Italian Wine for Sommeliers
What is Italian Wine? Recently, our Advanced Sommelier students finished a seven-week Viaggio through the often bewildering but fascinating demimonde of Italian wine. Along the way, they tasted, analyzed, and discussed …
Reviews
Wine reviews and ratings first became popular after the traditional wine criticism, which was practiced centuries ago by the merchants, connoisseurs, and writers who kept records of their impressions of wines for trade and education. Initially, in the past, one of the philosophers like Pliny the Elder wrote about different types of wines and their characteristics, while the European nobles would always have their advisors that helped them choose the best ones. The current form of wine reviews came out in the 20th century.
The phenomenon of wine reviews rose in the mid-1900s when people like André Simon and Michael Broadbent were the key figures for the public’s perspective. The magazines corresponding to the genre like *Wine Spectator* or *Decanter* started offering a format to the reviews, while Robert Parker introduced a 100-point rating system which was the first of its kind in the 1980s. The impact of Parker, especially in Bordeaux and Napa Valley, was the principal cause of the change towards the fruit-forward, high-alcohol wines that critics preferred all around the world.
Wine ratings are still of great popularity among the people, but the consumer preferences are not so one-dimensional anymore. Useful websites for consumers like Vivino, CellarTracker, along with social media influencers have provided wine criticism with a new democratic platform, where amateurs can express their views next to professionals. Although the scores from critics still have a lot of power over the pricing and prestige of a certain company, the people that love listening to winos have gained more than one source able to help them with their purchases. The path of the wine reviews continues, which is the balance between the expertise and the easy access to it in the quickly transforming field.
Mesa 2006 “Buio”, Carignano di Sulcis, Sardinia
Those Sardinian wines that don’t compromise cultural fidelity have a feral, not-for-everyone quality that evokes their rocky and wind-swept terroir—a sense of mystery, intrigue, the unknown – which is a translation …
Nozzole 2000 “La Forra” Chianti Classico Riserva
A style of Chianti that is growing rarer by the vintage. Leather, wet earth, and game notes are predominant on the nose, with bing cherry & smoke flavors on the palate. Light to medium in body, this is a lovely balance of earth & fruit in a food-friendly framework. The current pricing in Pennsylvania is $16 , which is less than half your average retail price of $40. The great pricing —not to mention this is a classic style of Chianti Classico that will soon be extinct due to changes in wine laws– makes this the wine buy of the week.
Pio Cesare 2004 Barbaresco
With truffles, roses, and perhaps violets on the nose, this wine has a sense of perfumed levity that’s just irresistible. There’s a freshness here, though the fruit is far from the …
Abbazia di Novacella 2007 Kerner, Alto Adige
The Alto Adige may be politically and geographically part of Italy, but its wines exhibit an attitude born of altitude that is decidedly continental. Nestled in the visually stunning Valle Isarco …
Susana Balbo Rose of Malbec
Earlier this week, while we were enjoying that brief, sudden, sodden stint of surprisingly spring weather, I found myself craving a nice cool glass of white. So I started poking around …
Sella & Mosca 2004 Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva
Located in the northwestern part of the island, Sella & Mosca has become Sardinia’s signature winery. Its vast acres of vineyards have made it, and Argiolas is synonymous with wine from …
Italian Wine Reviews
While the member of the Wine School team laying waste to Spain’s porcine population, yours truly was engaged in exhaustive research concerning patterns of wine consumption among Italians. Specifically, what will …
Naia 2006 Naia Des Verdejo
What makes this wine unusual isn’t where it’s from but the grape variety itself. Verdejo, after all, is still sadly underappreciated by too many wine-lovers. But this one, hopefully, will start …
Grgich Hills 2004 Zinfandel
The aroma of spicy, peppery raisins soaked in Dr. Pepper, but in a good way. This is classic, peppery California zinfandel, yet the blue fruits of the 7% Petit Sirah add …
Bertani “Le Lave” 2002 Veneto
…Old and New World styles synthesize in this full-bodied, creamy blend born of volcanic soil that is the antithesis of vapid, watery white wines from the Veneto. Garganega, the basis of …
Langlois NV Cremant de Loire
We’ve mentioned this sparkler before, but it seems especially relevant when too many people spend too much money on name-brand bubblies that deliver a fraction of what their price tag implies. …
Rolf Binder 2006 “Hovah ” Viognier
A Viognier of this caliber in this price range is very rare. I strongly suggest picking up a bottle, especially if you have never experienced a viognier. Classic notes of peaches …
Georges Duboeuf 2005 Regnie
Violets, minerals, and fresh purple fruit mark the nose here, and the palate is a fascinating (and consistent) combination of fruit, minerals, and wet stones. There’s great acid here and a …
Review: Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley.
For those of you in a wine course, a great novel to dive into while blind tasting is Patricia Highsmith’s The Talented Mr. Ripley. Highsmith’s protagonist is the very sordid yet …
Pondering Barolo
There are wines. And there are Wines. Barolo is of the latter, not for its renown, prestige, or even its price. No, Barolo is a Wine that presents more questions than …