This Friday taste six wines from Vino’s latest featured producer, Castel Sallegg.

The picture-postcard setting of Lake Caldaro in sub-Alpine Alto Adige.

Nestled between the majestic peaks of the Dolomite Alps, the area surrounding Lake Caldaro in the German-speaking region of Alto Adige is an optimum wine producing zone. Amidst this tranquil Alpine valley lie the vineyards of Castel Sallegg, a company fortunate enough to possess some of the most desirable sites on the western slopes of the lake, and in the village of Caldaro.

Three varieties typically cultivated in the region, Schiava and Lagrein, and Moscato Giallo, benefit from Lake Caldaro’s unique climate, providing Castel Sallegg with what are arguably its most distinctive wines. Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero are grown on historic sites in the village center.

Winemaker Matthias Hauser and Count von Kuenberg sample their creations.

The Castel Sallegg, in addition to its winemaking reputation, boasts a history steeped in nobility. In 1851 the castle itself and its surrounding vineyard was bought by Archduke Rainer of Austria, Viceroy of Lombardy-Veneto. It was later inherited by the Counts von Kuenburg through Prince Henry of Campofranco. A keen sense of custodial responsibility and continuity are deeply rooted in the Von Kuenburg family, and today Count Georg von Kuenburg oversees the production of each wine, ensuring quality and tradition are forever maintained.

Lagrein Rosato Nives 2007
Named Nives, (a reference to the region’s snowcapped mountains) Lagrein Rosato’s this refreshing screw-capped Lagrein Rosato is the perfect outdoor picnic wine for summer.

Lagrein Riserva 2003
An intensely-colored and flavored wine, Castel Sallegg’s Lagrein Riserva is a warm and velvety red — the perfect accompaniment to some of the region’s winter dishes.

Moscato Giallo 2007
Also known locally as “Goldenmuskateller“, Moscato Giallo is an aromatic grape also considered indigenous to Trentino-Alto Adige. Deep golden in color, it is often paired with richer foods and some of the region’s cow’s milk cheeses.

Pinot Bianco 2007
The crisp, balanced acidity of this Pinot Bianco makes for an approachable and food-friendly wine that pairs well with the often sharp flavors of the local cuisine.

Pinot Nero 2004
Using only judicious small and large cask aging, Castel Sallegg’s Pinot Nero offers beautiful fruit flavors, bright acidity and a clean finish.

Schiava Bischofsleiten 2007
Considered by many producers to be the zone’s finest site, Schiava grapes are grown on the western side of the lake, and produce a lightly-colored red wine. The name means “Bishop’s Slope”, after the vineyard’s founder, the Bishop of Trento.

Castel Sallegg Tasting
FREE
Friday, July 25, 5:30pm

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinosite.com.

Vino is excited to offer a new low price on one of our all-time favorite wines!

Barbaresco 2004 Produttori del Barbaresco
$26.00

Nebbiolo, particularly when it is expertly grown and vinified, can be the perfect tonic for tough times. Here is a grape variety, difficult to cultivate and hard to tame in the cellar, that continues to inspire producers and drinkers alike to take satisfaction in tackling their tough row to hoe.

Produttori del Barbaresco is one of Italy’s best cooperative cellars and the Langhe’s leading producer of traditionally-styled, reasonably-priced Barbaresco. Since the 1950s, the cooperative’s member-growers have contributed fruit from the appellation’s best vineyards. Nebbiolo — nothing else — is vinified in a cantina located in the center of the village of Barbaresco.

Their basic Barbaresco, “Torre” (for the image of the village’s tower on the label), is made of fruit from all of the cooperative’s vineyards. It is vinified in stainless steel and cement tanks and aged for 18 months in Slavonian oak.

Since its founding in 1958, Produttori del Barbaresco has selected only the finest grapes its Nebbiolo-growing members' best vineyards

1994 pre-recession era Barbaresco: just 7,125 lire (less than 6 bucks) a bottle! And you thought $26 was a good deal...

Produttori del Barbaresco company director Aldo Vacca (far left) heads a dinner for the cooperative's 56 members.

Barbaresco Torre 2004 Produttori del Barbaresco
$26.00

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

Not applicable in conjunction with other offers.
Standard case discount does not apply.

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinositeshop.com.

Try three Barbera d’Asti wines this Friday at Vino!

Though they never shared a bottle, Giosuè Carducci (1835-1907) and Cesare Pavese (1908-1950) were united by a love for Barbera.

One of Piedmont’s oldest grape varieties, Barbera is believed to have originated in the Monferrato hills. Indeed, its first formal citation appeared in a 17th century document now housed in the city hall of Nizza Monferrato. Since the 19th century, Barbera d’Asti has been coveted by some of Italy’s most renowned literary figures. Nobel Prize-winning poet and statesman Giosué Carducci spoke of “generous Barbera” and seemingly imparted his love of the variety to his pupil and replacement at the Università di Bologna, Giovanni Pascoli. More recently, tormented poet and novelist Cesare Pavese, who spent many childhood holidays in the Langhe countryside, called the wine “legendary” in one of his many letters. In his final novel, The Moon and the Bonfires, the narrator is drinking beer in a bar in America, when a man enters whom he recognizes as being from the valleys of Langhe simply by his walk. He speaks to him in dialect suggests swapping the beer for a good bottle of their local wine. A DOC since 1970, Barbera d’Asti vineyards are generally found in calcarious, clayey land in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti.

