Metrovino wrapped up its series with All-Stars: Italy ($78.75). Eva Hudson led this event, along with Isiah Santos and Szivlia Fonalka. Let’s listen to Tu vuò fà l’americano by Renato Carosone for this post.
Divine Offering was already there when I arrived. I put away my coat and bag and dove into the cheese and charcuterie. I learned that Peasant Cheese purposely selected ingredients from Italian regions to best pair with the wines. The spread also included fresh bread from Mari Bakery, olive oil, and biscuits from the Cookbook Co. The olive oil, Galantino Organic Extra Virgin, was grassy and so delectably light that I wanted to sip it.
Here’s a cool fact about Metrovino. The entire team is well-versed in all the wines from their portfolio, but each person specializes in one country. As Eva discussed the wines, we learned that she knows and has visited almost all the producers we sampled. As usual, bottles purchased that night were 15% off.
1. Ciro Picariello – 2024 Irpinia Bianco Fiano ($35, 15% discount $29.75)
The first wine we tasted was from Summonte, Avellino, owned by Ciro Picariello, his wife Rita, and daughter Emma. Eva noted that the grapes are high quality, grown high in the mountains of inland Campania. I noticed a unique tang, while Divine Offering commented that after pairing the wine with some charcuterie, there was almost an aftertaste of sweetness.
2. Ioppa – 2023 Colline Novaresi Nebbiolo ($35, 15% discount $29.75)
Next, we moved north to Ioppa, a family winery in Romagnano Sesia, in the Alto Piemonte area of northern Piedmont. It’s run by Andrea, Marco, and Luca Ioppa, the seventh generation of their family to make wine.
Eva is obsessed with Nebbiolo, and she walked us through Alto Piemonte’s troubled past. Starting in the late 1800s, phylloxera, a vine louse, wiped out the vineyards. As the region industrialized, many people left the land for stable work in textile mills and auto factories. Then the two world wars made recovery in the vineyards harder. The wine itself was light in colour, almost translucent, with a red berry flavour.
3. Colombera & Garella – 2020 Lessona Nebbiolo ($71, 15% discount $60.35)
We stayed in Alto Piemonte for the third wine, from Colombera & Garella in Masserano, a town in the province of Biella. It’s run by Giacomo Colombera and Cristiano Garella.
Eva has sold their wine at Metrovino for over ten years. She described this wine as soulful and savoury. I enjoyed the fragrance and liked how it danced on my tongue. Divine Offering noticed it tasted stronger than it looked. I recently learned that a wine’s colour isn’t a reliable guide to how it will taste. Of all the wines, this one was my favourite.
4. Castagnoli – 2021 Chianti Classico Sangiovese ($44, 15% discount $37.40)
From Piedmont, we headed south to Tuscany. Castagnoli is an organic estate in Castellina in Chianti, owned by a German family. The team is led by Tim Schefenacker, with Filippo Pratesi as winemaker, and Lucy the dog. Its vineyards sit on terraces in the hills, and according to Eva, forest and wild animals surround the estate. Metrovino carries this wine as an exclusive.
I was surprised I liked this wine, as I usually find Chianti harsh and dusty. The colour of blood, it was dark and concentrated. Divine Offering loved the heavier body. We both bought a bottle.
5. Salvatore Marino – 2021 Eloro ‘Turi’ Rosso, Nero d’Avola and Pignatello ($34, 15% discount $28.90)
The fifth wine took us to Pachino, on the southeastern tip of Sicily, where Salvatore Marino and his wife Stefania run a small winery. The wine is named “Turi,” which is the Sicilian nickname for Salvatore. Eva mentioned the family also grows wheat and makes soap and pasta.
Eva’s take on the wine: black olive, soul and precision. I noticed an indescribable scent. I found it unusual in a good way, fresh yet savoury. I bought a bottle.
6. Elvio Tintero – 2024 Moscato d’Asti ‘Sori Gramella’ ($25, 15% discount $21.25)
We finished with something sweet from Elvio Tintero, a fourth-generation family winery in Mango, in Piedmont’s Moscato d’Asti country. It’s run by Marco Tintero and his partner Cinzia. Eva recalled drinking moscato with Elvio and, as he suggested, dipping a biscuit in the wine.
I took to the lovely fragrance. I enjoyed the bubbles, though I found it quite sweet. I plan to bring this one out as a dessert pairing at my upcoming party. I made a mental note to stop by the Cookbook Co. to buy the ring-shaped yogurt and rice flour cookies, Falcone Ciambelline. They were so good that Divine Offering went back for seconds.
We had an epic night learning from Eva, Isiah and Szivlia. I also met two litigators, both new to Calgary, who were very nice. I’m not sure why that surprised me, since the two other litigators I know are just as affable. I introduced them to the German wines I discovered at All Stars: Germany and suggested they book tickets to Metrovino’s 30th anniversary party at the Lougheed House.
I went in planning not to buy anything this time, but apart from the $71 Lessona, bottles were priced between $25 and $44, and with 15% off, that worked out to about $21 to $37. They were practically free. At least that’s what I told myself.
For a regularly updated list of tastings and special events, visit my Calgary Wine Tastings & Events Guide.
