August 25, 2010
Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 single-vineyard tasting notes
August 19, 2010
Produttori del Barbaresco!
Produttori del Barbaresco Offering
Please email me the desired quantities and I will put together a proposal for you.
Wines will be delivered to San Diego residents Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, September 2-4, 2010.
See my note on the 2006 Barbaresco below.
Produttori del Barbaresco 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo $22
Produttori del Barbaresco 2006 Barbaresco $34
Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco Pora $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco Asili $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2005 Barbaresco Montestefano $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Pora $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Asili $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Montestefano $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2004 Barbaresco Moccagatta $61
Produttori del Barbaresco 2001 Barbaresco Pora $75
If you follow Do Bianchi Wine Selections or my blog (DoBianchi.com), you know how much Tracie P and I love the wines of Produttori del Barbaresco.
When people ask me what my favorite wine is, I always answer the same way: it depends on where I am, what I’m eating (no food without wine, no wine without food is my motto), with whom I’m sharing a meal, and the occasion itself. Poolside with friends and family, munching on tacos and hamburgers, I like to drink inexpensive Moscato d’Asti or Lambrusco; for a special occasion dinner with Tracie P, I like to drink old Nebbiolo.
But when people ask me what my favorite winery is, there is no hesitation in my voice when I say unequivocally PRODUTTORI DEL BARBARESCO.
If you don’t know the winery, it’s a unique cooperative founded by a priest in the tiny village of Barbaresco in the 1950s (with origins stretching back to the late nineteenth century). The wines are traditionally made: 100% Nebbiolo, grown by 38 cooperative grower members (you could call this an “artisanal” as opposed to “industrial” cooperative), vinified in cement and stainless-steel vats, and then aged in large Slavonian oak casks.
I’ve put together the above offering based on my personal preferences. Tracie P and I served 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo at our wedding, to give you a sense of how much we love this wine. The 2006 Barbaresco, in my opinion, is a truly unique bottling by the winery: even though the vintage was good-to-excellent, the winery decides not to bottle its single-vineyard-designated wines and so blended all the crus (single vineyards) into the classic blended wine (which is made mostly from its Ovello cru). It’s not that it’s better than other vintages for the classic bottlings, but it is truly unique (see my blog post on the 2006 here). The crus I’ve selected are my personal favorites: Pora, the most approachable and roundest of the crus; Asili, the most elegant and some would say (including Bruno Giacosa) the essence of Barbaresco; and Montestefano, one of the most powerful crus, bordering on Baroloesque in its tannic structure and savory flavors.
Produttori del Barbaresco represents a FANTASTIC cellaring value.
Except for the Langhe Nebbiolo (which is meant to drink right away), these wines can be cellared for 10-20 and even 30 years. Remember the 1971 that Tracie P and I drank in New York in May?
I’ll be sending out more tasting notes, vintage and vineyard notes, over the next week. Deadline for ordering is Friday, August 27.
Thanks for reading!
August 3, 2010
Something truly special from the Veneto and Friuli (Last Summer Six-Pack)
Above: A shot from my trip to Friuli and Slovenia in Spring, 2008.
Something Truly Special from the Veneto and Friuli
(Last Summer Six-Pack 2010)
Prosecco NV Costadilà
Favaro 2008 Erbaluce di Caluso
Vajra 2007 Barbera d’Alba
Ronco Severo 2007 Refosco
Ronco Severo 2005 Schioppettino
Vajra 2008 Moscato d’Asti
$150 plus tax (and shipping if applicable)
free delivery for San Diego residents.
To order, please just send me an email by clicking here.
I love all these wines in this six-pack, of course. But three of them are extra-special. The Prosecco because it is raised by a biodynamic farm and is aged on its lees. It’s simply one of the best expressions of Prosecco I’ve found in the U.S. It’s aged on its lees, which gives it a much richer flavor and aroma than the commercial Prosecco you generally find in the States. It reminds me of the Prosecco I would drink when I was a student in Padua (Padova) and musician in Belluno (see below).
