tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72416382119471669632024-03-14T00:47:57.766-07:00dwightthewinedoctorDwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.comBlogger498125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-14114044610876199902022-03-05T12:02:00.000-08:002022-03-05T12:02:52.607-08:00Wine of the Weel-Tenuta Castigliioni Chianti 2018-$23.99 -An inspired merging of art and wine<p> <span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Wine of the Week-Tenuta Castiglioni Chianti 2018-$23.99 an inspired merging of art and wine</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>By Dwight Casimere</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">The statue of Dante at Plaza Erbe in Verona, Italy-photo by Dwight Casimere</b></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9tjK-Paluut_fkdYg5CYWGQ70hb46l4JneQy-g3dEAYNgDcc_2CCIFUskOA1dnFtCYbsQQI0uhAzqp8FaknFpUphL68K3va9RpDHbGGQEPkcSqaTnDZpuL_vxW0ZjHG2URzdWk6PQs5qeC5yvpTp1KkMOk4XoqpeA9F_2ea3TSgt6PIZ_nc2zCSDI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="240" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9tjK-Paluut_fkdYg5CYWGQ70hb46l4JneQy-g3dEAYNgDcc_2CCIFUskOA1dnFtCYbsQQI0uhAzqp8FaknFpUphL68K3va9RpDHbGGQEPkcSqaTnDZpuL_vxW0ZjHG2URzdWk6PQs5qeC5yvpTp1KkMOk4XoqpeA9F_2ea3TSgt6PIZ_nc2zCSDI" width="180" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxa-gy5pW7n0fLbFuhshppxQOkPpeq--dsgXxx0vEu0FSPyJeTzG1jYJ1GKFD7edhEOMuVY0ch5UaUqmYmUWtXmbeiJMWqD2ohqKLrl0OwstBeJrkbrctOT9XjqmkXh4TKVH_rneB83OpwUoOv6e3DWY6l6KPVU0OoBjoTqCwqQTVo-Al-ugnyzAsr" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="266" data-original-width="400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxa-gy5pW7n0fLbFuhshppxQOkPpeq--dsgXxx0vEu0FSPyJeTzG1jYJ1GKFD7edhEOMuVY0ch5UaUqmYmUWtXmbeiJMWqD2ohqKLrl0OwstBeJrkbrctOT9XjqmkXh4TKVH_rneB83OpwUoOv6e3DWY6l6KPVU0OoBjoTqCwqQTVo-Al-ugnyzAsr" width="320" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Dwight Casimere with Lamberto Frescobaldi-President Frescobaldi Vineyards</b><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXcUg1CQJqfViNfBDBe_cNT8SwdIDzCUYM5RFi6gQEj-ns-t39bTZrthykqUAm3gE_WNZDqBfJc2ALeZ91-cWIfaXTgIHUUSSEHrdD2DEQf0E3g55S1I0-d03fMYfW6FLsMhPD-sJcjUOqei6IG7e2BqIGQvEKZTN56crG4BYbQn-Jy3JRhvWZtXfe" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="300" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjXcUg1CQJqfViNfBDBe_cNT8SwdIDzCUYM5RFi6gQEj-ns-t39bTZrthykqUAm3gE_WNZDqBfJc2ALeZ91-cWIfaXTgIHUUSSEHrdD2DEQf0E3g55S1I0-d03fMYfW6FLsMhPD-sJcjUOqei6IG7e2BqIGQvEKZTN56crG4BYbQn-Jy3JRhvWZtXfe" width="72" /></a></b></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Tenuta Castiglioni Chianti 2018</b></span></p><div><br /></div><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Florence is the center of art and culture in Italy. It is also the heart of its most treasured wine region, Tuscany. As such, two names stand out. The great author, Dante Alighieri, known to all as simply Dante, and Frescobaldi, the proud wine family that has been producing great wine for more than seven centuries. </b></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">When Dante wrote his epic poem Divine Comedy in 1300, which opens with its eerily prescient first chapter, Inferno, the Frescobaldi’s had already been producing wine at its first estate, Tenuta Castiglioni.</b></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Immersed in Tuscany’s Chianti Colli Fiorentini zone, near Florence, the ancient estate, Tenuta Castiglioni, produces a wine of great charm and finesse.</b></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">With its intense color, rich fruit flavors and superb structure, it is a marvel that Tenuta Castiglioni Chianti sells for a mere $24.</b></p><p><b style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Combined strengths of indigenous Sangiovese, the King of Italian grapes, and the international varietal Merlot, Tenuta Castiglioni presents a wine that has strength of character combined with an elegance of execution.</b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>With the approach of an all-Italian National Day, Dantedi (the Day of Dante) on Friday, March 25th, a day dedicated to all things Dante Alighieri, Frescobaldi’s Tenuta Castiglioni is the perfect wine, to honor the legacy of Dante and his beloved Tuscany. For those unable to make the trip to its sunny hillsides, they need only lift a glass of Tenuta Castiglioni Chianti 2018 to celebrate.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Grown in clay and limestone soil on the slopes of Val di Pesa on old vines, the wine benefits from the richness of the weather and soil. Gentle breezes from the Tyrrhenian Sea and the richness of the soil create a symbiosis that is exultant.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>With its ruby red color and vibrant nose of fresh cut violets, Tenuta Castiglioni Chianti 2018 is flavorful, yet restrained. It opens with aromas of ripe red cherries and wild berries and transitions gracefully into spicy notes that tingle the palate. Careful aging in oak barrels caresses the heady blend notes of shaved cinnamon, nutmeg and clove, with hints of licorice and sage. Aged in oak barrels for a full year before resting in the bottle for two months, this is an exquisite wine, intended to partner with your very best meal.</b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>I paired it with a Prime New York Strip that I had aged myself, then marinated overnight with Pink Himalayan Salt, crushed Rainbow Peppercorns and Fresh Oregano before slathering it with Extra Virgin Olive Oil. </b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: medium;"><b>Slow Roasting over low-burning coals to just the plus side of rare and then served with a blanket of caramelized onions and wild mushrooms and a side of Brussels Sprouts crisped in dark Modena Balsamic, it was meal that would have changed Dante’s focus from Down Under to Paradise!</b></span></p><div><br /></div>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-67088414809946634392020-10-15T13:19:00.000-07:002020-10-15T13:19:14.087-07:00Years Best California Chardonnay is Gary Farrell 2018 Russian River Selection Chardonnay-$35<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdF4gr11V3twHl_iXjrmR1J2TO8WdCG4p8FNdLK1nlYVz7B63hBML9mjt_as-hQEm3j1Qsl7H5Fxd5JL9feR2o8Lx9R8d4R2UGSpOo97CKRLXn36BzhK8WAkYYlEv11ZVtJmQPztu1vA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="432" height="943" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdF4gr11V3twHl_iXjrmR1J2TO8WdCG4p8FNdLK1nlYVz7B63hBML9mjt_as-hQEm3j1Qsl7H5Fxd5JL9feR2o8Lx9R8d4R2UGSpOo97CKRLXn36BzhK8WAkYYlEv11ZVtJmQPztu1vA/w636-h943/image.png" width="636" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSbRT0cshYpR81laZVSnMcq454mybk1OSLJPBqA_gZ2tB8gv1g-JvFtv9cLSKpACRrD1TIMp3GrqPdMCJJiFqlz1JPWqs9JIBtmfL_4w56MXqOpirKhET2oRbe_6roibhQnSfR0Hmvas/s2000/2018RRSCH_BottleTransaprent-CFCBZE.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSbRT0cshYpR81laZVSnMcq454mybk1OSLJPBqA_gZ2tB8gv1g-JvFtv9cLSKpACRrD1TIMp3GrqPdMCJJiFqlz1JPWqs9JIBtmfL_4w56MXqOpirKhET2oRbe_6roibhQnSfR0Hmvas/s320/2018RRSCH_BottleTransaprent-CFCBZE.png" /></a></div>Gary Farrell winemaker Theresa Heredia samples new wine from the barrel<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzSP1ZCGrl1OnDsQoahk1JO98RyBMP6E20Us4OpzOVzsCXl7HoVjivryPpvZNkXfE3mvYQvDpgdNdjkKSfJf-kBxuw1UmN863io0lEZDjHgyA_qqWEhRsHt7AWPFbS5vAU0UovjDuXto/s960/960x0-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzSP1ZCGrl1OnDsQoahk1JO98RyBMP6E20Us4OpzOVzsCXl7HoVjivryPpvZNkXfE3mvYQvDpgdNdjkKSfJf-kBxuw1UmN863io0lEZDjHgyA_qqWEhRsHt7AWPFbS5vAU0UovjDuXto/s320/960x0-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div> <br /><p></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-42317424467701895232020-10-13T16:10:00.005-07:002020-10-13T16:15:28.018-07:00Wine of the Week-Dry Creek 2019 Fume Blanc-$18.99<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNRmEFzz6HCR6r7rbFZFRrsg5fwYT3tKuWot3pkXDAJ5-KdAzYkHymterQnqCVR6lDpJrkwAnO8uWhC5izM4l0QdfMtGCOdpC_ELMWI2M8SBC0VskN7VjmIrePC1jfYjN8eg6AOdYPds/s800/QTlapAKw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDNRmEFzz6HCR6r7rbFZFRrsg5fwYT3tKuWot3pkXDAJ5-KdAzYkHymterQnqCVR6lDpJrkwAnO8uWhC5izM4l0QdfMtGCOdpC_ELMWI2M8SBC0VskN7VjmIrePC1jfYjN8eg6AOdYPds/s320/QTlapAKw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>Dry Creek Founder David Stare</p><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YDDAYoPdOIrcuhkl2tJ9usg0ipECEKSXg85r0d8xnntgpnFwBSz3TCluruKsW5xjZvvDXeDSwY2h6FHGsDZ-dzrNgRmfGGbbytmnZMo6Eq-ZQHp0wc1JQJPp2Ek1WlWxfPUi32rV2s/s2048/ts3UfMTg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1381" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl4YDDAYoPdOIrcuhkl2tJ9usg0ipECEKSXg85r0d8xnntgpnFwBSz3TCluruKsW5xjZvvDXeDSwY2h6FHGsDZ-dzrNgRmfGGbbytmnZMo6Eq-ZQHp0wc1JQJPp2Ek1WlWxfPUi32rV2s/s320/ts3UfMTg.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div>David Stare in 1972</div><div><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bXzBKbE992DluMD1hr7EneGQlMyABEa4U4TZYJKtl8B55zt_A57Muf7buam7niAle8PjZz-qd6fOM1UrcF99t2Nt7qhzqyuGTEEcbt81_Cu9BN-eg8bthyebz0FTk1ldOZj_TVLLzok/s1000/JeCIUaeQ.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="668" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_bXzBKbE992DluMD1hr7EneGQlMyABEa4U4TZYJKtl8B55zt_A57Muf7buam7niAle8PjZz-qd6fOM1UrcF99t2Nt7qhzqyuGTEEcbt81_Cu9BN-eg8bthyebz0FTk1ldOZj_TVLLzok/s320/JeCIUaeQ.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gqiy-cEhl6T93J_NmKteQ83prArrEYvsJXgBIMTdl4wr11q0DsHIIYr49xqoGADoj_sYrtDj-oDa0KcIY7QdRIPVK8Q3sKhzOFpj_K0cGziWcKoxPBJbSXa56-EdA9y_ce8gHEovXqU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="432" height="838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Gqiy-cEhl6T93J_NmKteQ83prArrEYvsJXgBIMTdl4wr11q0DsHIIYr49xqoGADoj_sYrtDj-oDa0KcIY7QdRIPVK8Q3sKhzOFpj_K0cGziWcKoxPBJbSXa56-EdA9y_ce8gHEovXqU/w593-h838/image.png" width="593" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><p></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-65027936612323945272020-10-13T09:40:00.000-07:002020-10-13T09:40:01.208-07:00Wine of the Week: White Cliff Pinot Noir-2019-$20 The perfect wine for Fall<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">Wine of the Week: White Cliff Pinot Noir 2019-$20<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">Marlborough New Zealand<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPM9sv9bHlTYosNsDQ5M-TG42qznhQlDZvgaL_TfXp-EF7Sm2yELjartoAMdO30G1IoRHNfhfYarVNL-uU0hjC4x4sdOFm1mV_TwA3ugYo5qVPNlDn-G3NKVkY4Rbt2SsOcYSGiJ-gVQ/s2048/20200917_123922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgPM9sv9bHlTYosNsDQ5M-TG42qznhQlDZvgaL_TfXp-EF7Sm2yELjartoAMdO30G1IoRHNfhfYarVNL-uU0hjC4x4sdOFm1mV_TwA3ugYo5qVPNlDn-G3NKVkY4Rbt2SsOcYSGiJ-gVQ/s320/20200917_123922.jpg" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div><p><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">By Dwight Casimere</span> </p><p><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Fall is here. Time for colorful squashes, pumpkin and the ubiquitous pumpkin pie and myriad recipes made from this versatile squash. It’s also time to break out your Grandmother and Mother’s recipes for filling casseroles, hearty stews and sumptuous soups. We’ve got Turkey to look forward to and all of the requisite savory side dishes. Lamb, including succulent lamb chops, luxurious Leg of Lamb and any number of lamb tagines and curries come to mind. For the more adventurous, there plenty of game meat to be had; duck, pheasant, venison and rabbit, and don’t forget Wild Mushrooms.</span></p><div class="ii gt" id=":1qr" style="color: #222222; direction: ltr; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-size-adjust: auto;"><div class="a3s aXjCH " id=":1qq" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div class="gmail_quote adL"><div class="im" style="color: #500050;"><div style="color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: 10pt; line-height: normal;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">Pinot Noir is the choice of wine that automatically comes to mind. It has just that medium-bodied heft, with soft tannins and lots of ripe red berry fruit flavor with just a hint of spiced that makes it perfect with all of the flavors of fall. Unfortunately, Pinot Noir is considered wine with attitude- finicky and unpredictable. The 2004 RomCom “Sideways” promulgated a lot of that negative PR. Contrary to common belief; Pinot Noir is one of the most satisfying and versatile wines to be had. In the hands of a skilled craftsman, it can be a testament to the winemaker’s art. French Burgundy wines are made from the Pinot Noir grape. They are among the most expensive and most coveted wines in the world. The names are legendary: Romanee-Conti, Domaine Leroy, Henri Jayer, Domaine Leflaive and Domaine Armand Rousseau, among others.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">A delightfully fruity and casual Pinot Noir comes fro Marlborough New Zealand. White Cliff Pinot Noir 2019 is a comfortably priced $20, bargain basement for a good Pinot Noir. Check all the boxes on the flavor card, and White Cliff delivers on all fronts.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">Named after the 100-foot high white cliffs that bordered the original property, White Cliff has been producing high-quality wines of exceptional value that are designed for everyday enjoyment.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">Of their new releases, they are most proud of their 2019 White Cliff Pinot Noir ($20). The 2019 vintage is one of the best we’ve seen in decades,” reports winemaker Kel Dixon. “My viticulture team has access to grapes from our four sub-regions, which ensures superior quality.”<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">The best way to serve the wine is lightly chilled and then allowed to breath in the decanter or in the glass for a bit, to allow the ripe fruit flavors to unfold. What emerges are some delicious flavors of candied cherries and wild raspberries.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">I drank the wine with a Prime Aged Steak doused in a homemade deconstructed version of the Churrasco sauce served in the Argentinian steak houses. Mine consisted of a combination of crushed mint, parsley and garlic and a splash of olive oil, with a few hot chili flakes thrown in for good measure. You can eliminate the red pepper flakes if you’re sensitive to heat. This wine loves spicy dishes, like Asian stir-fries or Kung Pao Chicken. On the European side, almost anything made with fresh sage or rosemary and French, Spanish or Portuguese sausages take on new when paired with this wine.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;">With White Cliff 2019 Pinot Noir, the first sensation that hits you is the smell of fresh cut flowers, almost like fresh long-stemmed roses. The test is refreshing and bracing with a slight tingle from the bright acidity. Add to that some side notes of baking spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg and a dash of star anise. The flavor is seductive, long lasting and delicious. I recommend a case or two to enjoy now and right through the Holidays.<u></u><u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><u></u> <u></u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></div></div></div></div><div class="adL"></div></div></div><div class="hq gt a10" id=":1rh" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 15px 0px; text-size-adjust: auto;"></div>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-42111553633615632982020-09-20T12:57:00.004-07:002020-09-20T12:58:43.974-07:00Wine(s) of the Week Gary Farrell 2017 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir-$45 Gary Farrell 2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley-$55<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
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<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Wine(s)
of the Week<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gary
Farrell 2017 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir-$45<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gary
Farrell 2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir Russian River Valley-$55<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
“terroir” speaks volumes for the wine<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_pjKLPevmb4TxUZ0UPsZFZPJS5s8LIgXyFdsgp7V2wklnJhx3nzfOj6vbSW31xwV0rgCfovVrOGDY0Yrk6Ev_vioiipEAr7UZNn59uMLZNOHIaB21eSDInWm39_W3YX2_U3eQsvU77Y/s2048/20200920_124843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq_pjKLPevmb4TxUZ0UPsZFZPJS5s8LIgXyFdsgp7V2wklnJhx3nzfOj6vbSW31xwV0rgCfovVrOGDY0Yrk6Ev_vioiipEAr7UZNn59uMLZNOHIaB21eSDInWm39_W3YX2_U3eQsvU77Y/s320/20200920_124843.jpg" /></a></div>Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noirs with Roast Mint and Tangerine Duck with<p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Savory multi-colored carrots and mini-potatoes Below: Theresa Heredia, Gary Farrell Winemaker<br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4f1HVXQk0oPlt1DFEkD6wBmUMZOcj7Uz_W5NUnC1d6Ico1ahyphenhyphenyx_SVXqXhP2yIBw6RLJdLAiRpfFMtImsRD6BOdo3ZR-NvY_SuwusWerS4oDGxnRqWbE8nMwDWScfac-04BNRwjoF44/s2048/sTq_zouF.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1316" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4f1HVXQk0oPlt1DFEkD6wBmUMZOcj7Uz_W5NUnC1d6Ico1ahyphenhyphenyx_SVXqXhP2yIBw6RLJdLAiRpfFMtImsRD6BOdo3ZR-NvY_SuwusWerS4oDGxnRqWbE8nMwDWScfac-04BNRwjoF44/s320/sTq_zouF.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p>The two Pinot Noirs are vastly different in taste, profile</o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">By
Dwight Casimere<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">The
French are famous for creating words that do more than simply describe an
object, an emotion or a place. They use words that embody a concept. Such a
word is one commonly used in the wine industry, terroir. It means more than
simply the ground that the wine grapes are grown in or the weather conditions
under which they are developed. Rather, terroir refers to the time, the place
