MAKING THE CASE for Bundling Up

By TOM FIRTH

I don’t know exactly what happened. One day, it was still summer-like and the very next, the cold weather was here. Being a creature of the seasons, once frost started gracing the browning lawns or the windshield, I started pulling out my cookbooks looking for those warming, chill-banishing dishes, and found I was looking for things that called for carb-rich evenings and those slowly simmering sauces that fit so well.

In the spirit of my take on the early months of winter, this month, I wanted to focus on Italian wine – mostly the wines of Tuscany, which are often the easiest to find on liquor store shelves. Excellent with those “classic” Italian style dishes we think of. But not to be outdone, there are a few other wines from other parts of Italy and a few dessert wines from Spain and Portugal that are great to sip around the holidays.

Speaking of which, I would like to take the opportunity to say “thank you” for all the feedback I hear about the wine recommendations on these pages, and to wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

Find these wines by searching the CSPC code at Liquorconnect.com; your local liquor store can also use this code to order it for you. Prices are approximate.

San Felice 2021 Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy

A bit of a showstopper that won’t break the bank, this has all the things you need from a Chianti Classico – lean cherry and raspberry fruits, pleasing spicy notes, and just a smattering of herbaceousness too. Even better was the mouth with a fairly gentle approach of robust flavours and balanced acids and tannin. I’d recommend enjoying this with a nice Bolognese-style dish.

CSPC 245241 About $23-26

San Felice 2019 Il Grigio Chianti Classico Reserva, Tuscany, Italy

This wine has been gracing our shelves for more than 30 years and year after year it consistently delivers exceptional value and quality. Me? I love the easy balance of flora and earthy aromas that integrate well with the deeper fruits but also the firm tannins and tartness that works oh so well with meaty dishes and rich red sauces.

CSPC 310490 $30-33

Castello di Volpaia 2020 Chianti Classico, Tuscany, Italy

A lot to love in this glass of wine, but perhaps the best part is the purity of the floral characters floating above a clean, generous berry fruit (might be from the 10 percent merlot). Very, very drinkable with a robust tannin presence and tart fruit palate. This wine would handle a little bit of fat very nicely indeed, and that might be a brisket or even a long-simmered sauce. Very enjoyable.

CSPC 703655 $35-40

Lustau PX San Emilio Sherry Jerez, Spain

An incredibly sweet, but still incredibly well balanced, perfect dessert wine. Made from Pedro Ximenez, the grapes are dried extensively concentrating all the sweetness and flavours, and the resulting wine is aged for a further 12 years. Flavours are akin to figs or raisins with great acids. Serve slightly chilled, and try to match with blue cheeses, nuts, or butter tarts. Also completely appropriate to pour a little over vanilla ice cream, pie, or tarts.

CSPC 761490 $28-32

Il Bastardo 2021 Rosso, Tuscany, Italy

Sometimes it’s nice to find a good wine that also manages to not take itself too seriously. This sangiovese (with a bit of syrah) shows off a little blue berry fruit to go with black cherry and spice aromas, but on the palate it’s accessible with abundant, almost sweet berry fruit, a little zip, and mid weight tannin. A perfect weekday wine with tomato centric dishes.

CSPC 842944 about $18-20

Ricasoli 2021 Brolio Chianti Classico Tuscany, Italy

Another timeless classic gracing our shelves, Ricasoli makes some incredible wines, that are easy to love. The stalwart Brolio is marked by intensity on the nose with a somewhat wild floral component and complex fruits. Impeccably balanced on the palate and with a clean, evolving drinking experience that just gets better with each sip. Can handle richer meat dishes, but also great cheese with aplomb.

CSPC 3962 around $29-32

Tommasi 2019 Amarone Valpolicella, Italy

Amarone is a perennial favourite of Italian wine drinkers as the process of drying the grapes before vinification yields a sweeter, more intense, raisined profile that is a true crowd pleaser. Look for a slight sweet character to the fruits with an almost brambly floral and berry approach. A hefty 15 percent alcohol makes for some bigger flavours, but amarones like this one are stunning with slow cooked meats or game. A gem for the table or the cellar.

CSPC 356220 $55-60

Campogiovanni 20218 Brunello di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy

An incredible expression of the greatest of all the Italian grapes! It’s sangiovese of course! Intense and powerful with subtle fruits of black cherries and leanings of wild strawberries along with tobacco and tea leaf, and some serious earthy tones too. Hits well above its price and just as good in the cellar for a decade or two as it is on the table now –with a decanting.

CSPC 433078 $66-70

Sandeman NV Fine Ruby Port, Douro, Portugal

Port is awesome! It needs to be said more often. It can be a little too easy to overdo these sweet treats, but like anything, it’s best to enjoy in moderation. Good news, once opened ruby port can keep for about a week, so even a small amount in the glass or with guests goes a long way. Rich and silky with sweet red berries, liquorice, and a clean herbal tone, this ruby port is a stunner with chocolatey desserts, but is even better with nuts or good cheese.

CSPC 23366 About $21-25

Santa Vittoria Moscato d’Asti, Asti, Italy

Often loved and sometimes derided for the same thing, moscato d’Asti is easy to describe to people. Summer. A beautiful summer day enjoying fresh fruit and a warm breeze. Serve chilled, this sweet, lightly sparkling wine is all about fresh apples, table grapes, pears, and tropical fruits. A little lower in alcohol too (5 percent), it’s a perfect daytime wine to enjoy with sliced fruit, or a fun movie in the evening.

CSPC 862423 About $20-24

La Massa 2020 Toscana Rosso Tuscany, Italy

An IGT or more of a “super-Tuscan” blend with sangiovese, 30 percent cabernet sauvignon, and a splash of merlot and alicante. Sangiovese is well supported here by the cabernet lending additional cassis, peppery aromas and flavours, and a bit of capsicum too. Drinking very well now, but best with bigger dishes like slow roasted meats, and even some mushroomcentric foods that complement some of the wine’s complexity. Delicious!

CSPC 96735 $43-47

Perticaia 2018 Montefalco Rosso, Umbria, Italy

A lesser known wine region for sure, Montefalco reds are again centred around sangiovese, but also must include a certain amount of sagrantino (15 percent here), and another grape – here 15 percent of cabernet franc. The nose is complex and brings to mind plummy fruit, herbs, and a mild meatiness, while on the palate the tannins are certainly front and centre, but the flavours are excellent, and balanced. At the table, I’d recommend prime rib or roast beef, but this would work with a chili too.

CSPC 866234 likely about $44-48

Kopke 10 Year old Tawny Port, Douro, Portugal

Tawny ports spend most of their aging time in the barrel rather than the bottle, where they “lose” some of the more intense sweet berry flavours and gain a little more of a nutty approach with toffee, hazelnuts, and even more dried fruits – but still preserve the sweetness. Kopke is top of the game in making tawny ports, and their ten year-old checks off all the boxes. Excellent with butter tarts or caramel or nutty desserts, but also great with rich –and blue – cheese.

CSPC 775949 $39-44