If the Prosecco weren’t hard enough to find, I was blown away when I tasted the Refosco and Schioppettino by Ronco Severo (SEH-veh-roh), a biodynamic farm that makes barriqued Merlot and Cabernet for big-spending Germans and Americans (great, I’m sure, but not really my speed) and KILLER indigenous Refosco and Schioppettino aged in LARGE TRADITIONAL CASKS for the rest of us. I love these gorgeous red wines. They are real, they are fresh (even at 3 and 5 years out) and they taste like no other red grape. They embody that “unbearable lightness of being” that attracts me in great wine, where the wine’s tannic structure is balanced by a lightness of body. These grapes are true originals and wonderfully food-friendly. I rarely see Refosco and Schioppettino and I was simply thrilled when I got to taste these. See my other descriptions below… and thanks for reading and clicking! Happy summer of 2010!
There’s a reason why I always crave Prosecco (from the Veneto) and the red wines of Friuli during summer months. In the 1990s, when I was a grad student at UCLA, I spent three summer touring with my cover band in the province of Belluno.
We were based in Pedavena (about an hour and a half north of Padua and 45 minutes south of Belluno), at the old 1930s Birreria, now defunct but then in its second heyday (acquired and reopened by Heineken as a “music club”). I was in my 20s and we had us some great times.
The townsfolk called us “gli americani” and we were local celebrities. We played Beatles, Stones, and Jimi Hendrix songs, the occasional original, and U2 (pronounced OOO DOOO-eh, in Italian) by request. Sometimes we’d go out and play in open pastures where they had brought generators, a PA system, and grills where they would cook ribs and polenta and beans. The back drop was right out of “The Sound of Music.”
Above: That’s the main room at the Birreria. John Krylow played bass that year and the next and Charlie George played drums all three years. Whenever we get together in San Diego, one of us is bound to bring up a memory of those times and say, “those were the days.”
Prosecco DOC Costadilà
If you’ve ever heard me tell the story about how I got into food and wine writing, then you know it has to do with Prosecco. Because I studied, lived, worked, and played music for so many years in the Veneto (in specifically in Padua [Padova] and Belluno), Prosecco was the first wine I really and truly got to understand. I “lived” Prosecco: the friend I made and the families that invited me over for Sunday lunch in those days all had their favorite Prosecco, the one they’d visit every summer to stock their cellar for the rest of the year.
When I found out this Prosecco was available in the States, I jumped at the chance to get it. It’s one of the so-called Triple A group, which follows the teachings of Nicholas Joly, the father of contemporary biodynamic farming and winemaking in Europe today. And unlike most Prosecco (but like the Prosecco the “grandfather makes,” the kind I like!), it is aged on its lees (the leftover yeast, when fermentation is completed). THIS IS REAL Prosecco, with a richness and brightness in its fruit that you will never find in commercial Prosecco. I love this stuff.
Above: The Birreria in Pedavena has fallen upon not so happy days but in its second-incarnation heyday, when it was reopened and we played there, it was so much fun. That’s the view from the outdoor stage. You can see the “baita” or cabin in the back.
Favaro Erbaluce di Caluso DOC 2008
Erbaluce, loosely translated, means the “Grassy Light.” It’s a wonderful clone of Italy’s ubiquitous Greco, which, in this case, grows in the foothills of the Alps in the northeastern area of Piedmont. This wine is bright with acidity and fruit and its freshness comes from the high elevations where it is farmed and raised. A great food-friendly white, with balanced alcohol. Perfect for summertime drinking (fish tacos any one?).
Vajra 2007 Barbera d’Alba
Tracie P and I recently got to taste the Vajra wines again here in Texas and this Barbera just keeps knocking my socks off. Lip-smacking wild berry fruit, bright acidity, balanced alcohol. I wanted to include a Barbera in the last Summer Six-Pack because Barbera is one of those wines that you can put in the fridge and chill before serving (many northern Italian families serve their Barbera slightly chilled in the summer). This is probably my number-one burger pairing for the summer of 2010.
Ronco Severo Refosco 2007
Ronco Severo Schioppettino 2005
These two wines are the gems of this offering. I had never seen Ronco Severo offered in the U.S. before and I jumped at the chance to grab these. See my note above. No matter what grape anyone compares these to, don’t be fooled: they are Friulian all the way and they don’t taste like Sryah or Merlot or anything. They taste like Friuli!
Vajra 2008 Moscato d’Asti
The Vajra Moscato has been SUCH a hit with my friends and family that I thought I’d over here (if only so that Tracie P and I can drink what I don’t sell!). It’s wonderful wine with almost any kind of dessert and it’s a classic pairing for fresh fruit. But, thinking outside of the box, it’s also THE PERFECT POOLSIDE WINE, with just 5-7% alcohol. It’s just easy and fun and delicious. Tracie P and I stand by our statement that this is one of the best Moscato d’Asti we have ever tasted.
