By Justin Persons
Special to the Turnagain Times
Here we go folks, spring is here and it’s time to emerge out of our cocoons. Time to spread the wings and let the sun shine in. What an honor to have our Mt. Alyeska to host the extreme skiing/snowboarding championships! I’ve been bringing in this time of year with some Italian wines. Italian varietals to be exact. Not necessarily all from Italian soil, but Italian-born grapes from other soils outside of Italy. Let me tell you about some great “Italian” wines from Italy and around the globe.
First and foremost from Italy we have Sangiovese. (San-geo-vay-say.) This is the backbone of perhaps the most well known wine from Italy, Chianti. It is one of the four most tannic grapes in the world along with Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah/Shiraz, and Nebbiolo. Characteristics of this grape are high acid and high tannins. When you sink your teeth into this wine it often bites back. Look for aromas of fresh cherry, strawberry, and sun-baked earthiness. Sangiovese captures the rustic, savory flavors of the earth. The juice is prone to oxidation and therefore there are orange highlights to its color. Producers in Washington state and Napa Valley, CA are creating wonderful fragrant and fruit-filled Sangoivese’s with softer tannins and a richer mouth-feel.
Barbera is another Italian varietal that is somewhat similar to Sangiovese in that it has a distinctly rustic characteristic to it. The color is more densely concentrated than Sangiovese. It’s the “workhorse” grape of Italy in that it makes a lot of generic bulk wine. Given some care though, Barbera is all cherries, strawberries, and tender tannins with lively acidity.
Nebbiolo is the big kid on the block in Italy. This bad boy typically needs at least ten years in the bottle or two to three hours of decanting to drink its best. This grape is what’s used if the wine label says Barolo or Barbaresco. Not particularly a fruit-driven wine, its flavors tend to be deeper, darker, and savory/bitter. The aromas are subtle and delicate with nuances of flowers, mushrooms, and a hint of tar, yet on the palate it packs quite a punch. This grape does. This is what you want for a steak or a heavy Italian cream sauce dish. (Or Scallop-stuffed Mushroom Rockefeller at the Musky!) This grape has been experimented with outside of Italy with disappointing results.
Perhaps my favorite Italian wine is the richest and most concentrated of them all. Amarone is the wine. (Am-ar-ony). This beauty comes from the grapes Corvina and Rondinella. This wine is incredibly unique because the grapes are picked and laid out in the sun to become partially dried out and concentrated. This brings out flavors of very ripe, dried fruits and low acidity. This stuff is so rich that it is a meal itself! This is another that you will not find being made outside of Italy.
That’s Italy in a nutshell. There is a winery in particular named “Seghesio,” that is in the Napa Valley and only produces Italian varietal wines. The original owners were from Italy and actually brought vines over with them from Italy. I’ve been trying Italian varietal wines side by side with the same ones from Italy. Wow! What a difference 5,000 miles makes! Andrew Will winery in Washington State is also making great Italian wines.
Get out there and try them yourself. Barbera with some pizza is delicious. Make a big spaghetti feed with plenty of garlic bread and open up some Sangiovese. (The high-acidity of the wine goes great with the acidity of the tomato sauce!)
Have fun out there and until next time when we’ll explore another grape and the wine it creates!
Justin Persons is co-owner of the Double Musky Inn Restaurant in Girdwood.