Do Bianchi Wine Selections

Above: the Crivelli Ruché (different vintage) is one of the wines I selected for this year’s holiday six-pack. Italian wine lovers will geek out on it and the non-Italophilic folks will be surprised by its freshness and unique character. Such a great wine.

Do Bianchi Holiday Six-Pack 2015

Struzziero 2014 Falanghina (white)
Nanfro 2013 Insolia (white)
Caprari NV Lambrusco Colcer (red sparkling)
Carbone 2011 Aglianico del Vulture (red)
Crivelli 2014 Ruché (red)
Camossi NV Franciacorta Rosé (rosé sparkling)

$130 (including tax) plus shipping & handling
($22 average bottle price)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ORDER.

Wines will ship via FedEx on Monday of next week,
in plenty of time for delivery before the holiday.

California residents only.

I regret that I no longer accept AMEX.
But you can pay by Visa, MC, check (preferred) or Chase QuickPay.

Struzziero 2014 Falanghina

As always, I conceive and list the wines in my recommended pouring order as if for a dinner party for six persons. I’ve been loving everything I’ve tasted this year from the Struzziero winery in Taurasi and this Falanghina is fresh and bright in the glass, a perfect wine to get things started. My favorite pairings for this would be real buffalo-milk mozzarella (a classic) and olive-oil cured raw anchovies (my mouth just watered as I wrote this). One-word tasting note: sexy.

Nanfro 2013 Insolia

This wine from Nanfro, an organic grower and environmentally aware winemaker in southeastern Sicily (Vittoria), has been showing so beautifully at Sotto in LA where I’ve been writing the wine list for the last four years. It’s got a wonderful aromatic character and nice roundness that makes it very crowd-friendly while still having the acidity that I crave in my wines. One-word note: groovy.

Caprari NV Lambrusco Colcer

This gently sparkling, super-low alcohol Lambrusco has been so popular in previous six-packs, that I just had to include it again this time around. Caprari is also an organic grower and this wine has that zing and vibrancy that you rarely see in commercially farmed Lambrusco. Ideal pairings are tagliatelle al ragù (bolognese), lasagne verdi, or tortellini (or cappelletti) in brodo. But man, this wine would go with nearly anything. One-word tasting note: homey.

Carbone 2011 Aglianico del Vulture

For the holidays, you need structured red wine to go with your roasts and other “big” dishes typically served this time of year. Aglianico del Vulture in general represents one of the greatest values in red wine in my opinion and I love this soulful, umami-driven expression of this super southern Italian appellation by my friend Sara Carbone. Red wine lovers will really dig this wine and “Napa Cab” junkies will find it eye-opening. One-word tasting note: earthy (as in Mother earth).

Crivelli 2014 Ruché

This is a very special wine, people. Monferrato winemaker legen Marco Crivelli (above) is the dude widely considered to be the master of Ruché and this wine has a brilliance rivaled by few. Here, fruit, freshness, acidity, and a gentle touch of sweet dirt combine to make for one of the most original and delicious wines you’ll ever have from Piedmont. It’s one of those wines that Italian wine lovers will geek out over and non-Italophilic folks will freak out over (I wrote about it here). Save this one for the cheese and walnuts at the end of the feast. One-word tasting note: magical.

Camossi NV Franciacorta Rosé

Franciacorta and its classic-method sparkling wines have become such a big part of my life over the last few years and Tracie P and I just love the wines. Camossi was one of the first “grower Franciacorta” producers to emerge on the scene a few years ago and it’s become our “house” Franciacorta thanks to its availability and value. This wine could be served at the beginning of your holiday feast, at the end, or throughout: it’s got all the right stuff — freshness, acidity, rich fruit, minerality, elegance and approachability — to wow your guests and family. It’s great wine. One-word tasting note: essential.

Above: sometimes we forget that one of the coolest things about wine is how beautiful it is. That gorgeous hue is just one of the reasons why I love to serve my friend Paolo Cantele’s Negroamaro rosé at Christmas.

Do Bianchi Christmas Six-Pack 2014

Belisario 2012 Verdicchio di Matelica Vigneti
Laimburg 2013 Riesling
Cantele 2013 Negroamaro Rosato
Il Falchetto 2011 Barbera d’Asti Scorrone
Produttori del Barbaresco 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo
Marenco 2013 Moscato d Asti Strev

$116 plus shipping & handling
($19 average bottle price)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ORDER.

