Wine of the Weekl-Villa Sandi Il Fresco-$19

by Dwight Casimere

Photos: Dwight Casimere

Villa Sandi Il Fresco DOC and the palace at Marca Trevigiana

Villa Sandi owner Giancarlo Moretti Polegato with Dwight Casimere

 The charming town of Treviso, known as "Little Venice"

 The entrance to the Gorgazzo Springs of Treviso

 Inside a cave at the mouth of the Gorgazzo Spring

 The lush hills outside Treviso on the Prosecco Road

 The Glera grape from which Prosecco is made

All photos and story by Dwight Casimere

TREVISO, ITALY--Prosecco, once considered the stepchild of Champagne, has truly come into its own. It is the sparkling beverage of choice among millennials and is now the widest selling sparkling wine in the world. This golden gift from northeastern Italy, is fueled by the shifting tastes of wine lovers and gastronomes alike. Spicier, lighter international cuisines with lighter staples, such as seafood, various rices and pastas and an ever-widening array of produce and charcuterie has increased demand for the light, refreshing taste of Prosecco. Who would have thought that kale would become as common on the plate as iceberg lettuce once was, or that dishes such as sautéed squid linguine with black ink sauce would become as ordinary as Fettuccine Alfredo.

Above the barrage of labels sits an unparalleled beauty of an Italian sparkling wine, Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco. Priced at under $20, it is an exquisite example of what the makers of a Prosecco DOC can achieve with the firm backing of tradition and a keen eye to the future.  Treviso in northeastern Italy, is home to Prosecco. Made from the native Glera grape. it is the pride of the locale, which is often called "Little Venice" with its many charming footbridges and canals. The natural beauty of the region is breathtaking, with sacred grottos, winding trails and majestic hills rolling with lush rows of Glera vineyards.

The wine caves of Villa Sandi and the palace at Marca Trevigiana, date back more than a hundred years. Portions of the wine caves were used to hide Allied Troops during World War I. A collection of military motorcycles are among the remnants of this historic time. Owner Giancarlo Moretti Polegato has amassed an impressive collection of military aircraft and artillery on the property that, interspersed with the statuary and gardens, reflects the rich history and tradition of Villa Sandi. 

Il Fresco Prosecco is everything the name implies. A fresh, fruit-forward taste of bright citrus fruits; lemons, ripe melon and hints of Mandarin orange and a touch of white flowers, makes this a most appealing accompaniment to Shrimp Scampi or Baked Turbo, two local favorites. One of my favorite dishes is freshly cut homemade Fettuccine served with a sauce made from fresh, pink large shrimp, called Scampi or Prawns. Gambero Rosso (Red Shrimp) is the local name for this seasonal delicacy. Sautéed ever so lightly with fresh, unsalted creamery butter, chopped fresh garlic, a sprinkle of fresh tarragon, flat leaf parsley or oregano and a splash of Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco, and you have a quick-to-prepare lunch that goes perfectly with this lovely sparkling wine. Buon Appetito!

 Gloria vineyards near Treviso

Risotto Manteca, a local dish made with Arborio rice, baby fresh water shrimp and soft shell crab from the local lake

 The wine caves at Villa Sandi that once hid Allied Troops during World War I

 A collection of vintage World War I and II motorcycles used by the military

 Sitting rooms inside the palace at Marca Trevigiana

 The gardens and statuary fountains at Marca Trevigiana

A private tasting at Locanda Sandi, the winery's restaurant with winemaker Stefano Gava (standing below)

Mushroom Risotto in the winery's tasting room

Venice's famed sommelier and chef Mauto Lorenzin prepares mushroom and seafood risotto

Dwight The Wine Doctor on location

TREVISO, ITALY--Prosecco, once considered the stepchild of Champagne, has truly come into its own. It is the sparkling beverage of choice among millennials and is now the widest selling sparkling wine in the world. This golden gift from northeastern Italy, is fueled by the shifting tastes of wine lovers and gastronomes alike. Spicier, lighter international cuisines with lighter staples, such as seafood, various rices and pastas and an ever-widening array of produce and charcuterie has increased demand for the light, refreshing taste of Prosecco. Who would have thought that kale would become as common on the plate as iceberg lettuce once was, or that dishes such as sautéed squid linguine with black ink sauce would become as ordinary as Fettuccine Alfredo.