and, yes, the season, the culture and, perhaps, even the mood of the person
making the wine. It is a word that is all encompassing, as is the experience of
drinking wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">It with
this idea in mind, that I began my conversation with Gary Farrell Vineyards’
tasting salon manger and estate sommelier Kevin Patterson, regarding the
estate’s latest releases, 2017 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir, which
retails for $45 and 2017 Hallberg Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley,
which is $55. While made at the same winery and from the same grape, the two
wines are quite distinct from one another and imbued with their own
characteristics. They are perfect examples that illustrate the meaning of the
term I used earlier…terroir. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“Every
bottle of wine is a story of time and place,” said Kevin Patterson. “The story
of our 2017 vintage is that it arrived in a very hot year, thus we had a very
early harvest. Our winemaker, Theresa Heredia picked all of our grapes over
Labor Day Weekend. The temperatures were in excess of 133 degrees, but we were
able to get 95% of our fruit at the brix (level of sweetness) that we were
looking for.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“What
we do for all of our wines is simple. We treat all of our wines as if they were
intended to be single vineyard wines, whether or not it is bottled as such. In
the winemaking process, we ask ourselves, “Is this wine that we’re tasting from
the barrel going to be part of an orchestra, or is it a soloist?”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Pointing
specifically to the Gary Farrell 2017 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir ($45), as
an example, Patterson elaborated, “This is definitely an orchestra. There’s
something in this wine for everyone. It is certainly one of our most popular
because of it. If you’re a person who likes wine with more fruit
characteristics, there’s an aspect of fruit in this wine for you. If you prefer
something that’s savory, with an earthy spice to it, this wine has some of that
too. It’s a wine that’s typical of the Russian River Valley. Its something that
you can simply sit with, relax and enjoy. One of the things I like to have with
this wine is a Mushroom Pizza. It brings out the earthiness of the wine and
there’s just enough of that smoky spice to bring out the flavors in both. “<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Patterson
said that when he’s in the tasting room, he tries to direct his guests toward
food pairings that emphasize the wine. “When you’re pairing wine with food, you
want to combine it with dishes that enhance the wine, not dominate it. You want
the wine to be noticed first.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">In
that regard, Gary Farrell wines tend to be lower in alcohol than most reds
(11-14.5%), and to have a more restrained acidity. “One of the things that
defines Gary Farrell wines is that they have more natural acidity. The acidity begins to soften as the wines
open up in the glass.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gary
Farrell Russian River Selection Pinot Noir starts out with pronounced fruit
notes of red cherries and raspberries, so typical for pinots from the area.
“The fruit gives way to more savory characteristics, like tealeaf, and holiday
spices like clove and cinnamon. There’s even some star anise and a little black
pepper. This wine really takes you an a journey through the meal, because it
starts to open up, you get more of those savory notes.” Looking forward to the
fall season and the holidays ahead, Patterson offered; “Roast Duck would be
delicious with this wine, for sure!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Gary
Farrell 2016 Hallberg Vineyard Pinto Noir ($55) is sui generis (a thing apart
or in a class of its own). Although it is made from Russian River Valley Pinot
Noir grapes, its characteristics are specific to the vineyard in which they are
grown. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“You
see that often in wine,” Patterson elaborated. A wine can be made from the same
grape, even from neighboring vineyards, and they will be almost completely
different.” Such is the case of the Hallberg Pinot Noir. Kirk Lokka, an
industry veteran with a reputation for meticulous acumen, manages the vineyard.
Named for its previous owners, Hallberg Vineyard is nestled in the Green Valley
sub-appellation, known for its refreshing daytime breezes. A strong marine influence brings the cool
early morning fog that allows the fruit greater ‘hang time,’ giving the deep,
dark fruit flavors, silky tannins and an earthiness that you can almost feel.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“Kirk
is first and foremost an amazing farmer who knows this vineyard well. The
vineyard is ‘dry farmed,’ which means there is no irrigation. Kirk hasn’t
irrigated those vines since 2007. So the vines have that classic struggle that
we in the winemaking business all look for. The vineyard has rich, sandy loam
soil, and the roots have to really dig down past 15 feet to the water table to
find nourishment. That brings about more complexity and greater flavor
concentration.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">“Concentration
is really the story at Hallberg. More savory qualities and darker fruits; like
black cherry, plum, come through.
There’s also a hint of dark tealeaf and dried flowers. On the back end,
there’s almost a kind of minty freshness, a menthol quality, if you will, that
is very refreshing. All those subtleties come through when the wine spends time
in the glass or in the decanter. In fact, this wine rewards you with time.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">Patterson
says his experiences with wine have taught him to broaden his perspective of
the industry. “ I have had influencers and teachers over the years who have set
me on a completely different path, such that I am always a student who has
learned to look at wine in a totally jaydifferent way. Wine is not unlike art,
or a landscape or a painting. It has depth, dimension and color. Wine is a way
of experiencing flavor and life in a totally unique way. No two wines are
exactly alike and no two vineyards will give you the exact same kind of wine.
That’s why wine is never boring. There’s always something new.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://www.garyfarrellwinery.com/"><span style="color: #660066;">Gary
Farrell Winery</span></a> </span></b><span style="background: white; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt; letter-spacing: .75pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">has introduced a
series of virtual tasting experiences allowing wine lovers to enjoy wine at
home with guidance from the winery’s estate sommeliers. Three different online
tasting options bring the Gary Farrell Tasting Salon experience to customers
who can’t visit in person.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;">To
learn more about Gary Farrell wines and their unique portfolio, visit
garyfarrellwinery.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p>
<!--EndFragment--></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-11804566025969506182020-09-13T18:37:00.003-07:002020-09-13T18:37:45.226-07:00WINE OF THE WEEK: JUAN GIL MONASTRELL HONORO VERA ORGANIC RED 2018-$10<p> </p><h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 30px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; position: relative;">Wine of the Week: Juan Gil Monastrell Honoro Vera Organic Red Wine 2018-$10</h3><div class="post-header" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #997755; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="post-header-line-1"></div></div><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-4413435967442829261" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: #c0a154; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.524px; line-height: 1.5; position: relative; width: 568px;"><p> <span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Wine of the Week: Juan Gil Monastrell Honoro Vera Organic Red Wine 2018-$10</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">By Dwight Casimere<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL4pwu2JvZXAYu-dZghZAmGxZlxshYEZz1z3L-WfNzA6CMkSqZBqDiwiAPHoXIygVo9OCy5oU7iWYTx-CYd8o2LJl4bX_GL5P_UeWmjbYFJAcdT7BWUDuev10xcLP3UoFJ8mzU2Lzwys/s2048/20200913_113144+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #993222; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqL4pwu2JvZXAYu-dZghZAmGxZlxshYEZz1z3L-WfNzA6CMkSqZBqDiwiAPHoXIygVo9OCy5oU7iWYTx-CYd8o2LJl4bX_GL5P_UeWmjbYFJAcdT7BWUDuev10xcLP3UoFJ8mzU2Lzwys/s320/20200913_113144+%25281%2529.jpg" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 8px; position: relative;" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">What wine goes best with BBQ, Pizza or a good, juicy hamburger (made with organic grass feed beef, of course). The answer is simple- Juan Gil Monastrell Honoro Vera Organic Red Wine 2018. At just $10 a bottle, it is a surprisingly rich and satisfying wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Juan Gil is one of the premiere Spanish producers, and this beauty, made from indigenous Monastrell grapes, otherwise known as Mourvedre, is from the southern region of Jumilla, Spain, where the grape has been grown for centuries.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Grown in the mountains high above the Mediterranean Sea, in sandy, stony limestone soils, the grapes must struggle to find moisture. They receive very little rainfall, in spite of their proximity to marine influence.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Harvested by hand, the grapes are then vinified in stainless steel tanks for two weeks at very low temperature. Then Honoro Vera Organic 2018 is kept refrigerated until bottling. This process gives the wine a very fresh, fruity taste that makes it a great companion with hearty dishes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">This young wine is unoaked. That means that only the vibrant fresh fruit flavors of the Monastrell grape shine through. The Gil family has another winery, Bodega Ateca, which produces some really pleasant wines in the DO Calatayud bearing the same name, Honoro Vera. For more on Juan Gil wines visit </span><span style="background: white; color: #0e7744; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">bodegasjuangil.com/en/.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: #c0a154; border-top: 1px dashed rgb(119, 119, 119); color: #997755; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 12.88px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 10px 0px 0px; padding: 10px 0px 0px;"></div>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-66128285907837831092020-09-03T23:37:00.000-07:002020-09-03T23:37:21.359-07:00WINES OF THE WEEK-THE WINES OF MOSCATO D'ASTI ON ZOOM<p> INTERNATIONAL ZOOM CONFERENCE PRESENTED BY IEEM MONDAY AUG 31</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">WINE (s) OF THE WEEK- THE WINES OF MOSCATO D’ASTI IN ITALY<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">-Compo Moncalvina Moscato D’Asti-$18.99<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">-</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Michele Chiarlo – $19.99 (half bottle)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">-La Caudrina – $10.99<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">-Marenco Scrapona– $20.99<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">-I Vignaioli Santo Stefano/Ceretto – $15.99 half bottle<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZtCtrXZL1vbZnpK7n837E-s-mvvjjwiqr2OB5VO7kRj5Xw48GVC_wmpHQk4FfayM6Wpl7dBQI9bfN1lI4nNqMP-QSq2XGlWz3pDDr6coMSHUC5hKsNTJFFqx-cjOYDaYXt1liLQWHMM/s2048/20200831_105439.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAZtCtrXZL1vbZnpK7n837E-s-mvvjjwiqr2OB5VO7kRj5Xw48GVC_wmpHQk4FfayM6Wpl7dBQI9bfN1lI4nNqMP-QSq2XGlWz3pDDr6coMSHUC5hKsNTJFFqx-cjOYDaYXt1liLQWHMM/s320/20200831_105439.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The Moscato d'Asti Zoom conference by IEEM<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49Ab66Lcz2Efk7m0E1gal2CGyczMXRL8u6C8h0BJUFhJFb5B6-E_RWWGasVUyxwdfCp4Ga9aVlxX3BPjQ7GIVFlyzl2YjUavRpoA4T9mHKYpmEnclSVIb28SQm-6G8SePqihvqpcw94Q/s2048/20200831_105146.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh49Ab66Lcz2Efk7m0E1gal2CGyczMXRL8u6C8h0BJUFhJFb5B6-E_RWWGasVUyxwdfCp4Ga9aVlxX3BPjQ7GIVFlyzl2YjUavRpoA4T9mHKYpmEnclSVIb28SQm-6G8SePqihvqpcw94Q/s320/20200831_105146.jpg" /></a></div>Some of the Wines of Moscato d'Asti that were presented<br /><br /><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">By Dwight Casimere</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Moscato is most likely the first wine that many people experience in life either at a wedding reception or other family gathering, as a gift, or on a first date. As one wine writer surmised, “it’s the gateway drug of the wine industry and, fortunately, one that we just can’t stop drinking.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">That fact was brought out with uncompromising clarity in a recent Zoom conference with five producers from the Moscato D’ Asti DOCG coordinated by IEEM (International Event and Exhibition Management), the agency specializing in marketing, organizing and managing events, exhibitions and public relations for the wine industry.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Featured in the panel were </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Jeffrey Porter, Founder of Sip Trip Italy, who served as Moderator</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> along with the producers of five wines from the region. Present via Zoom were </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Giacomo Pondini – Director of Consorzio d’Asti. Participating wine producers included</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Luigi Coppo - Coppo 1892,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Marco Dogliotti – La Caudrina</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">, </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Gianpiero Scavino – I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano/Ceretto,</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> Andrea Costa –Marenco</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> and </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Stefano Chiarlo – Michele Chiarlo.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">All of the wines were from the Moscato d’Asti, a wine region in northwest Italy, produced primarily in the province of Asti. The wine is also produced in the smaller nearby provinces of Alessandria and Cuneo.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Located in the Montferrat of Piedmont, it is an area dotted with Medieval castles and steep hillside vineyards, most of which can only be navigated on foot. The ancient Tower of Montferrat looms over the region like an ancient sentinel guarding its storied treasures and dark secrets.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Winemaking goes back to the time of the ancient Romans, who called the area Apiana.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">“The word for bees in Italian is Ah-pay (ape),” proffered Luigi Coppo of Coppo 1892. “The grape that is now called Muscato Bianco was first planted in the 12<sup>th</sup> Century. In Latin language, it was called Muscatellum. The region was called Ape (bees) because the bees would hover on top of the grape clusters because of their unique aroma.”</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Moscato bianco is the grape from which Moscato d’ Asti is made. It is one of the oldest grapes grown in the area. The sweet, low alcohol wine (usually around 5% alcohol) was originally reserved for the workers to refresh themselves during their midday meals or for just after the workday was done. The low alcohol wine could be had at any time of day without slowing the pace of the workers. Moscato d’Asti was also the wine of choice for the traditionally long, multicourse evening meals. The wine both cleansed the palate and stimulated the appetite for dessert.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The tasting session was a revelation. Although the wines were made from one grape, those from each of the five producers were distinct. The tasting proved the versatility of Moscato d’Asti and its ability to be paired with a diverse array of cuisines, from soft cheeses, to seafood, pastas and spicy dishes. The choice is as widely varied as your imagination will allow.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">One of the journalists who participated in the conference was wine and travel writer Julia Coney of JuliaConey.com. She recalled our media trip to the Langhe in December, 2018. We were hosted by Eduardo Vilarino Gancia-owner of the Gancia Castle at Canelli. There, we had a marvelous luncheon overlooking the valley. It consisted of Gancia Moscato d’Asti Secco and housemade 23 egg-yolk pasta covered in shaved white Truffles, which were offered at the height of Truffle Season. It remains to this day, the most exquisite meal I’ve ever had. Simple. But oh, so elegant! More on Gancia and its place in the Moscato firmament later.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">“Moscato d’ Asti is the most widely consumed sweet wine in the world,” Coppo emphasized. “The DOCG is also one of the largest and most diverse in the world. Moscato d’Asti is not only consumed as a dessert wine, it is also an everyday wine.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">As moderator Jeffrey Porter exclaimed, “The 20<sup>th</sup> century marked the triumph of Moscato d’Asti.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Moscato’s popularity began to soar in the 1990s and continued to do so into the Millenium. From 2011 to 2014, Moscato d’Asti sales in the U.S. increased 73%. Consumers under the age of 45 have been the motivating force behind the sales increase that has hovered around a 10-15% increase each year.