Some Like it HOT! Sexy Sicilian wines dressed in designer labels!  Perfect for Valentine’s Day

WINE TASTING FRI. FEB. 12, 4-7PM, Belmont & SAT. FEB. 13, 2-5pm, Concord

An exciting new line of wines from FEUDI del PISCIOTTO in Sicily, featuring labels designed by Italian fashion icons! 

Hot sunny weather, beautiful coastlines, luscious wines—who needs roses when you can bring your Valentine a beautiful wine from Sicily’s Feudi del Pisciotto? Stop by the tasting Friday (Belmont) or Saturday (Concord) and pick up the perfect bottle for a relaxing, romantic evening!

white

2008 FEUDI del PISCIOTTO Carolina Marengo Grillo $36
Cultivated in Sicily since the Phoenicians, Grillo, the primary grape of Marsala, moves center-stage in this lushly

-fruited white with aromas of baked apple and quince.  Elegant and crisp, Grillo is a flexible food partner from lobster to tandoori chicken.

red

2008 FEUDI del PISCIOTTO Carolina Marengo Frappato $36

This big, bold Frappato will surprise anyone who is familiar with its lighter expression in Cerasuolo di Vittoria.  All the fragrance and fruit amped up in a lush package.

2007 FEUDI del PISCIOTTO Versace Nero d’Avola $36

Sicily’s signature red grape, Nero d’Avola established Sicily’s world-class potential long before cab and merlot arrived on the scene. Deeply aromatic with lush flavors, this powerful and seductive Nero d’Avola evokes dried berries and violets in its elegant framework.

2007 FEUDI del PISCIOTTO Valentino Merlot $36

An exuberant yet elegant Merlot imbued with remarkable structure and power.  Its plush texture and distinctive Sicilian character make it an irresistible complement to romance.

2006 FEUDI del PISCIOTTO Missoni Cabernet Sauvignon $36

While Cabernet can thrive in the Sicilian heat, the higher altitude and coastal location of the vineyards provide the perfect climate for this structured, voluptuous Cabernet.

WINE TASTING: Flavor & Value from Southern Italy
Sat. Oct. 3, 3-6pm Belmont

ROSENTHAL WINE TASTING, Part II (Concord)
Fri. Dec. 12 4:30-7:30pm with Eric Broege
SAT. DEC. 13, 2-5pm with MICHAEL KANE of Rosenthal
Please join us for another taste of the distinctive, terroir-driven wines of Rosenthal Wine Merchant. For thirty years, Neal Rosenthal has carefully selected artisanal wines that profoundly express their origins and traditions. The informative and inspiring MICHAEL KANE of Rosenthal will be at VINTAGES’ in West Concord on Saturday, Dec. 13, 2-5pm to present the wines.

PAOLO BEA, Montefalco, Umbria
“Paolo Bea’s wines represent the finest of the artisan approach to winemaking. Bea farms his vineyards naturally. The wines are made in a traditional style that calls for extended periods of skin contact and several years of aging. At their best these are finessed, expressive wines of the highest level in a style that recalls the Brunellos of Soldera or the Barolos of Giuseppe Rinaldi, to name just two producers with a similar aesthetic.” – Wine Advocate

wine tasting: Antiquity & Innovation in CAMPANIA

featuring TERREDORA di PAOLO & TERRE di PRINCIPE
Presented by GEORGE SCHWARTZ, VIAS IMPORTS
THURSDAY, OCT. 16, 6-8PM (Belmont store)
FRIDAY, OCT. 17, 4:00-7:30PM (Concord, with Eric Broege)

We are very pleased to have “Professore” George Schwartz as our guide as we taste through the plethora of grape varieties and zones that create the uniquely delicious wines of Campania. With a long history of winemaking, numerous native grapes, and a variety of growing conditions, Campania has much to offer the wine aficionado. Prof. Schwartz will present the wines from two estates, TERREDORA di PAOLO and TERRE di PRINCIPE.

TERREDORA di PAOLO
“Terredora boasts one of the most consistently strong line-ups in Campania. The estate was created when the Mastroberardino family split up some years ago. Lucio Mastroberardino gave up the right to use his family’s illustrious name, but he kept the vineyards. Based on what I have tasted in recent years, I would say he got the better side of the deal, even if his wines aren’t as well-known as they deserve to be.”–Wine Advocate

Since 1978, Walter Mastroberardino and his children Lucio, Daniela and Paolo, have put Terredora di Paolo in the elite division of southern Italian wineries. Their estate is now 180 hectares under vine.

