REPORT FROM FILARE ITALIA WINE TASTING DINNER, MAY 9, 2022 --

The Date and Time: Monday, May 9, 2022   7Pm to 10PM

The Event: Wine Dinner and Tasting of Filare Italia

The Venue: Posticino, Etobicoke

The Target Audience: wine writers

The Availability/Catalogue: only one wine is currently available (Ribolla Giallo IGT) but the others may be imported soon.

The Quote/Background: The writers had a talk with Marco Tam and Vincenzo Castana who described the "green" technical aspect of wine production in the far NorthEast section of Italy, upper Friuli Venezia Giulia (bordering the Adriatic, Slovenia, Austria and Venice). They own 100 hectares of vineyard plus other properties. They integrate sustainability with bioeconomy and produce digestate, an organic fertilizer resulting from the processing of biogas. This is then distributed in the fields of the vineyards.

The Wines: We tasted five wines with dinner (see menu below).

 

**** BEST -- Four Stars (91+ in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla IGT Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020, +23098 $14.95, June 18 Vintages release. {very aromatic on the nose with some almonds and walnuts on the palate,and a long finish to accompany food; 12.5% ABV, low residual sugar}.

-Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla Brut NV $15.50  n/a {impressive with a phenomenal mid-palate at a decent price: apples, citric minerality, white flowers, fresh and creamy. Best as an aperitif or first course seafood wine. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

 

***1/2 BETTER -- Three and a Half Stars (88 – 90 in Quality/Price Rating terms):

-Filare Italia Pinot Grigio DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2019 $16 n/a  {hot nose but a lush mid-palate moving on to elegance and refreshment. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

-Filare Italia Merlot Rive DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 $16.75  n/a {intense, firm and full with aromatics of berries and a soft finish. 12.5% ABV, low residual sugar}

-Filare Italia Cabernet Sauvignon DOC Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020 $16.75  n/a {concentrated garnet colour and a nose suggestive of forest floor and herbs, light but with a good tight structure that will improve and unwind with age. 12% ABV, low residual sugar}

 

The Food: Chef Antonio of Posticino prepared dinner with the appropriate wines.

First up was a tomato bruschetta with the Pinot Grigio 2019, a good marriage.

This was followed by a salumi selection plate of two slices each of three kinds of salami, four different cheeses including mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano, two lightly fried tempura shrimp, and olives. All with the impressive "wine of the night" – Filare Italia Ribolla Gialla IGT Friuli Venezia Giulia 2020, +23098, $14.95 in June.

Next up was the pasta course: paccheri pork ragu, delightful with the aromatic Merlot Rive 2020.

The fourth course had the three ribs of a rack of lamb, swiftly grilled and then plated on a bed of polenta, accompanied by the Cabernet Sauvignon 2020.

The Downside: not everybody arrived on time.

The Upside: kudos to Chef Antonio for his patience and food matching excellence!!

The Contact Person: Sandy Garofalo at spg@caliberwines.com

The Event's Marketing Effectiveness and Execution (numerical grade): 91.

 

Chimo! www.deantudor.com