Document text
- Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Archives Revels Classifieds Real Estate Menu Guide Wedding Weather Subscribe Contact Us May 3, 2005 Off The Vine Chianti and Barolo aren’t the same So many folks have asked about the difference between Chianti and Barolo, the two great Italian reds, that I thought I’d give you an idea about these lovely red wines from Northern Italy. Lorn Razzano The first lesson is: never buy a Chianti unless it is from Italy. Wines labeled “Chianti” from outside of Italy are cheap impostors. Far from the straw covered junk that came to the United States from Italy in the 1960’s, today’s Chianti is a profound red wine with tons of great fruit and a magical finish. The wine is made predominantly from the great sangiovese grape. This grape has been planted in the Chianti region (from Florence to Siena) for hundreds of years and is the staple red wine of north central Italy. Chianti arrives in this country from about $10 to more than $50 a bottle. The Chianti region produces three levels of wine; Chianti, Chianti Classico and Chianti Classico Riserva. The regular Chianti comes from any part of the vast region. The Classico is grown in the best soil of the region and the wine can be profound in good to great years. The Riserva designation for Italy means that the wine is aged in barrel or in the winery for some time longer than the regular Classico. Chianti is characterized by its lovely long finish, a bouquet filled with cherries and roses, and a palate density that has grip and elegance. The great years for Chianti of all types are the 1990, 1995, 1997, 1999 and the spectacular 2001 vintage. Barolo is made from the broodingly rich Nebbiolo grape and is a native of northwestern Italy. The wine is named after the little village of Barolo, which sits next to the town of Alb in the region of Pimento. Barolo is a very long-lived red wine, sometimes hitting the 40-year mark with great ease. These older wines are profound in their complexity and elegance and rival the greatest wines in the world. Chianti rarely gets the great acclaim of Barolo and is not as well lived. However the starting price of Barolo is three times that of Chianti and is far less drinkable than Chianti at a young age. Within the last fifteen years, Barolo and Chianti have benefited greatly from the explosion of wine science in the European community. Many universities in Italy are dedicated to making clean and quality driven products that are world class and stunning examples of winemaking. Barolo is on of the most collected wines in the world. Vast resourses have been spent in both the Chianti and Barolo areas for improvement of vineyard, winemaking and marketing. The great vintages for Barolo are essentially from 1988 through 2000. Chianti does well with all kinds of cuisine, especially tomato-based foods. Barolo needs to stretch out with heavy cuisine, especially red meat and game of all types. Consumers have seen an amazing growth in these two Italian beauties and the wines seem to be increasing not only in sales but in quality across the board. Give yourself a treat and try one of these lovely treats soon. You will love them. See you next time. DailyTidings.com Home Page Archives | Revels | Classifieds | Real Estate Guide | Weather | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2005 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Free Musick Downloads Slippers Ceramic Piggy Banks Heloc Calenders 2005 Women's & Men's Slippers Accelerate Weightloss Products Memory Foam Mattress tcg student loan consolidation Home Equity Loans teleconferencing W2 Forms cortisol weight loss Diamonds Paris Hilton Mesothelioma Free Home-Loan Referrals Tatoos Website Design & Marketing Student Loans African Safari Conference Calls - $50/Month Security Systems Helzberg Diamonds Currancy Exchange Online Casinos Community Student Loans Tatoo Poker Games Homeschooling Auto Insurance Mortgage Calculator Mailing Lists Payday Loans Click Here .:Advertisements:. Site Search: RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams