Cantina La-Vis

Last Thursday at the weekly event we featured three new Italian reds along with a Russian River Chardonnay.  Dave Klepinger, our vendor, said his company really didn't need new Italians in a portfolio that was already rich in that category but succumbed to them after tasting them.  When he tasted me on them a week before the event, I too fell for them.  The selling point?  Easy...price!

Our best seller that evening was the La-Vis Pinot Nero (Noir), a wine that was more substantial than the standard "light, refreshing, fruity & perfumy" red that seems to be the standard.  This one had depth, earthiness, and texture", if not Burgundian in style, at least a step above similarly priced New World fare.  I think it would pair well with a variety of lighter grilled foods.

The La-Vis wines (Pinot Grigio is here too) are made at the winery in the village of the same name which was established by the Cembran family in 1850.  In 1948 it became a cooperative venture with eight hundred members (1300 growers) and eight hundred hectares in vineyards.  The winery lies in the Avisiane hills in the Trentino province of northeastern Italy where ninety percent of the production is classified DOC (denominazione di origine controllata).

Cantina La-Vis is part of the cooperative movement in Italy that advocates for "mutuality" in production benefits at a time when cooperation is imperative considering the competitive world market.  They also follow the 1980 Progetto Zonazione (Zoning Project) motto, "The right vine in the right place."  The cooperative evaluates its vineyard qualities in order to market multiple wine labels reflecting different quality levels to fit different price points.  The La-Vis pinots are a $12.99 retail here.

This Thursday at 5pm Ryan Woolfolk offers us a tasting of French Chinon, Spanish Red Rioja, Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon, and Italian Pinot Grigio.  Please join us.