Page Two of Good-Value Italian Wines
Ruffino, one of the best-known Chianti producers in the US, was founded in Tuscany in 1877 by cousins Ilario and Leopoldo Ruffino. In 1913, when it was the largest wine producer in Tuscany, it was bought by the winemaking Folonari family. Today it’s run by the sixth generation of the family in the wine business, Adolfo and Luigi Folonari, aided by the seventh. With a recent renewed emphasis on quality, Ruffino has invested $72 million in improvements over the past seven years.
Many of us remember the ubiquitous straw-covered bottles Chianti used to arrive in — the ones that inevitably became candle holders — when we were first exploring wine. In 1975, Ruffino got much press and even helped advance Chianti’s image when it replaced this “fiasco” (the Italian name for this type of bottle) with a voluptuous Florentine bottle still in use today. (The Folonaris understand the importance of packaging: Decades earlier they pioneered the production and distribution of wine in bottles, which greatly improved the consistency and quality of wine. And in 1954 Franceso Folonari introduced screw-cap bottles to the Italian wine market.)
Chianti, Italy’s best-known wine, is food friendly and reasonably priced. In The Wines of Italy, Italian wine expert Burton Anderson writes, “Chianti offers some of the best value in wine today.” Aware that people are currently interested in less expensive wines, Ruffino has suggested some substitutions for consumers familiar with their wines. If you enjoy their Il Ducale Toscana ($19), they believe you’ll like their Chianti ($10). If you’re a fan of their Riserva Ducale ($27), try the Superiore ($13). If Lodola Nuova Vino Nobile di Montipulciano ($23) is your cup of tea — er, glass of wine — check out Aziano ($15).
Ruffino Libaio Chardonnay 2007, $12: 100% Chardonnay; fresh, fruity (this Chardonnay is unoaked), crisp and medium bodied, with aromas and flavors of apples and citrus; always a good choice
Ruffino Chianti 2007, $10: 75% Sangiovese, 25% Canaiolo, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon; medium bodied, with aromas and flavors of cherries and strawberries
Ruffino Chianti Classico Tenuta Santedame 2006, $18: 85% Sangiovese and 15% other red grapes; with aromas and flavors of cherries, strawberries, plums and violets
Bordering Austria, the small Alto Adige is Italy’s northernmost, mountainous grape-growing province. Although it’s often overshadowed by more prestigious regions, Alto Adige merits attention for its good-value wines, like those from Alois Lageder, who’s generally considered its leading producer. “While Antinori and Ruffino are big names — they're well known and deservedly so,” says James Beard Award-winning writer Bill Marsano, “Alois Lageder is undeservedly obscure, despite making some of the finest white wines in Italy.”
Lageder’s winery, another family business, was founded in 1855 by his great grandfather. Alois Lageder, the fifth generation, is currently in command, with his brother-in-law Luis von Dellermann as winemaker.
The winery is distinguished by Lageder’s great attention to detail. His wines reflect the special care and attention they receive. Lageder has wholeheartedly embraced the latest politically and environmentally correct equipment and techniques. Löwengang estate, his state-of-the-green-art facility completed in 1996, relies on natural and renewable energy sources, and is heading toward energy self-sufficiency. Sustainable, organic and biodynamic methods — what he calls “environment-friendly agriculture" — are all employed in the vineyards.
And the environment in Alto Adige is very grape friendly. A diverse mix of microclimates and soils combined with more than 300 days of sunshine provides ideal conditions for a wide range of grape varieties. Lageder offers about 35 wines in all grouped in four different tiers — Classic, Single Vineyards, Portico dei Leoni and Single Estate. Lageder’s Classic wines, the entry level, feature 11 Italian, Germanic and international varietals that are traditionally grown in the region: Pinot Bianco, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Müller Thurgau, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Lagrein, Pinot Nero and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie Riff 2007, $12: crisp, delicate minerality, light bodied, with aromas and flavors of apples and lemons
Alois Lageder Pinot Bianco Dolomiti 2007, $16: elegant, medium bodied, with aromas and flavors of apples, peaches and honey; Pinot Bianco is a specialty of Lageder’s
Alois Lageder Chardonnay Alto Adige 2007, $16: medium bodied, with aromas and flavors of subtropical fruits, kiwis, green bananas and white flowers
The Veneto, in northeastern Italy, is a major producer and exporter of moderately priced wines. Zenato, one of its large commercial producers, specializes in native varietals from the Lugana and Valpolicella regions.
The winery was founded in 1960 by Sergio and Carla Zenato around the shores of Lake Garda — an auspicious site for vineyards since ancient times (grape growing here is thought to date back to the Bronze Age). Today daughter Nadia and son Alberto are in charge. The Zenatos first made white wine from the indigenous Trebbiano de Lugana. (Trebbiano, which excels in this particular region, is the most widely planted white varietal in Italy.) In 1975 they expanded to Valpolicella, a red wine that’s a mainstay of the Veneto.
Although it’s not well known in the US, Lugana was dubbed a "regal wine" way back in 1597 by Dr. Andrea Bacci in his De Naturali historia vinorum. Gothic King Deodatus, who lived around the middle of the first millennium of the Christian era, allegedly had large quantities of it sent to Rome to delight guests at his banquets. Unlike Lugana, Valpolicella, a hearty red, is well known in the States. Generally meant to be drunk young, it’s typically a blend of Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara grapes.
Leonardo LoCascio, one of the US’s best wine importers (see my story The Name on the Back of the Bottle: Wine Importers You Can Rely On), considers Zenato’s Valpolicella Ripassa (2007; $30) to be one of the 25 most influential Italian wines of the past 25 years. “These are wines that are critically important to me,” said LoCascio. “Not just Winebow wines [which this is], but Italian wines that made Italian wines what they are today.” He touts Zenato’s Ripassa as “one of the seminal wines responsible for the explosive consumer interest in the Ripasso style [a process that gives the wines an uncommon depth and range of flavors] of Verona wines.” Zenato’s Valpolicella and Ripassa are considered benchmarks.
Zenato Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2006, $15: 80% Corvina, 10% Rondinella and 10% Sangiovese; fruity, crisp, and robust, with aromas and flavors of wild berries, blackberries, currants, black cherries and spice
Zenato Lugana San Benedetto 2007, $14: 100% Trebbiano de Lugana; crisp, fruity, full bodied, with aromas and flavors of oranges, lemons, peaches and bananas
Zenato Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie 2007, $13: 100% Pinot Grigio; refreshing, medium bodied, with aromas and flavors of apples and pears
*The prices given are suggested retail. Chances are you’ll be able to find the wines for considerably less (and sometimes more) money. Within producers, wines are listed according to preference, taking price into account.
©2009 Sharon Kapnick for SeniorWomenWeb
