Italian Wine Night

Wines from Italy

Appreciating wines from the Old World is not a skill, nor a talent, it is simply a matter of exposure to good wines that excite your palate and create an interest in venturing further out into the seemingly complex word of grape types with strange names and odd pronunciations.

Max Evans, the speaker and presenter for this seminar, has a way of story telling that allows listeners to learn without realizing it. Every seminar we have had with Max, we have learned something new about the Italian wine world.

If you are used to drinking New World *meaning wines from Australia, California, Pacific Northwest, etc* with the character profiles of having big body, bold fruit, high alcohol, and wallops of oak, this is a wonderful chance to explore wines that are completely out of your comfort zone, but will still satisfy your palate's craving for masculine styled juice.

$20 per head for meetup.com Gainesville Wine Tasters members. Wines served with food, RSVP by emailing alandragin@gmail.com


Tasting Menu:

Adami Prosecco Garbel-- a lovely sparkling wine to start the evening off, with a 13 grams of residual sugar, this is a lip smacking little treat to get the group started off on the right foot.

Santa Barbara Verdicchio-- moving into a lovely, bright white, with an accent on fruit and a mineral finish, verdicchio is the perfect wine for Thanksgiving side dishes.

Di Leonardo Pinot Grigio-- some people love Pinot Grigio, while others snub their noses at it. This little diplomat is bound to please both sides of the line.

La Slina Bianco-- La Slina has been a consistent wine for us throughout the Cork & Fork experience, it is tantalizing and juicy, a great compliment to any seafood or light vegetable dish.

Dal Maso Gambellara-- the Garganega grapes here are grown from volcanic soils, creating a strong and sturdy vine that struggles for survival. This means the grapes are brusting with character and fruit.

Degani Valpolicella-- the Degani brothers are hailed as two of the most amazing small and dynamic wine producers by the Gambero Rosso, and true to the review, release wonderful wines year after year under a small production umbrella.

Terre Elima Nero d'Avola-- hailing from Sicily, the Nero d'Avola grape is a wonderful light yet earth bound red grape, sometimes compared to a cross between Gamay and Pinot Noir.

Verbena Rosso di Montalcino-- made from the well known Sangiovese grape, this baby Brunello is packed with floral aromas, multi-dimensional flavor scheme, and a finish that is clean and well balanced.

Savignola Paolina Il Granaio-- we will then move onto a blend of Sangiovese and Merlot with the Granaio, a well rounded wine with evident notes of red berries.

Voulet-- the Voulet needs no introduction, as it is by far our favorite wine, made from Malvasia grapes. It's big brother, the Sulin, is all reserve fruit, and just delicious.