This is a relatively new cheese here and elsewhere since it just received its IGP place of origin protection in 2010. Currently the cheese is made by Casa Madaio in the Basillica region of southern Italy but it really goes back to antiquity. Raising sheep in southern Italy seems to have always been an historical way of life for mountain towns like Moliterno, one of many villages known there for their cheese.
At 2,500 feet elevation Moliterno is one of several towns in the area that were important to Italians from the southern flatlands. It was a seasonal refuge for recreation for the flatlanders who could also utilize the cheese cellars there to store their perishables. When necessary the mountains also provided a natural defense against invaders, allowing ousted flatlanders to rest and regroup before any counterattack was in the offing. Shepherds also took advantage of the various elevations to graze their sheep during different seasons.
Moliterno cheese falls into the Pecarino family. It may be called Pecarino di Moliterno or Canestrato Pecarino, canestrato meaning the cheese is formed in baskets for the first twenty-four hours. For the ensuing months of aging the cheese is repeatedly rubbed with olive oil to maintain its moisture. If the cheese is aged just two to six months it is called "Primitive"; if six months or more, "Mature"; and if a year or more, "Extra".
While Pecarino is solidly sheep cheese, Moliterno may have up to 30% goat's milk. If aged long enough Moliterno may be hard and crumbly in texture, a darker golden color, aromatic with rustic grassiness and sweet caramel, and having strong rich flavors and saltiness. Locally the cheese is served with hot pepper jelly, on raw vegetables and pears, and grated on soups and pasta. It also pairs well with the local white wines of southern Italy.
Please join us tomorrow, the 19th of October, at 5pm when Nick Simonetti presents a tasting of Burgans, Albarino, Evodia Garnacha, Crocus Malbec (Paul Hobbs), and Terra Noble Gran Reserve Carmenere. The Moliterno will be on the table.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Yealands
Peter Yealands Sauvignon Blanc was one of a dozen open sample bottles dropped off here a few weeks ago and it turned out to be the best thing in the box. Most of the wines (including Yealands) were priced in the sweet spot (about $12.99) but that box also included a $65 French Champagne and a $50 centerpiece white from Napa. While both of those were great, without hesitation the Yealands was the one to buy.
The reviewers say the Yealands should display "passionfruit, guava, fresh herbs, and black currant". New Zealand typically features gooseberry and citrus in spades in the textbook flavor profile but the Yealands seemed to be more passionfruit and guava-centered with complementary stone fruit and minerality completing the picture. All considered, this one is a real charmer.
Peter Yealands is the man behind the eponymous label and as we all know, it's always nice to have a story to tell when selling the wine. With a motto like "Think boldly, tread lightly, and never say it can't be done", Yealands' story is one of naked business ambition while still maintaining ecological concerns at its center. The Yealands wine endeavor began in 2008 and immediately assured its place in wine industry history by becoming the first winery ever to receive its carbon-zero certification at its onset.
Yealands had purchased his land in 2002, built his winery in '08, and assembled his sales team in '10. In '11 he merged his winery with Ager Sectus, marketer of The Crossings label, another high quality/low priced Sauvignon Blanc. In 2012 Yealands won the "Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World" trophy at the International Wine Challenge and in 2014 he won the New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In the 2013 interim he doubled the size of his winery. Then in 2015 the Marlborough Lines power company acquired an 80% share of the company fundamentally altering Yealands' personal business ambitions.
Also at about this time Yealands ran afoul of the local environmental laws. "Marc" is the residual skins, stems and pulp left in the fermentation tanks and elsewhere after the wine is drawn off and filtered. This byproduct could be used to make brandy as they do in Europe or it could be worked into the soil as fertilizer or it can be fed to farm animals. What the local New Zealand authorities do not want to see is marc running off into streams creating a chemical balance from its high levels of nitrates, sodium, and chlorine and that's what was happening in Marlborough. An industry-wide problem complicated by the topography of New Zealand, the situation bears a resemblance to the much worse poultry industry problem here in Gainesville with its runoff into Lake Lanier. In Yealands' case the runoff problem was complicated by his usage of his son's corporate lands for a containment pit which ultimately failed leaving the appearance of a criminal conspiracy.
Please join us this Thursday the 5th of October between 5 and 7pm when Bob Reynolds presents two from Willamette Valley Vineyards of Oregon, Cesari Mara Ripasso Valpolicella, and Baron de Ley Spanish Tempranillo at the weekly tasting.