Wines will ship via FedEx on Monday of next week
in plenty of time for delivery before the holiday.

California residents only.

I regret that I no longer accept AMEX.
But you can pay by Visa, MC, check or Chase QuickPay.

One of the things that people don’t realize about my wine club is that I hope I don’t sell out the wines: I want to drink some, too!

Seriously, the wines that I include in my six-packs are wines that Tracie P and I drink at home. We prize wholesomeness and food-friendliness in our wines and especially with Tracie still nursing, it’s so important to us that the wines we drink at home are not just good but also good for us.

As with previous offers, the wines are ordered in the way I will serve them at Christmas (and believe me: this is what we will be drinking in Orange, Texas, on the Louisiana border, at my in-laws Rev. and Mrs. B’s house — unless of course the wine sells out!).

Belisario 2012 Verdicchio di Matelica Vigneti

Verdicchio is one of the sexiest categories of Italian wine right now. In the last six-pack, we did an older Verdicchio from Jesi, near the Adriatic coast. This one is from Matelica, a valley that lies inland in the mountains. With higher elevation and cooler summer evenings, Matelica delivers wines with more nuanced floral notes than Jesi, where fruit tends to dominate. Belisario is an organic grower and this wine is as wholesome as it is delicious.

Laimburg 2013 Riesling

I’ve included the Laimburg Riesling (from northern German-speaking Italy) in previous six-packs and it’s always been a hit. We poured it the other night at Sotto in LA, where I co-author the wine list, and it showed beautifully, with its zinging acidity and focused, precise fruit flavors. Don’t serve this too cold: cellar temperature (or about 30 minutes out of the fridge) is ideal to bring out the aroma and flavor of this stunning wine.

Cantele 2013 Negroamaro Rosato

In my view of the world, Negroamaro is one of the best grapes for rosé wine and rosé wine is ideal around the holidays when you need acidity, gentle tannin and rich flavor to pair with classic holiday dishes. Paolo Cantele is my client and one of my best friends in Italy. The fact that we bonded over our interest in Pasolini only makes the wine more delicious. But don’t take my word for it: this is one of our favorite wines to pour around the holidays and it’s been on the list, by the glass, at Sotto since the restaurant first opened nearly four years ago.

Il Falchetto 2011 Barbera d’Asti Scorrone

I was so stoked when I saw that this wine was available in California. Il Falchetto makes some of the greatest Barbera that I’ve ever tasted. And no, this isn’t the “oaked” expression of their superb fruit: it’s their traditional-style Barbera, with bright acidity and bright fruit and the lightness and versatility that I crave around the holidays. We poured this at Sotto the other night, paired with tortellini in brodo and people went crazy for it. The ultimate food-friendly wine…

Produttori del Barbaresco 2012 Langhe Nebbiolo

At our house, it wouldn’t be Christmas without Nebbiolo. If you follow my blog, you know that the wines of Produttori del Barbaresco are the heart and soul of my wine cellar and they are the wines that we serve to people whom we love. The Langhe Nebbiolo is the younger-vine expression of the winery. And the maceration times are shorter: this wine is fresh and light on its feet and has just a kiss of Nebbiolo’s signature earthiness and tannin. I also have some classic Barbaresco (not cru) from the 2010 vintage available. If you need some of that as well, just let me know.

Marenco 2013 Moscato d Asti Strev

Moscato d’Asti has got to be the all-time greatest wine for the Christmas celebration: gently sparkling, sweet and low in alcohol (around 7 percent), everyone — from the wine snob to Aunt Gladys — likes a good Moscato d’Asti. Seriously, this is just such a wonderful wine to have in the fridge around the holidays. And it’s the ideal brunch wine, one of the few wines that Italians will pair with fresh fruit. Personally, I like to serve it with huevos rancheros.

Above: this year’s six-pack includes the 1999 Bonci Verdicchio, one of the most stunning wines I’ve tasted this year. Old white wine? It’s what makes our world go around at the Parzen household!

