[Cornell Wine] Cornell Wine This Week

[Michael Beard]

CORNELL WINE COMPANY
Please note if you are receiving our emails in error, please either  
send me an email at mick at cornellwine.com and I’ll remove you from my  
list, or you can delete your email address by going to  
www.cornellwine.com, clicking on “Site Index” and then “Electronic  
Newsletter”.  You will then see a link to our Mailman administration  
page.  If you go to that page, go to the bottom and type your email  
address in the indicated box and click “Remove”. Thank you.
May 12 – Syrah/Shiraz

Saturday May 13 – Ankeny Vineyards

Free tasting 2 –5 PM

Cornell Club May Selections

Free Tasting Noon – 5 PM

May 19 – Red Blends

May 26 – Spain

June 02 – Northern Italy

June 09 - Bordeaux


FRIDAY, May 5th, 4:30 - 7:00pm

  An Italian Evening with Vinifera Imports

Earl Cramer-Brown, Regional Manager for Vinifera Imports, will be  
with us this week during our tasting.  Earl will be happy to discuss  
the wines with you, and talk about Italian wines in general.  During  
the tasting we will offer a special incentive on the wines we are  
pouring – purchase three or more bottles and receive a 10% discount.
1. San Gimignano is a Tuscan hilltop town famous for its many towers  
– it is often called “the Manhattan of Tuscany”.  The local white  
grape is known as VERNACCIA di SAN GIMIGNANO and we will taste the  
2004 made by MORMORAIA.  The grape is an ancient varietal, whose  
origins are obscure.  Some say it comes from Greece, others think  
Eastern Europe.  Wines made from the grape are known to have existed  
in medieval London.  Like most Italian white wines, Vernaccia offers  
bright, fresh fruit coupled with refreshing acidity - $14.50

2. We stay with MORMORAIA for our next wine.  Their 2004 CHIANTI  
COLLI SENESI is their “entry level” red wine.  Colli Senesi is the  
Chianti zone on the hills around Sienna.   Fifteen years ago Chiantis  
from this region were often “rustic” (and that is being polite!), but  
now more care – and more investment in production facilities – has  
resulted in many lovely wines being made in the zone.  This is an  
excellent-value-for-money Chianti - $14.50
3. PIEMONTE together with TOSCANA are the two long-established  
Italian regions for great wines.   While NEBBIOLO is the grape of  
Piemonte, BARBERA also produces some excellent wines in the region.   
Some producers go too far with barrique aging and ask outrageous  
prices, but many wineries are producing very good Barberas at modest  
prices.   ICARDI is one such producer, and their BARBERA d’ASTI 2003  
“TABARIN” is an easy-drinking, lush Barbera from a very hot vintage -  
$15.50

4. Sicily is the current “hot bed” of investment in Italian wine  
regions.  While many producers are specializing in the local  
varietals, others are introducing “international varietals”.   
FIRRIATO is a producer doing both.  Their CHIARAMONTE (Nero d’Avola)  
and GRILLO have both been successes in the shop.  This week we will  
taste their SANTAGOSTINO BAGLIO SORIA ROSSO 2003 which is a 50%/50%  
blend of NERO d’AVOLA and SYRAH.  This a good combination of  
traditional and modern techniques, showing lovely fruit coupled with  
oak (8 months in barriques) - $30.00

TRY THESE FOUR WINES FOR $10.00

Again we offer TWO PREMIUM POURS:

How good and expensive can CHIANTI become?  FONTODI is a fabulous  
producer (their “Super Tuscan” FLACCIANELLO is wonderful in most  
vintages) and in most years they make a single vineyard CHIANTI  
CLASSICO, VIGNA del SORBO.  The 2000 is just coming into its own,  
showing lovely fruit and great structure.  It is wonderful to drink  
now, but will improve for a few years - $45.00

TRY THIS WINE FOR $5.00/Taste or $9.00/4 ounces

 From PIEMONTE we offer a BARBARESCO with a few years of bottle age.   
The ELVIO PERTINACE 1996 BARBARESCO DOCG shows what NEBBIOLO is all  
about.  The nose is almost a classic with aromas of rose petals  
coupled with a background of tar.  On the palate the fruit opens up,  
and while some tannins still linger on the finish, this wine drinks  
wonderfully now.  This is great value as compared with current  
releases - $42.50

TRY THIS WINE FOR $4.50/Taste or $8.50/4 ounces

TASTE BOTH FOR $9.00

OLIVE OIL

Earl will also have the FONTODI OLIVE OIL for sampling.  If you like  
peppery olive oil, this is the oil for you.  We will have 250ml  
bottles available at $15.00  Please note that these bottles can count  
towards your special discount on Friday night.

SATURDAY, May 6th

Noon – 5:00 PM

We will have a couple of interesting wines open for FREE TASTING:

GROS MANSENG sounds like a Chinese herbal supplement, but it is a  
white grape that makes lovely wine.   From the CÔTES de GASGOGNE, the  
ALAIN BRUMONT 2005 is fruity and refreshing - $9.50

For a red we go to SPAIN and RIOJA.  BODEGAS PALACIO is one of our  
favorite producers and their GLORIOSO 2004 CRIANZA is stunning value  
at $10.00

Looking forward to seeing you all,
Cheers,

Mick Beard
Cornell Wine Company
(503) 531-3981
mick at cornellwine.com
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.pacifier.com/pipermail/cornell-list/attachments/20060504/fb4ab2ce/attachment-0001.html