The reviewers say the Yealands should display "passionfruit, guava, fresh herbs, and black currant". New Zealand typically features gooseberry and citrus in spades in the textbook flavor profile but the Yealands seemed to be more passionfruit and guava-centered with complementary stone fruit and minerality completing the picture. All considered, this one is a real charmer.
Peter Yealands is the man behind the eponymous label and as we all know, it's always nice to have a story to tell when selling the wine. With a motto like "Think boldly, tread lightly, and never say it can't be done", Yealands' story is one of naked business ambition while still maintaining ecological concerns at its center. The Yealands wine endeavor began in 2008 and immediately assured its place in wine industry history by becoming the first winery ever to receive its carbon-zero certification at its onset.
Yealands had purchased his land in 2002, built his winery in '08, and assembled his sales team in '10. In '11 he merged his winery with Ager Sectus, marketer of The Crossings label, another high quality/low priced Sauvignon Blanc. In 2012 Yealands won the "Best Sauvignon Blanc in the World" trophy at the International Wine Challenge and in 2014 he won the New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirits Competition. In the 2013 interim he doubled the size of his winery. Then in 2015 the Marlborough Lines power company acquired an 80% share of the company fundamentally altering Yealands' personal business ambitions.
Also at about this time Yealands ran afoul of the local environmental laws. "Marc" is the residual skins, stems and pulp left in the fermentation tanks and elsewhere after the wine is drawn off and filtered. This byproduct could be used to make brandy as they do in Europe or it could be worked into the soil as fertilizer or it can be fed to farm animals. What the local New Zealand authorities do not want to see is marc running off into streams creating a chemical balance from its high levels of nitrates, sodium, and chlorine and that's what was happening in Marlborough. An industry-wide problem complicated by the topography of New Zealand, the situation bears a resemblance to the much worse poultry industry problem here in Gainesville with its runoff into Lake Lanier. In Yealands' case the runoff problem was complicated by his usage of his son's corporate lands for a containment pit which ultimately failed leaving the appearance of a criminal conspiracy.
Please join us this Thursday the 5th of October between 5 and 7pm when Bob Reynolds presents two from Willamette Valley Vineyards of Oregon, Cesari Mara Ripasso Valpolicella, and Baron de Ley Spanish Tempranillo at the weekly tasting.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
LAN
LAN is a winery estate in Rioja, the finest appellation in Spain. The name is an acronym standing for the three provinces of Rioja: Logrono, Alava, and Navarra. John Perry Calaff is the Export Manager for LAN and has graced our premises twice in recent years affording us a taste of their four wines offered here in the Atlanta marketplace.
Interestingly enough, the vintages for these labels has not changed so what we have is two snapshots of the evolution of four wines in the bottle and the results were telling. A year ago the Reserva was the version I was touting as the one to buy. I was actually telling customers it may be the best twenty dollar red in the store. High praise indeed. Now I'm not so sure. It wasn't so much that that one didn't show well. It was fine. But the fifteen dollar Crianza just way overperformed at that price point eclipsing the Reserva in value. What a wonderful soft red dinner wine it is!
The other head turner on the table was the 2011 LAN Edicion Limitada which just happened to be a top 100 Wine Spectator selection. While the Crianza showed all it had right out of the chute, this one was a hard cover novel with alluring artwork that opened up into an entrancing read. You just couldn't put it down! Every once in a while the Spectator gets it right.
Tempranillo is the great red grape of Spain and just like the Spectator that country got it right with that selection. Around the world wherever it's planted Tempranillo is ordinary at best but in Spain it's delightful. Most Lan reds are minimally 85% Tempranillo and Mr. Calaff informed us that food affinities for these kinds of wines included seafood in tomato and garlic sauce, lamb chops, cured cheeses, and tapas.
Calaff also gave a little seminar on the usage of oak in wine barrels. The reds, other than the Limited Edition used French and American oak for aging with the French imparting dark spices including clove, black pepper, and cedar while the American imparted sweet tannins, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut, and nutmeg. He went on to say these woods were more porous than others allowing the wine to aerate during aging.
The Limited Edition on the other hand was put into Russian oak after initially seeing seven months in new French oak and that wood comes from a colder climate making the grain tighter and less porous cutting off any air that may create a softer wine. This one is for putting away, folks! Then for additional complexity a twenty percent blend of Graciano and Mazuelo is blended into the eighty percent Tempranillo.
Please join us next Thursday the 21st at 5pm when Cheri Rubio presents a tasting of Napa Valley reds and whites. Our tasting selection includes examples from Beaulieu Vineyards, Sterling, Provenance, and Acacia. Maybe we'll learn about oak barrels there too!
