Trying to find an Italian wine

[ChefSean]

I'm trying to locate and purchase an Italian wine from Tuscany. My brother brought me back this bottle from Italy and it was great. The only problem is that it is all in Italian. Here is some of the info on the bottle Chianti Montalbano 2000 Vendemmia Ristorante Pietre Cavate. Please help me find this bottle so I can purchase more.

[Bucko]

This is for forum technical ahvice only. Your post was moved to the appropriate folder. Thank you.

[Innkeeper]

Hi ChefSean, and welcome to the Wine Board. Montalbano is a town from which some Chianti comes. It looks like this one was made, possibly by a producer Vendemmia, as a proprietary wine for a restaurant. Your brother probably bought it there. You can find Montalbano Chiantis from various producers in this country. It is usually inexpensive, running $10 or less.

[Botafogo]

IK, I've got to correct you on a couple of points;

"Vendemmia" is just Italian for "vintage".

Chianti averages $12-18 these days and the good stuff is twice that. This is why we are so aggresively pursuing comparable wines from the Marche at 30 cents on the dollar.

You are right that the wine was bottled (probably by the local co-op) for the restaurant and would be impossible to purchase here with THAT label. It MAY be possible to find a bottling from "Cantina Cooperativa (or Sociale) di Montalbano" that would be the same juice...

Roberto

[Innkeeper]

Thanks for the correction on vintage Roberto. Did check wine-searcher and found several Montalbanos in the under $10 price range. Don't believe that Montalbano is in the Classico D.O.C.

[Botafogo]

No, but that won't stop them from making "line extensions" that run into the $20s at least. The ones you found are basic bottlings (and also the one the poster is looking for, generally speaking).

[Thomas]

The one the poster seeks likely is the bulk stuff Roberto speaks and it was labeled with the restaurant's name, and probably with a hundred other separate restaurant names on separate labels. If it is found under the Cantina Cooperativa. et al, it will likely cost about $10, but how will one know if it is the same wine that was in the bottle in Italy? One won't know.

[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 09-23-2001).]