Pairings for July 22 at Red Wagon Organic Farm:

Sparkling

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2012 Murgo, Brut Rose, Sicily $47 

For more than 100 years, the Scammacca del Murgo family has cared for olive and fruit trees from which they crafted fine olive oils and jams, and nurtured native Sicilian grapes under the looming shadow of the still active volcano, Mount Etna. Yet it’s only been since 1980 that the baron Emanuele Scammacca del Murgo transformed the farm into a modern agricultural estate. After a long and illustrious career as a diplomat with important postings as Italy’s ambassador to the Vatican, Brussels and Moscow as well as Assistant Secretary of State in Italy’s Foreign office, the baron came home to focus on his ancestral lands with the help of his eight sons, who are all involved in the family business. With 30 hectares of vineyards, located on three farms, Murgo saw its first bottling of Etna Rosso in 1982, and their first vintage of Brut sparkling in 1990.

Fresh and refined, this sparkling has aromas of small red berry, yellow wild flower, tangerine and baking spice. The creamy, thirst quenching palate doles out strawberry, red cherry and orange zest framed in crisp acidity and a lively, elegant finish.

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Rosé

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2016 La Spinetta, Rose, Tuscany, Italy $37

The Rivetti family story began in the 1890s when Giovanni Rivetti, grandfather to brothers Carlo, Bruno and Giorgio, left Piedmont for Argentina. Like many Italians at that time, he dreamed of returning home a rich and powerful man, and perhaps even one day making a great wine in his homeland. Though Giovanni never did, his son, Giuseppe (nicknamed "Pin"), fulfilled the dream. Pin married Lidia, purchased vineyards, and began to make wine. In 1977 the family took up residence at La Spinetta (meaning "top of the hill") in Castagnole Lanze, located in the heart of the area well-known for Moscato d'Asti, a rather light and simple dessert wine at the time. Over time the family’s vision became even grander and they made their first red wine in 1985.  In 2001, La Spinetta purchased 160 acres in Tuscany and in 2011 purchased Italy’s oldest Metodo Classico sparkling wine producer, Contratto, where they also make Vermouth and Bitters.   

2016 La Spinetta Rose, crafted from 50% Sangiovese and 50% Prugnolo Gentile, has a spicy character full of sliced ripe peaches, chalk, red berries, pomegranate and a hint of lime and sage.  It is a delicious, fun summer wine but with lots of complexity and flavor. 

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White

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2015 Ca' del Baio, Langhe Riesling, Piedmont, Italy $32

For four generations Ca’ del Baio has been a family affair, as is the tradition in the Langhe. Nurtured and passed down from father to son, the vineyards surrounding the Grasso family farmhouse have been added to over time through marriage and acquisitions. Today it is Giulio and Luciana who, together with their daughters Paola, Valentina and Federica, handle all the various areas of the business with passion and expertise, from the growing and vinification of the grapes, to hospitality and wine sales. For the Grasso family, simplicity, a sense of sacrifice and the deep attachment they have to their land are prerequisites for guaranteeing wines of quality. Today the Ca’ del Baio estate is comprised of 25 hectares of vineyards in the villages of Barbaresco and Treiso, both of which are in the Barbaresco winegrowing area. All estate-grown, their wines are made from a range of highly valued varieties, some typical of the area while others are more international: the whites include Moscato, Chardonnay and Riesling, and the reds Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto.

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Produced for the first time in Ca’ del Baio’s history (vineyards were planted in 2009), the Langhe Riesling is grown on the coolest and breeziest slopes.  Dry, minerally and with lots of acidity on the palate, this wine is a delicious expression of Riesling in Italy.  Pineapple, mango and white spring flowers accented by a hint of honey and beeswax on the nose bring you to a palate that is nervy and fresh with ripe pear, white pepper, clove and a delicate honey note.  A wine not to be missed!

2015 Laura Lorenzo, 'Gavela da Vila' Palomino, Ribeira Sacra, Spain $47

Perhaps only once every few generations, a pioneering new winegrower completely redefines how their region is understood and appreciated by the global wine world. Laura Lorenzo is that winegrower.  Her fascination with wine began when she was but a child and at the age of 16 she left high school and enrolled in a local enology school.  Upon graduation she worked locally and abroad and after her various apprenticeships, Laura took over the reins at Dominio do Bibei, a pioneering producer of fine wine in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra. Laura worked there for 10 years developing a style of winemaking that was fine-tuned to the hillsides of the region.  In 2014, she struck out on her own, and with the help of her chef/artist partner Alvaro Dominguez formed Daterra Viticultores.

Daterra Viticultores is comprised of 4.5 hectares of rented and owned vineyards, the majority of which  are 80-120 years old.  The most southeast of the 5 Ribeira Sacra subzones, the Quiroga-Bibei terroir is also one of the most diverse. The landscape is rugged and sparse, with steep terraced and un-terraced vineyards overlooking the Bibei, Jares, and Navea rivers. Here the climate of the Atlantic intertwines with warm continental influences.  In the lowest elevation vineyards, the vegetation and climate seems almost Mediterranean, with olive trees and herbs such as lavender and thyme growing wild. Granite is the dominant soil type, complimented by slate, clay, gneiss and sand.
 

Gavela de Vila is comprised of 100% old vine organically farmed Palomino grapes. 90% of the grapes were destemmed, with the must seeing just a few hours of skin contact before pressing. The wine was fermented with wild yeast in used 225 liter French oak barrels, and then raised on the lees in the same barrels for 6 months. The wine was not clarified, cold stabilized or filtered. Wild and exotic aromas and flavors of green and yellow melon, peach, and tangerine are supported by firm acids and deep minerality.  

