Happy Hour Club Members Only Italian Wine Tasting with Special Guests: Medici Ermete - Alessandro Medici – Owner Villa Matilde – Salvatore Avallone – Owner Michele Chiarlo Winery - Stefano Chiarlo – Winemaker, Owner Tuesday, September 15th 6pm
"To make a great wine one needs a madman to grow the vine, a wise man to watch over it, a lucid poet to make the wine, and a lover to drink it." - Salvador Dali, Spanish Painter 1904 – 1989
Join us as we welcome three madmen from Italy here tomorrow night Thursday, September 15th for a special pop-up Italian wine tasting for Wine Club members ONLY!
Happy Hour Club Members Only Private Italian Wine Tasting
with Special Guests:
Medici Ermete - Alessandro Medici – Owner
Villa Matilde – Salvatore Avallone – Owner
Michele Chiarlo Winery - Stefano Chiarlo – Winemaker, Owner
Tuesday, September 15th
6pm
Medici Ermete - Alessandro Medici – Owner
2023 Medici Ermete Phermento Lambrusco
Price: $25.50 Club Member Price :$21.67
Medici Ermete’s 2023 'Phermento' is a vibrant, artisanal Lambrusco crafted in the ancestral method (pét-nat style), offering a dry, savory, and refreshingly modern take on the classic. The nose is bright and expressive, with notes of sour cherry, wild strawberry, and violet, accented by a savory hint of bread dough and crushed stone. On the palate, it’s bone-dry and zesty, with energetic bubbles and sharp acidity framing tart red fruit and a distinct saline minerality. The finish is crisp, clean, and incredibly refreshing, making it an exceptionally versatile food wine. Serve chilled with salumi, pizza, or fried foods for a perfect pairing.
2021 Medici Ermete Unique Metodo Classico Rose
Price: $36.00 Club Member Price :$30.60
Unique is an elegant and refined metodo classico (Champagne method) sparkling rosé made with 100% Lambrusco Marani grapes. While this wine has the same classification (Reggiano Lambrusco DOC) as a typical deeply red hued and highly textured Lambrusco wine, Unique more closely resembles Franciacorta or Champagne. The Lambrusco Marani grapes, which are naturally high in acid - ideal for sparkling wines, are quickly pressed of the skins before fermentation. The lack of skin contact creates a delicate pink wine with restrained notes of red berry fruits and floral aromas. It is aged for 30 months on the lees, developing complex secondary aromas. After this long aging process, the wine is disgorged with a minimal dosage of 4 g/l added, making this wine Brut.
Medici Ermete Secco Lambrusco
Price: $15.75 Club Member Price :$13.39
The Medici Ermete Secco Reggiano Lambrusco is a refined and lively example of this classic Italian sparkling red wine. The nose opens with bright aromas of fresh red berries, including raspberry and cherry, with subtle hints of violet and a touch of spice. On the palate, it offers a dry, crisp profile with a fine, persistent effervescence that enhances the vibrant fruit flavors. The wine’s refreshing acidity is well-balanced by notes of plum and a hint of earthy minerality, leading to a clean, dry finish with lingering notes of red fruit and a touch of toast. This Lambrusco’s vibrant character and dryness make it an excellent choice for a variety of dishes.
2025 Medici Ermete Concerto Reggiano Lambrusco
Price: $22.50 Club Member Price :$19.13
Villa Matilde – Salvatore Avallone – Owner
Born in Naples in 1957, Salvatore Avallone is the co-CEO, together with his sister Maria, of Villa Matilde. They are the children of Francesco Paolo Avallone. Villa Matilde came to be due to Francesco’s passion for wine and history. He was an Ancient Roman Law professor in Naples before becoming a wine grower and it is there that he decided to bring back to life the immortal Falerno, the wine of Roman emperors and poets.
As a “figlio d’arte” (a son following his parent’s footsteps) Salvatore started to help his father in the vineyards. Many of the vines of Tenuta San Castrese, the property which produces Villa Matilde’s Falerno, were actually planted by Salvatore himself.
Before joining Villa Matilde’s operation he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Law at Naples University in 1983, starting a brilliant career as lawyer in Naples. This is why people still call him “Avvocato” (Lawyer). But the call of the land was too strong and in 1987 Salvatore fully devoted himself to the vineyards and winery.
He is now co-CEO of the company with Maria Ida and in charge of export and production. The winery is very much “family-owned”, lending a special touch, spirit and attention to everyday operations.
The Avallone Family is also in the tourism business, they own the “Grand Hotel Parker’s”, one of the most beautiful and prestigious in Naples.
Villa Matilde Falanghina
Price: $20.25 Club Member Price :$17.21
The wine has a pale straw yellow color. On the nose the aromas is intense, floral and fruity, with essences of banana, tropical fruits and white peach, while the flavor conquers your mouth thanks to its sapid note, balancing the aromatic bouquet. This is a delicious Falanghina, pleasantly fresh, crisp and light-bodied.
Villa Matilde Greco Di Tufo
Price: $22.75 Club Member Price :$19.34
From the straw yellow color, this Greco di Tufo offers a rich bouquet of ripe fruits, from white peach to apricot, sweet almond that meld with exquisitely mineral and citrus notes. On the palate, the vigorous taste is rich, complex and fresh at the same time, completing a wine of great personality.
Villa Matilde Aglianico
Price: $20.75 Club Member Price :$17.64
Appearing a shimmering red with purplish highlights, this Aglianico offers intense, long-lingering impressions of spice, wild blackberries, and ripe red berryfruit. The palate is warm, full-bodied, and velvet-smooth. This full-volumed wine, modern in style, demonstrates in an appealing and convincing fashion its intimate bond with its terroir of origin.
