Wine Tasting at Hollwood Vine

Hollywood Vine, located in downtown Hollywood, Florida, is a rather small but exceptionally well stocked wine store that also operates as a bar and tasting facility. The atmosphere is elegant and classy, yet not overdone. I recently visited Hollywood Vine for a tasting that they held this past Tuesday. They featured a selection of four different wines from Italy, two whites and two reds.

My tasting started with Canella Prosecco di Conegliano which is a non-vintage, light colored, spumante (sparkling) prosecco wine. The wine comes from the Veneto region of northern Italy and is made from 100% prosecco grapes. Many of the prosecco's in this region are not appelation controlled and do not receive D.O.C. stamping. However, since this prosecco comes from Conegliano, which is a sub-region of the Veneto, it is able to attain D.O.C. stamping.

The prosecco had wonderful fruity aromas of peach, apple, and quince. On the palette, the wine exhibited a slight frothy and pleasing fizz that seemed to gently tickle the tongue. Fruity nuances of apple, pear, and melon were present as well. On the finish, the wine exhibited a slight buttery yet dry bitterness similar to a raw almond skin. Unlike its light color, the wine has a rather substantial weight in the mouth. I really enjoyed this wine and believe this would be an excellent alternative to champagne.

Next on the list was a Pieropan '05 Soave Classico, which is also from the Veneto. Pieropan has been a leader in the producation of wines from this region for quite some time. His soave's are regarded as amongst the best by natives of this region.

The wine exhibited elegant floral aromas with hints of herbs and a slight smell of fresh grass. On the palette the wine is very light, elegant and refined. There are no oaky undertones in this wine at all. This is a very silky and beautifully balanced wine. It is very dry with a slight tartness at the finish. Overall, I enjoyed this wine. It was much lighter in weight than the prosecco and was more of a robust yellow gold in color. If you are looking for enjoyable white wine, this suave soave is definitely something to try.

Now on to the reds. The first red in the lineup was an Il Feuduccio '03 Montepulciano D'Abruzzo "Fonte Venna". This was a very bold, robust, and meaty red. The first aroma that graced my nose was an intense smell of dark roasted coffee beans, followed by a slight aroma of truffles that ended with a very earthy, almost dirt-like smell. The flavors on the palatte were very similar to that of the aromas. Dry, woody, and smokey with an undertone of coffee was present on the palette. This wine is very heavy and complex and would pair excellently with a steak or even a decadent chocolate dessert. I enjoyed this wine so much that I took a bottle home with me. At only $18.99, it is an excellent wine for money.

Last of the reds was a Conterno Fantino '05 Barbera D'Alba. This was my favorite wine during the tasting. Barberas low tannins make them incredibly enjoyable wines that are easy to drink, and equally easy to pair with most foods. Black fruit, truffles, and a hint of fig are present in the nose. On the palette the wine is very light, buttery with a slight dryness and a hint of spice. It has a very long, flavorful, and buttery finish, most likely due to the low tannin content. This was an amazing wine, and was a great end to an equally great tasting. Sadly, I did not end up taking a bottle of this home because the wine had a price tag of $28.99 and I wanted to buy a few glasses of wine to end the night. If you are looking for a very versatile red to kick off an "Italian Night" give this Barbera a try.

Overall, the tasting went exceptionally well and there were an astounding number of people at Hollywood Vine. I was impressed especially since it was a Tuesday evening. I will be attending Hvine's Tuesday tastings regulary and will be posting many more notes and critiques on wine, so stay tuned for more!