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The reason is simple. The wines are both approachable and affordable. Inexplicably, the wine has also become the darling of hip-hop culture, with Trey Songz and Drake referring to Moscato in their 2009 hit “I Invented Sex.” Granted, Moscato d’Asti has been credited with sparking many a romance, but I’m not quite sure that its producers had that in mind when they started out!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Coppo Moncalvina 2019 ($18.99) is the winery’s flagship wine. “Moncalvina is the name of our countryside home in St. Antonio. It is an important place in (the subzone) Canelli. Only 22 of the 52 townships can carry the denomination Moscato DOCG and we are located in one of them.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The history of Coppo and Moncalvina extends well into antiquity. “The estate was founded by my great-grandfather in 1892. We have remained true to his search for a wine with balance and freshness and just the right acidity. Mint and herbal notes are characteristic of that side of Canelli. That makes it a more serious wine, intended for food.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">“It’s a much more visceral, emotional experience,” moderator Porter chimed in. “It’s not just cookies and dessert!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">La Cadrina from Romano Dogliotti ($10.99) was next. “My father was one of the first of the small growers to bottle his own wine,” said Marco Dogliotti. “Our wine is really in demand, especially during the Holidays. The secret is to stop the fermentation at just the right time and maintain very cool temperatures to maintain the freshness. The wine develops a floral profile, with flavors of ripe peach.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Gaining the coveted DOCG denomination is no mean feat. “The wine goes before a panel of experts before it can receive DOCG.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Stefano Chiarlo of Michele Chiarlo suggested we savor in concert his marvelous sweet wine Nivole. At $19.99 the half bottle, it was the priciest of all of the day’s offerings. It certainly outweighed its price point in flavor and value. “I consider this the ‘sorbet’ of wines,” Stefano beamed. “It is difficult to produce a wine like this that has just the right balance of flavor and texture.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The great and legendary Michael Broadbent, Director of Christie’s in London and Master of Wine’s President, declared Michele Chiarlo “the Best dessert wine in the world. Nivole is constantly the best.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">After the grapes are harvested by hand, the grapes are softly whole-pressed and fermented at controlled temperature to achieve an alcohol content of 5%. A part of the natural carbon dioxide that is developed is ‘entrapped,’ giving the wine a delicate effervescence. A process of micro-filtration gives the wine clarity and purity, evident in its brilliant straw yellow color and delicate floral aromas. Creamy and fragrant with a refreshing finish, this is one to savor after a satisfying meal.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Giacomo Pondini-Director of Consorzio d’Asti described the next participant, Marenco Scrapona ($20.99) as ”the cherry on the cake,” both for the quality of the wine and its location in a World Heritage Site. Winemaker Andrea Costa spoke of “the beauty of the hills” and the commitment of the winery to “protect the connection between the territory and man in<br />Piemonte.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Marenco Scrapona is blended from Moscato grapes that are selected through a traditional technique that has been used for decades. It is an aromatic wine, with the perfume of the Moscato grape and a mouth nurturing blend of ripe fruit flavors including white peaches, a touch of tangerine and Asian pear with notes of brioche toast and a hint of mint.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Marenco Scrapona is equally at home with a Spicy Tuna Roll, a zippy seafood gumbo or a frothy, creamy Zabaglione. A rarity among white wines, it is capable of aging for up to two years revealing even more of its kaleidoscopic complexity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGOQAAh2YE-NSQd7cDpRFP2FfVf1kGiYXUl-epEYcqgZ7orftLYlmZCzDyc2QA8Rcxt4K-1_IFux0waoaehtEfjKPd0N-LpLP1OUiRjAJV0VZvGLuHXFL8obckKXxuC6KdL9WnMB9lN8/s320/unnamed-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijGOQAAh2YE-NSQd7cDpRFP2FfVf1kGiYXUl-epEYcqgZ7orftLYlmZCzDyc2QA8Rcxt4K-1_IFux0waoaehtEfjKPd0N-LpLP1OUiRjAJV0VZvGLuHXFL8obckKXxuC6KdL9WnMB9lN8/s0/unnamed-4.jpg" /></a></div>Julia Coney of JuliaConey.com and Melissa Richter-Look East/Lifestyle Asia-Thailand<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ54CC_PUOKE5haRdFg8ANXTXT2GwDBYYO1JChtaTHAFREHhkkoUwK_B9IIzaZDsLVAJtwfFI8vPX0ZQw8lxvhFjUurxQy4vc0FnevFRmkL2smRNrF1HCKzYVIVXSQJzdGxgyiZRdULG4/s320/unnamed-8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ54CC_PUOKE5haRdFg8ANXTXT2GwDBYYO1JChtaTHAFREHhkkoUwK_B9IIzaZDsLVAJtwfFI8vPX0ZQw8lxvhFjUurxQy4vc0FnevFRmkL2smRNrF1HCKzYVIVXSQJzdGxgyiZRdULG4/s0/unnamed-8.jpg" /></a></div>23 Egg Pasta woth Shaved White Truffle<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnuBhvPhnup-lxOD7LViiq4876YoGY5Mh2lhhW0FI4gp5j1KN3TyMhiapSQdkQlXDK6jqCvT7iyhaU22rP0pIAw4DdZG3nWo0OwKoTMdK1-ct4fXWN9gqD55-6XFbZTCVXphRbsvezPo/s320/unnamed-7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCnuBhvPhnup-lxOD7LViiq4876YoGY5Mh2lhhW0FI4gp5j1KN3TyMhiapSQdkQlXDK6jqCvT7iyhaU22rP0pIAw4DdZG3nWo0OwKoTMdK1-ct4fXWN9gqD55-6XFbZTCVXphRbsvezPo/s0/unnamed-7.jpg" /></a></div>Dwight Casimere (r) with Eduardo Vilarino Gancia-Owner, Gancia Wines<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabX-duTCXdnt2YzjroVM6JLd5ww9YmisWKm81NFBNYnm9kpivOtT6cRr1LdLiJXqTzpocM7MiJu0Gn7caTv1ita7klptI83ag9tUeu2ax8NUMUIU43vZenkYzpBTirCMYoFIUhANPjw8/s320/thumbnail-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjabX-duTCXdnt2YzjroVM6JLd5ww9YmisWKm81NFBNYnm9kpivOtT6cRr1LdLiJXqTzpocM7MiJu0Gn7caTv1ita7klptI83ag9tUeu2ax8NUMUIU43vZenkYzpBTirCMYoFIUhANPjw8/s0/thumbnail-6.jpg" /></a></div>The Gancia Castle at Canelli<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Moscato a UNESCO treasure</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">“The Moscato grape plays an important role in the UNESCO story,” Andrea Costa explained. “There’s so much history in wine and Marenco Scrapona wine is a big part of it.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Costa also had a surprise for the gathering. “You are the first to see our new label. The wine inside is still the same, but the label has changed.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">In charting the preeminence of the Moscato grape, Costa referenced the work of legendary winemaker Carlo Gancia in Turin, considered the father of Italian sparkling wine. “Carlo Gancia turned the wine world on its head in 1865, when he took all of that study he did in Champagne and after 15 years of trials and error, he began the production of the first commercial sparkling wine on a large scale.” Premium Asti DOCG is still produced using the same method today.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Gianpiero Scavino of I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: Arial;">/</span><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Ceretto- Piemonte ($15.99 half bottle) concluded the conference. Thanks to winemakers and vineyard owners Bruno and Marcello Ceretto, along with Giancarlo Scavino, who founded I Vignaioli di Santo Stefano (The Winemakers of Saint Stephens or Santo Stefano in Italian). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The Ceretto brothers founded the winery in 1976 in the actual birthplace of their father, Riccardo. With the passing of Giancarlo Scavino in 1995, his sons Gianpiero and Andrea took the reigns.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Careful and painstaking pruning, bunch thinning and sorting, all done by hand, during the harvest, are the cornerstones of the work in the vineyard. Further decanting, fining and filtration are done at the minimum to enhance the aromatic quality of the wine.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The image of the wine, with the designer label and bottle by one of Italy’s most celebrated designers, Giacomo Bersanetti, created in 1987, further sets this wine in a class by itself.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="background: white; color: #500050; font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">“One grape. Five wines. Five producers. Yet, each wine is singular and poignant,” moderator Jeffrey Porter concluded. It was a fittingly evocative statement that perfectly defined the sentiment of the afternoon. For more information on Moscato d’Asti, visit astidocg.it.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><o:p> </o:p></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-38642632551847040532020-08-25T16:01:00.001-07:002020-08-25T16:01:22.337-07:00WINE OF THE WEEK-COPPO MONCALVINA MOSCATO D' ASTI 2019-$15.99<p> <span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">WINE OF THE WEEK: COPPO MONCALVINA MOSCATO D’ ASTI 2019-$15.99</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">BY DWIGHT CASIMERE</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB5nuDeIJlMkKbCJjedsDETKWPaY_jcXSX5fN2cqpZaBp0RlSRIWRzSPxsXwAbqQMYiwMoOI3x1CCSnb1VRQ1T8bDsJXP1-gBsVPWw7vS_0kFcuQcYrfHgFe5VfjNmDLoCz57NBLZzbE/s2048/20200824_135313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpB5nuDeIJlMkKbCJjedsDETKWPaY_jcXSX5fN2cqpZaBp0RlSRIWRzSPxsXwAbqQMYiwMoOI3x1CCSnb1VRQ1T8bDsJXP1-gBsVPWw7vS_0kFcuQcYrfHgFe5VfjNmDLoCz57NBLZzbE/s640/20200824_135313.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMvULUF2QO3iQABT7_jVSM6uFXXs6NeUpDfOw92-bEG_cKa-w5jtBgHirf-PaK2z1EkBOJ2ZAL7YSitL_xWeCVnVadVi7sx0A1ff3au1ljO8GP_VmVzyMrYrNrJtCaDiwHOAoNT8B4So/s320/thumbnail-7-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMvULUF2QO3iQABT7_jVSM6uFXXs6NeUpDfOw92-bEG_cKa-w5jtBgHirf-PaK2z1EkBOJ2ZAL7YSitL_xWeCVnVadVi7sx0A1ff3au1ljO8GP_VmVzyMrYrNrJtCaDiwHOAoNT8B4So/s0/thumbnail-7-1.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2EuxoKXEp6vE4BafHqLbpzoCRrGNFb1CDKy4Sd82f6q6RG0CCBJzYBa0EakfG0y99rhF3HcBi5056XkMAGBz-I_mc0ODtwezKT8uQ8wHWgUWjeEXMUSHlOMJ6lJeEZLD67DN5widUAw/s320/thumbnail-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="320" data-original-width="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht2EuxoKXEp6vE4BafHqLbpzoCRrGNFb1CDKy4Sd82f6q6RG0CCBJzYBa0EakfG0y99rhF3HcBi5056XkMAGBz-I_mc0ODtwezKT8uQ8wHWgUWjeEXMUSHlOMJ6lJeEZLD67DN5widUAw/s0/thumbnail-1.jpg" /></a></div> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The hilltop town of Asti in Montferrat, Piedmont in northwest Italy, is among the most rustic and beautiful regions in all of Europe. Its wine history goes back to the time of the ancient Romans, when it was called ‘Apiana.’ The Medieval Ages is when the region came into full flower.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The Muscat grape, as it is called in France, Moscato in Italian, has its origins in the Mediterranean. It was the Romans who brought it north and introduced it to all of Europe.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> Ancient papers dating to the 14<sup>th</sup> Century refer to a frothy wine beverage called Moscato, so called for its musky, earthy aroma. It was the in the 16<sup>th</sup> century that the lightly fizzy (frizzante), low alcohol (usually 5%) wine we know as Muscato d’ Asti came into being. Giovan Battista Croce, a wealthy jewelry maker, who served the noble class of Savoy, created it. Croce owned a vineyard in the hills above Turin, where he experiment with methods of making a sweet wine that would serve as the local answer to Champagne. He wanted to create something that was light that local workers could drink to refresh themselves at the end of a long day. Thus came a local style that was unlike the method traditionnelle of the French. It did not involve bottle fermentation, but instead was fermented in large vessels that gave it a slight sparkle. In more modern times, the technique became known as the ‘Asti Method,’ in which the Muscat grapes were harvested quickly, destemmed and lightly pressed so as to preserve the delicate floral aromas, then filtered, chilled and fermented to yield a low alcohol was that is sweet, lightly sparkling and perfumed. Thus, Moscato d’Asti was born.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Of the 52 townships carrying the denomination Moscato DOCG, only 22 are included in the prestigious subzone of Cenelli. That is the birthplace of Moncalvina Moscato D’Asti from the winemaker Coppo. At $15.99, it is a moderately priced example of the ‘gold-in-the-glass tasty and generous wine of the region. Full and creamy, it delivers the nice sensation of fullness. Sensations start with a mouthful of sweet citrus and notes of white peaches and Asian pears with overtones of honey and the smell of white flowers. The wine is couched in a foamy effervescence that gives it an irresistible finish.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">The wine is terrific with spicy Asian, Indian or Caribbean dishes. It goes great with a Spicy Tuna Roll. Of course, it is the perfect match for the ‘Dolce’ (sweet), dessert course of endless cakes, cookies and soft goat cheese ( Robiola di Roccaverano) that is typical of the Piedmont.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">There’s a terrific book writing by a friend of mine, Dr. Paul Balk, called the Piemonte Wine and Travel Atlas. It contains some beautiful photographs of the region and tells the beautiful story behind the wines of the Montferrato. It’s available on Amazon.com. You can also learn more about the great wines of Coppo at coppo.it. Ciao Bella!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-58773824836048935632020-08-17T15:35:00.000-07:002020-08-17T15:35:06.668-07:00Wine of the Week-Clos Du Val 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, only $52 and so complex<p> <span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">WINE OF THE WEEK-CLOS DU VAL 2016 ESTATE CABERNET SAUVIGNON-$52</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">By Dwight Casimere<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZZMu17WQk6vm28Nolrbe2LyyOrHwgXgWjrvDXrIOnubd4ugAH-G8v8gcfIXDBuSg4lBacJv2WE5s5jEVQaonUBYezz9JPJ5O3OxLAP9iFuOpxpbC2BOrcRuxT3z4-IYCv9Uuo0VjgxI/s2048/20200817_155252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRZZMu17WQk6vm28Nolrbe2LyyOrHwgXgWjrvDXrIOnubd4ugAH-G8v8gcfIXDBuSg4lBacJv2WE5s5jEVQaonUBYezz9JPJ5O3OxLAP9iFuOpxpbC2BOrcRuxT3z4-IYCv9Uuo0VjgxI/s640/20200817_155252.jpg" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Clos Du Val 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon ($52) is a virtual showcase for Cabernet from Napa Valley’s famed Stag’s Leap District. At well under a hundred dollars a bottle, it is a steal by Napa Cabernet standards.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Located on the Napa’s storied Silverado Trail, the winery is nestled in one of the district’s most picturesque sites. Its Hirondelle House, named for the winery’s historic estate vineyard is much more than the focal point, it is what the owners consider its ‘home.’ It is designed to intentionally connect visitors to the estate vineyards in a very immediate way. As they sip the winery’s legendary wines, they also imbibe its history through the lush scenery.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Founded in 1972, by owner Olav Goelet, Clos Du Val is overseen by its President Jon-Mark Chappellet (another famous Napa Valley name), and its outstanding wines are shepherded by winemaker Ted Henry. All of the wines come from Clos Du Val’s own vineyards, Hirondelle-Stags Leap District AVA, State Lane Vineyard, and Riverbend Vineyard, both in Napa Valley’s Yountville AVA.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Clos Du Val and its legendary Cabernet burst onto the international stage in grand fashion at the famed Judgment of Paris in 1976. The rest, as they say, is history.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">But, enough of the history lesson, let’s get into the wine. Clos Du Val 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is a BIG wine that delivers far beyond its modest (by Napa Valley Cab standards) price tag. Only a wine expert can differentiate it from a wine costing three times its price.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Inviting aromas of nutmeg from aging in small French oak casks and succulent vanilla bean and clove accents give way to a mouth-filling array of ripe black berries, black cherries, plums and blueberries. There’s just a hint of caramelly Affy Taffle that sends your taste buds into a tailspin. Nicely rounded off with a touch of mocha, there’s a velvety finish as its glides down your throat with a final afterglow of smoky cedar ash.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Great with game meats, like pheasant, venison or herb-infused quail, its also terrific with a prime aged steak. I grilled a grass-fed New York Strip marinated overnight in a blend of Rainbow peppercorns, smoked Hungarian Paprika and, SURPRISE, rich Jamaican coffee. That’s right, coffee. You’d be amazed how the nutty, rustic flavors of a good coffee brings out the mineral qualities in a steak and adds greatly to the enjoyment of an earthy, complex wine like this luscious Cab.