Wine without BS

Zonin Wines

Zonin family owned vineyards in Tuscany

Zonin Wines is Italy's largest, family owned, vineyard and winemaking facility and produces around 25 million bottles per annum and they export all around the world.

Recently I was recommended the Zonin Ripasso Valpolicella, which was fantastic. Then I started noticing other Zonin wines are being stocked in a range of major retailers so I began trying as many of their other wines as I could find.

To date I've had the pleasure of enjoying the following Zonin wines:-

2010 Ripasso Valpolicella
2011 Regions Montepulciano d'Abruzzo
2011 Regions Nero d'Avola Merlot
2010 Regions Merlot
2011 Regions Soave

NOTE: All except the Soave are red wines for those not familiar with Italian wines.

What excited me about these wines is that not only are they all very good, everyday quaffing wines, they are all under $8 with the exception of the Ripasso Valpolicella which comes in at $17! That is some amazing value for a very drinkable, imported wine. The Monetpulciano d'Abruzzo and the Valpolicella are my two favourites and the Soave was my least favourite, but it was still very respectable for the money.

In the under $10 category I'd be hard pressed to think of many wines I've had in Australia that are as good. In researching this post I also learnt that 'Ripasso' is a winemaking technique that sees grape skins already used in the making of Amarone put over the Valpolicella to start a second fermentation. The word Ripasso in Italian translates to 'review' or 'go-over'. The result of this process is additional complexity and body given to the Valpolicella.

Moral of the story! I never would've picked up a Zonin wine without the recommendation of someone else and I want to pass this recommendation on with my glowing endorsement for these great value wines! Enjoy!

 

 

 

A quickie with two Italians

Both wines above are sub $20 Italian IGT red wines. The 2010 Spolverino from Carpineto is a blend whereas the 2009 Farnese is 100% Sangiovese.

I didn't bother with tasting notes for either of them as neither was absolutely fantastic but given they share many key elements I'd thought I'd whip something up.

My pick of the two is definitely the 2009 Farnese Sangiovese. I enjoyed it with a few mates over a pizza and none of us had anything bad to say about it. The Spolverino on the other hand I found to be a bit watery and weak. 

While I am not sure I would buy either of them again I definitely wouldn't bother with the Carpenito Spolverino again when for a few extra bucks that same producers makes some pretty decent Chianti!

Arizona Stronghold ‘Tazi' 2010 White Table wine

In my search to find a diverse range of wines from all over the United States a few wines from Arizona Stronghold were put forward and I am really glad they were. Both the white wine reviewed here and the red blend I tried were great wines with some unique grape varietals thrown in for good measure. Rock music fans will also be interested to note the winery owner and founder is Tool front man, Maynard Keenan!

The Tazi is a unique and aromatic blend of Malvasia Bianca, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay with a pale golden colour and medium weighted, fruity aroma. On the palate this wine is full of tropical fruits, citrus and a slight floral note. It is well balanced, enjoyable and easy drinking and along with the ‘Nachise’ Red Blend, also by Arizona Stronghold, this has really been a pleasant surprise. Initially I was sceptical about the quality of a wine coming out of such a hot and arid part of the world such as Arizona so I am very pleased to see any scepticism was unfounded. Enjoy Tazi on its own or as per the winery's own food pairing recommendations of Oysters, Shellfish, Caesar Salads, Thai Curried Vegetables or Fettuccine Alfredo.

Arizona Stronghold ‘Tazi' 2010 White Table wine
Price - $39 from Grand Central Cellars
Region - Cochise County, Arizona
Final Sip -  This wine certainly shows the US is capable of producing a wide range of great wines, even in parts of the country that I'd never thought would be ideal vineyard locations! If only it was available at its local price of $20!

Outpost 2004 Howell Mountain Zinfandel

Californian Zinfandel has to be as close to American red wine royalty as it can get! It is after all as close to being ‘American’ as are a Burger & Fries. Originating from Italy where it is known as Primitivo, Californian Zinfandels are known for being big on fruit, alcohol and oak. The Outpost 2004 Zinfandel doesn’t lack any of those elements yet with the benefit of eight years bottle age this one is likely to be more palatable to some than a much younger vintage.

In the glass an ageing cherry red colour has an aroma that is full of cedar and oak with hints of subtle fruit and spice. This wine is drinking pretty much at its peak now and I can’t see it lasting more than another two years so no need to buy this for the cellar. It is however a great guide to how long a good Zin should be kept for as they have nowhere near the life of other premium reds. On the flip side of that though is that at least it doesn’t take 15-20 years of patience before you can enjoy a good Zin at its best. Some may even prefer them more youthful and, being a fruit and oak driven wine, they pair best with BBQ’d meats, Burgers and Ribs as well as some sharp cheeses! 

