VINA SARDASOL. Navarra, Spain @ Nam Viet Restaurant ,Thurs. April 23rd, 2009 W/ Candy Fox Of World Shippers Imports

This was a great Thursday afternoon late luncheon and wine-tasting with Candy Fox, owner of World Shippers Importers out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It was a great opportunity to taste these seven VINA SARDASOL Spanish wines from the Navarra region.

What's more : the vintages went back to 2005, 2002 and 2001 and in these red blends as well as the Merlot I was able to taste how the wines age and what happens to them.
There was the fresh Cranza 2007 of 70% Tempranillo and 30% Merlot ( ON SALE for $8.99 ) that was fruit-forward and bright red cherry, toasted fruit that was nice all by itself but also with food.

There was the 2002 Crianza 85% Tempranillo with 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot that was deep and dense and edgy and needing food to round out the edges.

There was also both the 2001 Reserva Merlot and the 2001 Reserva blend of 85% Tempranillo and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot. The 2001 is a great vintage and I sold both of the 2001's ON SALE for $10.99 and liked very much the intensity yet elegance of these wines that have both aged really well and have a lovely balance and will complement many a meal.

We are almost out of these wines now at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com ) as it is now Monday, December 7th, 2009 at 2:20 PM as I finally get around to typing and posting this story way-overdue. Sorry!

But we still have some so give us a call to reserve some bottles at the store before they are all gone. What great values they have represented for our customers that like traditional European-style wines and appreciate that some of the wines made are made to age gracefully to reveal more of their full charm and personalities.

As you can see by these pictures I like to get some artsy photos that go beyond what you would normally see or expect. I hope you like them. I like to capture the moment and have fun preserving a small part of it in photos and words.

I love Nam Viet and have for almost ten years now enjoyed their food and love taking my suppliers there when they want me to taste some of their new releases outside the store where I can focus more on them without distractions. I like this, too.

Cheers to VINA SARASOL of Navarra, Spain as well as Candy Fox of World Shippers Imports and Nam Viet restaurant, too just two store fronts away from us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits.

Happy New Year and Holidays 2009 to one and to all. TONY

Dan's Excellent CA. R.B. COHN Selections Tasted At Cleveland Park Thurs. Feb. 19th, '09 With Chrissy Carpenter & Us - Good Wine

Dan came to me with Chrissy of Washington Wholesalers. They had four R.B. COHN CA. wines ( 15000 Sonoma Highway, Glen Ellen, CA. 95442   800-330-4064  Fax: 707-938-4585   www.brcohn.com ) for me to try : one white and three reds. And try them I did : that's what I do. It's my window of opportunity to see what's " out-there " as I like to put it.

On this late afternoon on Wednesday February 18th, 2009 ( I believe ) I was quite exhausted from trying so many wines already. I had had more than enough by now. Mike Martin who works for me asked me in the office who they were and what were they doing here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 20008 Tel : 202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com ) ?

I had glanced briefly over the office ledge and out onto our floor and seen Chrissy from the sides of my eyes. I recognized her immediately before ducking back down. I was working on something in the office and I needed a moment to collect myself before going out to say " hello " ; or before Chrissy poked her head around the corner of our office and looked inside to make us aware of their presence. Wither way it sometimes buys me an additional couple of minutes or more which I often need to compose myself. Here I am willingly admitting to all my office secrets. Please don't tell anyone else will you ?!?

Chrissy has been bringing me recently some fun American wines, mostly from the west coast in California, Oregon and have there been any from Washington State? I don't think yet, no, none yet. But there is still time isn't there Chrissy?

I exited the office and went out to say " hello " and to meet Dan. Even though I was quite tired I began to taste ( at first with a plastic cup ) ; and then realizing this opportunity that I was about to let slip away and through my fingers without the proper attention - well, I excused myself to get my camera and a proper Reidel wine glass. I'm glad that I did.

I really liked the white. It was balanced and well-made ; and although not a wine I would order myself ( or buy in a store ) I had to admit that it was an excellent example of grape and state and style with enough butter and oak balanced nicely to appeal to a whole lot of our customers here in Cleveland Park in Washington D.C., our nation's capitol.

The first red CA. Cabernet Sauvignon ( 2006 Silver Label , North Coast, $23.99 ) I did not like at all. I found it lean and in pieces and out-of-balance. Dan had just finished telling me at least once that it was the " best-seller " in the R.B. COHN portfolio. Anytime I hear this I pay special attention and try and figure out why it's the best-selling in any particular portfolio.

