Have you ever met somebody who you swear one day would hit the big time?  Think you’d see them appear on that super star discovery show? No, not Idol or “This Place” Got Talent… the real super star discovery show. That’s how we felt when I was first introduced to Bobal, the hidden gem from Spain’s south-eastern Valencia region.

Known mostly as a native workhorse that produces loads of juice concentrate and fills up blends for a color boost, this third most planted Spanish variety is finally beginning to forge an identity as a grape worthy of savoring. Documents show that The Utiel-Requena appellation has hosted Bobal since the 15th Century. By adapting to the extremes of the local climate this vigorous grape has made itself uniquely at home here. It is bold and rich in character, but unlike other important Spanish varietals like Monastrell, it retains acidity and is not exceptionally high in alcohol.  For careful winemakers who employ the fruit of older vines, they are discovering its great potential to produce powerful wines of complexity and longevity.

Vera de Estenas is one such producer. Founded by the Martinez family in the 1940s, they hand harvest their Bobal from low yield vines up to 100 years of age. Current third generation winemaker Felix Martinez Roda matures the wine in tank and French barriques, allowing its intensity to broaden, giving us deep complex fruit with balanced structure. It’s the kind of profile that makes one wonder “Where have you been?” Although they already know where it has been, more and more producers from the region are determined to be a part of where it is going. From where we’re standing, that looks like the Stars, baby!

Vera de Estenas Bobal 2008 $13

Photos courtesy of Vera de Estenas.

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

Welcome to Vino Fine Wine and Spirits!

Consistently voted New York’s number one Italian wine store, over the last ten years Vino has become one of the city’s most beloved wine retailers. Having found success with his pugliese restaurant I Trulli, owner Nicola Marzovilla launched Vino in 2000 with a desire to showcase Italy’s vast mosaic of grape varieties and winemaking styles. His attentive selection process and preference for Italy’s lesser-known appellations soon made Vino the destination for those in search of Ruchè, Pelaverga or Cesanese.

In 2010, Vino began looking beyond Italy’s borders, enabling our customers to explore wines from all parts of the world. Now the same discerning palate which brought you the best of Italy is helping stock Vino’s shelves with a truly international and expanding selection of world-class wines and spirits.

Why not join us for our next wine tasting class or free weekly tasting? Hosted by our friendly and knowledgeable staff, they’re the ideal introduction to Vino and a great way to discover new wines. And if you’re not in New York, worry not — Vino ships wine to all fifty states!

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Location
Vino is located at 121 East 27th Street, between Park and Lexington Avenues. The store is directly opposite Nicola Marzovilla’s popular restaurant, I Trulli. Subway: 6 train to 28th Street.

Opening Hours
Monday-Saturday 12-9pm
Sunday 12-7pm

Delivery
Free neighborhood delivery.
(between 20th St. and 35th St.,between 1st Ave. and 6th Ave.)

Free Manhattan delivery for orders over $100.

Please call for delivery and shipping outside Manhattan.

Vino has a limited supply of Pinot Bianco 2007 by Castel Sallegg, which we’re now offering at an amazing 10% off (while stocks last)!

As the staff at Vino can firmly attest, Castel Sallegg’s 2007 Pinot Bianco is still drinking marvelously over twelve months after its release. This monovarietal white is best enjoyed when paired with food, in particular the cured meats or strong cheeses typical of Italy’s northern-most reaches. The Alto-Adige producer’s wines benefit from near-perfect growing sites: the sandy, pebbly lime subsoil in the slopes that surround Lake Caldaro is ideal for creating a mineral-driven wine that’s crisp, balanced — and great value!

Pinot Bianco 2007 Castel Sallegg
was $18, now $16.20
FREE SHIPPING!

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

Propriety of the Travignoli estate has been passed on through
several generations of the Busi family.

If you’re looking to drink Chianti Rufina, you may as well make it Travignoli: wine has been made on the estate since the twelfth century. Since the 1700s the winery, named from the Italian “tra” (among) and “vigne” (vines), has been operated by the noble Busi family. Count Giovanni Busi has been chief proprietor of Travignoli for twenty years and recently served as president of the Chianti Rufina consortium.

