Baldo revitalized his uncle's trademark recipe in the 1970's and made Chinato popular once more. Today Baldo's is the measure of great Chinato without a doubt. But for us it was not just about the Chinato. It was his work both in the vine and in the cellar and the Barolos, Barbera and Dolcetto that instantly drew us to him. And it was the spirit of the man.

    

    It was probably his unique and romantic upbringing that gave him such a vibrant personality. Baldo was born in Eritrea in 1944 and lived there until 1970 when war broke out between Eritrea and Ethiopia. His father's family was among the first colonial families of Italian Africa where they were wine and food traders. He was fully aware of the richness of his experiences at a time when the world order was changing, and he liked to tell tales of his idealistic, youthful antics there.

    

    When he returned to Italy, the Cappellano family no longer owned any vineyards, but Baldo was determined to be a Barolista in the land of his ancestors. He purchased 3 hectares of vines, the Otin Fiorin, or garden of Fiorano (the old man who tended it for many years). It's a beautiful parcel in the Gabutti vineyard of Serralunga d'Alba. He turned away from the use of synthetics, fertilizers and herbicides in the vineyard early on and when an earthquake caused part of the vineyard to collapse in 1976, he searched for ways to replant without grafting onto American rootstock (piede franco), a method almost heretical at the time because of the risk of phylloxera. He succeeded and the vines are healthy to this day. For this reason he was and will always be an icon to today's younger generations of winemakers and winelovers.

    

    He spurned the notion of the wine critic's point scores and humbly asked journalists in the 1980's not to review his wine with points. He asked so nicely and persuasively, that, in fact, we know of no journalist who did not respect his request to this day. Another reason he was and will always be an icon.

    

    He stuck to his guns and adamantly searched for tradition and terroir in his Langhe wines, during a time that it was horribly unfashionable to do so. On this he never looked back and always knew that time and the opinions that mattered would be on his side. He banded together with like-minded Langhe winemakers and with them fought for ways to save traditional techniques and stave off internationalization in the flavor of their wines. And beyond the Langhe with like-minded winemakers throughout Italy he formed the Vini Veri group to promote principals and ethics in vineyard management winemaking that preserved nature, tradition and terroir. And while a traditionalist, Baldo made wines that were always a pleasure to taste. The allevamento was careful and they always had a dense core of fruit, the wines were never simply tannic and old-fashioned. In the glass they are always dynamic, reponsive and alive, changing slightly all the time. Yet another reason he was and will always be an icon.

    

    Best of all, he was an incredibly witty man. He always had a story and a turn of phrase that would be sagely funny. And those stories were always out of the world he knew and out of his experiences, more often in the hills of Barolo. They were never jokes or apocryphal stories, just real life experiences. At the same time he could be a passionately serious man, at times imposingly so, whether discussing politics, vineyard work or his wines. For anyone who was lucky enough to have those moments of conversation, amusing or serious, during a tasting or over a glass of wine, they are undoubtedly indelible memories. Certainly for me, those stolen minutes are irreplaceable.

    This delicious elixir soon became famous among the Piemontese bourgeoisie and much appreciated by the house of Savoy, who served it at royal banquets not only as an excellent digestive, but also as an aperitif and as a dessert wine to accompany chocolate.

    and in the case of Le Piane, they needed it. To resurrect a region which centuries before was one of the most prolific wine growing regions of the world to an area that was virtually unknown was a challenge that Christoph was eager and ready to take on. As he says "it was really love at first sight."

    

     Christoph Künzli, who is Swiss, first became aware of the Boca DOC wine region around 1988. At this time, he also learned of one of the last local growers in that region, Antonio Cerri. Boca is a small village in the Lower Alps of northern Piemonte. It is the most eastern wine region in the Piemonte, situated between Valle Sesia and the lake of Orta. Until the end of the 19th century, their wines were considered excellent. Yet interest in the area began to wane, and the vineyards were eventually sold or neglected.When Christoph arrived in Boca, there were only about 20 acres of vineyards left. Christoph and vinologist Alexander Trolf saw much potential in Boca, having tasted some incredible wines made by Antonio Cerri. Cerri's vineyard, Campo delle Piane, was situated above the village and had since been surrounded by a forest. Cerri produced about 2500 liters of wine every year, until 1991. The site was planted with Spanna, the local name for Nebbiolo, aged up to 100 years.

