Category: Italy

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Half-a-Dozen Wines to Pour on Thanksgiving Day (12-pack for $280 All-Included)

G.K. Chesterton wrote, “I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought; and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”

Despite (or perhaps because of) the tumult of 2020, we can probably all find something to be thankful for this year. Whether it be health, family, a meaningful life, or just a substantial supply of toilet paper, why not celebrate with a box of tasty wine especially selected to pair with the season’s feast?

The typical Thanksgiving meal is far too diverse with textures, flavors and aromas to labor over perfect pairings. The most important characteristics of the wines on your table is that they are light, refreshing, energetic, with moderate alcohol, lots of fruit, a lively acidity, and versatile.

We’ve selected a list of wines that will enhance any holiday feast: white wines abundant with fruit and freshness, and reds that aren’t too tannic or heavy. You don’t want anything too bold that might become cumbersome and overpower many of the dishes. Best of all, these are all wines that drink well before, during, and after the meal, so there’s no need to get all fussy about what’s getting poured.

Half-a-Dozen Wines to Pour on Thanksgiving Day (12-pack for $280 All-Included)

This 12-Pack contains two bottles of each wine. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a discount of nearly 15% off the regular price. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to your order.

As usual, we can deliver to your doorstep for free (within a reasonable distance of our shop) and leave it there for you to bring in at your convenience, including on Thanksgiving Day.

 

Domaine Weinbach Riesling (Alsace 2018) Regular Price: $33, WHITE

Domaine Weinbach lies at the foot of the majestic Grand Cru of Schlossberg hill and has been planted with vines since the Ninth Century. A family run estate since 1898, they produce an exquisite range of wines. Domaine Weinbach started farming biodynamically in 1998 and were certified in 2010. With a focus on purity and terroir expression, the wines are made in old oak vats with indigenous yeasts. This is the epitome of Alsace Riesling, dry, rich, concentrated, and intoxicatingly fragrant. A glass is juicy, vivid, ripe and fresh, with a stony finish that speaks deeply of the land.

 

Can Sumoi “Perfum” (Penedès 2019) Regular Price: $25, WHITE 

Can Sumoi is a new project from Pepe Raventós and Francesc Escala to create vibrant wines from the mountains of the Baix Penedès in the Catalunya region of northeastern Spain. True to its name, “Perfum” exudes a heady mix of aromatics, primarily floral notes of jasmine and rose, although there is an abundance of orchard fruit as well. A sip leads with citrus that turns to soft, ripe apples on the midpalate. All that fruit rides a wave of juicy acidity all the way to the finish. The wine is a blend of 50% Moscatel, 30% Macabeo, and 20% Parellada. Although vinified completely dry, the Moscatel (Muscat) variety contributes much of its aromatic character to this wine. Bottled without additives or filtering.

 

Domaine Gachot-Monot (Côte de Nuits-Villages 2018) Regular Price: $34, RED

Fifth-generation vigneron Damien Gachot and his Danish wife, Lise, farm about 30 acres in the village of Corgoloin, in between Nuits-Saint-Georges and Beaune. He has harnessed the ability to balance traditional vineyard management and respect of terroir with more contemporary methodologies in the cellar. His wines are some of the best values in Burgundy. 100% Pinot Noir from vines 40 to 45 years old growing in clay and limestone soils, this is a deeply colored, highly aromatic, full and complex Côtes de Nuits Villages that tastes more like Nuits-St-Georges than village Burgundy.

 

Domaine Robert-Denogent “Jules Chauvet” (Beaujolais-Villages 2017) Regular Price: $25, RED

“Cuvée Jules Chauvet” is made from a three acre parcel of Gamay vines in a 15 acre vineyard that was owned by the late Jules Chauvet – a legend for his pioneering work with organic viticulture in Beaujolais and his leadership in the French natural wine movement. The wine is made with rigorous sorting in the vineyard and minimal intervention in the cellar and then aged for 16 months in seven-year-old barrels. The aromatics are all strawberries and cinnamon, the telltale of a semi-carbonic maceration process that keeps the wine light and lively. A sip is fresh and bursting with berry fruit, a downright pleasure to drink.

