While Wine Supervisor Paul Quaglini and Fine Wine Buyer Brad Lewis are in Italy this week, guest blogger / wine consultant Daniel Eddy is in Gainesville...where the 2012 Italian Winemakers Tour just wrapped up. Check out his suggestions for what's in stock now while you wait for the new wines to arrive.

This month at our ABC store in Gainesville, we were lucky enough to host seven Italian wine makers for a special “Taste of Italy” wine tasting. From Apulia to the Piedmont and from Tuscany to the Veneto, we covered the length and breadth of Italy. Nadia Galati imports all of the wines for ABC exclusively, and we were happy to have Nadia attend and help us to translate. This style of tasting, with a specific geographic focus, is a fantastic opportunity to really get a sense of a country’s wines from the producers themselves.

From Apulia, the southern tip of Italy, or the heel of the boot, we had Gregory Perrucci of Racemi and Monili. He featured a new blend of Primitivo, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nero, called the Anarkos. This wine was a ripe fruit bomb, with hints of spice and plums, but low tannin and soft acidity. For $15, the Anarkos was a surprise hit and makes a nice addition to their fine line of classic Apulian red wines.

 From Tuscany, Nicolas Caramell featured his two La Ripa Chiantis, the lighter Mona Lisa and the fully organic reserve La Ripa Chianti Classico. Both were favorites of many of our regular guests, and the Classico, a more robust style of Chianti, surprised some of our guests with its density of flavor, almost Cabernet-like for only $25 per bottle. We also had Alberto Passeri of La Gerla, with a full array of his Montalcino-based Sangiovese wines. His classic Rosso and Brunellos were outstanding as usual, but the real hit was his Birba Toscana. This Super Tuscan, made from Brunello-sourced Sangiovese, is individually barrel fermented in small oak barriques, giving a real French polish to this quintessentially Italian wine. At $30, it’s a steal, considering Brunellos cost quite a bit more, so of course, we sold out of it that day.

 The majority of the wineries were from the Veneto, including Giuseppe Nicolis, featuring his classic Valpolicella, as well as his Ripasso and two Amarones. All are the typical Valpolicella blend of Corvina Nero, Rondinella and Molinara, and the break out hit was the Seccal Ripasso for $23 a bottle. It was like getting the flavors of the Amarones but for a third of the price. Giovanna Tantini featured her classic Bardolino, as well as her Chiaretto Rosé, but the fan favorite was the Ettore: a non-traditional blend of Corvina, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. It has all the richness and complexity of a fine Bordeaux red, but at half the price, being only $26 a bottle.

 To finish out the Veneto, Lara Pradal from Collalto featured her outstanding Prosecco di Valdobbiadene and her classic Pinot Grigio. She also sampled her Rosé Spumante, with just a hint of sweetness and a nose of freshly cut roses. This was a beautifully elegant wine for $18 per bottle and was not your typical Italian sparkler. We also featured La Cappucina Soaves and their Madego Bordeaux-style red blend. Though owner, Sisto Teassari, was not able to attend, he did send his fantastic organic wines and the floral Soaves were real hits.

Last but not least from Lombardy and the Piedmont we had Eleonora Giorgi with his three incredibly popular sweet, frizzante wines: the Nadia Malvasia white, the Moscarosa rosé and the Costarosa Sangue de Giuda red. Made in the style of Moscato d’Asti, this one has less alcohol and that hint of natural bubble. The aromas and flavors vary depending on the color, but all are fragrant and soft, with very low acidity, so they are ideal for beginners and paired perfectly with the desserts brought by one of our guests, Dream Day Cakes. From the Piedmont, we featured Ca d’Gal’s Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti produced by Alessandro Boido, which are perennial favorites.

 If you have never been to this style of ABC tasting and there is one near you, attend it! I had more regulars report to me how much more they enjoyed this geographically specific format of tasting over our regular tasting format. Not just because our guests could leave with some signed bottles, though that was a bonus. What made it so special was the chance to confer with the wine makers and owners themselves, to hear their stories and get a sense of their wineries’ histories. Though we featured fewer wines than at our usual tastings, these were some special, pricier wines, and everyone I talked to felt that it was well worth the $10 admission. Guests discovered new wines and bought some, which made our Italian guests very happy, and they will no doubt be back for another wine maker’s tour next year. Check your calendar of events on ABC’s website, or talk to your local wine consultant, to make sure you don’t miss our next wine maker’s tour.

Daniel Eddy

Fine Wine Consultant for ABC in Gainesville, Florida

Wine Pairing Examiner for Examiner.com

http://www.examiner.com/wine-pairing-in-gainesville/daniel-eddy