    

     Cerri decided to retire and offered to sell his vineyard to Christoph and Alexander. Thus, they founded the Le Piane winery in 1998. They planted new vines, adding some new Nebbiolo clones. Their efforts helped to resurrect this dying wine region though sadly, Alexander would not live to see their dream come true. He died in a tragic road accident though his memory lives on in the vineyard "Meridiana" which he replanted. Now, Le Piane has about 15 acres of vineyard, about ten times what Cerri's vineyard had been. The entire area of Boca now has about 50 acres of vineyards as other growers have followed suit and chose to help in the resurrection of Boca.

    

     The soil in Boca is of porphyry (of volcanic origin), crumbled on its surface to fine gravel. This soil is unique in Italy and it resembles the famous sites of Cote Rotie. The moderate climate of the Lower Alps characterized by high autumnal temperatures, together with intensive sunshine due to southern exposures, offers the best conditions for a perfect maturity of the grapes. The embedded vineyards between the surrounding hills are protected against cold alpine winds. The grapes of Boca generally include Nebbiolo with some Vespolina and Bonarda. Christoph also makes some wines from the Colline Novaresi Rosso DOC, which is in the Novara province near Boca. Their grapes generally include Nebbiolo, Vespolina, Bonarda as well as Croatina.

    This unique and rare gem of Italy's Northwestern region of Piemonte is not to be missed. I hope you will be able to join us in celebrating the amazing wine's of Le Piane. Saturday, March 10 from 6-8pm

    7th May 6-9*pm

    _____________________________________

    Rheinhessens'

    'Natural Wine'

    with

    Jochen Dreissigacker

    ____________________________________

    Winemaker Jochen Dreissigacker will be joining us - straight off the plane - to show us through his DELICIOUS organic German estate wines, which he is one of very few organic German producers

    

    We will start the tasting at our normal time of 6pm with the exceptionally knowledgeable and charming Chris Terrell of Terrell wines and expect Jochen to arrive, luggage in hand around 7:00pm

    Many of you know my love of Riesling - if it were the question of which wine would you have if you cold only have one forever... red would be too difficult to choose... Nebbiolo... Sangiovese... white however would be easy. for me it is Riesling - it can truly become an obsession.

    

    Come and join us as we taste some great wines and great values,

    and did I mention DELICIOUS...

    perfect timing for the wonderful weather - but will also brighten your day when the fog comes rolling back in

    ----------------------------

    Dreissigacker Riesling 2009 $18.

    Dreissigacker Weissburgunder 2009 (Pinot Blanc) $22.

    Dreissigacker Hasensprung Riesling 2008 $37.

    Dreissigacker Bechtheimer Stein Auslese 2008 (Riesling) $35.

    Dreissigacker is a small vineyard, owned for over 200 years by the Dreissigacker family. The vineyards are located around the town of Bechtheim in the Rheinhessen wine region of Germany. The vines are farmed organically and the wines are made with minimal intervention. The wines have a superb acidity, they are unforgettable.

    _________________________________

    Jochen

    The artisan path to purity

    The first step in changing our vineyards from conventional to organic cultivation occurred six years ago, when we stopped using mineral fertilizers or ecologically harmful chemical sprays.

    Since then, our soil has been continually and successfully renatured. If necessary, weeds are removed mechanically and the area under and around the vines is hoed. We sow green manure to boost the humus content of the soil. These plants loosen the soil with their roots, they absorb all superfluous nitrogen and, in conjunction with microorganisms and other soil-dwelling life forms, constantly regulate the nutrient content of the soil. All we have to do is add small quantities of organic fertilizer. All of these measures interact to create balanced plant growth in the vineyard, which makes the roots of the vines strong and healthy. The plant's roots are able to penetrate deeper into the ground to the mineral-rich layers, thus giving the plant greater resistance to disease and making it stronger. The high quality of our soil provides a healthy basis for old grapevines and the slowly ripened grapes make truly magnificent wines.

    Limiting harvests for greater vitality and structure

    The path to a truly great wine lies in limiting the amount of grapes that are allowed to ripen. At the beginning of every year, we carefully prune and manually rewire all our vines by hand.

    This allows us to influence the grape harvest and its quality as early as January. Our painstaking work results in glossy dense foliage. Early in the summer, we cut off at least one third of the grapes on each vine in what is called a 'green harvest' and leave them to lie on the ground where they gradually rot and become humus which, in turn, enriches the soil. The bunches of grapes that are left on the vine benefit from more essential nutrients, light and air, allowing them to ripen perfectly. These grapes yield a rich, aromatic must which, with a little luck and a lot of careful work, including selective picking, gentle transport and handling and extended yeast fermentation with the yeasts present on the grapes, will mature into an exciting, truly great wine with a distinctive bouquet.

    ~we hope to see you soon~

    salute!