Bele Casel NV Prosecco Colfòndo
Bonci 1999 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Le Case Riserva
Ronco del Gelso 2012 Isonzo Bianco Latimis
Caprari NV Lambrusco Reggiano Colcer
Fatalone 2005 Gioia del Colle Primitivo Riserva
Produttori di Carema 2009/2010 Nebbiolo Classico

$125 plus shipping & handling
($21 average bottle price)

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO ORDER.

Wines will ship via FedEx on Wednesday of next week
in time for delivery before the holiday.

California residents only.

I regret that I no longer accept AMEX.
But you can pay by Visa, MC, check or Chase QuickPay.

Just as in years past, my Do Bianchi Thanksgiving Six-Pack offering is made up of wines that Tracie P and I actually drink ourselves.

I’m particularly excited about this year’s Thanksgiving offering because it includes a couple of wines “with some age on them.”

The 1999 Bonci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, in particular, is one of the most stunning wines I’ve tasted this year and I managed to get it at a low enough price that I could include it here.

And just as in years past, the wines are ordered as I recommend serving them with your Thanksgiving meal. I put the 1999 Verdicchio at the beginning because I feel it should be served early, when palates are still fresh. It’s still youthful in its evolution but it’s also very light and nuanced. Try not to serve it too cold.

Thanks in advance for your support! And happy Thanksgiving! My notes on the wines follow…

Bele Casel NV Prosecco Colfòndo

If you follow Do Bianchi and/or have bought wine from me, you know that this Prosecco Colfòndo is the house wine in our home. It salty and crunchy, the way we like it. And it’s wholesome, a wine raised organically by people whom I admire greatly. Some like to stand it upright so that the sediment collects on the bottom. But at our house, we like to turn it upside down so that you get the most flavor out of the wine.

Bonci 1999 Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Le Case Riserva

In my view, Verdicchio has all the right stuff to become the next big thing from Italian wine. It’s finally shedding off its tarnished image from the 1970s, when chemically farmed and overly sulfured Verdicchio flooded the U.S. market. This wine blew me away with its nuance and character. Serve it before dinner, when people’s palates are still fresh. It’s STUNNING old white wine at a great price.

Ronco del Gelso 2012 Isonzo Bianco Latimis

Friuli delivers the greatest value, in my view, for food-friendly, acidity- and minerality-driven white wines. This is a classic Friulian white blend of Friulano, Riesling, Pinot Bianco and a small amount of Traminer Aromatico. It’s lip-smacking delicious and has the versatility to pair with the wide variety of flavors on the Thanksgiving table. This wine, and the Lambrusco and Primitivo that follow are the wines to serve with the main attraction.

Caprari NV Lambrusco Reggiano Colcer

We served this wine at the recent Emilia-Romagna dinner at Sotto in Los Angeles, where Chef Steve Samson prepared an Emilian feast. It was one of the hits of the evening and Tracie P and I just love how fresh and refreshing it is. I can’t think of a better wine for the Thanksgiving meal. And it’s SUPER LOW in alcohol.

Fatalone 2005 Gioia del Colle Primitivo Riserva

I’ve never offered the Fatalone Primitivo here before but it’s one of the most popular wines at Sotto, where I author the list with my colleague Christine Veys. And it represents one of the greatest values for quality in our wine selection. This is not the overpowering, high-alcohol, fruit-bomb style that many Apulian producers ship to the U.S. market. It’s lean and lithe, with that “unbearable lightness” that I love, especially in red wines with some age. This wine, with its dark red fruit character, imho, is the perfect pairing for roast Turkey, especially dark meat.

Produttori di Carema 2009/2010 Nebbiolo Classico

It wouldn’t be a holiday with out Nebbiolo and this is the wine that I’ve included as the end-of-the-evening meditative wine. Carema is a mountain-express of Nebbiolo and while this wine is definitely tannic in character, it has a wonderful freshness to it that I love. Serve this wine with cheese and nuts at the end of the meal.

Above: The first vineyard that Georgia P — our older daughter — ever visited was one of Bele Casel’s top growing sites for their stunning Prosecco Colfòndo. That photo was taken in September 2012. Click here to see a video, made with a little help from my friends, of my most recent visit to the winery.