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Fresh quail, which I found at the local Korean market, also benefits greatly from an intimate association with this wine. Stuffed with fresh Sage, Lemon Sage and Oregano from the garden, then dusted with Sea Salt, a hint of Cajun pepper spice (I use either Gumbo Shop Five-Pepper blend (see their website for direct shipping), or any of Emeril’s spice blends. Sprinkle some olive oil over the skin for a crispy finish and gently pour a half-cup of the wine in the baking dish and tent it with aluminum foil. Bake for about 45 minutes at 425 and, voila, dinner is served. I like to add a side of steamed baby potatoes topped with sea salt and soft Danish or Irish butter to complete the culinary picture. Some sliced heirloom or multi-colored cherry tomatoes add a sweet/salty flavor contrast.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;">Try it with your own favorite red wine and food pairings. Clos Du Val 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon is sure to delight in almost any food setting. Be sure to save a glass for savoring after the meal by the backyard fire pit as you watch the sunset on these beautiful late summer evenings. For more information, visit closduval.com.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-family: "Arial Black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-85631699733770685912020-08-17T11:48:00.002-07:002020-08-24T09:07:12.240-07:00Wine of the Week-Quinta De Santiago Alvarinho Reserva 2018-$17.59<p> <span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">WINE OF THE WEEK-SANTIAGO ALVARINHO RESERVA 2018-$17.59</span></p><p><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeaFxR32_zvMz-XEKp8PgIDSRudMARjKIRrh62OZitrhNsxqUm6xiNPP-woLhyphenhyphenDs1Cb4zMGv1vbsC3HUvOPXnJgmALjmqrAX32P7q162jjG_y11rVtA32y5ELW_r0XL-h2G50Z4gJA50/s907/0-1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="907" data-original-width="680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijeaFxR32_zvMz-XEKp8PgIDSRudMARjKIRrh62OZitrhNsxqUm6xiNPP-woLhyphenhyphenDs1Cb4zMGv1vbsC3HUvOPXnJgmALjmqrAX32P7q162jjG_y11rVtA32y5ELW_r0XL-h2G50Z4gJA50/s640/0-1.jpg" /></a></div><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">By Dwight Casimere<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">Fresh flowers. Hints of jasmine and orange blossoms, with flavors of fresh Asian pears and a faint touch of mint, Quinta De Santiago Alvarinho Reserva 2018 ($17.59), is the elegant, rich, and full-bodied white wine you’ve been waiting for. From Portugal’s Vinhos Verde region, and specifically, the Sub-region of Moncao and Melgaco, its the wine you want to have with your favorite dish of Pad Thai, Shrimp Kung Pao, Korean “Candy” Chicken, or Mongolian Ramen.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">Made from 100% Alvarinho grapes, this is the go-to wine for the waning days of summer. With its rich fruit flavor and bright minerality, it goes with a variety of summertime dishes, even lending itself to heartier fare, like a whole salmon roasted on the grill and stuffed with hot and sweet peppers and an abundance of oregano and sage. Because of its close affinity to spicy Asian dishes, I decided to take a cultural leap and try one of the New Orleans favorites that I grew up with, Seafood Gumbo. When you think about it, what goes into an Asian stir-fry and a gumbo isn’t all that different. With the exception of building the ‘Roux’, or rich spicy gravy made with the pan drippings, making a Gumbo isn’t that different from building a stir-fry. The blend of sweet and spicy peppers, fresh garden oregano, sage and garlic and onion and a heady seafood broth derived from fresh Gulf Shrimp and Blue Crab from Galveston and, of course, a splash of Alvarinho, made for a dance party in the mouth. Instead of the usual fluffy white rice, I used wild rice, which gave the dish an added nutty flavor that melded just perfectly with the Alvarinho.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">This is a finely crafted wine, using both old world and modern techniques to create a truly unique expression of Alvarinho. The wine is harvested by hand and the grapes are pressed gently to extract the concentrated juice. A short pre-fermentation maceration and the juice is off to temperature controlled cold fermentation before being aged in French oak barrels (70%), and stainless steel tanks (30%). The wine is allowed to remain on the lees until bottling. The distinctively shaped green bottle caresses the golden colored wine with flecks of spring green, a hint of the elegance therein.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;">For a white wine, Santiago Alvarinho Reserva has a lot of backbone. It’s imbued with 14% alcohol, which gives it substantial legs and a hefty mouth feel that is unique for a white wine. The freshness and mineral character and pronounced aromatics derives from its unique micro-terroir along the Minho River. Protected from marine influences of the Atlantic, the wine stands out from others in the region, giving it a distinct expression of the Alvarinho grape. Versatile with all kinds of seafood, chicken, veal, or just a plate of cheese and some nice sausages and cured meats, this is a wine for every mood. If you’re still on self-imposed lockdown with the pandemic, you couldn’t ask for a more pliable companion. Quinta De Santiago, Alvarinho Reserva 2018-$17.59. From Portugal with Love! Visit quintadesantiago.pt for more details.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: cambria; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span face="" style="font-family: "arial black"; font-size: 16pt;"> </span></p>Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-23174832882407665432019-07-04T15:22:00.005-07:002020-08-17T11:48:34.458-07:00Vesuvius Wines a Gift from Campania Italy near NaplesVolcanic Wines are complex and food friendly due to rich mineral soils from Mount Vesuvius<br />
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by Dwight Casimere<br />
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Among the many new wines appearing on shelves in fine wine shops and on wine lists in savvy restaurants around the country are the wines of the Campania region of Italy which is situated along the south western coast of Italy near the capital city of Naples. It's one of the oldest wine growing regions of Italy dating back to the Greeks who first cultivated grapes there in the 8th century B.C. It became part of the Roman Empire when the Etruscans incorporated it and began cultivating wine in the 4th century B.C. After that, the land became subject to an alphabet soup of overlords, including the Visigoths (yes, there were such people outside of the old Prince Valiant comic strips), Lombards, Byzantines, Normans, Spanish, Austrians and French. The region finally became part of the Italian unification of the late 19th century, a definite turning point.<br />
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In early June, officials and winemakers from the Consortia Tutelar Vini Vesuvius held a Tasting Dinner in the Atrium Dining Room of New York's Il Gattopardo Restaurant located in the historic Rockefeller Townhouses in midtown Manhattan. In attendance were </div>
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The story of Campania wines reads like the libretto of an Italian opera. Born of tragedy, the grapes are nurtured in the mineral rich volcanic soils left behind by the cataclysmic eruption of the volcano Mount Vesuvio, which destroyed Pompeii and Herculaneum in 79 AD. The wines remain unchanged to this day, made primarily from the indigenous grapes of the trime, which were rendered free of the Phylloxera virus which destroyed the majority of the indigenous grapes in all of Europe because the virus can't survive in ash. Thus, these local varietals, with names that sing out like a Neapolitan opera, Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio (the tears of Christ of Vesuvio), Campi Flegrei, Ischia and Capri DOCs., along with Falanghia and Galluccio, another primary DOC, have survived to be nurtured today. Add in the names of Greco di Tufo and Fiano, Biancolella, Forastera, Olivella and Coda di Volpe, named for their shapes, the olive and fox's tail respectively, and you have a thumbnail sketch of the rich and varied wines that account for these food-friendly wines. Aspirino is the foundation of the regions local sparkling wine, Asprinio di Aversa. Its a refreshing, lighthearted aperitif that literally dances on the tongue, much like the feel of pronouncing its name. </div>
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The wines of Vesuvio DOC are all made with organic and sustainable practices, another plus.</div>
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A handful of the wines have been introduced to the United States and will be avilable in coming weeks on restaurant wine lists and at fine wine retailers near you. The wines are best with foods readily associated with the city of Naples and the Campania region. Try anything made with fresh tomatoes or basil, such as a spicy tomato sauce with fresh basil, grated Parmesan cheese or a lasagna-type layered casserole made with Baccala (salted cod fish) olives, and, of courses, fresh tomato sauce. A dessert favorite is Rum Babba with a nice coffee or chocolate flavored Biscotti as a crunchy aside with a glass of two of Aspirino. Buon Appetito!</div>
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These are just a few of the wines of Vesuvio DOP that you may encounter. :</div>
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-Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio bianco from DeFalco Vini-$18</div>
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The wine is made from the region's flagship Lacryma Christi grape which is grown at a very high altitude in rich, volcanic soils. The grapes are picked by hand and pressed very softly and fermented at consistently cold temperatures to preserve the intense fruit character of the grapes. The result is an intensely flavorful wine bursting from tropical fruit and citrus flavors with hints of pineapples, banana and peach nectar. The volcanic soils give the wines an added boost of mineral flavor and structure, making it perfect with a hearty meal of fatty white fish, shellfish and rich tomato sauces and flavorful cheeses. This is a wine to serve with pride at any meal.</div>
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-Cantine Matrone Territorio de' Matroni DOC 2016-$25</div>
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This is a wine created from old vines indigenouse Piedirosso and Aglianico grapes from ther estates own Monaco and Camoanariello vineyards. The soil is a volcanic mix of sand, lava and basalt, giving it a rich mineral base. Cold Fermented in stainless steel tanks with natural yeasts for two weeks on the skins to give it richness and color, it is then pumped over where it undergoes spontaneous malolactic fermentation for a total of three weeks fermentation. The wine is then allowed to age in large wooden tanks for 14 months before resting again for 10 months in stainless steel. The result is an unmistakably local wine bursting with rich, dark berry flavors and overtones that hint of the tastes of olives and local capers, a bit of white, black and green peppercorn blend, a touch of licorice and a surprising afternote of balsam, perhaps from the underlying richness of the volcanic soil. If you're a fan of game meats, like venison, pheasant of duck, this is the wine for you. But its equally at home with spicy Asian or Indian dishes or even your favorite down-home Chile recipe!</div>
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-Cantina del Vesuvio Lacryma Chirsti Rosato DOC 2018-$22.99</div>
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The wine gets is captivating color from gently pressing the grapes in order to also preserve the kaleidoscopic range of aromas and fruit flavors from its 100% Aglianico grapes which is aged entirely in stanless steel tanks. Aromas of a bouquet of fresh cut flowers are followed with the flavors of white peaches, honey, strawberries and raspberries with just a hint of honey colored raisins. This is a surprisingly complex wine that goes beautifully with grilled fish, a platter of mixed cheeses, salamis and hams and a whole range of light meats and vegetables taken right off the grill. This is truly the wine of summer. </div>
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-Russo Family Black Label Line Vesuvio Lacryma Christi Rosso DOP Riserva 2014-$24</div>
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Ruby red, like the lava of Vesuvius, this is an unbelievable value considering the complexity of this beautifully made wine. Made from indigenous grapes grown in rich, volcanic soils that basked in warm afternoon sun and cooled nights and mornings by Mediterranean breezes, it was then fermented in stainless steel and allowed to age in small oak barrels 6 months before resting another 6 months in the bottle. This is a wine that truly represents the tradition of fine winemaking in the Vesuvio. Enjoy it with aged cheeses and rich meat sauces, or for a variatrion, a vegetable lasagna made with fresh eggplant, basil and rich tomato sauce and a hearty mix of soft cheeses. Sprinkle in a layer of crushed olives to give it an added zing. That will bring out the rich, complex flavors of the wine.</div>
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-Casa Vinicola Setaro "Munazei" 2018-$12</div>
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This is a real value wine worth twice the price in terms of its quality and flavor. Made from the ancient black-skinned Piedrosso grape, which is found throughout Campania. Known for its rich black fruit flavors and rich mineral backbone, the wine is a natural with just about any Italian dish, particularly those made with tomatoes. Rich, earthy flavored tomatoes are everywhere in the region, along with olives and just about every dish from the region features one or both. Baccala or Bacalao, salted cod, is another food that is common in the region and shows up in various incarnations. Surprisingly, this is a red wine that goes with all of the above and more. Served lightly chilled, it goes with many fish and vegetarian dishes. This was my favorite of all.</div>
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-Az. Agr. Sorrentino "Vigna Lapillo DOP 2015-$18</div>
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Another favorite. This blend of 80% Caprettone and 20% Falanghina is hand-picked then fermented in stainless steel at cold temperatures and matured in oak barrels for ten months. This is a fresh tasting wine with well integrated tannins. The wine is eminently drinkable with refreshing notes of ripe red berries and hints of balsamic vinegar and a back note of ripe olives. The wine truly speaks to the region and the soil from which it came. Each sip reveals a bit more of its distinctive character, made even more luscious with a bite of locally inspired food. Great mouthfeel with a nice long finish, its easy to go through two bottles of this at lunch or dinner without noticing. And at this price, buy an extra bottle for later!</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-64883327614493585572019-05-19T16:08:00.003-07:002019-05-19T16:08:23.615-07:00WINES OF MONTECUCCO REVEAL SECRETS OF TUSCANY'S UNSUNG REGION<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">by Dwight Casimere</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Giovan Battista Basile (l), Vice President of the </span><a href="https://colangelopr-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1MOMEtYc2Ox_fpCRPhRoFb3KyuJMSa-DyKms4xVbIpJc-0&key=YAMMID-37976314&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.consorziomontecucco.it%2Fen%2Fconsortium%2F" style="color: #1155cc; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">Montecucco Consortium</a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">, its Communications Manager Silvia Coppetti (r), and Laura Maniec Fiorvanti (c), Master Sommelier and owner of Corkbuzz.</span><br />
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The tasting seminar at Corkbuzz Wine Studio<br />
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Sangiovese wines from Montecucco<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Grilled lamb chop in herbs with rapini and roasted potatoes were the perfect main course accompaniment</span><br />
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Montecucco is a very new denominatin in Italy and is Tuscany's best kept secret. Wines of the region are finally coming into their own, thinks to the high quality and distinctive character of these wines which are primarily made from Italy's most planted grape, Sangiovese. What makes Montecucco Sangiovese difference from all the others is its taste, brought about by its unique climate and soil conditions. Organic production is the norm rather than the exception, with 68% of its vines produced under organic conditions.</div>
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Montecucco is nestled in the south of Tuscany between two more famous neighbors, Morrellino di Scansano and the little town of Montalcino which produces t he regal Brunello di Montalcino.</div>
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Located inland from the coast of the Maremma, Montecucco is presided over by Mounte Amiata, an extinct volcano which lends its mineral rich soils to the grapes that grow on its slopes and in the valley below. The vines further benefit from the dry climate created by the Mount, which protects them from the storms brewing over the Tyrrhennian Sea.</div>
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Montecucco wines are beautifully structured wines with depth and excellent flavors of dark fruit and spice.The wines are terrific now, but they also have great potential for cellaring. They really come to life with food, and that's where the wines are most at home; on the dining table.</div>
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Cork buzz Wine Studio in Manhattan's Union Square was the setting for the U.S. preview of the new vintages of Montecucco wines. Presided over by Giovan Battista Basile, Vice President of the Montecucco Consortium and its Communications Manager Silvia Coppetti, the event was hosted by Laura Fiorvanti (formerly Laura Maniec), Master Sommelier and owner of Corkbuzz. </div>
