Inside IWM

The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

Date Wines

Deciphering the list

Looking at a wine list can sometimes be daunting task, especially if you’re clueless about wine. So many regions, styles, varieties and prices stare you in the face. Red or white? Cheap or expensive? French or Italian? It’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Whether you’re a girl or a guy, choosing the right bottle can earn you a couple of notches of respect. If you’re going on a dinner date, lack much wine knowledge, and don’t want to look like a fool when ordering a bottle, you might want to do a little research first. See if you can check out the restaurant’s wine list online to gain some prior knowledge. Similarly, finding out what type of wine your date likes (fuller or lighter, fruity or earthy, oak or no oak) will make choosing much easier. The bottom line in choosing a “good” wine is taking the initiative—and knowing about what’s available, what your dining companion enjoys, and what all those names on a wine list mean. If you can’t access an online wine list, then you are going to have to wing it.

Step 1/Preferences: Ask your date his or her preference before you place the order. Never pick the cheapest or the most expensive wine; go for something in between.

Step 2/The Wines: I often like to start out with some Prosecco. It’s youthful, fresh and bubbly character is perfect match for conversation and appetizer, and its residual sugar makes it user-friendly; you really can’t go wrong. White wines offer lots of options for you and your date. For a fuller, low acid, creamy wine, look to California and Australia for some Chardonnay and Viognier. If you’re in the mood for an aromatic, expressive, lean wine with sassy acidiy and a natural affinity for food, head to France’s Loire Valley’s Sauvignon Blanc wines or to Germany for their dry Riesling. It’s expensive, but Burgundy’s take on Chardonnay is sexy, seductive, and elegant. Try Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Pinot Grigio from Italy for whites that fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. More expansive than whites are reds, and if you’re date favors wines from the ruby end of the spectrum, you might choose a full, warm and viscous, oak scented wine from California, Australia, or Spain. It’s tough to go wrong with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah or Pinot Noir. Out of these varietals, Pinot Noir would be the friendliest because of its gorgeous fruit, elegant stature and polished mouth feel. It’s definitely a great date wine, and it’s always a smart way to gauge the tastes of your partne,  because you can always hop up to a Merlot, a Cabernet, or Syrah—or dial it down with a Gamay from Beaujolais.

Spain’s Tempranillo, Grenache, Graciano and Mourvedre are full-bodied wines with higher alcohol and bolder fruit. The Provence and the Languedoc Roussillon region of south France give hearty, full wines with great value. Elegant reds require you to head to the Old World of France and Italy. Generally lighter in body, and higher in acidity and earthiness, these wines are great to pair with food. Italy’s Barbera and Dolcetto will satisfy your tastes for tart, berry fruit, a medium body and a low level of tannin, while the Cabernet Franc grape from the Loire Valley offers earthy fruit and fresh acidity. For optimal pairing with pasta, you don’t have to look any further than a nice, lean Chianti; its typical Sangiovese bite and dusty tannins make pasta sing.

Step 3/Confidence: No matter what you do, try to look confident when ordering wine, even if you are clueless. If lost, you can simply ask the waiter to choose a wine that would go nicely with your meal—there is no shame in asking for help. Above all, remember that drinking wine will help you learn and help you choose. Whether the date goes splendidly well or tanks epically well, you can always count on the wine to teach you something new and tasty.

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Prosecco Earns its Place

Looking at the new DOC and DOCG

Perhaps more than other wines that have successfully established their identities, Prosecco is a wine in transition. While it has been around since ancient Rome, the wine is finally achieving the status its pedigree and history demand.  Effective April 1, 2010, the term “Prosecco” refers to a specific place: Veneto and parts of Friuli-Venezia Giulia in the northeastern corner of Italy. These two regions, along with nine other specific provinces, geographically define the current Prosecco DOC. While Prosecco is actually the name of a town near the city of Trieste in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, the wine’s major grape, formerly known as Prosecco, will now go by the ancient name of Glera, a name unfamiliar even to the people within the region.  However, only the name has changed; Italian Prosecco has always been made with Glera, though lesser known varieties have figured into the wine’s composition in rather negligible amounts over time.

The incorporation of the new DOCG classification (Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore) ensures that wines from the two most prominent zones will face stricter controls and be given the highest guarantee. Comprised of fifteen communes (or townships), the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene zone is a hilly region with very steep slopes that require vineyard operations to be performed by hand, a practice that has been in place for over three centuries. In addition to the general designation, wines that derive from a single hillside will, in conjunction with standard DOCG labeling, include the term rive, which refers to the finest vineyards and those receiving favorable exposure.

According to Decanter, these “new regulations will also regulate yield for both the new DOC and DOCG zones should be reduced. The DOC will show the most drastic decrease – from the current 180hl/ha to 126hl/ha. There will also be a small reduction in yields in the DOCG zone, from 95hl/ha to 90hl/ha.”

What all this tech talk means for wine consumers is that we can expect a rise in the quality of Prosecco—that’s good news for us. Full of refreshing acidity, pleasant aromatics and delicate flavors of peach and green apple, Prosecco is a perfect sparkler for summer. And its reasonable price point and easy-drinking nature doesn’t hurt, either. However, because of these recent changes, Prosecco may become a more serious wine.

While Prosecco hasn’t carried the same prestige or fastidious production as Champagne— where secondary fermentation is carried out in bottle (méthode champenoise) as opposed to stainless steel tanks (the charmat method)—with the spanky new DOC/G areas and the accompanying raising of standards, it has a reason to take itself more seriously—even if it remains a seriously fun wine to drink!

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Pricey Prosecco

New DOCG Status for Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene

Get ready, America. Prosecco prices are undoubtedly rising soon. But this increase is for good reason: the production zone of Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene has finally received DOCG Status. This superior growing zone is restricted to the hills around the towns of the Conegliano and Valdobbiadene in northern Veneto. In these areas, production yields are naturally lower due to vineyards being planted on sloping terraces.

As anyone worth his or her weight in jeroboams knows, low yields assure drinkers higher quality wines than those produced from vineyards with high yields, such as those wines formerly produced under the more relaxed DOC and IGTs of Veneto. These regions churn out enormous amounts of sparkling wine each year, and Prosecco from these areas have become very popular internationally due to their everyday price appeal. While there are certainly many products from these regions that drink well and have their place at the table, now there will be more quality wines.

The theory behind creating a new DOCG is to ensure that a higher quality product makes it to the market and to help reduce the large amount of overproduction in the area. Unquestionably, some concerns arise; many American consumers may balk at the price tag that will accompany these superior Proseccos because most American consumers see Prosecco as an alternative to more expensive champagne.  However, while DOCG will certainly fetch higher prices due smaller production, the installation of a Cru system similar to that of Barolo in Piedmont will also bring about far more exciting, high-quality, artisanal Proseccos. Soon DOCG producers will be able to label wines with a singular “Cru,” which will help bring more attention to the area and develop a profound following of Cru Prosecco.

The most important question is this: are Americans ready to fork over $30, $40, or even $50 for Cru Prosecco? Or will this entire idea backfire? It will be interesting to see. It will certainly be fun as a trade member to taste each Cru and experience what a boutique Prosecco tastes like.

Let me ask you: America, are you ready?

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