661779 Fri Oct 23 12:44:39 -0700 2009 18 34 Wine 0 5125847 dinner at a friends house tomorrow night. he likes white, she likes red. he will drink a red if it is not too tannic, but prefers white. there are 8 of us, don't know the other's preferences. menu is spinach and ricotta stuffed manicotti with roasted tomato sauce & a ceasar salad. Planning to bring 2 bottles....no bubbly pls (I think I would polish off the whole bottle myself - maybe that would be good!) Fri Oct 23 12:44:39 -0700 2009 105701 cleopatra999 1 5125908 you have a number of Italian options for red...Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, Valpolicella, Barbera, or the somewhat predictable Chianti (Riserva or Classico). if you really want to bring a white, i think the easiest pairing with the tomato sauce would be a Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. Fri Oct 23 13:13:36 -0700 2009 5125847 103920 goodhealthgourmet 1 5126875 Red: Barbera. Second choice would be an Etna Rosso, but those are a bit more obscure. White, I would bring an Austrian Riesling, a Gewurztraminer from Trentino Alto Adige, or an ALSATIAN Pinot Gris. Fri Oct 23 22:23:22 -0700 2009 5125847 50041 whiner 2 5126909 Oh, I just knew it! Yes, Barbera. One fully ready to drink. Read more here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/660322#5111632 Fri Oct 23 23:26:20 -0700 2009 5126875 18222 maria lorraine 3 5127309 thank you all. I will look at a barbera :) Sat Oct 24 08:09:44 -0700 2009 5126909 105701 cleopatra999 4 5127348 Barbera being a "working class" wine (that is not an insult), individual labels tend not to get national distribution in North America. If you can find Ca' del Sarto Barbera d'Alba in Edmonton, the 2007 vintage (and even more so the 2006 vintage, a few bottles of which remain on some shelves) fully satisfies maria lorraine's suggestion of a barbera "ready to drink." It is easy to spot on the shelf because it has an unusual ochre color label with red lettering. Sat Oct 24 08:31:34 -0700 2009 5127309 278068 Politeness 2 5128041 Barbera would be good. Some recently tasted ones that appealed to me are: 2006 Giacomo Conterno Cascina Francia 2006 Bruno Giacosa Sat Oct 24 14:40:20 -0700 2009 5126875 10578 RCC 3 5128864 Really like the Conterno, but I think it's a little too big for dish. Sat Oct 24 23:47:48 -0700 2009 5128041 97069 mengathon 4 5128908 meng! Sun Oct 25 01:12:01 -0700 2009 5128864 18222 maria lorraine 5 5138792 Maria! I'm around still =) Wed Oct 28 17:06:36 -0700 2009 5128908 97069 mengathon 4 5129517 The 2006 Conterno Barbera that I had a couple of months ago was big, but paired well enough with the bolognese (obviously not a manicotti) that I had. As a matter of fact, after my pasta dish, I cleaned up the remaining appetizer of crusty rustic bread and fresh ricotta with my remaining glass of the barbera ... and they still paired well. I'm on the lookout for this Pidmont wine. Any good Barabera that you can recommend? Sun Oct 25 11:39:44 -0700 2009 5128864 10578 RCC 5 5132551 Thanks for the recs the Barbera went beautifully. Mon Oct 26 14:06:29 -0700 2009 5129517 105701 cleopatra999 6 5132728 You cook some nice dishes in your neck of the woods, cleo... I remember your earlier posts. Mon Oct 26 15:13:56 -0700 2009 5132551 18222 maria lorraine 5 5133389 The Conterno barbera I find to be a little atypical. It's one of those that I would not hesitate to pair with a big steak. I don't have any experience with older, more aged versions, but I don't think it will be at its best for at least 5 years. My favorite barberas, covering a wide spectrum of styles: Gianfranco Alessandria Cavallotto, Vigna del Cuculo, Bricco Boschis Clerico Trevigne La Spinetta Ca di Pian - massive, oaky, but delicious nonetheless La Spinetta Gallina Trinchero - especially the Vigna del Noce. The '97 is really earthy, and needs decanting. The 99 and 01 are both beautiful now. A very serious, aged barbera at great prices. Mon Oct 26 19:39:12 -0700 2009 5129517 97069 mengathon 6 5133849 mengathon has a great list. (Never had the Trinchero, though) I would add G. Conterno, Sandrone, La Spinetta Boinzo, Braida (all, but particularly the Ai Suma), Mutti. Spinetta has slipped a little in the past 2 releases, I think, but such a good track record, I'm sure they'll get their mojo back. Tue Oct 27 05:02:27 -0700 2009 5133389 50041 whiner 7 5136457 The list I meant as a supplement. The Conterno is definitely up there. Forgot the Braida, although I don't think I have tasted enough to say for certain. Never tried the Sandrone or the Voerzio, which a lot of people love. Hefty price tags... The Trinchero Noce is really done in the same style as the Cascina Francia. Large old barrels, longer macerations, probably at their best 10-15 down the road. Tue Oct 27 22:31:49 -0700 2009 5133849 97069 mengathon 8 5136573 I love Braida. It was actually the first winery to make Barbera in the more modern style. That said, their prices are outrageous. $80 is just too much for a wine that is no better than the best Spinettas. You should check out Sandrone. LOVE it... very similar in style to the Clerico, but I have a preference for it. Wed Oct 28 01:16:49 -0700 2009 5136457 50041 whiner 1 5134390 no disagreement with the barbera but I don't there there would be anything amiss by serving the (predictable) chianti riserva; how about a nero d'avola? Tue Oct 27 09:01:19 -0700 2009 5125847 31795 ibstatguy 1 5138116 Agree with most here. Barbera from a good producer, Vietti or Chiarlo are good and affordable. Or of course a Chianti Classico Riserva, Monsanto's is always good. Not sure about the white. Wed Oct 28 13:25:21 -0700 2009 5125847 174659 Vlajos