I told Dan that I did not like it at all and I explained how I was finding the wine at this particular point and time, at least for me. He was polite and offered that it may have been unduly shaken while riding around all day in Washington D.C. in Chrissy's car. I said that I would be willing to retry it later. And we moved on.

The next wine I tried was the R.B. COHN Merlot Sonoma Valley, 2004 (  $31.99 ) and I liked it so much better than the previous Silver Label 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon. I could actually picture myself drinking it and enjoying it, perhaps even more than I was willing to admit I guess because it is, after all , a Merlot!

Then Chrissy poured for me the estate-bottled Cabernet Sauvignon 2005, $65.99  " Olive Hill " Sonoma Valley which I also liked quite a bit. I would buy three out of the four I had just tasted ( I still had not inquired for the pricing ) , especially if Chrissy came to our store to pour them with our customers one Friday or Saturday? Will you Chrissy?

Then I went back to try the one Silver Label 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon that I had really not liked at all. I had been taking pictures all along and I got some nice ones I believe/hope. I was shocked to discover that the wine had opened and rounded-out/filled-out and was showing both more elegant, enjoyable berry-grape fruit as well as balance. The wine had come together in this fifteen minute period in our store and I was pleased to be able to tell both Dan and Chrissy that I was changing my opinion of this wine.

It's important to go back / return to something and check it out once more if not twice more. Things sometimes need these extra chances. We are denying ourselves of the pleasures that they can afford us if we limit ourselves to simply our first impressions. Yes, first impressions are essential-vital and important ; but sometimes they need to be amended or re-affirmed. I'm glad that I did here.

It was a successful, revealing tasting for me and though tired I was still happy to have availed myself to this opportunity that presented and plopped itself this late afternoon right into my lap.  I like what both Bruce R. Cohn ( founded by Bruce the proprietor in 1984 ) and Tom Montgomery ( winemaker ) are doing here with their wines.

Thanks Chrissy and Dan. Come again soon, both of you. How about the next time though you both end your day at Cleveland Park and taste your wines with our interested and loyal/regular customers that come to us just for this sort of opportunity like you have just given me?

Dan, when you were about to leave I asked you to sign our guest book and this is what you wrote : " Tony, Thanks for the tasting! I think you have a photographic talent !! I wish you all the best ! " Dan Campbell. Thanks Dan, I appreciate that quite a bit, really. You're the first to mention this like this in writing.

Cheers, and until our next meeting. TONY

Conte Sebastiano Capponi of VILLA CALCINAIA, Chianti Visits Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits Thursday, February 5th, 2009 To Taste His " New " Releases

     Here are some pictures that I took this past Thursday afternoon of Conte Sebastiano Capponi of VILLA CALCINAIA ( Via di Citille 84 50022 Greve in Chianti  Tel e Fax : 055 854008  villacalcinaia@villacalcinaia.it  www.villacalcinaia.it ) here at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits February 5th, 2009.

     Sebastiano writes : " Hi Tony, Looking forward to seeing you in the fall. We will sure enjoy the wines of VILLA CALCINAIA . Thanks ".

     I really enjoyed all three reds that I sampled and look forward to bringing at least two here that I feel we can sell quite well as they are all beautifully-made, balanced, refined, classic and also quite affordable considering what you get for your money in terms of excellent Tuscan reds to complement your meals at home with family and friends.

     I will write more about these three wines : vintages, prices, etcetera shortly. The two Chianto Classicos ( a normale and a  Riserva 2004 ) were my favorites because they were made in a more traditional, classic manner using grapes that traditionally were associated more with Tuscany and Chianto Classico in particular : i.e. the Sangiovese grape.

     The third as Sebastiano explained to me was 100% Merlot because when they bought it years back they thought that they were buying Sangiovese and not Merlot. As it stands the wine that this Merlot grape produces for them is delightful, refined, elegant and very appealing : though it does cost considerably more than the first two. It's called  " Casarsa ", and I enjoyed the 2006 vintage.

