Joe Bastianich wines

Joe Bastianich is a famous New York chef. He was born in Friuli, North-Eastern Italy and he grows white wines there as well as Sangiovese based wines in Tuscany. I was lucky to be able to attend a dinner with him and Steve Manfredi where he showcased his wines.

These wines are very different from what we have here. They are not very acidic and crafted to accompany food, rather than dominate it. They can be quite fruity, but they are not sweet. Amazing how he achieves this.

From a range of wines, I just like to comment on two. The 2008 Sauvignon 'B' was nothing like a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. No grassiness, no sharpness: a refreshing, somewhat fruity wine, but with a fresh finish, almost like a light Chardonnay - a great food wine.

The most serious of the wines of the night was the 2005 La Mozza Aragone, a Sangiovese based super Tuscan, which included 20% of Shiraz and a couple of other local varieties. This wine had cherry and plum flavours, was well balanced, not too heavy, but serious, with soft tannins on the finish.

These wines are not easy to find in Australia, but well worth checking out. I believe Five Ways Cellars in Sydney and the Prince Wine Store in Melbourne are stocking them.