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2015 Domaine de Belliviere, Jasnieres 'Les Rosiers', Loire Valley, France $60

Located north of Tours in the northernmost area of the Loire Valley, Eric Nicolas along with his wife Christine and their children are producing some of the finest wines in the little-known Jasnières (white wine only appellation, 100% Chenin Blanc) and Coteaux du Loire Appellations. Established in 1995, the estate covers 15 hectares and was Certified Organic by 2005 and converted solely to Biodynamic viticulture by the 2011 vintage.  

Les Rosiers is a wine assembled from a selection of vines in the Jasnières appellation. 100% Chenin Blanc from vines up to 50 years in age planted in soils of clay, flint and limestone, this wine goes through a natural fermentation in 1-3 year old barrels with a small portion in new oak.  An amazingly fruity and floral aroma, this wine is a classic expression of Loire Valley Chenin.  Peach, quince, and lily-of-the-valley seduce the nose, and a lovely creaminess and delicacy on the palate perfectly match this wine's floral pit fruit character.

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Red

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2013 Riofavara, Nero D'Avola 'Spaccaforno', Eloro, Sicily $34

Located on the southern tip of the island of Sicily, the Riofavara estate is owned by the Padova family.  The Padovas have tended vines in Sicily for almost a century, but it was not until 1993 that they began to bottle their own wine.  A few years later, Massimo Padova took over the estate along with his sister Marianta, their cousin Antonella, and Massimo’s wife, Margherita. This energetic young team has worked tirelessly over the last dozen years to build a new winery and fine tune production techniques, resulting in wines with an impeccable expression of the terroir.  Riofavara is located in the Noto Valley, just a few minutes down the road from the town that gave Nero d’Avola its name, and was the first producer to dignify this grape with the use of its own indigenous yeasts. The Estate is also certified organic.  

‘Spaccaforno’ is crafted from 30 year old Nero D’Avola vines grown on limestone soil in the Eloro DOC. A deep ruby-colored wine with a gorgeous nose of ripe cherries, black plums, sweet spices and dried flowers, this wine has lush fruit, mineral driven acidity,  great structure, and present but well-integrated tannins.

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2013 Iuli, 'Rossore' Barbera Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy $39

The Iuli winery is located in a small town called Montaldo in the region of Monferrato in Piedmont, Italy.  The winemaker Fabrizio Iuli calls himself a barberista, for his love, focus, and dedication to the Barbera grape.  In his vineyard, Barbera is grown on a vein of limestone that runs directly through his property giving an amazing acidity and special character to his wines.

The Iuli wines are created with the idea of the traditional methods of producing Barbera in this region. In the past, Barbera was aged in used oak of varying sizes and the origin of the wood depended upon the availability of trees from the forests around the village. Fabrizio’s grandfather had barrels made from Almond trees! Now the size and the provenance of the barrels have changed, but they are all used barrels. A modern interpretation of a traditional method.

100% Barbera from certified organic vines, aged 22 months in used french oak barrels, this wine has beautiful acidity, fruit and texture. Notes of dark cherry, dried strawberry, plum, blackberry and violets with a hint of incense and anise will intrigue your nose and palate with every sip.  The wine is after all named 'Rossore' because 'Rossore'(blush or crimson) is likely to be the color of your cheeks after drinking a bottle of this wine.  

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2015 Laura Lorenzo, 'Azos de Vila' Roja, Ribeira Sacra, Spain $59

Perhaps only once every few generations, a pioneering new winegrower completely redefines how their region is understood and appreciated by the global wine world. Laura Lorenzo is that winegrower.  Her fascination with wine began when she was but a child and at the age of 16 she left high school and enrolled in a local enology school.  Upon graduation she worked locally and abroad and after her various apprenticeships, Laura took over the reins at Dominio do Bibei, a pioneering producer of fine wine in the Quiroga-Bibei subzone of Ribeira Sacra. Laura worked there for 10 years developing a style of winemaking that was fine-tuned to the hillsides of the region.  In 2014, she struck out on her own, and with the help of her chef/artist partner Alvaro Dominguez formed Daterra Viticultores.

Daterra Viticultores is comprised of 4.5 hectares of rented and owned vineyards, the majority of which  are 80-120 years old.  The most southeast of the 5 Ribeira Sacra subzones, the Quiroga-Bibei terroir is also one of the most diverse. The landscape is rugged and sparse, with steep terraced and un-terraced vineyards overlooking the Bibei, Jares, and Navea rivers. Here the climate of the Atlantic intertwines with warm continental influences.  In the lowest elevation vineyards, the vegetation and climate seems almost Mediterranean, with olive trees and herbs such as lavender and thyme growing wild. Granite is the dominant soil type, complimented by slate, clay, gneiss and sand.

Azos de Vila comes from the village of Manzaneda, where there are very old mixed plantings of 80-120 years old, with the oldest vines planted on their own rootstock. This cuvee is a field blend of Mouraton, Mencia, Garnacha Tintorera, Merenzao, Gran Negro, etc. The grapes were destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts in old, open-top French oak barrels, then raised for 11 months in a mix of used 225 and 500 liter barrels. Deep purple in color, this is a fresh yet complex red wine with a rustic streak. Wild brambly fruit, earthy spice and velvety yet firm structure perfect for food pairing.