Ever since 2020, The Cycling Podcast and Dvine Cellars of London have joined forces and united passions to offer a liquid accompaniment to our listeners’ Grand Tour experience. This year – after months of discussions and a highly contentious tasting session in March – we again settled on six bottles that hopefully represent the geography and the spirit of the upcoming Giro d’Italia. The name of the case – the Selezione Simpatica – is a nod to our great leader, Richard Moore. The wines themselves are surprising, unconventional and – with apologies to Richard and his time-honoured tasting notes – a little more than 'nice'. In this episode Daniel dives deeper with Greg Andrews and Luciana Girotto of Dvine Cellars.
To order the Selezione Simpatica, head to DVine Cellars.
(Please enjoy in moderation). A percentage of the proceeds from every sale will go to a cause chosen by Richard’s family.
The full line-up of wines (in Giro route order), with tasting notes from Dvine Cellars, is as follows:
Chateau Megyer Dry Furmint 2020, Tokaj, Hungary Furmint
Hungary's most popular white grape for dry wines with a long, cool, flint minerality. Aged for six months in new oak barrels, rounding the acidity. Pair with fish and buttery, creamy sauces with mushrooms.
Le Vigne Di Eli Etna Rosso 2019/2020, Sicily, Italy
The 'pinot' of Mount Etna. Bright fresh summer fruits are tempered with a volcanic mineral influence making this a delightful savoury wine.
Cantina Rapino GIRA 2015 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC, Italy
100% Montepulciano, 100% guts, blood, sweat and tears. Intense aromas of game and hoisin sauce carry to the supple, polished, full-bodied palate. This is a rich red.
Poderi Fiorini Lambrusco Becco Rosso 2021, Emilia Romagna, Italy
A sparkling purply-red wine with hints of raspberry. It is dry, fresh and savoury, with a pleasant effervescence on the palate. Grab some mortadella and charcuterie!
Russolo Doi Raps 2019, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy
Packed with surprisingly ripe fruit flavours of lychee, white peach and candied lemon, the enchanting Doi Raps has so much character. The ripe fruit is joined by white flowers in bloom and a tingling, mineral finish. It's not very often you find such ripe flavours in this cool growing area of North-East Italy
Marion 2020, Valpolicella Borgomarcellise, Veneto, Italy
All red fruits, flowers and soft sweet spices, this is one of the most enjoyable and smashable reds you will see from this region. And it's great value to boot.
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The Cycling Podcast was founded in 2013 by Richard Moore, Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie.