Moscato d’Asti – Spring in a Glass

Written by Allison Levine on January 16, 2020

Wine

It’s fun! It’s flirty! It’s sweet yet balanced with acidity! It’s delicious! It’s Moscato d’Asti. I had the the pleasure to recently spend a week in Asti in Piemonte, Italy, visiting wineries and drinking lots and lots of Moscato d’Asti. This light and refreshing wine will transport you to a spring picnic in the park. But Moscato d’Asti, a wine made from passion, also has a serious side and I wrote about this wonderful wine in the Napa Valley Register which I am sharing here.

Rainy, cold weather getting you down? Longing for spring to come? Open up a bottle of Moscato d’Asti and transport yourself to a picnic in the spring. No matter the time of the year, no matter the temperature outside, Moscato d’Asti is fresh and is like spring in a glass.

Now, your first thought might be, “but Moscato d’Asti is a sweet wine.” It is OK to admit you like a little sweetness in your wine. When a little residual sugar is balanced by bright acidity, there is nothing not to like. And Moscato d’Asti is just that. It is fun, fruity, light and refreshing but it is also a serious wine with a lot of care is put into making it.

The first written records of the Moscato Bianco grape in Piemonte, Italy were in the 1300s. Today there are 10,000 hectares planted, of which 1,400 hectares are planted on hills, across 52 municipalities in the provinces of Alessandria, Asti and Cuneo in Piemonte. Read More +

Albeisa – A story in a bottle

Written by Allison Levine on December 31, 2019

Wine

When you look at a soft shoulder bottle of wine, you can identify it as a Burgundy bottle and find Pinot Noir or Chardonnay inside. If you see a tall shoulder bottle, it is recognized as a Bordeaux bottle and we find Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon in those. Then there is the Albeisa bottle that has its own unique shape, between the Burgundy and Bordeaux bottle. And, it has the name “Albeisa” embossed around it. This name is a symbol, it is more than the bottle but what is in the bottle. It is about a place and people. I wrote about the story of the Albeisa bottle in the Napa Valley Register and share it here.

To speak of the wines of Piemonte, Italy, little more needs to be said than Barolo and Barbaresco. The prestige of those two areas, as well as the entire region of the Langhe, is known by wine lovers around the world.

But have you ever looked closely at a bottle of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto, or Arneis and seen the embossed words “Albeisa” printed around the shoulder of the bottle? Have you wondered why it is written on the bottle? Do you know the meaning of that word? The Albeisa bottle is a distinct element that symbolizes a region, a people, a tradition, and more. Read More +

Please The Palate Wine of the Week: Cantina Briamara Biancamano Erbaluce di Caluso 2018

Written by Allison Levine on October 23, 2019

Wine

Erbaluce is a white Italian wine grape grown in the Piedmont region. This white wine is little known and definitely under-appreciated. But taste one and you will understand why the Cantina Briamara Biancamano Erbaluce di Caluso 2018 is the Please The Palate wine of the week.

Erbaluce is grown in Alto Piemonte, near the Valle d’Aosta. More specifically, Erbaluce is produced in 33 communes in the province of Turin. At the center is the commune of Caluso. Caluso was under the realm of the goddess Albaluce, which is where the name Erbaluce comes from.

Erbaluce earned DOCG status in 2010 and is the only white wine in the Alto Piemonte to receive DOCG status. It can be produced as a sparkling wine (Erbaluce di Caluso Spumante), a dry wine (Erbaluce di Caluso) or a sweet dessert wine (Erbaluce di Caluso Passito).

Cantina Briamara Biancamano Erbaluce di Caluso 2018 is a dry white wine produced by Cantina Briamara. Established in 1931 by Silvio Bianco, it is currently owned and run by Massimiliano and Elisa Bianco who have ten hectares of Erbaluce planted.

Cantina Briamara Biancamano Erbaluce di Caluso 2018 is a straw yellow color. It has aromas of flowers, citrus, honeydew, white pepper and a touch of sage and mineral notes. On the palate, it is light bodied with persistent acidity but also a well-rounded mid-palate with a mouthwatering finish.

Imported by Vero Vino Gusto, the wine retails for $19 and is available on the Vero Vino Gusto website.