Chianti Steps Out of Its Straw Skirt

THE Chianti region in the hills of Tuscany is the spiritual home of the sangiovese grape. With its black cherry and violet aromas, its earthy mineral flavors, its lively acidity and its sometimes dusty tannins, sangiovese speaks directly from the Italian soul.

Nonetheless, the greatness of the sangiovese grape is winning out. In a tasting of 25 bottles from the Chianti Classico territory, the heartland of the Chianti region, the wine panel found many satisfying bottles. The good ones seemed to speak not only of the grape itself but of the Tuscan hills where sangiovese vines flourish as they do in few other places in the world.

A wine tour of Italy

Italian wine lovers take note: George Schwartz of Vias Wines will return to Cleonice in Ellsworth to present selections from Piemonte and Liguria — paired with a mouth-watering menu — at 6 p.m. Sunday, March 2. The meal begins with an Antipasti de Mare paired with Bardellini Pigato 2006. Next up is Brodetto, a classic seafood stew from Liguria paired with Dolcetto San Luigi 2005. Risotto Piemontese paired with Cogno Barolo 2002 follows, along with an entree of Stufato al Barolo — beef braised in Nebbiolo with rosemary, dried porcini mushrooms, nutmeg, sage and aromatic vegetables, paired with Produtori Barbaresco 2004. For dessert, a Guiandula Cake with hazelnuts and chocolate, served with Gorgonzola, will be paired with Marenco Brachetto. The meal costs $75 per person, and reservations are recommended. Call 664-7554 for details.

Learn Italian Wines

Tom Hyland, a Chicago-based writer and educator on Italian wine, has launched a Web site called Learn Italian Wines.

The site is still in the works, but you can get some idea of how it will develop. The focus is on the top wine producers throughout Italy. (Currently, he's focusing on makers of Barolo.)

"I believe this will be as thorough a site on Italian wines as you'll find (once it's complete, whenever that is!)," Hyland writes in announcing the site. "Hope you like it. I welcome any feedback."

Wine makes the old folks dance

Ten years ago, if you had asked the general consumer to name a favorite Italian wine, Chianti, Lambrusco, Valpolicella and Soave might chime in, with perhaps a Barolo or some kind of Montepulciano in the mix. Today, the talk not only includes Brunello, Amarone and Super-Tuscans, but Bolgheri, Nero d'Avola and Lugana. This is just the tip of a vinous iceberg that is melting and leaving myriad choices at wine lovers' feet.

Aside from our weakened dollar, this more intensive labor quite naturally translates into higher prices. Importers now encourage a better product, and the results are often jaw-dropping. This week's column visits regions all over the map—from the tip of Alto Adige to the offshore southern island of Sicily. Some wines are familiar. Some are absolutely novel to America's shores. All are better than they were a decade ago.

Wine her, dine her, Valentine her

Love is in the air — and, in some places, so is that hint of desperation. You've got a week to go before Valentine's Day arrives and you simply don't know what to get your sweetie. You're dreading another trip to the mall, another mass-produced gift.

How about an Italian cookie to go with your Italian wine? At $5.99 a box, Amaretti are crunchy sweet cookies with an almond taste (think Amaretto in cookie,

Fine red wine from Italy's Tuscany region

As we begin, may i suggest a glass of Altesino Brunello di Montalcino Riserva? This fine red wine from Italy's Tuscany region is aged four years to provide a multidimensional blend of aromas featuring berries, spices, and dried flowers. Its taste is full-bodied and velvety, and it provides a fresh finish.

Winebow represents over 70 wine-growing estates, offering some of the finest Italian wines available anywhere to wine lovers throughout the nation.

To know Italian wines, focus on 'Big 10' grape varietals

Italy can pose a challenge to wine lovers who want to move beyond the familiar Chianti, Soave, prosecco and Asti. With 20 regions and some 2,000 wine grape varietals, it's hard to know where to start. Add to this a four-tiered quality control system that doesn't always guarantee quality and unfamiliar names on the labels, and it's enough to make you return to the well-known charms of California wine.