Ca Ed Balos Moscato D'Asti

This one makes me smile. It could be the sparkling in the glass... or the peach aromas that remind me of summer. The little things in life... that make you feel happy... just to be alive.

All this from a little grape called Moscato Bianco, grown in Piedmont, Italy. At harvest the grapes are soft pressed, fermented in controlled temperature steel tanks, then the fermentation process is stopped at the precise moment to attain a higher residual sugar, sparkle and lower alcohol content. But the sweetness is in no way cloying and seems just right to me.

Colors in the glass are clear straw with intense aromas of apricot, peach and honeysuckle along with a slightly sweet palate and hints of citrus and elderberry. The finish is long and satisfying. Will pair well with soft cheese, Italian Pastries or fresh fruit.

Salute!

Gabbiano Moscato 2010 DOC

100% white Moscato grapes from Piemonte are gently pressed within 4 hours of harvest and vinified in stainless steel for 5 days. Fermentation is arrested at 7% alcohol, and after primary fermentation the wine goes through micro-filtration and then to bottle.

Straw colors, and nice effervescence. The nose? It's as if you just walked into a bakery, then there's vanilla and fresh fruit. Flavors of sweet ripe golden apple, pear and even some orange. The finish is long and delicious.

Carlo Pellegrino Passito di Pantelleria DOC 2009

From the island of Pantelleria, off Sicily’s southern coast, Moscato of Alexandria (locally known as Zibibbo) grapes are grown in soil composed of volcanic black lava rocks under a thin layer of unirrigated topsoil.

The wine is made from the must of very ripe Moscato grapes whose fermentation has been stopped by adding pure alcohol. At least 20% of the naturally dried grapes are added to the must. Three junctures of Muscat grapes are used in the production, fresh harvested grapes, sun-dried grapes (uva passa), and semi-dried grapes (uva passolata), making it a very labor intensive process.

This dessert wine is extremely complex and delectable to the senses, having a substantial bouquet of honey, apricot, peaches, raisin, date, burnt marshmallow, fig, toasted almonds, marzipan, straw, orange blossom, butterscotch and caramel. The long and satisfying finish makes all that labor worthwhile.

Reference: Robert Camuto's Palmento
Can be found at The Wine Room of Forest Hills

La Montecchia Fior D'arancio Vino Spumanti Dolce Colle Eugenei DOC 2007

From the Colli Eugenei D.O.C. in the Veneto region of Italy and made from 100% Orange Moscato grapes, this sweet sparkling Spumante floats on floral notes and gives the essences of citrus and pears.

Italian Wine Series: Part 2-The Wines of Basilicata

"Basilicata, also known as Lucania, is an often neglected region of arid hills and desolate mountains that can be bitterly cold for a southerly place. But the cool upland climate has its advantages for viticulture, in wines that can show enviable aromas and flavours. Basilicata has only one DOC in Aglianico del Vulture, but that, at least, gives the inhabitants a source of pride. One of southern Italy's finest red wines, it is gradually gaining admirers elsewhere.

The Aglianico vine - which is also the base of Campania's vaunted Taurasi - was brought to Basilicata by the Greeks, perhaps as long ago as the sixth or seventh century BC. (Its name is a corruption of Hellenico). On the slopes of the extinct volcano known as Monte Vulture it makes a robust, deeply coloured wine that from fine vintages can improve for many years, becoming increasingly refined and complex in flavour. There are also youthful versions of the wine, sometimes semi-sweet and even sparkling, but the dry "vecchio" or "riserva", after ageing in oak casks, rate the most serious consideration.

Aglianico is also used for "vini da tavola" in other parts of the region, notably in the east around Matera, where reds from Sangiovese and Montepulciano also originate. White wines of interest are the sweet Moscato and Malvasia, the best of which come from the Vulture zone and the eastern Bradano valley."

...an excerpt from made-in-italy.com

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In an interview I did with Keith Beavers from InVino Wine Bar, I asked him what was the first wine that made him realize he loved wine? His answer was a wine from Regione Basilicata.

