Winery of the Month – FEB 2017
Viberti Giovanni
For February we have decided to travel north to Piedmont and present the wines of Viberti Giovanni. In the early 1900’s our story begins with the purchase of an inn and farm by Antonio Viberti. At this point the farm and winery were only producing wine for the Trattoria located within the Inn.
The 70’s saw the farm and winery expand with the addition of some historic vineyards and the addition of a modern cellar. The 80’s saw further expansion with sales to Europe beginning along with the first bottlings of single vineyard Barolos. In the 90’s, more expansion brought the wines to the US market. Today Claudio Viberti is running the show. The winery is still small, only making around 7000 cases a year, but still growing and of course still selling to the restaurant. Claudio will be joining us for a dinner on Tuesday the 7th of February.
Chardonnay
The fruit for this wine is completely estate grown. After it is crushed the wine ferments in stainless steel tanks. Malolactic fermentation happens in these same tanks. The wine then ages for 12 months prior to bottling in the same tanks. So as you can see, no trees were harmed in the making of this wine. Aromas of white flowers mix with apple and tropical fruit flavors.
Regularly $19.99 Sale $14.99
Barbera La Gemella
La Gemlla means twin. So the wine is named twin in honor of the winemakers mother who is a twin. This is a good example of Barbera with a mix of blueberry and red berry fruits. Light tannins and a medium acidity make this an excellent wine for all occaisions.
Regularly $18.99 Sale $13.99
Dolcetto d’Alba
Dolcetto is kind of the poor cousin to Nebbiolo and Barbera. Dolcetto generally struggles to retain acidity and has rather harsh tannins requiring a soft maceration before fermentation. This results in a light fresh and fruity wine. Viberti’s is a good example. Bright fresh berries with light acidity and medium weight tannins.
Regularly $19.99 Sale $14.99
Barolo Buon Padre
Here is a great introduction to Barolo. Buon Padre is a blend of several different vineyards throughout the region. The wine is aged for 36-40 months and is bottled unfiltered. Bright red fruit with undercurrents of baking spices are prevalent in both the aroma and the flavor. The tannins are relaxed from the aging process and the acid has calmed mildly. You can pull the cork on this one as soon as you get it.
Regularly $55.99 Sale $42.99