Lovely (Cheap) Italian Red

I didn't have a lot of hope for this wine. After my crianza experience and some memories of other cheap old world wines, I figured this one would probably end up cleaning my kitchen drain. I was very pleasantly surprised. The Masi Modello Delle Venezie 2003 is really very nice and a great introduction to the delightful world of Italian wines. I have had wonderful Italian reds before, but all in the $30-$50 range (the good ones are worth every penny) and a few cheaper ones that did nothing to impress me. This wine is just under $15, and although it is certainly not as good as the more expensive Italian red I brought out for Mother's Day dinner (my mom and sister had to listen to me go on and on about how fabulous it was), for the price it is very impressive. It has some nice dark fruit to it, with some spice, coffee, chocolate and leather flavours. It is not overbearingly fruity like many Australian Reds at this price point, but rather is a nice balance between fruitiness and those other interesting flavours. I think it would please both those who like friendly juicy wines and those who prefer something a little more austere as it is firmly in between the two. It is a medium bodied wine and the finish doesn't linger much, but at this price I'm very impressed and would be happy to drink this again and again. I think it would go with many foods that you would want to have a red wine with.

Masi is a very large Italian producer, centered in the region of Veneto (around Venice), and there are three or four of their wines in the Whitehorse Liquor Store. I am interested in trying their Amarone because I think I am in love with Amarone, but it is over $40 so I will wait for a good excuse before I buy it. Amarone is made from grapes that are air dried for a few months before pressing so the flavours are really concentrated and luscious, but they are a little pricey so I would only trot them out for special occasions. Enough babbling, try this and if you like it then fork out some more money and try some other pricier Italian Reds (like Amarone), perhaps pick some up on your next trip to Vancouver. One last thing I should mention, I am noticing that most of the Italian wines I have liked are from Veneto. So maybe bypass the overpriced Tuscans (ie. Chianti) and try a Valpolicella or other Veneto wine.