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Giovan Battista Basile, Vice President of the <a href="https://colangelopr-dot-yamm-track.appspot.com/Redirect?ukey=1MOMEtYc2Ox_fpCRPhRoFb3KyuJMSa-DyKms4xVbIpJc-0&key=YAMMID-37976314&link=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.consorziomontecucco.it%2Fen%2Fconsortium%2F" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">Montecucco Consortium</a>, its Communications Manager Silvia Coppetti, and Laura Maniec Fiorvanti, Master Sommelier and owner of Corkbuzz.</div>
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The Montecucco Tasting Lunch featured 10 new releases, three of which are not yet imported to the United States. Each of the wines had a unique taste and characteristics, although they were all made from the Sangiovese grape. As explicated by Giovan Battista Basile and Silvia Coppetti, the wines also had their own unique stories to tell. When combined with the excellent cuisine prepared by the Corkbuzz culinary staff; Brown Butter Cauliflower with capers, garlic and lemon pecorino, Grilled Lamb Chop with rapini, roasted potatoes and tomato, and dessert of a Duet of Cheeses (Pecorino Toscano, Bianco Sardo), the wines literally exploded with flavor and came into their own. </div>
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Below is a listing of the wines presented and their suggested retail prices:</div>
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<i>Montenero Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2016 N/A</i></div>
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Peteglia Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2016<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$25.00</b></div>
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<i>Poggio Stenti "Tribulo"<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2016<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG N/A</i></div>
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Amantis Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2015<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$30.00</b></div>
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<i>Maciarine Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2015<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva N/A</i></div>
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ColleMassari "Poggio Lombrone"<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2015<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$69.99</b></div>
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Parmoleto Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2015<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$40.00</b></div>
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Basile "Ad Agio"<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2013<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$49.00</b></div>
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Le Calle "Poggio D’Oro" Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2013<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$38.00</b></div>
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Tenuta L'Impostino "Viandante"<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>2012<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span>Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva<span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b>$35.00</b></div>
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<b>Here are some of the highlights from the luncheon seminar, based on my tasting notes:</b></div>
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The hands down favorite of the afternoon was the Peteglia Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG 2016 at a mere $25 a bottle. In addition to its tremendous value, the wine really delivered in the all-around flavor category. Besides its initial impression of ripe, delicious dark red fruit, the wine had a nice, soft finish. It was almost like something you'd find in a really nice Oregon Pinot Noir. There was one distinction, the volcanic soil of the region gave it a robustness that you would normally find in wines that were aged longer. Aged in large oak barrels, the wine has a nice relaxed feel about it and a roundness that comes from also allowing the wine to age in the bottle before release. Unless you're absolutely desperate to impress your guests with the price tag of the wine you're serving, you can't lose with this on your lunch or dinner table.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">ColleMassari "Poggio Lombrone" 2015 Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva ($69.99) is a shining example of what this unique area of Tuscany is all about. The wine reveals layers of rich fruit flavor, combined with savory herbs, hints of licorice, coffee and shaved cedar, the kinds of complexity found in the finest red wines of Europe. Such elegance and authority would cost considerably more from someplace else, but consider this wine a bargain at well under a hundred dollars. For that special meal of roasted leg of lamb with fresh thyme or oregano, or a nicely grilled whole salmon stuffed with garlic and herbs, this is a wine that keeps delivering with every sip!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Le Calle "Poggio D’Oro" Riserva</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2013</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG Riserva</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><b><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">$38, was my third pick. This was a wine designed for contemplation and enjoyment with just some aged cheese or a fine aged steak and some savory Rosemary potatoes and a bit of broccolini tossed lightly in hot olive oil and garlic with a splash of lemon. The less you fuss around with making the food complicated, the more you'll enjoy this wine. It packs a lot of flavor in the bottle. Lean and simple is best as far as accompaniments. Better yet, crack open a bottle, let it breath for a half hour and sip it slowly as you listen to your favorite music. </span></b><br />
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-47250070768011007312019-05-07T04:43:00.005-07:002019-05-08T07:28:37.344-07:00RAMON BILBAO WINES OF RIOJA SPAIN: ONE OF THE WORLD'S MOST ADMIRED WINE BRANDS FOR 2019RODOLFO BASTIDA, WINEMAKER SINCE 1999 DEBUTS NEW RELEASES FROM RIOJA<br />
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RODOLFO BASTIDA-WINEMAKER TO RAMON BILBAO AND DIRECTOR OF WINE DIVISION-ZAMORA COMPANY LA RIOJA, SPAIN<br />
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by Dwight Casimere<br />
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NEW YORK- Manhatta Restaurant, high above the towering skyscrapers of New York's Financial District was the intimate setting for the U.S. debut of the latest releases of wines from Ramon Bilbao of Rioja, Spain. Established in 1924, it is currently the fastest growing winery in the Spanish market and is recognized as one of the World's Most Admired Wine Brands for 2019 by DRINKS International.<br />
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Rodolfo Bastida, the company's affable winemaker since 1999 presented a dazzling array of vintages, dating back to 1999, with a selection of delectable cuisine specially prepared for the occasion by the culinary team at Manhatta. The presentation showcased the versatility of the wines, primarily comprised of the Tempranillo grape, Spain's flagship indigenous variety.<br />
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Ramon Bilbao Lalomba Rose, wine composed of 90% Garnacha and 10% Viura, was the introductory wine, served both as an aperitif and with the first course.<br />
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Ramon Bilbao Winemaker Rodolfo Bastida with Dwight Casimere at Manhatta NYC<br />
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The dramatic view of the East River and Financial District from Manhatta, 60th flr 28 Liberty<br />
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Paired with a variety of flavors; from Lemon Caesar Salad with Baby Gem Lettuce and Anchovy and Steelhead Trout Crudo with Fennel, Citrus and Puffed Grains, to the entrees of Seafood Risotto with Lobster, Shrimp and Cipollni Onions and Wagyu Beef Coulotte, with Turnips, Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms, the wines displayed a remarkable flexibility.<br />
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Steelhead Trout Crudo paired nicely with both red and white wines<br />
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Below: Wagyu Coulotte with Turnips, Brussels Sprouts and Mushrooms<br />
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Below: Seafood Risotto<br />
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Colangelo Partners Lydia Richards with Ramon Bilbao Gran Reserva 2011<br />
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For example, Ramon Bilbao Mirto 2014, a 100% Tempranilo ($60), proved equally at home with both the seafood and the Wagyu Beef. The beauty of this wine is its depth. With the aroma of warm blackberry pie giving way to flavors of ripened berries and hints of shaved cinnamon and allspice brought about by fermentation in wooden vats and 19 months of aging in French oak, the wine is made in a luxurious classical style that makes it a perfectly elegant dinner wine.<br />
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Its deep, Garnet color literally dances with back-lighted flecks of Rubies in the glass. The long, satisfying finish makes you long for more.<br />
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The 1999 Vina Turzaballa, a 100% Tempranillo ($48), was the real show-stopper of the afternoon. Aged for 40 months in American Oak from Ohio and Missouri, the wine benefited from cold maceration on the skins for several days, which gave it exceptional backbone and complexity.<br />
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Ramon Bilbao Gran Reserva 2011 ($35), with its blend of 90% Tempranillo, 6% Graciano and 4% Mazuelo is an excellent example of the true art of the winemaker. After two days of cold maceraton and a short fermentation, the juice is allowed to macerate on the skins for 9 days. It is then aged for 3 years in American Oak. The resulting wine is rich with layers of flavors ranging from blackberries and ripened plums, to an overlay of dark Bing cherries and bits of candied licorice and undertones of black pepper and currants.<br />
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Vina Turzaballa and (below) Gran Reserva 2011 followed by Mirto 2004<br />
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Grown in complex sandy and gravelly soils with limestone sediment. the wine has a backbone of minerals that gives it added structure. This is the perfect dinner wine. It is also perfect as a stand-alone for contemplation and enjoyment with a bit of dry-aged cheese, smoked meat or fish and assorted nuts. For the true connoisseur, a Fonseca cigar is the ideal match!<br />
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Save the Ramon Bilbao Gran Reserva 2004 ($30) for last. This is a classic Rioja wine, with flavors of bright, red fruit, and hints of Heirloom tomatoes, dill and vanilla. The finish is long and persistent with plenty of berries and spices dancing abundantly on your tongue. A smoky finish with hints of leather gives it a nice twist at the end. A Flan or Chocolate Tarte will go nicely.<br />
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<br />Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-82941802783918310752019-05-02T04:32:00.001-07:002019-05-02T04:32:36.103-07:00ASK DR. RUTH NOW IN THEATRES EVERYWHERE<br />
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LINES AROUND THE BLOCK AT TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL FOR NEW YORK PREMIERE</div>
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BIO DOCUMENTARY PULLS THE COVERS BACK ON THE NATION'S POP SEX THERAPIST</div>
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by Dwight Casimere<div>
Reviewed at the Tribeca Film Festival and the Miami Film Festival</div>
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Dr. Ruth Westheimer is perhaps the most recognizable personality on the planet. In fact, she was the first celebrity to be known simply by her first name; Dr. Ruth. She's done everything but fly into outer space. She's been to the White House, spoken before the United Nation's, was sung to by Kermit The Frog on Sesame Street. She's even been parodied on Seinfeld. But, for someone who is so ubiquitous, very little is known about her life. Who is the real Dr. Ruth? She says it just as bluntly as she discusses sex on the nation's airwaves in the unflinching documentar, Ask Dr. Ruth, now in theatres everywhere; "I am an orphan of the Holocaust, not a Holocaust survivor"</div>
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Documentary filmmaker Ryan White rolls back the covers to reveal the true, unvarnished story behind this diminutive dynamo. With her distinctive thick German accent and elf-like personage, Dr. Ruth has afixed herself for all time in the nation's bedrooms. Few who have heard her call-in radio show or seen her on syndicated TV know her real story. Ask Dr. Ruth lets her tell her own story, as only she can. Combined with White's unblinking camera, mixed with archival footage, TV and radio broadcasts, photos and brilliantly conceived animation, it is one of most wholly satisfying and thorough biographical films of its type. </div>
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White's camera follows her in the days leading up to her 90th birthday. Born Karola Ruth Siegel in 1928 in Weisenfeld, a tiny idyllic burg outside Frankfurt, Germany, she was sent to a safe-haven in Switzerland as part of the Kindertransport after her father was taken by the Nazis. She lived in and was schooled at a orphanage there, keeping in touch with her parents via letters. When the letters stopped coming in 1941, she feared the worst, but persevered. It was not until much later that she learned that her parents had been murdered in the Holocaust, possibly at Aushwitz.</div>
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One little unknown fact about Dr. Ruth is revealed in the film, the diminutive 92 year old was once a sniper! Having emigrated to British controlled Palestine after the War, she was recruited into the Haganah in Jerusalem, where she was trained as a scout and crack sniper. She was severely wounded in an explosion during the Israeli War of Independence in 1948 and had to learn to walk all over again. From there, she emigrated to France, where she studied and taught psychology at the University of Paris. Armed with a 1,500 dollar stipend from the World Bank earmarked for the Kindertransport high school graduates from the orphanage, Westheimer used the money to secure transport on a ship bound for New York. As the sight of the iconic Statue of Liberty came into view, an harmonic conversion of events were set in motion that created the nation's first pop sex therapist. </div>
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It was after receiving a Master Degree at the New School and earning a Doctorate at Columbia's Teachers College, that lightning struck. She came under the tutelage of the famed Dr. Helen Singer Kaplan, whose pioneering research virtually invented the discipline of sex therapy. The rest, as they say, is history. </div>
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After giving a riveting lecture to New York educators on the need for sex education, she was offered a 15 minute radio show on public radio station WYNY after no one else on the faculty wanted to do it.The show, which ran after midnight on Sundays, became an overnight (literally) hit. It wasn't long before she would move from a local public radio station to national radio syndication which evolved into television. Thus, a national sex therapy institution was born.</div>
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Ask Dr. Ruth is a film that both informs and inspires. At 92 years old, Dr. Ruth is more recognizable than the Pope, published some 40 books with more on the way, and has a lecture and TV appearance schedule that would exhaust a person a third her age. Its a film rich in visual texture and substantive message. Take the family. They may want to even sit through it more than once. Its that good.</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-43670760055073905322019-03-28T16:36:00.001-07:002019-03-28T16:36:13.637-07:00WINE OF THE WEEK: LUCE LUCENTE 2016 TOSCANA IGT-$22<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Great vineyard make great wine in Montalcino Tuscany</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>by Dwight Casimere</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Luce started as a daring project over 20 years ago to create, first of all, exceptional vineyards in Montalcino, that resulted in great wines. It was Luce where the Sangiovese grapes for Luce Brunello was born. It is a wine that is a tribute to the excellent wines created in Montalcino in the second half of the 19th century. Their's was the first wine to achieve the now coveted DOCG (Denominazione d'Origine Controllata e Garantita rating, the highest of all quality and among Italy's first Super Tuscans!</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Lucente is the second wine of Luce, most commonly called by those in the trade as "second label." Don't let that designation deceive you. This is a wine that struts its stuff in contemporary style, with a respectful nod to its elder sibling. This is an authentic interpretation of Montalcino and the Luce estate in particular.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Owned by the Marchesi de' Frescobaldi family of Florence and the Robert Mondavi family of Napa Valley, the two joined forced to create Lucente. The wine is made with the utmost care. It is a powerful expression of both Italy's native grape Sangiovese and the International mainstay Merlot. </b></span></div>
