I love writing pieces for this website but just occasionally it is good to have another voice, somebody else takes on a tasting. So here is the view of Tim Pierce, owner of GrapeExpectations, on the giro d’Italia which I led with his wines. It was a real pleasure to be in Longparish, just outside Andover, and to meet so many friendly imbibers, both new to me and some good friends.   There were some really drinkable wines here. My favourite?   The Verdicchio … Tim writes:

Monday evening was a very successful tasting with Andover Wine Friends in Longparish Village Hall. Lead by David Way, the wines were all supplied by me. Janet & I managed to squeeze out 33 samples from two bottles of each wine. Quite a feat but everyone had more than sufficient to taste.

The theme was Wines of Italy, with a different selection from the highly successful, ‘For Love of Wines’ Italian tasting, the previous month. We wandered from the Alpine hills of Trentino- Alto Adige with a very fresh, summery Terrazze della Luna: Nosiola 2013 (£7.95),; through Veneto with an off-dry, very moreish (pink) Fabiano Prosecco (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot & Pinot Noir!) which I really like, to a simply delicious Colle Stefano 2013 Verdicchio di Matelica DOC  (£10.65). Forget the “wishy-washy” dry white in the ‘Gina Lollobrigida’ bottles of the 1970’s, this is really classy from the hills bordering Umbria. The fragrance of almond blossom with a refined mouthwatering, almond palate, it was so well received I have entirely sold out, until the next delivery. Delicious!

(Just for your information. If I don’t have a wine currently in stock, it won’t be featured on the website. So no link, it’s not currently in stock. I will update web-site as wines are available).

The ‘star red’ was a modest Barbera D’Asti DOC ‘Ceppi Storici’ 2011. This has been  a ‘star buy’ with me for the past three years. Made by a giant co-operative in Piedmonte, its gutsy ripe cherry fruit with supple tannins just beg for a bowl of pasta or a good Neapolitan pizza, at the very modest price of £8.45. Don’t worry, the label might have changed (for the better?) but the wine is the same great value.

The ‘original Zinfandel’: Primitivo di Manduria DOC 2011 was well received by our American host & the large majority of tasters, as was the Fabiano Amarone della Valpolicella Classico DOC 2008. For an Amarone so young, its is very forward. Bursting with rich ripe cherry fruit, ripe figs, liquorice & wood smoke it is quite delicious & considering the tiny volumes made & the incredible method of production, still a snip at £30.