Wine Name: Santa
Cristina White 2012
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Country: Italy
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Region: Umbria, Tuscany
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Rating: Very Good
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Price: $14
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Recommendation: Strongly
Recommended
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This is another wine I discovered
at the Wine Warehouse Arizona. (
http://www.winewarehousearizona.com/).
It originates from Italy and we are having it with a classic Italian meal, Risotto.
The winery is located in the
Tuscany region, near a town called Cortona and has been creating wines since
1946.
Where do I start with Tuscany? Situated
in the northeast of Italy, it is famous for rolling hills studded with abundant
grape vines, olive groves, medieval architecture, fabulous food, dramatic
seascapes, history, art and fashion. Tuscany has it all, which could be why it
is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world.
The Tuscan country landscape
brings to mind a laid back lifestyle of small farms producing fabulous food,
set amongst rolling green hills blanketed by vineyards and olive groves. The historical farmhouses are often set atop the rolling hills, and the contrasts in colors from
the Cypress trees and forests, to the lighter green of the pastures, and the
food they produce, all contribute to the idyllic atmosphere. To add dramatic
effect, the landscape is dissected by several large mountain ranges including;
the Appenine Mountains and the Apuan Alps. The seascapes are located in the
east on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and include; long sandy beaches, spectacular cliffs,
and rocky headlands. Cities include the Capital Florence, ranked by Forbes “as
one of the most beautiful cities in the world”. It is a world heritage site,
world fashion and art leader, known as the birthplace of Renaissance art, home
of the Uffizi Gallery, the Palazzo Pitti, the Leonardo Da Vinci museum, and Michelangelo’s David. Not to be
overshadowed, other cities include Siena, Lucca and Pisa, and the veritable
Leaning tower.
Due to the vast range of
geography, the climate in the region can vary greatly. The coastal areas tend
to be milder, and the interior regions harsher. The interior tends to fluctuate
between hot in the summer, and cold and wet in the winter.
Cortona was made famous in
recent years by the book, and movie, “Under the Tuscan Sun”. Perched on top of
a hill with an elevation of nearly 2,000 feet, enclosed by stone walls, this
medieval town has sweeping views over the valley, and Lake Trasimeno.
The Santa Cristina winery shares
the views of the valley overlooking the Valdichiana. The terroir consists of
sandstone, shale, marl, clay, scree, some chalky lime, and is balanced with
silt and fine sand. The winery web site has some fantastic food recipes to complement
their wines, including some excellent pictures. I strongly recommend visiting
their site, some of their work is true artistry.
Their winemaking process is to
soft press the grapes and chill to a temperature of 50° Fahrenheit (10°
centigrade), to settle impurities. Fermentation is then achieved in stainless
steel tanks at a maximum temperature of 62 ° Fahrenheit (17° centigrade). Lastly, the wine is aged and bottled in small
batches with the goal of producing a good quality wine.
The wine is a light golden
color, has a pleasant floral bouquet, with some tropical fruit, and citrus. It
is slightly dry, very clean, and easy drinking. It is drinkable with, or
without, food however, pairing with the right food will definitely enhance the
experience. There are some subtleties to this wine, and it is a great warm
weather wine. It would accompany seafood especially well and would enhance many
lighter fare meals such as salads, chicken and even pork. To provide a readily
identifiable reference, the flavor is somewhere between a Pinot Grigio and a
Sauvignon Blanc.
By pure coincidence we enjoyed
this wine with a well-known Italian meal, Risotto, which made a fine
accompaniment. Risotto dates back to the fifteenth century, and originated in
the north of Italy. It is very easy to
make but needs to be continually watched and stirred whilst cooking. It can be
cooked in multiple ways. The version we cooked was a vegetarian dish, but it
can also be made Vegan by using only vegetable stock and leaving out the
parmesan. Additionally it can be made into a carnivore version by adding diced chicken
and using chicken stock.
Ingredients
Arborio Rice
4 Cups of vegetable or chicken stock
Onion diced
One glove of garlic pressed
Cup of Bella mushrooms sliced
Cup of White mushrooms sliced
Two cups of spinach
½ cup of Parmesan
Salt and Pepper
Olive Oil
½ cup of white wine (optional)
Directions
In a large 4 quart pot sauté onion in olive oil until
softened. Add garlic and stir for a minute.
Add one cup of Arborio rice and stir until grains are
coated. If you decide to use wine, add wine and continually stir until wine
disappears.
Add one cup of stock (preferably warmed in the microwave)
stir until stock is absorbed. Add another cup of stock and stir until absorbed.
Add mushrooms and stir into rice mixture.
Add another cup of stock to mixture continually stirring.
Add spinach to pot and stir.
Add last cup of stock to mixture and stir continually also
adding parmesan and salt and pepper to taste. Stir continually until rice is
cooked.
Serve warm.
Rating: Very Good. Good value
for money. Strongly recommended.
Generally available from larger supermarkets and liquor stores in Houston. Other brands by this winery are available at Specs but they do not appear to stock the white.
Winery Web Site
The wine came recommended to enjoy
with seafood and it is a very good accompaniment. It is a medium golden color,
similar in appearance to a light Chardonnay. The bouquet has traces of tropical
fruit, berries and a slight hint of oak. The taste is fresh, slightly dry, and
follows the bouquet. The first taste appears a little bland but further tasting
settles into a slightly fruity light dry wine that is pleasant to drink and
goes well with seafood and possibly chicken meals. The wine is well
worth trying and represents a pleasant deviation from the more famous regional
and varietal wines that we have become more accustomed to. 
Lobster
Winery\Importer Web Site
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