The Weekly Word of Vino, Italian Wine & Spirits

In This Issue:

July 25, 2006

•	Charles in the New York Times

•	Wine Opinion: No Wine Before Its Time...

•	Wine Tastings: New Wines for Summer

•	Wine of the Week: Praepositus Pinot Nero Ris. 2003 Abbazia di Novacella

Charles in the New York Times

Special thanks to everyone who attended the Chianti Tasting. The Vino staff would like to thank everyone who attended last week's Chianti tasting (pictured right). Ten Chiantis were tasted, including the 1990 Chianti del Signor Grato and the 1982 Grato Grati declassified Chianti. It was great to share those wines with you (see Charles Weekly Wine Opinion below). Vino and I Trulli's Wine Director Charles Scicolone takes part in New York Times tasting panel. Charles Scicolone was recently asked to participate in a New York Times tasting panel where he and other participants rated twenty-five bottlings of Pinot Grigio. "Pinot Grigio is often misunderstood," said Charles, "and so I was glad that the Times is taking it seriously and honored to be part of the tasting panel." Times food columnist Florence Fabricant and wine writer Eric Asimov also participated in the tasting. The results? "You'll have to read them in the paper," Charles joked, staying true to his journalist code of ethics by not revealing the final scores before publication. The piece should run in early August. See Charles' Weekly Wine Opinion below. THIS WEEK'S TASTING: NEWLY ARRIVED SUMMER WINES WHERE: VINO, 121 E. 27TH ST. (PARK AND LEX.) WHEN: THURS.-FRI. JULY 27-28, 5:30-7:30 PM New Wines Added to Vinositeshop.com Our new e-commerce site, www.vinositeshop.com, officially went live last week and we've already added a number of new wines, including the wines featured in this week's tasting (see below). For Manhattan customers, delivery is free for orders over $100 ($5 for orders under $100) and expedited shipping is available for outer-borough and out-of-state orders. To shop and browse our wines online, click here.

Wine Tastings: New Wines for Summer

This Thurs. and Fri., July 13-14, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Vermentino di Sardegna Prendas 2005 Dolianova (click here to order) New! The word prendas means "jewels" in Sardinian dialect. It refers to the Sardinian artisanal gold jewelry that adorns their traditional costumes (i the Sardinian wedding dress, where the prendas take the form of gold buttons sewn to the clothes). Each year, every Sardinian town holds its bestiris e prendas or "costumes and jewelry" gathering where locals proudly parade through the town square wearing their hand-made outfits. The Cantine di Dolianova call this Vermentino "Prendas" because its beautiful golden color and rich flavor reminds them of their beloved jewelry. The grapes for this aromatic white are sourced exclusively from estate-owned vineyards. Poggio alle Ghiande Bianco 2004 Castello delle Regine (click here to order) The Castello delle Regine or "Queens' Castle" is everything that its name claims it to be: a castle fit for a queen. It is simply one of the most beautiful vacation spots in Umbria and has been a top destination for Europe's aristocracy for centuries. The Poggio alle Ghiande estate (which lies on the castle's grounds) is named after Umbria's famous acorns (ghiande). Grapes for this classic Umbrian blend (primarily Grecchetto and Trebbiano) are sourced exclusively from top growing sites on the estate. A perfect summer white, approachable and fresh in the mouth. Prosecco di Valdobbiadene (tranquillo) 2005 Collalto (click here to order) New! While most of the Prosecco that makes it to North American Shores is sparkling, it has been vinified as a still wine (tranquillo in Italian) since Roman times (it was a favorite variety of Pliny, who praised it at length in the Storia Naturalis). In fact, it wasn't until the twentieth century when Frenchman Eugene Charmat invented the "Charmat" method (whereby a second fermentation is carried out in pressurized vats) that Prosecco was produced as a sparkling wine. This still wine is aged in stainless-steel vats before release (no oak is used) and as a result, the varietal characteristics shine through beautifully. Almost impossible to find outside of the Veneto (where it is served with pasta, risotto, and fish dishes), this wine is a great example of Prosecco's character and versatility. Lambrusco Il Mantovano 2005 Ca' De' Medici (click here to order) New! Although most sparkling Lambrusco comes from Emilia-Romagna (and primarily the provinces of Reggio Emilia and Parma), small amounts of Lambrusco are also produced in Lombardia in the province of Mantova. Ca' de' Medici's Lambrusco Mantovano is markedly richer in flavor and in color that then Emilian Lambrusco but still retains the variety's classic lightness and approachability. Only a limited number of bottles are produced each year of this wine, most of it consumed locally. Praepositus Pinot Nero Ris. 2003 Abbazia di Novacella New! Wine of the Week - 10% Off See wine notes below. Click here to browse and shop our wines online.

