Brad

I am going to Italy in February 2001 for 18 days. I love Red Wine and wondered what is the best to taste and bring home from there. Also does anyone know the limit of wine that can be brought back to the US? Appreciate any response. Thanks.

Steve

Brad: The best I've ever tasted is <BR>Brunello di Montalcino. Enjoy! <BR>

Clive

I'll go along with the Brunello. Also try Vino Nobile, and some of the better Chiante Classico's, for example Luciano Bruni.

Randall Smith

I also agree with the above. Be sure to visit Montalcino, it is a delightful sleepy mountain top villege. You can bring back one liter per person duty free. You might consider shipping it back by the case. <BR> <BR>Ciao, <BR> <BR>Randall Smith

Rex

Sorry to disagree with Randall Smith. <BR> <BR>Posted more than once before: <BR> <BR>From the Wine Spectator, a little bit out of date, but as far as anyone knows, all the information in it is still <BR>factually correct: <BR> <BR>"Getting Your Wine Through Customs" <BR> http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Sp...ollecting.html <BR> <BR>It seems to be the consensus in both this article and on other postings to this forum that it is almost impossible to ship wine home. Practically speaking, the amount of wine you can carry home is a function of what you can physically lug onto the plane, and lift into the overhead. Packed creatively, twelve bottles fit into a standard 22 inch rollaboard - - I have done this both as checked baggage and carry-on, more than once. <BR> <BR>I agree with Brunello di Montalcino being very, very fine. So are Barolo's. <BR> <BR>And I am very partial to reds from Trentino, particularly Teroldego Rotaliano's; Foradori is an example. <BR>

Tom

Hands down winner....Castello Banfi, Brunello di Mantulcino. <BR>It's liquid velvet in a bottle!!!

Brad

Brad, I agree with all messages posted...the only way we get wine home from Italy and France, is to wrap the bottles with our clothing in large bag that is check on...and also the carrying on. If you are really inventive, take along a roll or two of bubble wrap, tape and you are really set then. We have always been lucky without breakage, and seems to be the safest way. Between my husband and myself, we have brought home a case and ahalf. Good luck, hope this gives you some ideas. I believe no shipping from Europe is possible...my recommendation for a wonderful red is Fontodi Reserve out of Panzano/Chianti. We stayed at the estate a couple years ago and had a fabulous time, they also make wonderful olive oil. When there try some! <BR> <BR>Happy Traveling..Cher4travel

sandi

My husband and I had Brunello di Montalcino 1994 (Castello Banfi Vineyards) in Rome this November. It was truly special. We ended up bring a few bottles home. We bought it for about $25.00 (US) in Italy and it costs $60.-$90.00 (US) in the states. Bring back as many bottles as you can handle. Be careful though, if you fly on British Airways. They weighed our carry on bags and made us check them. We ended up losing a bottle (shattered) in the bag. Have fun trying it all, there's no better place than Italy for red wine!

Brad

What a bunch of GREAT people. I THANK YOU ALL for your responses and I will certainly take advantage of all of your recommendations. Thanks again. Brad

Dona

Brad, <BR> <BR>Quick question... What part of Italy will you be visiting? <BR> <BR>Dona

Brad

Donna, My wife and I are taking a 3 week tour with Grand Circle Travel Agency and our includes time in: Rome; Sorrento; and Montecantini. We are looking forward to a very pleasant visit, however am a bit concerned about the weather in late February and early March, which was the only period available for this tour.

Paulo

What's "best" is of course a matter of taste (I, for one, prefer nebbiolo varietal species over sangiovese). Anyway, a sperb wine depends on the vintage, vine selection and cask aging. <BR><BR>The main problem with some very popular wines concerns the selection of grapes. Once upon a time, the Brunello di Montalcino was only made if the vintage was good enough to ensure its quality (aging crap doesn't turn it any better!). In good vintages, only part of the production was used for the Brunello. Ever heard of the Rosso di Montalcino? This is the result of "poorer"grapes + less cake aging. <BR><BR>The problem is that with demand the "grape" sellection has become poorer (specially by the smaller producers) and even if a vintage should turn out quite bad, there'll still be a big production of "Brunellos".<BR><BR>The "youngest" Brunello in the market is from the 95 vintage. Though important for the Montalcino region, this vintage was not uniform. Farmers that didn't wait till the very end (last 2/3 weeks of October) to pick their grapes, produced very ordinary wines, meaning, that a lable showing 95' Brunello di Montalcino is no guarantee of a good wine.<BR><BR>Besides the Brunello, the Barolo was mentioned here (more of my type of wine . But nobody mentioned the Barbaresco (97' vintage was in the market this year). I'd say that for a better quality to dollar ratio one should be much better off buying 98' Barbarescos then 96' Brunellos next year. Gaja and Altare are top quality producers (also the most expensive in the average), followed, among other, by La Spinetta, Bruno Giacosa, Ceretto and Pio Cesare. These wine makers have each 3 or 4 "different" Barbarescos (with different vineyard-designations), and prices vary quite a bit with the vintage quality of a particular wineyard. <BR><BR>Paulo<BR>

Paulo

Oops, Elio Altare makes great wines (Barolos, La Villa, Larigi, Arborina, etc) but no Barbarescos that I know of <BR>Paulo<BR>

Rex

to the top again - - for traveler. <BR> <BR>Postscript: If this forum had an easier way to locate and direct readers to a specific (previous) posting by a unique identifier (timestamp), it would not be necessary to top (and repeat) information so tediously. This is my new crusade, and I am thinking about adding this postscript (when applicable) to every new reply I make here. If you agree with me, then please write to Danny Mangin or David Downing - - [email protected] - - and encourage them to move forward with this improvement (and any others they have up their sleeves) to this best-on-the-web travel forum! <BR>

fred

agree with the postings but add to the list a good estate bottled chianti like lamole and lamole vinyards. you wont recognize this as the standard chianti because mmost of the stuff exported to here is of poor quality ie ruffino. unless you know what to look for

topping again

however briefly...