DO BIANCHI CHRISTMAS SIX-PACK
$107
plus tax shipping & handling

$18 AVERAGE BOTTLE PRICE

Bele Casel N[on] V[intage] Prosecco Asolo Superiore Colfòndo (2 bottles)
Vignalta 2011 Moscato del Veneto Sirio
Tenuta Sant’Antonio 2011 Corvina Scaia
Selvapiana 2010 Chianti Rufina
Vietti NV 2012 Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta

Unfortunately, delivery is not available for this offer.
Wines will ship on Monday, December 9.

Please send me an email to order.

Bele Casel N[on] V[intage] Prosecco Asolo Superiore Colfòndo
gently sparkling, savory white 2 BOTTLES

I’m proud to say that I played a small role in getting this wine to the U.S. I’ve been a big fan of my friend and client Luca Ferraro’s salty, crunchy Colfòndo — old school unfiltered and undisgorged Prosecco — for some time. And after much nagging, I finally convinced him to insist that his importer bring it in. Today, it’s the toast of the town in San Francisco where Italian wine maven Ceri Smith and biodynamic pioneer Randall Grahm are pouring it by the glass at the city’s hottest new restaurant, Tosca. I can’t get enough of this groovy stuff. Luca is an organic grower and this wholesome wine is what we’ll be drinking at our Christmas.

Vignalta Moscato del Veneto 2011 Sirio
dry white

I’ll never forget the first time I tasted this wine: having learned of my experience in Padua, Italy (where I attended university) and my obsession with the fourteenth-century poet Petrarch (the subject of my doctoral thesis), Darrell Corti — one of the world’s greatest experts on Italian wine, among other gastronomic subjects — insisted that we drink this crisp, dry focused expression of Moscato from the Euganean Hills where Petrarch spent his last years collating his songbook. I love everything about this wine: it’s fresh and acidity-driven and a great accompaniment for the roast ham and roast turkey of Christmas time.

Tenuta Sant’Antonio Corvina 2011 Scaia
fresh, light, fruit-driven red

Tenuta Sant’Antonio from Valpolicella has been a favorite of mine ever since I first started following the winery back in NYC in the late 1990s. When the winemakers poured me this lovely, fresh wine at Vinitaly this year, I was skeptical: I’m not a fan of the monovarietal mania (i.e., a predisposition for single-grape wines) that has captivated so many Italian lovers in recent years. But this wine really thrilled me with its food-friendliness and its earnestness. A gorgeous expression of the primary grape in Valpolicella and Amarone.

Selvapiana 2010 Chianti Rufina
rich, dry red wine

To know me is to know that I love Sangiovese, the quintessential Italian red grape, most famously grown in Tuscany. It’s so hard to find an honest Chianti this day but this one is old-school all-the-way. And it comes from what is, in my opinion, the greatest subzone for the appellation. Your ears literally pop as you drive up the village of Rufina in the northern section of the DOC and the high elevation gives this wine the electric vibrancy that sets great Sangiovese apart from the K-Mart version. It’s one of my perennial favorites.

Vietti NV 2012 Moscato d’Asti Cascinetta
sweet, very low alcohol, gently sparkling white

It wouldn’t be Christmas without Moscato d’Asti. At this time of year, we always keep a bottle in the fridge. It’s so low in alcohol that we might even open it for Sunday brunch! And it’s always great to have around when friends drop by and we want something simple and accessible to toast the season. Top Barolo estate Vietti is one of the appellation’s classic producers and delivers this one in a traditional style (not overly fruity). And hey, if you don’t drink it yourself, give it as a gift to someone you love.

*****

In Parzen family news, little Lila Jane has already started with her music lessons (see below). Happy Holidays, everyone! And thanks for all your support in 2013!

TASTE WITH ME FRIDAY NOV. 1 AT SOTTO IN LA
AND SATURDAY NOV. 2 AT JAYNES IN SAN DIEGO.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS.

Above: The pièce de résistance in my Thanksgiving Six-Pack 2013 is “mountain Nebbiolo” from Carema in northern Piedmont where growers still use pergola-trained vineyards. Here’s the post on my 2011 visit there.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is nearly here. And it’s so true what people say: when you have kids, it seems that time passes so swiftly (family update follows the wine info below).

