Wine Night!

I love Tuesday night when it a wine class with Jeremy Parzen! Tonight we talked about and tasted the wines of Veneto. If you don't remember my first blog about Jeremy, he has a Ph.D. in Italian and has traveled, studied, and tasted throughout Italy. His blog, Do Biancho, is great fun for an approachable look at wines. By the way, he will be at Vino Vino with Kermit Lynch on Monday, Nov. 9 to introduce Kermit's new CD, Man's Temptation. (But you need reservations; call 512-465-9282 ) To preview: http://www.amazon.com/Mans-Temptation-Kermit-Lynch/dp/B002JODUN4

But back to the wine. We started with Bisol Prosecco. I love this! Light in body (11-12 percent alcohol) and great with food, especially seafood. This is not a cheap substitute for Champagne, but a great food wine. $18

I bought a Soave Classico by Inama. Remember when Soave was a cheap bulk wine? No more! This one had bright acidity and is a great value for $15.

We moved to the reds with two Zenato Valpolicellas. Higher alcohol content here. These wines come from near Lake Garda and enjoy good drainage and ventilation from the lake. In the $25 range.

But the treat was a Valpolicella Classico Superiore from Quintarelli, a legend in Italian winemaking. $62 (at Austin Wine Merchant)but this was a special purchase; it retails for more! We're talking handwritten labels and a winemaker who won't release a wine until it meets his high standards.

The classes have not been "stuffy" and Jeremy makes wine even more interesting by sharing his experiences in Italy. These have been wine & food classes, not just wine tasting. Thanks, Jeremy!