Sancerre Wine Tasting

Thursday, December 19th | 5-8pm

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Sancerre Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Domaine des Griffes, Sancerre Rose 2023 - Domaine des Griffes Sancerre Blanc 2023 - Claude Riffault 'La Noue' Sancerre Rouge 2021

Each tasting includes a small food pairing: $24.00

Domaine des Griffes is located in the south of France in Nizas . The building and the cellar are located in the heart of the village, the vines are located a few kilometers away.

As an anecdote, the Domaine des Griffes takes its name from the fountain located in the central square of the village where the Domaine building is located. In the south of France, the fountains are called Griffes .

The Domaine des Griffes covers 18 hectares of vines, with an average age of around thirty years and located on the last foothills of the Cévennes. The vines benefit from clay-limestone and basalt soils as well as a Mediterranean climate characterized by maximum sunshine and moderate wind, ideal conditions for producing great wines.

Stéphane Riffault (Claude’s son and now the owner of the estate) is turning out Sancerre bottlings that are the envy of many producers twice his age in the village of Sury-en-Vaux. Stéphane Riffault works on 33 different parcels in 8 different lieu-dits spread across four villages. The 13.5 hectares of vines are plowed, and no synthetic material is used. Starting in 2017, the property has been certified organic by ECOCERT and biodynamic by BIODYVIN. Unlike most Sancerre producers, the entire harvest is carried out by hand, and extensive sorting occurs before the grapes are crushed. Stéphane’s wife, Benedicte, leads the harvest team while Stéphane manages the sorting and press during harvest.

Most of the domaine’s holdings are planted on the soft limestone soil called terres blanches, with some parcels on calliottes and silex. Minor, judicious uses of oak help to add length to the already precise, site-expressive, and vertical bottlings. All the parcels are vinified separately, and except for the rosé, all the wines are bottled unfiltered.

Having studied and worked in Burgundy (and closely with Olivier Leflaive), it’s easy to see the Burgundian influence in Stéphane’s wines. The mastery of minerality standing shoulder–height with the wood is rarely duplicated in Sancerre. Regardless of his parcels’ exposition (many are south-facing), Riffault’s wines are always crisp and high-cut with a jeweled delineation that speaks to the precision and attention these wines get. These are not your daddy’s (or his daddy, Claude’s)

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Wineries: Domaine des Griffes & Claude Riffault

Importer: Breakthru Beverages

Rep.: Joan Tom

Bocale Wine Tasting

Thursday, December 12th | 5-8pm

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Bocale Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Bocale Trebbiano Spoletino 2023 - Bocale Montefalco Rosso 2021 - Bocale Montefalco Sagrantino 2019

Each tasting includes a small food pairing: $22.00

The Valentini family has been connected to the City of Montefalco by history and personal experiences for over one hundred years.

The background is the special Umbria Region, full of history and culture, where the act of every farmer is full of folk wisdom, simplicity, passion and sacrifice.

The family's philosophy is influenced by the history of men working in fields, surrounded by the rare beauty of it's hilly landscape.

In 2002 , the Valentini tradition continues in the new generation of Valentini revitalizing the environmental and cultural heritage and creating Bocale , a winery built on the old passion for wine passed down through generations.

Bocale in dialect, is a term used to indicate a two-liter mug of wine or olive oil, but also the name by which this family of Montefalco has always been known.

The productions of Montefalco Rosso and Montefalco Sagrantino are authentic expressions of an innovation in the tradition, where the fruits of nature are mixed with the perfection and simplicity of human gestures.

Central elements of the philosophy behind Bocale wine is the respect given to environmental cycles and the handcrafted process that makes the wine such a natural product full of personality.

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Winery: Azienda Agricola Bocale

Importer: Cherio Holding & Trading Company Inc.