Happy summer of 2010 everyone!
To order, please just send me an email by clicking here.
July 8, 2010
Hard-to-find wines from Friuli: sommelier Bobby Stuckey’s Scarpetta
Above: Bobby Stuckey, Master Sommelier and probably the nicest guy I’ve met in the world of fine wine and dining. I tasted with him in November 2009 in Austin.
Scarpetta Six-Pack: 3 wines from Friuli
Scarpetta 2009 [Tocai] Friulano
(still white, 2 bottles)
Elegant and mineral, with notes of white fruit and a subtle nuttiness (my fav in the bunch). Btw, I still call it TOCAI Friulano even though the EU doesn’t allow Friulian producers to label it as such!
Scarpetta 2009 Sauvignon Blanc
(still white, 2 bottles)
Classic cat piss notes on the nose tempered with gorgeous floral aromas, rich but light in the mouth, a classic expression of Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli, one of the few international grape varieties I drink from Italy.
Scarpetta 2009 Spumante Rosé
(Pinot Nero, Franconia, sparkling rosé, 2 bottles)
This is one of you-can’t-stop-drinking-it wines: so fresh, such bright acidity, such wonderful fruit, and gentle fizziness. It could be my top wine for summer this year.
$150 (plus tax and shipping and handling)
free delivery for San Diego residents
Please email me by clicking here to order.
If you read my blog Do Bianchi, you know that Tracie P and I love the wines of Scarpetta, a small winery in the eastern hills of Friuli founded by one of America’s top Italian wine experts and sommeliers, Bobby Stuckey (above), owner of Frasca in Boulder, Colorado.
Above: The pig on the label of Bobby and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson’s Scarpetta is inspired by their love of Prosciutto di San Daniele. The name “scarpetta” comes from the Italian word for “sopping up leftover sauce from your plate.”
Why are we so crazy about wines from Friuli made by an American, you ask? Not only is Bobby one of the foremost authorities on Italian wine in our country, he is also one of its top experts on the foods and wines of Friuli (and his restaurant Frasca (named after the traditional Friulian trattoria is one of the leading Italian cuisine destinations in the U.S. — it’s fantastic).
Because of his celebrity in the biz and his connections in Friuli, he is able to source his fruit from some of the top growers in the Colli Orientali appellation, including one of my favorite producers, Ronco del Gnemiz.
The wines are fresh and bright (2009, a great, classic vintage for the appellation) and extremely food friendly: the real secret here is Bobby’s amazing palate and his uncanny ability to pair food and wine. When I tasted the wines for the first time in November of last year, I was blown away by how approachable and delicious they were and how — just as Bobby intended — they are SUPER FOOD FRIENDLY: balanced alcohol, bright acidity, and honest fruit flavors.
Above: Tracie P and I paired our first spring tomatoes with one of Bobby’s wines this year.
Roughly 100 cases were made of each wine and I was able to obtain a small allocation thanks to my friendship with Bobby (he is SUCH a nice guy… one day I’ll tell you a great story about something so incredibly gracious I saw him do in his restaurant a few years ago).
I can’t think of better wines to pair with the foods I love to eat in summer (think ceviche and fish tacos, think grilled vegetables and thinly sliced Prosciutto di San Daniele, think fresh goat’s and sheep’s milk cheeses and pickled beets).
To my knowledge, I’m the only retailer of these wines in Southern California.
Please email me by clicking here to order.
June 16, 2010
David McDuff on La Clarine Farm
Just had to share tasting notes from David — one of my favorite wine bloggers and one of the palates I admire most in this big wide world — who posted today on La Clarine Farm’s white Rhône blend…
La Clarine’s 2009 Rhône-style blend turned out to be one of the hits of a pretty formidable lineup. It displayed a rich texture without any of the overt creaminess or heaviness that often define such blends. Though it might not be a sure turn-on for the acid freaks out there, it does have just enough balance of underlying acidity to provide lift to the density of its fruit. Over the course of our enjoyment of the wine, my notes included descriptors such as beeswax coated apples, pear tarte tatin, mint and orange blossoms…. Suffice it to say it was friggin’ delicious, especially alongside a plate of courtbouillon-poached cod served with a salad of sliced cherry tomatoes and roasted corn.
