Italian Club - Eighth Allocation
This month, we travel to Abruzze on the Adriatic Coast to sample the wines of La Valentina. Your allocation is for three bottles (one bottle of all three wines).
 Trebbiano d'Abruzzo Manually harvested, the vines old of 25 to 30 years procure a very nice and affordable wine. The color is limpid straw yellow with some golden hues. The nose is fruity and fresh. In mount, a dry palate with peaches, apricots, spices and almonds aromas. A refreshing and very pleasant wine.
Cerasuolo Rosato Light pink in color with bright cherry hues. Fresh and floral aromas with hints of raspberries and pomegranates. The palate is dry and fruity with black and red cherry notes and a typical hint of almonds in the finish. This traditionally produced wine expresses the strength of Montepulciano on the one hand, while offering fresh aromas on the other. Serve with cured meats, pizza and pasta.
Montepulciano d'Abruzzo - You'll have awfully hard time finding a wine that delivers more bang for the buck than La Valentina’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo. This deeply-colored wine flows from the glass with layers of dark red fruit in a generous, soft-textured style that makes it impossible to resist a second taste. This is a great effort, especially for the money.
Fattoria La Valentina was founded in 1990 in Spoltore, a village nestled amongst Pescara hills on the central coast of the Adriatic. Following initial research in the Santa Teresa vineyard, the winery’s objective and passion became the quest for quality and the desire to promote the Abruzzese DOCs. Two major developments toward this goal occurred in 1998: the Binomio project was established with Stefano Inama and Luca D’Attoma took over the technical management of the cellars and vineyards.
The unique features of the region’s microclimate, combined with vines well-suited to the land, give the wines their distinctive qualities. The nearby forests, mountains and the Adriatic sea are all determining factors in expressing the vine’s originality, as represented in the “Linea Terroir” wines: Binomio, made exclusively from the grapes of a four-hectare vineyard in San Valentino in Abruzzo Criteriore; Bellovedere; and Spelt, from grapes from the Spoltore vineyards.
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Italian Club - 7th Allocation
This month we present two wines from the Veneto, made by Sartori: Ferdi Bianco Veronese IGT and Sartori Amarone di Valpolicella. Your allocation is one bottle of each.
 Sartori Ferdi Bianco Veronese is 100% Garganega, the main variety in Soave wines. Hand-picked and carefully selected Garganega grapes are left to dry for 40 days in order to reduce water and concentrate
sugar content and color. The grapes are subsequently pressed and this is followed by short skin maceration at a low temperature. Part of the must is fermented in oak casks; the remainder, in stainless
steel. The wine is then left to mature on its lees for between 6 to7 months for added mouthfeel, flavor, and intensity. A minimumof 3 months bottle aging follows. Ferdi pairs perfectly with pastas, white meats, and grilled seafood. Brilliant yellow diamond in color, this voluptuous 'Super White' offers enticing aromas of pears and apricots with subtle floral notes. It is rich and flavorful on the palate, with a long finish.
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Italian - Sixth Allocation
This month, two wines from north west Italy - Piedmont and Liguria.
First off, we have Vietti Arneis, an unoaked, dry, medium bodied white wine with crisp acidity - Arneis is a well-balanced, elegant wine with good complexity and a lingering finish. An ancient variety grown near Alba in Piemonte (northwest Italy). Recently saved from extinction by a few notable Barolo (Nebbiolo) producers. Arneis is sometimes referred to as Barolo Bianco although never labeled as such. Difficult to grow, "Arneis" in the regional dialect means "little rascal." It is often used as a blender to soften tannins in the red wines of the area, much as the French use Viognier in the Northern Rhone. Delicate aromas and flavors of pears, with a hint of almonds.
Then, we travel to Liguria, for the Punta Crena Cruvin, a wonderful wine made from 100% Crovino grapes Produced by the Ruffino family who is famous in their hometown but little known elsewhere, even in Italy. They’ve been making wine in Varigotti since 1500. Ruby red in color, with light red fruit strawberry on the nose. Flavors of robust forest berry and spice in the mouth. Soft, clean and long finish.
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Fifth Allocation - Italian
This month, we explore the glories of Chianti, with two iconic wines from two different regions in Chianti: Badia a Coltibuono Chianti Classico Reserva and Selvapiana Chianti Rufina. Your allocation is a bottle of each.
 Badia a Coltibuono: The abbey of good culture is at least a thousand years old according to the Marchio Storico and the monks of Coltibuono,
The estate is situated on the Chianti region’s highest hills. 180 acres planted to vineyards and 44
to olive groves. After ten centuries of uninterrupted agricultural tradition, all Coltibuono’s estate grapes are now organically grown, hand-picked and vinified using natural yeast. The first leading wine-producing firm in Chianti to wholly return to environmental sustainability, Coltibuono is also dedicated to the preservation and vinification of Sangiovese, producing three different Chianti Classico
wines and one IGT wine exclusively from Sangiovese.
The Chianti Classico Riserva's fruit moves towards the darker end of the spectrum and a dash of French oak contributes structure. Licorice and new leather nuances add complexity on the finish. In recent years the wines of Badia a Coltibuono have gained transparency, elegance and a level of finesse that was sometimes missing in the past.
All Badia Coltibuono wines are farmed 100% organically.
 Selvapiana is a classic Tuscan fattoria located in the Chianti Rufina zone east of Florence, situated on 240 hectares, 45 of which are devoted to vineyards and 31 to olives. It was originally a summer residence for the Florentine bishops and then later belonged to a series of Florentine merchant families. Purchased in 1827 by Michele Giuntini Selvapiana, since 1957 it has been run by the fifth generation Giuntini family member, Francesco Giuntini Antinori,
With great energy and intelligence Francesco has worked to restore the prestige that Chianti Rufina enjoyed up until 1716, the year of the famous proclamation of Cosimo III de'Medici, when the Pomino denomination was recognized as one of the most important in Tuscany. In recent years the estate has been managed by Silvia and Federico Giuntini Masseti who are loyal to the path forged by Francesco, and continue to work closely with Franco Bernabei, the consulting oenologist at Selvapiana since 1978.
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April '10 Italian
This month, we present wine from opposite ends of Italy, a red from the Val d'Aosta in the far northwest, and a white from Salento in the far southeast.
  First up is Alticelli Fiano Cantèle, a medium bodied white from Salento in Apuglia. This is east coast Fiano, grown in Salento as opposed to Campania where it is more commonly found. Medium weight with a nice fruit/acid balance, with stone fruit, floral and grassy notes on the nose and a nice round palate with good acidity and a long finish. Highly versatile and a born “food wine”, Alticelli isat its best with fish , with Mediterranean-spiced vegetable dishes of all kinds and young cheeses.
Di Barro Petit Rouge hails from the val d'Aosta (home of Fontina, a great complex mountain cheese). Reminiscent of a cru Beaujolais, but with higher toned aromatics and a great fresh and minerally infused flavor. The grapes used to make this wine come two vineyards, Château Feuillet and Boné, located between 2,100 and 2,600 feet above sea level. No oak, nothing to obscure the dark fruit, forest floor and a touch of cola and smoke. Lovely with cheese.
Recipes:
For the Fiano: Tuna with Rigatoni Pasta and Salsa Verde Serves 4
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