This month, Gosling Brothers introduced appreciators of fine wine to a selection of new releases from the award winning Castello Banfi, a large but recently established winery in the Tuscan area of Italy. Although the label is fairly new, the family owned business which founded Castello Banfi dates back to the turn of the century.

In 1904, a young man of Italian descent was sent to complete his education in Milan, under the watchful eye of his aunt, Teodolinda Banfi. As the possessor of an exceptionally sensitive palate, she was a true connoisseur of wine, and as head of the household staff of Milan's Cardinal-Archbishop Achill Ratti, who was later to become Pope Plus XI, she had the opportunity to fully develop these talents. Teodolinda passed on her expertise to her nephew while he was in her care. His education complete, Giovanni Mariani moved to New York where he founded the family business to import Italian wines, which he named Banfi Products in honour of his aunt.

In 1970 Giocanni's sons Harry and John with their friend Ezlo Rivella, a knowledgeable oenologist, began the process of creating a winery at their estate in Tuscany, a prestigious vine growing area located in the Southern part of the Republic of Siena, near Montepulciano. Fourteen years later Castello Banfi officially opened.

The aim of this new winery was to produce Italian wine of the highest quality.

Tuscany has the three essential ingredients for the successful growth of wine producing grapes -- poor soil, warm days, and cool nights.

Just a decade later, Castello Banfi is producing an exceptional range of wines which are internationally recognised for their high standards.

Last month a selection of these Banfi wines were introduced to Bermuda at a series of wine tasting dinners, appropriately held at Tuscany's Restaurant on Front Street where a mural depicting the 7,100 acre Castello Banfi estate -- one of the largest landholdings in Europe -- decorates one wall.

The evening began with a glass of sparkling Banfi Brut Metodo Classico, a beautifully balanced sparkling white wine. It is produced in North West Italy, Piedmont, in winery called Banfi Cellars. This celebratory wine, which is fermented in the bottle, is made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a little Pinot Bianco, which give it a nice softness and a roundness.

James Mariani, who is a third generation member to join the family firm, described the philosophy behind serving a sparkling wine before a meal. "We need something to separate the routine of our daily lives with the enjoyment and the conviviality of the table. There is an Italian expression: `At the table one does not age.' It is here that we share our thoughts and ideas with our family and friends.'' Crostini Assortiti were served with the Banfi Brut. These delicious appetisers were generous rounds of Italian flat breads smothered with combinations of either tomato and basil; chopped anchovies, chopped onions, basil; and another with fried egg whites together with tomato and onions. Mr. Mariani put it best when he said. "It wets our appetites to prepare the stomach for the onslaught of the evening.'' The first course was shrimps and scallops with a puree of carrots, onions and tomatoes, diced and cooked with extra virgin olive oil produced at the Banfi estate. It was a point of interest to learn that there are 800 acres of olive trees on their estate, and some are 1,000 years old. This dish was served with a delightful Sauvignon Blanc, a delicate, elegant wine, and a superb match for this dish which combines these succulent, fruits of the sea.

Californian wines are almost always described as evoking the tastes of a selection of fruits and other flavours. It is much more difficult -- nay, impossible -- to assign these specific flavours to Banfi's wines.

Drinking these wines with an array of dishes, I saw them more in terms of style and balance, and as an appropriate accompaniment to the food. The Banfi philosophy is the European philosophy -- that food and wine are meant to be enjoyed together, and they must marry on the palate.

The assembled company was treated to Ribolita del Castello, which is Castello Banfi's own recipe for hearty Tuscan soup, otherwise simply known as reboiled soup. This vegetable soup was slowly cooked for several hours, and then allowed to cool. Just before it is served, it was boiled again. A slice of unsalted, two-or three-day-old Tuscan bread placed on top of the soup, which softens as it absorbs the flavours.

This robust dish was served with Belnero Pinot Noir 1990. To serve a red wine with a vegetable dish was nothing short of a revelation, and this Pinot Noir was a wonderful pairing. Mr. Mariana explained that their Pinot Noir is more in line with the Burgundian wines of France than the Pinots of California. It is light in colour, with delicious, delicate flavours which develop into a dramatic finish.

This Tuscan speciality was followed by another regional dish -- fettuccini with rabbit. The rabbit was braised in a red wine sauce with carrots, tomatoes and rosemary, then simmered for several hours before spooned onto a bed of Fettuccini.

Rabbit is considered the delicate white meat of Tuscany, and this was indeed a dish of remarkable delicacy, served with Mandrielle Merlot 1990. It was another surprise to find that this full, yet dry wine, made from 100 percent Merlot, had the light touch required to work well with this dish. This is a classic wine with excellent balance.

The main course featured boar, which roams freely through Tuscany. Although rising in popularity, it is probably fair to say that this was a new meat for many dines. For this occasion, the boar was roasted until it was half cooked, and then it was braised with red wine, carrots, tomatoes, rosemary and other herbs. It was served witha generous helping of fresh vegetables. Boar is, in fact, a delicate, lean white meat, with none of the gamy characteristics I had anticipated.

Colvecchio Syrah 1990 was poured for this course, and it was another splendid wine. It is made from 100 percent Syrah grapes, and it has been described as a "textbook Syrah'' by a leading wine critic. It was certainly a wine of intense flavour and fruits, but produced with the restraint which made it a fitting accompaniment for the delicate meat of the boar.

The powerful pecorino cheese, which followed the boar, was matched with Summus 1990. Summus is the wine that Castello Banfi is perhaps most proud. It includes a blend of Brunello di Montaicino for body, with Cabernet Sauvignon for fruit and structure and Syrah for character. Each wine is aged in French oak for a year before they are combined and aged for a further two years in the bottle. This is a full and flavourful wine, and yet it is soft and silky to drink.

Traditional Italian biscuits concluded this banquet, and they were served with another exceptional sparkling wine: Banfi Asti, which ended the evening on the festive note with which it had begun.

The consistency of all the wines, each so good and so easy to drink, was a remarkable facet of the evening. Castello Banfi achieved, with every wine that was served, a fine example of good balance and distinctive taste.