Verduno Basadone Doc [Piemonte, Italy] $26.99

This rare wine gem is made from the Pelaverga piccolo variety grown on vineyards located in the Massara and Olmi areas of the village of Verduno.

This singular native vine has been grown in the Verduno area since the 1600s. Believing in its potential, Castello di Verduno were the first to plant a vineyard dedicated to the variety in 1972: Basadone, a local name for the “wild poppy”.

In the local dialect, basadone can also be understood as meaning “kissing women”, and just like a kiss this ruby red wine – an aphrodisiac according to popular tradition – reawakens desires with its spicy overtones and delicate, lingering taste.

2006 Produttori dei Barbaresco Normale [Piemonte, Italy] $33.99

If you aren’t aware there were no 2006 Produttori single vineyard Barbaresco’s made. This means that 30% of the Normale bottling is Riserva quality. Jump on this wine. It’s fantastic and I tasted it personally when I was visiting the Produtorri this last December! [92pts RP & WS] Pretty, perfumed aromas of red cherry and flowers. Supple, ripe and sweet, with harmonious acidity giving shape to the wine. Offers good verve and finishes with broad, dusty tannins that avoid dryness. This is a substantial wine with staying power, and a great buy.

White Wines

Damilano Arneis Langhe [Piemonte, Italy] $19.99

Aromatic with notes of almonds, peaches, vanillin and flowers. This wine is both rich and viscous, similar to Viognier in weight and Pinot Blanc in flavors with good structure and acidity. A tricky grape to grow (Arneis means ‘a difficult and demanding person’ in Piemontese). The DOCs of Langhe and Roero in Piemonte produce the finest Arneis.

Verduno Basadone DOC [Piemonte, Italy]

This hidden gem made from the Pelaverga piccolo varietal is grown on vineyards located in the Massara and Olmi areas of the village of Verduno located in the Piemonte region.

This singular native vine has grown in the Verduno area since the 1600s. Believing in its potential, Castello di Verdunowas the first to plant a vineyard dedicated to the variety in 1972.

In the local dialect, basadone can also be understood as meaning “kissing women”, and just like a kiss this ruby red wine – an aphrodisiac according to popular tradition – reawakens desires with its spicy overtones and delicate, lingering taste.

SALE $26.99

2006 Produttori del Barbaresco Normale [Piemonte, Italy]

If you aren’t aware there were no 2006 Produttori single vineyard Barbaresco’s made. This means that 30% of the Normale bottling is Riserva quality. Jump on this wine. It’s fantastic and I tasted it personally when I was visiting the Produtorri this last December! [92pts RP & WS] Pretty, perfumed aromas of red cherry and flowers. Supple, ripe and sweet, with harmonious acidity giving shape to the wine. Offers good verve and finishes with broad, dusty tannins that avoid dryness. This is a substantial wine with staying power, and a great buy.

SALE $33.99

Damilano Arneis Langhe [Piemonte, Italy]

Aromatic with notes of almonds, peaches, vanillin and flowers. This wine is both rich and viscous, similar to Viognier in weight and Pinot Blanc in flavors with good structure and acidity. A tricky grape to grow (Arneis means ‘a difficult and demanding person’ in Piemontese). The DOCs of Langhe and Roero in Piemonte produce the finest Arneis.

SALE $19.99 t

There are three aspects that go into our wine reviews that parallel wine tasting methods:

   1. Appearance

   2. Smell

   3. Taste

When assessing the appearance of a wine look for clarity, brightness, color of core to rim to determine varietal and age, concentration, gas evidence and viscosity.

The smell or bouquet of a wine is one of the most important of the three. First, look for flaws such as corkiness, oxidation or volatile acidity. Then assess the intensity of the wine, age, fruit aromas, non-fruit aromas like herbs, earthiness or minerality, and the presence or absence of wood.

Finally, the taste. Is the wine sweet or dry? Confirmation of what you assessed in the nose; the fruit and non fruit flavors, confirm the earthiness or minerality, confirm if wood was used in the aging process. Are there tannins present? Assess acidity. In another words, is the wine alive in the bottle or flabby. What is the level of alcohol? Low, medium or high? Finally, assess the finish and complexity of the wine.

Sommelier Point of View:

From the human experience of wine tasting and the extensive training on variates, regions and methods used to achieve the vast selections of wine available we assign “Points” to a particular wine based on how it represents the best in its class, region or wine type.  Most “wine reviewers” use a scale of 1 to 100 points system, 100 being good.

95 – 100 points outstanding in class.

90- 94 points excellent and super in its class

85 – 89 points very good for the pallet

80 – 84 points good wine worth enjoying

Favorite wines:  these are wines we enjoy and are a personal recommendation to try based on our taste and not necessary that of the generalized point system.

Good Value: may be a new wine but not necessarily a cheap wine but a wine we find to be of good value for what it is  and worth the experience.

Other codes:

XD = extra dry

D = dry

MD = medium dry

M =  medium

S = sweet

Don’t wait until summer to fire up your backyard grill. This dish tastes just right year- round and is undeniably rewarding after you’ve battled the cold to grill it up! Serves 6.

What you’ll need:

6 6-ounce salmon fillets

Cooking spray

1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon ground cumin

2 teaspoons chili powder

2 teaspoons paprika

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

How to prepare:

Heat grill to medium-high and spray with cooking spray. In a bowl, combine ginger, brown sugar, sea salt, ground cumin, chili powder, paprika and balsamic vinegar. Next, rub the salmon with the spice mixture and grill for 8-10 minutes. Watch closely to prevent over-grilling. Fish will flake easily when tested with a fork when done. Serve with fresh spinach salad and garlic mashed potatoes.