Italian values

I've had several nice, inexpensive Italian wines over the last few weeks, from three very distinct areas (one popular, one emerging, and one still pretty off the map).

Up first was the wine from an "emerging" region, the island of Sicily. From one of the biggest wineries there, the 2007 Planeta La Segreta is a blend of 50% Nero d'Avola, 25% Merlot, 20% Syrah, and 5% Cabernet Franc. The wine is very fruit-forward, certainly a bit more modern in style, but also quite enjoyable. For about $12, it certainly delivers plenty of drinking pleasure.

Up next was a wine from the region of Le Marche, I believe the first I've had. The 2006 Saladini Pilastri Rosso Piceno Piediprato is a blend of 50% Sangiovese and 50% Montepulciano. It is really nice, soft, wine with a lot of finesse. Again, this wine was about $12, and is really a pleasure to drink, though much more restrained than the Planeta. I bought this bottle in Charlotte, but would love to find it here, as it is really a great value.

Finally, I had a wine from an area and a producer I am very familiar with, but this wine was new to me. The 2005 Ciacci Piccolomini Poggio della Fonte IGT Toscana is a great value from one of my favorite producers in Montalcino. A blend of 70% Sangiovese, 15% Merlot, and 15% Cabernet, it is another fruit-forward wine, but very balanced. It won't confuse for a higher-end wine, but again the $12 price point makes this a fantastic value. I immediately went out for more of this one.

Overall, these three wines continue to show why I have fallen in love with Italian wines. These are all great values, and also three very different wines from different regions, and incorporate both indigenous and international varietals. There is just so much good wine being made in Italy today, and I love discovering it all.