Interestingly enough, the vintages for these labels has not changed so what we have is two snapshots of the evolution of four wines in the bottle and the results were telling. A year ago the Reserva was the version I was touting as the one to buy. I was actually telling customers it may be the best twenty dollar red in the store. High praise indeed. Now I'm not so sure. It wasn't so much that that one didn't show well. It was fine. But the fifteen dollar Crianza just way overperformed at that price point eclipsing the Reserva in value. What a wonderful soft red dinner wine it is!
The other head turner on the table was the 2011 LAN Edicion Limitada which just happened to be a top 100 Wine Spectator selection. While the Crianza showed all it had right out of the chute, this one was a hard cover novel with alluring artwork that opened up into an entrancing read. You just couldn't put it down! Every once in a while the Spectator gets it right.
Tempranillo is the great red grape of Spain and just like the Spectator that country got it right with that selection. Around the world wherever it's planted Tempranillo is ordinary at best but in Spain it's delightful. Most Lan reds are minimally 85% Tempranillo and Mr. Calaff informed us that food affinities for these kinds of wines included seafood in tomato and garlic sauce, lamb chops, cured cheeses, and tapas.
Calaff also gave a little seminar on the usage of oak in wine barrels. The reds, other than the Limited Edition used French and American oak for aging with the French imparting dark spices including clove, black pepper, and cedar while the American imparted sweet tannins, vanilla, cinnamon, coconut, and nutmeg. He went on to say these woods were more porous than others allowing the wine to aerate during aging.
The Limited Edition on the other hand was put into Russian oak after initially seeing seven months in new French oak and that wood comes from a colder climate making the grain tighter and less porous cutting off any air that may create a softer wine. This one is for putting away, folks! Then for additional complexity a twenty percent blend of Graciano and Mazuelo is blended into the eighty percent Tempranillo.
Please join us next Thursday the 21st at 5pm when Cheri Rubio presents a tasting of Napa Valley reds and whites. Our tasting selection includes examples from Beaulieu Vineyards, Sterling, Provenance, and Acacia. Maybe we'll learn about oak barrels there too!
Saturday, September 9, 2017
Sbragia Family Vineyards
Everyone knows Beringer Vineyards wines from their presence on chain store shelves everywhere. Mass market industrial plonk, right? Well, sort of, but Beringer is huge and does much more than just vin ordinaire. It is the oldest continuously operating winery in Napa Valley and was in private hands until 1971 when the Nestle corporation purchased it. Ed Sbragia made wines there for a total of thirty-two years starting in 1976 and served as head winemaker there since 1984. The company has now been purchased by its fourth publicly traded owner so for as long as he worked there Ed Sbragia only knew the corporate culture.
"Sbragia" is an Italian name. Ed's grandfather was a winemaker who emigrated from Tuscany to America at the turn of the last century settling in northern California. Specifically the Dry Creek area became home for the Sbragia family and Ed developed lasting relationships with peers in the industry so when Dry Creek's Lake Sonoma Vineyards became available in 2004 he jumped on the opportunity to start his own Sbragia Family Vineyards. Though still employed at Beringer in 2004 Sbragia purchased fruit from others to supplement what he grew at Lake Sonoma Vineyards before completing his winery purchase in '06. While he terminated his full time status at Beringer in '08 he remained a consultant for them for several years thereafter. Ed now operates the estate with his son, Adam, the fourth generation Sbragia in the industry.
At Beringer Ed Sbragia was known for the great reserve wines they produced, in particular his Chardonnay was received by both the critics and the public with acclamation. Today all ten Sbragia Family Vineyards wines are designated "single vineyard" with juice coming from nine vineyards which include fifty acres owned by the family. Sbragia sources high elevation Cabernet Sauvignon from both sides of the Mayacamas mountain range at Monte Rosso vineyard on the Sonoma side and Mount Veeder on the Napa side. He sources Chardonnay from Napa's Gamble Ranch and all other types from vineyards in Dry Creek and Alexander Valley.
"Bold, classic, intensely personal wines" says their website and while both the Home Ranch Chardonnay and Andolsen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sold equally well at our weekly store tasting, my vote goes to the Cab. As we said above Sbragia may be best known for his Beringer Reserve Chardonnays but his current circumstances may open all kinds of creative avenues for this acclaimed wine maker.