Rep.: Andrea Cherio

Division Wine Tasting

Thursday, December 5th | 5-8pm

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Division Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Division Wine 'L'Orange' 2023

- Division Wine 'Un' Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregonn 2022

- Division Wine 'Lutte' Gamay, Willamette Valley 2022

Each tasting includes a small food pairing: $23.00

Our passion is working with responsibly-farmed, terroir-expressive vineyards, many of which are organic and/or Biodynamic. Our wines celebrate the varieties we love to drink, like Gamay, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our approach stands on the opposite side of commercial wine with its safety nets and risk mitigation. For that approach it doesn’t matter what the season, or harvest was like. It’s like following a recipe. We’re very different from that, we don’t follow any path exactly the same way each time. It’s always modified with little changes made up to the last moment to reflect what that year has given us. On the other end of the pendulum is the modern natural wine movement which we feel closer to. Ultimately we’re trying to make the best wine and we leave all the dogma out of it. We’re proud to be winemakers. Maybe it makes us pragmatists. The goal is to make something beautiful. I would hate to lose a beautiful wine because we trampled all over it, and hate to lose because we did nothing. We straddle the middle ground.

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Winery: Division Wine ~ Making Company

Importer: V59 Wines & Spirits

Rep: Andrew Cox

ROCO Wine Tasting

Thursday, November 21th | 5-8pm

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ROCO Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Roco, Gravel Road Chardonnay 2022

- Roco, Gravel Road Pinot Noir 2022

- Roco 'The Stalker' Pinot Noir 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $23.00

When Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebraker-Soles came to Oregon in the 1980s, they arrived at the leading edge of a movement. But in those early years, the movement we know today hadn’t yet picked up full momentum. The idea of Oregon wine was actively in the making, emerging in real time through the daring efforts of people like Rollin and Corby and a diverse group of entrepreneurs who wanted nothing more than to produce world-class wines in an unproven but promising winegrowing region. They built wineries, developed foundational industry organizations, and worked to establish Oregon as the premier place to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay outside of Europe.

Now more than 35 years later, ROCO showcases Oregon winemaking at its peak—through a talent that has produced hundreds of 90+ scores from leading industry critics, repeated placement in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World, and multiple bottlings served in the White House.

Clarity is king in the ROCO cellar. Expertise is an expectation. So we never stop asking questions. We never trust popular ideas. We always test our hunches. Firmly rooted in the science of agriculture and fermentation, we carefully build a vision for what every bottle can be, relying on Rollin’s mastery of the techniques and methods of winemaking and Corby’s instincts as an artist to transform the raw material of beautiful fruit into the exquisite wines you take to your table.

Winery: ROCO Winery

Importer: Santa Margherita USA

Rep: Teresa Cloyd

Firmino Miotti Wine Tasting

Thursday, November 14th | 5-8pm

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Firmino Miotti Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Firmino Miotti Gruajo, Colle Santa Lucia di Breganze 2021

- Firmino Miotti Cabernet, Breganze 2015

- Firmino Miotti Rosso, Breganze 2017

Tasting plus food pairing: $21.00

In Breganze, a town of little more than eight thousand inhabitants in the province of Vicenza, on a hill of volcanic origin, there is a historic family-run winery that has become a real must-see for wine lovers and winegrowing tradition: The Cantina Firmino Miotti.

Firmino, the owner of the winery, took over the reins and took charge of the activity at a young age, in the fifties, after the death of his father. From then on, he has taken care of the business with extreme finesse and attention of the family land, keeping the viticultural traditions of the past handed down to him by his grandfather, while looking towards the modern times, in order to always supply his faithful clientele with products of the highest quality.

The company is known throughout Italy and is now concentrating its effort in the safeguard of varieties of ancient vines of the Breganze area. Gruajo is an example of a ruby wine with garnet nuances that has existed since the eighteenth century.

The Miotti family has always wanted to remain closely linked to the tradition of the land and to the products of the past to safeguard the typical varieties of the territory that otherwise would have been lost over time.

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Winery: Agricola Firmino Miotti

Importer: Vinum Italia

Rep.: Enrico Guglielmi

Felsina Wine Tasting

Thursday, November 7th | 5-8pm

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Felsina Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Felsina Brut Rosé Vino Spumante di Qualità Metodo Classico

- Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga 2021

- Felsina Chianti Classico Berardenga Riserva 2020

Tasting plus food pairing: $25.00

Fattoria di Fèlsina has long been one of the great names in Tuscany. Based in the Chianti Classico region, Fèlsina produces one of the finest ranges of age worthy and complex Chianti bottlings in all of Italy. Unlike many of their neighbors, Fèlsina has never succumbed to the temptation to produce “new age” wines from their fine Chianti vineyards, and continues to grow solely Sangiovese here, rather than dabble with international-styled blends that include Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. Consequently, their elegant yet intensely flavored Chiantis place them firmly among the top handful of Chianti producers, with the best vintages of their top Riserva Chiantis often approaching Brunello di Montalcino in terms of complexity and potential for longevity.