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Dwight Casimere with Lamberto Frescobaldi at a recent South Beach Wine and Food Festival<br />
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Wtih Hon. President Leonardo Frescobadi At the Mormoreto unveiling Time Warner Center NYC<br />
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Robert Mondavi at his 90th Birthday Celebration at the winery in Oakville<br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>His son, Michael Mondavi and his family in the vineyards</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The wine is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel vats for 12 days before undergoing an additional 22 days of maceration or contact on the skin to add richness and depth to the wine before aging for a year in a combination of new and re-issued small wooden barrels.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>The 2016 vintage ($22) experienced a spring punctuated by numerous rain showers tempered by a mild climate and an early budding phase for both the Merlot and Sangiovese grapes. Summer was exceptionally dry, but there were enough significant rain events at the beginning, the middle and the end of August, to mitigate that effect. The grapes matured gradually and completely, coaxed along by the mild temperatures and absence of stress. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>Careful nurturing in the vineyard and equally patient husbandry in the winery resulted in a wine of exceptional quality.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>From first pour, Lucente 2016 is well-balanced and well integrated. Its vivid, Garnet jewel color and gleam is a clear sign of its careful aging. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>There's much to say for this wine, even with the first sip. There are layers of aromas and flavors; blackberries, ripe black cherries, plums and hints of lavender, olives, with back notes of muti-colored peppercorns, baking spices and sandalwood and a final flavoring of silky caramel that speaks for its soft tanins and augments its long, satisfying finish. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>This is a terrific wine to drink all alone or with some delicious soft ripe cheeses. Its also a great dinner wine with Eggplant Parmesan, lightly pounded veal or chicken breasts in a lemon-butter sauce or sauteed shrimp with fresh Basil leaves and light tomato/vodka sauce over freshly made linguine. Serve slightly chilled and let your imagination soar. </b></span></div>
Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-776178971992147792019-03-27T18:47:00.003-07:002019-03-27T18:47:31.924-07:00SAN FRANCISCO FANCY FOOD SHOW PRESENTS SALIVATING SPECIALTIES FOR SPRING<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>LATEST TRENDS IN GOURMET FOODS NOW ON SPECIALITY STORE SHELVES</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>by Dwight Casimere</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Spring is finally here. Time to warm up the barbecue grill, sweep off the patio and roll out the lawn furniture and get ready for outdoor cooking and dining fun! Good weather brings garden parties, leisurely buffets and languid weekend afternoons lingering over a glass of Prosecco. The San Francisco Winter Fancy Food Show at Moscone Center provided a sneak peak at many of the delicacies that are now on the shelves and in the fresh food cases of your local specialty stores and gourmet shops. Pre-cooked Kobe Beef from Japan, ready-to-eat gourmet pasta sauces, giant wheels of Parmesan from Italy, luscious Serrano hams from Spain and sumptuous soft-ripened cheeses from France were just a few of the mouth-watering treats to savor. Here's a sneak peek at some of delights you can look for.</b></span><br />
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Jan Craens Kaaslust-Veenhuizen, Netherlands<br />
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Sean McEniry (c) USHICHAN Farm Company, Japan External Trade </div>
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Ready-to-Eat Kobe Beef</div>
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Pierre Bagador Consortium du Jambon (Ham Consortium) Bayonne, France</div>
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Gianni Gaitelli-MARCOS Salamanica, SotoSerrano, Spain (Serrano Ham from Spain)</div>
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<br />Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-22835075681611333782019-03-20T11:21:00.002-07:002019-03-20T11:21:41.257-07:00WINE OF THE WEEK-DRY CREEK CHARDONNAY DCV 2015-$34<div style="border: 0px; color: #292b2d; font-family: BentonSans, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: inherit; margin-top: 20px; outline-width: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
DRY CREEK IS SONOMA COUNTY'S PREMIERE PRODUCER OF SUSTAINABLY GROWN WINES</div>
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Dry Creek Valley Estate Vineyards<br />
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In the vineyards at harvest in 2015<br />
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Dry Creek Founder David Stare (r) with his daughter, Dry Creek President Kim Stare Wallace (c) and her husband Don (l)</div>
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by Dwight Casimere</div>
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Dry Creek is one of the premiere family owned wineries in Sonoma County and its estate grown wines are among top-rated vintages according to all of the major wine publications. Founded by David Stare 46 years ago, the winery is now led by the family's second generation. As president, his daughter, Kim Stare Wallace and her husband Don, have led the way for sustainable vineyard practices, resulting in wines of unparalleled quality and taste. Dry Creek DCV Estate 2015 Chardonnay ($34) is a shining example of Sonoma County Chardonnay. Grown within the winery's 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards, the wine is the beneficiary of ideal growing conditions. With healthy, volcanic soils and cool, damp night and morning temperatures brought on by breezes from the nearby Pacific Ocean and warm, sunny days that promote ripening and the development of complex sugars, there is no better example of Chardonnay since the grape departed its original home in Burgundy France.</div>
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Aromas of freshly baked apple pie and flavors of crisp, green apples and Bosc pear with hints of cinnamon and clove baking spices and an undertone of tarragon and shaved lemon zest literally burst forth. The wine further benefits from careful and long oak aging, which adds to the mature flavor and elegance of this wine. Its perfect with a smorgasbord of spring flavors; crisp fruit and vegetable salads, assorted vegetable crudite with a sour cream or avocado dip and an array of ripened soft cheeses come to mind. A creamy lobster or shrimp salad sandwich or a fluffy spinach omelette enhanced by a dollop of soft ripened Sonoma goat's cheese is another combination that comes to mind. Let your spring fancy take control. </div>
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Don't forget the grill. Salmon quick-cooked over applewood or marinated lamb ribs or some rosemary and lemon marinated quail or young, farm-raised organic chickens and tarragon or dill shrimp on the skewer with chunks of fresh salmon, make for a delightful afternoon al fresco.</div>
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This versatile wine is also great just by itself. Served well chilled, sit back on the patio and drink in the warm spring air and imagine the soft late morning ocean breezes that make this wine one of the pristine gems of the Dry Creek Valley.</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-91402971645992371642019-03-17T16:09:00.000-07:002019-03-17T21:02:38.843-07:00MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL: FLORIDA PREMIERE-MILES DAVIS:BIRTH OF THE COOL-DIRECTED BY STANLEY NELSON<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, Marquee Presentation; Stanley Nelson Director, Documentary Achievement Award, Florida Premiere</span><br />
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Dwight Casimere with Director Stanley Nelson at the Miami Film Festival<br />
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by Dwight Casimere</div>
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Director Stanley Nelson (The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution) casts a filmmaker's Kleigl light on one of the most enigmatic and enduring musical figures of the last century in Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, which had its Florida Premiere at the Miami Film Festival. </div>
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With numerous never-before-seen video and still images of the 'Picasso of Modern Jazz" interlaced with revealing interviews by entimes such as long-time wife and muse Francis Taylor Davis, who at 80, offered the most illuminating insights into his prismatic character, the French chanteuse Juliette Greco, an early flame during his life-changing matriculation in Paris, to musical historian Stanley Crouch, jazz impresario George Wein and fellow musical compatriots and collaborators Wayne Shorter and Herbie Hancock, among others. The film is a vivid portrait of an artist who defies category, yet remains one of the most significant cultural signposts of modern times. </div>
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Miles Davis has won more Grammy Awards than any jazz musician in history. With 23 nominations, he has won 16 Grammys, including 7 Grammy Hall of Fame awards and two Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards. Only the great Duke Ellington comes even close.</div>
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Born in Alton, Illinois in 1926, to a father who, as a dentist and farmer, was the second richest man in Illinois, Black or White, Miles Dewey Davis seemed destined for greatness. An early stint with the Billy Eckstine Orchestra introduced him to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and that set the dynamics in motion that propelled him to 52nd Street in New York, ground zero for the new musical art form known as bee-bop.</div>
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Davi's' mother had wanted him to study the violin, but, thankfully, his father won over with the trumpet. His father's intention for young Miles to attend Julliard came to an abrupt end, after the fledgling student cried 'foul' to his composition instructor who had launched into a lengthy diatribe on the roots of black jazz in the agony of the slave hollers of the South. Without hesitation, Davis shouted from the back of the classroom "You're a damed liar!!!" Thus an otherwise promising tenure at Julliard flamed into ashes. </div>
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52nd Street welcomed Miles with open arms and his career flourished. An appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival, in which he introduced his novel technique of nestling his muted horn directly into the microphone, thus creating a hushed, intimate sound that was both arresting and mystical, caught the attention of Columbia Record executives who instantly signed him. His subsequent recordings, featuring never-before conceived multi instrumental aggregates wit the likes of John Coltrane, including orchestral settings with the legendary arranger Gil Evans, that bordered on the Classical, quickly catapulted Davis into the mainstream. These recordings became the genesis of the Birth of the Cool, a series of landmark recording sessions that featured arrangements that borrowed more from the likes of French Impressionist composers like Eric Satie and Claude Debussy than the jazz arrangers of the time. The albums featured a virtual whose who of current musical stars, who were celebrated arrangers and composers in their own right; Pete Rugolo produced the sessions (You might remember him as the composer for that great 1960s TV series The Fugitive with David Janssen). Other luminaries onboard included the great pianist and composer John Lewis, who lent several of his arrangements. Likewise, Gil Evans, baritone saxophone master Gerry Mulligan, Lee Konitz, Kai Winding, Kenny Clark on drums, were all part of the rotating cast of musical greats. The recordings were instant sensations and changed the direction of jazz. There had been nothing like the Miles Davis nonet seen before or since.</div>
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Further collaboration with Gil Evans on the Porgy and Bess and Sketches of Spain albums, melded Davis' jazz artistry with orchestral embellishment, which again, crossed all musical boundaries. </div>
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Miles was a mountain of contradictions. He was the epitome of cool with his bespoke Brooks Brothers suits and incandescent colored Feraris. He was also brutal, beating his wives and lovers with the regularity of a metronome beat. </div>
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Delving deeply into Davis's labyrinth of a psyche, including his addiction to pain killers following life-altering encounter with hip surgery and later bouts with lethal combinations of whiskey (and milk), illegal drugs and prescription pills compounded by insane jealousy and spousal abuse, the film holds no bars. Frances Davis recounts one particularly crushing encounter with the famous Davis temper and domestic violence when she innocently commented how handsome his friend and fellow-musician Quincy Jones was. That resulted in a floor-embracing smack-down, that signaled the beginning of the end for their relationship. She also tells how she had been cast by the great Jerome Robbins as the front line dancer for the original production of West Side Story. The male chauvinist in Miles couldn't allow her to outshine him on the Broadway stage and he made her choose between the production and him and their family. She did so reluctantly. In the film she talked of how every opportunity she had to get away from the kids, she would run upstairs to their bedroom to caress her dancing shoes.</div>
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An early vignette focused on his perspective-changing trip to Paris in the 1940s, where he basked in the glory of life without racial prejudice. There is footage of his alchemy. The film shows him scoring the music to Jeanne Moreau's film "Elevator to the Gallows (L'ascenseur pour l'echafaud). Miles stands in the darkened screening room,trumpet in hand, while the film's images unfold before him on the screen. He plays impromptu, while watching the footage of Moreau walking down a darkened street toward some undetermined fate. This is the essence of a creative genius in action!</div>
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His mysterious 'retirement' for more than a half dozen years is also dealt with as well as his reemergence as a cult icon with the hard rock and electro-funk explosion of Bitches Brew, which many consider the bedrock of Hip Hop and Fusion Jazz. Jazz historian Stanley Crouch does his best to debunk the album in his interview, but history and public opinion say otherwise. </div>
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The film also shows another surprising element of Davis' life, his sudden passion for painting and expressionistic art, that also was connected with is pursuit of was his final life-mate, the artist Jo Gelbard, whom he pursued, in her words, "like the Vampire suddenly coming to your door." She shares the gripping details of his final moments during which she was with him at his last breath.</div>
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Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool is an unvarnished look at a genius who is both famed and flawed. Who was at once Promethean and self destructive and who, like Icarus, took the wings of genius beyond reasonable limits and flew too close to the sun. </div>
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Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool, covers far more ground concerning the musician than this review can reflect. You have to see the film to appreciate the full breadth and depth of this man's astounding life. There's one moment, for example, when, just on the eve of t he release of Birth of The Cool, Miles is beaten to a bloody pulp by a racist cop for standing and smoking a cigarette outside the Blue Note, where he was performing. He had just escorted a white female fan and patron to a cab (which I'm sure the cop saw, much to his chagrin), and was promptly told by the cop to move along. Davis, of course, refused, pointing to the club marquee with his name on it. His beating and subsequent arrest drew headlines. Beyond the notoriety, it served to do more. It crystalized in Davis' mind his racial cynicism.<br />
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The documentary is voiced by actor Carl Lumbly, best known for TVs NYPD and Cagney and Lacey. He does a credible job of mimicking Davis' characteristic raspy voice, which was brought on by the musician's refusal to remain silent following surgery to remove a non-cancers malignancy from his throat. In addition to duplicating Davis' voice, the actor bears an uncanny facial resemblance to his subject.</div>
