Showing posts with label organic wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label organic wine. Show all posts

Monday, October 10, 2011

Cantina Due Palme Brindisi 2009


The Brindisi region of Italy is known for producing wines from the Malvasia (Malmsey) grape, a sweet grape also used in the production of Madeira port.

This is the third of the "bargain bin" wines bought from Wein & Co. (which means I'll have to go back soon! Yes, apparently I have changed my opinion of the place). It is slightly sweeter than what I had expected from an Italian wine, being partial to Chianti. However, once decanted, the taste grows on you. Not as sweet as the Zinfandel I bought on the same trip (I unfortuanltely am going to have to put that one in the "yucky" pile), but still, not a wine to have with dinner. I made the unfortunate mistake of opening mine to sample with the roasted garlic and Brie I made...oops. That should teach me to assume an Italian wine is going to be dry.

Perhaps I'm a hopeless snob, but I did prefer the Brisini to the Zinfandel, although the tastes, textures, colors, etc., were similar. I am not a fan of sweet red wines, unless they are meant to be drunk with dessert. Perhaps this is a good time to bone up on my Italian so I can actually read the wine label and save myself from certain...errors in the future.

All was not lost, however, as this wine is better once decanted (i.e. left to sit out in my kitchen over night...) and tasted much better with a piece of Milka chocolate the next evening after supper!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Il Sole: Rosso delle Venezie 2010

This Italian red is also an organic selection, bought from Bio-Markt Maran in Vienna.

The bouquet is spicy, with notes of cherry and cinnamon. And from the name, it is discernible that the wine is from Venice. More, such as the grape variety, is less discernible. By that, I mean it doesn't say what it is on the bottle. However, the taste is reminiscent of a Chianti or a Temperanillo...a nice red grape grown in a southern clime. Near the sea?

On sale for €3.59, I bought two bottles. Although I can't taste an appreciable difference between organic and "regular" red wine, like I can with tomatoes, for example, the price difference is completely nonexistant, at least in this instance. Definitely a keeper.