Cork Poppers -- Italian Wines Rock!

Barb and Mike were our hosts for Cork Poppers this month and the wines of Italy didn't disappoint!

 

We started out with Barb's homemade limoncello, which Bob poured.

Cork Poppers Party Like Its Pompeii!

When our hostess Barb sent out invitations to our most recent Cork Poppers gathering, the theme was "Party Like It's Pompeii." We knew most of the Italian wines would be red and that there would be plenty of fun in store.

Barb greeted us at the door with a spot of limencello to begin the festivities.

After our plates were loaded with Dick and Cheryl's crackers and cheese selections and lovely bits from Meredith's antipasto platter, we were on to the first wine.

This Abazzia di Novacella Stiftskellerei Neustift Pinot Grigio, offered by Dick, was the only white wine but even us red fans were impressed.

"Yummy! It has a bite!" said Barb, while Clayton said he smelled grapefruit, pear and a little lemon.

This wine was from Northern Italy in an area right next to northeast Germany. It certainly ticked all the boxes for taste. At $22 at a local wine shop it was more than I care to spend, but I certainly would be happy to drink it.

At this point, Barb brought out the winesicle. Have you seen these? Freeze them and they are supposed to keep a white wine cool. Needless to say, we had much discussion.

(At this point, only one taste in (if you don't count the Limoncello, which one probably should) we had already disintegrated into loads of laughter and side conversations. So it was a little tough to take notes!)

Photo by Cheryl Rice

My wine was next, a Sanperetto Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore, 2015 by Roberto Mazzi e Figli.

Roger thought it was quite acidic and smelled very purple, after which we had to discuss what purple smelled like. Barb  said "we embrace the Valpolicella."

Someone else said it reminded them of a light pinot noir, not like a heavy Tuscan wine. Clayton said we should "drink it first thing in the morning instead of Welches," but I think I'll give that idea a pass.

This was $16.99 and I got it at a restaurant in Ann Arbor called Paesano's.

Barb was up next with her 2017 Rocca di Montegrossi Chianti Classico, DOCG.

There is often a rooster on the neck of a bottle of chianti, which unfortunately I did not photograph. Barb told us the story of how this came to be (if you're interested, here's a link.) You'll see this mark on a Chianti Classico.

Photo by Cheryl Rice

This one had lots of SanGiovese grapes and was $22 at a local wine shop. We thought it would pair very well with steak or red meat and my notes said, "This is very good!"

Roger was up next with Palazzo Della Torre 2015 IGT by Allegrini.

This Valpolicella came from Northeast Italy near Verona and he told us that it was described as the nose of the wine being forest floor. (You can only imagine the discussion.)

We all agreed it was excellent and at the price (Costco) it was well worth it -- $13.99. (This might have been the wine of the day.)

Somewhere around here we started talking about Pompeii being the Vegas of early Italy -- a resort community with lots of brothels and plenty of mosaics that illustrated what one can do. There were a few on-the-spot limericks and then back to the wine.

Kate offered Maraia Barbera de Monferrato DOC by Marchesi de Barolo which immediately received "Mmmms" from Barb and Jeanie.

Barberas are a really tasty wine. This one came from Torino in Northern Italy and a portion of proceeds from sales go toward the poor and the animals of the area.

Mike said "She pulled into a Sunoco station and this is what they were selling," but in truth, Kate found this excellent bargain at Costco for $11.99.

Photo by Cheryl Rice

If there was a favorite label, it might have been Anne and Clayton's offering of Toscana IGT by Casaponte.

This is a red table wine from Tuscany. "This smells SO good!" I said at the first whiff. "Lock me up in the cellar!" Clayton added.

He said they picked it because Anne liked the label and he liked the wines of Tuscany. It was definitely a good deal -- he bought it at the Meijer store for $13 (on sale). 

Rick was missing this night and around this time we all bemoaned the fact that he preferred to be with cyclists he hadn't seen in decades rather than us. (But he did have a jolly good time riding his bike around Detroit so we shouldn't feel too bad he missed much!)

Our final wine was a Colline Teramane Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOCG Savini Reserva 2012, offered by Dick.

Deep red and tremendously fragrant, it had the full bodied flavor of a really good red wine. Even I could pick up the soft cherry scent.

Unfortunately, this came from Dick's basement and he had no idea of how much it cost or where he got it, but he estimated it was about $20.

Then it was time to hit the kitchen for our dinner. Kate and Anne took on salad and veggie duties.

Mike made a marvelous sausage pasta.

As always, Barb's table was lovely...

...and her party favors perfect, the lava a reminder of Pompeii's fate.

I love how she always incorporates corks into her table settings and floral arrangements.

When all was said and done, we gathered in the living room (the wine was done by then!) and just had a lovely time, talking and hanging out. Friendship. That's what Corkies are all about. (Earlier Cork Popper posts are archived at the menu tab at the top of this page.)

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Cork Poppers Go Italian! That's Amore!

My friend Roger's t-shirt bore a message to consider:

"I've never been in a vineyard but I'm pretty sure I've drunk one."

