HAPPY HOUR ICONS OF ITALY WINE TASTING FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS: SILVIA FRANCO- NINO FRANCO PROSSECO, ANDREA FABIANO- FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO AND ALESSANDRO BINDOCCI- IL POGGIONE Tuesday, May 21, 2024 - 6:00 PM
“Someone said drink the water, but I will drink the wine / Someone said take a poor man, the rich don’t have a dime / Go fool yourself, if you will, I just haven’t got the time / I’ll give you back your water, and I will take the wine.”
Frank Sinatra
The Voice
Water and wine are the only two things that I drink for the most part and hey why do we need water at all wine is 80-85% water!!
This is the first Happy Hour Wine Tasting at the wine bar to kick off the 2024 summer series of wine tasting, we will be hosting a series of more casual walk around events this summer that will featuring a specific theme but this one features one of our favorite suppliers Terlato Wines and three of Italy’s Iconic producers from their portfolio will be here to host this event with me!
We have close to a dozen wines on the table tonight from Nino Franco, Feudi di San Gregorio and Il Poggione. Chefs Toni and Dani will be making some tasty treats to accompany the tasting wines. The fee for this event is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
HAPPY HOUR ICONS OF ITALY WINE TASTING FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS: SILVIA FRANCO- NINO FRANCO PROSSECO, ANDREA FABIANO- FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO AND ALESSANDRO BINDOCCI- IL POGGIONE Tuesday, May 21st
6pm
NV NINO FRANCO RUSTICO PROSECCO SUPERIORE
Price: $22.50 Your Price: $19.80
Made in the heart of the Prosecco DOCG zone, Nino Franco’s Rustico Prosecco Superiore is unquestionably the world’s finest value in a high-quality sparkling wine. Made from 100% Glera (traditionally called Prosecco), the non-vintage, light-bodied Rustico offers gorgeously elegant notes of pear, citrus and honeysuckle. The texture is creamy, soft and delicate with persistent effervescence.
The word ‘Rustico’ dates back to an old winemaking tradition where Prosecco was made using a short second fermentation in the bottle and leaving the sediments in the wine. Although no longer the technique, the name ‘Rustico’ has remained as a reflection of quality and tradition.
2016 NINO FRANCO GRAVE DI STECCA BRUT
Price: $57.00 Your Price: $50.16
The Grapes Of Grave Di Stecca Come From A Particular Vineyard In Valdobbiadene, The Only One Of Its Kind In The Whole Area Of Prosecco. Enclosed By A High Stone Wall That Shields It From The Outside Environment, It Is Similar To A French Clos, A Fenced Vineyard. The Area’s Soil And Microclimate Yield A Sparkling Wine With Extraordinary Characteristics: Profound And Complex, Hints Of Ripe Fruit Harmonically Combine With Nuances Of Aromatic Herbs And Intense Mineral Notes. Our Outstanding Spumante.
2021 NINO FRANCO PRIMO FRANCO PROSECCO SUPERIORE
Price: $39.75 Your Price: $34.98
Intense bouquet of exotic fruit and ripe apples with notes of almond and candied lemon peel. The palate is typically sweet and fruity, balanced by an amiable acidity, finishing with a pleasant freshness.
2021 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO GRECO DI TUFO
Price: $22.50 Your Price: $19.80
(91 Points) The 2021 Greco di Tufo is tonic and clean with citrus, white flower, crushed stone and playful hints of garden herb. The wine is silky and smooth, and we can count on it to remain fresh and light for the next few years. Fruit is sourced from cool, high-elevation vineyards positioned at 500 to 600 meters in elevation. Production is a generous 500,000 bottles, and you get great value. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2022 Feudi Di San Gregorio Greco di Tufo Cutizzi
Price: $35.25 Your Price: $31.02
Maturazione About 4 - 5 months in stainless steel; contact with its lees at all time. Repeated batonnage to circulate the suspension of the fine dregs.
