I just recently returned from taking a 2 week tour through Italian and German wine countries. I know, poor me :-)  Well, it was well-deserved, mind you, and tax-writeoffable!  I want to share with you some of the highlights of my trip. This week, I will share with you my observations from Italy!
 
I visited Piedmont and Tuscany and tasted through most of the current releases winemakers had to show.  I visited Paitin, Mauro Veglio, and Marchesi di Barolo in Piedmont.  In Tuscany, I visited Banfi, and La Gerla in Montalcino and Felsina, Castello Volpaia, and La Massa in Chianti Region.  Overall, all wines tasted were enjoyable, however, it was very interesting to see the American influence on these smaller producers.  Let's begin with the winemakers of Piedmont.  To respond to the oaky and extracted styles celebrated by WS, and RP, winemakers in Piedmond are using less of the large casks made of Slovenian Oak and opting for more barrique.  Between Paitin and Mauro Veglio, I definitely preferred the more traditional Paitin style over the oakier Mauro Veglio.  To me, Nebbiolo is big enough it doesn't need a massive influence of oak. 
 
This barrique vs. Oak cask palate debate continued into Tuscany as well.  Banfi, the largest winery of Italy (and largest I've ever visited) has in fact come up with a patented combination of oak/stainless steel fermenters.  it is indeed half stainless steel and half oak.  It's pretty impressive machinery.  Again, the response to the new world market was a focus here as well, as the more traditional La Gerla used more Oak Cask than did Banfi, and again, I preferred the Brunello by La Gerla, it was fantastic!  In northern Tuscany, in Chianti,  I was quite impressed with all of the producers.  Felsina and Castello di Volpaia offered fantastic hospitality to us weary travellers and their Chiantis  were clean (but not too clean) and quite lovely.  I didn't feel as though oak was a dominant flavor profile in the wines tasted here.  La Massa was a fantastic off-the-beaten path discovery.  The Enologist and our tour guide, Francesco, was so hospitable and informative, I felt as though I recieved a mini-class on viticulture!  They don't make Chianti, and instead focus on Super Tuscan style blends of Sangiovese, Cabernet, Merlot and a touch of Petit Verdot.  We tasted these wines out of the barrel separately in addition to the final blended products.  Their Giorgio Primo was very aromatic and well-structured.  Both my travelling companion and I started to get the thirst to open up some older vintages to see how it ages.  Luckily, Francesco gave a six pack of his wines, so that I can age and try them myself.  Yay! 
 
That's all for this week.  Stay tuned for Part Two: The German Adventure...