It’s summertime and what better way to acknowledge this wonderful season than to learn more about great Italian wine for all occasions. Our City Tonight met with one of our favourite wine representatives at an iconic wine store in the heart of the city. Marquis Wine Cellars on Davie Street has been providing customers with a huge selection of great wine for almost four decades. We were joined by Andrea Vescovi, regional sales manager Western Canada for Ethica Wines.

OCT: The last time that we sat down and talked about wine with you was during the holiday season. We talked about the best Christmas and New Year’s Eve wine choices and now we get to chat about summer wine. These are wines that are great to have in the summer and also all year round as well. Let’s talk about the wines that you chose to share with us available at Marquis Wine Cellars.

AV: Yes, it has been sometime since we last got together and chatted about wine. It’s summertime; we certainly want to highlight some of the better Italian white varietals. You will notice we won’t be talking about Pinot Grigio today. In the last five years we’ve seen a lot more interest in different Italian white wines. 

OCT:  We have previously tried one of the wines that you have brought today. There is a lot of Prosecco available, but this one really stands out.

AV: This one does stand out for sure and Prosecco is the number one sparkling wine in the world and for a good reason. The name of the wine is La Gioiosa which means “joyous”. So anytime you’re in a festive mood, there’s nothing quite like a bottle of Prosecco. This particular one is a drier style. There are a lot of Prosecco in the marketplace, and we think ours is a little different than those available. The drier style really tends to appeal to consumer palates these days for sure.

OCT: This winery prides themselves on being very sustainable.

AV: Sustainability is always in the forefront with La Gioiosa located in the Veneto region in Treviso.

OCT: Okay, what is the next Italian wine that is perfect to enjoy this summer?

AV: La Cala is from Sella & Mosca in Sardinia. This was one of the very first wineries in Sardinia, founded in 1899 by Vittorio Sella and his brother-in-law Edgardo Mosca. They originally went to Sardinia to open up a nursery and funny enough, they actually had a lot of cuttings that went into Bordeaux because they planted a lot of Cabernet and then this morphed into the winery with many more varietals. This included Vermentino being one of them. Now 75 per cent of all Vermentino that comes out of Italy comes from Sardinia. Many people do not know this fact. And it is of particular note that this vineyard is very close to the sea. You can taste a lot of salinity in the wine.

OCT: And of course, this wine would be very good with seafood.

AV: Yes, it is excellent paired with seafood and it is just a great Vermentino and offers incredible value.

OCT: There are a lot of interesting facts to read up on regarding this winery.

AV: Yes, very historical and it’s one of the largest contiguous vineyards in all of Europe with 650 hectares (542 under vine). If you are ever in Sardinia, it is well worth the visit.

OCT: Can we talk about the Gavi wine, also known as Cortese di Gavi.

AV: Gavi, like Pinot Grigio, was popular years ago and at one point in the 1980s Gavi was truly the jewel of Italian white wines. I remember when I was a young server in the hospitality industry, people would simply say, I’ll have a glass of Gavi. And it was on every wine list in Vancouver. We’re starting to see that kind of Renaissance again. The varietal is Cortesi grape, and this is in the province of Piedmont which is in a township of Gavi. This wine offers incredible value, and the notes on this would be very strong marzipan. When we taste this blind, it’s something I always look forward to in a Gavi. I pretty much nail it every time and it is a very interesting tasting note.

The winery is Villa Sparina, and the property is 70 hectares with a world class hotel, and a world class restaurant. It is such a beautiful place. Gavi in my opinion is definitely on the upswing in popularity.

OCT: It is a very versatile wine, and people will rediscover that for sure. Our last wine to discover here today is the Monks wine. 

AV: Ca’ dei Frati is a well-known name in Italian wine, and they are famous for white wines that age “like legends”. The name means “house of friars” as a nod to the Carmelite monks who once tended vines on this land. The wine is made in the province right next to Piedmonte which is Lombardy in Northern Italy. The winery is located at the mouth of Lake Garda, and this is called the Lugana area. When people order this wine, they simply ask for a glass of Lugana white especially in Europe. The varietal is called Turbiana. It is not a name that rolls off your tongue, but it is a grape that is well respected, and we are starting to see more Lugana on wine lists around the world. It is a wine that must be tasted if you have not yet tried as it will surely become a for many wine lovers.

OCT: On that final note, thank you Andrea for introducing us to these excellent wines and are all available at Marquis Wine Cellars in downtown Vancouver. 

• ethicawines.com • marquis-wines.com