Let holiday romance blossom with Castello di Verduno’s Basadone

Anemoni in bloom outside the Castello di Verduno. The flower is featured on the label of "Basadone".

The lush Castello di Verduno estate is fortunate to possess some of Piedmont’s best growing sites. Indeed, when Gabriella Burlotto and Franco Bianco married they brought together two families each with rich histories of producing wines in the Langhe: the Burlotto family has long produced Barolo from some of the finest vineyards in Verduno, while the Bianco clan comes from Barbaresco, where they have holdings in the historic Rabaja and Faset crus.

The 18th century Castello di Verduno and its luscious garden have also functioned as a hotel and restaurant since 1953.

Yet Castello di Verduno also produces wine from less internationally-renowned zones, including the tiny Verduno Pelaverga DOC, possibly Italy’s smallest appellation. It is here that winemaker Mario Andrion cultivates Pelaverga, a rare variety indigenous to the area around Verduno near Alba. The grape is believed to carry aphrodisiacal properties, hence the name Basadone or “baciadonne“, literally “lady kisser”.

The wine spends three months in large botti, six months in stainless steel and an extra three months in bottle before its release. A floral and aromatic wine, delicately spicy and almost purple like velvet, Basadone is an excellent pairing for festive foods. Try it under the mistletoe at your next holiday party.

Verduno Pelaverga Basadone 2006 Castello di Verduno
was $25, now $22.50
Save 10% on bottles 1 through 11, 20% on twelve bottles or more.

For more information call 212-725-6516 or email contact@vinosite.com.

Vino’s vast selection of holiday wines are all available on our website, www.vinositeshop.com.

Save up to 20% on Giacomo Fenocchio Barolo from two of the Langhe’s top vineyards

Renato Fenocchio hoists a hand-harvested crate of Nebbiolo, fresh from the Cannubi vineyard.

Within the complex viticultural mosaic that is Piedmont’s much-lauded Langhe region, certain subzones take on an almost reverential quality. The estate of Giacomo Fenocchio can boast access to not one, but several such sites, most notably Cannubi in Barolo and Villero in Castiglione Falletto. The company has been cultivating Nebbiolo from its ten hectares in the heart of the Barolo zone for over five generations. Today, Giacomo Fenocchio’s sons use these historic vineyards to their advantage to produce some of the finest Barolo on the market.

One of the zone’s most prestigious crus, wine has been made from the Cannubi vineyard since the 18th century (the oldest bottle still in existence dates back to 1752). The Fenocchio brothers use Nebbiolo Michet from 25-year-old vines, grown on half a hectare of marly and sandy soil. Located in the nearby hamlet of Castiglione Falletto, the clayey terrain of the renowned Villero vineyard is also rich in iron, allowing for a riper crop from 60-year-old Nebbiolo Michet and Lampia vines.

Rows of Cannubi's south-eastern-facing Nebbiolo vines soak up the fall sunshine.

Both wines undergo a similar vinification process, each spending five months in stainless steel, two years in large botti and a further twelve months in bottle. The Fenocchio brothers’ adherence to their father’s winemaking tradition and techniques results in some of the truest expressions of these legendary crus.

For this reason we are thrilled to introduce these two classically-styled Barolos from Giacomo Fenocchio’s 2003 vintage. Perfect with warm, wintry dishes, there’s no better time to enjoy them than this holiday season!

Barolo Cannubi 2003 Giacomo Fenocchio
was $57, now $51.30
Save 10% on bottles 1 through 5, 20% on six or more.

Barolo Villero 2003 Giacomo Fenocchio
was $57, now $51.30
Save 10% on bottles 1 through 5, 20% on six or more.

For more information call 212-725-6516 or email contact@vinosite.com.

Vino’s vast selection of holiday wines are all available on our website, www.vinositeshop.com.

Introducing a Tuscan Renaissance Man’s latest masterpiece

Guido Gualandi photographed at his estate in Poppiano in the Chianti subzone of Montespertoli, Florence.

A multi-talented, modern-day man of action, Guido Gualandi is unique among Tuscan producers, both in his philosophy and obsessive hands-on approach. Projecting a decidedly non-interventionist attitude to winemaking, Guido oversees personally every aspect of his 100% natural vinification process. As he recently explained to us: “I believe there is really no need for an enologist; a naturally made wine makes itself. You just have to ‘raise it’ with care and attention.”

Located in Poppiano, in the Chianti subzone of Montespertoli, Gualandi specializes in ancient local varieties such as Colorino, Pugnitello and Foglia Tonda. Continuously striving towards the development of new wines, Guido recognizes the region’s viticultural tradition while bending the often conservative conventions of Tuscan winemaking.

Whether hard at work or hard at play, Guido Gualandi's passion for his craft is evident.

This year Gualandi has blended Sangiovese, Cannaiolo and Colorino to create the Chianti Colli Fiorentini DOCG Montebetti. The grapes are fermented (together with skins and stalks) for 15 days, after which the wine spends 10 months in durmast botti and several more in the bottle. Unlike Guido’s other wines, for which production is generally small, over 12,000 bottles of Montebetti have been produced. The first 2007 vintage has just arrived at Vino, and replaces Gualandi’s Sangiovese blend Cavalleresco. Available at just $23, it is one of our most rare and affordable Tuscan wines.

A regular visitor to the United States, Guido studied archeology at New York’s Columbia University, has worked as a teacher and journalist, and is also a gifted musician and painter. Naturally, his wines’ labels feature his own designs. Take home a little piece of Tuscany’s artistic heritage today!

Chianti Colli Fiorentini Montebetti 2007 Guido Gualandi
$23
Save 10% on a closed case of 12 bottles.

For more information call 212-725-6516 or email contact@vinosite.com.

Check out Vino’s vast selection of holiday wines aand much, much more is available on our website, www.vinosite.com!