Wines of the Week: New Italian Wines

Kosher wine is international and you can find good kosher wines made in many of the most well-regarded wine regions. Today, I would like to take you all on trip across the ocean, to Italy.

While Bartenura is a key player in the wine market in general, with the Blue Bottle Moscato being perhaps the best-selling Italian Moscato in the world, two other wonderful wineries from Italy are Terra di Seta, and UVA.

  UVA Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Limited Edition 2013

This is a special kosher production, an authentic, sophisticated yet easily approachable Montepulciano. Deep garnet in color, medium to full-bodied and featuring aromas of bramble, boysenberries, smoke with hints of earth. It combines the best of both New and Old worlds, with plenty of fresh ripe fruit yet well-balanced without any perceived sweetness nor noticeable oak aromas.

It’s the kind of wine that is enjoyable both with rich meat dishes such as a rack of lamb or simply with a pizza topped with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and basil.

 
Do not overlook this wine; it is delicious and a crowd pleaser!

  Terra di Seta Chianti Classico DOCG 2013

Terra di Seta is the first fully kosher winery in Italy, and the one and only kosher estate winery in Italy.

What is an estate winery? An estate winery grows its own grapes and is located next to its vineyards. As opposed to most wineries (especially in the New World) that source their grapes from vineyards that can be sometimes hundreds of miles away from the winery, whether the winery owns them or not.

This wine is an authentic Chianti from Tuscany (non-mevushal). It has a beautiful, dark ruby color, medium in body with aromas and flavors of red cherries, strawberries, earth with hints of coffee, with excellent balancing acidity and rather soft tannins that make it the ideal food wine. Speaking of which, it amazed me when I tasted it at KFWE LA and I encouraged Jay Buchsbaum and many others to drink it with the delicious lamb meatballs in a tomato sauce that was served there by Tierra Sur. Truly a match made in heaven.

This is such a delightful wine, one not to be missed, and at around $20 in the stores it’s a great quality wine for a great price!

  Bartenura Sparkling Moscato Rose 2016

As you may or may not have noticed, the Bartenura Moscato Rosé just went through a complete redesign. Luxurious Champagne-style bottle, cork and foil with a stunning label.

This is a refreshing, sweet and pleasant wine that millions of people love and with such a beautiful packaging, it will grace your table before you even get a taste!

Photography by Tzvi Cohen.