Above the barrage of labels sits an unparalleled beauty of an Italian sparkling wine, Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco. Priced at under $20, it is an exquisite example of what the makers of a Prosecco DOC can achieve with the firm backing of tradition and a keen eye to the future.  Treviso in northeastern Italy, is home to Prosecco. Made from the native Glera grape. it is the pride of the locale, which is often called "Little Venice" with its many charming footbridges and canals. The natural beauty of the region is breathtaking, with sacred grottos, winding trails and majestic hills rolling with lush rows of Glera vineyards.

The wine caves of Villa Sandi and the castle at Marca Trevigiana, date back more than a hundred years. Portions of the wine caves were used to hide Allied Troops during World War I. A collection of military motorcycles are among the remnants of this historic time. Owner Giancarlo Moretti Polegato has amassed an impressive collection of military aircraft and artillery on the property that, interspersed with the statuary and gardens, reflects the rich history and tradition of Villa Sandi. 

Il Fresco Prosecco is everything the name implies. A fresh, fruit-forward taste of bright citrus fruits; lemons, ripe melon and hints of Mandarin orange and a touch of white flowers, makes this a most appealing accompaniment to Shrimp Scampi or Baked Turbo, two local favorites. One of my favorite dishes is freshly cut homemade Fettuccine served with a sauce made from fresh, pink large shrimp, called Scampi or Prawns. Gambero Rosso (Red Shrimp) is the local name for this seasonal delicacy). Sautéed ever so lightly with fresh, unsalted creamery butter, chopped fresh garlic, a sprinkle of fresh tarragon, flat leaf parsley or oregano and a splash of Villa Sandi Il Fresco Prosecco, and you have a quick-to-prepare lunch that goes perfectly with this lovely sparkling wine. Buon Appetito!

1000 STORIES SMALL BATCH ZINFANDEL 2015 AND 2016: A COMPARISON OF BOURBON BARREL AGING ART

LEGENDARY WINEMAKER BOB BLUE COMBINES OLD AND NEW BARREL AGING TECHNIQUES

TO CREATE STUNNING CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL BLENDS

by Dwight Casimere

 1000 Stories Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel

 Zinfandel vineyards in Mendocino County

 A fire-grilled Strip Steak goes perfectly with 1000 Stories Zinfandel

 Barrel making at Independent Stave Company in Lebanon, MO

In the early days of California wine, vintners employed used Bourbon barrels in their winemaking. French oak was nearly unheard of and American oak, well, that was used strictly for making whiskey. Enter the modern day of California winemaking and men such as Mike Grgich and Robert Mondavi, who happily employed French winemaking techniques and expensive French oak barrels in their winemaking, to achieve stunning results. They created wines so magnificent that California wine was put on the map at the Paris winemaking competition in 1974. And the rest, as thy say, is history.

1000 Stories California Zinfandel ($19) is a throwback to the storied past of California winemaking, with a modern twist. Legendary winemaker Bob Blue used both old and new Bourbon barrels and a combination of French and American oak barrels to create a blended wine of stunning character and complexity. A comparative tasting of 1000 Stories California Zinfandel; Batch 30 from the 2015 vintage and Batch 47 from the newly released 2016 vintage reveals the full range of and depth of flavor that can be achieved with this careful balance of old and new.

A thick juicy prime aged Strip Steak, marinated in Cajun spices and blackened over smoldering hardwood coals and hand cut Steak Fries cooked in a deep cast-iron skillet was the accompanying dish to a flavor comparison of the 2015 and 2016 vintages of 1000 Stories Small Batch Zinfandel, 2015 and 2016. The smoky and spicy aspects of the meal served to bring out the like characteristics of the wine. In a word, the wines were dazzling.

