BETWEEN THE WINES MARCH 1, 2022
HIDDEN TREASURES Tucked away at the southernmost boundary of Trentino is one of Italy’s true gems. This historical property dates back over 1,000 years (a former monastery), which became the residence of the current owners—the Guerrieri Gonzaga family--in the mid-eighteenth century. This beautiful property has hosted Royal weddings as well as the WWI Armistice with Austria. Most importantly, it is an absolutely benign place for winemaking: sheltered from the cold Alpine winds, while also benefitting from the moderating effects of nearby Lake Garda. Though wine has been made here for centuries, ‘serious’ wine did not emanate from this property until the early eighties. Carlo Guerreiri Gonzaga—who had long been an admirer of Bordeaux, and who was close friends with Mario Incisa della Rocchetta of Tenuta San Guido (Sassicaia)— inherited the property from his father. Once in charge, he knew what he wanted to do. Under guidance from the Sassicaia team, he released the first San Leonardo wine in 1982. A few years later, renowned consultant Giacomo Tachis was brought on as consulting winemaker, and the rest is modern history. Indeed, the flagship red from the estate receives a ‘Tre Bicchieri’ rating from Gambero Rosso virtually every year.
Hidden Treasures
sleepers hiding in our book!
and Merlot. For many years, they thought the Carmenere was Cabernet Franc (that’s what they asked for), but now acknowledged, Carmenere is probably one of the reasons the wine is so extraordinary. Low yields, spare-no-expense winemaking, extended aging prior to release, the wine is absolutely fantastic…and one Hell of a value for a wine that rivals Sassicaia (about $90 retail vs $300 retail for Sassicaia!).
The Estate produces several wines— all fabulous—and we carry three: Vette Sauvignon Blanc (as aromatic and snappy as Sauvignon gets), Terre di San Leonardo (a ‘mini’ San Leonardo made from younger vines) and San Leonardo, an incredible blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere,
QUOTATION OF THE MONTH “his lips drink water but his heart drinks wine”― E.E. Cummings
What’s New?
be the first on your block!
Flash Card
build your knowledge Puget Sound AVA 1 of the 19 AVAs in Washington State, produces only 1% of Washington states wine production, is the only Washington AVA located on the western side of the Cascade Mountains.
Trends & Observations
BETWEEN THE WINES ~ MARCH 1, 2022
TRENDS & OBSERVATIONS We’ve had a few premature declarations that we seem to be leaving Coronavirus behind us and getting back to normal, or at least a ‘new normal’. And at this writing, there are still a few residual mitigations/restrictions in place, but…
we are thrilled that we see more and more faces, and more and more smiles on those faces of late. We—and presumably all reading this--are hopeful that this summer will remind us of 2019…or any summer other than 2020 & 2021. Go out and have fun!
We are starting to see signs that we are collectively looking forward, most notable: events. We have three weddings on our calendar this summer. We are watching as many restaurateurs are adding days or hours to their schedules as people are fully back out-and-about and as they are increasingly able to staff up. We are helping restaurants book wine dinners again, as we are seeing our suppliers/winery personnel visit Michigan again. And we’ve watched with glee as our area’s large music venues roll out their Summer concert schedules—with full capacity at the arenas. By no means are we/would we encourage our customers or our staff to disregard common sense safety measures— indeed, we’re still wearing masks in our buildings. But
WHATS NEW? Tattoo Girl
Wine drinkers by nature tend to be more experimental than say, spirits drinkers, so it is incumbent on us to keep our book active and fresh. Most of our winery partners know this as well, so –as our customers know—we always have something new to talk about. That said, sometimes this ‘new’ stuff isn’t a whole bunch different than other products from the portfolio—maybe a new name/new label, but similar flavor profile. But sometimes, we get something that really is new/unique…Tattoo Girl fits into that group. Michigan native and Master of Wine Bob Paulinski has long consulted for National retailers and wineries. Having an MW help you put together your blend is usually a good sign that the juice won’t be ordinary, and indeed that is the case here. All sourced from Washington State and appellated as Columbia Valley, but actually from some
FLASH CARD Puget Sound AVA 1 of the 19 AVAs in Washington State, produces only 1% of Washington states wine production, is the only Washington AVA located on the western side of the Cascade Mountains.
of the best sub-zones in the state: Wahluke Slope, Ancient Lakes to name a couple. The wines are more than solid and striking values: Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon & Red Blend all over-deliver, retailing at approximately $14 to $18 a bottle. As for the labels: they are striking and really stand out on the shelf. Not sure where you might stand regarding ink in general, let alone sleeves, Tattoo Girl proclaims that 47% of all millennials have tattoos, which was much higher than we expected (though going thru our mental rol-odex, most of the millennials we know DO have tattoos!). So: new delicious wine, fairly-priced and with a unique label—seems like a no-brainer to bring it in. And if your business happens to draw a bit of the inked up crowd, it’s a must!