    Of course when Sebastiano comes to taste her in the fall with you all we will buy and taste all three. That will be fun : something for us all to look forward to. Cheers,  TONY

Brad McCarthy Of BRADFORD REED WINES, Charlottesville, VA. At Cleveland Park's Annual Holiday Wine-Tasting Wed. Nov. 12th, 2008 5:30-8:30 PM

To see such joy and happiness in Brad McCarthy in these photos on our special Annual Holiday Wednesday, November 12th, 2008 was striking to me. I could not get over how he beamed the whole evening. Put that together with his red sweater and you have a triking combination that shows in these pictures and showed throughout the tasting for anyone paying any attention at all!

His friend Dan who came to taste and be a part did tell me that he and Brad had enjoyed a couple of beers before the tasting. I would have never known, really. I was glued to Brad's smile and I was also intrigued by how he spoke with his hands, sweeping motions of the hands. I did not take enough pictures of Brad ; I wish that I had taken more. They would have helped complete the performance of his this evening. It will have to wait until the next time but then this evening was truly special and it's own and I am thrilled to be able to post and share these photos and stories with you all.

Brad only had two wines to taste this evening. I remember calling him and him expressing his gratitude that I had thought to include him in our Annual American Holiday tasting. I had originally talked with Christine Iezzi of Country Vintners and she had told me that Brad was no longer at BLENHEIM Winery in Charlottesville, VA. She told me that he had started up his own winery called BRADFORD REED WINES.

I did not know that, of course and asked what wines he was making. Christine knew all about it and i e would check with Brad and see if he was available to come taste. Fortunately for us all he was.

Brad bought grapes from BLENHEIM Winery and has used them to produce both the 2006 Merlot and the 2006Meritage. We only had the 2006 Merlot ( $27.99 ) in the store to sell at the time but took orders on the 2006 Meritage ( $27.99 ) which should be available any day now in our store.

It's Saturday night at 12:04 AM December 13th, 2008 as I type this blog. I'm not use that I will be able to post it tonight. I still have a lot to say and it will take time as usual for all the thoughts to congregate nicely in my head and allow me to record them here. It's bit of serendipity is : the collecting and recording of thoughts and observations and recollected stories and anecdotes. I also remember quite a few details as I look over the pictures before finally posting these blogs.

I remember thinking how delicious and ripe and lush and red bright ( like Brad's red sweater! ) these wines were! They struck me bull's eye right on my forehead and practically knocked me out! They were much lusher, fruitier, more modern in style than almost any Virginia wines that I had ever drunk before! I liked them, was immediately drawn to them! Wow! Impressive, seductive, unctuous - wonderful, spiel-binding! What was this?!? What was this intensity and ripeness all about?!? Not sweet oak, not nuts and honey and spiciness, no foxiness to found anywhere in these wines, no leanness, no sinewy, athletic tightness, no holding-back! No need of food! No wanting, no lacking, no having to fill in any holes or gaps! WOW! This was new, this was novel to me : unlike any other Virginia wine!

How did you do it, Brad?!? What is your secret!?! Lots of alcohol? Yes, quite a bit and yet I liked it and did not find it overpowering or what I thought of first. Not at all : it might have been a distant back-thought. It never occurred to me until winemaker Paul Robert mentioned it when he tasted it. I looked at him quizzically when he mentioned it.

I liked these two reds but they really did not remind me of Virginia wines and so I find this both a bit intriguing and disturbing for what it can mean. I'm glad to see it possible to make wines like these two but did not expect them from Virginia. We'll just have to wait and see what happens next.

Brad signed his bottles and drew animals on them : parrots, dogs, sand shoe crabs, etcetera. Bravo Brad! Nice touch. I just sold another bottle tonight to a young lady wanting to take a gift to a party tonight. I'm not sure which animal she picked to take?

In the meantime congratulations Brad and thanks for coming to taste with us. It was really nice to have you at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 2008 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com Tel:202-363-4265 ) once again. You are always welcome anytime that you are free.

Happy Holidays 2008 to one and to all. I am sure I will add more to this blog. Enjoy it now in this form. Cheers, TONY

Owner-Visionary Riccardo Cotarella ( FALESCO, Ferentano, Montiano ) In His Own Words-Paraphrased Oct. 26th, 2006 At Johnny's Half Sheel, Wash. D.C.

It was great to finally meet Ricardo Cotarella the owner of Umbria's FALESCO wines at Johnny's Half Shell ( used to be La Colline, and sorry I spelled it wrong in the title! ) on Capitol Hill by Union Station on October 26th, 2006 just a bit over two years ago. I did not know what to expect but any expectations I might of had formulating at the time were dashed,surpassed and tripled and quadrupled and more! I had a blast and was thoroughly inspired/fired and ignited, too.

