The Three Best Italian Red Wines You Must Try.
Summer landscape in Langhe (Piedmont, Italy), with vineyards, at Grinzane Cavour
Italian Red Wine covers an extremely vast area, with over 350 regional wines and over 500 native Italian wine grapes – where does one start? This guide will open your horizons to a world of delicious and unique wines, accompanied with various price friendly choices which are offered at both our Gosling’s store locations.
Let’s start with our go-to red varieties -
1. Sangiovese: Italy's most well-known and widely planted red grape variety, Sangiovese, is a thin-skinned, finicky grape that tends to linger longer on the vine, taking its sweet time to ripen and mature.
The Taste of Sangiovese: Get ready for a lovely high level of mouth-watering acidity carried through dry and medium bodied complexities. The mouth feel is encompassed by rich rustic flavors which range from earthy, spicy oak to floral red and dark fruits.
2. Barbera: Barbera is a red Italian wine that is the third most planted grape in the entire country. This coveted grape was born in the northern region of Piedmont and is often referred to as “the peoples wine” due to its availability as an every-day affordable stunner!
The Taste of Barbera: A wine which is characterized by its dark color and overall light taste. The mouth feel will burst with varieties of berry flavors such as strawberry, cherry and raspberries while offering pleasant aromas of blackberries as well.
3. Nebbiolo: A well-known grape variety coming from the top-quality red wines of Piedmont. This dominant variety is quintessential in the make-up of the regions historical prestige. Nebbiolo wines are often distinguished by their high-acidity and strong tannins.
The Taste of Barbera: These unique wines are well-known due to their complex flavors and interesting subtleties. One will find delicate floral fruity notes on the nose, and strong hints of red/dark fruit & leather on the palate.
Now that we’ve explored these admirable grape varieties, let’s explore some options here at Gosling’s!
1. Sangiovese - Banfi Col Di Sasso:
Col di Sasso, which translates to "Stony Hill," is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese grapes cultivated on the most rocky and impervious slopes of the Banfi estate in Montalcino, Tuscany. Col di Sasso is a youthful red to be enjoyed with grilled or roasted meats, poultry, or as an ideal accompaniment to pasta with meat sauce and mildly piquant cheeses.Retail Price: $19.25
2. Barbera - Pelissero Barbera d'Alba doc Piani:
A glorious Barbera, loaded with rich and juicy black fruit, hints of violets, and mouthwatering acidity on the finish, plush but energetic feel and outstanding length on the fruit-filled finish. Ripe enough for sipping, zesty enough for pizza and complex enough to pair up with a Sunday roast. Excellent stuff.
Retail Price: $29.20
3: Nebbiolo – Gaja Sperss Langhe
The grapes from the excellent Cerequio vineyard in La Morra undergo classic fermentation over 3 weeks in steel tanks. The wine is then aged for 12 months in barriques and 18 months in large oak barrels. The Sperss has a stringent Nebbiolo character: strong, masculine structure and a lot of ripe tannins. The bouquet has dark, precise fruit with classic echoes of cherry, liquorice and light notes of tar. Has depth, quality, and the deliciousness you expect from wines at this price.
Retail Price: $221.00