2007 TERREDORA Falanghina di’Irpinia $16.99
100% Falanghina “Fairly full-bodied expression of this grape in rich, almost-tropical fruit laced with perfumed aromatics. Despite being made from hillside fruit, it remains a surprisingly extroverted wine with excellent poise.”-WA
2007 TERREDORA Greco di Tufo $27
100% Greco. From vines planted about 2,000 feet above sea level in the Montefusco area, a “grand cru” for Greco. “A racy, laser-like wine imbued with grapefruit, melon, mint and minerals. It offers excellent length and focus, with an inviting, refreshing finish. This is a classic Greco di Tufo that is loaded with character and personality.”–WA

2007 TERREDORA Aglianico di’Irpinia $16.99
100% Aglianico; steel & french oak for 6 mos. “One of the finest wines I encountered in my tastings. This soft-textured, generous red flows from the glass with notable harmony. This delicious, value-priced Aglianico is highly recommended.” –WA

2006 TERREDORA Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso $25 100% Piedirosso, 8 mos. in french oak barrel. “Comes across as a little more angular than the Aglianico, but it, too, is delicious. It possesses outstanding balance in its dark red fruit, licorice and minerals.”–WA

TERRE di PRINCIPE: U.S. Debut & VINTAGES Exclusive!
Reviving “lost” native grapes; creating unique wines
This new winery, started in 2003 by Giuseppe Mancini and Manuela Piancastelli, has revived several ancient grape varietals that he recalled from his childhood, but had been entirely abandoned. Taking cuttings from some 100-year-old vines he stumbled upon, Peppe planted 11 hectares of estate vineyards. With his hard work and tenacity, has created these unique wines and restored a lost wine tradition.

2007 TERRE di PRINCIPE Pallagrello Bianco “Fontanavigna” $40 est.
Very aromatic on the nose with predominant notes of apple, pineapple and melon. To the palate, the wine is balanced, with long persistency of aromas, and particularly a long finish of dried apricots.

2006 TERRE di PRINCIPE Casavecchia “Centomoggia” $56
On the nose, it opens with slightly wild and gamey notes then develops into aromas ranging from blackberries & blueberries to sweet spices such as cloves and licorice. On the palate the wine is extremely rich and full, with elegant, aromatic texture and long persistent finish. Centomoggia is a perfect match for braised and grilled meat, game and flavorful dishes.

2006 TERRE di PRINCIPE “Vigna Piancastelli” $75
70% Pallegrello Nero, 30% Casavechia. Vigna Piancastelli originated from a “challenge” between Peppe Mancini and enologist Luigi Moio to make a “meditation wine,” full and elegant, using Pallagrello Nero and Casavecchia grapes. 10% of the grapes are slightly dried on the vine. (This wine label changes every year and the artwork is created by different local painters.) Aromas of prunes, blackberries, chocolate and black pepper, all enhanced in their complexity by light hints of coriander and incense. It has finesse and breadth, mouth-filling texture, balsamic tautness and structured tannins in a long, persistent finish.

A new winery in the region, PERTICAIA is winning top honors for its 2004 Sagrantino Montefalco made from 100% sagrantino grapes, a traditional, native variety. Owner Guido Guardigli has much to be proud of, launching an outstanding winery and creating one of the most successful expressions of the sagrantino grape. PERTICAIA also makes delicious, easy-drinking sangiovese blends. Outstanding for fall!

2004 PERTICAIA SAGRANTINO MONTEFALCO $48 –Three Glasses Winner!
100% Sagrantino. Warm, ripe, raspberry fruit, with spicy intensity and dense, mouth-filling texture. “Stunning bouquet packed with blackberry flavors wrapped in balsam and lush spices. Spacious, deep, and dense yet dynamic on the palate, with lush tannins. Still young, of course, but its true soul will be revealed through the years.”–Gambero Rosso 2008

2005 PERTICAIA MONTEFALCO ROSSO $22
60% Sangiovese, 15% Colorino, 15% Sagrantino and 10% Merlot. Fresh with the aromas and flavors of wild raspberries and blueberries. Med-full body, with sweet tannins.

2007 PERTICAIA UMBRIA ROSSO $14.99
80% Sangiovese, 10% Colorino, 10% Merlot
Deep plum color, rich and smooth texture with black cherry notes. Full and expressive, delicious Sangiovese!