Saturday I discovered three fun Italian wines in Sonoma…Sonoma Restaurant and Wine Bar in Washington, DC that is. ;)

The first wine was over dinner (very good food by the way) and part of the Tiny Bubbles wine flight, a comparison of sparkling wines. The flights at Sonoma are generous pours so you really get a taste for the wine.

Quattro Mani Franciacorta Brut

  • Grape Variety: 80% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, 10% Pinot Nero from Lombardy, Italy
  • Aroma & Taste: A combination of fruity and slightly yeasty/bready (like you get from Champagne)
  • Price: $15
  • My thoughts: This was a combination of grapes I hadn’t tried before and in a sparkling wine. It was a combination of a brut sparkling wine and a prosecco. Fun and different!

We served the second and third wines at my birthday party we held here Saturday night.

Terre Grillo IGT Sicilia 2008

  • Grape Variety: 100% Grillo, an ancient grape variety from Sicily, estate where the grapes come from founded in 1875
  • Aroma: White flowers and tropical fruit
  • Taste: Lively, round body, melon and citrus
  • Price: $9
  • My thoughts: This was my drink of choice at the party! Really great wine … a cross between a Viognier, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc. Definitely want to find this one for home!

Terre Negroamaro IGT Puglia 2008

  • Grape Variety: 100% Negroamaro grown in Lecce in Puglia (the heel of Italy’s boot)
  • Aroma: Red fruit with touch of earthiness (my girlfriend said almost mushroomy)
  • Taste: Medium bodied with red fruit and spice
  • Price: $9
  • My thoughts: Another really nice wine at a great price! I discovered this grape on our trip to Puglia last summer. Puglia is Italy’s largest wine producer. Negroamaro means ‘bitter black’ and produces a big wine. This wine wasn’t too big probably due to the fact it is aged in stainless steel tanks. The label has a great illustration of the region’s trulli on it, round limestone buildings with conical grey stone roofs dating back to the Middle Ages that served as peasant homes.

Cheers to new wine discoveries![/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]