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Monday - Wine Advertisement

Another Great Wine Advertisement Article

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region



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


Sicily is the football kicked by the Italian boot. It is an island in the Mediterranean Sea located off the southwest tip of Italy. Sicily was first inhabited about ten thousand years ago. Agriculture and animal raising date back well over four thousand years. Its rulers have included the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Germans, and Spaniards, among others. This mountainous region is prone to volcanoes and earthquakes; in 1908 an earthquake and subsequent tidal wave killed eighty thousand people in the coastal city of Messina. Sicily's population is about five million, with an additional ten million people of Sicilian descent around the world.


Agricultural products include wheat, barley, corn, olives, citrus fruit, almonds, and, of course, grapes. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are prominent in local cuisine. Sicily is Italy's second region for organic food. Many think that the Arabs introduced pasta to Sicily, which subsequently introduced it to the rest of Italy. Cattle, mules, donkeys, and sheep are raised. Sicily claims to have invented meatballs, The seas surrounding Sicily are bountiful, favorites include sardines, tuna, and swordfish. Sicily is famous for desserts, including frozen treats made with snow from Mount Etna.


Sicilian heavy industry includes petro-chemicals, chemicals, mining, and electronics. Tourism is a major factor in the Sicilian economy. Did you know that the Valle dei Templi in Agrigento on the Mediterranean Sea has some of the finest Greek ruins on earth?


Palermo, arguably the world's most conquered city, is Sicily's capital with a population of a little under seven hundred thousand. It is a definite tourist destination, with its numerous historical churches, museums, theaters, and Italy's largest botanical garden. Another urban tourist destination is Syracuse, dating back to Ancient Greece. The Greek writer Cicero described it as "The greatest Greek city and the most beautiful of them all." Both earthquakes and World War II caused heavy damage, but many of the most interesting sites have been reconstructed.


Sicily devotes about a third of a million acres to grapevines, it ranks first among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 213 million gallons, also giving it first place. If Sicily were an independent country, it would rank seventh in the world for wine production. About 54% of its wine production is red or ros? (only a bit of ros?), leaving 46% for white. The region produces 19 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. Only a little more than 2% of Sicilian wine carries the DOC designation. Sicily is home to over three dozen major and secondary grape varieties, with more white than red varieties.


Widely grown international white grape varieties include Malvasia and to a lesser extent, Chardonnay. The best-known strictly Italian white varieties are Catarratto, Grecanico, Inzolia, and Grillo. The first three of these varieties are blended in the wine reviewed below.


Widely grown international red grape varieties include Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. The best-known strictly Italian red varieties are Nero d'Avola, Frappato, and Nerello Mascalese.


Before reviewing the Sicilian 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 Insalata di Finocchi, Arance Sanguigne de Olive; Fennel, Blood Orange, and Olive Salad.
As a second course try Pollo con Prosciutto e Melanzane Fritte; Braised Chicken with Proscuitto and Fried Eggplants.
For dessert indulge yourself with Cassata; Candied Fruit and Chocolate on Sponge Cake.


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
Tasca d'Almerita 'Regaleali' Blanco 2005 IGT Sicilia 12.5% alcohol about $13


We'll start by quoting the marketing materials. "Made with the local grapes Inzolia, Greciano, and Catarratto, this wine is matured only in stainless steel and is not put through acid-softening malolactic fermentation. The producer chooses this approach to retain the bright fruitiness and racy crispness of the wine. Enjoy with steamed mussels, chicken or summer salads." And now for my thoughts on the wine.


I first tasted this wine with broiled chicken burgers accompanied by a hot pepper relish, and red peppers. The wine was light, perhaps a bit intimidated by the relish. It was delicate, but not weak. When I finished my glass with the red peppers, the wine was quite fruity and sweet.


I next tried this wine with fillet of sole poached in an onion sauce, accompanied by brown rice and okra in a tomato sauce. The wine tasted light and citrusy in the presence of the fish, and was more powerful when facing the rice and the okra. I finished that meal with fresh pomegranate. The wine became sweet and acidic, but did not take on new flavors.


Isola is a Sicilian fresh cheese made from sheep's milk. The Isola cheese was powerful, strong smelling and strong tasting, especially when you crunched into a peppercorn. Unfortunately, the cheese overpowered this relatively light wine. In contrast, when paired with an Asiago cheese from northern Italy, the wine became quite full bodied and fruity. Sometimes rules such as local wines with local cheeses are meant to be broken. I had a bit of wine left over and finished the bottle with out-of-season strawberries. They brought out the wine's complexity and softness.