Outpost 2004 Howell Mountain Zinfandel
Price - $63 from Grand Central Cellars
Region - Howell Mountain, California
Final Sip - Given the lack of good California Zinfandels here in Australia the ability to get one that even the locals love, with some bottle age, for less than some premium Aussie Zin's are going for is a rare treat! 

Charles Smith 'Fung Fu Girl' 2010 Riesling

Having recently been asked to review a few US Wines for the US Consulate in Melbourne who are embarking on a Festival of Food and Wine from the United States I thought I'd share these reviews with you. I'll be posting a range of US Wine reviews this week under the hastag #USWineWeek

Crystal clear with an almost glossy looking colour of pale lime. The aroma shows citrus notes, tropical fruits and sherbet. To drink it has a noticeable but not overdone touch of sweetness that is complimented with good acidity, lemon, lime and tropical fruit flavours with a little zing on the tongue. 

Charles Smith 'Fung Fu Girl' 2010 Riesling
Price - $24.99 from Grand Central Cellars
Region - Columbia Valley, Washington, USA
Final Sip - A very enjoyable wine that would be enhanced by pairing it with something light but spicy... think  Cajun prawns or fish tacos with a splash of hot sauce!

Mandoletto 2011 Catarratto

(Picture shown not correct vintage)

Catarratto is an Italian white grape variety native to Sicily where it is the most widely planted variety. Outside of Sicily it is still one of the most widely planted grape varieties and often used as a component of marsala wine. This dry white wine version under the Mandoletto label of Fazio Winery and distributed in Australia by Fourth Wave Wines is a rather rare find and inexpensive to try at least once.

It is light yellow and slightly gold in colour and has a rather light aroma with nothing in particular worth sticking your nose in the glass to experience. It has a nice flavour with elements of pear, green apple and stone fruits. It is not as acidic as many Italian white wines often are so it can be enjoyed on its own as much as it would be a great accompaniment to things like seafood, light pasta or salads. 

Interestingly, I read some other reviews of other Catarratto wines and words such as 'unusual' and 'different 'seemed to be rather common. I like the wine myself but I can tell that this will be a wine with a divided opinion. 

Mandoletto 2011 Catarratto
Price - $9.99 from WineStar
Region - Sicily, Italy
Final Sip -  At $9.99 you don't have much to loose by giving it a try. I also find imported wines like this that punch well above their price point great gifts as people will think you spent far more just because it's 'imported'.

Mandoleto 2009 Sicilia Nero d'Avola

This wine was introduced to me by Fourth Wave Wine Partners and was the only international red wine available for tasting at my recent Odd & Rare Varieties tasting. Experience has taught me not to get overly excited about imported red wines under $20 but I've finally found an exception!

The colour is a perfect cherry red and the aroma reminds me of dark fruits and includes a slightly, but not unpleasant, musty, mushroom like smell. It is lovely to drink, fruity and faintly oaky with some savoury elements and nothing over the top. Very easy drinking and as a reference point for those unfamiliar with the variety, it is not unlike some Aussie Shiraz. 

 

Mandoleto 2009 Sicilia Nero d'Avola
Price - Normally $15 but my friends at Fourth Wave Wine have been kind enough to offer a special 'NoBS' price of $10 a bottle Simply download and complete this order form
Region - Sicily, Italy
Final Sip - Before the special offer was made I would of said it was hard to think of a better sub $20 imported red. At $10 a bottle it is definitely one of the best reds for the money I can think of, imported or local! 

Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2006 Fatalis Fatum

On my first ever trip to New York back in late May I decided to hire a car and take a trip out to the Hamptons to see the famous summer holiday spot of the rich and famous first hand. I knew to expect big, beautiful homes, over priced restaurants and shops (I came across a platinum money box is one shop that was $16,000!) but what I didn't know until arriving in the United States was that Long Island is a wine district and that many of the region's best wineries are located within the Hamptons. My first stop was at Wölffer Estate Vineyard and I was impressed from the moment I walked in the front door, through to their beautiful tasting room and to where I sat outside on the back veranda just metres from the vines. The vineyard is actually part of a larger, European style estate, which includes horse stables, paddocks, indoor jumping ring and Grand Prix field. Given founder, Christian Wölffer's, love of horses it may come as no surprise that many of the wines carry the name of horses that have lived here.