Organoleptic test The color is yellow with golden reflections. The perfume is intense and persistent. One can recognize in the nose the clear sensations of fruit, from green plum to the “Mast’Antuono” pear (a typical Campanian variety), finishing with decisive notes of balsamic of mint. One can immediately perceive in the tastes the broad acidity and the spicy minerality typical of the territory
2017 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO TAURASI AGLIANICO
Price: $45.75 Your Price: $40.26
100% Aglianico
Manual harvesting begins during the third week of October. After de-stemming and pressing, the must macerates and ferments in stainless steel tanks for 15 days at a controlled temperature of 79 degrees Fahrenheit. Malolactic fermentation in wood. 36 months minimum. The wine is aged for 22 months in medium-toasted French barriques, and then 14 months refinement in bottle prior to release.
2016 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO SERPICO IRPINA AGLIANICO
Price: $95.25 Your Price: $83.82
This wine has a very well endowed bouquet of aromas on the nose with lots of dark spice, licorice, soy and wild game like notes to the fresh herbs flowers and black earth very complex nose. 18 months in new French oak so you get some of that spice and nuance 225 liters. Wow this wine is a little monster very well endowed with lots of dark black berry fruit and a host of dark spices, flowers and herbs through the finish, black licorice and espresso like notes, this wine needs 10 + years in the cellar. Finish 50+ Most Excellent
2022 IL POGGIONE BRANCATO ROSE TUSCANY
Price: $15.50 Your Price: $13.64
Salmon color with amber highlights. Floral nose with notes of raspberry, strawberry and spices. Fresh on the palate, but with a pleasant roundness, this rosé flows onto the palate with an expressive core of perfumed cherries, spices and flowers.
2021 IL POGGIONE ROSSO DI MONTALCINO
Price: $27.00 Your Price: $23.76
(90 Points) The Il Poggione 2021 Rosso di Montalcino (with 200,000 bottles made) offers medium fruit weight with dark cherry, wild plum and savory spice. This is a terrific vintage with moderate summer temperatures and a long growing season that agrees very much with Sangiovese, a grape that takes its time to ripen and develop complexity. This Rosso also reveals an especially spicy character with nutmeg and cinnamon that seems to come from the skins of the grape as much as it may come from 12 months in oak. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
2018 IL Poggione Brunello Di Montalcino
Price: $90.00 Your Price: $79.20
(94 Points) The Il Poggione 2018 Brunello di Montalcino reveals a dark and savory character with more fruit weight and concentration than you might find in many of its peers. This wine shows a dense center of gravity that is padded with dark cherry, blackberry, toasted spice, mahogany smoked meat and tilled earth. Despite the robust aromas, this Sangiovese is actually quite streamlined and polished in texture. The tannins are soft and veering toward accessibility. This is an ambitious production of 200,000 bottles. The estate's Riserva Vigna Paganelli was not made in 2018, so fruit from that wine went here instead. Wine Advocate
2004 Il Poggione Vigna Paganelli Brunello Di Montalcino Riserva
Price: $579.00 Your Price: $509.52
Produced only in the best years and in limited quantities, Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004 Vigna Paganelli is made exclusively with Sangiovese grapes sourced from the eponymous vineyard, planted in 1964. An austere, "classic" and aristocratic Brunello, it is a wine that honors the blazon and the image of the wine symbol of Montalcino.
The wine shows a dense ruby red color with garnet hues. Aromatically, there are rich warm tones of red fruit, spices, liquoirice, while on the palate this thoroughbred of a wine, displays a flavorful weave of silky tannins that are greeted with the freshness and structure that is typical of a great vintage. With a very long and overwhelming finish, it is a wine that will further evolve in the years to come.