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The film is being distributed by the BBC and will make its way to PBS and American movie theaters sometime in June, according to director Nelson. It is both instructive and revealing, but above all, riveting. Don't miss it.</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-44484707480744493712019-03-01T14:43:00.003-08:002019-03-01T14:43:51.029-08:0036th MIAMI FILM FESTIVAL FORGES THE GENDER GAP, CHALLENGES IMMIGRATION BARRIERS<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dwight Casimere with Grammy-winning Jazz Vocalist Cecile McLorin </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Salvant. The World Premiere of SINGULAR, a documentary film on her life on the festival's opening weekend, which began in her native Miami, is followed by a live performance at Miami's Olympia Theatre </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Dwight Casimere</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The Miami Film Festival is underway with a full roster of challenging films that explore the roles of women and those of the Latin and African diaspora. Nearly a third of the 171 feature-length, documentary and short films are produced by local artists, many of them representing diverse communities. This is the 17th edition of the Miami Film Festival, presented by Miami Dade College.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Opening Night features the documentary <i style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">This Changes Everything</i><span style="color: #333333;">, is a bold call for gender equality in the film industry. It cites devastating statistics that measure women's participation in some roles as low as 2</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span class="gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr_ gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr_343 gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr-alert gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr_gramm gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr_inline_cards gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-gr_run_anim gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-Punctuation gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-only-del gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-replaceWithoutSep" id="gmail-m_805050735561065794gmail-343" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333;">percent,</span><span style="color: #333333;"> </span><span style="color: #333333;">and includes testimony from directors, producers, television network executives, and women actors from Meryl Streep to Amandla Stenberg. Throughout its 97-minute run, the message is clear: Gender parity isn't merely possible — it's easy to achieve if you're genuinely interested in doing so.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>"It's definitely a film that makes a statement," says Jaie Laplante, Miami Film Festival's executive director and director of programming, "and it's a statement we wanted to make."</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b> The success of two filmmakers, born and raised in Miami, who are now racking up Oscars and success: Writer-director Barry Jenkins (“Moonlight,” “If Beale Street Could Talk”), who will appear at this year’s festival on <a href="https://2019.miamifilmfestival.com/events/knight-heroes/" rel="Follow" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #0066b3; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"> as part of the first-ever Knight Heroes </a>masterclass and symposium, and Phil Lord (“21 Jump Street,” “The Lego Movie”), who also shared the Best Animated Feature Film Oscar for writing and co-producing “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.”</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Grammy Award-winning jazz vocalist Cecile McLorin Salvant, another Miami native is showcased in the <span style="color: #262626;">documentary</span><span style="color: #262626;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626;">SINGULAR</span><span style="color: #262626;"> which </span><span style="color: #262626;">wil<wbr></wbr>l have its world premiere at Miami Dade College’s 36th Annual Miami Film Festival, accompanied by a concert by</span><span style="color: #262626;"> </span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #262626;">Cécile McLorin Salvant</span><span style="color: #262626;">, on</span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: #262626; font-size: small;">the stage of downtown Miami's ornate Olympia Theatre. </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The extraordinary rise of Miami’s own Cécile McLorin Salvant, already renowned as one of America’s top jazz vocalists at the age of only 29, is chronicled in this gorgeous love letter by Miami filmmakers Dennis Scholl (<em style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Last Resort</em>) and Marlon Johnson. Singular continues their explorations of intriguing south Florida-based musical stories, including previous Miami Film Festival premieres <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Deep City</em> and <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Sweet Dillard</em>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Anchored around a rapturously pristine recording of a recent McLorin concert at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center, SINGULAR follows Cécile’s story from her Haitian and French heritage roots to her studies in Europe and her breakout successes, winning the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, her Grammy wins, including Best Jazz Vocal Album for 2016, 2018 and 2019.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The roster of films for this year's festival are both compelling and groundbreaking. In addition to the Opening Night offering of This changes Everything, some films of note include Sundance U.S. Documentary favorite Pahokee from filmmakers <em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan World Premiere 2016 Sundance Catalyst Initiative Documentary Short-the Send Off. The film tracks the progress of a trio of teens who attend a small-town high school in South Florida. With sometime work in the local sugar can fields and produce industry warehouses the only options for a livelihood, education and excellence in sports are seen as the pathways out. The film charts the obstacles, successes and pitfalls of the teens, one a bright young woman seeking to become Class President, another, a teen boy whose also a young father who is the school's lead marching band drummer, and the collective struggle of the school's state-championship contending football team, which has its title ripped right from under it by prejudice and a heartless bureaucracy.</em></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: black;"><i>Other films of note include Sorry Angel, a superb character study of the AIDS crisis in Paris in the closing years of the 20th Century by French filmmmaker Christophe Hpnore' who also wrote and appears in the film. Ashe Is The Purest White by master Chinese filmmaker </i></span><span style="color: #343434;"> </span><span style="color: #343434;">Jia Zhangke. It is a kaleidoscopic look at the rapid-fire changes of modern Chinese society through the eyes of an </span><span style="color: #343434; font-size: small;">ambitious quick-witted woman,. Qiao (Tao Zhao) and her mobster boyfriend Bin (Fan Liao) as they stake out their turf against rivals and upstarts in 2001 postindustrial Datong. The film is an epic narrative on the effects of unseen forces in modern society and their pressure-cooker effects on individual lives, which has won recognition at numerous film festivals, including last year's Tribeca and Chicago Film Festivals. The Infiltrators takes directly inside the world of immigrant detainees near the Mexico-U.S. border, many of them Dreamers, who voluntarily have themselves imprisoned in order to lead a movement to free many of those detained inside by a precarious and unfeeling system in 2012, pre-Trump America.</span></b></span></div>
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Miles Davis Birth of the Cool by Filmmaker and Historian Stanley Nelson<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdl3hyphenhyphenX0VAYxlYrDOjRCEkhkmEmwtwc2-kQ7gDN2uC1HBqlF-XJ9fs9yVLkb_Y1Szdd2yQ69YvYsCG0mAqDEKWbSVI3I_MoJiOh1Fp0F23KJ2i54_h5KOsWzcpp7Kmyqbl7Ckik7_ABQ/s1600/JenkinsLord.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1140" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimdl3hyphenhyphenX0VAYxlYrDOjRCEkhkmEmwtwc2-kQ7gDN2uC1HBqlF-XJ9fs9yVLkb_Y1Szdd2yQ69YvYsCG0mAqDEKWbSVI3I_MoJiOh1Fp0F23KJ2i54_h5KOsWzcpp7Kmyqbl7Ckik7_ABQ/s320/JenkinsLord.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Miami both and raised Writer-Director's Barry Jenkins (Academy Award-winning Moonlight, Id Beale Street Could Talk and Phil Lord (Oscar-winning Spider Man: not the Spiderr-Verse will lead a Masterclass and Symposium<b style="color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">”</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtirB9c4WEWtfY7OKMexJq4JhbpiVdQzXzCN-rRun3j-Myp1XBSJWlvo5FCrHpJVsJ7pCV6QZ-ZX3DhlIByw_iVMRbUx07i7zd78sJIh1S1j0-4z4N7f_-_FKiD7Ng-GXQmcVrzB5tffM/s1600/pahokee-publicity_still-h_2019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="523" data-original-width="928" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtirB9c4WEWtfY7OKMexJq4JhbpiVdQzXzCN-rRun3j-Myp1XBSJWlvo5FCrHpJVsJ7pCV6QZ-ZX3DhlIByw_iVMRbUx07i7zd78sJIh1S1j0-4z4N7f_-_FKiD7Ng-GXQmcVrzB5tffM/s320/pahokee-publicity_still-h_2019.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Teen aspirations for a better life are explored in Pahokee, a look at small town life in South Florida<br />
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Local Miami filmmakers gather for a celebratory luncheon at the 36th Miami Film Festival<br />
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Cecile McLorin Salvant at the 2018 Newport Jazz Festival Main Stage/Photo-Dwight Casimere<br />
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Filmmakers <b style="color: #262626; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: black; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ivete Lucas and Patrick Bresnan present Pahokee</em></b><br />
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Below: Novelist Toni Morrison</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #343434; font-size: small;">Miles Davis: Birth of The Cool, is from </span><span style="color: black;">Filmmaker</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="border: 0px; color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stanley Nelson, who</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">has a long track record of documenting African-American history, including his major work</span><span style="color: black;"> </span><em style="border: 0px; color: black; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution</em><span style="color: black;"> </span><span style="color: black;">that demonstrated his ability to navigate highly contested and complicated subject matter.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Filmmaker <span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Stanley Nelson</span> has a long track record of documenting African-American history, including his major work <em style="border: 0px; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution</em> that demonstrated his ability to navigate highly contested and complicated subject matter.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Tony Morrison: The Pieces I Am is a Marquee Presentation from acclaimed filmmaker and photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders, in which the Nobel Prize-winning author turns the camera and her mesmerizing words on her own life and culture-shaping career. In the film, s<span style="color: black; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;">he traces her path from Ohio to Howard University and to publishing world of Manhattan. As a single mother, she raised two sons, maintained a job as a book editor and secretly wrote her own novels on the side. Starting with “The Bluest Eye” and through books like “Song of Solomon” and “Beloved,” she made an enormous contribution to literature.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="border: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Premiering recently at the Sundance Film Festival, to mon mental critical acclaim. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #343434; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> 36th Miami Film Festival, March 1-10. For information, tickets and schedules, visit miamifilmfestival.com.</b></span></div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-29597404210117625792019-02-26T14:30:00.002-08:002019-02-26T14:30:26.236-08:00CA' DI RAJO NOTTI DI LUNA PIENA (NIGHT OF THE FULL MOON) 2013-$27<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">CA' DI RAJO NOTTI DI LUNA PIENA-$27-THE PERFECT MATCHUP FOR MARCH MADNESS</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Story and photos by Dwight Casimere</span><br />
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Outside the Church of the Carmine and the Rai Tower (below) at Ca' Di Rajo<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFxNUa-0pK-iWl6dSm0CfpRXHTaQFbSn2aU2Fq7UiWpvYcerFzdHk1nk_ARyBOWPkas1CP9-Agzd7Of6gQympsPVUXn8EVuCJUO_-ad9_Mk1hlhi2Tdtu0bxUNNJD4lMuwtn49gGyWek/s1600/2015-01-22+15-1.29.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrFxNUa-0pK-iWl6dSm0CfpRXHTaQFbSn2aU2Fq7UiWpvYcerFzdHk1nk_ARyBOWPkas1CP9-Agzd7Of6gQympsPVUXn8EVuCJUO_-ad9_Mk1hlhi2Tdtu0bxUNNJD4lMuwtn49gGyWek/s320/2015-01-22+15-1.29.05.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Exterior of the Carmelite Church and the Cloisters<br />
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Church of the Carmine interior and the vineyards near the Piave River<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>By Dwight Casimere</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Ca' Di Rajo winery is located in the Piave River Valley just north of Venice in an area steeped in legend and history. Famed for its Prosecco sparkling wine, which is derived from both estate grown grapes and those from vineyards along the surrounding "Prosecco Road" which stretches from Valdobbiadene to the idyllic city of Treviso, which is lovingly called the "little Venice." Ca' Di Rajo is a modern wine facility nestled within an historic estate which dates back to the 14th century. The church and the convent buildings founded by Ramobldo XII (Count Collate) were once home to the cloistered Carmelite fathers. Today's winery was envisioned by Marino Cecchetti and is carried forth by his grandson Simone Cecchetti and his mother Sandra Degiusti. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Below: Downtown Treviso the "Little Venice"</b></span></div>
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Ca' De Rajo leader Simone Cecchetti and its founder Marino Cecchetti (below)<br />
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Sandra Degiusti-a guiding light at Ca' Di Rajo<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #222222;">The banks of the River Piave near Ca' Di Rajo in late winter</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>The carefully cultivated vineyards and winery employ modern technology while embracing ancient techniques. Tradition is evident everywhere, with the preservation of the Church of the Carmine and its historic artifacts, and the adjoining remains of the Rai Tower, which stands by the banks where the Piave River flows. the wine is hand harvested in late October to ensure ultimate ripeness and allowed to ferment in oak barrels for 20-25 days in order to extract all of the full fruit flavor. Nearly a third of the grapes are then dried for 40 days before blending back into the wine which is then aged in oak barrels for 3 years before being allowed to rest in the bottle for 6 months before release. The wine is mature and full of rich flavor. With 14.5% alcohol, it packs a wallop for a wine priced at under $30. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>With March Madness set to kick off and BarBQue season just around the corner, consider the food-friendly multi-layered flavor of Ca' Di Rajo Notti di Luna Piena (Night of the Full Moon)-$27. This is a robust red wine with abundant flavor. Think layers of dark red cherries and plums with aromas of crushed violets and lingering flavors in the background of cinnamon, licorice and black pepper with a hint of tobacco and shaved cedar wood. The flavor lasts in the back of the mouth for a long time, making it perfect for an afternoon or evening of game-watching with salami and cheese, popcorn shrimp or jalapeno poppers, buffalo wings and spicy rib tips. My latest find has been a shredded barbque chicken or pork slider slider topped with kosher pickle slicers and 'secret sauce' drizzled with Frank's hot sauce. Perfect!</b></span></div>
Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-837393458675742712019-02-20T10:06:00.003-08:002019-02-20T10:06:43.041-08:00ARTESA 2016 PINOT NOIR LOS CARNEROS/NAPA VALLEY-$44<div style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #473f3c; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Artersa 2016 Pinot Noir a perfect blend of hand harvested grapes from both Napa and Sonoma</b></span></div>
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Sweeping hilltop views of San Pablo Bay and vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma<br />
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Artesa's tasting room combines elements of the fine arts of design and winemaking<br />
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<span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Situated atop a hill overlooking both the Napa and Sonoma Valleys, with sweeping views of San Pablo Bay, Aresa Winery produces vintages that artfully display the best that both wine regions have to offer. In a bottle of its newly released 2016 Pinot Noir are grapes from both its acclaimed hilltop Estate vineyards and grapes from the coveted Sangiacomo Vineyard in the celebrated Carneros district. The result is an intricate and intriguing wine that displays the best of California's two great wine growing regions. Intense red fruit flavors are punctuated by layers of complexity brought about by a mixture of ancient and modern winemaking techniques that both reflects the winery's roots in the Pyrenees of the Basque region of northern Spain and the preeminence of the Napa Valley.</b></span></span></div>
