Looking for a new favorite? Timorasso might be the one!

One of my favorite things about blogging are the relationships that you develop around the world . I originally met Lara Statham awhile back when she was still working at Turin Italy Guide as co-founder.  Lara was born in the UK and has lived all over the world including Greece, Hungary, Jordan and Egypt,  but has called Turin in  Piedmont, Italy home for the last 18 years. A fan of Piedmontese cuisine & wines with a penchant for Langhe reds, she has written for various publications about Turin & Piedmont including Time Out, Wine Pass and the Turin Italy Guide.  I asked Lara to share with me something unique about the wine from her region and today we discuss the grape, timorasso.

Turin, Italy by Maelick \

Timorasso is one of my all-time favorite white wines from Piedmont, Italy. I have a tendency to having lots of favorites (!!!) but this one really stands out. Perhaps surprisingly, not many people have actually heard of it. Only those ‘in the know’. Sometimes I’m inevitably asked what my favorite wine is. On mentioning the name Timorasso, I am either met with mild puzzled looks or wide-eyed expressions accompanied by sage nods of approval.

I first tried it purely by chance at Parola wine bar in downtown Turin, the capital of Piedmont. When the owner told me that my usual white of choice, Arneis, was off their chalkboard menu I experienced a twinge of disappointment. I love savoring the ripe pear and apricot flavors and crisp freshness of a glass of Arneis, especially during the summer months. 

But my disappointment didn’t last for long. 

I’m always eager to try new wines…and as my eyes scanned the board they rested on a new variety…Timorasso, a wine that, until that moment, I don’t think I’d ever heard of before.

It’s certainly not one of the better known grapes picked from the terraced vineyards of Piedmont’s Monferrato (or Langhe) hills. But it is also not new. I found out that it is one of the most ancient indigenous grapes grown in these parts. I also discovered that some time ago it had fallen out of favor and risked extinction in the 1980s. 

It was only due to the perceptive foresight of Walter Massa of Vigneti Massa (in business since 1879!) that the Timorasso variety was saved and production of this overlooked grape began to grow. The grapes are used both for white wines and grappa. It is one of the most exciting ‘terroirs’ in Piedmont…and in all of Italy for that matter!

Anyway, back to the drink…

From the moment I put that delicious glass of Timorasso to my lips and took that first delicious drop I fell hook, line and sinker for this delightfully full-bodied, interestingly complex wine. Flavors and aromas that you too will hopefully experience include whispers of lemon and lime, toasted hazelnut, smooth caramel, subtle spice and aromatic mountain herb. Hints of smoky, aromatic cigar-box flavors swirl deliciously around the mouth. Matured in oak, it has a lovely smoooth, creamy texture. It goes exceedingly well with chicken dishes, grilled sausages, smoked meats and cheeses…spaghetti carbonara apparently…and bar snacks!

Colli Tortonesi DOC by Magnus Reuterdahl

The ‘viticultural’ DOC area where Timorasso is produced is called ‘Colli Tortonesi’. It covers a vast area in southeast Piedmont that stretches from the picturesque Monferrato to the border with Lombardy. The Italian city of Tortona lies at the foot of the Monferrato hills. Historically famous for its noble families and excellent wine growers it was once known as ‘Derthona’. This name, coming from Roman times, can often be seen on Timorasso wine bottle labels. 

Timorasso grape by Magnus Reuterdahl

Any wine produced from the Timorasso grape has to contain at least 85% Timorasso. The rest can be made up of Moscato Bianco and Favorita (another of my favorites!!!).

Now, you too are ‘in the know’ why not try Timorasso for yourself? It might join the list of your own favorites!

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The charming town of Sirmione on Lake Garda and the local wine region of Bardolino

Many of us are familiar with some of the larger, well-known lakes through Italy including Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore and maybe even Lake Bolsena or Lake Trasimeno. Over the last few weeks I've been highlighting some specific towns within Italy including Rome and Bergamo as part of the #hipmunkcitylove project as I always love talking about Italian travel, especially those that I have visited. In order to stay true to what my blog is all about I felt it was most appropriate to also discuss perfect day trips to local wine regions for visitors to get a true sense of the area's local wines.

Today I'm showcasing the town of Sirmione, Italy that I visited back in 2009. Sirmione is a really neat town located on the southern part of Lake Garda. It is situated on a peninsula that juts out into the lake. Lake Garda is the largest lake within Italy and touches a few regions within Italy including Lombardy, the Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. The northern part of Lake Garda is more mountainous where the southern part is made up of morainic hills formed by the glacial forms.

