Albino Armani wines in New York

I was very excited.  Egle Armani, of the wine-producing Armanis of northeastern Italy, was going to be at a tasting in SoHo.  I was anticipating my first taste of a grape that the Armanis have just about single-handedly rescued from oblivion, the foja tonda.

It was not to be.  Egle was pouring only wines from the family's Trentino vineyard, of which foja tonda is not one.  And, worse, the terrorists had won; Egle left home with a bottle of foja tonda meant for me.  But it was confiscated at the airport in Italy.  I'm sure some security guard had a fine bottle one evening, the lucky rat.

I won't give in to bitterness, however.  Egle is so charming, warm and knowledgeable that I almost forgot about the lost foja tonda.  And the wines she did pour were clean and well-balanced, all exhibiting an admirably unmanipulated typicity.  What's more, they are an astounding value.

Albino Armani has vineyards in three northeastern Italian regions, Friuli, Veneto and Trentino.  The azienda's origins are in Trentino, and these were the wines, from a 16 hectare property, that I tasted this week at the Vespa-Ducati showroom (I know, I know) in SoHo.

First, a nice range of whites, beginning with a Pinot Grigio, then on to Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Muller-Thurgau.  Briefly..

The Pinot Grigio showed more acidity and a livelier mouthfeel than most.  Not so soft and flabby as so many are.

The Sauvignon Blanc had a very New Zealand taste profile (complete with soupcon of cat's pee), fruity and dry and very drinkable. 

The Chardonnay showed a balance (restrained oak!) and brightness that recalled a good Maconnais, although at rather lower cost.

The Muller-Thurgau -- a pleasant aperitif, as Egle said.  It's definitely Gewurtztraminer's kid brother, aromatic but less strongly so than the big G. Won't overwhelm your canapes.

These delicious, well-made wines all retail for around $13 - 15 in the New York area.  That's the good news.  The bad news is that they're available mostly in restaurants.  (Easier to sell in to the local Italian restaurants that want, say, an Italian Chardonnay.) 

One of the salesmen from the importer/distributor, Omniwines, which organized the event, told me that Garnet does offer some of the line.

What about the reds?

Good as the whites were, I was really impressed by the reds. Which are the same price as the whites; yet they taste far more expensive than their actual price.  ("It's immoral to charge too much for wine," says Egle.  Music to my impoverished ears.)
 
I tasted three reds in those waning minutes of the tasting.  The Pinot Nero was light and pleasant, though lacking a little in complexity.  Restrained oak, again.  It reminded me of a Marlborough (NZ) Pinot Noir.

More interesting and perhaps just more to my taste was the rather spicy Marzemino.  This baby sees no oak, and it's intensely fruity and a lovely match for any meaty, savory meal. (You know I'm a sucker for indigenous varieties.  This one doesn't disappoint.  This is a wine I could drink every day.)

And then, ah, the Teroldego.  Foradori is a (the?) proponent of the grape, and thanks to that winery, Teroldego has assumed its rightful place among the best red wines of the region.  What about Armani's version?

It's perhaps a little less complex than Ms. Foradori's, but the concentration and power of the grape are present from first sip to last lingering aftertaste.  And the price is more than right.  It's an extraordinary wine for the retail price of about $15. 

Our mission, should we decide to accept it

March into your local wine store and demand that Albino Armnai wines be stocked.  Your taste buds and your wallet will both be the better for it.  And you know that doesn't happen too often.

Comments

[Lizzy]

Hi Terry,
I'm happy to know you like Armani's wines, as me!
Ora ti manca solo di assaggiare il Foja Tonda...dont' worry, next time!
In Italy, perhaps!

Lizzy

[Terry Hughes]

Si, voglio fare un appuntamento subito dopo il Vinitaly. Ci sei?

[East Village Wine Geek]

Foja Tonda? I run a wine bar and am very interested in this grape. I haerd about it awhile back and thought i may never see it here in the states. I live in New York City as well. Does Omni carry the wine in thier portfolio?

East Village Wine Geek
www.evwg.blogspot.com

[Terry Hughes]

KZ, although I do not see Armani's wines listed on the Omniwines site, Egle told me that she is very pleased with her winery's relationship with them. They probably carry it -- foja tonda just wasn't on offer at that tasting.

Click on the link in the article and see if Francesco can give you the full story.

And if you get to stock it, let me know -- I'll be right down to taste!

[Lizzy]

Terry,
I'm sure Albino & Egle will be happy to meet you at Vinitaly. Those are days very business for me, but I'll be there!
ciao!

Lizzy

[East Village Wine Geek]

I don't see it on the portfolio either. Oh well, I am officially on the lookout.

[Giampiero Sappa]

Dear friend of East Village Wine Geek,
tank you for your attention.
Our vineyards are in 3 different areas in north-east Italy: Trentino, Verona and Friuli. In each one we have a cellar too, and the wines produced in each area have a different brand. Omniwines distribute only the brand "Io Domenico Armani" from Trentino. Foja Tonda is produced in the cellar of Verona and the brand is "Albino Armani", the historical family label. This line of product is Imported in USA by Villa Italia - San Francisco. More information abouut distribution in your area: villaitaliany@yahoo.com (Agent in Ny) or info@villaitalia.com.
Have a pleasant tasting.
Giampiero Sappa
Albino Armani
vingrowers since 1607

[Terry Hughes]

Giampiero, grazie per la risposta ampia. E' rara questa sorta di attenzione internettiana delle aziende vinicole per i clienti, attuali o potenziali.