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Winery: Felsina

Importer Breakthru Beverages

Rep.: Joan Tom

Failla/Day Wine Tasting

Thursday, October 24th | 5-8pm

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Failla/Day Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Failla Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2022

- Failla Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022

- Day Zinfandel St. Helena 2018

Tasting plus food pairing: $24.00

While Failla's history may be relatively short, its narrative is rich with complexities that trace back to our inaugural vintage release as Failla-Jordan in 1998.

Ehren Jordan, the maestro behind Failla, has a penchant for experimentation, especially with his favorite varietals. He coaxes out their various

incarnations by subjecting them to different climates—ranging from cool to cooler to the coolest—distinct soil types, and diverse rootstock. This relentless pursuit of excellence began with our initial land acquisition in 1998, followed by the planting of five acres of rootstock in 2002, with subsequent grafting of Pinot Noir clones the following year. Influenced by Ehren's viticultural training in France, our eleven acres of Estate vineyards now yield Syrah, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir, capturing the quintessence of California's coolest regions.

Day is the Zinfandel project of Ehren Jordan, the winemaker behind such amazing labels as Turley, Neyers, and Failla. When he purchased a St. Helena property back in 2004, he knew he wanted to plant grapes on the hillside. After a few years of pondering, he decided that the locale was ideal for one of his early loves in the vine world - Zinfandel. Ehren established his reputation as a talented vigneron during his tenure at Turley and Day is a return to those roots.

Wineries: Failla Winery, Day Wines

Importer: Chambers & Chambers Wine Merchants

Rep: Michael Melgoza

Vigne Chigi Wine Tasting

Thursday, October 17th | 5-8pm

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Vigne Chigi Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Pallagrello Bianco 2018, Vigne Chigi

- Pallagrello Nero 2019, Vigne Chigi

- Casavecchia 2016, Vigne Chigi

Tasting plus food pairing: $18.00

Vigne Chigi is in Northern Campania about ten miles north of Capua and about 30 miles north of Naples. The vineyards are around the town of Pontelatone and have perfectly located south facing slopes in the hilly terrain that also contains a lot of volcanic minerality.

Unique to the area are three very obscure, ancient, and very interesting grape varietals which are Pallagrello Bianco, Pallagrello Nero, and Casavecchia. Despite the similar sounding names, Pallagrello Bianco and Pallagrello Nero share no genetic traits at all but the Pallagrello name comes from what had been a tradition of drying the grapes on straw (paglia) mats before pressing into wine. The wines today are made without drying the grapes as both varietals are already very fully flavored. Casavecchia has even deeper and richer flavors in my opinion which makes this very small area in which these three grapes are grown a very interesting area to find unique wines.

Another interesting part of the history of the area and its grapes was that the Bourbon King Ferdinand IV, who was king of Naples and the two Sicilies, was extremely fond of both wines from the two Pallagrello grapes and of hunting and his hunting dogs. His devotion to his hunting dogs was such that he had portraits painted of them which were then displayed in the palace in Capua which was near to the royal hunting grounds. The images of the various dogs have then been adopted by Vigne Chigi to appear on the labels of their wines.

Winery: Vigne Chigi

Importer: wUst Fine Wine Imports

Rep: Kevion Wenck

Pietradolce Tasting

Thursday, October 10th | 5-8pm

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Pietradolce Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Pietradolce Rosato 2023

- Pietradolce Etna Bianco 2022

- Pietradolce Etna Rosso 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $23.00

Pietradolce was established in 2005 on the northern slopes of Mount Etna by the Faro family, whose passions are viticulture, agriculture, and all things Etna. High altitudes, mineral-rich volcanic soils, native grapes, an exceptional Mediterranean climate, low intervention in the cellar, and very old vines are the perfect ingredients for elegant wines with a one-of-a-kind signature style and an enormous sense of place.