Both 1000 Stories Zinfandels employ a blend of classic California Zinfandel grapes from storied California vineyards. Mendocino Zinfandel plays a big role in the blend, with grapes from, classic old vineyards such as Sargentini and Rucker. Head trained and dry farmed, these grapes are known for creating great Zins and are the backbone of 1000 Stories. New to the batch is Lodi Zinfandel, with its iconic big character and bold flavors. The blend is then rounded out with some Zinfandels from Colusa County, Syrah from Paso Robles and Petite Syrah from Mendocino. Here's where the magical art of wine barrel aging comes into play, with winemaker Bob Blue's distinctive formula of traditional and modern barrel aging techniques using a combination of Bourbon Barrel Aging and both French and American Oak. The wine is aged in separate small batches and then blended using a proprietary formula. 

Individual lots of these intriguing wines begin the aging process in American and French oak barrels before being introduced to new Bourbon barrels that are hand staved and fired to a light toast by craftsmen at the Independent Stave Company. Based in Lebanon, Missouri, the company has handcrafted quality cooperage for the wine and spirits industry since 1912. What began as a small-family-owned business in a small town in the Midwest has grown into a global empire employing thousands in such far-flung locales as Europe, Asia, South America, Australia and Africa. Independent Stave Company barrels reach customers in over 40 countries. Chances are if you've had a drink in any country in the world, you've tasted a wine or whiskey aged in an Independent Stave Company barrel. 

Back to the 1000 Stories wines. Batch 30 2015 stands alone as a classic example of fine, aged California Zinfandel. The barrel aging, using a combination of Bourbon barrels and French and American oak brings forth a wine with polish and depth. Red raspberries and deep purple blueberries and blackberries combine with subtle cinnamon, rich vanilla and dried sage and thyme to create a captivating flavor combination.  The light char to the Bourbon barrels lends the wine a hint of creamy caramel. 1000 Stories Batch 30 2015 Zinfandel ends on a memorable note that lingers long in the mouth.

Batch 47 2016 vintage is a bracing, racy wine with striking character. Zinfandel grapes from heritage vineyards in Mendocino County lends the wine its classic structure and depth along with notes of red fruit. Vineyards in Lodi and the Sierra Foothills give it a rich texture, weight and an energizing mineral quality. Petite Syrah rounds out the blend with tannic structure and intense purple color and layers of cinnamon and clove baking spices. Enticing aromas of potpourri and wisps of smoke add to the ephemeral aromatic. Each sip leaves you hungering for more. The bottle is finished before you know it!

THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL-NAPA VALLEY WINES BY HALL FAMILY WINERY

by  Dwight Casimere

 HALL 2015 CABERNET SAUVIGNON

 DWIGHT CASIMERE IN THE NAPA VALLEY AT HALL FAMILY WINERY

 A BOTTLE OF JACK'S MASTERPIECE

 ARTWORK DOMINATES THE WINERY AND ELEGANT TASTING ROOM

A VIEW OF THE VINEYARDS IN ST. HELENA

 HALL FAMILY WINES

 A PRIVATE TASTING IN THE WINE LIBRARY

ST. HELENA, NAPA VALLEY, CA.--Thursday, September 13 is a landmark day in Chicago wine history. That is when Kathryn Hall, owner of Hall Family Winery will visit the Windy City to host a tasting event of her new releases. The kathryn Hall Release Party will be held at the W Hotel, City Center, 172 W. Adams in downtown Chicago from 7 to 9:30pm.In addition, Katherine Hall herself will be leading a pre-event vertical tasting of her signature Cabernet Sauvignon. Tickets to the public are available on Eventbrite. 

Hall's wines have been recently singled out by the esteemed wine critic Robert Parker as among the best that the Napa Valley has to offer. He referenced the wine in a recent reviews as reflecting "the Art of Cabernet Sauvignon" winemaking. A personal visit to the Hall Winery tasting room along Highway 29 in the heart of the Napa Valley only confirmed that high praise.