"It was a 1999 Paternoster Aglianico Del Vulture Don Anselmo. It was so full bodied and robust with rose petals and licorice and a tannin structure as mammoth as the mountain it was grown near yet harnessed and balanced. It sent off alarms in my mind and soul telling me this was very important somehow. And here I am a servant of wine, spreading the love...I hope."

Marenco 2007 Pineto Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG

This wine is a "frizzante"... an almost imperceptibly sparkling red dessert wine made from the Brachetto grape in the Acqui district of Southern Piedmont. It reminds me a little of a moscato and a little of champagne, but light rose in color, medium bodied with floral aromas and flavors of cherries and finally a bright raspberry finish. It was deliciously paired with Affogato al Cafe, vanilla ice cream with a shot of espresso at Uvarara.

Interview with Vito Polosa of Aroma Kitchen & Winebar

What was the first wine that made you realize you loved wine?

A simple moscato that made me get up at 6 am on a sunday morning at the age of 10 to go have a sip all by myself.

Describe your perfect meal and the wine you’d pair it with?

I like wholesome, fresh vegetable soups and normally like to pair them with a good, vibrant, young white wine like a Tocai Friuliano or Ribolla Gialla...

Raw fish starters like crudo or sushi go wonderfully with a sparkling rose'.

If I’m in the mood for a good pasta dish I’ll go for homemade gnudi with a great bolognese sauce and pair it with a well made, honest Sangiovese.

A juicy piece of lamb that is well roasted but still nice and pinkish in the inside, served simply with no sauces is perfect with an older vintage of Aglianico.

Lastly, I love pies with seasonal fruits, and an old school custard or Creme Anglais and a Sauthern or a Passito di Pantelleria goes perfectly with it.

What’s the most common misconception people have regarding wine?

That it is bad for you.
That the higher in alcohol and concentration, the better it might be.
That it should not be tannic.

What's the advantage of ordering a flight of wine?

It’s always fun to taste different wines and to try to find out for yourself what you personally like and dislike. A flight of wine allows you to sample from a variety of wines without overdoing it.

What's your current pick for best value in an Italian wine at Aroma?

Right now we have a 2000 Bordeaux blend from Veneto that is on our list for $68 that I have seen in Italy selling for over $130 Euros.

Serafini and Vidotto Rosso dell'Abazzia.

Why do you think the concept of Aperitivo worked so well for you at a time when it was almost nonexistent in NYC?

People are still catching on to the concept of aperitivo, but for us it’s just a really great, civilized way to socialize after work.

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Alexandra Degiorgio and Vito Polosa’s childhood in the Mediterranean was founded in a culture with a strong, stable culinary tradition where great pleasure is derived from food and where dining is an experience to be savored. Great meals lasted for hours, bringing family and friends together. These meals were always prepared with local and fresh ingredients and with love, care and attention.
Since moving to New York, Alexandra and Vito have seen the same passion for food and drink but found the experience is rarely savored or remembered here. This passion is also often hindered by a fear that delicious food cannot be healthy for you. After they met in November 2002, they created an escape in their home by hosting frequent dinners to celebrate friendships and family, food and wine. They dreamed of creating a restaurant that would bring back the values of fresh, local food that is carefully prepared coupled with wonderful wines and genuine service. Alexandra Degiorgio and Vito Polosa opened Aroma Kitchen & Winebar in March 2005 with a vision to take guests to new levels of Italian food and wine enjoyment, making every meal a memorable experience.