Pietradolce is located in Solicchiata, an area within the district of Castiglione di Sicilia, on the northern slopes of Etna. There are a little over 80 acres of vineyards that grow at an altitude of 600-900 meters (2,000-3,000 feet) above sea level, all located within the districts of Rampante, Zottorinoto, Feudo di Mezzo and Santo Spirito.

Pietradolce’s passion for the wines of Etna extends to the grapes they grow. The winery only grows native Etna grapes, such as Nerello Mascalese, Nerello Cappuccio, and Carricante.

Winery: Pietradolce

Importer: Breakthru Beverage California

Rep: Joan Tom

Ser Wine Tasting

Thursday, October 3rd | 5-8pm

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Ser Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Ser Vermentino Cedar Lane Vineyard Arroyo Seco ‘21

- Ser Gruner Veltliner Mesa Del Rio Vineyard Monterey ‘22

- Ser Cabernet Pfeffer Old Vine Enz Vineyard Cienega Valley ‘19

Tasting plus food pairing: $24.00

Ser is an artisanal winery based out of Santa Cruz, CA, specializing in varietal, vineyard designate, old world style wines, produced in a natural way to allow the expression of their varietal character and the vineyards from which they are sourced.

Ser began its first vintage in 2012 with wines sourced from vineyards influenced by the Pacific Ocean. Cool climate, central coast vineyards including the appellations of the Santa Cruz Mountains, Cienega Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and more recently Edna Valley are the primary sources of fruit.

Winery: Ser Winery

Importer: V59 Wine & Spirits

Rep.: Andrew Cox

Cascina Alberta Wine Tasting

Thursday, September 19th | 5-8pm

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Cascina Alberta Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Cascina Alberta Riesling 'Langhe' Piedmont 2022

- Cascina Alberta Barbera d'Alba, Piedmont 2021

- Cascina Alberta Barbaresco 'Giacone' Piedmont 2020

Tasting plus food pairing: $22.00

From the outset we have pursued sustainable viticulture without the use of pesticides or chemical weed killers. We want our vineyards to be gardens, so we let the grass grow free, cutting it only when it gets too lush. During spring in wet years, the grass helps the ground absorb the excess water, allowing better drainage and avoiding water logging. We believe it is fundamental to respect the ecosystem, minimizing human intervention with the aim of recreating equilibrium in the ground and in the plants that allow the vines to become strong and flourishing.

From the beginning our approach to agriculture was organic. In 2016 we decided to get the certification from Valori Italia ente of control because we thought this would be a "good thing" for all our customers.

Winery: Cascina Alberta. Treiso, Piedmont

Importer: Cherio Importer & Wholesaler

Rep: Andrea Cherio

McGrail Wine Tasting

Thursday, September 12th | 5-8pm

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McGrail Wine Tasting

Wines:

- McGrail Grenache 2023

- McGrail The Weston 2021 (Cabernet Franc & Merlot)

- McGrail The Graduate 2019 (Cabernet Sauvignon)

Tasting plus food pairing: $25.00

McGrail Vineyards is a family owned winery specializing in Cabernet Sauvignon. On the hilltop of Greenville Road the vineyard enjoys the morning fog and afternoon sun. The winery is a vineyard driven operation that considers itself a foremost proponent of the potential of the Livermore Valley. The vineyard is managed with sustainability and quality in mind.

Winery: McGrail Vineyards, Livermore Valley, CA

Importer: Direct

Rep: Brandon Ruley

Contesa Azienda Agricola di Rocco Pasetti Wine Tasting

Thursday, September 5th | 5-8pm

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Contesa Azienda Agricola di Rocco Pasetti Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 'Caparrone' 2022

- Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 'Caparrone' 2023

- Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 'Caparrone' 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $17.00

Those who know Contesa know that it is not a winery like all the others, it is the direct testimony of the indissoluble bond that ties the life of our family to the vines that an extraordinarily generous land has given us. An exciting story, in which the stubborn refusal of compromises has also led us to difficult choices and painful separations, but has given us infinite gratifications thanks to the wisdom of men and women who generation after generation have stubbornly guarded the idea of a winemaking culture made of integrity, coherence and pride in one's roots.