Today’s vineyard workers at Travignoli take a
well-earned break from the harvest.

While Chianti Rufina stands proudly as the company’s flagship wine, Busi has also produced number of Super Tuscans, white wines, Vin Santo and olive oil under the Travignoli label. Anyone still doubting Travignoli’s credentials need only taste these three wines to recognize the history, experience and modern winemaking skill of this esteemed producer.

Gavignano 2008 Travignoli
$12
Travignoli blends small amounts of Sauvignon Blanc into the estate’s Chardonnay to create Gavignano, one of Vino’s best value white wines. While Chardonnay from California and Burgundy may have enjoyed more celebrity in recent years, the excellent drainage of the rocky soil in Chianti (and in Rufina in particular) helps to create dry, structured whites with balanced aromas and flavors.

Chianti Rufina 2007 Travignoli
$15
Though blessed with optimum conditions, Travignoli’s output is limited to ensure the finest quality product. Roughly 300,000 bottles leave the winery each year, most of which bear the label of Chianti Rufina, the company’s flagship wine. Smooth, fragrant and ruby-red in color, Travignoli’s Rufina is fermented and aged in steel for eight months, and then spends a further two months in the bottle. Probably our best-selling Tuscan red.

San Clemente 2003 Travignoli
$33
When Vino owner Nicola Marzovilla asked the Travignoli estate to come up with a Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese blend, the winemakers readily accepted the challenge. Vinified in traditional large oak barrels (no barrique), San Clemente is a truly exclusive wine which continues to improve with age. Big in the mouth (from the tannic Cabernet) with bright acidity (from the Sangiovese), it pairs perfectly with the meats and fish from your summer grill.

TRAVIGNOLI TASTING
Thursday, August 27
5:30-7:30pm

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

Right: Giovanni Busi enjoys a glass of his own Chianti Rufina.

Vino is delighted to announce a very special tasting event at Devon Shops, one of New York’s most unique furniture stores, as well as one of Vino’s closest neighbors on East 27th Street. Enter Devon Shops and discover a spacious atmosphere filled with elegant hand-carved French and English furniture in the classic design of its period, as well as a new Transitional Line with modern elements.

The attention to detail is unparalleled: since 1929 Devon has staffed its on-premise workshop with master “ébénistes” creating and manufacturing furniture of the highest quality. All of Devon Shops’ pieces are made in New York, by hand, one piece at a time. What better setting to enjoy some of your favorite wines? Please join us at Devon Shops’ showroom on Thursday, June 18, from 5:30 to 7:30pm for a rare tasting at one of New York’s oldest and finest interior design showrooms.

VINO TASTING AT DEVON SHOPS
Thursday, June 18
5:30-7:30pm

Devon Shops
111 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
212-686-1760

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

The vineyard workers at Travignoli take a break.

Though geographically separated from the main Chianti-producing region, and often overshadowed by Chianti Classico, the Rufina DOCG subzone produces some of Tuscany’s most celebrated wines, and some of the best values at Vino.  Chianti Rufina is sometimes referred to as “Chianti in montagna” (mountain Chianti) and is the highest point in the entire Chianti appellation. Such altitudes enable winemakers to create wines with remarkable aging potential — thanks to cooler summer evenings the wines are able to retain their freshness for decades.

This superb winemaking zone is located just a few kilometres east of Florence, towards Pontassieve and the Mugello. Having vacationed — and later lived and worked — in this area, I’ve spent most of my Italian life drinking Chianti Rufina of varying distinction. As a young English teacher in Florence, I was routinely dispatched out to places like Rignano sull’Arno, Rufina itself and Dicomano (a town I jokingly used to call “I say hand”) for private lessons. I remember one such student particularly well: Paolo was a 40-year-old chain-smoker who still lived with his parents in the decidedly sleepy town of Pontassieve. The less said about his English the better, but in the same room where we’d grind through the present continuous week after week were dozens of vintage bottles of Chianti — some dating back to the 1940s — stacked up on a rack under several years worth of dust. At the dinner table the family drank cheap white wine out of a fiasco. They were obviously saving the good stuff for a special occasion, although something told me I was the first non-Tuscan to ever set foot in that house: I recall my astonishment as Paolo’s aging mother proudly showed me spaghetti, presumably imagining I’d never laid eyes on a Barilla box before.

