Today's Dessert Wine Article

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Molise Region

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Molise region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you?ll have fun on this fact-filled wine education tour.

Molise is a small region of central eastern Italy on the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most unspoiled regions of Italy, about 90% hills and mountains. Its total population is less than a third of a million people, which makes it the second least populous region of Italy after the Aosta Valley. Molise was associated with Abbruzo until 1963.

Agricultural products include livestock, pigs, sheep, and goats, wheat and a variety of vegetables including giant celery. The coast furnishes seafood and fish. Polenta (cornbread) is as popular as pasta.

Isernia is the largest city with a population somewhat less than ninety thousand. This area was first settled about 700,000 years ago (not a typographical error) and is of archeological interest. The regional capital, Campobasso, was the site of major battles during World War II. If you love old European cities consider visiting Larino, even if it is not mentioned in major tourist guides. (I?m not naming names.)

Molise devotes about nineteen thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 18th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about nine and a half million gallons, also giving it an 18th place. The region produces 3 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Less than 4% of Molise wine carries the DOC designation. Molise is home to almost two dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.

Widely grown international white grape varieties include Chardonnay and Trebbiano (in particular the Italian Trebbiano Toscano subvariety). The best known Italian white variety is Falanghina, the main component in the wine reviewed below.

The best known strictly Italian red varieties are Montepulciano, Agliacano, and Tintilia.

Before reviewing the Molise wine and cheese that we were lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.
Start with Taccozze alla Crema a?Asparagi, Hand-Cut Pasta Squares in Asparagus Cream.
Then move on to Zuppa di Pesce alla Termolese, Seafood Pot from Termoli, a resort on the Adriatic Sea.
For dessert indulge yourself with Calcuini del Molise, Sweet Chestnut Fritters.

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed
Rami Di Majo Norante Falanghina Del Molise 2005 12.5% alcohol about $11.50

I?ll start by quoting the marketing materials. ?Made from the well-known Falanghina grape (with a little help from the ubiquitous Fiano variety), this delviers fresh peach and apricot flavors with a good citrus spine. It?s crisp and refreshing. And goes well with slightly spicy seafood or chicken, or makes an excellent sipping wine.?

I first tasted this wine with fried chicken cutlets, rice, and corn on the cob. I found it smooth with apricot but no peach flavors. It had more of a citrus smell than taste. I added a cayenne pepper sauce to the meat, and the wine rose to the challenge.

I then tried Talapia filets cooked in an onion sauce with a side of green beans in tomato sauce. I added too much cayenne pepper sauce, which was too harsh for the wine and for the fish itself. However, even with a deadened palate the wine was pleasant.

In the presence of a commercial chicken pot pie with a chili and lime hot sauce (but not too much) the wine was citrusy and refreshingly acidic. On the down side, the wine was short.

Kube, also known as kibbe, is a Middle-Eastern specialty of balls of ground rice filled with ground meat that cooks slowly. The wine was an excellent companion, its acidity cutting the grease nicely. The word gossamer came to mind.

Sometimes we have to make compromises. As you can guess from the name, Pecorino Toscano is not a cheese from the Molise region. It is a sheep?s milk cheese that has been made in Tuscany and neighboring Umbria for thousands of years. Soft Pecorino Toscano is white with a tinge of yellow, while semi-hard Pecorino Toscano is pale yellow. It is moderately strong smelling and has a complex nutty flavor. In the presence of this cheese, our was crisp and yet unctuous.

Final verdict. This wine is a winner. When making notes on this wine I mistakenly identified it as a DOC wine but I double-checked the label. It is not a DOC wine, but in my opinion is better than many DOC wines that I?ve tasted.

A Short Dessert Wine Summary

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Molise Region


If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Molise region of central Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that you?ll have fu...


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Wine Stores For Your Reading Pleasure

A Look At American Wineries, It's More Than Just California

Wine is produced in all 50 states in the US. While California accounts for the majority of American wine production (followed by Washington State, New York State, and Oregon), there are many wineries spread all over throughout the United States that are worth visiting.

Finding a Winery

There are many sites online that can help assist you in finding the perfect winery to visit. All American Wineries is one great resource, as it lists wineries, the states they are in, and shares people's opinions/reviews on some of the wineries. Looking online helps you find smaller wineries, which do not share large-advertising budgets to get their name out, but could be just what you're looking for.

If you are traveling spur-the-moment, or do not have internet access, you can check the phone book, or simply ask around, many smaller wineries are well-known to people around town.

Wineries tend to utilize the type of grape that is grown in their region. Because of this, wines have a unique taste and zest, specific to location. Those producing this wine generally have taste for what best compliments their wine. In effect, you can go to almost any winery and have a completely unique experience!

Contrary to popular belief, wineries do not have to be located near a vineyard, because grapes can be shipped in, and because wine can be made of other fruits and plants. Specialty wineries are also located in the US (although they are less common). Some different types of wine: dandelion wine, apple wine, strawberry wine.

Wineries offer many different activities, but they are usually special events that happen occasionally. If you are looking to pursue one of these events (like sample wine from wineries all over the world), you might have to do more extensive research. You can find what you're looking for by calling different wineries and asking if and when they are doing something of the sort, or by simply looking more extensively online.

Winery Activities

Different wineries offer different experiences, taste-wise, and activity-wise. There are constantly different festivals and events occurring (depending on season, location, and reason). Some wineries offer private tours of the valley, wine facility tours, catered lunches, taste-testing, live music, and other activities to pursue during your time there.

Location

If you cannot decide which winery to pursue based on information about the winery, you might want to consider traveling by location. This is a realistic possibility as there are wineries scattered all around the US. For example, if you might want to do more than check out the winery, you could chose your winery according to whether or not you want to ski, surf, or shop.

There is an anonymous quote saying "life is too short to drink bad wine", and by doing your own research and not settling for the most-advertised, or most convenient winery, you are certain to find a perfect wine, and have a wonderful time doing so.

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