Nestled along the fertile and lush lands of a territory that has always been suited to viticulture like Collecorvino, our 50 hectares of vineyards among the Pescara hills are an invaluable heritage that the land has given us so that we could take care of them with all the dedication, balance and wisdom we are capable of. We have always been winemakers and oenologists, so for us they represent something that goes far beyond the technical aspects, but we understand the importance of describing their excellent characteristics: south-east exposure with considerable temperature range between day and night, ideal seasonality, soils at 250 meters above sea level with a predominantly clayey composition with a small percentage of limestone, integrated production that favors balance and protection of the land over plant protection products.

Winery: Contesa Azienda Agricola di Rocco Pasetti

Importer: Vinum Italia

Rep: Enrico Guglielmi

Stark Conde Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 29th | 5-8pm

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Stark Conde Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Stark Conde, Kara Tara Chardonnay 2022

- Stark Conde, Kara Tar Pinot Noir 2022

- Stark Conde, Cabernet Sauvignon2022

Tasting plus food pairing: $20.00

This boutique winery is picturesquely nestled in the Jonkershoek Valley, just 3 kilometres outside town in Stellenbosch. The setting is simply overwhelmingly beautiful - hence, the name of the Postcard Cafe. What was intended to attract more feet to the tasting room; a little cafe linked to the winery, has now become the winery linked to the Cafe instead. The winery is intensively family-run; German father, Japanese-German daughter and Cuban-American husband co-own the winery with their two daughters working weekends to help in the fully booked cafe. Winemaker and co-owner, Jose Conde hand-crafted his first-ever Cabernet Sauvignon vintage in a store room of the winery at the time in 1998. The four barrels aged gracefully and received five stars by John Platter -evidently Jose had been destined to be a winemaker and not a graphic designer. Adding to the talent, the farm's higher elevations and finely textured soils (perfect for Cabernet Sauvignon), made it a painless career change. 2013 celebrated Jose's fifteenth vintage with Old Mutual (South Africa) and won Stark-Conde the acclaimed trophy for Most Successful Producer in South Africa, Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon and Trophy for Best Shiraz. Steep alterations in vineyard elevation make for a range of sites with distinct characteristics. Combined with the tremendous winter rainfall in Jonkershoek, (3 times more rain than Stellenbosch) these qualities ensure a more than suitable terrain for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Syrah and Pinotage. Jose firmly believes in traditional winemaking - hand-picking, careful hand selection of the grapes, manual punch-downs, open-tank fermentation, basket pressing, and patient maturation for 22 months in French oak barrels. With only 6000 cases produced annually, wines are not sold commercially and the proverbial 'word of mouth' is solely relied upon for advertising. Not that the scenery should not be enough of a reason to visit - a charming, small Balinese tasting room floats on its own little island in the middle of the dam surrounded by mountain peaks, vineyards and tranquil valley vegetation.

Winery : Stark & Condo

Importer: Regal Wine Imports

Rep: Maria Campilo

ROCO Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 22nd | 5-8pm

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ROCO Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Roco, Gravel Road Chardonnay 2022

- Roco, Gravel Road Pinot Noir 2022

- Roco 'The Stalker' Pinot Noir 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $23.00

When Rollin Soles and Corby Stonebraker-Soles came to Oregon in the 1980s, they arrived at the leading edge of a movement. But in those early years, the movement we know today hadn’t yet picked up full momentum. The idea of Oregon wine was actively in the making, emerging in real time through the daring efforts of people like Rollin and Corby and a diverse group of entrepreneurs who wanted nothing more than to produce world-class wines in an unproven but promising winegrowing region. They built wineries, developed foundational industry organizations, and worked to establish Oregon as the premier place to make Pinot Noir and Chardonnay outside of Europe.

Now more than 35 years later, ROCO showcases Oregon winemaking at its peak—through a talent that has produced hundreds of 90+ scores from leading industry critics, repeated placement in Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the World, and multiple bottlings served in the White House.