Here’s my Thanksgiving Six-Pack 2013 offering. As with all my six-packs, the focus is on food friendliness: low alcohol and high acidity, freshness and balance. And as always, it’s designed to follow the progression of the meal, moving from light and easy to heavier body and more nuance and depth.

I’ve included two bottles of the Zanotto Col Fondo: the alcohol is so low in this (at around 11%) and the wine is so tasty that one bottle (for a party of six) is never enough and it’s also such a great wine to drink throughout any meal.

Do Bianchi Thanksgiving Six-Pack 2013
$125
plus tax, shipping & handling
($21 average bottle price)

I regret that I won’t be able to deliver any of the wines this time around. So all orders will be shipped from San Diego on Monday, November 4.

TO ORDER, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL BY CLICKING HERE.

For San Diego residents who wish to pick up the wines, you can come meet me at Jaynes Gastropub where I’ll be pouring my friend Paolo Cantele’s wines from 4-6 p.m., Saturday, November 2.

Zanotto NV Col Fondo (2 bottles)
sparkling white

This is the way Prosecco was made before the Prosecco boom of the 1990s: it’s lees-aged, unfiltered, salty and crunchy, with gentle citrus and white fruit. Gently sparkling, it’s simply one Tracie P and me’s favorite wines and you’ll always find a bottle in our fridge. Here’s the thread of the many posts I’ve written about it.

Struzziero 2011 Greco di Tufo Villa Giulia
still white

This crisp, mineral-driven expression of Greco from the mountains above Naples has been a huge hit at Sotto in Los Angeles where I co-author the wine list. White stone fruit and rocks, elegant and focused.

Caprari NV Lambrusco Secco Colcer
sparkling red

Why genuine Lambrusco like this is not more popular in the U.S., I’ll never understand. Well, actually, I do understand: mass-marketed Lambrusco sullied perceptions of these wonderfully food-friendly, low-alcohol wines in the 1970s. Although I love all the wines in this flight, this is my number-one pick for the Thanksgiving meal because of its versatility at the dinner table. It will pair well with everything from sour cranberry sauce to turkey and rich gravy.

Cascina Corte 2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani Classico
still red

Cascina Corte was making Natural Dolcetto (my mom’s favorite grape, btw) long before Natural wine was hip. I first tasted with them back in the early 2000s and have remained a loyal fan of these gorgeous, approachable expressions of the ultimate winter-food wine from Piedmont. A bench mark for the appellation and the grape variety (imho).

Produttori di Carema 2009 Carema
still red

I visited Carema for the first time in 2011 but I’ve collected the wines for many, many years now and I’ve always been blown away by the value for the quality of this classic, traditional expressions of Nebbiolo. This tiny appellation, which is still farmed using pergola-training, delivers wonderful freshness and dark red fruit set against rich tannins. I simply love, love, love these wines. Click here to read about the vertical tasting the consortium organized for me and some colleagues a few years ago. Stunning, entirely original expressions of the world’s greatest grape (yes, I just said that): Nebbiolo!

In other news…

Lila Jane turned three months old this week and she’s doing great. She’s so sweet and she smiles and laughs all the time. And she loves being Georgia P’s little sister.

Here’s Tracie P’s three-month letter to her.

Georgia P is also doing great and she’s really grown into her role as a big sister. She didn’t like it at first but now she shares her snacks with Lila Jane (although Lila Jane doesn’t really eat the snacks) and tells her that she loves her and kisses her goodnight before bed.

That’s Georgia P above at one of our favorite restaurants in Austin, Qui. She is such a joy and we have so much fun together.

Of all the great experiences of my life, none has been more rich than being a dad. It took me a little while to get here but I’m so glad that I did. I know now that this was what I was meant to do in life… They fill my heart and soul with so much joy and Tracie P is the greatest mother in the world…

Thanks for reading and happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

If you’re in Southern California next weekend, please come see me and my buddy Paolo Cantele at Sotto in LA on Friday Nov. 1 and Jaynes in San Diego on Saturday Nov. 2!

Above: The Zanotto estate in Proseccoland is one of the most magical vineyards I’ve ever visited. Just look at the quality of the fruit. Beautiful, no? Tracie P took this photo in September 2012.

