Who: The Hill Family
What: 50% Xarel-lo, 35% Macabeo, 15% Parellada
Where: Penedes, Spain
Tastes Like: Fresh, clean, and dry, with lots of small bubbles.
Pairs With: Literally everything.
The Where:
Penedès is a Spanish Denominación de Origen, DO for wines in Catalonia, southeast Spain. Penedès DO includes all Penedès region and municipalities of four other counties: Anoia, Alt Camp, Baix Llobregat, and Tarragonès. The area is framed by the coastal hills of the Garraf Massif and the higher inland mountains which skirt the Central Depression.
Long considered one of the country's best wine-producing regions after the Rioja, it is also one of the most ancient viticultural areas in Europe. According to archaeological evidence, wine production in the Penedès has ancient origins, certainly dating back to the Phoenician introduction of Chardonnay vines during the 6th century BC. A large export market is known to have existed even through Moorish occupation in the Middle Ages. Eighteenth century Spanish expansion into South America generated an unprecedented demand for Penedès wines which has barely abated since. The region did not escape the pan-European devastation of the phylloxera plague, one effect of which was a large-scale change in the predominant grape types from red to almost exclusively white, which in turn led to the first Cava production in the 1870s. Since then, red varietals have regained some ground but remain a relatively minor part of regional production.
The Who:
The land owned by Cavas Hill was purchased by Jonas Hill in 1761, with the winery dating back to 1877. Construction of the unique, underground wine cellars began in 1924, consisting of 5 galleries hewn from the local “tapassot” bedrock. In 1926 the family laid down the first bottle of Cava, made in the Methode Champenoise but using native grapes such as macabeo, xarel-lo, and parellada. The family maintains a meticulous, hands-on, traditional wine making practice to this day.
Cavas Hill produces 2 lines of cava: he Cuvee Panot and the Cuvee 1887, with the latter being in line with the traditional fruity, round style of sparkling wine preferred prior to WWII. We carry the 1887, which uses only the native grapes. It is aged for 12 months on the lees before disgorgement, giving it a lovely hint of age overlying the the fresh, green aromatics.
NV Bisol Jeio Cuvée Rosé Brut $10/40
Where: Valdobiadenne, Veneto
Who: Desiderio "Jeio" Bisol
What: Merlot, Pinot Noir, Glera (aka Prosecco)
Tastes like: Pink Prosecco! Strawberries and minerals, with a very fine bead.
What to pair with: What do you think? Fried foods, smoked meats, celebration
The Bisol family, whose historic winery is located in Santo Stefano di Valdobbiadene, manages 308 acres of vineyards in the DOCG area, spread over 35 plots in premier locations. The feather in their cap is their seven acres holding on the summit of the Cartizze hill, the most precious vineyard in Italy. Over 21 generations of the Bisol family have overseen and expanded the Bisol winery and vineyards. Today, Bisol is owned by the two brothers, Antonio and Eliseo (president and vice-president), and their sons, Gianluca (managing director), Desiderio (technical manager), Claudio (production manager) and Alberto (administration manager).
Bisol pursues the highest levels of quality and seeks to elevate the notoriety of the entire Valdobbiadene appellation. Their integrated approach to production begins with a careful selection of vineyards and continues with direct management of each phase of viticulture and vinification right up to the final bottling. The owners of some of the steepest hills in the area, Bisol’s vineyards are worked by hand and cared for using sustainable techniques. Sitting on the cutting edge of tradition, Bisol continuously studies the best techniques for this historic region. Each year the family tests at least six new vinification techniques in order to better understand this unique terroir.
NV Cleto Chiarli "Vigneto Cialdini" Lambrusco
Who: Cleto Chiarli
What: 100% Grasparossa
Where: Castelvetro, Emilia-Romagna, Italy
Tastes like: Smells intensely of brambly, stewed fruit. Medium-minus body with a fine bead and a bone dry finish.
Pairs with: Prosciutto di parma, mortadella, any pizza, anything fatty and savory.
The What: Lambrusco is a style of semi-sparkling to sparkling wine from the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy. Up to 6 different grapes can be used to make the wine, but the primary grapes in the wines of quality are Grasparossa, Salamino, and Sorbara, with Sorbara being considered as making the finest wines due to its concentration of flavor and high acidity. The vast majority of Lambrusco is made with the Charmat method and fermented to a frizzante level of sparkle. There are some rare exceptions that feature champagne method and spumante bubble.
The Where: Emilia-Romagna is a wealthy region in the northeast of Italy, just to the south of the Veneto and Lombardy. It is known as for being the home of the University of Bologna (the oldest in the world), many Renaissance cities (including Bologna, Modena, and Parma), a producer of luxury cars (Lamborghini, Masserati, Ducati), and as a major hub for fine foods and salumi. Notable foods native to the region include: Balsamic vinegar, parmigiano reggiano, mortadella, prosciutto di parma, lasagne, and tagliatelle. What grows together, goes together, and Lambrusco is a natural pairing for all of these foods.
The Who: The Chiarli family have owned land in the lambrusco-producing areas of Emilia-Romana for 150 years. Today they own 3 distinct estates, totalling 100 hectares under vine. Each is specifically suited to producing certain types of wine, and are at the heart of the most important DOCs of the region.
The Chiarli family have owned the Castelvetro estate for over 130 years. It lies in the heart of the wine-producing area of the Lambrusco di Grasparossa, in the Castelvetro municipality. The estate comprises 50 hectares (124 acres) of vineyards, which are situated on ancient alluvium (riverbed deposits) around the Guerro stream, at the foot of the Apennines. In this area, the land is gently undulating for the cyclical alternation between erosion of the soil and deposition of sediments. The upper stratum is around 50 cm thick and is mainly composed of silt, whilst underneath it one can find a layer of gravel. Here one can also find the ‘Tenuta Cialdini’, an estate which includes the ‘Vigneto Cialdini’. This famous vineyard provides the grapes for the Grasparossa ‘Generale Enrico Cialdini’, a true Lambrusco ‘cru’ with unique and unmistakable qualities
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