Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

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2016 Ferzo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo ($26)

This Montepulciano is from the southern Abruzzo region of Italy. It’s just being introduced to the U.S. and worth looking for.

The name, Ferzo, refers to patches of fabric that are stitched together to create a sail. And, that’s exactly what’s going on as this is a union of the finest viticultural ‘patches’ of southern Abruzzo.

The grapes are hand harvested from 20-year old vines and then spend 14 - 16 days fermenting in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. Gentle extraction methods such as frequent pump-overs ensure rich color and allow for the development of gentle tannin.

This Montepulciano is delicate in flavor with great sour cherry and bright acidity. It’s a really nice wine and a great value. Another great wine that fits the Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week criteria of affordability and attainability. Look for this one. You’ll enjoy it! Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White of Donna White Communications

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

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2017 Bodegas Castillo de Monjardin La Cantera Garnacha ($12)

This Garnacha is from the DO Navarra region of northern Spain that is known for its beauty and diverse terroir.

It is sourced from 70 year-old vines on the estate’s “La Cantera” vineyard, meaning ‘The Quarry.’ It’s appropriately named as the vineyard sits at 1500 feet in a vineyard of poor rocky soil. But, these old vine’s roots run deep and seem to thrive in this terrain.

This Garnacha is hand-picked, fermented in stainless steel and aged for six months in second-year French oak.

This wine even has 15% Cabernet Sauvignon to give this fruity, bright Garnacha some extra depth and structure.

This one’s young and bright. It’s light red in color and full of red and black fruit flavors with amazing acidity.

And, once again, this “Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week” is a great value. Enjoy. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Rebekah Polster, Navarra Media Consultant, President 401 West Communications.




Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

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2017 Citra Montepulciano D’Abruzzo ($10)

This wine is 100% Montepulciano from the Abruzzo region of Italy.

Hand-harvested grapes are vinified in stainless steel tanks with a long maceration at a controlled temperature. The must is frequently pumped over to intensify the aromatics and the color. The wine is then finished in stainless steel tanks followed by one month in the bottle.

The stainless steel tanks allow the bright fruit and crisps acidity to shine through.

The wines of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo are typically best consumed in their youth. So, simply give this one some time in a decanter and enjoy the flavors of wild berry, dried herbs, and black pepper. The big tannin and bright acidity go great with a hearty meal. Cheers!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White of Donna White Communications

Codice Citra recently inducted decorated winemaker, Ricardo Cotarella as executive enologist and partnered with LLS (Leonardo LoCascio Selections), a member of The Winebow Group as their exclusive U.S. importer (Winebow Inc., New York, NY · thewinebowgroup.com)

Behind the Cork™ - Wine of the Week

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2016 MacPhail The Flyer Pinot Noir ($50)

If you love Pinot Noir, this one is for you! It’s got wonderfully delicate flavors of red cherry and raspberry, very easy tannin and a melt in your mouth finish.

MacPhail wines are a collaboration between Tim and Sabrina Persson, 5th generation Hess Family, and well-known Winemaker Matt Courtney.

These amazing Pinot Noir grapes are from the Sangiacomo Lakeville Vineyards in the Petaluma Gap region of the Sonoma Coast.

Produced from the 777 and 23 clones of Pinot Noir, these hand-picked grapes are 100% de-stemmed, undergo 100% Native Fermentation and spend 11 months in 100% French oak with 30% of it being new oak. The unfined and unfiltered wine was directly bottled.

As Winemaker Matt Courtney says, this wine has “…provocative layers of black fruits - specifically dried cherries and black raspberries that are supported by beautiful acidity and silky tannins. A hint of vanilla oak sweetness shows through a lengthy and persistent finish.” I can’t agree more! As a Sonoma Pinot lover, this one’s tops! The Flyer is not to be missed. It’s super!

Disclosure of Wine Sample Submission: I received this wine at no cost for review. The opinions expressed are entirely my own.

Sample Provided by Donna White of Donna White Communications



Why Buy Wines at a Winery?

A few years ago, I told a friend that I was going to visit some wineries. He asked “Do you buy wines there?” My quick answer was “Yes!” He then asked “Why buy wines at a winery? They are more expensive than at the supermarket!”

Well, yes, wines at wineries are often more expensive than the wines you see in a supermarket. But, they are not the same wines. The wines you see in the market are the winery’s big production wines. They mass produce those wines so they can distribute them all over the country and all over the world. And, these mass-produced wines do tend to be less expensive.

But, the wines that you’ll find at a winery are typically the ones that they don’t mass produce and don’t widely distribute. These are smaller productions either for exclusive sale at the winery or through their wine clubs. So, the simple answer to my friend’s question is the wines being sold at the wineries are simply better wines.

Another reason to buy wines at a winery is because you get to try them before you buy them. Have you ever picked out a nice bottle of wine at a store and then later opened it only to find that it wasn’t as good as you expected and certainly not worth the price you paid? Well, that doesn’t happen when you are tasting and buying your wines at a winery.

So, if you are ready for the next level of wines, those that are better than what you’ll find in the supermarket, treat yourself to a winery visit. Along with getting to learn about the wines, and maybe even meeting the winemaker, you’ll get the opportunity to taste and buy some really excellent wines. And, at reasonable prices too. Cheers!