Italy - beyond Pinot Grigio

There is no Italian pinot grigio on the wine list at artisan&vine. It's not that we're against it. We just didn't find a natural one that we thought represented good value for money to put on our list.
 

I reckon you'll thank us for it.
 

This week we talk through "the rest" of Italy - beyond Tuscany and less pronouncable than "Chianti"... check this out:

Wines on tasting

1. Prosecco di Valdobbiadene 2005, 11%abv, Casa Coste Piane, Veneto, Italy

£29.00 bar price. Far from your average prosecco - we had to include this on the tasting! This Prosecco is one of the few made in the champenoise method; however, in this case, disengorgement is not practised, giving the wine a hazy, natural appearance. Big lemon flavours and aromas, not your usual prosecco!

2. Arcese 2006, Vittorio Bera, Canelli, Piemonte, Italy.

Favorita, Arneis, Cortese; 12% abv. £21.90 bar price. A delicious fusion of three Piemontese indigenous white grape varieties to balance aroma, texture & acidity to refreshing & exciting effect. This is a frizzante wine: it is slightly sparkling, incredibly refreshing!

3. Verdicchio di Castelli di Jesi Riserva "Vigna dell Oche" 2004, San Lorenzo, Marche,

100% Verdicchio. £32.90 bar price. I‟ve really come to love Verdicchio as a grape variety. It has a really interesting minerality alongside tropical fruit flavours. This wine is an absolute pleasure to drink. Rich & warm verdicchio. Shows lots of complexity mixing fresh citrus, herbs & toasty aromas.

4. Contadino #5, 2007, Frank Cornelissen, Mt Etna, Sicily.

A blend of white and red varieties Carricante, Inzolia, Catarratto, Nerello Mascalese, Alicante,... 100% natural, no added sulphites; non-filtered. £28.10 bar price. Well... I have to tell you guys... six months on... this is still the Number One wine for me. Why is this my favourite on the whole list? Well, partly, I trekked up Mt Etna last December to meet Frank, understand how he makes his wines & taste this gem. The other part – the main part – is worth reiterating – I tasted this gem. Full of volcanic power, this is a genuinely stunning bright red wine. Dark, black, rich berry flavours but with a freshness and acidity you would only expect from the brightest Alsatian white. Absolutely worth a try... unsulfured & unstable... there‟s no telling how long this wine will taste so spectacular.

5. Nero di Lupo 2006, AA COS, Siciliy

100% Nero d‟Avola 12.5% abv. £27.60 bar price. This wine has become an a&v classic... there are not many regulars who‟ve not tasted Nero di Lupo at some stage. Fantastic silky texture with powerful black fruit flavours, a beautiful display of what Sicily has to offer.

All wines on tasting are available to take home at special 10% discount on regular SHOP PRICES on night of tasting