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VinItaly 2011

VinItaly 2011

After an exhilarating five days of intensive tasting in and just outside of Verona at VinItaly, VinNatur, and Vino Vino Vino, my palate has been reinvigorated and my “wine speak” in Italian has once again been thoroughly challenged and expanded.

VinItaly is Verona’s infamous wine expo that brings together over 4,000 producers in a cluster of twelve bustling, cavernous convention halls. Conversely, VinNatur and Vino Vino Vino are smaller, organic tastings that are held in historic sites outside of the city and exhibit less than 150 producers. I tasted recent vintages of some of my already established favorites and made some new discoveries along the way. (more…)

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This wine captures the essence of Summer and SeaWhen Valerie, Ihsan and I visited the Ameztoi Winery in October of last year, rosé season was months away. Now a cool but sunny April has arrived and with it has come our first shipment of Ameztoi Rubentis Rosado*.

Ameztoi is one among a cluster of wineries perched high in the hills of the Getaria province of Spain, overlooking the Atlantic ocean. On a clear day, you can see the city of San Sebastián from Ameztoi’s vineyards.

Ignacio Ameztoi is a 7th generation winemaker. He and his enormous German Shepherd gave us a personal tour of the family winery – a pretty building completely surrounded by grapevines with a stunning view of the Atlantic. Ameztoi’s vines are quite old, many 150 years or older. (more…)

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A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Bob Cratchit

One evening in December, I found myself under the weather but with an unbreakable date. I had promised to take a fellow cheesemonger on his first visit to Drink. For anyone who hasn’t been, Drink is an elegant bar in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston with highly skilled bartenders and no drink list. One orders by indicating an ingredient or ingredients they’re in the mood for – for me, that often means something like Bourbon or grapefruit juice. Then, the bartenders make cocktail suggestions based on these clues.

All I could muster up this particularly cold evening was,”I have a sore throat.” A few minutes later, head bartender, John Gertsen emerged from the back with a steaming pot of negus. A warm, sweet and comforting blend of port, hot water, sugar and lemon, negus was a popular drink in Victorian times, and is mentioned in more than one of Charles Dickens’ novels. In Dombey and Son, Mr. Feeder, “after imbibing several custard cups of negus, began to enjoy himself.” Just as I did after imbibing my several wineglasses full of negus at Drink (I also slept like a baby that night)! (more…)

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Wine buyers, Julie and Gemma, share their picks for your holiday celebrations.

A selection of wines for the holiday season - Galea Derain LallementAs we enter this season of sharing food with family and friends, we compile a list of our favorite wines to serve at parties and gatherings. Our top picks this year embody the qualities we showcase in our stores. Made in family-run wineries on small farms, using sustainably-grown grapes and natural fermentation, these wines are clear expressions of the terroir of the farms and the care of the producers. On their own, these lovely wines invite you to delve into their complex aromas and flavors. Paired with carefully selected cheeses, they demonstrate their full, orchestral potential. (more…)

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En route to ArboisDavid, Mary and I arrived in Geneva early on a crisp October morning and, after collecting our rental car, set off for the town of Arbois, crossing the border from Switzerland into France. It was a beautiful ride along steep, sinuous mountain roads. (more…)

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Isabelle and Bruno Perraud's Beaujolais Nouveau

In the Beaujolais region of Burgundy the third Thursday of November marks the release of the young wine that is made from indigenous Gamay grape. The infamous Beaujolais Nouveau is made by carbonic maceration, a way of fermenting the juice while it is still inside the grape by placing whole bunches of grapes in a closed vat. As the grapes on the bottom of the vat are crushed under the weight of the grapes above they burst and begin to ferment, releasing carbon dioxide that starts the fermentation process in the other grapes. This fermentation takes only four to five days, and produces a soft, fruity wine with little to no tannins. (more…)

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“Questo è un grande vino,” said Ferdinando Zanusso, referring to his ’99 Galea Bianco.

’99 Galea Bianco Magnum

The Zanussos produce wines under the name I Clivi in Friuli, Italy, and this past September, I stayed with them to help with the grape harvest. The night before I left, Ferdi led me through a vertical tasting of 10 vintages of I Clivi wines. (more…)

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Mosse MoussamoussettesOn a recent trip to New York, I was lucky enough to share a bottle of this lovely little Loire Valley wine with Brooke and Ayse from the Formaggio Kitchen Essex shop. I was immediately won over by its fruity aroma and delicate frothy fizz. Since this is a wine not normally brought into Massachusetts, I had to special order it from New York and our two cases just arrived today!

Made by Agnès et René Mosse on their 13ha farm in Anjou, this méthode ancestral* sparkler is made with organically farmed Gamay, Grolleau Gris and Grolleau Noir grapes from 25-30 year old vines. (more…)

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To read Part I of Gemma’s post, please click here.

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Alessandro of Valli Unite

Alessandro of Valli Unite

One of the most memorable tastings I had at VinItaly was with Valli Unite, a cooperative I visited in 2006, located in the hills outside of Tortona (essentially in the DOC Gavi growing area). Dreadlocked Alessandro, who now greets me on a first name basis, excitedly mentioned that in 2009 he made all of his wines without added sulfur. He recalled all of the questions and concerns that I have had over the years about sulfur usage. After some successful initial trials with Barbera and Dolcetto, he is confident enough to move forward with a more natural, minimalist approach in the cellar. This courage impressed me a great deal as did his desire to express as much terroir as possible in his wines. One of the questions that I like to ask growers is with regard to the future of their wines and their farming practices. Some producers express an ambition to sell more wine, expand into additional markets and find new exporters. Others talk about trying natural yeast fermentations, yield-reducing practices and no-sulfur cuvées. The latter type of grower is the one with whom I definitely want to establish a relationship. One can ascertain very quickly and easily who is thinking, trying, experimenting and who is merely responding to the market. (more…)

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Le bellissime colline di Verona

Le bellissime colline di Verona

During the second week of April, I had the opportunity to attend VinItaly – one of the largest and most well-attended trade shows for wine professionals – and two smaller, organic off-shoot shows: VinNatur and Vini Veri. These tastings brought growers, suppliers, sommeliers, and wine buyers together near picturesque Verona. It was a very special opportunity to taste wines alongside the growers, a process that is important in gaining a true understanding of the wines on our shelves and the farming behind them. Attending a show like VinItaly is the next best thing to actually visiting a producer. (more…)

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