UTEC's Italian benefit was a night in good taste

When you open the evening with a sparkling, dry Prosecco and close it with a silky Chianti Classico, you have two key ingredients for una magnifica festa d’Italia (a magificent Italian feast).

And so it was recently at Café UTEC (United Teed Equality Center) in downtown Lowell where Chef Sam Putnam, his culinary staff of young men and women, and yours truly combined on an elegant Italian wine-tasting dinner for 44 donor/guests. The proceeds from each $75 ticket benefited UTEC’s educational programs.

We “journeyed” to four regions and tasted native wines, beginning in the Veneto (Prosecco) and continuing to Abruzzo (Trebbiano), Piedmont (Barbera) and Tuscany (Chianti).

Prior to each food course, I gave a brief history of the wine and later engaged the guests in a discussion on its characteristics. The crowd was energetic. Among the attendees were Lowell City Councilor Jim Milinazzo; former School Committee member Jackie Doherty and husband Jay Mason; attorney Michael Gallagher; John and Judge Barbara Pearson; local radio talkmeister John MacDonald and wife Dawn; Anna Jabour, former owner of La Boniche restaurant; Martha Mayo; Richard Rourke and so many others, including my wife, the Wine Goddess.

I passed out notecards and urged the guests to jot down their thoughts on each wine. Some of their comments appear in the wine reviews below. Clearly, the Prosecco and Chianti Classico stole the show. However, just like everyone’s palate is unique, each of the selections found favor among certain individuals with discriminating tastes.

(Thanks to Eastern Bank for its generous donation covering the cost of the wines, which were purchased locally at Tutto Bene Wine & Cheese Cellar.)

*Sensi Brut 18K Prosecco, $22.99 — The “gold-plated” bottle is an attention grabber, but the dried fruit, honeyed flavors and mouthwatering fizziness is a refreshing crowd pleaser. It was paired with crostini and assorted toppings of smoked fish paté, roasted peppers and goat cheese. Paul Ratha Yem found the Prosecco “light, bubbly and fruity. I love this white wine.” For Matthew Murphy, it brought back wonderful memories of a trip to Milan with his wife Jennifer. Is it any wonder why Venetians produce 150 million bottles of Prosecco annually?

*Valle Reale Trebbiano D’Abruzzo Vigne Nuove, $14.99 — Through the years, this white varietal from Central Italy was grown in abundance by local farmers for every-day drinking. While it is still a local staple, modern wine crafting has improved the product for the global marketplace. It’s a delicate wine with subtle apple and lemon flavors, not to be confused with rich, creamy Chardonnay. It was paired with an endive and radicchio salad with pickled grapes, gorgonzola cheese and pine nuts. Carolyn Walsh captured Trebbiano’s essence: “Closed aroma initially but opened up nicely after sitting in the glass. Citrus flavor and slight mineral flavor also.” Jim Dymont and Milagos Baez picked it as their favorite white.

*Pertinace Barbera d’Alba, $15.99 — Located in northeast Italy, the Piedmont is famous for its thick-skinned red Nebbiolo grape that produces age-worthy — and expensive — Barolo and Barbaresco wines. But what do the winemakers drink? The secret is revealed in Barbera, a timeless staple with rustic Italian cooking (la cucina povera) which today is smartly selected by modern chefs for any classic braised meat, pizza or pasta dish. The mineral rich hillside slopes of D’Alba help create a dense, dried cherry and spiced-flavored red wine with an earthy, dark fruit perfume. It paired beautifully with a Tuscan white bean and cabbage soup. “Oak cask flavor, dry, cherry, green grape, plum perfume aroma,” wrote John MacDonald. “Excellent” was Jack Moynihan’s one word description. Jay Lee wrote, “much lighter than expected in a good way.” Michelle Rivera and Susan Dufresne tagged it their favorite.

*Coltibuono Chianti Classico RS, $14.99 — Chianti is a region in Italy; the grape used in its production is Sangiovese which thrives in Tuscany’s sloping hillsides. Original 19th century laws dictated that Chianti contain up to 30 percent white grapes, a blend that diminished the product and led to its decline in quality. Since the 1970s, however, modernists have broken from the law (this is Italy), eliminated the white grapes, and relied heavily on Sangiovese’s expressive traits. Chianti’s got its groove back to say the least. Coltibuono, which means “good harvest,” is a better than good entry-level Chianti. It’s delicious and features stunning dark berry and tobacco aromas, with flavorful layers of dried cherry, licorice, violet and black pepper. The finish was long and reflective. It paired exquisitely with braised lamb, wild mushroom risotto and broccoli rabe. “The star of the night,” raved Jay Lee. “Best of the bunch. Smooth, fruit overtones and earthy tastes,” wrote Jim Waldo. Those sentiments were echoed by Josh and Jennifer Putnam among others, who labeled it “my favorite.”