On Thursday the 14th at 5pm at our weekly tasting Ted Fields will present three from Rioja, Spain and a 2008 (!) red from southern Italy. Ted is a former college professor so expect to get a real wine education that night. Please join us!
"Sbragia" is an Italian name. Ed's grandfather was a winemaker who emigrated from Tuscany to America at the turn of the last century settling in northern California. Specifically the Dry Creek area became home for the Sbragia family and Ed developed lasting relationships with peers in the industry so when Dry Creek's Lake Sonoma Vineyards became available in 2004 he jumped on the opportunity to start his own Sbragia Family Vineyards. Though still employed at Beringer in 2004 Sbragia purchased fruit from others to supplement what he grew at Lake Sonoma Vineyards before completing his winery purchase in '06. While he terminated his full time status at Beringer in '08 he remained a consultant for them for several years thereafter. Ed now operates the estate with his son, Adam, the fourth generation Sbragia in the industry.
At Beringer Ed Sbragia was known for the great reserve wines they produced, in particular his Chardonnay was received by both the critics and the public with acclamation. Today all ten Sbragia Family Vineyards wines are designated "single vineyard" with juice coming from nine vineyards which include fifty acres owned by the family. Sbragia sources high elevation Cabernet Sauvignon from both sides of the Mayacamas mountain range at Monte Rosso vineyard on the Sonoma side and Mount Veeder on the Napa side. He sources Chardonnay from Napa's Gamble Ranch and all other types from vineyards in Dry Creek and Alexander Valley.
"Bold, classic, intensely personal wines" says their website and while both the Home Ranch Chardonnay and Andolsen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon sold equally well at our weekly store tasting, my vote goes to the Cab. As we said above Sbragia may be best known for his Beringer Reserve Chardonnays but his current circumstances may open all kinds of creative avenues for this acclaimed wine maker.
On Thursday the 14th at 5pm at our weekly tasting Ted Fields will present three from Rioja, Spain and a 2008 (!) red from southern Italy. Ted is a former college professor so expect to get a real wine education that night. Please join us!
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Mt. Veeder
About a year ago we wrote about the Monte Rosso Vineyard which I had read was producing the finest Cabernet Sauvignon out of Sonoma Valley. We learned that the vineyard was located on Moon Mountain which is literally on the other side of the mountain from Napa's Mount Veeder. Both vineyards reside in the Mayacamas mountain range which bisects Napa-Sonoma with the vineyards being equidistant from the famed wine making valleys and the towns that bear the Napa and Sonoma names.
Both vineyards are large with many individual wineries sourcing juice from them. They are also much older than we would think. The modern California fine wine industry really started in the 1960's but the Mount Veeder vineyards in particular date back to the middle of the 19th century with many participating wineries starting there in the early pre-prohibition twentieth century.
Mount Veeder lies in the southwest corner of Napa Valley with the vineyards facing south overlooking the San Pablo Bay. The vineyards, which are in small pockets going up the mountainside, start at 500 feet altitude and go up to 1,600 feet with most being above the fog bank emanating from the bay. These rugged vineyards are terraced and cling to the very steep hillsides of the mountain which, of necessity, require all work there to be done by hand.
So what makes this place so special? The shallow soil in Mount Veeder vineyards is made up of ancient seabed materials driven upwards by plate tectonics over volcanic rock. The climate at this altitude reverses what we usually anticipate to be evident. Here the days are cooler than the nights resulting in the longest growing season in Napa. Even with the additional hang time there the berries end up being small with concentrated rich and spicy flavors. The presence of the bay is credited with heightening the acidic structure.
The textbook character of Cabernet grown here would include licorice, spice, blackfruit, cassis, black currant flavors along with minerality. From their website the 2014 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon currently in the store has "intense dark fruit aromas of black current followed by wet earth, mushrooms, and carmelized sugar with hints of dried herbs before long rich cassis flavors on the palate".
Please join us this Thursday the 31st at 5pm when David Rimmer presents a tasting of new Italian wines in his fine European portfolio. Then join us again on Saturday at 1pm when we kick off the holiday weekend with another tasting.
Both vineyards are large with many individual wineries sourcing juice from them. They are also much older than we would think. The modern California fine wine industry really started in the 1960's but the Mount Veeder vineyards in particular date back to the middle of the 19th century with many participating wineries starting there in the early pre-prohibition twentieth century.