Clarity is king in the ROCO cellar. Expertise is an expectation. So we never stop asking questions. We never trust popular ideas. We always test our hunches. Firmly rooted in the science of agriculture and fermentation, we carefully build a vision for what every bottle can be, relying on Rollin’s mastery of the techniques and methods of winemaking and Corby’s instincts as an artist to transform the raw material of beautiful fruit into the exquisite wines you take to your table.

Winery: ROCO Winery

Importer: Santa Margherita USA

Rep: Teresa Cloyd

Cantina Girlan Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 15th | 5-8pm

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Cantina Girlan Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Girlan 'Indra' Sauvignon Blanc 2022

- Girlan 'Marna' Chardonnay 2022

- Girlan 'Patricia' Pinot Noir 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $25.00

Cantina Girlan was founded in 1923 in an ancient farmstead from the 16th century. Back then 24 winegrowers laid the foundation stones of what was later to become the winery we see today. The walls, steeped in ancient tradition, and the labyrinthine corridors of the cellar harbour the secrets of state-of-the-art winemaking technology and hold the ideal conditions for ageing our wines.

Today, about 200 greatly committed and motivated winegrowers and their families farm an area covering about 230 hectares of vineyards in the best production areas of Oltradige and Bassa Atesina. Our enologist, Gerhard Kofler, keeps in close personal contact with the winegrowers and provides his professional advice during the growing season. This beneficial exchange of expertise sets the foundations for producing the highest quality wines.

We pursue the following main objectives: we seek, on one hand, to showcase and promote the historic local grape varieties and on the other, to create impressive characterful wines using international grape varieties yet keeping them closely connected to the land. This is all achieved while respecting nature's flow and rhythms.

Winery: Girlan Kellerei-Cantina

Importer: Breakthru Beverage California

Rep: Joan Tom

Alois Lageder Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 8th | 5-8pm

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Alois Lageder Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Alois Lageder Pinot Grigio 2022

- Alois Lageder Mueller Thurgau 2022

- Alois Lageder Pinot Noir 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $19.00

Founded initially as a wine merchant in the city of Bolzano in 1823 by Johann Lageder, the company is closing in on its bicentennial in the wine industry. Over the years, the family began producing their own wine and growing some of their own grapes as well. A major milestone came in 1934, when Johann’s great-grandson Alois purchased the Löwengang wine estate in Magrè, shifting the company’s focus from merchant to producer. Over time, the family acquired other well-positioned vineyards in Alto Adige and entered into purchase agreements with many of the small growers around Magrè.

The current owner of the estate is Alois Lageder IV, the son of the man who bought the Löwengang estate. Alois IV took control of the company in the mid-1970s, alongside his sister Wendelgard and her husband, enologist Luis von Dellemann. His son Alois Clemens Lageder, representing the sixth generation of family ownership, recently stepped into the management-helm of the winery alongside his sister, Helena, who is managing export markets.

Over the past few decades, the family has pushed the winery to high standards of quality and environmental responsibility. They began farming their vineyards according to the principles of biodynamics, seeing this holistic approach to viticulture as the appropriate way to keep their vineyards healthy and protect the environment for the long term. For example, they reinstituted the traditional strategy of cultivating multiple grape varieties in each vineyard for biological balance. Alto Adige is an area that values the cultivation of a wide assortment of different grape varieties, and Lageder has put great emphasis on matching varieties with the proper terroir in this geologically diverse valley to get the best possible quality. As one of Italy’s foremost proponents of biodynamic agriculture, Lageder has worked with its network of growers to help them convert from industrial viticultural practices to organic and biodynamic methods, with a goal of having 100% conversion within the next 5–10 years.

Winery: Alois Lageder

Importer: Chambers and Chambers Wine Merchants

Rep: Michael Melgoza

Menicucci Wine Tasting

Thursday, August 1st | 5-8pm

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Menicucci Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Menicucci Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2018

- Menicucci Passerina 2020

- Menicucci Alzavola Bianco 2020

Tasting plus food pairing: $17.00

Menicucci vini is an Abruzzo winery that has been carrying on the passion and love for vineyards for three generations.

Its grapes are grown in Abruzzo, Puglia, Sicily, Campania and Tuscany, guaranteeing the production of fine wines, the result of the encounter between the history and culture of different territories.

