Finish Up the Rosato, It’s Barolo Time! #ItalianFWT
As it turns out, late April wasn’t quite Rosé season in Minnesota this year!
Seasonal Wines, Yes or No?
Q: How many seasons are there in Minnesota? A: Two. Winter and road construction. Alternate A: Two. Winter and 4th of July. Minnesota is a state with four distinct seasons, and we embrace them all. In our wine groups I hear people saying “rosé is not just for the summer, drink it all year long”. To that I say: Pssshh! I love rosé as a celebration of summer! We drink it all summer long at our house. The dutch oven has been put away, and the grill goes into high gear. When September hits, it’s as if a big light switch has been turned to “off”, and we put the shorts away, drink up the last of the rosato (Italian), rosado (Spanish), and rosé (everywhere else) and we prepare for the cooler weather ahead.
It’s August and the first leaves have fallen. Smell those damp poplar leaves and know autumn is coming!
Italian Food, Wine & Travel Shares our Italian Red Wines for Fall
Our September meet-up of our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group will be dedicated to our favorite Italian wines for fall. Take a look further down in this post for lots of good ideas from my other Italian wine buddies. For me, fall means I can break out the Barolo and Barbaresco, yay! Like a mini-version of magazine writers, we prepare our dishes and wines in advance. I couldn’t quite let go of summer, so I picked a cooler evening to open my first Barolo of the fall, even though we are still loving our farmer’s market fresh foods.
Michele Chiarlo Barolo Toroniano DOCG 2012 (sample, $55 SRP or online here)
Eye: Clear, pale ruby with a warm orange rim. Wine has legs, but they are not colored
Nose: Clean, medium intensity. Aromas of strawberries, olives, pine needles and freshly cut oak in the background.
Mouth: Bone dry, medium+ acidity, high tannins. Medium body, medium alcohol. This is not a lush rich wine, but a lean and angular (as expected for a young Barolo). Tart red fruits, pine needles, graphite flavors with a medium length finish. I didn’t finish the wine on day one, and it was better on day two, showing more Barolo character, which is a very good sign for further aging potential. This wine would benefit from a few more years in bottle, though it was very good with food at the dinner table.
From the winery
“Owned and operated by the Chiarlo Family since 1956, Michele Chiarlo Tortoniano Barolo is one of their signature wines. Produced in the Piedmont region of Italy, this delicious wine has layered aromatics of mint, fennel, plum, spices, rich red currant flavors, with hints of rose petals. On the palate, Toroniano has flavors of black raspberry, ripe cherries, and hints of licorice and espresso. The wine’s acidity is balanced, has silky tannins and a long finish.”
Disclosure: The wine was provided as a sample. No other compensation was involved. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Late Summer Veggies Paired with Barolo
Late in the summer, we start to see more earthy vegetables: carrots, squash, brussels sprouts. Eating the last of the sweet corn, we look back on the summer and look forward to the cooler weather in the fall.
(click on any photo for the full size slide show. Hit “escape” to return)
Favorite Italian Red Wines for Fall
Join our twitter conversation at #ItalianFWT on Saturday, September 1, 2018. The following posts will go live early that morning and you can join in the chat — using #ItalianFWT — from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. CT.
- Marcia at Joy of Wine reveals Lacrima – The Aromatic Jewel in La Marche’s Crown
- Jeff at FoodWineClick gets real with his directive to Finish Up the Rosato, It’s Barolo Time!
- Jennifer at Vino Travels introduces us to Badia a Coltibuono: Beginnings by Monks in Gaiole in Chianti
- Gwen at Wine Predator has an inspiring suggestion for Italian Red Wines for Fall? Go Pink and Pair with Pasta!
- Jane at Always Ravenous is bringing in the new season by Leaning into Fall with Beef Short Ribs and Nebbiolo
- Lauren, The Swirling Dervish, is our helpful guide to Transition into Fall with the Wines from Südtirol / Alto Adige
- Wendy from A Day In The Life On The Farm crafts a tempting pairing of Pappardelle al Ragu Di Cinghiale and a Monsanto Chianti Classico
- Camilla from Culinary Adventures With Camilla shares her secrets with A Few of My Favorite Fall Things: Truffles, Cheese, & Barolo
- Katarina of Grapevine Adventures encourages readers to Welcome Fall with a Taurasi DOCG from Irpinia
- Jill from L’Occasion, gives you Wine To Match The Trees: 15 Italian Reds for Fall
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[…] Jeff at FoodWineClick gets real with his directive to Finish Up the Rosato, It’s Barolo Time! […]
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[…] Wine Click announces it’s Barolo season with a review of the Michele Chiarlo Barolo Toroniano DOCG […]
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[…] Jeff at FoodWineClick gets real with his directive to Finish Up the Rosato, It’s Barolo Time! […]
foodwineclick 
What’s better than root vegetables on the grill? Grilled veggies with a great bottle of earthy wine. Thanks for sharing Jeff and we, in Michigan, understand your seasons only too well.
Wendy, thanks. Yes, we upper midwesterners understand!
Here on the Monterey Peninsula, we don’t really have seasons. But I can see what you mean and those grilled veggies look amazing, Jeff.
I’m genuinely happy to have four seasons, but I appreciate the milder climate in other areas. Every region has it’s plusses.
I love the look of those grilled and carmelized veggies!
Thanks, Jill. I’ve been working on getting the veggies right. It’s a fine balance between too fast and too cooked when roasted slowly.
Beautiful photos! We love our grilled veggies all year — and our rose too! I’m sure that Barolo was better on the second day — did it make it to a third?
It was so good on day two that it didn’t survive for day three!
I’m with you on the seasonal drift to more robust wines in cool weather – when I’m in NYC. Here in Miami, I find myself longing for crisper, lighter wines to take the edge off the heat. Your photos look delicious – did you figure out why the purple carrots cook so much more quickly? I’m so curious!
The only thing I can think of is the darker skin color being more affected by the radiant heat on the grill. It happens regularly, and I’m starting to delay putting the purple carrots on the grill!
Such vibrant pictures. Love them! There is nothing like a change in season with a change in wine and food. I always look forward to it. Bring on the reds!
Right, I do love 4 seasons. In Minnesota I could do without November and March, though. In each case, seems a gray month where it’s not any of the 4 seasons, just blah.
My favorite seasons are the warmer ones. I grew up in Wisconsin and prefer climates where vegetables grow year round. That said, nothing like some comfort food and a glass of red wine when the temperatures dip… and they do here in the south too. Lucky for me, my farmers market is open year round with vegetables. Your late summer MN grilled veggies look beautiful.
I must admit, I issue a big sigh late in October when our farmers markets close. It’s a long time until the following May.
I love the photo of the different coloured carrots! Michele Chiarlo makes a great Gavi too!
Thanks! I’ll have to look for their Gavi. I love all the wines of Piemonte!