Italy

I just returned from a week long trip to Italy. We visited Alba in Piedmont during the white truffle festival and met there with Giacomo Vico of Giacomo Vico Vineyards in Canale, Italy. Giacomo's wines are the latest arrivals in our portfolio: Barbera d'Alba, Langhe Rosso, Nebbiolo and Roero Arneis (DOCG), Birbet (Bracchetto) will be added with the next shipment from Italy. We had fantastic dinner at Borgo Antico Ristorante in Barolo.
I also met with Fabio of Comm. Burlotto vineyards; in the very near future will we add Burlotto Cannubi Barolo's to our portfolio. In Tuscany we had the opportunity to visit "Il Galampio" of Marchesato degli Aleramici where Filippo and his wife Emma were the perfect hosts serving us a delicious lunch and providing delicious Brunello's. Filippo told me that the 2o08 vintage will be better than 88, 90 or 97.

The last winery we visited was Castello di Poppiano in Chianti. This is an old Castle that was built about 1100 years ago. The cellars are just stunning - the Count is a stickler for tradition. Their newest project is the "kosher" wines that are produced at their new winery down in Maremma. They are using the tower of the castle to dry their grapes for their Vinsanto and storing the wine in wonderful old barrels inside the tower of the Castle - the entire tower smells of Vinsanto and the view from the top is just beautiful.


So.................., soon our Italian portfolio will consist of wines from Giacomo Vico, Castello di Poppiano and Marchesato degli Aleramici with Prosecco of Canegliano DOCG and Amraone's soon to follow.

Ciao....chin..chin