This Friday, April 18th, 2013 from 4 to 7 p.m. — $5/person…..Free for Grape Nuts — Drop by the store this Friday any time between 4 and 7 p.m. to try 5 wines for $5. The “M.C.” of this week’s tasting is our friend and Durham-based wine importer Jay Murrie of Piedmont Wine Imports. Jay Murrie is one of the more passionate wine geeks we conduct business with, and his passion is contagious. Jay works with the “small guys” of the wine trade, small family farms that produce tiny quantities of delicious, naturally made wines. He travels the back roads of Italy in order to meet the people behind the wines, to eat and drink with them, and to stand on their land. As Jay says, “The people I meet and the conversations we have in fields, on farms, at tables are my education.”
Let Jay educate you about his deliciously authentic and traditionally made wines. Remember, when you purchase any six mixed wines from the tasting, we give you a 15% discount! Here’s what we’ll be trying:
The Wines
Prices range from $12 to $30
1. 2012 Corzano E Paterno Corzanello Bianco (Tuscany, Italy)
Dry and delicious, this beautifully aromatic white combines Tuscany’s native Trebbiano and Malvasia with a couple of “illegal aliens” in the form of Semillon and Petit Manseng.
2. 2012 Torre dei Beati Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo, Italy)
Cerasuolo is Italian for “cherry” and it’s the local name for the dry rosé produced from Montepulciano. Whatever, it’s delicious!
3. 2010 Fattoria Castellina “I Pogeo” Rosso Toscana (Tuscany, Italy)
From a wonderful little Chianti producer, this blend of mainly Sangiovese with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah is full of classic Tuscan flavor. Earthy black cherry, spice and roasted herb notes galore!
4. 2012 La Casaccia Freisa Monferrato “Monfiorenza” (Piemonte, Italy)
This light and fragrant wine is a distant relative of Nebbiolo. With notes of wild strawberry and raspberry, along with subtle floral and spice nuances, this distinctive red wine deserves respect and attention.
5. 2011 Plantamura Primitivo (Gioia del Colle, Italy)
Team Table Wine absolutely loves this wine! Fresh and lively, with an inviting mix of red and dark cherry and peppery herb, this dry and easy to drink red is certainly a crowd pleaser.
6. 2010 Morella Primitivo/Negroamaro (Pugliga, Italy)
This is a big old wine! Composed of equal parts Primitivo and Negroamaro from older vines, it explodes out of the glass with ripe dark berries, plum, dark chocolate and spice. Full bodied and moderately structured on the palate, this one is crying for a big hunk of grilled meat.