When I visited Cavalier Pepe a few years ago, I completely fell in love with their wines. From Lacryma dei Christin to their different Taurasis. It was extremely difficult to find the winery though. We got some locals to show us the way... It's definately not in the town of Avellino 😁 Try to visit Donnachiara and Benito Ferrara as well...
I once had my mind changed on Dornfelder. Was having a great conversation with a winemaker in Bernkastel-Kues and the conversation led to why even Dornfelder, his account was that it is more for the young folk to reel them into the wide world of wines, but they just bottled (as in minutes before the conversation started) the Dornfelder for that year and he said it was pretty good this year. So I asked for a glass and it was a very nice clean pristine expression of fruit and not really much else, like an extremely good lager for beer would be the best example to explain this. Simple wines have a place, even for connoisseurs when executed perfectly.
Italian whites are just amazing!! Falanghina, greco di tuffo, soave, trebbiano, verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi, lugana, Garganega, vernaccia, grillo, Fiano , Arneis, Vermentino and so much more. I love these wines, great with local food. I'm amazed no one ever talks about Italian whites. I will try the ones in this video. Thanks for sharing
I changed my mind on Riesling. When I was growing up my dad, who's also a wine guy, used to always complain about how bad Riesling was. Those were the days of the awful blue bottles and low quality German wine being sold in the US. Now 20-30 years later Riesling is my favorite white varietal. And I've managed to change my Dad's mind on the grape too! Great video as always.
I changed my mind of Clare Valley Riesling from Australia! First time I had it with the strong rubbery petrol nose and outlandish taste I was like what even is this?!?!? Now I love it 😁
Excellent session & tasting Bravo!!👏 We LOVE Falanghina and are the first winetour company to offer a full winetour program of the area. All great wineries and Love Fontanavecchia. Salute Matt !! 🥂
So glad you made this video! Falanghina is very underrated here in the US and not many people know about it. You can get such good value from this unique wine.
I’ve only had Terradora’s Falanghina from Irpina, but I loved it! Would try more Falanghina as a result. Chardonnay was the grape when I first started getting into wine I thought I didn’t like. The Master Sommelier at our amazing local French restaurant said he would send us over a box to try to change our minds, and he sure did! Skyside and Mount Eden from the US, Sant’Elena from Italy, and Defaix from Chablis (my favorite wine ever!) all definitely changed our minds!
Great review Matt and timely too. I have a bottle of Falanghina on its way to me as we speak (Alberto Longo 2022). It can't be a WT comment without mentioning a certain something can it? Spain and, in particular the old warhorse, Rioja, are producing some really fantastic barrel aged whites that are flying under the radar. I mentioned this to our good friend John (Attorney Som) and he agreed. Spanish white wine must be the most obviously overlooked wine on the planet. Spain just seems to be synonymous with red wine but the whites have been getting better and better over the last ten years or so. It's not just small independents either. Even the big guns are producing seriously good barrel aged stuff. There's also a lot of seriously good low intervention white wine and Spain is the perfect place for that type of wine when you think about it. Cheers. WT
First question: I have tried Falanghina once and though it was an entry level wine, it was enjoyable. Unfortunately in Taiwan and other Asian countries we are (figuratively speaking) swimming in a sea of mediocre Pinot Grigio🤣. Now there is more variety available; Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, decent Soave, Etna Bianco is trendy, (but expensive), thankfully Friuli and Alto Adige whites and Sardinian Vermentino are becoming more common. But Falanghina is still a bit too exotic and I'm guessing doesn't sell as well as others. As far as a wine that changed my mind, it would probably be Grasevina/Olaszrizling/Welschriesling. As when we first started visiting Hungary, I tried a few and found that they weren't terribly exciting and pretty similar. However in recent years the quality has definitely improved, I don't know if it's better site selection, changing picking dates, improved clonal selection or what. But they are definitely more complex, exciting, and drinkable. So much so that Decanter did an article about the cultivar in a recent edition focusing on the top regions/countries for it. I can't wait to try a good quality Croatian one and I think it's high time that Wine-Searcher.com updates their information about it. Cheers!