 

Cà Viola “Vilot” (Dolcette d’Alba 2017) Regular Price: $19, RED 

Giuseppe “Beppe” Caviola is one of the most important oenologists in Italy. Indeed, in 2002, Beppe was named “Enologist of the Year” by the Italian wine industry’s most important guide, Gambero Rosso. Beppe is focused on showcasing the terroir of the Langhe and employs sustainable vineyard and winemaking practices at all times. A traditional Dolcetto, “Vilot” is produced from 20 year old vines growing on the high, steep slopes of Montelupo in soils rich in calcareous clay marl and sandstone. Fresh blackberries lead into a smooth and balanced finish in this classic food wine.

 

Artuke (Rioja 2019) Regular Price: $17, RED

“Artuke” is made with the carbonic maceration method, a wine-making technique used to enhance aromatics and produce luscious, fresh, fruity wines preferred by Basques in the northern sub-zone of Alavesa. It is a blend of mainly Tempranillo grapes with about 5% of the white grape, Viura, from vineyards in the village of Baños de Ebro. The wine is fermented and aged in concrete for close to six months before bottling. It smells like a four-berry pie. This mouth-watering red wine takes a relatively deep chill which makes it a versatile pairing with pretty much everything on the Thanksgiving table.

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Return of Saturday Sips + Saturday Sips Review Package: Lake Garda’s Version of Amarone & Valpolicella – The Wines of Comincioli

Saturday Sips is back! We are applying in-store tasting protocols to ensure everyone stays safe and will limit the number of people tasting at any given time and adhere to proper social-distancing using assigned tasting spots marked on the floor. Our tasting glasses will be one time use for the day but feel free to bring your own glass if you wish. We hope to see you soon.

Along with his wife Elisabetta and sons Roberto and Andrea, 13th generation farmer Gianfranco Comincioli presides over 34 acres of vineyard and 64 acres of olive groves. The farm lies in Puegnago, in the Valtènesi sub-zone, the most venerated of the district. Valtènesi is distinguished by superior exposure to the sun and moderating breezes from the lake. For context, Comincioli’s vineyards are almost directly across the lake from Valpolicella, where Italy’s famous Amarone is produced. Indeed, many of the same techniques for producing Valpolicella and Amarone wines are used at Comincioli.

While Comincioli wines are world-class, it is for the amazing (if somewhat controversial) olive oils for which Comincioli is most well-known. Yet the wines are made with the same painstaking care as the oil — soaked in a philosophy based on an unwavering respect for traditions and the environment. Gianfranco and family are dedicated to not only preserving their region’s indigenous grape varieties but to use them to produce wines of the utmost quality.

Harvesting the fruit takes place exclusively by hand, using small crates to avoid stress and prevent squashing of the grapes. Hand-sorting is done to remove any inferior fruit. There are four harvests in a single vintage. The first harvest, from the oldest vines, is directed at grapes destined for raisining (drying the grapes before vinification to concentrate the fruit’s sugars and flavors). Subsequent harvests are done on the basis of ripeness, the age of the vines, and the altitude of the vineyard. Work in the cellar is just as meticulous, with concerted effort to avoid any unwanted oxidative effects. The result is a group of unique wines that express both sense of place and purity.

Saturday Sips Review: $199 — 6 Bottles from Azienda Agricola Comincioli (All Included and Delivered)

 

The price for this Saturday Sips Review Package includes tax and delivery, as well as a 10% discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package.

Included in Saturday Sips Review are the following bottles:

1 BOTTLE “Suler” (Riviera del Garda Classico DOC Rosso Superiore 2015) Regular Price: $74

Valpolicella is on the other side of Lake Garda from Comincioli and is world famous for the production of Amarone in the “appassimento” style of drying the grapes before vinification to concentrate the fruit’s sugars and flavors. This regional style is uniquely conveyed in the cuvée “Suler.” A mix of the smallest bunches and “straggly clusters” of Sangiovese, Marzemino, Groppello, and Barbera grapes from Comincioli’s oldest vineyards (40 to 90 year old vines) are placed in shallow, ventilated crates for a period of 20-30 days. After aging for 24 months in stainless steel tanks, 30 months in oak casks, and then another 18 months minimum in bottle, “Suler” delivers with the weight and concentration of big, ripe fruit that Amarone lovers cherish with the aromatics and flavors exclusive of Valtènesi.

 

3 BOTTLES “Riviera” (Riviera del Garda Classico DOC Rosso 2015) Regular Price: $26

Cuvée “Riviera” is based on a little over half the native Groppello variety with the remainder a blend of Sangiovese, Marzemino, and Barbera. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks and oak casks. Full of juicy red and black berries with intoxicating floral and spice aromatics, it’s reminiscent of the Valpolicella Ripasso from the other side of Lake Garda but with a vibe all its own. It’s ideal balance will pair beautifully with most classic Italian pasta dishes.

