Giuseppe Quintarelli Primofiore 2002 (Veneto)

Known as "the Master of the Veneto," Giuseppe Quintarelli makes some of the world’s most sought-after wines. While waiting to afford one of his classic Amarones, I enjoyed his "Primofiore" here meaning first press, which receives treatment from the fresh Amarone to provide rich flavors of cherry, spices, and oak. This beautiful wine includes all of the varietals Quintarelli grows including: Corvina Veronese, Corvinone, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc, which are partially dried before fermentation, then a touch of lees from the fresh Amarone (or in the case of 2002, his Rosso del Bepi, since in this less than stellar vintage, no Amarone was produced) to add depth, structure and body. This contemplative wine is fresh and vibrant, with outstanding violet and floral aromas, and showcases Quintarelli's great skill. Wonderful.

Giuseppe Mascarello Scudetto Barbera 2003 (Piemonte)

The estate of Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio has a long and illustrious history in Piemonte, dating back to the mid 1800's. This traditionally-styled winery is now run by Mauro Mascarello, who is the fourth generation of the family to head the domaine. The Scudetto Vineyard is located in Perno, in the hamlet of Monforte d'Alba, and has been owned by the Mascarello family since 1991. This value-priced barbera exhibits a good, full red-ruby color. Its complex nose smolders of crushed blackberry and spices, while its bright acidity finishes with a firm spine and noteworthy tang. Houston, we don't have a problem. Albeisa bottle. The wine was opened and enjoyed with sausage and mushroom pizza one day, and finished with fettucine alfredo the next.

Gaja Sito Moresco 2004 (Piemonte)

A fine "Super-Piedmont" blend of 35% Nebbiolo, 35% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon from Italian master Angelo Gaja. The wine is named after the former owner of the vineyard, a 25 acre plot in Barbaresco. The wine has a beautiful nose and a fruity, elegant taste. The wine exhibits good balance in the mouth and a fresh dark berry fruit finish with very fine, silky tannins. I enjoyed this wine on Christmas Eve with a delicious beef tenderloin with a parsley pesto crust.

Planeta La Segreta Bianco 2005 (Sicilia)

From the Dispensa vinyards, located in the town of Menfi in eastern Sicily, Planeta's La Segreta Bianco is a blend of 50% Grecanico, 30% Chardonnay, 10% Viognier, and 10% Fiano. The wine is straw yellow in color with light greenish hue. Touched only by stainless steel, it has a broad, fresh and lively bouquet. Its nose has a slight mineral scent followed by classic amomas of green citrus fruits, lime and peach. The wine exhibits a good balance between acidity, suppleness and fullness. Smooth, clean finish. An inexpensive delight.

Castelcosa Cuvee Tai di Castelcosa 2005 (Friuli)

A delicious Tocai blend from Castelcosa, whose estate is located in the small village of Cosa, in the geographical center of Friuli. The Cuvée Tai di Castelcosa, a fragrant white wine of remarkable character, is their “flagship” wine. In the Friulano language, tai is the word for “wine glass” but also for “cuvée,” or the final blend of a fine wine. Tai's blend reflects the changing character of each vintage year, but it always contain Tocai Friulano. An intense straw-yellow, Tai offers a rich nose with green pepper and ripe peach, along with hints of rose. It has a crisp-edged, full-bodied richness in the mouth, and finishes with an attractive hint of bitter-almond. Each component wine is vinified individually in stainless steel, and is then blended the following spring. A wonderful white.

Damilano Barolo DOCG 2001 (Piemonte)

A very good ready to drink barolo from the brother and sister team of Guidi and Margherita Damilano. Their family estate has been a producer of wines in the Monforte d' Alba region of Barolo for over a century. At under $30, their 2001 vintage, highly rated by Wine Spectator, is a great value. The wine is garnet red in color, with a touch of an orange rim. It has nice fruit, a licorice and cocoa nose, and a warm, smooth finish. I used it both in and with beef with barolo. Albeisa bottle.

Poderi Luigi Einaudi Dolcetto di Dogliani DOC 2005 (Piemonte)

A wonderfully fruity dolcetto brought to us by Paola Einaudi, the granddaughter of the estates namesake, Luigi Einaudi; the first president of Italian Republic from 1948-55. Dolcetto, the everyday wine of the "Giuseppe sei botti" of Piedmont, is a wine that goes with everything; its light tannin structure and fresh acidity makes it an excellent all-around red. The Einaudi dolcetto is as smooth as Luigi was handsome, ruby-red to violet in color, with a rich fresh fruit nose, untouched by oak.

Paitin Langhe 2000 (Piemonte)

A delicious super-piedmont blend of 60% nebbiolo, 30% barbera, and 10% cabernet from a family run, old-time producer named after one of the great crus in the Barbaresco region. Depending upon the vintage, (2000 was a great year in the langhe) the wine is made from different blends or even a single varietal.

Very intense, purple-red color (from the barbera). Ripe, red fruit and forest on the nose. A warm, long and velvety finish. I enjoyed this wine with pork marsala and baby portobello mushrooms.

Monte Dall 'Ora Valpolicella Superiore 2004 (Veneto)

The Monte Dall 'Ora Estate is located just east of the town of Verona, right in the heart of the Valpolicella zone. The organic vineyard utilizes green harvesting techniques to lower yields and heighten the quality of the fruit.

