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The two Argiolas reps walking me through their tasting are personable, animated and boast deliciously thick Italian accents.

To them, here at the Mutual Distributing Expo in Greensboro, my patois must be equally frustrating. Signals crossed, I ask about vintages, and they speak of varietals. Answers seem a question behind. There's equal parts brow-furrowing, lip pursing, and quizzical stares.

So I do what everyone does with someone of a foreign tongue: I talk EVEN LOUDER.

Fortunately, a friend in tow speaks Italian, fluent Italian as it turns out. This brings warmer smiles, wild gesticulation and a lilting Old World sing-song that maybe feels like old-home week for all of them.

To me, it sounds like this: Why must your idiot American friend speak so loudly?

The annual Mutual Distributing Trade Expo is where Triad restaurants, wine retailers, caterers, B&Bs and big chain grocers sample new offerings, talk wine, cut deals and harvest inventory for winter and spring. Think international furniture market in High Point, only more lubricated.

I've asked a friend along to handicap Italian wines and to keep me out of the tall weeds because in the shank of the show ... it's .. all ... good.

And that's bad.

I'm warned off a Barolo -- a pale shadow of what the Nebbiolo grape wants to be. The verdict with a Barbera: A pretender. And a Chianti? Not what the Sangiovese grape ever hopes to be.

But on our next Barolo and Chianti -- and finally an Amarone -- we linger and savor.

Here's my Italian wish list: (Prices are approximate.)

I'm familiar with Argiolas by way of Vermentino -- a white varietal renown in Sardinia but relatively unknown in the U.S. I've included it often enough in the UNCG wine appreciation class lineup and students have warmly greeted it each year.

Argiolas dates to 1918, but it's only since the early 1990s that it returned to its roots, focusing on grapes indigenous to Sardinia -- an island of uncommon beauty and a viticulture history dating to pre-Roman times. Sardinia produces stunning Vermentino, Cannanou, Bovale Sardo, Monica, Carignano, Nuragus, Malvasia Nera and Nasco.

The two Argiolas reps are explaining grapes while interjecting history of family patriarch Antonio Argiolas, who lived to 102 before passing in June this year.

This segues a boast to Sardinian longevity, how the island leads the world in producing centenarians. And this leads them to link longevity to frequent imbibing, particularly Argiolas wines. All of this is introduced in richly intoxicating Italian accent.

Would that I could live a century with wine.

My notes:

2008 Costamolino Vermentino Di Sardegna ( $15-$17): A ripe, zingy white echoing grapefruit, melon and a minerally, slate-like edge. Crafted from the Vermentino grape, this refresher makes a fine replacement for Sauvignon Blanc. Not my first encounter, it has never disappointed.

2004 Argiolas Turriga Isola Dei Nuraghi ($60-$65): Primarily Cannonau (what Sardinians call the Grenache grape) with some Malvasia Nera, Carignan and Bovale Sardo mixed in. Grenache is one of the world's most widely planted red grapes, so you might expect pedestrian trappings. Not so here. This is a rich, round, full-bodied red, exploding with blackberry, currant, licorice, chocolate and mint. It rested 18 to 24 months in new French oak casks. I rarely experience Grenache like this. The finish keeps echoing.

2006 Argiolas Costera Isola Dei Nuraghi ($16-$19): If the above is too steep for your pocketbook, this red -- also primarily Grenache -- is a middle-weight alternative. Fruit forward and lighter on its feet, there's plenty of ripe black cherry, blueberry, cracked pepper and anise. It spends 6 to 8 months in oak barrel.

2006 Argiolas Perdera Isola Dei Nuraghi ($16-$19): The lightest of the three reds reminds me of earthy Cru Beaujolais Villages. Boysenberry jam and milk chocolate give this an off-dry mouth feel. It's my first introduction to the Monica grape, which may be what American's know as the Mission grape from California's past.

Here are a few more Italian favorites:

2008 Attems Pinot Grigio ($16-$20): A more generously fruity Pinot Grigio than you might expect -- apple and peach -- with a mineral edge that makes it more intriguing. The Pinot Gris grape is enjoying skyrocketing popularity.

Here's an example why:

2006 Fonterutoli Chianti Classico ($24-$28): Mostly Sangiovese with a touch of Merlot, Malvasia Nera and Colorino. There's the signature bright acidity and cherry tart but a lot more complexity, with hints of dark fruit, spice and chocolate.

2004 Col d'Orcia Brunello di Montalcino ($45-$55): Real depth with savory herbal and floral notes after three years in oak barrels. Black cherry, blackberry and tea with integrated tannins that allow the fruit to shine. 2004 was a highly-regarded vintage in Tuscany. This Sangiovese is an attention getter from start to lingering finish.

2005 San Giuseppe Amarone Della Valpolicella ($32-$42): Haunting black cherry, fig, anise and smoke, this is a full-bodied red with refined tannin. Blending Corvina, Rondinella, and Corvinone and drying the picked grapes for four months to concentrate sugars, this is amazingly intense. If you've had mediocre wine labeled Valpolicella -- delineating a viticulture area near Verona -- don't let that term throw you. You pay more for Amarone, but the journey is well worth it.

* * * *

On more familiar turf, I introduce my friend to personal favorites: Gruner Veltliner from Austria, Torrontes from Argentina, Grenache and Petit Verdot from Spain, Pinot Blanc from Oregon, and Viognier, Pinot Noir, Mourvedre and Zinfandel from California.

To check out those discoveries, sign up for our next free e-mail wine newsletter at www.news-record.com. Type e-mail newsletters into the search bar atop the page. Find us among all our offerings. We deliver twice a month. It's all free. And you can cancel anytime.

 

Ed Williams is Director of Public Information at Alamance Community College. This column publishes the first Wednesday each month. If you have news of a wine event, e-mail williamsonwine@aol.com

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