Wine is Conducive to any weather

The summer of 2009 in Maine will probably go down as “the summer that wasn’t’.” I don’t think I’ve ever seen a summer with weather as random and fall like as this year. It’s amazing how much weather can affect tourism and customer’s dining habits. We have seen highs and lows in our business as well as our wine sales. Unlike beer, which is affected by weather, I know this seems like a bizarre statement. When it rains people don’t barbecue, which means less beer is consumed. No matter what the weather, people are going to still eat and of course drink wine.

Our goal at Varano’s is to be the great provider for your summer wine experience. With over two hundred wines on our list, we have a wine in everyone’s price range. Italy is home to over seventeen hundred different grape varieties; our list is a small sampling of the diversity of Italian Wine. We try and represent all the different wine producing regions of Italy on our list. This is a challenge in Maine, being a control state; it presents a number of difficulties maintaining a list of this magnitude.

We strive to keep our list current and present a new offering each month. Our monthly feature has become a huge hit; I spend time each month researching the wine to feature. I will tell you this is definitely a perk, It’s fun to discover a new wine, taste it with food and friends, and finally feature it in Varano’s as our monthly special. The key is to find a wine that is affordable and drinks well. Sometimes I even get lucky and find a wine that is five or ten years old and is drinking amazing.

For the month of August, I’ve chosen to revisit Calabria, the region in Italy that my family is from. I spent some time in June attending several wine tastings and I came across a wine from a producer named Statti, the winery is in the Lamezia Terme region of Calabria. Two brothers, Antonio and Alberto Statti, run Statti; their goal is to restore to the wines of Calabria the prestige that they enjoyed in Ancient times. Unfortunately Calabrian Wines aren’t that well known around the world, or even in Italy for that matter. The transition taking place within the Statti Winery is based on a belief and passion shared by both brothers.

What I love about the winery is the fact that they are making these wines with indigenous grapes from the region, utilizing grape varieties that date back thousands of years. The wine I have chosen for this August’ feature is called Gaglioppo, made from one hundred percent Gaglioppo Rosso grapes. Ruby red in color, the wine has a nose of cherries and spices, and is full bodied. The Gaglioppo pairs well with grilled meats or medium aged cheeses. Lightly chilled it can be served with rich seafood dishes. Having visited Calabria, there is no mistaking that this wine is of Calabrian origin.

Rain or shine, we need to eat. If we are going to eat, why not enjoy ourselves and treat ourselves to something different. We could all expand our palette a little, why not travel to Southern Italy for an evening and have some fun at the same time. Don’t let the summer of 2009 get you down, make it the summer you expanded your Italian Wine Palette., when you return home, you can impress your friends with your new wine knowledge. Have a great summer.

Dick Varano