Menu
Mixed Charcuterie Pizza with Fresh Herbs and Harpke Farms Baby Greens
Sardine Tacos with Olive, Caper and Lemon Tarragon Aioli
Arancini with Smoky Tomato Sauce
Cannellini Bean Soup with Pancetta, Roasted Garlic and Rosemary
Park Belly Croutons Served with Tangerine Jam
The fee for this tasting is $95 + tax, for reservations call 954-523-9463 or e-mail andy@winewatch.com.
A bit about Nino Franco Winery
Nino Franco was founded in 1919 in Valdobbiadene (VAHL-doh-BEE’AH-deh-nay) which lies in Veneto, Italy at the Southeastern foothills of the Alps.
Nino Franco Prosecco produced in the Valdobbiadene area represents a synthesis of history and “naturally” superior quality. One of the oldest wineries in Valdobbiadene, Nino Franco is located in the center of town and close to the countryside. It is surrounded by vineyards of extraordinary beauty, with a special terroir ripe for producing high-quality wines. Valdobbiadene is located in the heart of the Prosecco DOCG production zone at the foot of the Prealps, a mountain range in the south-eastern part of the Alps. This region in the north-eastern part of Italy is most famous for the prized Prosecco vine and wine production because it has the greater concentration of high hillside vineyards. Vines are grown only on the sunniest parts of the hills, at altitudes varying between 50 and 500 meters above sea level, while the north-facing slopes are covered mainly in woodland. The climate throughout the area is mild, with not excessively cold winters with warm summers.
Thanks to a careful and wise management, the Nino Franco Estate has been growing and evolving throughout four generations of producers. Antonio founded it, Nino expanded it and Primo improved the company performance. When Primo took over its management in 1982, it was a turning point for the estate. He became a pioneer of Prosecco, successfully introducing a different sparkling wine than Champagne to International markets. He has been successful thanks to his open-minded personality, his spontaneity, reliability and competence as well as his charm and ability to communicate his love for his work, and his passion to produce the highest quality sparkling wines. Today the winery is still family-owned by Primo and his wife Annalisa, and their daughter Silvia is the next generation responsible for future growth of the estate. The classic Nino Franco style celebrates freshness and food-friendliness, making the wines ideal for pairing with a wide variety of dishes – and any special occasion.
A bit about Feudi di San Gregorio and Campania
Campania is surprisingly mountainous and hilly and has varied microclimates from west to east. The coastal Mediterranean breezes blow from the Tyrrhenian Sea toward the Apennine Mountains in the east to temper the hot summers and rainy and mild winters.
In the wine world, up until the 1980s, Campania wines consisted mostly of low-priced bulk wines and local wines intended for immediate enjoyment.
But starting in the late 1980s, the region saw a dynamic resurgence of distinctive wines made using native grape varieties that reflected the region’s unique terroir, such as its Taurasi red wines made from the native grape Aglianico and its crisp and aromatic white wines made from the native grapes Fiano, Greco, and Falanghina.
Today, native grapes reign supreme in Campania. Although about 75% of the wines made in Campania are classified as IGT, Campania has received world-wide recognition for its unique varietal wines made using some of Italy’s highest-quality native red and white grape varieties.
Some of its most notable wine zones include red wines from the Taurasi DOCG and Irpinia DOC, as well as white wines from the Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Greco di Tufo DOCG, and Falanghina del Sannio DOC.
Campania is known for its capital city of Naples, the ruins of Pompeii at the base of Mount Vesuvius, the islands of Capri and Ischia, and the stunning coastline of the Amalfi Coast. And let’s not forget that pizza was born here, as well as mozzarella di bufala and the famous limoncello liqueur. Facing the Tyrrhenian Sea, Campania is one of Italy's oldest wine regions.
Feudi di San Gregorio was established in 1986 in Sorbo Serpico, a tiny village in Campania’s Irpinia region, near Mount Vesuvius.
