Santa Cristina White 2012

Wine Name: Santa Cristina White 2012

Country: Italy	Region: Umbria, Tuscany
Rating: Very Good	Price: $14
Recommendation: Strongly Recommended

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

http://santacristina1946.it/en