A Tour of Italy at Rico Padre Restaurant

Last Friday I was on deck to help my good friends at Thisrty Scholar with their Italain wine tasting at the new Rico Padre restaurant in Taichung. Some pleasantly warm mid-winter weather meant we were able to have the tasting in the garden and enjoy some (relatively) fresh air. I was looking after some interesting wines from the Campania region near the city of Naples. Terredora Di Paulo is one of the most respected producers in the region and one of the key players in the renaissance of the region over the last 40 or so years.

From fame during the Roman Empire period to relative international obscurity and old fashioned wine making the region had experienced quite a drop in reputation. However the newer breed of winemakers and winery owners saw the potential in their traditional grape varieties and largely resisted the urge to plant international varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay and stuck with grapes that have been in the region since the ancient Greeks introduced them to italy more than 2000 years ago.

I was showing 2 crisp, dry white wines made from Fiano and Greco di Tufo along with 3 very different versions of wines made from Aglianico the red grape the region is known for. All of the wines showed well and I was especially taken by the excellent, structured and well balanced Taurasi CampoRe which sees 7-8 years of ageing before it is released. The 2007 showed concentrated cherry fruit with hints of coffee and sweet spice, softening, but persistant tannins and refreshing acidity.

I managed to get a quick look at some of the other wines on display and there were some really interesting wines. Thirsty Scholar are trying to source interesting wines from often small scale producers making wines with real personality and finesse. I particularly enjoyed some of the different flavour profiles like the violet, peppery aromas of the scioppettino and power and structure of the top Montepulciano d’Abbruzzo wine. Get in touch if you want to find out more about these and other excellent wines from Italy available in Taiwan.

Cheers,

Kris.