The wine contains the traditional valpolicella blend of 60% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, and 10% other native Veronese varietals. A ruby red color jumps out of the glass and is highlighted by scents of red fruits, cherries and sliced red plums. On the palate the wine is delicate and fresh with vinous fruit and mild cinnamon spice. A pleasant wine, and a great value.

Albeisa; Look for the Union Label (Piemonte)

The already cryptic Italian wine label is made even more confusing when selecting a wine in a bottle stamped "Albeisa". What does this strange marking mean? Is it some message of quality being given to unsuspecting wine lovers? In a way it is, as the word "Albeisa" on a bottle of wine celebrates a regions long tradition of winemaking.

At the beginning of the 1700’s, winemakers in the Alba district, proud of their wines and wanting to distinguish them from others made in Piedmont, began using a different shaped bottle, which they called “Albeisa”. During the Napoleonic invasion, however, the “Albeisa” was gradually replaced by two typically French bottles: Bordeaux and Burgundy, which were cheaper to produce and more uniform in shape.

In 1973, 16 companies decided to start using the old “Albeisa” bottle again. These were: Terre del Barolo, Marchesi di Barolo, Produttori del Barbaresco, Giacomo Borgogno, Ceretto, Gaja, Batasiolo, Bartolo Mascarello, Renato Ratti, Oddero, Francesco Rinaldi, Cavallotto, Elvio Cogno, Marchesi Fracassi, Mauro Mascarello and Calissano.

The Union of Producers of Albese Wines was set up and close cooperation began with Vetreria Italiane di Dego, now known as Saint-Gobain Vetri, the only glass factory appointed to manufacture the Albeisa bottle. The aim was to symbolize the prestigious oenology products of the Lange, and only wines produced within this area can be bottled in the Albeisa bottle.

Today, the Union has over 200 members who use nine million “Albeisa” bottles a year. The Union of Producers of Albese wines is a non-profit association, which aims to promote and maximise the value of Albese wines. Every time a producer buys a bottle a tiny percentage of the price goes into a fund used for promotional activities.

So next time you are shopping for Italian wines....Look for the Union Label!

Terruzi & Puthod Vernaccia di San Gimignano 2005 (Tuscany)

A light, fresh vernaccia. Brilliant straw yellow in color, the nose is delicately floral and fruity; medium-bodied, fresh and minerally, with notes of honey and pears on the palate; elegant, with a crisp, consistent finish. Located in the heart of Tuscany, Terruzi & Puthod is one of the finest producers of Vernaccia. Like many Italian white wines other than the droll Pinot Grigio, Vernaccia is a terrific wine with unique flavors and complexity that is unfortunately often overlooked.

La Spinetta Ca di Pian Barbera d' Asti 2004 (Piemonte)

Powerful, oaky barbera from La Spinetta. Co-owner Giorgio Rivetti's heavyhandedness is evident in this dense, ruby-red hued wine. Its nose is full with dark cherry, violets and plum. Fruity, but burdensome. For my tastes, more wine than it needs to be.

Fattoria Laila Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore 2006 (Marche)

Unlike the usual insipid examples of Verdicchio, this wine, produced by Fattoria Laila and enologist Lorenzo Landi, is the real deal. Fattoria Laila is located in Corinaldo, and lies among the rolling hills of the Marche, overlooking the Adriatic Sea on the east coast of Italy. Landi has helped to establish strict limits in the vineyard and utilizes techniques based on vitricultural research not practiced anywhere else in the region in order to craft his excellent wines. The wine presents delicately honeyed wildflowers at the nose, a lingering note of grapefruit acidity, playful minerals and a juicy finish. The wine can be enjoyed on its own, with appetizers, or with light main courses.

La Mozza I Perazzi, Morellino Di Scansano, 2005 (Tuscany)

This terrific wine is co-produced by luminaries Lidia Bastianich, son Joseph Bastianich, and Mario Batali on their 100 acre property located in the Maremma region of Tuscany. The wine is made from 85% Morellino (the local name for sangiovese), 5% Syrah, 5% Alcante, 3% Ciliegiolo, and 2% Colorino. I'm a freak for Ciliegiolo, so the 3% in this blend pushes it over the top for me. The color is a deep, translucent ruby. The wine is medium bodied, with nice acidity and tannins that have been polished by aging over half of the wine in French barriques for 10 months. Cherry berry cola and Cocoa Puff flavors develop in the lengthy finish.

2004 Hilberg-Pasquero Barbera d'Alba (Piemonte)

A beautiful, well balanced barbera. Plenty of ripe, rich fruit. Nice acidity, with a slightly spicy finish. A "biodynamically-produced"wine from husband and wife team Michele Pasquero and Annette Hilberg. A wine Al Gore would love. This is a great food wine, especially when cooked on the grill. (The food; not the wine)

2004 Livio Felluga Tocai Friulano (Friuli-Venezia Giulia)

A wonderful Tocai from a pioneering Friulian estate. Well structured and fresh. Very smooth with notes of apple, almonds and pear. Pleasant mineral aftertaste. Tocai Friulano is an under-loved white that goes great with all antipasti. A much better choice then the ubiquitious pinot grigio.