Town of Sirmione, Italy

The town of Sirmione is located in the province of Brescia in the Lombardy region. I love in Italy when I enter towns that are surrounded by walls or fortresses, and there are many of them, as I feel like I'm stepping back into ancient, medieval times. Upon arriving in Sirmione you can park your care and enter through the fortress walls surrounded by an ancient moat to access the old historic city center. There are some very interesting attractions within the city including the Grotte di Catullo, which is an ancient Roman villa where you roam through the archeological ruins. 

 There is the opportunity to also visit the museum inside to scope out the objects that were excavated. In addition, there is also a neat little climb up the Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione. It's a castle that provides great views over the town and peninsula, as well as the water. With many other attractions to see including beaches, thermal baths, and quaint, peaceful churches there is plenty to satisfy your needs in the town of Sirmione.

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

View from the top of Rocca Scaligera in Sirmione

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

Rocca Scaligera di Sirmione

For you wine lovers the closest wine region is Bardolino, named after the town, that is within reach of Sirmione located on the southeastern shores of Lake Garda. If you're familiar with the Valpolicella wines of the Veneto, Bardolino is made of a blend of the same grapes corvina, rondinella, and molinara. The main difference is that it's a lighter style red wine that is less tannic and less alcoholic than the wines of valpolicella. For some of the best of this particular wine region seek out a Bardolino Superior Classico DOCG.

I hope you get a chance to visit this wonderful area as it's very accessible to many other great places to visit including Verona, Brescia, Mantova, etc.. 

Have you had the wines of Bardolino vs. Valpolicella?

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Best day trip outside of Rome visiting the wineries of Lazio

Andiamo a Roma!  Yesterday you may have caught my podcast with Rick Zullo discussing an introduction to Italian wines including the Lazio wine region.   If you have been to Italy, most likely you have visited Rome, the capital of Italy in the central region of Lazio along the Tyrrhenian Sea. As we all know, Rome is rich in history, art, architecture, and much more, but let's escape today from the city and chaos and journey to wine country outside of Rome. Here are some of the best areas to visit outside of Rome for a day trip to experience the wines of Lazio. You may not immediately gravitate to the Lazio region when it comes to wine. Lazio is known for producing easy drinking, simple table wines, without drawing much excitement, but there are some top whites and reds that you can find that are worth experiencing. Plus, any time you visit a wine region you learn so much about the cultural history of an area, plus the climate, terrain, and much more. If you are a lover of whites you will be able to appreciate this region. My first suggestion, that is near to Rome, is to venture out to the Castelli Romani area to see the production of frascati, the primary white wine. There are a number of towns in this area in the Alban hills, Colli Albani, which is about 12 miles south of Rome. Wine lovers have enjoyed Frascati for over 3,000 years in this region. What makes the winemaking of this region unique is the volcanic soil. Volcanic soil imparts lots of character to wine that is grown on it, especially minerality and complexity. Frascati wine is a blend of the malvasia bianca, trebbiano and bombino bianco grapes. Check out the Frascati Superiore DOCG wines as well as the Cannellino di Frascati DOCG, which is a dessert wine. The Alban Hills of Frascati by CucombreLibre If you're a red wine lover, the best wine area outside of Rome to visit would be the town of Piglio, about 30 miles southeast of Rome in the Frosinone province. The primary red grape of Lazio is the unique cesanese del Piglio made with 90% of the cesanese grape. Cesanese is an aromatic red grape producing wines with spice, ina concentration that shows the ability to age. Outside of the cesanese grape, most of what you'll find in this region for red wines are your typical international varieties like cabernet sauvignon and merlot. Don't get me wrong, no one should miss visiting Rome for its history alone, but take a day off and enrich your experience with a visit to the wine region. It might be overwhelming with the number of choices available to stay in Rome, but if you are looking to base yourself out of Rome for your vacation and excursions, consider Worldhotel Ripa Roma in the Trastevere district of Rome. For a gastronomic Lazio experience, check out my blog with a food and wine pairing of Lazio featuring saltimbocca alla romana with Casale del Giglio petit verdot, and get a sample of what this region has to offer from a culinary perspective. This article is associated with #Hipmunkcitylove.

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