It was a private luncheon that I was invited to with others in the trade. I arrived a bit late and Riccardo was already beginning to wax quite poetically/passionately about his wines. We were still on the entry level of the Vitiano line as I slipped into my seat with Kay Mallon ( directs Winebow Imports here in Washington D.C. ) to my left and Sue the owner of a small fine wine shop in Shirlington, Virginia on my right I believe. Riccardo was facing me across the large table just to my left, three feet from me with Mike Postasnik directly across from me. David Pinzolo was there, too to translate and fascilitate a smooth tasting/luncheon. So was Patricio. Kelly from Palena was there, too just a couple of seats to my left away from me. I took some great pictures during this event which I loved and also snapped a number of pictures which I now must find and include at some point in this blog.

It was no easy feat for me to get to this luncheon. I had some help as I left the store for almost three hours, driving like a madman down the Rock Creek Parkway and around the Lincoln Memorial/Washington Memorial and Tidal Basin to bypass as much traffic as possible and then arrive on time. Parking, too was a real problem and I had to drive around for ten minutes or so before really struggling to fit my car into a very tight space ( my several years as a wholesale rep really assisted me here ! ) and then walk a couple of long blocks to get to Johnny's Half Shell! I was bushed by the time I got there but thrilled to finally be there and collapse.

I started writing a mile-a-minute as Riccardo had lots to say as he was quite focused and quite passionate about all his wines from start-to-finish. He took great humble pride in all that he has accomplished, that was quite evident from the first. Across the table from em he seemed like a nice man. I warmed to him quickly and began to hang on his words, hoping to write them down and record them as fast as he spoke them. This was a daunting task indeed and one in which I succeeded only perhaps 70% unfortunately. I wish that I had had a camera rolling and capturing both image and sound all in one. I'm amazed that more people do not think to do this. This is real history taking place at events like these and no one does anything much if anything to preserve them for later. I try and do my part and write like one possessed I did! I, too for that am quite proud.

As you read these words of Riccardo's you can see how well or badly I did depending on how much of it makes sense to you and what you can understand from them? I will try and fill the gaps in with my own words as I believe that Riccardo had a number of really wonderful expressions and much to convey of interest to anyone really interested or in love with Italian fine wines.

It's Thursday evening at 12:16 AM now ( midnight just ) October 30th ( now 31st ), 2008 as I begin this labor of my love. I will learn and benefit from revisiting now this wonderful three-hour period in my life just two years ago. Being as it is quite late, however I will take my leave now and get some much-needed rest and resume this tomorrow when I am fresher.

The " tomorrow " I referred to is sadly now December 1st, 2008 at 10:11 AM and I am home with my dog waiting for an electrician to come fix something here. The rain has gone away and it is much nicer than yesterday with all the dampness/wetness/coldness everywhere. Brrr. It was nice to get out and walk : stimulates the thoughts.

It is a " labor of my love " ( I was feeling quite poetic when I wrote that ) as I realize that some of these blogs of mine ultimately benefit me as much as anyone. They are certainly written from my own. personal, humble I hope perspective, too as I want to add something to the equation so to speak whether good or not depends on who's reading it and what they decide. For me it is introspective and therapeutic and often exhilarating - a rush of emotion and adrenalin that's welcome and warming and exciting.

Bottom line is I met Riccardo for the first time here and was really pleased and inspired by him, his words and actions and wine of course. My BIG DISCOVERY was his white indigenous Lazio Roscetto that worked with all the foods just as he said it would.

We enjoyed a wonderful meal, too at Johhny's Half Shell starting with appetizers of roasted Criple Creek aged-tenderloin ( the Falesco Sangiovese 2005 and the Falesco Merlot 2004 were served ). I enjoyed both wines and especially the fruit-forward flavors of both that had brighter red, toasted cherry-berry flavors and less sharpness or dryness of tannins.

We then passed onto the main course of chicken in Creole Etouffe sauce with green onions and Basmati rice. The accompanying wines were the Falesco Montiano Merlot 2001 and the 2003. The 2001 won hands-down for me over the 2003. The 2001 had gravitas and heft and weight and real depth that needed the food to balance and flesh it out. The 2003 was lovely, polished and elegant but left me a bit bored in comparison. It just was too subtle , even for me who loves subtlety.