Mount Veeder lies in the southwest corner of Napa Valley with the vineyards facing south overlooking the San Pablo Bay. The vineyards, which are in small pockets going up the mountainside, start at 500 feet altitude and go up to 1,600 feet with most being above the fog bank emanating from the bay. These rugged vineyards are terraced and cling to the very steep hillsides of the mountain which, of necessity, require all work there to be done by hand.
So what makes this place so special? The shallow soil in Mount Veeder vineyards is made up of ancient seabed materials driven upwards by plate tectonics over volcanic rock. The climate at this altitude reverses what we usually anticipate to be evident. Here the days are cooler than the nights resulting in the longest growing season in Napa. Even with the additional hang time there the berries end up being small with concentrated rich and spicy flavors. The presence of the bay is credited with heightening the acidic structure.
The textbook character of Cabernet grown here would include licorice, spice, blackfruit, cassis, black currant flavors along with minerality. From their website the 2014 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon currently in the store has "intense dark fruit aromas of black current followed by wet earth, mushrooms, and carmelized sugar with hints of dried herbs before long rich cassis flavors on the palate".
Please join us this Thursday the 31st at 5pm when David Rimmer presents a tasting of new Italian wines in his fine European portfolio. Then join us again on Saturday at 1pm when we kick off the holiday weekend with another tasting.
Friday, August 25, 2017
Woodbridge
While everyone knows this product as "Woodbridge" it is now apparently being promoted as "The Woodbridge" on their website (www.woodbridgewines.com) which is everything you would expect from Constellation or whatever conglomerate now owns it. And why not make it extra special by adding "With every glass of Woodbridge, life becomes a little richer." Yeah, right.
Gallo wrote the book on this kind of wine advertising back in the 1960's with images of beautiful young professionals enjoying each other's company while swirling their wine stems. Give credit to the ad men. They sure can pick attractive models. In the current Woodbridge case all are dressed casually (jeans/khakis, plaid shirts, sweaters, neck scarfs) with a lot of greenery in the background and everyone is oh so smilingly relaxed. Updating the old Gallo model which then targeted caucasian yuppies, different ages and races are now imaged for their current audience to admire.
Woodbridge is a place, by the way, a town just northwest of Lodi. Robert Mondavi, who grew up in Lodi, built his Woodbridge winery there in 1979. Lodi at the time was considered to be jug wine (Cribari?) country at the northern most quadrant of the Central Valley. Just like in Europe though, when economics dictates that a new "fine wine" region needs to be declared, we find a way to elevate places like Lodi to fit our needs. In fairness, Bedrock, Turley, and other prominant wine companies source Zinfandel, Viognier, and Chenin Blanc juice from Lodi so there is quality wine being made there too.
So why am I knocking this product? I'm not. I'm just knocking the advertising. Including the Lodi fine wine appellation. Thirty-five years ago when I got into this business, the Mondavi name was marketed as a "premium" wine. The basic level Gallo, Inglenook, and other mediocrities sold for under $5/btl at the time. Now Woodbridge is here in the store and priced at $60/cs and while the price is down there the quality is probably more comparable to those Mondavi workhorse wines of thirty-five years ago. It's just another example of how progress in wine making technology and international competition have raised the quality bar for the American wine lover.
Please join us this Thursday, the 31st of August between 5 and 7pm, when David Rimmer presents new Italian estate wines at our weekly tasting. Three of these wines are from Piedmont, the finest wine production region of Italy, and one will be a reserve quality Super-Tuscan.
Gallo wrote the book on this kind of wine advertising back in the 1960's with images of beautiful young professionals enjoying each other's company while swirling their wine stems. Give credit to the ad men. They sure can pick attractive models. In the current Woodbridge case all are dressed casually (jeans/khakis, plaid shirts, sweaters, neck scarfs) with a lot of greenery in the background and everyone is oh so smilingly relaxed. Updating the old Gallo model which then targeted caucasian yuppies, different ages and races are now imaged for their current audience to admire.
Woodbridge is a place, by the way, a town just northwest of Lodi. Robert Mondavi, who grew up in Lodi, built his Woodbridge winery there in 1979. Lodi at the time was considered to be jug wine (Cribari?) country at the northern most quadrant of the Central Valley. Just like in Europe though, when economics dictates that a new "fine wine" region needs to be declared, we find a way to elevate places like Lodi to fit our needs. In fairness, Bedrock, Turley, and other prominant wine companies source Zinfandel, Viognier, and Chenin Blanc juice from Lodi so there is quality wine being made there too.