Ruleja 2001 Montegrosso
The Montegrosso winery is steeped in history: documents show that its present owners, the Motta family, have been producing wine since 1794. The company itself takes its name from the feudal Castello di Montegrosso d’Asti, built in 1134 by order of the Marquis Bonifacio del Vasto, which dominates the hilly area around Asti in Piemonte. This historical awareness is evident in the Mottas’ approach to wine-making, for it is within the castle’s old cellars that the Barbera d’Asti is allowed to amalgamate, bringing forth Ruleja’s most marked yet delicate characteristics.

Passum 2005 Cascina Castlèt
Noted for its elegant and whimsical label designs, current Cascina Castlèt owner Mariuccia Borio describes the company’s style as “completely feminine.” Perhaps unsurprisingly, since she also acts as Piedmont’s regional delegate for the National Association of the Women of Wine. A partial passito, Borio calls Passum Cascina Castlèt’s flagship wine, believing it to be the finest representation of the company’s philosophy, whereby age-old traditions are given a thoroughly modern interpretation.

Barbera d’Asti 2007 Luca Ferraris
One of the most exciting young producers to emerge from Piemonte in recent years, the Luca Ferraris‘ winery is located in Castagnole Monferrato, a small comune in the province of Asti. Ferraris produces wines from some of the area’s lesser-known varieties, including Ruché and Grignolino. His Barbera d’Asti comes from the Vigna del Martin, a single vineyard named after the producer’s grandfather Martino.

FREE Barbera d’Asti Tasting
Friday, July 18, 5:30pm

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinosite.com.

“We do not remember days, we remember moments.” — Cesare Pavese

Our favorite Lambrusco producer gives birth to a baby girl; Labrusca Rosso featured in the L.A. Times

The expectant mother was photographed recently by Adrian Gaut at the Lini estate in Correggio.

Alicia Lini, the fourth-generation Lambrusco producer and international spokesperson for the brand Lini 910, recently gave birth to her first child, a baby girl named Alba. Alba, whose name means “Dawn” in English, was born on Saturday, July 5th. We wish to extend our warmest congratulations to new mom Alicia, her husband, and all the Lini family, and we are happy to welcome the latest generation of Lini into our world!

In other Lini-related news, the Emilia-Romagna company’s popular line of Lini Lambrusco wines, already a success in New York, are now beginning to bubble up on the West Coast.

Lini’s Labrusca Rosso was recently awarded “Wine of the Week” by S. Irene Virbila of the Los Angeles Times, in a feature which refers to the wine as “a thing of rare beauty.” If the ever-expanding Lambrusco phenomenon catches on in California, it’ll be a truly sparkling summer in Tinseltown.

Click the logo below to read the full L.A. Times feature:

Our friend Jeremy Parzen helped introduce Lini to the United States, and has been witnessing its recent emergence in California. You can read his take on the Lini story at his popular blog, Do Bianchi.

Experience this summer’s unique dining event at I Trulli and Centovini!

NYC Restaurant Week is back this summer! From and July 21-25 and July 28-August 1, restaurants throughout the city will be offering prix-fixe meals at a fraction of the usual cost, giving residents and visitors the chance to indulge in New York’s rich culinary diversity and heritage.

I Trulli, "New York's best and most attractive restaurant dedicated to the cooking of Apulia." -- The New York Times

Centovini was nominated in the category of Outstanding Restaurant Design at this year's James Beard Awards.

I Trulli and Centovini are two of over 235 restaurants participating in this summer’s event, during which you will be able to enjoy two of New York’s most unique dining experiences at these special prices:

Lunch: Three Courses $24.07
Dinner: Three Courses $35.00

Don’t miss out on this remarkable opportunity! For further information including full Restaurant Week menus, please visit the I Trulli and Centovini websites.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

I Trulli
122 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 481-7372
www.itrulli.com

Centovini
25 West Houston Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 219-2113
www.centovininyc.com

Rosso di Montalcino 2004 Le Presi

Save 10% on this certified-organic Sangiovese from the heartland of Brunello!

The small Le Presi wine company was founded in 1970 by Bruno Fabbri, who in 1998 handed most responsibilty over to his son, Gianni. In the last ten years Gianni has refined the company’s winemaking practices by adopting the latest organic methods. Now certified organic by Italian authorities, the estate harvests by hand and boasts its own vinifying and aging facility.

Nestled in the heart of Siena’s Montalcino wine zone, “Le Presi” is the local dialect term used to describe the method of terracing vineyards, which in this winery’s case are ideally exposed, and stretch for over four hectares outside the town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, famed for its Sant’Antimo Abbey (below).

