“Why don’t you come upstairs on Saturday? We have bottled water, candles and salami and I just bought a bunch of Italian wines for my Veneto study.”

On Wednesday I had done a blind tasting of Italian wines at the Vin Master which inspired me to skip several chapters in the Certified Specialist of Wine (CSW) Study Guide and start reading about Italy. I don’t know much about their wines, but I want to!  I learned about the appassimento process, the rivers and geography (the Alps to the north keep the icy winds at bay, so grapes have a better chance).  Veneto is a region in Northeast Italy and is home of the famous Amarone (O. M. G. delicious, but not under $25 so no reviews here) and several other styles and varietals (grape types) unique to Italy.  There are also blends from other grapes not indigenous to Italy. Here is where I reviewed the Soave white wines. But onto the reds. They are rich, fruity, not a lot of oak – very food friendly and delicious. Well, first the hurricane, and then the reds.

Florence was set to decimate the Southeast, and we were on our way to Hilton Head for a long awaited 5 days with my parents. The weather was flawless, and we were hopeful to get a couple of good days before the rain and evacuation, but the same afternoon we arrived we were told to be out by 9 AM the next day. Sigh. So at 6 in the morning we packed up and drove back to Charlotte, safe and sound. To soothe my vacation blues and inspired by the the Italian tasting, I hit Total Wine and came back with a lot of juice. And what else do you do with 7 bottles of wine? You get some salami and invite the neighbors up to wait out the hurricane rains. Now onto the reds.

The first a Bardolino, the only one of it’s style I tasted (Total Wine didn’t have very many). 3 stars at $14.99. Definitely delicious.

• Wine: Montresor Bardolino Le banche di San Lorenzo Fattoria di Cavalcaselle 2016
• Look: hazy, deep color, ruby
• Smell: clean, medium intensity, cherry, vanilla, chocolate
• Taste: off dry (a little sweetness but not sweet), high acid, low tannin, medium body, jam, bell pepper, chocolate
• Notes: medium alcohol, medium finish, good quality, ready to drink

Next up a duo of Valpolicella di Ripasso. Ripasso is a method of taking leftover lees (sediment) from making sweet recioto or that scrumptious Amarone and allowing the new wine to go through another fermentation with these old lees. You can really taste it, it’s remarkable. If you can afford to go get a quality Amarone, then you should. And if you can’t, please get something made in the ripasso technique.  It’s a baby Amarone.

This one is also Total Wine, 3 stars, I will buy this again and enjoy the depth of flavor and a body to go with food or without. $17.99

• Wine: Montresor Capitel della Crosara Valpolicella Ripasso 2016
• Look: clear, medium, ruby
• Smell: clean, medium intensity, jam, forest, almond, wood
• Taste: dry, medium acidity, medium tannin, medium body, black currant, clove, leather
• Notes: medium alcohol, long finish, good quality, ready but could age

And last today another Valpolicella di Ripasso, also 2016 and from Total Wine with 3 stars, fuller body, and an oh-so-slightly lower price tag of $15.99

• Wine: Villa Maffei Valpolicella 2016
• Look: hazy, deep, purple
• Smell: clean, medium intensity, blackberry, violet, mushroom, forest
• Taste: dry, medium acidity, medium tannin, full body, blackberry, black pepper
• Notes: high alcohol, long finish, good quality, ready but could age

Cheers darlings.