Aroma is a study in contrasts: The urban/rustic interior features exposed brick, a dark wood bar with natural edges juxtaposed with mirrors framed with brushed steel. The room is softly lit by both contemporary chandeliers and flickering candles. Brought together by their shared passion for food, wine and entertaining, owners Degiorgio and Polosa are both as active behind the scenes as they are in front of the house. Alexandra, a native of Malta, was formerly a consultant for American Management Systems (AMS), an international information technology firm. Vito, from Potenza, Italy (just South of Naples) has extensive experience in service as waiter, head waiter or manager at such NYC restaurants as Fiamma, Da Silvano, Bice and Il Gattopardo. Most recently, he was a wine salesman for Winebow, one of New York's largest wine and liquor distributors. The team brings passionate, focused intensity to the art of relaxing hospitality. They plan to share their enthusiasm with wine tastings, directed pairings and other educational programs.

Visit Aroma's Website

Instituto Grandi Marchi Tasting

On October 25th at The New York Public Library The Instituto Grandi Marchi presented their “Premium Brands”. The Institute, composed of 17 of Italy’s most renowned wine producers (Biondi Santi Spa, Michele Chiarlo, Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari, Pio Cesare, Tenuta San Guido, Cà del Bosco, Umani Ronchi, Carpenè Malvolti, Lungarotti, Masi, Mastroberardino, Alois Lageder, Rivera, Jermann, Donnafugata, Marchesi Antinori, Tasca D’Almerita) hosted a full day of wine tasting in collaboration with the Masters of Wine, the world’s most elite wine society. The producers were represented by Augusto Boffa from Pio Cesare, Raffaelle Boscaini from Masi, Piero Antinori from Antinori, Giovanni Folonari from Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari, Sebastiano de Corato from Rivera, Jose Rallo from Donnafugata, Giuseppi Tasca from Tasca d'Almerita. Hosting the panel was Charles Curtis MW, Head of North American Wine Sales Christie's, New York, and representing the new media was Gregory Dal Piaz from Snooth.


Each producer made a pitch describing their vineyards history, combining tradition with new technologies, diverse high quality Italian wines and new marketing direction.

The current President Piero Antinori pointed out that Italians in general do not like "groups", but this one is composed of competitors who are also friends... friends with a common bond of terroir, history, tradition, art, and vineyards hundreds of years old. He said, "Each bottle should share all these qualities with the drinker".

Here are a few of my tasting notes:

Masi Costasera Amarone Classico 2006
70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella, 5% Molinara, 2 years in oak, 4 months in bottle, deep violet colors, delicious cherry pie aromas, dark waves of chocolate and coffee.

Tenuta Tignanello 2007 IGT
80% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, aged in new oak barriques after fermentation until December, blended and aged in barriques for a year, each barrique was individually tasted before bottle aging for another year. Black cherries pervade the palate with ripe fruits, concentrated aromas, blackberries, toast and chocolate... complex and sexy.

Biondi-Santi Tenuta Greppo Brunello di Montalcino DOCG 2003
100% Sangiovese Grosso, 3 years in oak barrels, at least 4 months in bottle, aromas of sweet violets and roses, rosewater, sour cherries, structured tannins, great long finish.

Sassicaia Tenuta San Guido 2007 DOC
855 Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Cabernet Franc, aged in French oak barrels for 2 years and an additional 6 months in bottle, deep ruby colors, a marked intensity, beautifully balanced with fragrant violet aromas and persistent blue fruits, full bodied flavors with balanced tannins.

Donnafugata Ben Rye Passito di Pantelleria DOC Sicilia
Made from Zibibbo (Moscato d'Alessandria) grapes, aged in stainless steel tanks for 4 months then in bottle for 6 months, amber yellow colors, summer fruits, sweet dried figs, and a long honey finish.

Rivera Il Falcone Castel Del Monte Riserva 2005 DOC
70% Nero di Troia, 30% Montepulciano, aged 12-14 months in oak, 1 year in bottle, ruby red colors, chocolate, ripe cherries, and forest floor, supple and textured

Tasca d'Almerita Rosso Del Conte 2005 Sicilia
A blend of mostly Nero d'Avola and other red grapes from the estate, 18 months aged in barrel, six in bottle, deep purple colors, licorice, spice, while fruit comes through on the impressive finish.