Viorica. It's a Moldovan variety. Very aromatic and floral and you can get some really over the top ones and I used to scoff at it. Yet in recent years I have begun to appreciate the grape more. It can sometimes give a musky basil aroma and stone fruits to go along with the floral component.
Funnily enough it took some time for me to be swayed by Riesling. Started out drinking more Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder. The bottle that opened my eyes was a Dr. Wegeler Geheimrat J. Spätlese 2000 (drank it in 2020). I had never had anything like it at the point. Falanghina sounds like something I should look into.
There's a lot to be said about the influence of the circumstance in which you first encountered the grape. On holiday in Campania about 8 years ago I first discovered falanghina. Loved it and sourced a few when I got home. All of which were nothing like what I'd had on holiday and really disappointing. I'm sure I'll find some good ones at some point though. Now, if anyone can find a good Pinotage that will truly be a miracle...
Pinot noir. A few decades ago when I started trying it I didn’t realize that you had to spend more than $25 minimum to get a 1/2 way decent bottle, soI thought Pinot noir was just terrible! once I tried the $70 and up range I realized it was magical.😅
You are right, It can be magical! There are still beautiful sub 25$ ones out there but few and far between! I think Oregon excells in that price point.
I like these wines both from Campania and Molisse. Especially around this time of year when you´re using white wines to give autumnal zip to heavier foods. Pumpkin ravioli with ricotta salata affumicata tends to pair well
Years and years ago I changed my mind on Sauvignon Blanc. I wanted to learn how oaky Cabernet Sauvignon aged, and my wine of choice was Robert Pepi Vine Hill Ranch. Pepi also made a Sauvignon Blanc (probably a blend with Semillon) but that wine convinced me that Sauv Blanc was just something that would nearly choke me, distasteful on every way. Nowadays it's my everyday white.
I changed my mind on Tinta Velasco, never like it but then i drink El Linze and now i buy 12 bottles every year... start to like more mencia because taste some good ones but don't really love it. Garnacha, i need to taste a good one yet and i think i taste some 95+ parker, but i like some Garnacha coupages like Les Terrasses love it, have one bottle of Garnacha Tintorera but they are not the same grape totally different. Monastrell need more years to improve i like the profile of flavours but they are to strong they need more refinement (Except Casa Castillo they do good Monastrell wines Las Gravas really good and their Pie Franco OMG). When I start to drink i love Merlot but now don't...... So maybe our taste change whit time. I like syrah, cabernet, tempranilllo, this never change yet (2002). And i only taste a few petit verdot but i like it a lot (Petit Verdot - Rabia Bodegas Cerron 20€, Abadia Retuerta Petit Verdot expensive)
@@drmatthewhorkey i like jumilla they do mostly monastrell, they have a lot of small bodegas and they try to do things right but as i say they need more refinement, they have all too be great, complex potent vibrant and their palate of flavours really good. Carefull strong wines whit unpolished tannins.... (small bodegas can't keep their wine 4 to 5 years to sell their wine in optimal conditions) i Hope you like it ;)
If you want additional wine content, check out my 📲 Instagram: instagram.com/drmattyh
When I visited Cavalier Pepe a few years ago, I completely fell in love with their wines. From Lacryma dei Christin to their different Taurasis. It was extremely difficult to find the winery though. We got some locals to show us the way... It's definately not in the town of Avellino 😁 Try to visit Donnachiara and Benito Ferrara as well...
I once had my mind changed on Dornfelder. Was having a great conversation with a winemaker in Bernkastel-Kues and the conversation led to why even Dornfelder, his account was that it is more for the young folk to reel them into the wide world of wines, but they just bottled (as in minutes before the conversation started) the Dornfelder for that year and he said it was pretty good this year. So I asked for a glass and it was a very nice clean pristine expression of fruit and not really much else, like an extremely good lager for beer would be the best example to explain this. Simple wines have a place, even for connoisseurs when executed perfectly.
