September Featured Wines – Cantine San Marzano, Edda Lei Salento Bianco & Terrilogio, Primitivo, Puglia, Italy

We are moving into fall but September is still a month for entertaining and grilled meals. Our selected wines come from Puglia, also known as Apulia, a region called “the boot” of Southern Italy. This region produces 40% of Italy’s olive oil but some of the best values in Italian wine come from this sunny, dry region. Most Puglia wine is red, full-bodied and pairs well with a wide variety of foods but there are several indigenous white grapes grown in the region. Both wines meet the IGT (“Indicazione Geografica Tipica standard”) for production consistency for their appellation.

The white wine is Cantine San Marzano, Edda Lei Salento IGT Bianco (2020.) This wine is mainly Chardonnay with white native grapes, Moscatel, and Fiano. It comes from Salento. The red selection is Terrilogio, Primitivo, Puglia IGT (2021.) Primitivo is the same grape as California Zinfandel.

Cantine San Marzano, Edda Lei Salento Bianco, Puglia, Italy (2020) $18

This wine is mainly made from Chardonnay grapes with some Moscatel and Fiano added. It is an intense yellow straw color. There is a scent of peach, citrus and vanilla on the nose. In the mouth it is soft, warm, elegant, with a savory and toasted finish. The wine is suitable for accompanying fish starters and first courses, as well as fresh soft cheeses. Alcohol: 13.5.%

Terrilogio, Primitivo, Puglia, Italy (2021) $11

This Primitivo is deep ruby red. It is full-bodied with warm tannins. Bold flavors hint of tar, licorice and red berries. There is a delicious fruity finish typical of Zinfandels. The body and warmth compliment hot and spicy food. This wine may be enjoyed young but further aging in the bottle will enhance the wine’s richness. Alcohol: 13%

Featured Wines for February

2018 Santa Barbara, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche, Italy$14

Santa Barbara, Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi perfectly captures the essence of the green, rolling hills of Italy’s Le Marche region, along the Adriatic coast directly east of Tuscany. The Verdicchio varietal itself has a little greenness, in both color and flavor as does this by Santa Barbara. It is aromatic, fleshy, dry, and savory. With aromas of apple and fresh flowers. it has chameleon-like qualities. Enjoy it year-round, day and night, without thinking too hard about food pairings.  Alcohol: 13%

2017 Azienda Agricola Evio Tintero, Langhe Nebbiolo, Piedmont, ltaly $14   

Azienda Agricola Evio Tintero, Langhe Nebbiolo is from Piedmont which sits on the borders of France and Spain at the foot of the Alps. In this vintage Langhe offers an impeccable balance of freshness, tannin, and mineral grit. This wine possesses the aromatics of the Nebbiolo grape used for of an aged Barolo but from young Nebbiolo fruit this wine is surprisingly dense with a savory, juicy mouthfeel and long finish. A great steak wine! Alcohol: 14%

September Featured Wines – Cantina Del Taburno, 2017 Greco & 2015 Fidelis, Campania, Italy

2017 Cantina del Taburno, Greco $16

This is a very concentrated wine. The aroma is complex, with dry apricot, citrus peel and honey notes. It is elegant with fruity, dry apricot, citrus peel and honey tones.This is full, fruity, warm, fresh and quite supple. This is a great pairing for risotto, pastas with cream sauces, chicken and salmon. Alcohol: 13%

2015 Cantina del Taburno, Sannio Aglianico Fidelis $15

Fidelis is 95% Sangiovese and 5% Merlot. It is a savory deep red with ruby reflections. It has an intense aroma with red fruit, tobacco and black pepper notes. In the mouth it is supple with well blended tannins that finishes with spicy notes. This pairs well with traditional Italian dishes with red sauce. Alcohol: 13.5%

January Featured Wines – 2017 Livon, Collio Pinot Grigio Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy & 2017 Piazzo, Piemonte Barbera Piedmont, Italy

Livon, Collio Pinot Grigio 2017 ($16) from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy is straw yellow colored with slight ash grey reflections. It has a fragrant bouquet, recalling vanilla and lime flowers. On the palate it is strong with a long finish. This well-balanced wine is an enjoyable Pinot Grigio perfect for all seafood and rich creamy preparations. Alcohol: 12%

Piazzo, Piemonte Barbera 2017 ($12) from Piedmont, Italy is an intense, ruby red with garnet reflections. The nose blends with a combination of roses, jam, blackberries, and a touch of oak. On the palate it is well-rounded with red and dark fruits and a jammy cinnamon note and firm tannins. Serve with savory, hearty dishes. Alcohol: 14%

August Featured Wines – 2017 Donnafugata Lighea & 2017 Donnafugata Nero d’Avola, Sicily

2017 Donnafugata Lighea, Sicily    $18

 

Zibibbo is a varietal also called Muscat of Alexandria which is originally from North Africa and was spread around the Mediterranean basin. With intense cultivation in the territories conquered by the Arabs it became as a table grape.This wine has a brilliant straw yellow color with greenish reflections. The nose offers a rich and fragrant bouquet with classic notes of orange blossom combined with citrus scents and nuances of Mediterranean pine. The nose is perfectly reflected on the palate, enlivened by a fresh mineral vein. Donnafugata suggests serving this with all types of oily fish, baked pasta in white sauce, fried fish. This is also a great summer aperitif. Alcohol: 12.5%

 

