blogfromafar

Ever wondered how to get a handle on the dazzling diversity of Italian wines? We have, and we’re trying. We’re enrolled in a 3-session class with Alfonso Cevola (his blog here) at the Italian Club of Dallas. We’ll be sharing our learnings with you as we go.

For example, Italian Wines are rated as follows:

• VdT (Vino de Tavola): Table wines with no vintage, and no particular grape variety
• IGT (Indicazione Georgrfice Tipica) wines are district wines, a category used by many top producers not wanting to observe reguulations, such as the SuperTuscans.
• DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) wines are from a well defined area, the type of wine is regulated, along with the yield, variety, minimum alcohol, and aging period.
• DOCG (same as above, add G for Garantita) guarantees the location of the production

The fact that a wine is labeled DOC or DOCG does not necessarily mean the wine is better, just that it follows a standard.

This week, we tasted wines from Italy’s north, and our favorites were:

• Contadi Castaldi Franciacorta Brut (Lombardia); a bubbly white made using the champagne method
• Allegrini Palazzo della Torre (Veneto) using a process called ripasso. It’s this week’s featured wine in the EATS blog. Click here.
• A sweet finish with Rosa Regale Brachetto d’Acqui (Piemonte). Sweet as candy, and perfect for chocolate pairings.

Speaking of regionality, our “You Be the Judge” panel in last week’s Chocolate and Wine pairing found that pairing wines and chocolates from the same regions provided the most satisfactory pairings.