Winery of the Month – MAY 2019
Sparkling Wines
When someone mentions sparkling wine what comes to mind. Most of the people I talk to say Champagne and Prosecco. These two regions are the biggest players in the sparkling wine industry. Prosecco is the world wide leader in sales with 544 million bottles sold, but Champagne is still king with sales of more than 5 billion dollars. Even with these impressive numbers there is lots more to sparkling wine than these two regions. Every region of France produces some version of a sparkling wine but since we are the Italian Market we are going to talk about some different Italian versions.
Cantine Casa Bella
First up we are heading to Cantine Casa Bella in Emilia-Romagna. Cantine Casa Bella is in the heart of the Colli Piacentini in the North West of the Emilia Romagna. The wine is 100% Chardonnay and is made in the champagne method. This means that the bubbles come from a second fermentation that is done in the bottle. It is aged on the spent yeast for 28 months. This gives it a bready or brioche flavor. You will also not some light citrus and some white flowers mixed in. A great replacement for Champagne for everyday drinking.
Regularly $ 27.99 Sale $20.99
Cantina Santa Maria la Palma Winery
We will now head southwest and with a brief swim, reach Sardinia. Here, around Alghero, is the Cantina Santa Maria la Palma Winery. The Winery is a Co-op of small family farms. Together they grow indigenous grapes and produce wines that show the vast potential of Sardinian produce. The wine is Aragosta and is a blend of local hand-picked grapes. The bubbles here come from the Charmat method. In this method the still wine undergoes a secondary fermentationin a stainless steel tank and then is bottled under pressure to retain the bubbles. Light and crisp with citrus and white fruit flavors. This is a great wine as an aperitif or with shellfish and lightly prepared seafood.
Regularly $13.99 Sale $10.99
Venturini Baldini Winery
Traveling northeast we will once again get wet and then make our way back to Emilia-Romagna. In the hills between Parma and Reggio we encounter the Venturini Baldini Winery. They are known for Sparkling wines and Balsamic Vinegars; it is amazing how closely related these two products really are. You fellow travelers may be familiar with Lambrusco, but this is not that Lambrusco. Lambrusco is a variety of Vitis Vinifera, I apologize for any Taxonomic mistakes as my plant biology is not as good as I would like. The wine is red and sparkling, but actually dry with raspberry and cherry flavors. It will go well with spicy Asian dishes as well as some good old American BBQ.
Regularly $19.99 Sale $14.99
Giorgio Colutta Winery
Going almost due east and stopping right before Austria we will land in Friuli and meet the Giorgio Colutta Winery. Sitting by the pool at his Bed and Breakfast we will taste a sparkling Ribolla Gialla. If you have never heard of this grape don’t worry no one has. The wine is light and delicate with flavors of stone fruit, melon and some hints of herbs and baking spice. Here I will leave you as his beds are very comfortable and the area is beautiful.
Regularly $24.99 Sale $18.99