The wine is a co-fermented blend of Roussanne, Viognier and Marsanne (49/48/3%, respectively, for those who fixate on such things), produced from fruit that Hank sources from two vineyards in the Shenandoah Valley district of Amador County, California. You’ll find the rest of the tech specs on the La Clarine website.
Normally, were I browsing the shelves in search of something new or unfamiliar to me, the “Vinted and Bottled by” nomenclature that appears on this wine’s label would send me running, as it tends to suggest a lack of direct involvement by the person or entity whose name appears on the label. In this case, I purchased the wine sight unseen, so the “Vinted” stuff (“vinted” is not even a real word, dammit) came as a surprise. I reached out to Hank for an explanation and he let me know that, in this case, it’s simply a legal labeling requirement as the wine was not only made from purchased fruit but also “vinted,” by Hank himself, at a winery other than his own.
June 15, 2010
California natural wine that I really dig
Above: Hank Beckmeyer and his wife Caroline make natural wine in the Sierra Foothills of Northern California (Somerset, CA).
Do Bianchi June Six-Pack
2 bottles 2009 White Rhône Blend by La Clarine Farm (California)
2 bottles 2008 single-vineyard Mourvèdre by La Clarine Farm (California)
2 bottles 2003 Barbera del Monferrato Perlydia by Cantine Valpane (Italy)
$105
To order, simply email me by clicking here.
“I love it how my friends know each other,” said our good friend and natural wine writer par excellence Alice Feiring when Tracie P and I visited her last month in New York City. She was talking about Hank Beckmeyer: I met Hank online when he bought one of the Vajra six-packs I offered last time around. Alice knows Hank because he’s a natural winemaker in California who produces some wonderful wines on the estate where he lives with his wife Caroline, La Clarine Farm.
As it happened, Alice had some of Hank’s wines open that day and so we tasted together. Tracie P and I were blown away by how yummy the wine was and how fresh and alive it was even after being open for 3 weeks! (yes, THREE WEEKS!)
When we got back to Texas, I wrote to Hank who told me that another friend of ours, Amy Atwood (author of the awesome wine blog My Daily Wine), distributes the wines in Southern California. It just felt like a perfect circle of friends who share a similar palate and passion for natural wines.
“I try to leave as much nature in my wines as possible,” said Hank when I spoke to him by phone the other day. He uses all native (naturally occurring) yeasts during fermentation. In other words, he lets the natural yeast on the skins of the grapes do their magic. I just can’t say how much I dig these wines.
Hank’s wines were one of the wines recommended by Eric Asimov in his blog post yesterday on The New York Times website.
With this six-pack, I’m very pleased and proud to offer Hank’s 2009 White Rhône Blend (2 bottles) and his 2008 single-vineyard Mourvèdre (2 bottles). The wines are delicious, savory and with bright food-friendly acidity and balanced alcohol… and they taste of place and of people… the way we like ‘em!
I’ve also included a wine that I couldn’t resist, the 2003 Barbera del Monferrato Perlydia by Cantine Valpane (2 bottles). Tracie P and I have been drinking the entry-level wines by Valpane on a regular basis and when I saw the 2003 single-vineyard bottling from this awesome winery at a fantastic price, I just HAD TO HAVE it… This wine is earthy and mushroomy, crunchy and savory, like putting berry fruit and mud in your mouth.
I’ve written a great deal about this wine: like this more technical piece I wrote for a client in Texas or this joyous post that exploded from my fingers when I tasted the wine at Jaynes a few weeks ago.
Do Bianchi June Six-Pack
2 bottles 2009 White Rhône Blend by La Clarine Farm (California)
2 bottles 2008 single-vineyard Mourvèdre by La Clarine Farm (California)
2 bottles 2003 Barbera del Monferrato Perlydia by Cantine Valpane (Italy)
$105
June 1, 2010
Look for a new six-pack coming next week
just in time for Father’s day…
Tracie P and I had some amazing food and wine adventures in New York City in May, while I was there for a working trip. The photo above is from dinner at Alto in Midtown, where we were treated to a true “dream flight” of wines by our good friend Mary Anne (seated left, with her friend Nancy, center).
From the high of Alto to the low of Lower Manhattan, I also took Tracie P for lunch at one of my favs in Chinatown, Joe Shanghai, for soup dumplings.
You can keep up with our adventures over at my blog — our blog really — DoBianchi.com: like us sneaking our new favorite rosé Champagne into our favorite honkytonk in Austin.