Agreed! There are some delicious Dornfelders out there
Don’t judge a grape by its name or country!
Italian whites are just amazing!!
Falanghina, greco di tuffo, soave, trebbiano, verdicchio dei castelli di Jesi, lugana, Garganega, vernaccia, grillo, Fiano , Arneis, Vermentino and so much more. I love these wines, great with local food. I'm amazed no one ever talks about Italian whites. I will try the ones in this video. Thanks for sharing
A really good Garganega is what’s up 👍🏼
You will see an Italian white wine grapes video soon!
@@narrowistheway77100% agree with you.
Vermentino is an underrated whit grape. The sea salt note 🇮🇹
I changed my mind on Riesling. When I was growing up my dad, who's also a wine guy, used to always complain about how bad Riesling was. Those were the days of the awful blue bottles and low quality German wine being sold in the US. Now 20-30 years later Riesling is my favorite white varietal. And I've managed to change my Dad's mind on the grape too!
Great video as always.
I changed my mind of Clare Valley Riesling from Australia! First time I had it with the strong rubbery petrol nose and outlandish taste I was like what even is this?!?!? Now I love it 😁
Greatest wine grape in the world IMO
Excellent session & tasting Bravo!!👏 We LOVE Falanghina and are the first winetour company to offer a full winetour program of the area. All great wineries and Love Fontanavecchia. Salute Matt !! 🥂
Ahhh very very nice!
So glad you made this video! Falanghina is very underrated here in the US and not many people know about it. You can get such good value from this unique wine.
Agreed!
I’ve only had Terradora’s Falanghina from Irpina, but I loved it! Would try more Falanghina as a result.
Chardonnay was the grape when I first started getting into wine I thought I didn’t like. The Master Sommelier at our amazing local French restaurant said he would send us over a box to try to change our minds, and he sure did! Skyside and Mount Eden from the US, Sant’Elena from Italy, and Defaix from Chablis (my favorite wine ever!) all definitely changed our minds!
Ohh some great wines there!
Great review Matt and timely too. I have a bottle of Falanghina on its way to me as we speak (Alberto Longo 2022). It can't be a WT comment without mentioning a certain something can it? Spain and, in particular the old warhorse, Rioja, are producing some really fantastic barrel aged whites that are flying under the radar. I mentioned this to our good friend John (Attorney Som) and he agreed. Spanish white wine must be the most obviously overlooked wine on the planet. Spain just seems to be synonymous with red wine but the whites have been getting better and better over the last ten years or so. It's not just small independents either. Even the big guns are producing seriously good barrel aged stuff. There's also a lot of seriously good low intervention white wine and Spain is the perfect place for that type of wine when you think about it. Cheers. WT
I love love love the old school Rioja whites. In fact, I just had a bunch of them in a flight at Mundus Vini and gave Grand Gold to a few
First question: I have tried Falanghina once and though it was an entry level wine, it was enjoyable. Unfortunately in Taiwan and other Asian countries we are (figuratively speaking) swimming in a sea of mediocre Pinot Grigio🤣. Now there is more variety available; Greco di Tufo, Fiano di Avellino, decent Soave, Etna Bianco is trendy, (but expensive), thankfully Friuli and Alto Adige whites and Sardinian Vermentino are becoming more common.
But Falanghina is still a bit too exotic and I'm guessing doesn't sell as well as others. As far as a wine that changed my mind, it would probably be Grasevina/Olaszrizling/Welschriesling. As when we first started visiting Hungary, I tried a few and found that they weren't terribly exciting and pretty similar.
However in recent years the quality has definitely improved, I don't know if it's better site selection, changing picking dates, improved clonal selection or what. But they are definitely more complex, exciting, and drinkable. So much so that Decanter did an article about the cultivar in a recent edition focusing on the top regions/countries for it.
I can't wait to try a good quality Croatian one and I think it's high time that Wine-Searcher.com updates their information about it. Cheers!