Our priority is to offer quality and excellence while respecting the environment and the territory, enhancing, without rhetoric but with real will, the relationship between man and nature to rediscover its origins.

Menicucci wines are born from the desire to bring originality and innovation but respecting the most ancient winemaking tradition.

Our mission is to give all lovers of good wine glasses with an intense flavor that can tell stories and, at the same time, write them with every sip.

Winery: Menicucci Vini d'Italia

Importer: wUst Fine Wine Imports

Rep: Kevin Wenck

Gaggiano Wine Tasting

Thursday, July 25th | 5-8pm

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Gaggiano Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Gaggiano Coste della Sesia Rosso 'Leandro' 2021

- Gaggiano Coste delle Sesia Rosso Nebbiolo 'Sandrin' 2019

- Gaggiano Bramaterra 'Gervasio' 2017

Tasting plus food pairing: $24.00

In northeastern Piemonte, wines from Nebbiolo are produced in a set of townships known as Alto Piemonte. To call the region a geological treasure is to introduce a high drama going back 280 million years, to the spectacular effluvia of the Sesia supervolcano and its subsequent collapse. Continental collisions then churned the volcano’s remains, and after that the glaciers entered the stage, dragging the whole cornucopia slowly across the land, leaving behind distinct pockets of varied soil types—and one of the most fascinating subzonal discussions in wine.

The potential of the Alto Piemonte terroirs was well known in the nineteenth century, when the wine culture of Barolo and Barbaresco, with their less-acidic soils, was still being born. Back then, the world’s sought after Nebbiolo wines were from this region further north, one blanketed in 100,000 acres of vines, not just of Nebbiolo but also treasured local indigenous grapes. The story of how these plantings plunged to under 2,000 acres involves layer upon layer of devastation: from phylloxera and other diseases, the hailstorms of a century, war and economic change that left the farmers no choice but to take other jobs, abandoning their way of life and leaving the wild forests to overtake the vines.

The restoration of Alto Piemonte’s vineyards is a story of dedication. The last two decades of recovery are due in no small part to the work of Cristiano Garella, who consults with the Fabris family to bring us these stunning wines from Gaggiano. The Gaggiano vineyards find their home west of the River Sesia, where the story is of iron-rich red volcanic soils in Bramaterra and Gattinara, and the sandy soils of Lessona. The red rocks lead to wines of intensity and structure, and the sand delivers an alluring, floral elegance.

Winery: Gaggiano, Alto Piemonte

Importer: V59 Wines & Spirits

Rep: Andrew Cox

Love & Squalor Wine Tasting

Thursday, July 18th | 5-8pm

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Love & Squalor Wine Tasting

Wines:

- Love & Squalor Sauvignon Blanc 2023

- Love & Squalor Pinot Gris 2022

- Love & Squalor Pinot Noir 2021

Tasting plus food pairing: $19.00

Love & Squalor launched in 2006 after a few years of voluntary enslavement to some of the greatest practitioners of winemaking in Oregon and beyond. It started with a bit of Pinot noir and a splash of Riesling—two barrels of each. Then came the naming. Three months of scribbles in traffic and on the bedside notepad resulted in exactly no big ideas. A quick trip to the Goodwill thrift store led to the rediscovery of J.D. Salinger’s book Nine Stories (in a pristine 50’s paperback version, no less!) and the lead story: For Esme, with Love and Squalor.

There it was, in one short phrase—winemaking as I know it. I don’t mind if people think I’m smart because I put a literary reference on the label. I don’t think it’s smart, I think it’s basic—passion and poverty are two of the building blocks for any worthy endeavor.

So it began with 65 cases of wine, a stolen phrase and an inspired sketch of some slips on a line. Love & Squalor is still a small concern, but the label has grown wider and taller. Production grew slowly in the first years, limited by humility and space as I was making the wine in stolen corners of my winery employers. For the first four years I stuck to the task of making two wines well—one Pinot and one Riesling. Then, as my confidence grew and the diversity of my cellar expanded, we began making and bottling our Reserved line— and introduced small amounts of other Gamay, Sauv Blanc and other varietals that we like to drink.

Winery: Portland Wine Company

Importer: Estate Wines LTD/Urban Wine Brokers

Rep: Rebecca Rhodes