I tried many great wines during my visit including a great 2005 Merlot and a fantastic Ice wine, however, it was the 2006 Fatalis Fatam Red Blend that was the wine I simply had to take home for further review. This particular vintage was a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Barbera. The colour was medium deep shades of cherry and plum and the wine had a wonderfully pleasing aroma of dark fruits and berries that really reminded me of wines that are much more dominant in Barbera and Cabernet Franc than this particular blend is . To drink the wine was delicious, fruity but not jammy and a really quintessential example of a medium bodied red wine. It was great on its own but would be amazing with food and would pair well with a large variety of dishes from grilled meats, certain pasta dishes, stews and more.

Wölffer Estate Vineyard 2006 Fatalis Fatum
Price - Unfortunately at the time of writing the 2006 vintage had sold out. Wine maker Roman Roth assures me the 2007 is just as good, if not better and is $40 from Wölffer Estate Online
Region - Long Island, New York
Final Sip - I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and many of the others I tried at Wölffer Estate and I was honoured that I got to sit down with many of the fantastic and friendly staff, including wine maker Roman Roth who left me almost speechless when he told me his wife comes from an area in Sydney not at all that far from where I live and it turns out he goes back to Sydney with her each year. It is a small world in many ways and it makes me wonder if with a little help I can bring the Hamptons to Sydney one day for a Wölffer Estate Wine dinner!? I'll keep you all posted!

Phifer Pavitt 2007 Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon

 

While I am always excited to try new wines and share my thoughts about them, I rarely get excited about physically sitting down at my PC and typing up a review. This time however, is an exception, as I have been excited about writing this review since my trip to Napa Valley back in May. While I have enjoyed many amazing wines during that trip, it was a few smaller and lesser known wineries that provided some of the most unique experiences. One of those wineries was Phifer Pavitt, in Calistoga, who only make a single wine in a Cabernet Sauvignon called 'Date Night'. The name 'Date Night' refers to the one night a week, owners Suzanne and her husband Shane, would put aside for themselves, arrange a babysitter for their children and enjoy a night out with just each other. It was on this night the couple made nearly all of the big decisions in their life together, including the decision to buy a property in Napa and start a winery!

Owner, Suzanne Phifer Pavitt, met me personally and took me into her charming, country style tasting room and poured me a glass of her 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. In just a few small sips I was instantly impressed. A few more sips and I recall telling Suzanne that her Cabernet was one of the best wines I'd tried in Napa so far and at this point I had only one more tasting room before I left Napa.

I purchased a bottle then and there and have held onto it since, waiting for the perfect time to open and enjoy this great Napa Cabernet with the right company. A close friend of mine from Sydney decided to join me in Los Angeles and when he said he couldn't wait to have a Californian steak, I knew the combination would be a match made in heaven!

Deep cherry red in colour, both it's aroma and flavour show an immaculate blend of fruit and oak characters. It is incredibly smooth for a Cab so young by Napa standards, and I found myself rather bummed when my one and only bottle was finished! A truly wonderful wine, made by great people and it comes with a great story... did I tell you that it was the official wine at the after party for the Steve Corell & Tina Fey movie 'Date Night' ?

 

Phifer Pavitt 2007 Date Night Cabernet Sauvignon
Price - $75 but unfortunately sold out! Try Fine Wine retailers in and around Napa for the best chances of grabbing a bottle.
I did see it available on-line at Golden Gate Wine Cellars
Region - Calistoga, Napa Valley, California
Final Sip - Luckily for Suzanne & Shane none of their date nights have had quiet the drama portrayed in the Hollywood film, but their wine is every bit a Blockbuster!

Niner Wine Estates - 2006 Petite Sirah

One of the first things I did when I arrived in United States back in May was to take a road trip up from Los Angeles through the Central Coast of California and I was advised that Paso Robles was a great place to make my first stop. Paso Robles is approximately three hours north of Los Angeles and is a sub-region of the California Central Coast area that boasts over 250 wineries. On a trip to the popular tourist destination, Hearst Castle, I noticed the Niner tasting room and randomly stopped in to check them out.

The tasting room is a really beautiful open plan space that instantly makes guests feel at home and even with over a dozen guests you won't feel cramped as there is plenty of space inside and out. Of all the wines I tried it was the 2006 Petite Sirah that stood out to me. Made with 14% Syrah/Shiraz, this wine is  very dark red in colour with a nice aroma of dark fruits and blackcurrent. Lovely and smooth this was one of the first fruit driven wines I had experienced after a dozen or so reds from the Californian Central Coast that were much more savoury in style.

Niner Wine Estates 2006 Petite Sirah
Price - $28 plus taxes from Niner Wine Estates
Region - Paso Robles, California Central Coast, United States
Final Sip - A really great wine that I thoroughly enjoyed and it paired very well with a Lamb Ragu with Parpadelle!

(Below: The Exterior and Interior of the Niner Tasting Room)