I’m working on a new six-pack offering from Do Bianchi Wine Selections, just in time for Father’s day. (For San Diego residents, I’ll be able to deliver the wine on Friday, June 18 or Saturday June 19.) You might be surprised by the wine I’m procuring: it’s a new Californian wine I discovered and fell for completely. Stay tuned…
In the meantime, I just wanted to share that I’ll be leading some fun Italian wine tastings in Austin (at Vino Vino, Weds., June 2, 9, and 16) and in San Diego (at Jaynes on Friday, June 18, details to be announced).
If you’re around, please come join me to taste, trade notes, and nosh… If we’ve never met in person, please introduce yourselves. I hope to see ya’ll real soon! Thanks for reading and following… Stay tuned for my Father’s day offering: there’s bound to be something orange, muddy, stinky, and delicious…
April 27, 2010
The magic of Piedmont and the magical wines of Aldo Vajra
To order, email me by clicking here.
Aldo Vajra (above, center) is a devoutly religious man. When you meet him and shake his hand, you can feel his belief and you can sense his intense devotion to his family, to his land, to his grapes, and to his wine. Aldo Vajra makes some of the best wines I’ve tasted from Piedmont in a very, very long time. This week I was able to secure a very-difficult-to-find allocation of his wines. The below six-pack is a more pricey than most of my offerings but I cannot tell you how strongly I believe in the quality of these wines. When Tracie P and I tasted with Aldo (thanks to my writing partner Mr. Franco Ziliani) in February 2010 on our honeymoon, we were completely blown away by how much we loved these wines. When I look back at my notes from that beautiful winter day in the Langa Hills of Piedmont, I find exclamations like “YES!”, “OUR KIND OF WINE!”, and “MAN, I DIG THIS WINE!”
This go around, I’m making the wines available individually (min. of 3 bottle order) or by the six-pack with a 13% discount. I can only say that if you feel your palate is aligned with ours, you need to know these truly superb expressions of Piedmont. When Tracie P and I tasted his viscous, almost-honey-like Moscato d’Asti, we both looked at each other and simultaneously said, “this is the best Moscato d’Asti I’ve ever tasted.” I’m not kidding. Ask Tracie P if you don’t believe me.
Vajra six-pack
$190 including tax
(save 13% off individual bottle price)
Vajra 2007 Langhe Bianco (Riesling) $45.00
Vajra 2008 Dolcetto d’Alba $22.50
Vajra 2007 Barbera d’Alba $30.00
Vajra 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo $30.00
Vajra 2005 Langhe Kyè (Freisa) $45.00
Vajra 2008 Moscato d’Asti $21.00
Vajra 2007 Langhe Bianco (Riesling) $45.00
Side-by-side with Angelo Gaja’s Chardonnay, this 100% Riesling is the most noble white wine I have ever tasted in Piedmont. When I wrote about it on my blog, I was blown away by how many top wine professionals commented and wrote me to tell me how they shared my bewilderment at how good it is. I was able to get my hands on just two cases of the 2007, in my opinion a fantastic and wholly age-worthy vintage for this wine. I, for one, am putting some bottles “down” to see how they will evolve.
Vajra 2008 Dolcetto d’Alba $22.50
Acidity, natural fruit, and earth — my favorite style of Dolcetto. Very food friendly and very ready to drink. Not the greatest vintage but all the more approachable for the lightness this wine shows.
Vajra 2007 Barbera d’Alba $30.00
In my notes that day, I wrote: “fantastic! nebbioleggia…” In other words, this Barbera has a noble quality akin to that of Nebbiolo. I liked the way Aldo lets the gentle tannin express itself in his Barbera. Gorgeous fruit, brilliant acidity. I’d love to see what this wine would do to some tacos de carnitas!
Vajra 2007 Langhe Nebbiolo $30.00
Great vintage, great wine, made from Aldo’s younger-vine Nebbiolo and Nebbiolo not destined for his Barolo. This wine is ready to drink with just a little bit of aeration but will cellar well for 2-3 years.
Vajra 2005 Langhe Kyè (Freisa) $45.00
I was thrilled when I found out that the importer would make this wine available to me. Freisa is one of those grapes you rarely find in the U.S. And don’t let people fool you into thinking it’s a “rustic” grape. It’s a tannic, dense grape that makes for an excellent roast and grilled-meat wine, a great meditative wine to pair with ripened and aged cheeses. As you can see, I put it toward the end of the flight because of its rich and tannic character. Btw, Kyè is a sort of transliteration of the Italian chi è, Aldo explained. “People don’t understand what Freisa is,” he told me. “And so it’s as if they ask, chi è? Who is this?”