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Vineyards in the shadow of the Pyrenees in northern Spain's Basque country<br />
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<span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>ARTESA 2016 PINOT NOIR LOS CARNEROS/NAPA VALLEY-$44</b></span></span></div>
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<div style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #473f3c; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="background-position: 0px 0px; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>The Pinot Noir grapes were hand harvested at night at the peak of ripeness, then destined and soaked for four days in very cold temperatures in order to slowly extract the color and flavor from the delicately skinned Pinnot Noir grapes. Winemaker Ana Diogo-Draper then isolated about 25% of the juice in French puncheons. All of the wine then underwent three daily punchdowns during fermentation. The wine was then aged in a combination of new and aged French oak barrels to achieve a level of supreme complexity. A nose enveloped in aromas of cherry, strawberries and rhubarb gives way to flavors of raspberry, blueberry, candied cherries and hints of caramel and vanilla bean. The perfectly integrated oak allows for a a satisfying long finish. There Spanish are famous for their lengthy late afternoon and late night eating and drinking sessions, in which small plates of various savory dishes, incorporating local olives, pickled peppers, smoked fish, grilled octopus, various Serano hams and local cheeses made from Sheep's milk. Try you own version of the small bites, called Pintxos in Basque country and Tapas throughout other parts of Spain, and discover your own favorite flavor combinations with this versatile wine. Perfect for drinking throughout the day, it is best with a variety of foods and, of courses, good company.</b></span></span></div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-71970944680110335642019-02-10T22:55:00.001-08:002019-02-10T22:55:03.370-08:00GIBSON'S ITALIA: THE PERFECT MARRIAGE OF THE AMERICAN STEAKHOUSE WITH CUCINA ITALIAGibson's Italia-The perfect marriage of the American Steakhouse with Cucina Italia<br />
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<b>Gibson's Italia</b><br />
<b>233 N. Canal Street</b><br />
<b>Chicago, Il</b><br />
<b>312-414-1100</b><br />
<b>gibsonitalia.com</b><br />
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<span class="gmail-im"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>By Dwight Casimere <div dir="auto">
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With its sweeping views of the Chicago River and cityscape and its carefully curated list of menu favorites from Gibson's famed steakhouse on Rush Street combined with delicacies from the hillsides of Tuscany and Piemonte from its sister restaurant Quarto on North State, Gibson's Italia strikes the perfect chord for exquisite gourmet dining. From the moment of entering its stunningly sleek cocktail lounge area with its expansive well-stocked Premium bar to its upstairs dining room, the feeling is one of sheer luxury. Table placement in the ample dining room allows for intimate conversation and uninterrupted sight lines at every table. Besides the superb food there is an expertly assembled wine list. Knowledgable Sommeliers and servers carefully guide their patrons through the comprehensive list, which is heavily weighed toward select Italian vintages, suggesting wine and food pairings based upon their depth of experience. </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Sommelier Robert Woodford was spot on with his selections of wine pairings. Starting with a glass and of Contratto Millesimato Prosecco from the Valdobbiadene in northern italy paired with the Chef's Crudo Selection of raw Bigeye Tuna with Oyster Crema, combined with Ora King Salmon and Hawaiian Kampachi, a type of native kimchee with fennel, serrano pepper, honey pearls, fennel fronds and hibiscus salt. It is a house specialty<span style="font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit;"> from Executive Chef Jose Sosa. Next came a combination platter of Mozzarella and 24-month aged Prosciutto di San Danille served with grilled housemade bread and compressed melon. To die for. A crispy Kale Salad finished table side served as the Intermezzo before plunging into the sumptuous Main Courses.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Service Manager Tee Efendija kept the massive dining room humming smoothly with the adroit steps of an Alvin Ailey dancer as the entrees arrived--Gibson's signature Grass-fed Australian New York Strip, aged a minimum of 75 days, a Gibson's exclusive, and thick Lamb Chops, grilled to perfection and served in their own juices.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse in <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-22/chicago-is-more-popular-with-tourists-than-ever" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-width: 0px 0px 1px; color: black; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; word-wrap: break-word;" target="_blank">Chicago</a> has been renowned for the quality of its USDA prime beef and the perfection of its ice-cold martinis since it opened its doors on Rush Street in 1989.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Gibson's is Chicago's top-earning independently owned restaurant and is among the nation's top five independent steak houses. Gibson's is the only restaurant group in the country to have its own USDA certification. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Gibson's Italia has been in the works for two years, according to Liz Lombardo, director of marketing, whose father, Steve Lombardo, co-founded the original Gibson's. “We were approached by River Point Complex, who wanted a steakhouse for tenants in the building. Gibson's Gold Coast isn’t too far away, so we decided to try something a little different. with a little steak, and a little Italian."</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Italian specialties are straight out of the hills of Piemonte and the fog-shrouded valleys of Tuscany. Winter white truffles are in season and a specialty of the house is Cacio e Pepe (housemade black pepper infused pasta) with White Truffles from Piemonte, shaved table side. Sommelier Robert Woodford allowed the truffles to steam in the warm pasta in order to release their delicate aromatics. A glass of Bugliono Valpolicella Ripasso, a complex wine from northern Italy, near Verona, which is fermented and then repassed (ripasso) over the left-over must of stems and pulverized grape skins to give it added depth and complexity. With its layers of rich dark berry flavors of black plums, blackberries, licorice and hints of dark chocolate and shaved cinnamon bark and sandalwood, it was the perfect accompaniment to the grilled meats and pungent pasta. A dessert combination of rich Chocolate Tort and Banana Gelato Tart were the ovation-worthy finales.</b></span></div>
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SOMMELIER ROBERT WOODFORD</div>
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GIBSON'S EXCLUSIVE GRASSFED AUSTRALIAN NEW YORK STRIP, AGED 75 DAYS<br />
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CRISPY KALE SALAD SERVED TABLESIDE<br />
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BELOW: GRILLED HOUSEMADE BREAD</div>
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HOUSEMADE CACIO E PEPE WITH SHAVED WHITE TRUFFLE</div>
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PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANILLE</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-24398518798601698122019-02-10T21:56:00.004-08:002019-02-10T21:56:51.453-08:00Wine of the Week-Adriano Adami Vignette Giardino Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore 2017-$18.99<div dir="ltr" style="color: #222222;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>by Dwight Casimere</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Treviso is the ancestral home of Prosecco and the Alta Marca area is renowned for its excellent wines dating as far back as the Middle Ages. Historical records show that as early as 1606, wines were exported from Treviso throughout Europe. </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>After much trial and error, the Glera grape, formerly called the Prosecco grape, became the standard variety used in the making of Prosecco, It is the grape variety of choice in the Alta Marca, home Adriano Adami Prosecco Superiore. It is especially so in the Valdobbiadene, where the variety dominates the steep slopes of its many hillsides. With the Dolomites looming in the background, the region is sheltered from the harsh winds and bathed in the warmth of midday sun, which nourishes the grapes. It was here that Abel Adami purchased a natural amphitheater vineyard where he began nurturing the Glera grape with his son Adriano. History was made in 1933, when Abelhad the intuition to make a presentation to the 1st Mostra Mercato del Vini Tipci d'Italia in Siena. His Riva (the name given to hillside vineyards) Giardino Asciutto was the first real vineyard selection from Valdobbiadene. Adriano Adami continued the family,y tradition. Continuing in his father's footsteps, Adriano made a name for himself, producing quality Prosecco.</b></span><div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #525252;">The 1980s saw the arrival of the third generation, with the newly qualified oenologists Armando and Franco Adami, combining family traditions with specialization and technology. With a modern winemaking and sparkling wine production facility, the brand moved onto new markets and acquired a solid reputation.</span></b></span></div>
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Adami now produces about 750,000 bottles with grapes from 50 hectares of vineyards, 12 of their own land, the rest farmed by other small growers with time-honored links to the winery, and sharing its commitment to quality.</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #525252; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>The historic Giardino Vineyard, purchased in 1920, is a south-facing natural amphitheatre-shaped vineyard. The sparkling wine from its hillside slopes is recognized as the first example of a Prosecco from single vineyard in the whole DOC zone.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #525252; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>It is not only admirably rich and intense n the nose, but it possesses a lovely crisp spiciness, enhanced by hints of apple and peach, surrounded by aromas of delightful wisteria and acacia blossoms. It has a velvety mouthfeel which mirrors the nose, with flavors of fruit tarts and melon cascading to an elegant finish. Serve well chilled with a variety of Focaccia breads, fresh fruits and soft cheeses, A pleasant lunch of Risotto with that Italian favorite baccala, or creamed salted Cod fish, is one of the regional delights that is right at home with Adami Vignette Giardino Prosecco Superiore.</b></span></div>
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Steep hillside vineyards along the "Prosecco Road" above Treviso with the Dolomites in the background<br />
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Two views of the canals in Treviso, known as "The Little Venice"<br />
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Below: On location in the hills above Treviso<br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Risotto al baccalà</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>For the creamed codfish:<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />1 cup moistened dried codfish<span id="m_8218417742474165497m_-6626246274357781019gmail-more-1307" style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Extravirgin olive oil: 1 cup<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Garlic: 1 clove<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Parsley: I bunch, chopped<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />For the risotto:<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Carnaroli rice: 1 and 1/2 cup<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Creamed codfish: 1 cup</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Vegetable broth | Extravirgin oliveoil | White pepper</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Preparation</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>The ingredient that gives great character to this risotto al baccalà, or risotto with dried cod, is generally bought in specialty delicatessens. Its preparation, though straightforward, is fairly laborious, since the dried codfish must be re-hydrated for at 24 hours under running water. Then boil it for ten minutes or so, remove the skin and bones, which will go into the preparation of the broth. Once the flesh is flaky, turn the heat very low, and beat it with a wood spoon, adding as much olive oil as it will absorb (about a quarter of its original weight), until it becomes creamy and homogenous, or for a quicker method, put the olive oil in a blender and gradually add the pieces of fish.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Prepare a normal risotto, with just a few slight differences: chop the onion and brown in a bit of olive oil, add the rice and let it brown lightly, then add, in small doses, half the fish and the broth. Then bring the risotto three quarters of the way to done and add the rest of the fish. Finish cooking and cream with a bit of olive oil, grated cheese, and a sprinkle of white pepper.</b></span></div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-57179646155356036232019-01-02T13:56:00.002-08:002019-01-02T13:56:13.825-08:00JUST IN TIME FOR THE NEW YEAR, TENUTA CARRETTA CASCINA BORDINO BARBARESCO RISERVA-$39.99<br />
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Available at fine wine purveyors everywhere in early January</div>
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Arriving in the U.S. hand-in-hand with the New Year, is Tenuta Carretta Cascina Bordino Barbaresco Riserva ($39.99). A lean, bracing young wine with plenty of running room for long aging, this is a superb rendition of the Nebbiolo grape from northern Italy. Made from grapes grown on steep hillsides, with maximum exposure to the sun for lush, ripe fruitiness and sandy soil with silty, grey marly inserts, the wine is elegant and complex, bursting with ripe fruit. The wine is also well-balanced and elegant. Perfect for a Prime Rib or Dry Aged Porterhouse. Its also great with strong, ripe cheeses and slow-simmered savory dishes such as my all-time favorite, Osso Buco. This is a robust wine that carries itself with dignity. There are no rough edges here. Its all refinement. Tenuta Carretta has a long history associated with Nebbiolo wines and this is just one more chapter in a developing story of master craftsmanship.</div>
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7241638211947166963.post-52527227235007698032018-12-18T08:39:00.000-08:002018-12-18T09:16:50.233-08:00WINE OF THE WEEK-GANCIA MOSCATO D'ASTI SECCO-$12.99<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">WORLD LEADER IN ITALIAN SPARKLING WINE UNVEILS NEWEST ARRIVAL</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Gancia Moscato d'Asti Secco</span><br />
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The Gancia Castle at Canelli</div>
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Eduardo Villarino Gancia-Owner of Gancia Castle<br />
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Dramatic views of the Langhe</div>
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Lunch on the Terrace of the Castle Garden overlooking Canelli with White Truffles and 20 egg yolk pasta</div>
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Julia Coney Walters - <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.JuliaConey.com&source=gmail&ust=1545239626072000&usg=AFQjCNFXCMD6W5kOPxmRj2WjOmFQRLvbdg" href="http://www.juliaconey.com/" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.JuliaConey.com</a> and Melissa Ritcher - Look East/ Lifestyle Asia (from Thailand)<u></u><u></u></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>by Dwight Casimere</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Carlo Gancia is known as the father of Italian sparkling wine. Before he founded the winery 150 years ago, he had spent a few years studying Champagne making methods in Reims France. When he returned to Italy, hey applied the principles he learned to the Moscato grape, native to his area, and he created a new type of sparkling wine which he called Spumante Italiano. The rest, as the cliche goes, is history. Gancia is now the world leader in Italian sparkling wine, producing an array of wines using the rules of the first Italian Classic Method, which was authored by Carlo Gancia. The newest to arrive in the U.S. is Gancia Moscato Secco. White peaches, apricots and orange blossoms are the flavors that immediately greet you with the delicate aroma white jasmine flowers that give it a springlike perfume. It has the delicate bubbles and soft mouthfeel that you would associate with a classic Spumante, with one distinct difference, this sparkler is bone dry. This makes it perfect to carry over from an aperitif with a variety of cheeses, smoked fish and shellfish and an abundance of smoked and cured meats, right through a lavish meal. It was truffle season when I was in Piemonte in early December and the local white truffles were shaved with abandoned on homemade pasta drenched in mountain butter. The main course of local veal in a truffle sauce made for a yummy combination. Save room for dessert and have another bottle of Gancia Moscato d'Asti Secco at the ready for a stupendous finish.</b></span></span><br />
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Dwight the Connoisseurhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15604179263775284294noreply@blogger.com0