 

2 BOTTLES “Diamante” ROSÉ (2019) Regular Price: $29

A rosé with a little more sap than the typical light and airy numbers made only for summer drinking. The cuvée “Diamante” is mainly produced from the native Valtènesi grape Groppello with the remainder a blend of Barbera, Sangiovese, and Marzemino. A brief contact on these “black grape” skins results in a wine of ideal balance with aromatics of rose, alpine strawberry, and pomegranate. Vinification and aging in stainless steel tanks keeps the wine crisp and refreshing without being simple. This is a wine to pair with everything from spicy seafood dishes to roast lamb.

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$150 “The Lambrusco Sampler” Wine-Aid Package & Sunday Brunch Virtual Tasting with Winemaker Alberto Paltrinieri – (8 Bottles All Included and Delivered)

If you have yet to try Alberto Paltrinieri’s Lambrusco you are in for a treat. His wines are truly some of the best values we have ever come across.

A well-made Lambrusco is a joy to drink with just about any type of food, yet as a wine type it still languishes from the many drinkers that still associate Lambrusco solely with the sweet, fizzy, purple wine-drink that was popular in the 70s. But there is so much more to this wine from Emilia-Romagna — a region known for its robust, singular cuisine.

Lambrusco di Sorbara is the name of both the grape variety and the Italian DOC that lies north of the city of Modena with the center being the small village of Sorbara. Alberto Paltrinieri is a third generation winemaker. He carries on the legacy of his father, Gianfranco, and grandfather, Achilles, a chemist who built the cellar in 1926. He and his wife, Barbara, have transformed their small, 42 acre operation into one of the most notable wineries in the region. Alberto and Barbara’s wines represent the new Lambrusco — modern winemaking techniques married with traditional values to produce wines that speak of place.

Sunday Brunch Virtual Tasting with Alberto Paltrinieri

Not only does Alberto know how to craft some of the best Lambrusco the world has ever seen, he’s also a heck of a nice guy. With the purchase of “The Lambrusco Sampler” Wine-Aid Package you will also receive an invitation to a virtual tasting on Sunday May 31st from noon to 12:40 pm. Chat with Alberto while you enjoy your Sunday Brunch at home. The meeting will feature a tour of his estate while discussing its history and his terroir of alluvial soils between the rivers Secchia and Panaro in the historic area known as Cristo di Sorbara. You will learn the production methods of Lambrusco as well as the particulars of each of the four presented wines and their most appropriate food pairings.

We are limiting the number of participants to allow for everyone involved to have the chance to engage with Alberto. Call the shop at (248) 398-0030 to reserve your spot. The day prior to the tasting you will receive a Zoom ID.

Included in “The Lambrusco Sampler” Wine-Aid Package ($150) are two bottles each:

“Radice” (Lambrusco di Sorbara 2018) DRY Regular Price $21

100% Lambrusco di Sorbara. A thrilling, bone-dry, slightly fizzy sip of salted alpine strawberries under a nose of thyme and crisp berry fruit. “Radice” means root and this wine hearkens back to a time when wines got their fizz from refermentation in the bottle using only the natural sugars in the fruit and indigenous yeasts. This type of winemaking is called Metodo Ancestrale AKA Pétillant-naturel. “Radice” wears the method well with its crown seal and slightly cloudy vibe. It is a savory wine that is sure to go over well at informal backyard gatherings and picnics at the beach.

 

“Leclisse” (Lambrusco di Sorbara 2018) DRY Regular Price $25

100% Lambrusco di Sorbara. A Gambero Rosso “Tre Bicchieri” selection, “Leclisse” sings with elegance. Scents of flowers and raspberries linger above a sip that is bone-dry, full of crisp fruit, and balanced by a mineral structure that is rare in wines of this price. A Lambrusco with some gravitas yet still a pleasure to drink. Its fizz comes from production using Metodo Martinotti AKA Charmat Method, whereby fermentation with indigenous yeasts in pressurized stainless steel tanks allow for a more measured sparkle. It’s a wine that’s sure to turn a simple cheese and salumi board into a feast.

