In February, Launceston Place sommelier Agustin Trapero will treat guests to a night of knowledge in a special wine-tasting event that explores two of Italy’s favourite red wine grapes: sangiovese and nebbiolo. Here, Agustin talks to The Artful Diner about the art of wine tasting, grapes to keep an eye on in 2012 and his love of Italian wine. 

What wines will you be drinking this spring?  

“I’ll be enjoying young, fruity wines with a touch of oak garnacha from Navarra in north Spain. These wines are becoming extremely fashionable and are good value for money.”

How do you walk your guests through the art of tasting wine?

“It’s very simple: I advise guests to analyse the wine through sight, smell and taste. Looking at the colour of the wine can tell you a lot about it, such as the age and whether it comes from a hot or cold region. The smell of the wine is the most important stage of wine tasting; aromas such as red or black fruit, spices, floral, mineral and oaky notes can be detected by the nose. The palate then needs to confirm this, while analysing the wine’s body, alcohol, sugar and acidity levels.”

What wine trends can we expect to look out for in 2012?

“Regions like Sicily with its red wines from the nero d’Avola grape are becoming very popular. Other wine regions and grapes to watch out for include the Bio Bio Valley in Chile, Vin de Pays des Côtes Catalanes whites from France, and the white grape verdejo from Rueda, Spain.

Do you have a favourite wine region in Italy?

“Italy for me is the most diverse wine country in the world with more than 1,000 different indigenous grape varieties. I particularly love regions such as Barolo, Barbaresco and Gattinara, which produce fabulous and very high-quality wines from the nebbiolo grape.”

Can you share an insight into the sangiovese and nebbiolo grapes?

“Sangiovese is the king red grape in Tuscany. It’s planted in hilly areas where hot summers help the grape produce refreshing and fruity wines. Nebbiolo grapes are grown in Piedmont, in northeast Italy, in the foothills of the Alps. The warm summer and cold nights produce fine and elegant wines.”

Sangiovese or nebbiolo?

“It’s difficult to say, however the harmony of a very good nebbiolo is irresistible…”

Can you tell us a bit about the wines you’ll be sampling at your Italian wine-tasting event?

“We’ll be tasting Travaglini 2005, which is a blend of Gattinara ‘Tre Vigne’s’ best three vineyards. We will also sample some Chianti Classico Le Corti 2008, which is a very special wine for me as I worked with the head-winemaker Giuseppe Lucido in Italy to make this...” 

Further information:

Visit the website for Launceston Place and book your spot at Agustin’s Italian wine-tasting event on 7 February.