Wine tasting: Islands of the Mediterranean

Boston accumulated over 100 inches (250 cm) of snowfall this winter, so the Newton office took steps to encourage a reluctant spring. We held a sampling of wines from the islands of the Mediterranean to summon warm breezes and give winter a nudge out the door. Recent tastings have not been successful: The Year in Review brought forth some wines that couldn't withstand repeated scrutiny; then there was the Disappointments from Down Under. We struck gold this time, as there were many pleasant surprises and no outright dogs on the table.

The first two offerings were white wines from Greece. While Attica, home of Athens, is technically a peninsula, it is certainly surrounded by the wine-dark sea. The Kourtaki Retsina was a new experience for most of the tasters. We struggled to identify what we were sensing: rubber? sage? the vinyl of a Twister mat? It turns out that Retsina takes it name from the pine resin that is used to seal the wine casks. A second visit revealed a distinct aroma of Pine-Sol cleaner, but the flavor exceeded everyone's expectations. A trending Thanksgiving side dish has been oyster stuffing; if you are planning a gourmet turkey dinner, this Retsina can stand up to bolder flavors.


The other Greek wine was from the isle of Crete. Silenus Beta relies mostly on the local Vilana grape to make a lightly herbal, easy self-drinker. We found it similar to Sauvignon Blanc, with a whiff of nail polish remover/perm solution. This style of wine is meant to go with a variety of small plates, so keep it in mind for tapas or house parties. We had a wine novice visiting from the office in Pune, India, and this was his favorite.

Our next stop was Sardegna (Sardinia), a large island off the shinbone of Italy. For a white wine we tried La Cala, made from the native Vermentino grape. Several tasters experienced this sequence: fruit, mineral, metallic, bitter. On my second pour I tasted a blend of lemon and capers, which suggested a pairing with chicken or white fish.

Sardinian wines are characteristically fragrant. I have spent several half hours with my nose in a glass of Carignano red, smiling at the floral bouquet. The downside is that the taste can be too flowery, competing with food dishes. For this tasting we tried a Cannonau by Sella & Mosca, similarly aromatic, but not too overpowering. I could imagine serving this with herb-rubbed pork tenderloin.

We hopped to coastal Italy for the next offering, Tomaiolo from Tuscany. Some tasters found this Chianti Classico Riserva bold, borderline rude. "Just like my husband," said Annie, who brought the bottle, "which probably explains why he likes it so much." A dissenting voice called this a softer style Chianti. The Sangiovese grape produced a deep rose color, and my immediate response was that this would be a good dinner wine to serve with a steak.

From there we traveled to Sicily, another large island just off the toe of Italy. Cusumano from Avola blends the Nero (black) grape to produce a dark plummy color, almost inky. There was a hint of ball-point pen on the tongue as well. Perhaps serve this wine with marinated octopus. The tannins overwhelmed me, but others found the structure balanced; rich but not oaky. In some deep layer I noticed very dark cherry.

The Barcelona office sent us a bottle of ses Nines Negre from the island of Mallorca (Majorca). This blend of Manto Negro, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Callet and Merlot got a mixed response. Some liked the aroma better than the taste, finding it light but bitter. Others appreciated the peppery finish. Maybe this wine needs to test its mettle with a fiery vindaloo.

We left the Mediterranean behind, far behind, as we tried the final bottle, Château d'Lena from local garagistes Gavone Brothers. This Côtes du Rhône-style blend takes its name from Gavone matriarch Pasqualina. She nurtured this vintage while chief grape crusher Umberto was toiling at an offshore vineyard (ah, there is an island in this after all). The Brothers take pride in their new slogan, Il nostro vino non è più schifoso (Our wine doesn't suck anymore). Over time, reactions to the Gavone line have progressed from "like being mugged in a dark alley" to "beyond drinkable" and "surpassing mediocrity".

The Lena blend is virtually opaque in the glass, with a slight corona of dark magenta around the edges. Close your eyes as you inhale the vanilla airplane glue. The taste has intriguing notes of overripe raspberries and licorice, making this wine paradoxically suited to both red and black Twizzlers. Spare the main course; uncork this palate cleanser with the blueberry pie.