It is always exciting, for a winemaker (yes, I am, by trade) to develop a new wine list for a restaurant, especially when it’s your restaurant. First of all, you get to taste a lot of wines, as the wine sales rep are coming to introduce you to new wineries, new vintages and new trends, and then, for a foodie (yes I am, since I was born) you get to imagine what kind of food you would pair the new wines with. Being the owner of an Italian traditional restaurant, and being from Tuscany, I am obviously inclined toward big bold reds, and that is the reason why our new wine list is a big red one. For our local reds, the new entry is the Vineland Elevation Cabernet, where you can taste the “bench” and the art of winemaker and friend Brian Schmidt. Moving to Italy, a lot of very interesting new proposals, in the range of the 60-70 $. Sasso al Sole, is a Val d’Orcia rosso (Tuscany) made with Sangiovese, Bocelli (yes, this is his brother’s wine) is also a Sangiovese from Tuscany, and Bibi Graetz I Grilli is another Supertuscan with a great body. The Gorgo is a superb Veneto IGT wine, and with the Sassaiolo Rosso Piceno Doc from Le Marche, the Scarpetta Barbera del Monferrato doc from Pedimont, the Elaphe IGT from Calabria and the Perticaia Montefalco rosso riserva doc from Umbria, are the new entries. back on the list a Barolo doc from Bel Colle called Simposio, and a new Brunello di Montalcino from Fattoria Scopone. The Nobile di Montepulciano from Salcheto is completing the long list. Most of these wines are Organic, a movement that in Italy is in great expansion. Let me end mentioning the white italian Bianco di Custoza doc from Gorgo, an amazing crisp discovery. hope to see you soon at Casa Toscana to taste these jewels.
Luca
