Guest blogger Scott Carter is the wine consultant in our Doral store. He recently returned from a trip to Italy with other members of our wine team.

Where passion meets family and skill

When you are blessed with the finest ingredients, know how to use them, and have the passion to create, the result is Giovanna Tantini’s vineyard, winery, cellar, and bed & breakfast. The seriousness of a top Bardolino producer is permeated with the warmth of family and hospitality.  Immediately upon arriving, the Giovanna Tantini experience comes alive.  ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Wine Supervisor Ken Amendola describes the winery and vineyards perfectly: “Collalto (a winery and vineyard associated with royalty and luxury) is great to visit, but Giovanna Tantini is the vineyard that you want to own.”

www.giovannatantini.it

Giovanna began her family (she’s married with two children) after finding her passion in the vineyard and has eloquently combined the two.  She graduated with a law degree and never practiced an hour in her life; instead, she has become one of the most skilled viticulturists and oenologists in Italy. Understanding her background is critical to understanding the emphasis
that her passion, family, and skill have on her wines.

Upon arrival, you are greeted with a friendly, smiling face that sets the stage for your experience. The driveway is gravel, with vineyards off to the side, giving a rustic, middle of the vineyard, feel.  Giovanna Tantini’s vineyards surround the combined bed & breakfast / winemaking facility.  The temperature of the vineyard is regulated by Lake Garda, which is between Milan and Verona, allowing the grapes, Corvina, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Rondinella, and Molinara, to reach peak ripeness and maximize the flavors in the resulting Bardolino wine.

If you were to enjoy a “light lunch” at the winery, you would feast upon homemade tomato sauce, sausage, different types of cheeses and meats, endless wine, and a “jammy tart” for dessert.  The steel fermentation tanks are located a few steps away from the dining room, the bedrooms are upstairs, and the doors and windows are always open.  In the kitchen stands a stone well that drops over 100 feet and is covered by glass.

We were fortunate to take a walk through the vineyard, taste some grapes off the vine, and see how passionate Giovanna is about the vineyard.  Her wines are a direct reflection of her personality, her work ethic, and her family.  Giovanna’s cellar is located within the walls of Lazise, on Lake Garda.  You can walk the old cobblestone village streets, shop in the marketplace, or enjoy a beautiful sunset with gelato, dinner, or a glass of wine.  As you walk along the lake, appreciate the view of sailboats on the water, mountains in the distance, and orange spritzes on the restaurant patio tables.

Giovanna Tantini’s Bardolino Chiaretto is a DOC, Denominazione Origine Controllata, and a great apéritif or summertime rosé wine.  Each of the vintages that we enjoyed had distinguishing characteristics.  The 2010 was soft and mineral driven.  This wine would be best enjoyed while relaxing at the beach or by the pool.  The 2009 was a little more expressive, in terms of the quantity of fruit characteristics, and the minerality seemed to blend seamlessly with the fruit and acidity. The 2011 is highly aromatically expressive, with the greatest aromatic intensity, as Bardolino Chiaretto is at its ideal consuming age when young, beaming with floral characteristics, such as jasmine and pink rose, followed by aromas of wild strawberries, tangerine, and cantaloupe.  The palate retains the intensity found on the nose, with the addition of cleansing acidity and a quick finish that leaves you ready and waiting for your next sip of wine or taste of your favorite appetizer.  Consumption should be frequent and soon.

Giovanna Tantini’s Bardolino is a DOC, Denominazione Origine Controllata, and can be a fun red wine for beginner wine drinkers or serious experts.  The color gives a mixed signal, as the color is see through and the nose is highly expressive.  It reminds me of Reggiano Parmesan, where just a little square of cheese can pack tons of flavor, and makes a great pairing with the Bardolino.  The nose is elegant with red roses, grilled portabella mushrooms, and sautéed porcini mushrooms (another great pairing) leading the way, yet well entwined with cranberries, blueberries, plums, and black pepper.  The palate is as soft as the tannins, as light as the color, and as lengthy as the aromatic concentration.

Ettore, named after Giovanna’s son, is an IGT, Indicacion Geografica Tipica, comprised of Corvina (80%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%), and Merlot (10%).  The wine is allowed to dehydrate on the vines for three weeks before harvest to allow for richer flavors.  The wine is full bodied, light in tannin structure, refreshing acidity, and a blackberry, blueberry, and strawberry fruit structure leading to a lengthy finish with a touch of clove and black pepper.  Ettore’s balance of richness, acidity, and low tannins entice your next sip.  The wine was paired at dinner with four inch grilled Tuscan steaks, as well as with a fresh gelato desert.