Shortly after our trip to Italy, and still somewhat exhibiting nostalgia, it’s only natural to pick and review a wine from the remarkable Chianti region. If you are a wine lover, Italy should already be on your travel destination check-list. I checked mine off already, but already am planning to go back. It’s really hard to find a bad glass of wine in Italy, all the local order Vini da tavol, loosely translates to “table wine,” and most commonly ordered in the increment of 250ml or half liter. At any restaurant in Italy, you are expecting to pay 6-8 euros for half a liter of table wine. And what do you get for your “table wine”? Well, salute to Chianti. In Vancouver, that’s how much we pay $6-8 for a glass of “house red.”

So today I am reviewing the 2010 Castello di Gabbiano Chianti DOCG.

You can find it at BC liquor store and Everything Wine for $14.99.

This is a drunk now, trunk cellar wine. (Meaning you cellar it from the wine store > car trunk > open when you get home).

Visual: Clean, ruby-red

Nose: Clean, earthy, à la Chianti

Taste: Dried cherry, medium-high acidity and a bit tangy. Very little finish.

For $15.00, you are getting yourself a well-priced bottle of wine. It doesn’t taste cheap, at least for me it brings back some beautiful memory of pairing a glass of Chianti with spaghetti carbonara. If you are cooking pasta dishes, grilled meats or pizza this weekend, go grab yourself a bottle and let me know how it turns out!

Cin Cin!