The area of Montalcino is internationally-renowned for its Brunello, but Le Presi also produces Rosso di Montalcino, an appellation assigned in 1983 as an alternative to the Brunello designation. It gives Brunello producers the chance to release the wine just one year after the vintage (compared with Brunello’s expensive four-year aging process). Roughly 1,400 acres of the Montalcino zone is used to grow Sangiovese for producing Rosso, resulting in the wine’s nickname: “Baby Brunello”.

Made from 100% Sangiovese Grosso, Le Presi’s Rosso di Montalcino spends six months in stainless steel plus a further ten months in large barrels of oak, in a cellar situated under one of the village’s narrow medieval lanes. Each year Gianni and Bruno produce just 5,000 bottles of Rosso, a wine which has an excellent aging potential, meaning the best vintages should still be drinking beautifully in a decade’s time.

Rosso di Montalcino 2004 Le Presi
$27.00 (was $30.00)

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinosite.com.

Try this trio of bubbly bottles at Vino this Friday!

Prosecco Brut 2007 Col de Salici
The Veneto town of Valdobbiadene, near Treviso, is home to Prosecco, one of Italy’s most popular grape varieties. The producers of Col de’ Salici have only been producing their Prosecco di Valdobbiadene for six years, yet what the company lacks in age-old experience it makes up for in an astute knowledge of the wine market and a commitment to continuous improvement. The firm believes that the Spumante Prosecco is the finest expression of the DOC variety, and having tasted this wine it’s hard to disagree.

Cuvée Tradizione 2004 Orsolani
Groundbreaking Piedmontese winemaker Francesco Orsolani produced the region’s first metodo classico in 1967. His son, Gianluigi, today continues the family’s innovative tradition. Caluso Spumante Cuvée Tradizione 2004 is made from 100% Erbaluce grapes using the méthode champenoise or Champagne method, whereby the wine undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle to create its fine pinpoint bubbles, yeasty aromas and white stone-fruit flavors. Grown solely around the small town of Caluso, the ancient Erbaluce grape gets its colorful name (literally “grassy light”) from the remarkable green-to-amber hue it obtains as it ripens in the gentle autumnal sunlight in the Alpine foothills of northern Piedmont.

Corrigia Brut Metodo Classico 2003 Lini
“I have discovered the best Lambrusco in the world,” writes Daniele Cernilli, editor-in-chief of the Gambero Rosso Guide to the Wines of Italy, “and it is called Corrigia Brut. Lini’s Corrigia Brut is made using the metodo classico: after the initial fermentation, the wine is fermented again in bottle to create its inimitable bubbles. Made from 100% Salamino grapes, this wine is rich and flavorful in the mouth.

FREE Summer Sparklers Tasting
Friday, July 11, 5:30pm

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinosite.com.

Last Sunday, June 29, over 7,000 visitors (including Centovini and I Trulli chef Patti Jackson) engulfed on New Amsterdam Market, which took place in New Market Square at the Seaport in Lower Manhattan. The event featured over 60 vendors from all of New York’s five boroughs, as well as upstate New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Spain, Italy, Japan, and Britain, including traveling delegations from London’s Borough Market and upscale food retailer Marks & Spencer.

Over 1,200 visitors signed a petition to request request that the next New Amsterdam Market this fall be held within the historic New Market Building. This comes after an alternative plan to build a 42-storey residential tower on the site was scrapped. The Seaport neighborhood has been a public market district since 1642, when New York was still New Amsterdam.

“The ongoing popularity of New Amsterdam Market proves that New Yorkers support regional food,” says Robert LaValva, Director of the New Amsterdam Public Market Association — the non-profit organization hoping to transform the Seaport into a cultural and retail destination. “We can create a unique and compelling market district that will become a home for the regional and sustainable food movement and bring New Yorkers back to the Seaport.”

The market even received acknowledgment from a certain Hillary Rodham Clinton, who in a letter described the market as at “the forefront of the emerging and progressive movement to create alternatives to the industrial food system.” The Senator also praised the work of the Public Market Association, and expressed her “hope that these selfless endeavours will serve as an inspiration to others to reach out in their community.”

Find out more at newamsterdammarket.org.

Vino, I Trulli and Centovini will be closed this Friday, July 4. We’d like to wish all our friends and customers a happy Independence Day, and we look forward to seeing you again very soon!

*Daniele Cernilli, Editor-in-Chief of Gambero Rosso’s Guide To The Wines Of Italy.

It used to be that beer was the acceptable Independence Day palate cleanser. Miller, Bud or Natty Bo, a can of cold domestic suds could easily stand up to grilled franks and potato salad. Nowadays, as we surf the rising wave of locavorous gastromania we need a new stand-by, an easy-drinking effervescent that will help us temper the hyper-sensual. Indeed, nothing goes better with a grilled, house-cured-guanciale-and-wild-cress muffulletta than a glass of Lini Metodo Classico Lambrusco. Buy yours today!

Corrigia Brut Metodo Classico 2003 Lini
$25.60
20% off regular price!
Click here to purchase online!

Standard case discount does not apply.
Not valid with any other offer.

Vino
121 East 27th Street
New York, NY 10016

For more information call (212) 725-6516 or visit our website, vinositeshop.com.

This map shows the best locations for drinking Lini this July 4th
(and for watching fireworks).