia a Coltibuono Tuscany Chianti Classico Vin Santo 2003
-Casa di Grazia Sicilia IGT Emiryam 2007 (syrah) 7 Euros FOB
-Donnafugata Sicilia Contessa Entellina Mille e Una Notte 2006
-Donnafugata Sicilia Passito Di Pantelleria Ben Rye 2007
-Feduo Disisa Sicilia IGT Tornamira 2006 (cab, merlot, syrah)  10 Euros
FOB
-Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Oro 2005
-Villa S.Andrea Tuscany Vin Santo Del Chianti Classico Riserva 2001

 

***1/2 Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Abraxas Sicilia IGT Kuddia Delle Ginestre 2007 (zibibbo)
-Argentiera Tuscany Bolgheri Superiore 2005
-Badia a Coltibuono Tuscany Chianti Classico 2006
-Batasiolo Piedmont Barolo Briccolina 2004
-Guido Berlucchi Tuscany Bolgheri Cuvee Imperiale Brut NV
-Guido Berlucchi Tuscany Bolgheri Cuvee Imperiale Max Rose Brut NV
-Guido Berlucchi Tuscany Bolgheri Caccia Al Piano 1868 Ruit Hora 2006
-Guido Berlucchi Tuscany Bolgheri Superiore Caccia Al Piano 1868 Levia
Gravia 2005
-Bersano Vini Piedmont Moscato D'Asti San Michele 2008
-Ca' Dei Mandorli Brut Rosato 2008
-Ca' Dei Mandorli Moscato D'Asti Dei Giari 2008
-Casa Girelli Sicilia IGT Virtuoso Syrah 2007
-Castello di Neive Piedmont Barbaresco Riserva Santo Stefano 2004
-Cusumano Sicilia IGT Angimbe 2008 (insolia, chardonnay)  5.1 Euros FOB
-Demarie Giovanni di Demarie Aldo Piedmont Roero Arneis 2008 $18.95
Vintages
-Demarie Giovanni di Demarie Aldo Piedmont Nebbiolo d'Alba 2006 $29 Ex-
Cellars
-Demarie Giovanni di Demarie Aldo Piedmont Roero 2005 $35 Ex-Cellars
-Donnafugata Sicilia Contessa Entellina Tancredi 2006
-Fontanafredda Barolo Serralunga D'Alba 2005
-Galarin Moscato D'Asti 2008
-Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Cannubi 2004
-Marchesi di Barolo Barolo 2004
-Monte del Fra Bardolino 2008
-Patria Sicilia Etna Rosso Torrepalino Riserva 1996
-Poderi Colla Barolo Bussia 2004
-Produttori Del Barbaresco Barbaresco Riserva Pora 2004 $70 Rogers & Co
-San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Il Grigio 2005 +716266 Vintages
$28.95
-San Felice Chianti Classico Riserva Poggio Rosso 2004 $59.95 J. Hanna
-San Felice Vigorello Toscana 2004 $59.95 J. Hanna
-Sella & Mosca Sardegna Moscato D'Asti 2008
-Sella & Mosca Sardegna Carignano Del Sulcis Terrerare Riserva 2003
-Sella & Mosca Sardegna Cannonau Di Sardegna Riserva 2006
-Sella & Mosca Sardegna Alghero Marchese Di Villamarina 2003
-Tasca D'Almerita Sicilia Contea Di Sclafani Rosso Del Conte 2005
-Tenuta Olim Bauda Moscato D'Asti Centive 2008
-Tenuta S. Antonio Di Castagnedi Amarone Della Valpolicella Campo Dei
Gigli 2004
-Tormaresca Puglia IGT Bocca Di Lupo 2004 $35 Mark Anthony
-Viticola Toscana Chianti Classico Riserva Vigna Casi Castello di
Meleto 2005 $29.95 J. Hanna

 

*** Three Stars (85 – 87 in Quality/Price Rating terms):
-Argentiera Tuscany Bolgheri Villa Donoratico 2006
-Cecchi Tuscany Chianti Classico Villa Cerna Riserva 2005
-Gerardo Cesari Amarone Della Valpolicella Bosan 2001
-Dell'Alto Belice Sicilia Trerre Catarratto 2007 4.6 Euros FOB
-Fazio Sicilia IGT Muller-Thurgau 2008
-Feudo di Santa Tresa Sicilia Cerasulo Di Vittoria Santa Tressa 2005 
(nero d'avola, frappato)  6 Euros FOB
-Fontanafredda Barolo 2005
-Patria Sicilia Etna Rosso 2006
-Planeta Sicilia Cometa 2008 (fiano)  10 Euros FOB
-Poderi Colla Barbaresco Roncaglie 2005
-Rocca delle Macie Toscana IGT Roccato 2004
-Santa Barbara Puglia Primitivo Di Manduria Rosso 2005
-Savaia Sicilia Zefiro 2008 (insolia)   3.89 Euros FOB
-Streda Belvedere Toscano IGT Toiano Merlot Streda 2005
-Tormaresca Puglia IGT Paiara Bianco 2008
-Trapani Sicilia IGT Vento Del Sud Grillo 2008  4.5 Euros FOB

 

The Food: buffet style delivery of penne rigate puttanesca, seafood
salad, grilled veggies, salmon, roast beef, prosciutto, gorgonzola,
Parmigiano Reggiano, and a half dozen other cheeses. Marc Thuet catered
it all. But there was none of his bread for us to sample.
The Downside: too many wines to try, but as this has been the case for
years, it must obviously work well for the trade and wineries.
The Upside: a chance to try some really good wines, after sifting
through the catalogue. Of value this time was that every table had the
catalogue page number prominently displayed, making it a breeze to find
the list of wines.
The Contact Person:  b.marassi@ice.it
The Marketing Effectiveness (numerical grade): 88.

 

Chimo!  www.deantudor.com AND http://gothicepicures.blogspot.com