V IS FOR SAN VALENTINO... AND , VESPOLINA, VERDICCHIO, AND VALPOLICELLA!

Come February 13th, the inevitable question ‘what are you doing for Valentines day?’ couldn’t be more polarizing. While it can inspire love and creativity in some, it strikes fear and loathing into the hearts of others. The roots of the holiday and the story of Saint Valentino are not dissimilar to so many stories; there are at least three different origins and it has clearly been dramaticized and romanticized in the most Italian fashion for the sake of the story.

So whether it was the kindly priest that was put to death for performing forbidden secret weddings for young couples before the men were forced into becoming soldiers, or the imprisoned bishop, who was also put to death, that had a heart for his jailer's daughter and wrote her the first ‘Valentine.’ Or even if it is actually the result of the targeted Christian effort to replace the scandalously sexy Pagan holiday of Lupercalia that happened to occur from February 13th to the 15th each year - an Old school Roman nudity and unbridled debaucherous tradition that made the modern church at the time quite red in the cheeks. No matter what, however you may choose to spend your 14th day of this month, we present four delightful Valentino-linacchiacella wines to show you just how much we love you.

WINE NO. 1 Il Monticello ‘Groppolo Vermentino Colli di Luni, , Italy 2019

RE-ORDER: $25

GRAPE: VERMENTINO [ver-mehn-TEE-noh] It is called Pigato in Liguria, in Piedmont, Rolle in France, and in Sardinia, ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ the earliest name “fermentino” probably referred to the fresh wine’s spritziness. ​ ​ Robust, fragrant, floral, minerally, and terroir expressive, this grape claims its native terroir in the very heart of the Mediterranean Sea. In Liguria, though, the debate over the genetic difference between Pigato and Vermentino is a touchy subject at best. To the farmers, it is crystal clear and well beyond simply clonal differences that the two are very different grapes, but the genetic code has recently determined that perhaps they are one in the same.

GROWER: Il Monticello is a very small grower in what is now considered the hotspot for the best Vermentino wines in Italy; Colli di Luni. Alessandro and Davide Neri farm just ​ ​ under 12 hectares of vines both organically and biodynamically at 120 meters above sea level and set a bit inland from the Meditteranean coast. They converted their fathers hobby vineyards to a healthy bio-diverse oasis, for not only Vermentino grapes, but also a specific native olive variety Razzola, as well as a mix of plants and trees that thrive in Liguria like few other places, from tropical to evergreen. Their cellar and methods are old world and hands-on just like in the vineyard, but they also have learned some techniques from more modern producers. This Vermentino sees six months on the lees with stirring, providing tertiary texture beyond its already impressive fruit and mineral qualities.

GLASS: Meyer lemon citrus blossoms in bloom, sea-salted marcona almonds and the green side of a guava. Mid-palate is clean like a fresh summer melon layered with some very unique flavors like Bee pollen and basil. It’s all that interesting depth and lush and lovely that makes this stand out, as Vermentino can sometimes fall short in intrigue.

SIDE NOTES: Though Colli di Luni DOC is most associated with Liguria, part of the appellation is in Tuscany. Beyond the old classic Vernaccia di San Gimignano, Vermentino has become an important white wine amidst the sea of Tuscan reds.

WINE NO. 2 Borgo Paglianetto ‘Vertis’ Verdicchio Matelica, Marche 2018

RE-ORDER: $29

GRAPE: VERDICCHIO [ver-dikkyo] “Verdicchio is arguably Italy's greatest native white grape variety.” - Ian D’Agata ​ ​

Although this is no secret to those who have dug deep into this subject, Verdicchio still does not yet enjoy the spotlight perhaps as much as it deserves. There were years and years of rather vapid wines sold in bottles shaped like a fish that may still be emblazoned in too many critics' memories, but the number of high quality and incredibly age worthy Verdicchios just get stronger every year. There are two very distinct appellations in Marche (that recently have both been elevated to DOCG status) Verdicchio di Matelica produces wines that are fresh and crisp, as opposed to the rounder wines from the neighboring Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. The difference is evident in the soil as well as the altitude: Matelica is rich in mountain minerals where Jesi is rich in coastal clay.

GROWER: Borgo Paglianetto makes several bottlings of Verdicchio and is pushing the envelope on site specific wines with terroir transparency. Organically farmed vines cover about 60 acres that extend over the Matelica hills into the unique north-south oriented Valle dell'Esino. The majority of this land is dedicated to the Verdicchio grape, one that seems to love both the elevation and shift from sunny exposure to cooler nights resulting from the Apennine Mountain range. The winery has only been around since 2008, but has quickly become known as one of the better producers in the small group of producers of the small Matelica growing region.