Vajra 2008 Moscato d’Asti $21.00
If you buy some of this wine and don’t like it, just let me know and Tracie P and I will take whatever you don’t drink! This is an old-school Moscato d’Asti, rich and creamy, almost viscous and honey-like. They simply don’t make Moscato like this anymore and it entirely turned us on. Hands down, the best Moscato d’Asti we’ve ever tasted (ask Tracie P if you don’t believe me!).
To order, email me by clicking here.
I can also get his 2005 Barolo Bricco delle Viole and the Chinato. But please email me for pricing and availability.
Before Tracie P and I left that day, Aldo gave us this folio coffee table encyclopedia of Italian cheeses. “The newlyweds,” he said, “couldn’t leave empty-handed.”
It now resides proudly in our living room. And btw, if you’re wondering how to pronounce Vajra, it rhymes with my middle name, Ira.
March 22, 2010
Do Bianchi Springtime Selection
Do Bianchi Springtime Selection
3 Whites and 3 Reds for Springtime
Fresh, clean, bright wines for springtime dishes.
whites
Librandi Cirò Bianco 2008 (100% Greco from Calabria, Italy)
Quattro Mani Toh-Kai 2007 (100% Tocai Friulano from Brda, Slovenia)
Laroche Chablis 2007 (100% Chardonnay from Chablis, France)
reds
Massolino Barbera d’Alba 2007 (Barbera from Piedmont, Italy)
Hofstätter Pinot Nero Meczan 2008 (Pinot Noir from South Tyrol, Italy)
Les Crêtes Torrette Petit Rouge 2006 (Petit Rouge from Val d’Aosta, Italy)
$137.93 plus tax and shipping and handling (if applicable)
to order, simply send me an email by clicking here
N.B.: I’ll be delivering and shipping wine next Monday and if you like, you can meet me at Jaynes Gastropub on Sunday to pick up your wines (I’ll be leading a tasting of wines inspired by my recent trip to Piedmont with owner Jon).
The theme of this offering is bright acidity and freshness, perfect for spring vegetables and the lighter meals we enjoy as warmer weather arrives. And, of course, all of these wines pair superbly with fish tacos!
Librandi Cirò Bianco 2008 (100% Greco from Calabria, Italy)
You may remember this post from Do Bianchi, where Tracie P and I paired this wine with one of our favorite dishes, pasta in bianco, short pasta cooked al dente and then dressed simply with extra-virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, chili flakes, and finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley. I love the acidity in this expression of one of Italy’s most ancient white grape varieties, Greco, and I love its low alcohol content (about 12.5%).
Quattro Mani Toh-Kai 2007
(100% Tocai Friulano from Brda, Slovenia)
The Movia winery in Brda, Slovenia has stopped bottling a 100% Tocai Friuliano: today, the grapes are used only in the winery’s top-flight blend, Veliko. But the surplus fruit — all sourced from Movia’s 100% biodynamic vineyard, farm, and estate — is now bottled under this second label. They call it Toh-Kai because EU labeling legislation forbids Italians and Slovenians from labeling their wines as Tocai, after a trademark dispute with Hungary (over Hungary’s botrytized Tokaj). What’s in a name? The same fresh, herbal and grassy flavors that I LOVE about Tocai. Remember when Nous Non Plus played at Movia?
Laroche Chablis 2007 (100% Chardonnay from Chablis, France)
If you read Do Bianchi or My Life Italian, you know how much Tracie P and I love Chablis. To my palate, Chablis — for both the terroir and the traditional style of vinification — is where Chardonnay reaches its most sublime expression: rocks and fruit in a glass, minerality, vibrant acidity, and fresh white and stone fruit. The Laroche entry-level (screw-cap) Chablis is not a life-changing wine: it’s a great, crisp, fresh food-friendly wine to go with a wide range of dishes, including fresh springtime vegetables and spicier foods. This bottle would probably be my number-one pick for a before dinner salad with vinaigrette.
