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Banfi wines have Dayton connection, excel across broad price range
Banfi Winery and Estates doesn’t have the centuries of tradition that some Italian wine producers have.
But here’s what Banfi does have: some very fine wines on multiple points of the price spectrum — and a Dayton connection.
The Dayton connection is Bill Whiting — director of wine education for Banfi, grandson of Banfi founder John Mariani Sr., New York City resident (when he’s not on the road 300 days or so a year) and a 1990 graduate of, yes, the University of Dayton.
It was UD’s water polo team that brought Bill to Dayton in the mid-1980s, but in 2011, it was the opportunity to show off some of Banfi’s wines to local retailers and to host a drop-in public tasting Oct. 6 at Rumbleseat Wine, 5358 Far Hills Ave. in Washington Twp.
The wines impressed. Entry-level wines Centine Bianco 2010 ($8.99) — a blend of sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and chardonnay — and the Centine Rosso 2008 ($8.99) — a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot — are bargains, with a slight nod to the red, which is robust and satisfying for the price.
The estate-bottled Banfi San Angelo Pinot Grigio 2010 ($18.99) shows what this grape variety can do in skilled hands. The wine has lovely fruit up front, followed by refreshing acidity.
The 2008 Banfi Belnero Tuscan red ($29.99), predominantly sangiovese with a dollop or two of French varietals, was a hit at the crowded tasting. It’s a powerful red, fermented in oak, boasting an international style. But I preferred the 2009 Banfi Rosso di Montalcino ($24.99), from 100 percent sangiovese, which is a bit less oak-influenced and a touch more earthy — an Italian wine that proudly proclaims its origins,
The Rosa Rigale ($19.99) is a semi-sweet, sparkling pink wine that is low in alcohol (7 percent) and would be a real crowd-pleaser at the Thanksgiving Day feast.
Whiting, who earned a marketing degree at UD, has some fine products to tout. His homecoming of sorts last week was a fruitful one.
For a fine story on Bill Whiting, his family and Banfi, check out this piece by Thomas Columbus in the University of Dayton Magazine.
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