Final verdict, in spite of its low official rating, I found the wine pretty good. I would buy it again, but avoid pairing it with strong-tasting food.




About the Author


Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com .

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I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Sicily Region


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Wine Advertisement in the news

Ann Davey retires from public defender duty (Hudson Star-Observer)

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 22:10:51 -0800
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Chamber names Kelly Monkman its 'Citizen of the Year' (Woodbury Bulletin)

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District 833 cancels school, some after-school activities (Woodbury Bulletin)

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:49:31 -0800
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Gymnasts perfect in SEC (Woodbury Bulletin)

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Royals ranked fifth in Class AA poll after posting season-high score last week. Advertisement: AFTON HOUSE INN AND CRUISE LINES 1/2 Price Bottle of Wine 1/2 Price Bottle of Wine with purchase of any entree (available in Catfish Saloon and in Dining Room, Wednesday nights only.) Print coupon in our Marketplace ad to receive this Deal. -Afton House Inn, 651-436-8883.

Cheers to work, wine for good health (The North Bay Nugget)

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 23:37:10 -0800
She loves her wine and recalls dates like a machine. She doesn’t wear glasses, yet spends much of her day reading. Giuseppina Bitonti is celebrating ...]

Door Drops - Lifestlye 50+ - Oz Clarke

Thu, 18 Dec 2008 08:00:15 -0800
TILT the Door drop and collabrative marketing specialists have joined forces with Oz Clarke to appeal to the 50+ consumers as part of their Door drop campaign publications 'asrecommended'. Oz Clarke features with an interview in the 'asrecommended' 'Lifestyle 50+' Directory which includes advertisments from Insurance companies to wine suppliers.


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5:31 AM

Monday January 19, 2009 - Bronco Wine

Today's Bronco Wine Article

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Fruili-Venezia Giuli Region



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


Friuli-Venezia Giuli is a mountainous area tucked away in the northeast corner Italy, bordering on Austria and Slovenia. Experts believe that Friuli-Venezia Giuli was first inhabited twenty thousand years ago. Like most regions of Italy, it has belonged to many nations over the years. Unlike most regions of Italy, it remains multicultural, an exceptional mixture of Italian, Austrian, and Slavic influences. To make this article easier to read, we will replace the region's full name by its first part, Friuli. The total population is less than 1.2 million.


While Friuli is home to a wide variety of agricultural products, most farmers don't get rich. The farms tend to be small and much of the land is unfertile, suitable only for grazing and grapes. Unfortunately the Adriatic sea is in poor condition and fishing is on the decline. However, a wide variety of seafood is available. Friuli's best-known food is San Daniele prosciutto, an uncooked ham aged in sea salt for over a year. Gourmets debate whether this ham or its cousin prosciutto di Parma from the Emilia-Romagna region in northwestern Italy is the best ham in the world.


Friuli's administrative center is Trieste, which only became part of Italy in 1954. This city was once the principle port of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Like Vienna, Austria, Trieste is filled with caf?s. It is also home to the famous International Center for Theoretical Physics.


Friuli devotes about one hundred fifty thousand acres to grapevines, it ranks 14th among the 20 Italian regions. Its total annual wine production is about 27 million gallons, giving it a 13th place. Approximately 48% of its wine production is red or ros? (only a little ros?), leaving 52% for white. The region produces 9 DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine and 1 DOCG white dessert wine, Ramandolo. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Over 60% of Friuli wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation. Friuli is home to almost four dozen major and secondary grape varieties, about half white and half red.


Widely grown international white grape varieties include Pinot Grigio, often called Pinot Gris outside of Italy, Pinot Bianco, often called Pinot Blanc outside of Italy, Chardonnay, and Sauvignon Blanc. The best known strictly Italian white varieties are Tocai Friulano and Verduzzo Fruilano, exemplified in the DOCG wine, Ramandolo.


Widely grown international red grape varieties include Merlot, grown in Fruili for well over one hundred years, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The best-known strictly Italian red variety is Refosco. Fruili's candidate for grape variety with the most unusual name is Tazzelenghe, which means tongue cutter in the local dialect. While I have never tasted any wines based on this grape, I can guess that they won't be delicate.