GLASS: A reminder that not all white is created to pop and enjoy immediately. Let this breath a bit, let it warm up just a little in the glass as well. As it opens up, the layers of minty mandarin marmalade, dried mango and earthy green nettles begin to express themselves. Pithy pomelo and bright star fruit is balanced perfectly with a touch of clean wool, cheese rind complete with a complex phenolic and peppery edge.

SIDE NOTES: Le Marche has a long coastline from which so much amazing seafood is pulled, but up in the hills of Matelica you’re more likely to be wowed by a Vincisgrassi Lasagna loaded with chicken livers and offal (though some good fresh mushrooms work wonders as a replacements to those.) WINE NO. 3 Rovellotti ‘Ronca al Maso’ Vespolina Colline Novaresi, Ghemme, Piedmont 2017

RE-ORDER: $25

GRAPE: VESPOLINA [VEHS-PO-lina] “I believe Vespolina to be one of Italy’s best native grape varieties” Ian D’Agata.

Ok, so this one seems a bit more out there considering that there is so little of it planted and where it does succeed, it is most often overshadowed by a little grape called Nebbiolo. But what is wonderful about discovering Italian wine, one grape at a time, is to learn about the amazing potential of something like Vespolina. It has a long history in Piedmont and Lombardy but, as in so many cases, may have lost favor due to growing difficulties. But in the right hands, as it is with the Rovellotti family, and grown in a healthy manner, the wines can be something very special. It’s a grape variety that will be better known in due time, undoubtedly.

GROWER: Rovellotti makes some of the best examples of this unique grape and they are firm believers in its future. Costa del Salmino is a special site where you’ll find the family's oldest Nebbiolo vines , replanted by Antonello and Paolo in 1976, as well as their Vespolina. Organically farmed prime property in Ghemme like this is enviable real estate and they keep Vespolina a top priority here. The Rovellotti winery lies within the walls of the Ricetto castle in central Ghemme, a brick structure, with some walls still dated back to the 10th century, that has essentially become the central cantina for the area's legendary wines.

GLASS: Plucky with plum and explosive with fuzzy fresh black raspberries on the nose. Vespolina shows it's very distinct aromatics here. Red Vines licorice and blood orange citrus with a juiciness that kinda hits like Hawaiian punch with altitude. Earthy like Rooibos with some black tea tannins and a touch of that roasted coffee bean thing that so often shows itself in more alpine red wines. An incredible example of just how unique and engaging a wine the Vespolina grape is capable of. More please.

SIDE NOTES: Yes, you will recognize this as the same producer from last month's Alto Piemonte Nebbiolos. Rovellotti is just so good, and not easy to find, that we just couldn’t resist sharing more!

WINE NO. 4 Corte Sant'Alda ‘Ca Fui’ Corvina Grosso 50% + Corvina 30% + Rondinella 15% + Molinara 5% Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy 2019

RE-ORDER: $24

GRAPE: CORVINA [kohr-VEE-nuh] Corvina, or ‘little raven’, is one of many grapes in Italy named after a bird. Although it certainly is a sweet target for the winged locals, it may also be attributed to the naturally dark color of the berries. Oddly enough, although the Corvina berries appear dark, there is not a high level of pigment in the skins and there they don’t make inky wines as one would expect. Corvina almost always is the star of the show when it comes to the classic blends in Valpolicella and the famous Amarone wines. It is thick skinned and can remain intact during the traditional drying and sweetening process for ‘Ripasso’ wines.

GROWER: Marinella Camerani was one of the first of the (now) many growers, between the Valpolicella and Soave regions in Veneto, to have gone Organic. She began to remove the pesticides and herbicides from her farm in the mid-1980s when she took over the family property. She has been a leader in helping troubleshoot the region's specific growing challenges with Biodynamic principles and solutions ever since. The Ca’ Fiui is one of her thirteen vineyard sites that rests on a sunny hillside in the Val di Mezzane in the hills just northeast of Verona.

GLASS: Fresh squeezed juice bursting from the glass with gentle wafts of violet. This wine has much more to say beyond its fruit, with allspice, nutmeg and alpine herbs a la Fernet Branca. Alongside the very pronounced pile of ripe red cherries, there are also cocoa nibs and cinnamon red hots. There is a delightful vein of savory sassafras as well, herbaceous like chewing on root beer bark… with very little bite. A scrumptious example of dry Valpo without any need for raisinification.

SIDE NOTES: Is it Corvina Grosso or Corvinone? Both appear to be simply larger clones of Corvina but it turns out Corvinone has its own set of genetics. The Valpolicella growers have yet to acknowledge this officially, but there’s quite a bit of it planted here so they’ll have to sort this out eventually.