Cue the music! I think that's how all of us felt after our last Cork Poppers where we sampled wines of Italy. We met at Barb and Mike's house and it was a bit of a celebration and a sadness. We had two birthdays to celebrate and we also knew it would most likely be the last gathering for Pat, who is moving to Savannah.

Pat's farewell Cork Poppers. A toast.

So, I brought Incanto Prosecco to start us out. I thought it was really good and I'd buy this again -- I think it came from Trader Joe's and I bought it in the fall so I can't remember much else about it. Including the price. But time didn't age its sparkle!

We didn't discuss, we just sipped it while we were chatting, setting out wines and getting snacks.

Our first official wine was Benvolio Friuli Pinot Grigio DOC 2016. This was one hundred percent Pinot Grigio grapes and I liked its crispness.

But Cheryl didn't agree. "It smells like urine," she said, adding upon confusion from others enjoying it, "I didn't say anything bad about the taste." She was reminded that she was sitting by the dog when she made that announcement.

At this point, Barb noted that our newest member, "Bob is trying to figure a way to get out of this group," while Meredith, returning from winter in Arizona noted "I'm glad to see nothing has changed."

Bob might be wondering why he decided to join us!

Barb and I both noted we liked this (and for $10 a good buy) while Rick observed that the "apple comes and gets you from the next room." So I won't be sharing it with him. Pat, Anne and Dick, though, were happy to pose with a bottle of white!

The we tried Roger's Pino Grigio delle Venezie IGT 2016 by Kris. I noted that it seemed deeper and smoother than the other with a nice finish. Dick thought it was more tart while Anne said she liked it and Barb assessed, "This is yummy." At $15, a fair buy.

About now we were ready for more food, especially since we needed to soak up the wine that was coming! Rick brought a loaf of Italian bread he baked that morning and it was delish.

I contributed the antipasto platter, while Cheryl/Dick and Pat brought the cheese and crackers. We needed this for our upcoming red wine line-up.

Anne was first with Allegrini Valpolicella DOC 2015. The family has been making wine since the 15th century and the winery itself since 1854. Rick proclaimed this one "delicious!" (But then, it's Valpolicella -- if it's not delish, there's a problem.) He also called it "the best one yet," which made sense because whites aren't his fave and this was the first red. But then he added, "Of all the reds we've had in a long time, this is one of the best."

Someone else said it was like "picking up a handful of cherries and squishing them."  I called it "lovely" and Barb said it's "really, really good." At $20 ($17 on sale) it might not be your daily dash of heart meds, though.

At this point, Dick noted "I think this group has lost a little of its class...it's not just a prime educational experience anymore," (which is how we started.)

He then introduced Tenuta Sassoregale Sangiovese Maremma Toscana 2015 DOC, explaining the grape was usually used as part of a Chianti blend. I thought it tasted good but seemed more like a Pinot Noir to me.

Dick reminded us one should remove chilled wines from the fridge 20 minutes before serving and chill reds about the same amount of time.

Bob offered Modus Tuscana IGT 2014 by Ruffino, saying "I have no idea if it's good or not," to which Rick replied, "It's getting better by the bottle." It was an equal blend of Cabernet, merlot and Sangiovese grapes aged in oak casks.  I found it very smooth. It was Roger's favorite. Price: $21.

About now the group had disintegrated into a panoply of unique and diverse conversations and all who brought wine and presented early were grateful their wines were done so they didn't have to compete with the camaraderie.

Pat then offered up a 2013 Villa Antinori Toscana ICT ($21). Her presentation was the best of the day. "It's a red. Enjoy."

Then it was Rick's turn. When we were visiting Kevin and Molly last, we bought several wines at our favorite Italian grocery. Rick rode his bike to the tasting and said, on his way out, "Just pick one!" from his cupboard. Well, that meant we didn't do any background on it. I grabbed the first Italian I could find -- Cantins Paolini Gurgo Frappato Syrah Terra Sicilane IGP. ($14.99) Bob declared it was a good wine and Mike said, "It's real good." So, there you have it.

Our last wine was Mike's Vietti Barbera d'Asti DOCG 2015 by Tre Vigne. Dick noted "It's like Welches grape juice this first sip, and then it's really good." It's from Northern Italy's Piedmont region (my favorite) and I noted it had nice tannins and a lasting finish. It was very dark. At $18 I think it might have been one of my two favorites (the other was the Valpolicella).

On to dinner to soak up all that wine. (I make us sound really decadent but we aren't really that bad -- they are tasting sips, not whole glasses. Just had to clear that up!) Barb always sets a beautiful and colorful table.

This time we had Corkie place cards...

...and pretty flowers (which we got to take home with us!)

They were a nice accompaniment to Barb's 17 pounds of lasagna and Anne's salad.

 It was very good, but as my socks indicate...

Roger provided a birthday cake for Meredith and Barb.

And it was yummy! No candles though!

There is something wonderful about sitting around a dinner table with a group of friends, everyone having brought something to the table, sharing stories, laughing and celebrating.

And the wine was pretty good, too!

For more Cork Popper posts, see the tab above on the menu bar. Wines are grouped by category. Not all wine is available in all locations and certainly vintage years will be past from older posts. Prices may change based on region and vintage as well, but it's an idea.

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