$30-$40 Italian wines?

I’ve been asked to arrange a blind event.

Wine newbies so the wines need to be typically available in a decent LWS.
Ideas?

produttori barbaresco?

2010 Domenico Clerico Langhe Arte
2011 Tenuta Caparzo Brunello di Montalcino
2012 Elena Fucci Aglianico del Vulture Titolo
2012 Tenuta San Guido Le Difese Toscana IGT

2013 Vietti Langhe Nebbiolo Perbacco
2013 Bruno Giacosa Barbera d’Alba
2015 Vietti Roero Arneis
2013 Casa Emma Chianti Classico
2011 Casa Emma Chianti Classico Riserva
2013 Allegrini Valpolicella Classico Superiore
2011 Tenuta Sant’Antonio Amarone

2012 Vajra d’Alba Barbera Superiore

Carpineta Fontalpino Do Ut Des
Feudo Maccari Nero d’Avola Saia
Rocca di Frassinello (Rocca di Frassinello, Le Sughere, Ornello)
Fattoria Petrolo Torrione
Terrabianca Campaccio
Agricola Punica Barrua Isola dei Nuraghi

2009 Selvapiana ‘Bucerchiale’ Chianti Rufina Riserva

Caiarossa makes some good stuff for the money, in a more international style but absolutely gorgeous. Not sure about their top wine but their second wine might fall into the price range (aria de caiarossa). It’s a ch Girscours property.

+1

Maybe some of the higher level bottlings from other Chianti producers like Felice etc.

Scott, if you are trying to average $30-40 a bottle for a blind tasting, one suggestion I would have would be to pair up a Felsina CCR (about $25) with a Felsina Rancia (about $45) - then your guests can try a Chianti standard bearer at two different quality levels, plus the wines are widely available.

The difficulty is in being spoilt for choice. I don’t know LWS, and can’t find a link online, so thoughts will be more general.

Themes? This can be useful to give focus and give people a vague hint at what they’ll expect to taste. Ideas might be Classic vs. lesser seen (e.g. Barbaresco vs. Gattinara, Chianti vs. E-R Sangiovese, …) or North vs. South. For newbies the challenge of the first one is saying which of the two they prefer, the latter is which is north and which is south. Alternatively perhaps the best theme may be ‘classic wines of Italy’ hitting Soave, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Chianti, Barbaresco, Franciacorta/Trento DOC, Valpolicella, Moscato d’Asti or similar.

Once you have a theme, it might help focus onto which wines will work well in it.

Are you expected to give a chat about the wines once revealed? If so, having wines you are comfortable with might appeal, and/or wines that have really distinctive identities e.g. Moscato d’Asti (tastes of grapes!), Sangiovese (that bitter twist), Barbaresco/Barolo (the tannins!), Lambrusco (the sometimes rasping quality tamed by salami)

regards
Ian

exactly what my answer was going to be.

I’ll add Fontodi’s Chianti Classico. Now, I suppose I’m going to click “submit” only to find out that somebody else has mentioned this one, too.

Scott - you’re getting random recommendations and you will end up with a completely random list of wines that show nothing. Do something like Ian and a few others suggest - select a theme so that the people have something to take away rather than just tasting a few whites and reds from different regions that have nothing in common other than the fact that they’re from an area currently called Italy.

Also, I’ve never met anyone who didn’t know much about wine but who right off the bat decided they loved Barbaresco. Tuscan wines are widely available - show a few Sangiovese-based wines, maybe some with a bit of Merlot/Cab and some without. If you’re going to select something from Piedmont, try Barbera. Italy has many brilliant whites from all over. Maybe try something from several different places.

Hard to say since I don’t know what’s in the local stores, but I really would not select a group of unrelated wines without coming up with some theme. You can show them more by focusing than by a scattershot approach.

Barbera could be a great theme: you could try different styles of Barbera d’Alba and perhaps taste them against a Barbera d’Asti. Vietti does both and even has a Scarrone plain and a “Vigna Vecchia” which should become interesting with some age on it, but of course will be more expensive. If you want to match Barbera with something different but which can also be enjoyed young and on the fruit, you could have them against a Teroldego (normal bottling by Foradori, for example) or a Frappato (Occhipinti or COS).
I don’t know prices in the US, but these should be in your range.

These are a few we have enjoyed lately, all purchased locally in the last two years, so you should be able to get them.

2009 Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico Strada al Sasso Riserva
2007 Fontanavecchia Orazio Beneventano IGT
2011 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Castiglioni
2010 Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi Chianti Rùfina Castello di Nipozzano Riserva Montesodi
2012 Lorenzo Sassetti Montecucco La Querciolina

I agree with Greg, this needs some focus. Scott, how many wines are you looking for? All red, or a mix of red and white?

Straw man theme: 3 whites from Fruili/Alto Adige (or Soave, maybe better availability), 3 reds from Tuscany, 3 reds from Piedmont. I so don’t know what to recommend for the whites, as the ones I usually buy aren’t available at your average LWS. Maybe Venica is? For Tuscany, there are lots of good wines in that range with good availability – I’d start with Fontodi and Felsina, for sure. Selvepiana also a good choice. For Piedmont, I like the suggestion of the Giacosa Barbera and something from Produttori. If Vajra has good availability in your area, I’d add either the entry Barolo or the Nebbiolo Langhe.

Sorry, I should have included some background.
Our next door neighbor wants to start a tasting group, and wants me to guide/teach…
She chose $30-$40 Italians for the first meeting (late April).

The attendees know practically nothing about wine. While I would enjoy geeking out on theme, this crowd will have a difficult time with anything more challenging than ‘Italy 101.’
Paul M can attest that I am a bit of a control freak so I may visit a few local stores and then hand out assignments for people to purchase.

How many folks will there be?

I told her to cap it at 12 for 2oz pours

Food accompaniment?

I like:
Vajra Barolo Albe
Occhipinti Il Frappato
COS Cerasualo