2013 Riondo Castelforte Garganega, Veronese IGT, Italy – $13.95 LCBO Vintages
It appears that I am going through a bit of a rediscovery of Italian whites as of late. This Garganega (Pronounced Gar-GAH -neg-ah) from Verona delightfully surprised my tastebuds the other afternoon and so I felt it worthy of inclusion in a GFR Try This column.
Garganega is most commonly blended with Trebbiano and Chardonnay to produce Soave, but in my mind it has always been the star of any of the better wines from the region, some of the top tier wines being 100% pure Garganega. I do hope that Soave sees a revival sometime soon, as they really can be wonderful wines, and are much under-appreciated due to the huge waves of industrially-produced utter rubbish that filled our shelves for decades (I’m talking about you Masi).
Although this isn’t Soave, this simple but gulp-able Gargangega is all about bight citrus, apricot, and almonds. The palate is brisk and firm with a nice bit of weight mid -palate. Try with creamy curries, as it works a real treat… but it is also really good fun to sip by itself.
(Three and a half apples out of a possible five)
Edinburgh-born/Toronto-based Sommelier, consultant, writer, judge, and educator Jamie Drummond is the Director of Programs/Editor of Good Food Revolution… And he feels that this could easily be his go-to lunch wine of the Spring…
