June Wine Club
DOMINI DEL LEONE BIANCO & ROSSO
BIANCO:
50% Glera, 45% Pinot Grigio, 5% Chardonnay
Fruity, with hints of white flowers and a surprisingly mineral sensation given by the Mediterrean breeze and the terroir close to the lagoon of Venice.
Enjoy with simple seafood pasta dishes.
ROSSO:
Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Raboso, and Corvina
Medium-ruby color with garnet highlights and aromas of cherries, plums, gingerbread and pine. The palate is vibrant with fine-grained tannins and a persistent acidity that frame the juicy fruit flavors as they flow into a refreshing finish. Harmoniously balanced with floral nuances.
A perfect table red to enjoy with simple pastas and meat dishes.
In 1974 the family estate was converted to organic agriculture according to the will of Guido Fidora. At that time being organic was not a trend and the term “organic” itself was not even associated to agriculture as it is today. Chemicals had been promoted as the right innovative way to grow crops for about one century. Everybody just seemed to have forgotten its past, a thousand-years chemicals-free experience. There were no books, no researchers, no teachers to explain how to grow plants without using chemicals. We learned through experience. Today, Civranetta estate is one of the oldest examples of an organic-cultivated environment in Italy and the oldest one in the Veneto region.
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ALTARE DOGLIANI
100% Dolcetto
A gluggable Dolcetto with the crunchiness of currants and wild berries on the back of rich, velvety tannins. With a long finish from intense, dark fruit, this wine is juicy, fresh, and has a pronounced tart fruit acidity that makes it lively and joyous.
San Luigi is a village in Dogliani in the heart of the Dolcetto Dogliani production area, where the climate is cold and wet in the winter often with thick fog and warm and sultry in the summers with strong thunderstorms. Nicholas Altare is a 27 year old who loves the land, the countryside and his work. He has also had the good fortune to find himself with an estate handed down from generation to generation. “My product is an organic or natural product, call it what you will. I’m not certified because I have never been interested in a stamp on a paper, but I’ve always been interested in obtaining a natural product.”
In the vineyards the only treatments are copper and sulphur-based, with manure from the estate’s own cattle production. No pesticides or herbicides are used, and in the summer they use strimmers to keep the grass in check. Nicholas says the work in the cellar is the simplest and easiest. After harvesting, the grapes are taken to the cellar and pressed, after which he waits a few days for the alcoholic fermentation to get going and from there they are pumped over once a day for 10 minutes. The maceration in contact with the skins lasts about 20 days. The wine is aged in stainless steel tanks for 10 months, and then bottled.
“This is me and my story, my dream is to keep learning about the land, the vines and to keep growing.”
An all year round dolcetto that’s perfect for summer drinking! Amazing with pizza, or any hard cheese and rich meat.
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KOBAL BLAUFRANKISCH
100% Blaufränkisch
Blaufrankisch is a dark ruby-colored wine with an aroma which resembles overripened blackberries, chocolate, black mulberries and dried plums. The harmony of fruity aromas is nicely rounded up with wood characteristics both in scent and in flavor, with a moderately long velvet finish. This is a delightful, multi-layered and elegant expression of the Blaufränkisch grape, full of spicy dark fruit flavors, mouth-coating tannins and a refreshing acidity.
Located in Posavje, Slovenia, the vineyards of Kobal are spread out over some of the finest wine-growing sites on the hills and slopes of the Bizeljsko-Sremic wine region. This area is a narrow strip along the northern bank of the Sava River, protected by the mountains from the harsh north winds and home to perhaps the best wine growing conditions in the region. Kobal wines are produced from local grape varietals which are farmed in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Environmentally friendly cultivation, following the integrated farming guidelines of Slovenia and no irrigation. Hand-picked grapes, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts, is unfiltered and given a low dose of sulfur right before bottling. The wine is aged in a combination of stainless steel tanks and used large oak barrels. It spends an additional 6-8 months in the bottle to stabilize.
This is a wine that is definitely for drinking year-round. We suggest cured and smoked ham, grilled or roasted pork chops, brick-oven pizza, roasted chicken or turkey, grilled chicken salad, grilled burgers and French fries, braised beef, spiced pork dishes and hearty stews.
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KRONTIRAS NATURAL MALBEC
100% Malbec
It has an opaque, deep purple color and nose that captivates you from the very first moment with its dense black fruit. Sour cherry, blackberry, and blueberry are accompanied by notes of dried flowers, iodine, and anise. On the palate, it is elegant, medium-bodied, with refreshing acidity, emblematic balance, and velvety, ripe tannins. Dense cherry, sour cherry, framboise, and berry meet red roses, lavender, and green tea in a truly impressive set. Aftertaste that almost does not end.
Awed by the majestic landscape of Lujan de Cuyo, Mendoza and its resemblance to their homeland Greece, Constantinos and his wife Silvina Macipa-Krontiras followed their passion for Argentinean wine and decided to acquire this plot of 80-year-old vineyard, now known as Bodegas Krontiras. Their project had since begun in 2004, with the aim of offering a distinguished natural expression of the Mendoza terroir.
Located in Lujan de Cujo, the area where the world’s best Argentinian wines, especially Malbec, is made, the estate is ultra-modern, biodynamically certified, and is an ornament at the foot of the Andes. The well-known and experienced Panos Zoumboulis is totally responsible for the vines and the winemaking process. Restless mister Zoumboulis never stops experimenting and looking for new techniques. In the context of biodynamic philosophy and absolute respect for the wine and the environment, Panos Zoumboulis created Malbec Natural. As its name implies, it is a Malbec without additional sulfites, with minimal interventions and no trace of oak barrel. The quality of the grape and the terroir speak for themselves and have a lot to say … It may be from Argentina, but the French finesse of the variety is expressed in all its grandeur!
Don’t even dare to judge this Malbec before you try it – this is about as pure as you can get! Try with Rigatoni with tomato, pancetta and goat cheese.
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CAVALCHINA BARDOLINO CHIARETTO ROSE
55% Corvina 35% Rondinella 10% Molinara
This has some pithy aromas with citrus and sweet cherry hints. With fresh floral notes and hints of citrus, apple and peach on the palate, this is the perfect summer wine. In the mouth it’s relatively soft, the wave of fresh acidity slowly advancing on the mid-palate preventing the sweet cherry and strawberry fruits from tasting too cloying. It finishes quite dry and steely, although there’s perhaps a touch of residual sugar remaining.
Cavalchina has a long history. The estate was established at the beginning of the 1900s, when the first vineyards were purchased. The cellar was built later and part of it was used as a distillery of grape marc till 1967. In 1962 Cavalchina was the first winery to call the white wine of this area (a blend of Fernanda, Trebbiano and Garganega grapes) “Custoza” and to sell it in Rome and in Milan, the most important markets of the time. Only the grape varietals that are most suited for the area are grown, yields are kept low and only the best clusters go into the wine that is bottled. Modern technology is used in the cellar, but tradition is also respected.
Pair with any beach, park, or picnic!
