Danzante: a little bit of affordable Italy in a wine bottle from the Mondavi enterprise
Apr 24th, 2001, 05:53 PM
#1
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Danzante: a little bit of affordable Italy in a wine bottle from the Mondavi enterprise
Speaking very generally, I have two kinds of wine in my home - - wines I bring back from Europe - - and wines that give me some kind of similar "experience" - - especially from a group of "Italian-style" producers in California - - see www.cal-italia.org for many of the kinds of places I'm talking about. <BR> <BR>Danzante is a new, and very affordable label from the Robert Mondavi entrprise, and I opened my first bottle of their Sangiovese, and I give two thumbs up. According to their website - - http://www.danzantewines.com/index.asp - - and this may all be very good marketing hype - - the grapes are "sourced from hillside vineyards in the Marche region where soils are deep and rich in clay and where the nearby Adriatic Sea guarantees a temperate climate". <BR> <BR>Here's more about whay they have to say about the Danzante label: <BR> <BR>"Danzante wines are the third collaboration created by the joint venture between the Robert Mondavi family of Napa Valley and the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi family of Tuscany, Italy. Danzante, Italian for "dancing," encourages the everyday, energetic celebration of la dolce vita. <BR> <BR>The Mondavi-Frescobaldi partnership was formed in 1995 in part because Robert Mondavi's family wanted to return to their Italian roots. This was the first joint venture in Italy between two internationally distinguished wine producers using their combined resources and winemaking expertise to create Italian wine of superior quality and elegance. Danzante was introduced in 1999 with the 1997 vintage of Danzante Sangiovese and the 1998 vintage of Danzante Pinot Grigio. <BR> <BR>The Frescobaldi family name has a long history in Italy, going back 700 years. For centuries, farming and winegrowing have been a tradition in the Frescobaldi family. Marchesi de' Frescobaldi SpA was established in 1980 and is wholly owned by the five Frescobaldi siblings: Dino, Vittorio, Maria, Ferdinando and Leonardo. The company's headquarters are in Florence and its nine estates are scattered throughout the Tuscan countryside." <BR> <BR>I have not located a source for their Pinot Grigio yet. I am trying to resist buying over the internet, preferring instead to support local wine merchants here in Ohio, for wines produced in America. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR> <BR> <BR>
Apr 24th, 2001, 06:13 PM
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Thanks for the recommendation. When it comes to U.S. vintners, I usually opt to support the smaller operations, and I believe Mondavi is among the largest. In comparison to their neighbors in Napa, their facility is the Taj Mahal...their production seems to have the feel of assembly-line production as opposed to the passion-driven smaller places. I will, however, give Danzante a try. <BR>As the Mondavi name enjoys such a large market share, I'm sure the Pinot Grigio will find its way to Ohio shelves in short order. Hopefully, in place of our homegrown Catawba lines. <BR>j.
Apr 24th, 2001, 07:21 PM
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Jon, <BR> <BR>I agree that their may be more "soul" in producers like Pietra Santa or Il Podere dell'olivos - - two others I like (and can find here in Columbus) - - from the cal-italia.org consortium. <BR> <BR>And I try to maintain some skepticism about a "smaller" label/joint venture of Mondavi with any other producers (trying to "buy" quaint"?) - - that's why I intentionally used the term the Mondavi enterprise. I'm also fully aware that I'm a sucker for their lush visual imagery - - they're pretty clever (or rich, or both) in the marketing department. <BR> <BR>But I stand by the opinion: for a $10 wine (poured a glass straight from the bottle - - no time for breathing - -as I would any "everyday" wine), I thought it tasted pretty good. I'm seduced by the pleasant appearance of the bottle, so I hope my "re-tastes" hold up more or less the same opinion. <BR>
