Last evening we went to a tasting at the International Wine Academy in Rome. The theme was (I paraphrase) "Good wines for under 15 euros." (If only Dr. Debs had been there!)
Under the bilingual leadership of Luca Azzellino and Ian D'Agata, we tasted some interesting wines that we had never heard of and others which can be found pretty widely in the Untied States. It was a nice mix of whites, reds, traditional styles and more modern, fruit-forward ones, and various regions of Italy.
A couple of standouts, to me, were a white made from Nuragus, Salnico, made by the Sardinian producer Pala. Another was a dry muscat from Valle d'Aosta, Chambave Muscat from La Crotta di Vegneron -- its powerful aroma of white peaches promises a sweet wine, but on the palate it surprises you with a minerality and balance that make it compulsively drinkable. These were just two of the eleven wines that showed some of the rich variety of Italy's wines.
It's worth making a trip to the Wine Academy just because of its setting, a very posh one. The entrance is on a little side street, just to the right of the Spanish Steps (as you go down), but you can go up the elevator to the top, where you find yourself outside the super-posh Hassler Hotel. In fact, the Wine Academy has four rooms to rent (three gorgeous, one definitely not), which are managed by the Hassler. It ain't cheap, but it's a lot cheaper than paying for a rom at the Hassler itself.
The Wine Academy has a restaurant, also managed by the Hassler. You get the advantage of their kitchen and the Wine Academy's cellar. Meno male!
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