Wine of the Week: Praepositus Pinot Nero Ris. 2003 Abbazia di Novacella

The famed Abbey of Novacella (Abbazia di Novacella) has been a European center of learning, sprituality, and culture since the twelfth century when it was founded as part of the Order of St. Augustine. Its strategic location in the Dolomites made it a favored hub of pilgrims on their way to the Holy Land. Where there are monks, there are books and there is wine. The high-altitudes and pebbly soil of Alto Adige are ideal for the production of richly flavored and intensely colored wines. The friars of Novacella have made wine for more than eight centuries and the presence of Pinot Nero (locally called Blauburgunder by these speakers of German and Italian) dates back to the mid-eigteenth century. Praepositus is Latin for "placed" (positus) "before" (prae), in other words, "the best" or "positioned before the rest." It was once used for leading Church officials (today called "provosts"). Praepositus is the Abbey's top line of wines and this Pinot Nero is one of the region's most collectible and coveted wines. Click here to order.

Wine Opinion: No Wine Before Its Time...

Last Thursday, we poured and tasted ten Chiantis from 2002 all the way back to 1982. Even though they were not from the same producer or from the same area of the appellation, one could see the similarities between many of the wines and how they have been able to age. The fact is that Sangiovese in the form of Chianti Classico does age very well and can last for twenty-five years or more. The 1982 from Grati was not showing its age at all. It was drinking like a much younger wine. The 1990 from the same producer was also drinking very well. And one could see how the 1990 would develop into the same kind of wine as the 1982. The expression on many of the faces of many of the people who tasted the older wines was one of pleasant surprise: they made comments like, "this wine is great," "they really taste great," and "the wine is not showing its age at all." I say pleasant surprise because most people don't expect Chianti to last and don't want to wait for wine to achieve this age. However, it is well worth the wait. And you can buy the 1982 and the 1990 now and open them right away. We also have the 1979 and the 1988, which are also showing well, depending on your personal taste and preference. In today's world, everyone tells you to drink wine right away. Whether the producers, the writers, the retailers, or the sommeliers, the prevailing attitude is "drink young." In other words, instant gratification is the guiding light of the times. In my opinion, this is the exact opposite of how we should approach wine. For anyone who was at the tasting (or anyone who knows the greatness of old Brunello, which is also Sangiovese, or old Barolo or Barbaresco, made, of course, from Nebbiolo), it's clear that these wine need time to develop and only get better with age. If you drink too young, you get wines that are still out of balance and thus you're only getting half of what you paid for. Many people also assume that Chianti is a wine that should be drunk with pizza and pasta. But when in Firenze, one should do what the Fiorentini do, and that is, drink your Chianti with your bistecca fiorentina, the Tuscan porterhouse steak. Don't be afraid to drink your Chianti with steak, game, rabbit, or even venison. It will stand up to all of them and you'll be happier for the experience. The Latin used to say dum vita est spes est, "where there is life, there is hope." In other words, you can't tell if the bottle is going to be good or bad unless you open it and hopefully it will be alive. When it comes to Chianti, we have good reason to be hopeful. --Charles Scicolone, Wine Director, I Trulli and Vino Charles would love to hear from you. Please email him at charles@vinosite.com.