I’m happy to report that I did drink a lot of excellent local wine with friends in Borgo San Lorenzo, Scarperia, Ronta, Vicchio and other villages too small to mention, much of which came directly from the nearby Rufina subzone. Among these producers was the Villa Travignoli, owned by Giovanni Busi, who also formerly presided over the Chianti Rufina Consortium of winemakers. Busi’s ancestors purchased the vineyard in the 1700s; today Giovanni finds himself with an ideal growing site, whose high-altitudes and southern exposure are ideal characteristics for grape-growing.

Though blessed with optimum conditions, Busi chooses to limit Travignoli’s output to ensure only the finest quality product leaves the winery. Most of the 300,000 bottles which bear the Travignoli name are labelled Chianti Rufina, for which the company’s Chianti Rufina Riserva is fermented for four months in steel, nine in barrel and a further four in bottle. The result is a smooth, fragrant wine, bursting with all the power of Tuscan Sangiovese.

It was a delight to finally meet Giovanni Busi when he visited New York this month. Here’s Giovanni discussing “lo stile Rufina” during the recent GustaRufina 2009 event:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5jATGHvnII]

Another of our favorite producers in Chianti Rufina is Villa di Vetrice, owned by legendary Tuscan winemaker Grato Grati. Indeed, this traditional 100% Sangiovese is named “Il Chianti del Signor Grati“. Fermented and aged in large oak barrels, the wine is an classic example of Sangiovese’s longevity. 1990 was good year for Tuscan producers it shows: this is a great value wine from an excellent vintage.

The 1982 Vecchia Annata (or “old vintage”) bottling is aged in large oak botti before its release. Though not technically classified as Chianti Rufina, this 100% Sangiovese is still fresh after all these years, demonstrating the incredible aging power of the variety.

Taste all three of these astonishing wines tomorrow, Friday, May 29th from 5:30pm!

Chianti Rufina Riserva 2005 Travignoli
$22

Chianti Rufina Riserva del Signor Grati 1990 Villa di Vetrice
$47

Grato Grati Vecchia Annata 1982 Villa di Vetrice
$54

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

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtRt7qO1jrM]

For most Italians, the weekend of Pasqua, including Pasquetta (Easter Monday, literally “little Easter”) means a chance to gather as a family and indulge in some of the year’s most enjoyable meals. Epic family feasts require wines which can stand up to diverse dishes, such as a special homemade pasta perhaps followed by deliciously succulent roast lamb. Less austere than certain other wines from the Langhe, Barbera from both Alba and Asti is recognized as a popular classic among the people of Piedmont and beyond.

Cascina Castlèt's vineyard staff take a break from their hardwork. The winery is located in Costigliole d'Asti.

In keeping with Cascina Castlèt’s whimsical winemaking aesthetic, Mariuccia Borio’s Barbera d’Asti is a partial passito, hence the name Passum. Borio considers her flagship wine to be the truest representation of the company’s philosophy, whereby age-old traditions are given an unexpected and thoroughly modern twist.

Antonio Deltetto and his family pose in the vineyard. The winery was founded in 1953 by Antonio's father, Carlo (seated with hat).

One of Barbera d’Alba’s top crus, the Rocca delle Marasche vineyard is found in a prime position in Castellinaldo (Cuneo), where Antonio Deltetto strictly limits his yields thus allowing remaining grapes to over-mature. Deltetto then employs new French oak to produce a startlingly rich, international-style Barbera d’Alba. The 2004 vintage is a recipient of the Cinque Grappoli and Tre Bicchieri awards.

