New Ronco Severo wines have arrived!

2012 Sauvignon
2010 Friulano Riserva
2011 Ribolla Gialla (in magnum only!) 
2010 Merlot Riserva
2010 Schioppettino

G.D. Vajra Langhe Riesling 2012 makes everything all right . . .

2012 G.D. Vajra Langhe Riesling

Sometimes you just need something to get you through the end of the day.  A day when it was too hot.  A day when you just felt kind of low.  A day that needed a pick me up at the end.  Well, this is the wine.

Made from Riesling planted almost thirty years ago now by Aldo Vaira from cuttings from the vineyard of Marcel Deiss, this is the wine that I just really needed to have at the end of my day.  Aromas of peaches and honeysuckle and a little petrol with piercing acidity and tart flavors of freshly picked grapes and a completely dry long finish.

I am smitten.  Aldo Vaira always says that Riesling is a great wife for Barolo in the Langhe and I would agree.  This wine is so complete and utterly delicious, that it took my mind off of all the petty problems of the day and brought me directly into the present.  I was in the moment.  And I could relax a little and enjoy the food in front of me.

Call or email me if you want to find this iconic example of Riesling from Piedmont in your area.

What I learned at VinItaly this year . . .

New wines from Abbazia di Propezzano arriving May 15th 

Hi,

Back from VinItaly.  I go every year and every year I have some sort of sickness that prevents me from fully enjoying the week but this year, I was good, and it was amazing to be (almost) in full form for the fair.  I was sick the week before so was still recovering a little but it turned out great.  The only thing that I didn't like was that I missed my family very much this year.  A week away is rough on my lovely wife and a week away is a long time for the children, who grow so fast and change so fast.  It is tough to leave them, but hopefully worth it so I can try to make a good living and give them a great environment of love and security as they grow and mature.

Things I learned this year:

1. Doing my research before arriving is key to having a successful fair.  I pinpointed a few needs in the portfolio and went out and found them after researching beforehand.  I picked up four new producers that will be arriving in the fall.
2. Don't trust other importers to be as honorable as you are or do what you would do in a given situation.  It is a competitive marketplace out there and good wineries of a certain size and style are actually not that easy to come by.  All is fair in love and wine importing but I guess I am a little old fashioned and try to not cross certain lines.  Others importers may not see the same line in the same place as I do.  
3. Use the resources I have in the country to my best advantage.  With some of the hottest producers in Italy in my portfolio, I need to use them to find and attract other talented winemakers to my portfolio.  And it works.  
4. Always stay the whole fair.  I confirmed two of the four deals I made at the fair on the last day. The crowds are gone and people are relaxed and the masks come off and you can really talk with people and connect.
5. Remember why I go in the first place.  I love the Italians, I love the food, and I love how I feel when I am in Italy.  I feel like I am nineteen years old again and having the experiences of a lifetime ahead of me.
6. Lastly, I need to remember to trust my gut.  Whatever my first instinct of a brand is usually the best and most clear picture of them I am going to get, before I get influenced by them, by others, by the urge to do right by people and to be nice and to be seen as a nice guy.  That doesn't make for good decisions.  And this year, I think I avoided most of that.

When I started this five years ago, only one of my wines was imported by other importers in the U.S.  Now, almost all of them are in NY/NJ and some others are in multiple states.  I am proud of them and hope that their success continues to expand.  Producers like Cirelli went from being totally unknown to being one of the producers with the most "buzz" at the fair.  It is thrilling to see a producer grow and change and become something prized in the market.

The wines of Francesco Cirelli.

Ronco Severo Pinot Grigio on a stormy night . . . please rain, please rain . . .

The wine is tasting amazing right not.  The color of my children's hair.

PINOT GRIGIO IGT della Venezia Giulia vendemmia 2009
VITIGNO : Pinot Grigio in purez za
PRODUTTORE : Ronco Severo - Prepotto (UD)
DENOMINAZIONE ZONALE : Pinot Grigio IGT della Friulia - Venezia Giul ia
ETTARI DI PRODUZIONE : 2.2 acres at an altitude of 450 ft with 2,320 vines per acre
CARATTERISTICHE VEND.LI : Hand harvesting of perfectly healthy and mature grapes from September 7th to the 10th.
TECNICA DI PRODUZIONE : Since the 2004 vintage we have vinified the Pinot Grigio by native yeast fermentation on the skins in open-topped wood fermenters for 23 days without temperature control and without the use of any enzymes or selected yeasts. Only the soft middle pressing is kept with the rendered must between 50% and 55%. The wine is left in contact with the lees for around one month. The
wine is then bottled unfiltered on the descending moon in Augus t .
TEMPI DI FERMENTAZIONE : They vary from three to four months with stirringof the lees every three days .
GRADO ALCOLICO : 14 % Vol .
ACIDITA’ TOTALE : g/l 5,20 in acido tartarico.
COLORE : With the fermentation on the skins the wine assumes the typical intense copper color .
BOUQUET : Distinct and spicy, the wine recalls the aroma of acacia flowers, fruity when young, it takes on the Generous bouquet of dry hay, nutshells and toasted almonds .
SAPORE : Dry and gentle, full-bodied, pleasingly bitter ,with noteable inklings wild herbs .
ABBINAMENTO : It is well adapted for antipasti, and in particular with light soups, white fish and meats. Goes well also as an aperitif . It is advised to serve at 59° .
BOTTIGLIA : Elite heavy Bordeaux
DURATA : From six to eight years from introduction into the market. Well stored in the optimal environment will prolong the guarantee of freshness.

2008 Favaro Erbaluce di Caluso

So good.  Huge acidity.

2005Château St. Marie Bordeaux Superior

Nine years under screw cap and it is fresh as a daisy.

2000 Les Héretiers du Comte LAFON Macon

Thrilling. Golden in color. Crèmes brûlée and nuts in the nose with baked apples.  Medium plus acidity, a full mouth.  Rich and round but the finish is endless.  Damn.  This is good. 

Karyn is off at a business dinner so it is just me and the little ones tonight.

Barbecue lemon marinated chicken with carrots and broccoli for us and I think this will go great.