 

“Piria” (Lambrusco di Sorbara 2018) DRY Regular Price $15

“Piria” is the name of the tool shown on the label to keep the wine from spilling during racking (siphoning wine must from one container to the next). 70% Lambrusco di Sorbara and 30% Lambrusco Salamino with refermentation using Metodo Martinotti. A ruby-red, dry, and fruity wine with floral notes. The lightly sparkling palate offers strawberry, pomegranate, and orange zest alongside crisp acidity. You want red wine with sushi? You can have red wine with sushi.

 

“Solco” (Lambrusco dell’Emilia IGT 2018) OFF-DRY Regular Price $16

100% Lambrusco Salamino with refermentation using Metodo Martinotti. “Solco” is a semi-dry, purple-tinged red wine with ripe, soft, dark fruit and a lush mouthfeel created by the 15 grams or so of residual sugar. It is a pleasant accompaniment to spicy food or when you crave a touch of sweetness.

 

 

 

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$160 “The Leonardo da Vinci” Wine-Aid Package – 6 Bottles Italian Wine (4 Red, 2 White, All Included and Delivered)

“The discovery of a good wine is increasingly better for mankind than the discovery of a new star.” — Leonardo da Vinci

Introducing The Leonardo da Vinci, a $160 Wine-Aid package that includes six bottles of Italian wine. This small range of wines from stellar producers in north central Italy are just a small sample of the variety available from these ancient lands. The price includes tax and delivery, as well as a deep discount. We will also honor a 10% discount on any bottles you might wish to add to the Wine-Aid package. 

Leonardo da Vinci was an Italian painter, draftsman, sculptor, architect, and engineer whose genius, perhaps more than that of any other figure, epitomized the Renaissance humanist ideal. Perhaps a lesser known fact is that da Vinci owned several vineyards in central and northern Italy. His letters to friends, family, and farm managers show that he was an ardent wine taster, producer, and even cultivator.

He was particularly inspired by “the divine juice of the grape” in the late 15th century, when he was painting The Last Supper in Milano. During this period, da Vinci experimented with all parts of the winemaking process, from cultivating his own varietals, to perfecting the grape press, to distilling brandy.

Included in The Leonardo da Vinci Wine-Aid box are two bottles of each:

1) Ampeleia Cuvée “Ampeleia” (IGT Costa Toscana 2015) Regular Price $47 

Ampeleia is an exciting project led by star winemaker Elisabetta Foradori near the Tuscan coast. It seeks to reveal the diversity and potential of Maremma’s Colline Metallifere, a mineral-rich, mountain-hill group mined since Etruscan times that occupies the central-western part of Tuscany, just west of Montalcino. The base of the wine consists of low yields of Cabernet Franc from vines planted in the early 1960s. A grocery cart of heady aromatics include mixed berries, cherry licorice, minty herbs, a touch of chocolate, and a whisper of lavender. A sip is generous with dense fruit that seamlessly merges with a medium-bodied mid-palate and a mineral-rich, lengthy finish. 

2) Scacciadiavoli Montefalco Rosso (DOC 2016) Regular Price $28

The green hills of Umbria match neighboring Tuscany in their splendor and are finally catching up with the level of wine quality. This fact is most apparent in the hills of Perugia, and even more specifically the comune of Montefalco. It is there that the native, naturally low-yielding grape variety of Sagrantino reigns. Montefalco Rosso is a blend of 60% Sangiovese, 25% Merlot, and 15% Sagrantino. After vinification, the wine is matured for 12 months in large wooden oak barrels and a further six months in the bottle. It sports an elegant bouquet with scents of cherry and spice. A sip offers bright flavors of red fruits while the finish is quite herbal with polished tannins and good length. It’s a pleasantly complex wine with enough structure to develop for a few more years.

3) Andrea Felici “Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Superiore” (DOC 2013) Regular Price $19

Winemaker Leopardo Felici is a superstar. In its 33rd edition, the chief Italian wine rating publication, Gambero Rosso, has awarded him “Grower of the Year, “ calling him “a true vigneron capable of interpreting every nuance of his land, Castelli di Jesi.” Leopardo is a Verdicchio perfectionist. Soon after taking over his family’s small 25 acre estate in Apiro, the highest of the villages surrounding the town of Jesi, he immediately began transitioning to organic farming to help create the purest wines possible. You won’t find many wines at this price level with this concentration and specificity of place. Drinking at its peak, this wine shows outstanding varietal purity, full of white fruits, hints of brine and almonds, and serious length.