2018 Villa Matilde Petrafusa Taurasi Red
Price: $41.25 Club Member Price :$30.06
An elegant, tannin-rich, velvety wine with hints of wild cherry, blackberry, spicy vanilla and tobacco. The palate is full with a balanced texture.
Michele Chiarlo Winery - Stefano Chiarlo – Winemaker, Owner
Stefano Chiarlo was born on June 3, 1969 in Piedmont. He graduated in 1989 from the Enological School of Alba with a degree in Enology. Following his diploma, Stefano enrolled in the national service before beginning work at Michele Chiarlo in 1991 as Assistant to Enologist, Roberto Bezzato.
Stefano became Michele Chiarlo’s chief winemaker in 1999 with the cooperation of Gianni Meleni. His philosophy is to produce wines of great elegance that respect the varietal and terroir; wines rich but not dense or heavy, with subtle use of wood.
In addition to winemaking, Stefano manages 123.5 acres of his own vineyards in the Barolo and Barbera d’Asti area with the cooperation of Agronomist Federico Curtaz.
Chiarlo Le Madri Roero Arneis DOCG
Price: $24.00 Club Member Price :$20.40
Intense straw yellow with brilliant green hues, the wine offers notes of peach, tropical fruits, and acacia flower with an enjoyable savory finish.
2022 Chiarlo Barbera Nizza La Court
Price: $70.50 Club Member Price :$59.93
Purple with ruby hues, this intense yet elegant wine offers notes of black cherry, cocoa, and coffee. A velvety wine with a long, silky finish.
The 55-acre Tenuta Aluffi is one of the most prestigious estates in the southern part of Asti, near the town of Nizza Monferrato, a choice area for exceptional-quality Barbera. Within Aluffi is the La Court estate, with excellent soils of magnesium-rich calcareous marl and a beneficial south-southwest exposure. The vines are thinned of excess bunches at the end of summer, leaving 5-6 bunches per vine on average. This jewel of vineyard land receives the fastidious attention of the Chiarlo family so that its old vines produce extraordinary grapes.
2022 Chiarlo Tortoniano Barolo
Price: $67.50 Club Member Price :$57.38
Garnet color with brilliant luminous hues. The nose is inviting and complex with notes of rose petals, juniper berries and fine spices. Elegant with ample structure and silky tannins, and a long finish
Tortoniano is named for the tortonian-era (9 million years ago) soils in which the vines are planted, rich in microelements such as magnesium and manganese. Grape clusters are thinned and harvested up to 15 days later than usual for the fruit to attain a higher concentration. Temperatures are strictly controlled during vinification, and the wine is aged for two years in large oak casks and one year in bottle before release.
2021 Chiarlo Cerequio Barolo
Price: $150.00 Club Member Price :$127.50
Cerequio is one of the most prestigious crus of Barolo. Formed like an amphitheater, the Cerequio vineyard is protected from the wind and is called the “Riviera of the Langhe” due to its mild climate. The soils, exposure and microclimate come together to create exceptional Barolos. Michele Chiarlo manages 22 acres of the vineyard. The soil is Tortonian and Helvetian-era calcareous marl that has a bluish color due to the high content of magnesium and manganese. The 55-year-old vines are thinned of excess bunches at the end of summer. Hand harvested grapes are fermented on the skins in oak vats and then aged for two years in average sized oak casks before refinement in the bottle.
Ruby and garnet red in color, this elegant and harmonious wine offers notes of mature fruits, mint, eucalyptus, and fine spices with fine tannins.
The tasting is FREE for Wine Club Members ONLY, but we will not be serving food for this event, however our menu below is available.
Menu
BUILD YOUR BOARD Select your pairing — $10 per ounce -All boards include Crostini, Assorted Olives, Toasted Nuts, and Jam
· Step 1: Choose Your Cheeses
o Firm & Aged: Parmesan Reggiano | Beemster Gouda | Manchego | Sharp Canadian | Cougar Gold
o Soft & Creamy: French Brie | Chevre | Fox Glove Double Cream | Camembert | Epoisses
o Blue & Wine-Cured: Stilton | Danish Blue | Gorgonzola | Drunken Goat
· Step 2: Choose Your Meats
o Prosciutto di Parma | Fennel Salumi | Truffle Salumi | Soppressata | Bresaola | Chorizo | Chupacabra | Bacon Bourbon Salumi | Nduja
· Featured Reserve:
o Pata Negra Jamón Ibérico — $20/oz
Ceasar Salad with Bacon Fat Polenta Croutons, Crispy Prosciutto and Reggiano Parmesan
$20
Grilled Peach & Burrata Salad finished with Balsamic Glaze, EVOO, Hot Honey & Pistachios
$20
French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese and Croutons
$18
Shoestring Fries with
Parmesan and White Truffle Oil
$20
Lemon Hummus Dip, Grilled Veggies with Sumac Dust and Olive Oil
$28
Torched Salmon Tartar with Ponzu glaze on Crispy Rice Cakes
$35/3
Beef Sliders with Truffle-Mushroom Aioli & Gruyere Cheese on Brioche Bun
$28/3
Pizza of the Day $28
Pork Belly, Onion, Mozzarella cheese, finished with BBQ glaze
Braised Short Rib Empanadas with Mole
$36/4
Bolognese with Pappardelle & Reggiano Parmigiano
$40
Lamb Shank with Nebbiolo Reduction on Crème Fraiche Mashed Potatoes
$45
Dessert Selection Changes Daily - $15
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