Barbera d’Asti Passum 2005 Cascina Castlèt
was $47, now $37.60

Barbera d’Alba Rocche delle Marasche 2004 Deltetto
was $52, now $41.60

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

Free tasting this afternoon!
Vino will be pouring these two great wines this afternoon from 5:30pm!

Italian Wine 101 is back! Vino’s Spring 2009 Class Schedule gets underway next week with what is undoubtedly our most popular tasting seminar. Many Vino customers often confess their confusion towards Italian wine: the country’s diverse regional styles, myriad grape varieties and fluctuating number of appellations can certainly be overwhelming for the uninitiated.

On Wednesday, April 15, let Vino’s William “Lucky” Lee satisfy your curiosities as he guides you through a tasting of some of the best-loved bottlings from up and down this great wine producing peninsula.

What’s the difference between a DOC and a DOCG? Why is the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo grape not grown in Montepulciano, Tuscany? Should I drink a 2001 Barbaresco now, or later? Which wines can be paired with pizza? Learn the answers to these questions and more in what is always a fun and fascinating insight into the wide world of Italian wine.

Do you feel "Lucky", punk?

ITALIAN WINE 101
with William “Lucky” Lee (right)
Wednesday, April 15
$65

This class will sell out: sign up today!

For more information and reservations call 212-725-6516 or email register@vinosite.com.

Coming soon…
ON THE AI6: FROM NAPLES TO BARI
with Jim Hutchinson, DWS
Wednesday, April 22
$65

Click here for Vino’s full Spring 2009 Class Schedule.

Castel Sallegg's Georg Kuenburg pours his wines for an eager crowd. The count was also happy to point out Alto Adige's Lake Caldaro on the map.

Last night Vino hosted not one but four personalities from the world of Italian wine. Count Georg Kuenburg of Castel Sallegg, Casa Emma’s Fabrizio Benedetti, and Barbara Tamburini and Silvia Marinelli of Conti Sertoli Salis were in New York this week for VINO 2009, the first industry convention of Italian wines in America. With four representatives from three of our favorite wineries in town, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to feature the best of their wines in an exclusive free tasting on Tuesday.

Silvia, Barbara and Fabrizio indulge curious tasters and reveal fascinating secrets behind the winemaking process.

Meeting a wine producer is a rare and special occasion, and a great chance to ask those questions that have been dogging you ever since you first tasted their wines: Is it Soloìo or Solo io? Are visitors allowed to see the frescoes of the Palazzo Salis? Don’t you feel it’s a little cliché to be a real count and live in an actual castle?

Silvia Marinelli and Barbara Tamburini pose with wines from Conti Sertoli Salis. The Baccalit 2006 is just out of shot, but will soon be at Vino!

Judging by the large number of Italian wine fans who squeezed into Vino yesterday evening, I wasn’t the only one who had curiosities which needed satisfying. All thirteen wines proved a big hit with those who tasted them, and Vino’s staff was lucky enough to try a fourteenth: the first vintage of a new wine by Conti Sertoli Salis called Baccalit, a sample of which Silvia Marinelli had brought with her from Lombardy. A blend of 85% Nebbiolo and 15% Pinot Nero, the 2006 wine was already showing great promise as an affordable red ($21) which could certainly stand up against more noble, pricier wines. The first shipment of Baccalit is due to arrive at Vino in March — when you can expect it to quickly become a new favorite.

Max McCalman

Vino presents Italian wine and cheese pairing class at Artisanal Premium Cheese Center

Vino is proud to announce a unique collaboration with New York’s Artisanal Premium Cheese Center. On Tuesday, December 9, Vino’s Jim Hutchinson, DWS, will co-host a unique wine and cheese pairing class with Artisanal’s Max McCalman, esteemed authority on cheese in New York and a “highly visible advocate for artisanal cheese production around the world.”

Vino presents Italian Wine & Cheese
Tuesday, September 9
6:30-8:00pm
$69

The Artisanal Premium Cheese Center
500 West 37th Street
New York, NY 10018
212-871-3144

Click here for further details. If you are interested but unable to make this class, Jim and Max will be offering the same class twice in the new year, on Thursday, January 15 and Friday, February 6, 2009.