Best italian red wines

[pierre45]

We are planning a wine tasting evening of italian red wines.The wines should be approachable ,well balanced and with some depth and complexity.The cost should be around $35 or less.Piemonte and tuscany regions are prefferred.

Your help will be greatly appreciated.

[Coop]

You may find the recent (2004) Gambero Rosso wine guide of some help. My favorites would be Terrabianca Campaccio 2000, Belguardo La Seggeretta 2001, Batasiola Barbaresco 2000, Pruddotorri di Barbaresco 1999, or Le Fonti, Brolio, or Brancaia Chianti Classico from 2001.

[Coop]

Although my favorite wines come from Tuscany there are also other great wine regions in Italy. My favorite being Sicily. Try the Nero d'Avola based wines from Morgante and Planeta. There are also fabulous Umbrian wines made by Falesco and Lamborghini.

[vesnuccia]

well in italy you can find realy lots of wines not internationaly known that are esquisite

poderi einaudimake a good barolo (cannubi) worth much more that it cost (if you go there and take it from 20€ a bottle /year majes the diference)

the best langhe rosso made is theirs ..

[Craig Camp]

This is a big question. First you have to find a good store with an excellent selection that goes beyond commercial producers like Antinori or Ruffino. Although they make some good wines, they are not likely to excite. You could get hundreds of excellent suggestions here and then not be able to find them. Find a reliable Italian wine merchant and put yourself in their hands.