Founded in 1986, Feudi di San Gregorio is the largest family-owned winery in Southern Italy. Owned and managed by the Capaldo Family, the estate has 740+ acres of vineyards, made up of over 800 plots with varying altitudes and exposure. Utilizing the ancient pergola training system has enabled Feudi di San Gregorio's ancient vines to survive for up to 200 years, withstanding the Phylloxera spread of 1910, and ultimately allowing Irpinia to become a distinct and treasured wine growing region in Italy. Feudi di San Gregorio embodies the renaissance of wine in Campania & focuses on indigenous varietals from Irpinia. Rooted in the town of Sorbo Serpico in the province of Avellino, the winery is known for bringing a modern winemaking approach to native grape varieties such as Aglianico, Fiano di Avellino and Greco di Tufo. Their philosophy is that by investing in the land and the century old tradition of Irpinian winemaking, they are offering a future to a unique environmental heritage. Onsite at the winery is Marennà, a Michelin Star restaurant dedicated to a contemporary interpretation of the typical cuisine of Campania and Irpinia. It is a ‘gastronomic laboratory’ where local Irpinian ingredients are carefully sourced by their Chef, Roberto Alloca.
The rest of the wines from Feudi Di San Gregorio on Sale!
2022 Feudi Di San Gregorio 'Visione' Rosato Irpinia Campania, Italy
Price: $27.00 Your Price: $23.76
Intense and crystal clear pink. Aromas of fresh flowers, wild strawberries and raspberries. Fresh and lively on the palate with notes of freshly picked cherries.
2019 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO RUBRATO
Price: $18.75 Your Price: $16.50
Ricardo Cotarella is the consulting enologist here and this wine is 100%Aglianico this wine has a very wild character to the nose, wild herbs, flowers to compliment the red and black berry fruit. A very smooth and easy drinking Aglianico with wild herbs and flowers on the finish. finish 30+ Very Good
2021 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO FALANGHINA
Price: $23.25 Your Price: $20.46
Falanghina is an ancient variety, already noted and appreciated by the Sannites and the Romans who also called it Falernia for its great circilation in the "Falernus Age". In Sannio, at the end of the Roman era, the method of vine cultivation was Falangs ("poles"); this is where the name Falanghina originated. The color is straw yellow that contains brilliant green reflections. The perfume is intense and persistent with sensations of delicate white flowers and fruit. The taste offers freshness and balance, with a clean finish.
This is one of the first wineries to really start to focus on quality and promoting the indigenous grapes of this region Compania. This is the entry level white in this region all 100% varietal orange blossom, tangerine and light briny notes to the nose. Light texture of skim milk on the tongue with a bitterness to the finish, tangerine/kumquat and pretty floral notes to the finish, light and zesty. Finish 35+ Very Good
2022 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO FIANO DI AVELLINO
Price: $24.00 Your Price: $21.12
White peach and pear like tree fruit with lemon citrus and a gravelly mineral character to the nose and a bit of a parmesan cheese like character coming out on the second day, nice intensity. A texture of whole milk on the tongue with that chalky stone like mineral notes through the finish. Finish 40+ Very Good +
2017 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA
Price: $20.50 Your Price: $18.04
More international style, whereas they do not sort the grapes, unripe and ripened because there are a lot of different size berries on the same cluster. Mandiria is from the end of the boot, soils rich in iron lots of maritime fossils. Nice ripe blackberry blueberry fruit on the nose very ripe and forward with exotic spice very forward and enticing. A very forward and fruity wine with nice freshness and balance with a short but pleasant finish. Finish 35+ Very Good
2015 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO SERPICO AGLIANICO CAMPANIA
Price: $97.25 Your Price: $85.58 Quantity in Stock: 5
Ruby Red Aroma A complete bouquet of cherry jam, sweet spices, licorice, coffee, and cacao. Taste Balanced in the mouth with background of toast and spice, minerality with a long, pleasant finish.