     ______________________________________

    Become a Charter Member!

    Biondivino Wine Club

    Special Selection|Special Delivery

    ________________________________

    16th Mar 6-8pm

    ___________________________________________

    Tenuta delle Terre Nere

    with

    Marc de Grazia

    marc de grazia

    ___________________________________

     Marc de Grazia, is a man who probably needs little introduction around here. His wines from his estate Tenuta delle Terre Nere, sell out so quickly, it is almost like we have to keep it a secret when they arrive. They have been some of the most popular and loved wines that I have seen come through - and out, our doors in the entire time we have been open. Thanks to Rand Yazzolino, owner of Estate Wines LTD, and JJ Clifton, they were able to acquire a few cases of the coveted Etna Rosso, which I call "the best *$20 bottle of wine I've had - it has gone up a mere $2 in the last 4 years...) as well as a selection of Library Wines that are available now through our site now for pre-order and on the night of the tasting.

    The very first time I tried these wines, I found them absolutely fascinating.

    The vines, which are planted at different elevations - and plots planted as far back as 94 years ago.

    "Guardiola" 1917 & 1947 at 800/900 meters

    "Feudo di Mezzo" 1927 & 1947 at 650/700 meters

    "Calderara Sottana" 1957 &1967 at 650/700meters

    and the youngest vineyard planted:

    "Santo Spirito" 1950 & 1960 so - only 50-60 year old vines... only?

    But, there is one more (currently sold out) and that is the Pre-phylloxera planting that was found near the Calderara Sottana vineyard - planted in 1870, this is "Le Vigne di Don Peppino" 141 year old vines.

    I have always wanted to have a tasting with the line up of cru's from this estate - to see the vast differences between the wines due to the differing elevations and age of the vines.

    Finally.

    After 4 years we will have the opportunity to do so and with the owner himself. I hope you will be able to join us in this very special event.

    

    We will be showing these 5 wines

    Wed. 16th of March

    6-8pm

    __________________________________________

    Etna Rosso 2009 $22.(36 bottles available now)click

    Etna Rosso Guardiola 2006 $55.(36 bottles available now)click

    Etna Rosso Sottana Calderara 2006 $55.(48 bottles available now)click

    Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo 2008 $50.(18 bottles available now)click

    

    Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2008 $50. (*6bottles available) click

    *we will pour from the Magnum - 750ml will not be tasted.

    Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2008 Magnum1.5L $110.00(5 magnums) click

    

    In addition to these above wines that we will be tasting with Marc and Rand, the following library wines are also available on a pre-order basis:

    Etna Rosso Feudo di Mezzo 2005 $55. (30 bottles available now) click

    Etna Rosso Guardiola 2007 $55. (12 bottles available now) click

    Etna Rosso Guardiola 2008 1.5L $110. (1 magnum available now)click

    Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2007 1.5L $110. (6 bottles available now) click

    Etna Rosso Santo Spirito 2007 $55. (36 bottles available now) click

    Etna Sottana Calderara 2007 $55. (48 bottles available now)click

    

    Any orders placed today 14th March thru 1pm the 15th March will be avail for pick up the night of the tasting (Wed. 16th March). Library wine orders placed on the night of the tasting will be avail. for pick up Friday 18th March

    Wednesday 16th March

    10$tasting

    6-8pm

     ___________________________________________

    a re-introduction from last week

    there is so much to say - but where to begin?

    is it possible to have a "rising star" in a country that has been

    producing wines for hundreds of years?

    I guess so ---

     that is one of the many beauties of Italian wine

     that area is...

    Mount Etna - Sicily.

    ___________________________________________

    The wines of Mt. Etna are rapidly entering into the realm of excellence of that of their northern neighbors, Tuscany and Piemonte. Critics and journalists (and us here) are becoming equally obsessed with this volcanic region of Sicily. The wines have become affectionately known as

    "The Burgundy of the South"

    It is a growing area that was overlooked for sometime due to its harsh climate rugged terrain exploding volcanoes (most recently in Jan 2011) and snow capped mountains. Rising from 800-1200 meters planted in volcanic ash - the vines have thwarted off the devastating Phylloxera, lived and survived sharp temperature and weather changes and many of the pre-phyloxera vines, that went by the wayside were resurrected and saved from extinction.

    The results are incredible - elegant balanced wines with ashy minerality, complex smooth fruit that can easily rival pinot noir.

     ___________________________________________

    ~we hope to see you soon~

    salute!

     _______________________________________

    Become a Charter Member!

    Biondivino Wine Club

    Special Selection|Special Delivery

    ________________________________