Above: That’s me with Franco Massolino of the Massolino winery back in 2008 before Tracie P talked some sense into me and I decided to shave my mustache. He’s the NICEST guy and I love his wines. In 2008, I tasted his Barolos going back to the late 1980s. Wow…
Massolino Barbera d’Alba 2007 (Barbera from Piedmont, Italy)
If you’ve been following Do Bianchi, you know that I just got back from a trip to Piedmont where I spent four days tasting Barbera. Massolino, in Serralunga d’Alba, is one of my favorite Barolo producers, and so when I saw a good price on this Barbera d’Alba 2007 I jumped at it: while 2007 was a slightly more difficult vintage for Nebbiolo in Piedmont (it all depended on when the grower decided to pick), the earlier ripening Barbera had one of its best vintages in recent memory. This wine is fresh and bright, super food-friendly, with those wonderful juicy red fruit and berry fruit flavors that I love in traditional style Barbera.
Hofstätter Pinot Nero Meczan 2008
(Pinot Noir from South Tyrol, Italy)
The last day of my trip to Italy, I played hooky and spent the afternoon book shopping in Milan (one of my guilty pleasures) before heading over to my friends Stefano and Anna’s house for dinner. Stefano always takes great pride and pleasure in choosing the wines for our dinners together and one of the reds he picked this time around was the Hofstätter single-vineyard Meczan Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir) 2008. I visited Hofstätter (in German-speaking South Tyrol) back in 2008 and I’ve always been a fan of its Burgundian-inspired wines. Pinot Noir has been grown in this Alpine appellation for nearly three centuries and the fresh river-valley breezes, combined with excellent temperature variation during summer and elevation make it an ideal zone for the cultivation of fresh, clean expressions of Pinot Noir. It paired perfectly with Stefano’s dinner of steamed vegetables, bresaola (Lombard air-dried beef, thinly sliced), and young cow’s milk cheeses. I can still taste its wonderful fruit and acidity…
Les Crêtes Torrette Petit Rouge 2006
(Petit Rouge from Val d’Aosta, Italy)
This wine, made primarily from a grape called Petit Rouge (that you may not be familiar with), is produced in the French-speaking Alps of Italy, the Val d’Aosta. Les Crêtes is one of those iconic wineries of Italy that stands apart for its commitment to organic farming and superior quality for the price in its wines. Few wines express their terroir more aptly and earnestly than the wines of Les Crêtes: in this wine, you find tannic structure balanced by freshness, acidity tempered by natural red fruit flavors, in a distinct combination that could only be created by meticulous vineyard management, an indigenous grape variety (in this case, Petit Rouge), and the unique sandy soils and high-elevation climatic conditions of the Italian-French Alps. A great wine for springtime pasta and rice dishes and fresh cow’s milk cheeses. I simply LOVE this wine and could drink it everyday.
$137.93 plus tax and shipping and handling (if applicable)
to order, simply send me an email by clicking here
January 25, 2010
Do Bianchi Wedding Six-Pack
The Do Bianchi Wedding Six-Pack is sold out. Thanks, everyone, for your support of Do Bianchi Wine Selections! 
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Wow, the day is finally arriving… Our wedding! I wish I could share with all of you the sense of joy that I am experiencing right now. The journey of life has certainly had it’s ups and downs (although it’s never been boring). Two years ago, I felt like the singer in one of my favorite Gino Paoli songs, “Cosa farò da grande”: I’m still here, with my questions/I’m still here, what will I do when I grow up? Well, it rhymes in Italian! (Here’s a link to the song.)
Since Tracie B came into my life in August of 2008, things started to come back into focus and I found purpose and meaning in my life again. As a matter of fact, somehow, some way, I found the greatest calling in my life: to love her and to make her happy. And somehow, some way, even in this toughest of years (workwise), I’ve done some of my best work and best writing ever. Moving to Texas turned out to be the smartest thing I’ve ever done: life here is exciting and rich with flavors and aromas, and the Texas spirit really suits me, personally and professionally. I don’t know how it happened. But somehow it did. I guess, in the end, it sometimes is the journey not the destination.
For all of you who have been following the blog, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for accompanying me on this journey — which hasn’t always been easy. The blog has blossomed and brought rewards I could have never imagined (including meeting Tracie B). Thank you, to everyone, for the support and for the kind words and words of encouragement. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.
For this first Do Bianchi offering in 2010, we’ve decided to share with you the wines that we will be drinking to celebrate our union. Each wine played a role in our coming together and each wine has a special significance to us. And each wine will be served at our wedding this weekend!