Before we reviewing the Friuli 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 Cjalzons con Ripieno di Cioccolata e Spinaci, Chocolate and Spinach Filled Pasta with Smoked Ricotta.
Then try Capesante alla Triestina, Broiled Scallops and Oysters with Watercress. And for dessert, indulge yourself with Strucolo di Ricotta, Ricotta Strudel. If you are like me, you think of Austria or Hungary, when you hear the word Strudel.


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
Pighin Pinot Grigio 2005 Grave del Fruili 12.5% alcohol about $13.50


I'll start by quoting the marketing materials. "Toast, white flowers and mineral on the involved nose, this light-bodied white is all about zing, verve, and refreshing citrus flavors. Some notes of pit fruit, but mainly built to match up to seafood. Try with friends and grilled scampi drizzled with lemon juice."


I first tasted this wine with sesame seed covered filo dough stuffed with hamburger meat and accompanied by zucchini in a tomato sauce. It was pleasantly acidic and fruity providing lemon and other citrus flavors. I liked it with a chocolate cake labeled strudel which intensified the wine's acidity. I don't think that any Friuli residents would have called that cake strudel, but this review is about the wine, and not the cake.


My next food pairing was with whole-wheat pasta in a spicy meat sauce. The wine stepped up to the plate and handled the spice very well. It was nice and round. I finished this meal with out of season strawberries, in whose presence the wine became almost sweet.


With filet of sole poached in onions, a side of brown rice, and okra in a tomato sauce, the wine became more acidic and rounder. It was quite refreshing. It was a sweet, acidic companion to fresh pomegranates. It took on a nice acidity with pecan and caramel chocolate candy.


Montasio is a cooked, full-fat, semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk and aged for several months. It has a pungent smell and a strong, pasty taste. The Pinot Grigio was not outmatched by this powerful cheese. Strictly speaking, Asiago cheese does not come from the Friuli region, but its neighbors Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto. Once again, the wine changed its character to match this softer cheese.


This wasn't a great wine, but it did go well with everything. I would most likely buy it again.



Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com .




About the Author


Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com .

Bronco Wine and More

I Love Italian Wine and Food - The Fruili-Venezia Giuli Region


If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the Friuli-Venezia Giuli region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain, and I hope that...


Click Here to Read More About Wine ...

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Bronco Wine in the news

Executive Q (The Oklahoman)

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 22:01:09 -0800
It’s a little after nine on Wednesday morning and Phil Lancaster rings his secretary for "a cuppa.” A few minutes later, Nancy arrives with a cup of hot tea — Bushells Australian with a little milk in a certain white porcelain cup. The cuppa, which Lancaster has four to five times daily, is just one of the many idiosyncrasies the Australian native and permanent American resident brings to his ...

Erin Wasson; Fashion’s Darling is our Favorite Designer

Sat, 17 Jan 2009 21:25:12 -0800
Accidental model Erin Wasson has moved on to life’s second act—as a designer, a surfer, and much more than a pretty face. Despite being almost alarmingly tall, lean and beautiful, Erin Wasson is the opposite of what one expects a supermodel to be. Seated at a picnic table in the garden of Roberta’s, a homey Italian restaurant in Bushwick (Brooklyn’s newest hipster destination neighborhood), she’s clad in cut-off shorts, a vintage blazer, and boots. Her long, sun-kissed tresses are un-coiffed

Dinner at the Old Deanery, Ripon

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 16:08:42 -0800
Fantasic food, fine wine and great service! Its one of my regular haunts for a superb dinner in Ripon. I’ve had dinner with lots of people there from Patrick from Blogstorm, great Bronco staff nights out, Adam from Fresh Egg, various good old SEO chums like Gimpy, Doug, NFFC, Thomas, Callum, and many clients over ...]

From sequels to prequels, an epic year of film to come (Poly Post)

Mon, 12 Jan 2009 22:02:36 -0800
With a hoard of impressive looking blockbusters on the way, the impressive 2008 movie season may have met its match.

GLOBAL DEMAND FOR CAL ALMONDS FALLS (CalTrade Report)

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:53:49 -0800
SACRAMENTO – 01/12/09 – A decrease in international demand and an almond crop much larger than originally forecasted and have combined to reduce by half the price almond growers are receiving for this season's crop, according to the California Almond Board.


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