The white Roscetto Ferentano was served with both the aged tenderloin and the chicken in Creole Etouffee sauce. It had been introduced earlier by Riccardo as we tasted it in some of his opening comments. I had never had paid much attention to it. I think that I had already sampled it with our reps Jody Jackman and Falesco hands-on David Pinzolo ( who I have known now for years and enjoyed a good comeraderie with, too as well as mutual respect ). It CAME ALIVE, however, when I tasted it with the different foods.

I kept thinking of Riccardo's words about not forgetting it and assuming that it would not work well with our whole meal. Here was the owner of a really famous Italian line of family-wines telling us to really pay close attention to this white wine when he was already so very famous over the whole United States for his reds! What gives? I had to respect this comment as it was both intriguing and a bit unexpected. What was Riccardo saying? Why was he so gently insistent on drawing attention to this unheard of white from Lazio made with an unusual, little-known white grape called Roscetto? Why didn't he just plant and make some more Chardonnay which we have all already heard of ad-nauseum?!?

That was just the point : Riccardo said himself that he wanted something " new " and local to bring to the table. That's for me where the " visionary " part of the title to this blog comes from. He's got both vision and a strong will and desire to follow things through. As he said it's been a real challenge for him and his team and I think he's on a fabulous path to lots of interest and acclaim for his Ferentano.

I liked the Ferentano Roscetto white better or as least as much as the other reds with both the aged tenderloin and the Creole chicken! This is when this wine came into complete Kodak-moment-clarity-serendipitous-delightful focus for me!! I was hooked and I would learn later that Kelly of Palena was also enamoured as I was. We both ordered and promoted it : me in my store at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue Wines & Spirits ) and she at her restaurant Palena just a block away from us. Cleveland Park residents were now getting a good exposure and dose of this flavorful, rich, thick, bright sunshine-laden white that I could probably float on happily without sinking because of it's generous, deep texture and completeness of flavorings both subtle and unabashedly happy.

We finished the meal with some fall fruit compote ( served with spiced cream and almond tuile ). I was busy taking more pictures which I need to find on one of my discs and download. I'm sure they are good. I can't remember as I have not seen them since I took them back two years ago to October 26th, 2006. I also had to get this menu signed and speak a bit to Riccardo and thank him before taking my leave to rush back to our store.

It was only because Jody Jackman ( thanks Jody ) my rep for Winebow was willing to pinch-hit for me at the store that I could afford to take this time away from work to attend this private luncheon of perhaps fifteen or so people. It was held in Johhny's Half Shell private dining room around one big oval table so that everyone could see everyone else. Nice. Like a big family sitting down to a meal. I think we all became a bit more family because of this even though many of us may have never met before.

This was an extraordinarily intimate way to meet such a captivating personality such as Riccardo and get to listen to him speak and share his wonder, his passion, his focus, success and dedication that still returns successfully to both Umbria and Lazio where he calls home. He's true to these regions and an grand ambassador for them.

I wrote quickly down what he was saying about his experiences and each wine. I will record them in the second part of this blog. Thanks again Riccardo. For more technical information go to : Azienda Vinicola Falesco Sri loc. S. Pietro snc 05020 Montecchio ( Tr ) Tel : +39 ( 0 ) 744 955601 Fax : +39 ( 0 ) 744 950725 info@falesco.it .

I have decided to post this now and break this blog into a two-part blog so as to make my life simpler and so as to post something that shows up as the first entry of December 2008. That will be good. So, after reading this please go back to December for the second installment. Cheers and Happy Holidays 2008 , TONY

