Gran Passione is a line of wines which celebrates some of the greatest areas for Italian wine, and, in all cases, the passion and intensity that Italian winemakers apply to their craft. They offer traditional wines from the Venteto, Piemonte, Campania and Puglia regions. Some are maybe not quite so traditional, as in the case of a Chardonnay and Garganega blend we’ll review here. Others are certainly very traditional, such as the Prosecco, Gavi and Barbera d’Asti, along with the Falanghina, an ancient white varietal still grown in the regions around Naples. Retail prices here are very reasonable, and this is a chance to try some classic wines for relatively few dollars. Let’s see what we found. First the non-traditional white blend:
Wine: 2017 Gran Passione Bianco IGT Veneto
Winery Location: Veneto Region, Northeast Italy
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: July 2018
Tasting Notes: This wine is a light, straw color with a nose of white flowers, peach and pear, with melon undertones. It is quite rich, with medium body and nice balance. The fruit persists, the finish is clean and long and you get an overall impression of a quality, well made wine. This has got some presence. A blend of 80% Chardonnay and 20% Garganego, the traditional grape used in Soave. Great value wine here, and we’ll add it to our Value List.
Price Point – $13
Would We Buy It? – All day long. For the money this is a tasty and well made wine.
The next wine is also from the Veneto, and the Prosecco DOC.
Wine: Gran Passione Prosecco Spumante
Winery Location: Prosecco DOC, Veneto region, Northeast Italy
Tasted By: Neil & Cheri Date: August 2018
Tasting Notes: This is a very pale yellow in color, with apple and peach aromas. Also a touch of citrus. The bubbles are very small, and very persistent. Typically light on the palate, it none the less leaves you with an impression that this is a higher quality Prosecco. The flavor profile is precise. There is some texture and an elegant overall impression. This is 100% Glera, as a traditional Prosecco would always be. Another wine which is all about quality, and value.
Price Point – $13
Would We Buy It? – This is another no-brainer. We would certainly buy this wine at this price. On the Value List it goes.
Both of these were actually quite excellent, and we can say they both represent great value. Common between them is a sense of quality, and it represents itself in complex profiles, good texture and clean, persistent tasting experiences. You can’t go wrong with either of these. They make us curious as to how the rest of the collection compares, and we’ll report back when we get a chance to try them.
The Gran Passione line is imported by Winesellers, Ltd. You can read more about these and the other wines in the Gran Passione collection at http://www.winesellersltd.com/wine-brand/Gran%20Passione.html.
A votre santé!
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