American and Italian Wine
Tommasi Pinot Grigio 2012– Veneto, Italy. “Four months in stainless steel tank. Clean and spicy, typical hints of tropical fruit. Medium-bodied with a clean, round and soft taste and a crisp finish. Try with: light appetizers, soups and fish.” “Tommasi’s Pinot Grigio is grown at the Prunea estate in the Sant’Ambrogio valley of Valpolicella Classico, acquired by the family in 1997. Le Rosse is one of the four main sub-plots of this vineyard, and is planted entirely to Pinot Grigio grapes. The vineyard rows are planted extremely close together and receive intense pruning, resulting in low yields and excellent richness. The wine is fermented entirely in stainless steel. The nose is spicy with hints of tropical fruit, the flavors clean and crisp, and the body round and soft with a crisp finish. ” $15.99
Hogue Cellars Gewurztraminer 2012– Columbia Valley, Washington. “During the grape growing season, eastern Washington boasts warm summer days followed by cool nights, ensuring that grapes ripen fully while retaining ample natural acidity. Gewürz means “spice” in German. Traminer is the grape varietal thought to be originally from the Alto Adige region of Italy. True to its name, our Gewürztraminer offers up varietal spiciness, along with intense aromas and flavors of lychee, apricot, peach, and citrusy notes of orange and lemon-lime. Soft and rich, with a balancing acidity and a slight mineral character, Gewürztraminer is excellent as an aperitif. Serve with Thai spring rolls, sweet and spicy pork lettuce wraps, or roast turkey with all the trimmings.” $8.99
Newton Vineyard Chardonnay 2012– Napa County, California. “The 2011 Chardonnay displays a bouquet of vibrant fruit notes, from melon to green apple. The flavors on the palate are similar with fresh fig and pear balanced by racy acidity and hints of vanilla from the French oak barrel fermentation. We begin our winemaking work in our Carneros vineyard, cultivating the vines using sustainable farming techniques and following nature’s lead as the growing season unfolds. As harvest begins, our winemaker walks the vineyard rows to track the ripening of the fruit to ensure it’s picked when it reaches optimal ripeness. In the cellar, quality and purity are never compromised at the hands of convenience.” $19.99
Tommasi Valpolicella 2011– Veneto, Italy. “Corvina Veronese 60%, Rondinella 30% and Molinara 10%. Fairly deep brick almandine with almandine in the rim. The bouquet is deft, entering maturity, with savory fruit laced with licorice root and some sandalwood with warm sea salt and slight hints of raw beef with dried wild flowers as well, and as it opens leaf tobacco and pleasant acidity. A lot going on, displaying considerable finesse and elegance. On the palate it’s full and round, with fairly rich sour berry fruit with slight leathery accents supported by minerality and licorice root coupled with pleasant acidity, and by tannins that are velvety and warm, and flow into a long warm licorice root laced finish with pleasant bitter accents that gains depth and balance from slight sweetness.” $16.99
Villa Antinori Toscana 2011– Tuscany, Italy. 60% Sangiovese, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, and 5% Syrah. The wine was given a further eight months of bottle aging before release. It is ruby red in color with intense aromas of cherries, mint, and, particularly, chocolate. On the palate the wine is ample in body, supple and with velvety and soft tannins, long and savory. This wine was first created and marketed by Marquis Niccolò Antinori, father of Piero Antinori, in 1928 and was the first Chianti intended as a long-lasting wine capable of improving with age. In 2001 Piero Antinori inaugurated a new phase for Villa Antinori, which became a Tuscan IGT produced from a selection of better grapes grown exclusively in the vineyards of the Antinori proprietary estates in Tuscany.” $19.99
Justin Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2011– Paso Robles, California. “16 Months in 100% French and American Oak (33% new). Our 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon is a perfect go-to wine whenever you have red on your mind. Crafted with carefully sorted fruit, small batch fermentation and sixteen months in barrel, it’s complex with rich varietal fruit expression, intriguing spice elements and soft tannins. Our Cabernet Sauvignon is a great wine to pair with a wide variety of dishes or tastes.” $22.99