2017 Donnafugata Sherazade, Nero d’Avola, Sicily,   $19

This classic Sicilian wine  has a brilliant ruby red color with violet reflections. The nose offers a pleasantly fruity bouquet with fragrant notes of red plum and cherry, combined with light spicy scents. The palate is fleshy and perfectly reflects the bouquet revealing an extraordinary freshness. The well-integrated tannin, completes this fragrant and pleasant wine. The producer suggests serving it with fish soup, pizza or classic tomato spaghetti. This is a red you don’t expect, which is ideal as an aperitif. Alcohol: 13 %

 

January Featured Wines – 2017 Livon, Collio Pinot Grigio Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy & 2017 Piazzo, Piemonte Barbera Piedmont, Italy

Livon, Collio Pinot Grigio 2017 from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy is straw yellow colored with slight ash grey reflections. It has a fragrant bouquet, recalling vanilla and lime flowers. On the palate it is strong with a long finish. This well-balanced wine is an enjoyable Pinot Grigio perfect for all seafood and rich creamy preparations. Alcohol: 12%

Piazzo, Piemonte Barbera 2017 from Piedmont, Italy is an intense, ruby red with garnet reflections. The nose blends with a combination of roses, jam, blackberries, and a touch of oak. On the palate it is well-rounded with red and dark fruits and a jammy cinnamon note and firm tannins. Serve with savory, hearty dishes. Alcohol: 14%

December Featured Wines – 2016 Sartarelli Verdicchio Classico dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche, Italy & 2016 Valle Reale Montepulciano D’Abbruzzo, Abbruzzo, Italy

2016 Sartarelli Verdicchio Classico dei Castelli di Jesi, Marche, Italy $15

This Verdicchio is light sunshine in a glass. It is a succulent wine with beautifully balance minerality and notes of citrus and mint. As typical with Verdicchio grapes there is a satisfying bitter almond finish. This wine is a perfect pairing for antipasti and creamy seafood pasta. Alcohol: 13%

 

2016 Valle Reale Montepulciano D’Abbruzzo, Abbruzzo, Italy  $14

This Montepulciano wine is bright ruby-red in color. This youthful red offers explosive aromas of blueberries, cherries, licorice, and sweet spices. On the palate, it is medium-bodied with plentiful acidity and a pleasant finish. This wine can be served before a meal, but it pairs well with meatballs, tomato sauces, eggplant parmigiana, and mushroom risotto. Alcohol: 13%

November Featured Artists – Lois & Kathryn Engberg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of our patrons will remember the first time we showed Katie Engberg along with her mother, Lois, and her grandmother, Barbara Beauchamp in 2013. Katie was then in her second year at Grand Central Academy in New York. Since graduating in 2016 she is now an instructor at this renown atelier school continuing to teach the classical traditions she learned under her mentor, Jacob Collins. In November Katie and Lois will be featured once again. This fall they returned from a stay in Lucca, Italy where Katie taught two drawing workshops and Lois enjoyed painting the beauty of the area.

This show will reinforce the influence art has on both mother and daughter. Katie will show her development as a talented figure artist and Lois will offer images from her stay in Italy along with her classic still life paintings.

October’s Featured Wines – 2016 Blu Giovello Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy & 2014 Villa Pillo Borgoforte, Tuscany, Italy

2016 Blu Giovelll Pinot Grigio, Friuli, Italy                                 $12

This wine is produced in Friuli, Italy. This white has a crisp acidity in the mouth with an almond-like finish. Before you taste, catch peach, apricot, melon and pineapple for a fruity sweetness on the nose. This is a dry wine that is light and crisp. It is a great pairing for creamed vegetable soups that are a nice fall menu item. Plus the unique blue bottle is easy to find on our shelves! Alcohol: 12%

 

2014 Villa Pillo Borgoforte, Tuscany, Italy                                   $18

Borgoforte is a classic Tuscan wine. Each year Villa Pillo adds selected wines – Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot – to blend for a subtle complexity and richness. Considered a “Super Tuscan,” this has aromas of violet, black currant and rosemary accented by licorice and tobacco flavors. Grapes picked at optimum ripeness ensure a wine which expresses itself in its ripe black fruit components and full body. For smooth body and elegance, the wine is aged in small oak barrels. Wine Spectator named this as #25 in their Top 100 wines of 2016. This is a great wine with pasta, red meats and game of any kind. Alcohol: 13.5%

 

Featured Wines for January – 2015 Prodigo Sauvignon Blanc, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy & 2015 Prodigo Nero D’Avola, Terre Siciliane, Italy

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2015 Prodigo Sauvignon Blanc, Fruili-Venezia Giulia, Italy     $13

With only a handful of exceptions, Italy’s most stylish, highest quality white wines come from Friuli Grave. This Sauvignon Blanc is one of the most vibrant and aromatic wines with fresh flavors of peach blossom and citrus fruits. It shows intense and persistent aromas – citrus blossom, stone fruit and dried hay – with a pleasant and velvety body on the palate. The bright palate offers unripe yellow peach, nectarine and bright acidity. Refreshing and easy-pleasing, it would be good to pour at parties and informal occasions. Alcohol: 12%

 

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2015 Prodigo Nero D’Avolo, Terre Siciliane, Italy       $13

It is evident that food and wine are harmoniously linked in Sicily, defining the region. It is known for its rich and full-bodied wines, as the Nero d’Avola is produced using an “appassite” method of naturally drying the grapes prior to harvest. This Nero d’Avola has a ruby-red color. The bouquet is slightly spicy and has notes of dried figs and ripe fruits of blackberry and boysenberry. The finish is round velvety with notes of vanilla. This is a wonderful wine to serve with classic Italian meals. Alcohol: 13.5%