Hall Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($157.25) is a close to an ideal vintage as possible. It is complex without being pretentious.  Aromas and tastes of fresh blackberries and blueberries are evident both on the nose and on the palate. The wine is full-bodied with a nice mouthfeel yet, it is devoid of heaviness or over-ripeness. The wine invites another sip to uncover its many layers of delicious diversity. The wine is, in a word, flawless.

Other wines of note include Jack's Masterpiece Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 ($150), a wine which lives up to its name. Also rated 90-100 points, each year Hall's former winemaker Mike Reynolds returns to the winery to blend a Cabernet that he refers to as his "first love." Like the Hall Cabernet, it is brimming with bright fruit flavors combined with a lingering scent of burning embers and a bit of charcoal glaze in the background. The deep purple color will remind you of some of the richest. If this wine were to be served side-by-side with a wine from Graves, France, no one would be able to tell the difference.

Owned by Craig and Kathryn Hall, its vineyard collection features five Certified Organic estates producing classic Bordeaux varietals.

Each vintage, Winemaker Steve Leveque crafts 19 distinct Cabernet Sauvignon wines which demonstrate the unique characteristics and diversity of Napa Valley.  HALL’s highly rated wines include the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, selected as Wine Spectator’s #18 of the ‘Top 100’ in 2010, the HALL 2008 “Kathryn Hall” Cabernet Sauvignon that earned #2 Wine Spectator “Top 100” Wines, and its 2010 ‘Exzellenz’ earned 100 points by Robert Parker. Collectively, over 140 HALL Wines have been rated 90 points and above.

HALL Wines employs high-density plantings and small-vine viticulture combined with two cutting-edge, gravity-flow wineries to produce the highest quality wines. In addition, the HALL St. Helena winery was the first LEED® Gold Certified Winery in the State of California, making HALL Wines pioneers in the use of green buildings for the wine industry. The site maintains one acre of solar panels on its roof and uses 100% recycled water throughout its processes. Each of HALL’s state-of-the-art winemaking facilities and tasting rooms combine contemporary art and architecture with comfortable luxury and warm hospitality for winery guests. For more information, please visit www.hallwines.com, @hallwines, or by calling 707.967.2626.

WINE OF THE WEEK-DRY CREEK SONOMA OLD VINES ZINFANDEL 2015-$28.98

by Dwight Casimere

A bold, beautiful wine, full of rich red fruit flavors of blackberries, dark plums, dried oregano, and cracked pepper with hints of dark unsweetened cocoa

on the finish, this is the perfect wine to go with a well-aged Cowboy Rib Eye steak, right off the grill or a slab of Baby Back Ribs in a dark molasses sauce. The wine has a dark ruby-red color that is appealing. The color is a sign of things to come, with a nice jammy taste, like the blackberry jam your grandmother made when you were a kid. The smooth tannins and 14.5% alcohol give this wine considerable body. The combination of 78% Zinfandel, 19% Petit Syrah and 3% Carignan makes for a broad flavor palate of black cherries, black currants, cherries, raspberries, with a bit of cinnamon spice from oak aging. This is a beautiful wine that you'll want to linger with long after the meal is over. Have it with a slick of Silton or well-aged Gouda or Machengo cheese for a nice after-dinner treat .It also goes well with California Black Figs, which can occasionally be found at Whole Foods. 

This wine could even be better better with a year or two of bottle aging, but why bother. Enjoy it now, its perfect just as it is. 

VINITALY SHINES AT 2018 SUMMER FANCY FOOD SHOW

by Dwight Casimere

 Just one of the 200,000 new food items at the Summer Fancy Food Show

Venially Managing Director Stevie Kim at the Vinitaly Wine Bar

Breaking down a wheel of Parmesan Cheese at the Vinitaly and Italian Pavilion

Venially Director General Giovanni Mantovani

NEW YORK, NY -ITALY, BRAZIL GERMANY, GREECE and a host of international pavilions greeted visitors to the Jacob Javits Center for the Summer Fancy Food Show. Vintaly hosted the Vinitaly Wine Bar and specialty food items, including brick oven pizza prepared, in part by Vinitaly Managing Director Stevie Kim and  presided over by Vinitaly Director General Giovanni Mantovani.

