You Loved it at the Winery, but how Does it Taste at Home?

It’s easy to fall in love with a wine when you’re surrounded by gorgeous vineyards and savoring local meats and cheeses while chatting with the staff. Every wine tastes good under those conditions! But sometimes, a wine that charmed us in situ was less charming when we got it home. You’ve likely had the same “What was I thinking?” experience after buying a bottle or two at a winery and regretting the purchase when sampling the same wine in your kitchen.

We shipped home a couple of cases of wine from various wineries and shops during our spring trip to Italy [read 1st of 5 posts here] and invited some wine-loving friends over for a four-wine tasting. Would the wines that we swooned over in Umbria, Tuscany, and Sardinia be as delicious on our deck as they were at the winery?

Two Grapes, Three Regions, Four Wines
We chose two Vermentinos and two Brunellos for the tasting. Trying to recreate the magic of Italy, we paired the wines with sheep’s milk cheese, Italian salamis, pistachios, and dark chocolate.

Here’s how the wines fared.

Vermentino – A white grape with herbal and citrus notes; mostly associated with Sardinia, but grown throughout Italy. Our tasters gave both Vermentino wines high praise [with Umbria coming out on top], confirming that Lisa and Gary were not wrong in shipping them home from Italy. Sadly, neither wine is available in the US but can be ordered online from the wineries [with a hefty shipping fee.]

1. Torrale Vermentino 2022, Tenuta Fredanno, Umbria; €20 only at the winery
In our Umbria post we raved about the “honeyed nose” with flavors of “grapefruit and lemon peel and a hint of cream.” At the home tasting, we noted the Vermentino “crisp, tart and citrusy” with a “wonderful acidity” and balance, leaving a “pleasant catch at the back of my throat.” One wag said, “Best grapefruit juice ever,” while likening it to a “good white Bordeaux.” Aggregate rating: 4.3 out of 5

2. Sedha Vermentino Di Gallura 2024, Giuseppe Lecis, Sardinia; €35 only at the winery
We did a barrel tasting at the winery and found it had an “appealing organic nose with floral undertones, white pear flavors, and minerality.” At home, our tasters thought the Sardinian Vermentino was heavier than the Tenuta Fredanno, and better with food. “Very smooth and easy to drink,” with flavors of apple, grape and “a hint of Catawba.” Aggregate rating: 4.0 out of 5

Brunello di Montalcino – Brunello wines must be made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso grapes grown in Montalcino. Aging requires a minimum of two years in oak barrels and four months in the bottle (six months for Riserva). Both wines got good reviews from our tasters and are available online in the US. [read our Brunello post]

1. Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2018, Pian Delle Querci, Tuscany; $60 at Astor Wines
We first tasted Pian Delle Querci wines at the 2025 Slow Wine Expo in Boston, where Gary flipped for the 2019 Riserva. Unfortunately, when we visited Montalcino we never made it inside the winery: the gates were locked and the calls went to voicemail. Undeterred, Gary later turned to Gerry Finnegan of Beaver Brook Bottles in Waltham, Mass., to source the Pian Delle Quereci. Gerry, our “wine whisperer,” was able to track down a few bottles of the 2018 Riserva. Our tasters were not as generous to the 2018 as Gary had been to the 2019. “Caramel nose; clear ruby color, with a peppery taste,” “Good backbone, still young; not ready to drink.” Maybe our quest for the 2019 vintage should continue. Aggregate rating: 3.9 out of 5

2. Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2018, Donatella Cinelli Colombini; $133 at Saratoga Wine
This wine was Gary’s favorite among all the Brunellos we tasted, writing, “The wine is a work of art on the palate, with a slow-release of intense red fruits enveloped by velvet tannins and balanced minerality and acidity.” Wow. Would it hold up after its trip to America? Our tasters loved this “big red” with depth, concentrated fruit, and an appealing cherry/raisin nose. While one questioned if it was worth the price, another said it “delivers on taste and complexity.” In other words, DEFINITELY worth the splurge!
Aggregate rating: 4.3 out of 5