Drinking FALESCO Vitiano Italian Dry Rose With My Wife

This was about the moment and sharing it with my wife. I think that many of this look forward to this particular moment in our daily lives. We even anticipate and plan it often. It's not always just by chance and sometimes can be quite elaborate. This particular moment last night was neither orchestrated or elaborate and yet it is one of the nicest times that I have shared with her. It ranks right up there where the few things involved were magnificent.
Let's see, there were the two of us. My wife was suffering a bit and not feeling her best. It may be that she is catching a cold ; the jury is still out on that one. There was our backyard starting to grow and multiply and bloom. Everywhere we looked there was baby green and softer-looking yellows. The sharpness and harshness of browns and dark holly greens were softened by all this abundant, lush growth and it was all amazingly appealing to the eye. And there was a bottle of Vitiano 2006 " Falesco " dry Umbrian rose from Italy. These were the key factors/players and it all spelled a wonderful two hours of peace and conversation/observation for both my wife and I. We grew closer together I am sure of that. I felt closer to her .
I was given the sample bottle of Vitiano to drink about a week ago by our rep Jody. She needed to place it again in our store. It was a priority of hers and I said that we would taste it in the store with customers when she came next to do a store tasting. Simple, not much else to discuss about that : problem solved. It's rose season as the weather warms us up and we have picnics and dine out on our terraces, decks, lawns - at tables, on blankets on the ground and we enjoy all those appetizers and cold cuts, salads and things fresh off our grills, sizzling and tasty and - watch out - hot!
I had been watering the things I had just transplanted and my wife had been reading our daughter's paper and offering suggestions. We united here out on our back deck and were ready to relax and put the world and all our duties and responsibilities off to the side for a little while. We have done this now for years and I think it brings a welcome relief and some sanity and good cheer back into our daily routines.
The minute I said I was going to bring us some wine my wife said " good " . We love wine, we love how we can relax and put things off for awhile. It relaxes us and this would be no exception tonight. I came back with the bottle of Falesco rose and probably mentioned quickly how much I liked meeting Riccardo Cotarella last year at Johny's On The Half Shell in Washington D.C. last year. I did. It was wonderful because he was passionate and inspired/fired by his wines and wine-making. It showed both in the wines themselves and in him. The food served that day also helped to really well showcase his various wines. I think that the rose may have been offered as an aperitif as people arrived and moved to the big table in the private dining room. We were all gathered around one large table and for the most past could see one another. I sat across the table from Riccardo. But I am getting off the story at hand. Let me now bring you back to my deck and my time shared with my wife.
I opened the bottle of wine and poured. I should have searched for some appetizers but was too tired : bad excuse. Oh well, I took the short-cut, the easy way out. Good thing that the wine was so fresh and good. It had to carry the whole libation show on it's shoulders as there was only it and nothing else to lend it support. It did not need it.
This Umbrian dry rose was a year old. The company needs to sell it and quick! The new 2007 vintage arrives any day now and there's no need for this older vintage anymore : a forgotten' lost soldier, a wine who's services are no longer needed or required. Heard that one before? Sad fate, it must be gotten rid of quickly! No time to waste.
I knew by it's darker color that it would be more flavorful and robust. I've always liked the wine in the past. I can't remember if it's made from Merlot or Sangiovese grapes, perhaps a blend? Anyway, often these one-year-old wines are a bit heartier, more robust and neither as fresh or as lively as those just-released. It might have had more of an edge, been more thick on th4e palate, it may also have had some sharpness and acidic edgyness. I was not sure what we would encounter. I did have a bottle of the Chateau Arromans white Entre-Deux-Mers downstairs in our refrigerator just in case. You don't want to spoil the moment ever if you can avoid it.
I needn't have worried : the wine was delicious and still bright and vibrant and very appealing. It had no roughness or sharpness, no heaviness. Rather it had an intriguing mix of dark and bright fruit flavors that teased and pleased the palate all in one. I was drawn into this taste, it captured my imagination especially with all the new lush vegetation. I could easily have seen myself imagining all the irises in various exotic colors blooming as I sipped this wine with my wife. That would have been fun, or to see the red bee-balm flower and mimmick the wine's small tongues' of flavors reaching out and touching us ; much like the red flowers that make me think of jester's loud vibrant hats that have tassels that fan out and catch the eye and the active imaginations like mine.
We both loved the wine and managed without any problem to enjoy it thoroughly and appreciatively. We were hungry and ready for the Perdue oven roaster chicken and awaiting the white pop-up. Our son checked it from time to time as he was quite hungry! We did finally enjoy dinner as we moved our small party of two inside and off our deck and into our dining room where we welcomed the company of our son.
We will soon be selling this 2006 Vitiano dry rosato umbria " Falesco " at $10 or under a bottle. Come get some while you can. I have a feeling that you will be as pleased as we both were. Cheers! Oh, we will follow up the 2006 with the 2007 and see how it sits on our palates in a completely different way. It may require food whereas the 2006 was a delight all by itself. Always something to look forward to and anticipate or not, depending on whether it's planned or serendipitous in nature. TONY