Over 200,000 products awaited the Specialty Food Association Trendspotter Panel at the 64th Annual Summer Fancy Food Show. Held June 30 to July 2, the show encompassed six football fields worth of specialty food and beverages. Members of the panel were armed with predictions from earlier in the year as they tasted their way through the show, confirming some current, and identifying new and emerging trends.

“The specialty food industry has grown to over $140 billion. Innovation is a key growth driver, and we definitely saw that at the Summer Fancy Food Show,” said Denise Purcell, head of content for the Specialty Food Association. “We’re seeing new flavors and new formats of food. Plant-based foods are growing from a trend into an overall movement, and upcycling is huge. Spins on classics continue to surprise us, and flavors from around the world continue to grow prominent in the marketplace. No matter where you look, something exciting is happening.”

 Just a few of the delights at the Vinitaly Pavilion

WORLD CUP SOCCER DOMINATED THE ATTENTION OF MANY AT THE SHOW

WINE OF THE WEEK-9 LIVES 2016 CABERNET SAUVIGNON RESERVE, SAN PEDRO-$12.95

9 LIVES CABERNET RESERVE, THE WINE WITH GREAT VERSATILITY FOR SUMMER

by Dwight Casimere

This wine has the nine lives of a cat! Direct from Chile's Central Valley comes 9 Lives Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon, San Pedro 2016 at a phenomenal price of $12.95. Extreme versatility is its signature feature with bold fruit flavors of ripe berries,  Black Figs and hints of vanilla and baking spices from careful oak aging. This wine has all the finesse and style of a wine three times the price. The big difference is you won't feel intimidated by it and will be comfortable serving it with your summertime favorites; a nice juicy burger with a hunk of sharp cheddar and a slice of Kosher dill pickle, spicy chicken or beef tacos, Fajitas, grilled chicken  or wood fired pizza slathered in Marzano tomato sauce with homemade fennel flavored sausage and fresh arugula. The wine has terrific structure and balance, which means the flavor will persist from one glass to the next and stand up to smoky, charred meats and strong, firm cheeses. With its fantastic price and cat-like nimbleness, this wine could easily become your 'go to Red' for the summer.

WINE OF THE WEEK-ANTONELLI MONTEFALCO ROSSO 2012-$40

A SUMMER SURPRISE WITH FLAVOR TO LAST ALL YEAR IN THE CELLAR

by Dwight Casimere

Treat yourself this summer to one of the truly great wines of Montefalco, made exclusively from Sagrantino grapes, Antonelli Montefalco Sagrantino 2012-$40. This is a powerful wine with rich, complex flavors of wild berries and aromatic herbs with hints of mint and oregano and a surprising splash of tart citrus. The complexity and structure along with persistent tannins make it perfect for steak or ribs done on the grill, game meat, like venison or wild boar, roast pig, or a fatty grilled fish like grouper or salmon and, of course, a board of well-aged cheeses. One of my favorite summertime dishes on the grill is skewered steak cubes made with ti-tip or top sirloin alternated with cubes of onion and alternating slices of red and green pepper. Brush with an oregano and balsamic glaze when its  right off the grill for added flavor. Serve with a side of Orzo tossed with light olive oil, Basil and Fontina cheese.

This is a wine that can be kept in the cellar for years, but its doubtful that you can resist the urge to drink it now. It's just that flavorful. The grapes used in the wine were grown on the slopes of the Umbrian hills, where wine has been made for centuries. You can literally feel the care and craftsmanship that went into the creation of this wine. The grapes were all hand-picked and  fermented on the skins for 25 to 40 days at very cold temperatures. The wine was then clarified spontaneously, with no need for filtration before settling in glass-lined cement vats for 12 months, then aged in the bottle for another year. That accounts for the superb fruit flavor components that ring through every sip. The wine reveals more layers of astute taste the longer it lingers in the glass. Serve it lightly chilled for maximum pleasure. If you can, try to find it in large bottle format, such as the magnum or double magnum, sold in a wooden case. Somehow, the larger bottles  add more depth to the drinking pleasure.