HOLIDAY SIX-PACK 2012

Zanotto 2011 (Prosecco) Col Fondo (sparkling white, TWO BOTTLES)
Struzziero 2010 Greco di Tufo Villagiulia (still white)
Ugolino 2011 Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi (still white)
Cascina Corte 2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani (still red)
Balgera 2005 Valtellina Superiore (still red)

$150 $110 plus tax, handling, and shipping

AVERAGE BOTTLE PRICE IS $18.

To order, just send me an email by clicking here.

I will be shipping from San Diego on Monday, December 10, and I will be delivering to San Diego residents on Tuesday, December 11.

This year’s Holiday Six-Pack has two bottles of Zanotto Col Fondo: one is for you to open for Christmas and the other is for New Year’s Eve. After all, what celebration is complete without some sparkling wine from the Veneto (and one of our favorite wines for 2012)?

PLEASE NOTE: I do have extra Zanotto Col Fondo if you want/need it (if you don’t, we’ll just drink it ourselves!).

When Tracie P, Georgia P, and I visited the Zanotto property in the province of Treviso in September of this year, we weren’t surprised by how beautiful it was. It’s as if the extreme freshness and pure minerality and fruit of this wine were an expression of the magic of the place.

At one of the highest altitude sites in the Prosecco appellation, there’s little sign of modernity along the winding road that leads to the vineyards.

The air is fresh, clean, and peaceful, and the meticulously manicured fruit (see the photo above) just seems to thrive there naturally.

Riccardo Zanotto’s uncle used to sell his grapes to top bottlers, including some of the most prestigious names in the world of Prosecco. A few years ago, Riccardo managed to convince him to set aside some of the fruit to be vinified in the old-school Col Fondo style: double-fermented in bottle and aged on its lees.

The resulting wine is has become one of our favorites: we like it so much, that I convinced a Los Angeles-based importer to bring it to the United States earlier this year.

Today, you can drink Zanotto Col Fondo by the glass at high-profile restaurants like Chez Panisse in Berkeley and Osteria Mozza in Los Angeles. There is a reason for this: the wine is utterly refreshing and delicious, low in alcohol (around 11%), and driven by pure mineral and white fruit flavors and aromas. We simply love it.

PLEASE NOTE: I do have extra Zanotto Col Fondo if you want/need it (if you don’t, we’ll just drink it ourselves!).

HOLIDAY SIX-PACK 2012

Zanotto 2011 (Prosecco) Col Fondo (sparkling white, TWO BOTTLES)

See my notes above. You can see technical notes on the wine here. And you can find all my notes, including how Zanotto came into our lives, here.

Struzziero 2010 Greco di Tufo Villagiulia (still white)

Struzziero in Taurasi was another big discover for me this year. We’ve been serving their high-end Taurasi in a vertical at Sotto in Los Angeles and I finally got to taste through the whole family of wines at Vinitaly this year. Great, traditional wines, like this wonderful Greco di Tufo.

Ugolino 2011 Verdicchio Castelli di Jesi (still white)

Tracie P, Georgia P, and I also went to Castelli di Jesi for the first time this year. This delightful expression of Verdicchio is dominated by mineral notes and acidity. And I love the judicious alcohol here. A super-food-friendly white wine.

Cascina Corte 2010 Dolcetto di Dogliani (still red)

I was thrilled to rediscover this biodynamic producer of Dolcetto di Dogliani by Cascina Corte. I used to sell the wine many years ago in New York: it’s my favorite wine from my favorite appellation for Dolcetto. Brilliant fruit balanced by earthiness and the wonderful mouthfeel that is unique to traditional style Dolcetto. This is definitely a main course wine.

Balgera 2005 Valtellina Superiore (still red)

My holidays are not complete without some aged Nebbiolo. I actually included this in the Thanksgiving six-pack. It’s just drinking too well to not include here. This is my wine for nibbling aged cheeses and roasted nuts after dinner.

$150 $110 plus tax, handling, and shipping

AVERAGE BOTTLE PRICE IS $18.

To order, just send me an email by clicking here.

PLEASE NOTE: I do have extra Zanotto Col Fondo if you want/need it (if you don’t, we’ll just drink it ourselves!).