The Holiday Table
Holidays are here! This will be a pretty busy time for all of us, negotiating menu preparations and last minute additions. I wont take up too much of your time here, except to offer a few gems for the table. Listed below are what I consider to be Bottivino’s stand-outs of the season.
Le Vigne di Alice NV Brut Nature ‘Doro’ Veneto
Let’s get started with a brisk and uncomplicated sparkler from the Prosecco region of the Veneto. Much of the Prosecco I taste are ripe with fat bubbles and little nuance. Not so with Alice, a winery named after the owner’s Grandmother. This is basically a ‘Blanc de Blanc’ Prosecco, low on impact and big on personality. An excellent beginning.
PAIRINGS: Sunshine, antipasto, that friend you always get into trouble with…
$25.00 learn more ->
Giovanni Almondo 2022 Roero Arneis ‘Bricco di Ciliegie’ Piemonte
Chablis in Piedmont? Yup! Well, no, but Giovanni Almondo’s Arneis from a former cherry orchard turned vineyard is about as close as it gets. This is one of Italy’s most important whites, no kidding, made from grapes grown on limestone soils in a picturesque alpine climate. Brisk, minerality-driven and quite beautiful!
PAIRINGS: Greens, roasted root vegetables, soups and cheese/charcuterie
$30.00 learn more ->
Ciavolich 2021 Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 'Fosso Cancelli' Abruzzo
Cerasuolo is a designation for specific areas known for producing complex rosé. With Ciavolich, they take a step into the stratosphere with their Cerasuolo from Abruzzo. Made from old Montepulciano vines and aged in terracotta amphora, expect a dark cranberry-like color in the glass with aromas of sweet bacon, preserved tomato and a smooth bing-cherry finish. One of the most versatile food pairings on my list.
PAIRINGS: Early girl tomatoes (in season now!!), bruschetta and charcuterie, almost any Thanksgiving dishes
$46.00 learn more ->
Carlo Giacosa 2019 Barbaresco ‘Montefico’ Piemonte
Ok Paul, ease into it… I tasted this in the town square of Barbaresco back in April. I was on a date, so was looking to impress. This wine changed the atmosphere at the table, with all conversations leading back into the glass. There is something about Montefico that lulls me into a dreamscape: under-ripe maraschino cherry, rosemary flowers, touch of forest floor, restrained complexion followed by a world of evolution in the glass. 🤯
PAIRINGS: Refined meats, pasta with ragu, truffles, rabbit tenderloin, roasted turkey
$62.00 Learn More ->
Ferdinando Principiano 2019 Barolo Communale di Serralunga Piemonte
“As we paused half-way up the slope of Ferdinando’s Boscaretto vineyard in the village of Serralunga, I was immediately struck by the sounds of nature. I have never heard such symphony in a vineyard in Barolo before.” Principiano’s wines are soulful expression of Nebbiolo, showing a purity of fruit rarely found in Barolo today.
PAIRINGS: Charcuterie, slow-braising meats, ribeye, smoked turkey, duck
$58.00 Learn More ->
Tiezzi 2015 Brunello di Montalcino ‘Vigna Soccorso’ Toscana
Now in his 80’s, Dr Tiezzi is a legend in Montalcino, known for aiding iconic estates over a 30+ year career as well as leading the Consorzio di Brunello. Its pretty cool he is now making wine only for himself at a small estate due south of the town of Montalcino (sud). These are old-school expressions of Sangiovese, with balanced tannin, earth and acidity. I opened this wine with my bro at a fundraiser the other night, and it was so beautifully balanced. ‘15 was warm, so this old school Brunello is ready to rock now!!
PAIRINGS: Go big, braising, beef Wellington, after dinner in front of the fire in a huge glass
$67.00 Learn More ->