So why am I knocking this product? I'm not. I'm just knocking the advertising. Including the Lodi fine wine appellation. Thirty-five years ago when I got into this business, the Mondavi name was marketed as a "premium" wine. The basic level Gallo, Inglenook, and other mediocrities sold for under $5/btl at the time. Now Woodbridge is here in the store and priced at $60/cs and while the price is down there the quality is probably more comparable to those Mondavi workhorse wines of thirty-five years ago. It's just another example of how progress in wine making technology and international competition have raised the quality bar for the American wine lover.
Please join us this Thursday, the 31st of August between 5 and 7pm, when David Rimmer presents new Italian estate wines at our weekly tasting. Three of these wines are from Piedmont, the finest wine production region of Italy, and one will be a reserve quality Super-Tuscan.
Wednesday, August 16, 2017
Zaccagnini
Cantina Zaccagnini il vino "dal tralcetto" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (2014) is the complete name for this exemplary bottle of fine red dinner wine. "Tralcetto" is important as an identifier since it means grapevine and opportunely Zaccagnini ties a two inch piece of vine around the neck of each bottle. If you wanted to make your product stand out when comingled with other shelf stock in your local store, why not visually connect it with its origins.
Cantina Zaccagnini is a family-owned and operated business (est. 1978) that has successfully grown its production through modernization of wine making methods. Grape crushing, maceration, and filtration is all done in a vacuum and fermentation is thermally-controlled using advanced equipment. Sterile stainless steel conditions are maintained everywhere before the wine finally sees four to six months in oak.
We have blogged before about Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the grape; Abuzzo is the farming country halfway down the back side of the boot of Italy. Neither grape nor place were considered remarkable historically since the mountains there tended to isolate them from surrounding Italy. Only through the efforts of the natives were they able to cultivate the now heralded cuisine of Abbruzzo. That cuisine includes pork, mutton, and goat meat along with Pecarino, Ricotta, and other cheeses that accompany the vegetables and spices of the region. A disproportionate number of Italy's great chefs also seem to grow there! We mention all of this to get to what should be obvious - if the foods are this rich and diverse and Montepulciano is the sole red wine of the region then it must be one incredible dinner wine!
Characteristics for this wine include "intense ruby color and a similarly intense characteristic bouquet, a robust full body, and firm acidity with fine tannins". Flavors include "integrated mocha and tar accents, dark plum, black licorice, olive paste, and oak". Our retail for this fine example of type is $15 making it a clear step up from entry level Montepulciano.
One more thing - that piece of grapevine tied around the neck of the bottle is far from incidental. The Zaccagninis subsidize a nearby home for disabled individuals who earn that stipend by tying the twig onto the bottle necks.
Please join us here at the store on Thursday the 17th at 5pm as we entertain Scott and Michelle Carey, the proprietors of Emerald Hare Winery of California. The Careys will be presenting their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Red Blend and Rose for our consideration that evening.
Cantina Zaccagnini is a family-owned and operated business (est. 1978) that has successfully grown its production through modernization of wine making methods. Grape crushing, maceration, and filtration is all done in a vacuum and fermentation is thermally-controlled using advanced equipment. Sterile stainless steel conditions are maintained everywhere before the wine finally sees four to six months in oak.
We have blogged before about Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. Montepulciano is the grape; Abuzzo is the farming country halfway down the back side of the boot of Italy. Neither grape nor place were considered remarkable historically since the mountains there tended to isolate them from surrounding Italy. Only through the efforts of the natives were they able to cultivate the now heralded cuisine of Abbruzzo. That cuisine includes pork, mutton, and goat meat along with Pecarino, Ricotta, and other cheeses that accompany the vegetables and spices of the region. A disproportionate number of Italy's great chefs also seem to grow there! We mention all of this to get to what should be obvious - if the foods are this rich and diverse and Montepulciano is the sole red wine of the region then it must be one incredible dinner wine!
Characteristics for this wine include "intense ruby color and a similarly intense characteristic bouquet, a robust full body, and firm acidity with fine tannins". Flavors include "integrated mocha and tar accents, dark plum, black licorice, olive paste, and oak". Our retail for this fine example of type is $15 making it a clear step up from entry level Montepulciano.
One more thing - that piece of grapevine tied around the neck of the bottle is far from incidental. The Zaccagninis subsidize a nearby home for disabled individuals who earn that stipend by tying the twig onto the bottle necks.
Please join us here at the store on Thursday the 17th at 5pm as we entertain Scott and Michelle Carey, the proprietors of Emerald Hare Winery of California. The Careys will be presenting their Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Red Blend and Rose for our consideration that evening.
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