VALPOLICELLA WEDNESDAY

5 generations in and led by the always gentlemanly Riccardo Tedeschi, over the last decade this estate has vaulted into the Veneto top-echelon along with the likes of Masi, Tommaso Bussola and others. Known as Amarone and Valpolicella specialists, the 2011 Lucchine Valpolicella is Riccardo's foray into the world of unoaked, trattoria-style Valpolicella. Pleasurable and made for drinking rather than thinking, this Valpol is about pent-up, red-fruit hedonism. Flashy, aromatic cherry-soaked balsamic aromas with underlying herbs and minerals. Illuminating and fun with flavors that attack from start to finish. This is our new favorite pizza wine. Drink now and drink lots.

A leap up in stature, the Nicalo cuvee is serious business! Grapes for this offering are dried for about a month then aged for 18 months in large Slovenian botti and this is what brings more body and complexity to the wine. Dried cherry tones that seems as though they've been infused with exotic herbs and spices play off of mint and amare tones. In the mouth, there is good force with full fruit that runs very deep. Flavors of cherry that come from just around the pit are highly present and are very textbook. The finish planes out and is quite sophisticated for 20 bucks. A perfect winter wine to drink now over the next 3-4 years with an array of pastas, braised meats or cheese.

San Rocco is made using an ancient winemaking technique called "ripasso", which consists of taking freshly pressed Valpolicella Classico juice and adding in the rich/raisined grapes generally used for the noble Amarone. The ripasso method brings an exotic quality to the wine that adds to its allure, bringing a level of richness and intensity that's perfectly balanced by the fresh and bright berry notes of the newly fermented Valpolicella juice. Tedeschi has been making this top-end Valpolicella Ripasso since 1976.

From the People's Republic of Chocolatey Delicious, the 2011 San Rocco offers heaps of luscious dark cherry, plum, Indian spice, candied violet and dark chocolate. Full bodied and intense with great balance and fine-grained tannins that support the lushness through to the long finish that is full of mouth-coating complexity. Enjoy now over the next 6-8 years with pasta darned with morels (or other mushrooms) and tender morsels of slow cooked lamb, a stellar pairing that must be experienced!