Serpico is certainly one of the most emblematic wines made by Feudi di San Gregorio because there is a long winemaking history behind the vines. More than 150 years old, they have allowed Feudi today to replant new Aglianico vineyards from pre-phylloxera clones that give life to a truly unique wine. The traditional pergola in the historic “Dal Re” vineyard (meaning Vineyard of the King) is three meters high and has deep soil originally from volcanic ash. The grapes are transformed as gently as possible to convey the intensity of fruit and enrich it with elegance and longevity. Serpico is the result of several harvests because the vineyards stand in different positions and mature at different times. Therefore, each vineyard, however small, producing little grapes is harvested at different times and processed separately. Only after the refinement and evolution in wood does the marriage take place. Pairs perfectly with roasted red meats, the finest poultry, game and aged cheeses.
2016 FEUDI DI SAN GREGORIO PIANO DI MONTEVERGINE RISERVA TAURASI DOCG, ITALY
Price: $76.50 Your Price: $67.32
Coming from Feudi di San Gregorio’s very first planted vineyard, Piano di Montevergine is a wine that embodies elegance. This is the reason for which it was chosen to make a reserve wine. Feudi considers Piano di Montevergine to be their best representation of the Aglianico grape’s potential. The 35-50 year old vines sit on a high plateau at about 1,300 feet above sea level with a southwestern exposure in the area of Taurasi, and the conditions give rise to grapes that once transformed into wine, have very delicate tannins. The deep, sandy, volcanic soil gives an incredible elegance to the fruit.
Brilliant ruby red with darker red rim. Complex scents with notes of blackberry, plum, and sour cherry, along with sweet spices and a hint of toast. Full-bodied with elegant tannins and mineral notes; lingering finish with delicate taste of ripe cherries, dark fruit, and licorice.
2015 Feudi Di San Gregorio Patrimo Rosso Irpinia Campania, Italy
Price: $176.00 Your Price: $154.88 Quantity in Stock: 6
Deep Ruby Red Aroma Perfumes of blackberry preserves are evident, as are sweet spices, eucalyptus, vanilla, and coffee. The tannins are sweet, fine and soft, and very well balanced. The finish has a long persistence of sensations of fruit, spices, and roasted coffee.
Cultivated in Italy since the late nineteenth century, Merlot has adapted to different soils and climates, showing a versatile personality, sometimes with surprising results. Pàtrimo is a wine born by chance because no one knew there were Merlot plants in Irpinia. The story begins with an old supplier that was delivering grapes and not declaring them as Merlot. Then, after checking the vineyards, Feudi noticed that these grapes had different suppleness, shapes and morphologies than the grapes they thought they were purchasing. From there, this important wine became a new expression of Merlot. Pàtrimo expresses the terroir, the cool climate, and all the freshness, acidity and richness that Irpinia offers. It is a vineyard that takes in the sun, as it should in the south, but which actually has an elegance and a freshness linked to a northern climate. Therefore, Pàtrimo is a treasure found by chance. Extraordinary on its own, or it pairs well with roasted or stewed red meats, and flavorful cheeses.
2016 Feudi Di San Gregorio Patrimo Rosso Irpinia Campania, Italy
Price: $172.50 Your Price: $151.80
A Campano Rosso wine, extraordinary, and above all "born by chance" from a historic vineyard discovered in the heart of Irpinia: atypical and unique Merlot thanks to the contribution of our territory. The only interpretation of an international variety proposed by the Feudi di San Gregorio. It boasts the denomination IGT Campania Rosso and for its vinification are used 100% Merlot grapes. The alcoholic fermentation then requires a period of maceration in steel tanks for about 3 weeks. It is then aged for at least 18 months in medium-roasted French oak barrels. Finally, an adequate period of rest with a further aging for at least 10 months in bottle.
Characteristics of Campania Rosso "Patrimo" Feuds of San Gregorio
The appearance of this Merlot wine from Feudi di San Gregorio is ruby red, limpid and impenetrable at the same time. The scent is released with evident aromas of jam of small black fruits, sweet spices, eucalyptus, vanilla and coffee. The taste is characterized by tannins that are sweet, fine and soft, the total balance goes towards harmony. The finish is a long persistence of sensations of fruit, spices and roasting.