Do Bianchi Wedding Six-Pack
The wines we’ll be drinking at our wedding celebration.
Château Moncontour Cuvée Predilection 2005 Vouvray
(sparkling white, dry)
Suavia 2007 Soave Classico (still white)
Domaine de Terrebrune 2008 Bandol Rosé (dry rosé)
Produttori del Barbaresco 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo (dry red)
Tenuta Il Poggione 2007 Rosso di Montalcino (dry red)
Ca’ del Bosco NV Franciacorta (noble sparkling white)
$150 (plus tax, shipping, and handling if applicable)
N.B.: We’ll try to fulfill as many orders as possible on Friday but some orders will not ship until next week.
As with past offerings, this six-pack makes for a perfect 6-person dinner party and is ordered according to weight at the pace and structure of a festive meal.
Château Moncontour Cuvée Predilection 2005 Vouvray
The first time I came to visit Tracie B in Texas, when I checked into my hotel room, I found a chilled bottle of sparkling wine and a couple of flutes. It was at a wonderful little b&b in her neighborhood. She had followed me up to my room with my suitcase.
“Champagne! How wonderful,” I said.
“It’s not Champagne… It’s Vouvray,” Tracie B corrected me.
Is this a match made in heaven, or what? 
(Here’s the post on how we met and came together.)
This is the first wine we ever tasted together and it’s the first wine our guests will taste when they arrive at the ceremony.
It’s Chenin Blanc from the Loire Valley made to sparkle using the Champagne method (double-fermented in bottle). It’s yeasty and toasty, with bright acidity and gently biscuit and white fruit flavors. We still drink it all the time!
Suavia 2007 Soave Classico
I visited the Suavia winery last April for work and just completely dig this wine for the pricepoint. It’s got that “tongue-splitting” acidity that Tracie B loves, loads of minerality, and nice apricot fruit. It’s another one of those wines we drink all the time, one of our “house” whites.
Domaine de Terrebrune 2008 Bandol Rosé
Tracie B and I first tasted this wine together in San Francisco last May. The winemaker treated us to a tasting going back to 1978. Both BrooklynGuy and Kermit Lynch highly recommended it us and frankly, it was love at first sight. It’s one of the best rosé wines we’ve tasted in a long time, as good as the much more pricey Tempier (another wine we love). When Kermit came to play with us in November, we all had a good laugh sharing the story of how it came into our lives: it all started with a post I did about eating Tracie B’s nachos and watching American Idol — “Idol and Bandol.”
Produttori del Barbaresco 2008 Langhe Nebbiolo
Produttori del Barbaresco. Need I say more? If you follow Do Bianchi, you know that this is simply one of our favorite wines, a wine that Tracie B and I simply could not live with the wines of Produttori del Barbaresco. They’re earthy and savory, balanced by gentle red fruit and minerality and acidity. The 2008 is much brighter than the 2007 and is ready for drinking now. It’s just such a wonderful red wine and a red wine that we can afford to drink regularly.
Tenuta Il Poggione 2007 Rosso di Montalcino
We wanted to include this wine in the six-pack not just because we love it so much but also because Tenuta Il Poggione will be the first stop on our honeymoon! My friends at the estate have offered to let us stay in the farmhouse for the first two nights of our viaggio di nozze and I can only imagine what vintage of Il Poggione will be drinking on that first night with our bistecca fiorentina at the Trattoria Il Pozzo in “downtown” Sant’Angelo in Colle (population 30).
Ca’ del Bosco NV Franciacorta
As much as Tracie B and I love French wine, it didn’t seem right to close our wedding with something from France. After all, Italy and our love for Italian food, wine, culture, and history is what brought the two of us together. Tracie B and I both love bubbles and as much as we love Champagne, Franciacorta — when it’s good, like this Ca’ del Bosco — is one of our favorite celebration wines. While Champagne can be astringent and challenging in its aromas and flavors, the terroir of Franciacorta gives the noble wines a wonderful freshness, like a grass pasture after it’s rained, and a supple quality in the fruit (think pear and peach) that will end our celebration on a sweet note — well, it won’t end the celebration… it will just end the celebrating will be doing with our guests!
Enjoy! And thanks again for everything…
Do Bianchi Wedding Six-Pack
The wines we’ll be drinking at our wedding celebration.
$150 (plus tax, shipping, and handling if applicable)
N.B.: We’ll try to fulfill as many orders as possible on Friday but some orders will not ship until next week.