You will see a video this week or next about that variety!!!
Viorica. It's a Moldovan variety. Very aromatic and floral and you can get some really over the top ones and I used to scoff at it. Yet in recent years I have begun to appreciate the grape more. It can sometimes give a musky basil aroma and stone fruits to go along with the floral component.
I’ve had it and some very nice ones!!
Funnily enough it took some time for me to be swayed by Riesling. Started out drinking more Grauburgunder and Weißburgunder. The bottle that opened my eyes was a Dr. Wegeler Geheimrat J. Spätlese 2000 (drank it in 2020). I had never had anything like it at the point.
Falanghina sounds like something I should look into.
It took a while for me to REALLY love Riesling as well
There's a lot to be said about the influence of the circumstance in which you first encountered the grape. On holiday in Campania about 8 years ago I first discovered falanghina. Loved it and sourced a few when I got home. All of which were nothing like what I'd had on holiday and really disappointing. I'm sure I'll find some good ones at some point though.
Now, if anyone can find a good Pinotage that will truly be a miracle...
Ahhh all too common when you travel and first discover a wine. All of these in the video should tickle your fancy
Pinot noir. A few decades ago when I started trying it I didn’t realize that you had to spend more than $25 minimum to get a 1/2 way decent bottle, soI thought Pinot noir was just terrible! once I tried the $70 and up range I realized it was magical.😅
You are right, It can be magical! There are still beautiful sub 25$ ones out there but few and far between! I think Oregon excells in that price point.
I like these wines both from Campania and Molisse. Especially around this time of year when you´re using white wines to give autumnal zip to heavier foods. Pumpkin ravioli with ricotta salata affumicata tends to pair well
Ohhhh that sounds 🤤
Years and years ago I changed my mind on Sauvignon Blanc. I wanted to learn how oaky Cabernet Sauvignon aged, and my wine of choice was Robert Pepi Vine Hill Ranch. Pepi also made a Sauvignon Blanc (probably a blend with Semillon) but that wine convinced me that Sauv Blanc was just something that would nearly choke me, distasteful on every way. Nowadays it's my everyday white.
Niceee! I have changed my mind on SB too! There are a couple of videos on the channel about it
My favorite Falanghina is the Cruna Delago by La Sibilla. It is from Campi Flegrei, so vulcanic soils. No oak but 6 month on the lees.
Niceee
If we are talking about Campania, then my mind is officially changed on Piedirosso, you just gotta go for the Rosé 🤤
I like the grape too!
I tasted the Falanghina today. I was fucking good wine wine i love it a lot
Nicceee!
I changed my mind on Tinta Velasco, never like it but then i drink El Linze and now i buy 12 bottles every year... start to like more mencia because taste some good ones but don't really love it. Garnacha, i need to taste a good one yet and i think i taste some 95+ parker, but i like some Garnacha coupages like Les Terrasses love it, have one bottle of Garnacha Tintorera but they are not the same grape totally different. Monastrell need more years to improve i like the profile of flavours but they are to strong they need more refinement (Except Casa Castillo they do good Monastrell wines Las Gravas really good and their Pie Franco OMG). When I start to drink i love Merlot but now don't...... So maybe our taste change whit time.
I like syrah, cabernet, tempranilllo, this never change yet (2002). And i only taste a few petit verdot but i like it a lot (Petit Verdot - Rabia Bodegas Cerron 20€, Abadia Retuerta Petit Verdot expensive)
Ahhh nice! You will see some Jumilla video on the channel in the coming months!
@@drmatthewhorkey i like jumilla they do mostly monastrell, they have a lot of small bodegas and they try to do things right but as i say they need more refinement, they have all too be great, complex potent vibrant and their palate of flavours really good. Carefull strong wines whit unpolished tannins.... (small bodegas can't keep their wine 4 to 5 years to sell their wine in optimal conditions) i Hope you like it ;)
tell me more iconic duo than Italians and them wishing their grape verities came from Greece
Lol
Chardonnay.
😮