A bit about Il Poggione
A FOUNDING FAMILY OF BRUNELLO
One of the most highly regarded wineries in all of Tuscany, Tenuta Il Poggione makes incredibly powerful wines for collectors and everyday drinkers alike. Located in Sant' Angelo in Colle in the commune of Montalcino, the family owned winery was one of the original three producers of Brunello di Montalcino and has helped to establish the standards of excellence for region. Led by father-son winemaking team, Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci, Il Poggione's guiding principle is to pay great care to the vines, because the secret to producing great red wines lies in the high-quality vineyard work. The winery is also committed to sustainable viticulture and 100% estate-grown, hand-selected fruit.
One of the most highly regarded wineries in all of Tuscany, Tenuta Il Poggione makes incredibly powerful wines for collectors and everyday drinkers alike.
Lavinio Franceschi, a landowner from Florence, decided to visit the area following the stories of a shepherd who carried the cattle in transhumance around Montalcino. Falling in love with the landscape and the people who lived there, he decided to buy land and turn it into a farm.
The company was among the first to market Brunello di Montalcino since the early 1900s and one of the founding members of the Brunello di Montalcino Consortium. After more than a century, the work of Lavinio Franceschi is still a point of reference for his heirs, Leopoldo and Livia who continue to enhance the company with the same commitment and unaltered passion, combining the ancient and wise winemaking tradition with the most innovative techniques.
Today, Il Poggione is led by father-son winemaking team, Fabrizio and Alessandro Bindocci, whose guiding principle is to pay great care to the vines, because the secret to producing great red wines lies in the high-quality vineyard work. Harvest is conducted entirely by hand and the wine is made in the traditional method, though modern, state-of-the-art equipment is used. Total control of the vinification process is guaranteed, thanks to the new cellar built in 2004 and the introduction of extremely advanced technology, but as tradition is important, the company keeps the large Allier French oak barrels used for aging its wines 16 feet below ground. The winery is also committed to sustainable viticulture and 100% estate-grown, hand-selected fruit.
The rest of the wines from Il Poggione on SALE!
2017 IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO
Price: $90.00 Your Price: $79.20 Quantity in Stock: 7
(93 Points)"Sweet, ripe cherry, blackberry and plum fruit flavors are framed by mineral, tobacco and thyme accents in this vibrant, balanced red. Make no mistake, there are ample tannins too, yet this still finds a nice equilibrium on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2040." 03/22 - Bruce Sanderson, Wine Spectator
2015 IL POGGIONE BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO RISERVA
Price: $137.75 Your Price: $121.22 Quantity in Stock: 9
(97 Points) This single-vineyard Riserva delivers a generous, abundant and determined personality. This is Brunello with a capital B. The 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna Paganelli benefits from a warm and sun-soaked microclimate that is shielded from cold winter winds. You can taste the good health of the grapes thanks to those very direct aromas of black cherry, plum, tar, campfire ash and chalky mineral. The Paganelli vineyard is 12 hectares in size, with vines planted in 1964. The last time this wine was made was in 2012. Fruit from those old vines shape complex aromas, elegant tannins and bright freshness. Despite that handsome DNA, this is another new release from Il Poggione that will require more cellar age. Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A bit about Terlato Family
From starting a retail store in 1938 to evolving into leading importers and marketers of luxury beverages, Terlato has worked to achieve success in every aspect of the industry.
As a multi-generational family business, the Terlato family is committed to continuing to own and represent quality brands in support of the legacy of other family-owned wineries and distillers across the world. Terlato Wine Group is comprised of several businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wine, spirit and non-alcoholic brands. Their global portfolio includes more than 85 fine wine and artisanal spirit brands from world-class producers in more than a dozen countries and is the leading fine wine & spirits marketer in the U.S.
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