Pick of the week
Fabiano Pinot Grigio Terre Degli Osci 2006 ($14.95, product No. 034066) is round and supple with impressive concentration for an affordable pinot grigio, hinting at pear, green apple and lemon and a trace of minerals on the crisp finish.
If you think ubiquitous pinot grigio is fashionable now, wait till you see its matching handbag.
Fabiano, the company that makes good-value Amarones and ripassos, has redesigned the look of two of its entry-level premium wines, a pinot grigio and a valpolicella. The design theme: Italian style, complete with paper cut-outs of a purse and necktie hanging off the bottles.
One of the cartoon labels depicts a woman from the waist down (yes, just the legs) in a red dress and matching high heels. Look closely and you'll notice she's stomping on grapes. In the background are sketches of Italian design clichés - a Vespa, a sports car, Michelangelo's David, that sort of thing.
The other shows a similar scene of a man's legs in pinstriped trousers and trendy white sport loafers that could have come from Dolce and Gabana's spring-summer collection.
Not only are the labels catchy (or kitschy, depending on your aesthetic), they also break new ground in that each wine is available in a choice of male or female labels.
The redesign was instigated by Fabiano's Ontario agent, Tom Noitsis, president of Eurovintage International, and created by Toronto firm Fish out of Water Design. The concept will soon be rolled out to Western Canada and the United States.
The idea was to appeal to a younger audience and break the dusty mould of Italian label design, which on the whole is about as banal as German label design.
The wines, especially the pinot grigio, also happen to be good. They're not at all industrial-tasting like a lot of wines that come wrapped in splashy labels from, oh, say, Australia.
Fabiano Pinot Grigio Terre Degli Osci 2006 ($14.95, product No. 034066) is terrific, round and supple, with impressive concentration for an affordable pinot grigio, hinting at pear, green apple and lemon and a trace of minerals on the crisp finish.
There's also relatively good concentration as well as considerable ripeness in Fabiano Valpolicella Classico Superiore 2004 ($14.95, No. 034058). It's fairly smooth for a valpolicella, with juicy plum-cherry fruit and a crisp but lingering finish. It's a good choice for pizza or pasta with meat sauce.
The pinot grigio, in the old-label format, is also available in Nova Scotia, and the good news for Nova Scotians is that it's cheaper - $12.20. Readers in British Columbia who can afford the winery's high-end red might want to check out the excellent Fabiano Amarone della Valpolicella I Fondatori ($65.90), perfect for the cheese course.
Whatever your thoughts about the packaging, you have to be grateful; at least it's not another critter label.
On the subject of Australian wines, today's Vintages premium-product release features an excellent-value red from a good family owned winery. Elderton Friends Shiraz 2005 ($19.95, No. 660480) is a particularly good vintage of this consistently good wine, full-bodied and creamy, with rich chocolate-vanilla sweetness lifted by a boldly spicy, dry finish. Perfect for an August barbecue, it comes in a handy screw cap.
Another great value, also from Australia, is Chapel Hill Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 ($16.95, No. 034397). This supposedly humble white received an impressive 89 points from esteemed wine scorer Robert Parker, and it's obvious why. There is big harmony in this medium-bodied, silky pear-apple beauty. The texture is smooth and the finish is dry. I haven't been overimpressed with unoaked chardonnays from Australia, which tend to be unbalanced and sour, but this one delivers. It's also a screw cap.
Today's Vintages release features a slew of wines from Chile, and my favourite from a price-quality standpoint is Ramirana Reserva Carmenere 2005 ($14.95, No. 041699). Inferior carmeneres gets a justifiably bad rap for their overbearing acidity and stemminess, but this one is rich and ripe and a compelling example of the grape's fetching qualities. It's warm and rich with dark-skinned fruits and bitter chocolate, with a fine layer of gritty tannins for longevity and a spicy, smoky finish. It's good for marinated, grilled steak.
Among the Chilean whites, the standout is Calina Chardonnay Reserva 2006 ($15.96, No. 640914), medium-bodied and fruity, with sweet peach and lemon flavours, restrained and well-integrated oak and tangy acidity.
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