Archive for October 2014

Home Archive for October 2014

There is some debate whether mead is considered beer or wine. It is a basic alcoholic beverage consisting of three ingredients: water, honey and yeast. It is the oldest alcoholic beverage known to man, outdating both beer and vinifera wine. Mead is actually closer to wine, but is in its own category, honey wine. Why am I writing about it you ask? Well it just so happens to be carried by beer distributors in my area. Meaderies add ingredients found in beer like hops and grains to give their meads a beer-like taste. Meads are good for the holidays and can be heated and mulled with spices for a sweet and soothing quaff by the fire. Chaucer’s offers a pack of aromatic mulling spices with each bottle for the perfect package. B. Nektar adds quality fruit juices and hops to their different meads with humorous names like Zombie Killer, Kill All the Golfers (a nod to Caddy Shack) and Necromangocon.

A few days ago, a representative for a local beer distributor gave me the opportunity to sample an assortment of meads from the highly rated Moonlight Meadery of Londonderry, New Hampshire. First up was Sensual, their traditional mead made with the three main ingredients. It has wildflower honey giving it a delicate, sweet taste with an elegant grape must like finish. Next was Kurt’s Apple Pie, according to the website, made with local apple cider, Madagascar-bourbon vanilla and Vietnamese cinnamon. This one was very tasty with complex flavors of apple cider and velvety vanilla. Next was Fling with strawberries and rhubarb offering a fresh, sweet strawberry taste cut by the bitter, almost hop-like rhubarb. Last was Desire. This one was my favorite with a blend of blueberries, black cherries and black currants. Desire is actually Moonlight’s flagship mead and has a beautiful dark fruit taste that is not cloying.

I like to think of mead in the more beer end of spectrum in the non-literal sense with its beer-like packaging and different beercentric flavors. Blue Dog Meadery offers Green Color, a sparkling mead in four pack cans. I have noticed a lot of fruit varieties similar to lambics.

So if you want to try something a little different for the holidays other than eggnog and apple cider, pick up a bottle of your favorite mead and mull yourself into spice heaven.

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits beer consultant - Gainesville

Follow me on Twitter @abcbeeradams

Jacob's Creek Steingarten Vineyard

Do you ever wonder, as you sip contentedly on your Chardonnay, your Pinot Grigio, your Cabernet or Pinot Noir, which grape varieties are the most planted on the entire planet? I was always taught that a lesser known grape called Airén – a white grape of middling quality – was the most widely planted. But that’s not true anymore. It still is in Spain, though even there its popularity is diminishing.

But a recent study at the University of Adelaide reveals how our tastes in wine have changed over the past 20 years worldwide, and the reasons for the change are significant. Let’s start with the top 10 most planted wine grapes in 1990:

Airén

Grenache rouge (aka Garnacha)

Rkatsiteli

Sultaniye

Trebbiano (aka Ugni Blanc)

Mazuelo (aka Carignan)

Merlot

Cabernet Sauvignon

Monastrell (aka Mourvedre or Mataro)

Bobal

What, no Chardonnay? No Pinot Noir? No Sauvignon Blanc? That five of the top 10 positions were taken by Spanish grapes is easy to understand as until very recently Spain had more land under vine than any other. But Rkatsiteli? Sultaniye?

Now let’s look at the most planted wine grapes in 2010:

Cabernet Sauvignon

Merlot

Airén

Tempranillo

Chardonnay

Syrah/Shiraz

Grenache rouge

Sauvignon Blanc

Trebbiano

Pinot Noir

Well this offers a few more varieties that you might recognize, yes? Mighty Cabernet and Merlot have jumped to the top of the list. Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Pinot Noir make welcome appearances. Which grape is showing the most significant rise in plantings? Tempranillo. In Spain alone Tempranillo has increased from 5% to 20% of total plantings between the years 2000–2010. How about white versus red? In 1990 the majority (51%) of plantings were white grapes. In 2010 red grapes took the majority at 55%.

Looking at these differences, our first inclination might be to congratulate ourselves on the education of our worldwide palates. Certainly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir make greater wine than Bobal or Sultaniye. But let us not congratulate ourselves too much as other factors are also in play, among them the sudden rise of China – which drinks almost exclusively red wines – in the international wine market. And a greater awareness of climate change also plays a role as winemakers the world over are planting vines according to how they see their weather patterns over the next 20 to 50 years.

More importantly, varietal labeling was not as predominant in 1990 as it is today. As the international wine market grows to staggering heights in terms of sales, we are also seeing a dulling homogeneity in our wine palates worldwide. Countries are producing wines for an international market more and more while the local market for indigenous grapes is being sadly forgotten.

So as outstanding and popular as the noble grape varieties are, and as delicious as they can be, let’s try not to forget that there is a whole world of enticing wines out there, and that Monastrell and Mazuelo and Rkatsiteli all have their place. Try a wine that’s new to you tonight!

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills

As we get closer and closer to the holidays, it gets busier and busier in preparation for this chaotic time of year. Last Tuesday we had a couple of extra events to attend…along with deliveries, holiday gift-sets and a wine tasting, this may sound like I’m complaining, but I’m not. The wine team in north Florida had the pleasure of attending a seminar given by Nadia Galati of Alberello Imports with special guest Alberto Passeri of Fattoria La Gerla. This meeting was the highlight of our monthly meeting of the area wine consultants, but it was also made special by the unique venue, the San Sebastian Winery in St. Augustine, Florida.

Alberto Passeri of La Gerla and Nadia Galati of Alberello Imports.

Alberto Passeri has been a part of a number of Alberello Imports, Italian Winemakers Tours and has been profiled by Wine Spectator. The wines of La Gerla are all world class and have been very well received by the discriminating wine guests of ABC for many years now. Fattoria La Gerla estate has been producing fine Tuscan wines since 1976, along with exquisite olive oil and a somewhat interesting wine by-product, Grappa. The four wines that La Gerla does create are Brunello di Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino Reserva “Gli Angeli,” Rosso di Montalcino and Birba IGT. These are all highly acclaimed and not to be missed. Alberto and Nadia gave us a wonderful insight into the history, terroir and winemaking philosophy that has made La Gerla one the most consistent and quality producers of fine Italian wines in the region.

For the other half of the meeting, our team got a tour and tasting at the San Sebastian Winery. The winery in St. Augustine, the oldest city in the country, was founded in 1996. The winery is located just off the historic downtown district of the city that was established in 1565. The wines of San Sebastian are unique in that they primarily made from Native America grapes and hybrids. The varieties of the Muscadine grape that the winery is best known for are Welder, Carlos and Noble. San Sebastian also uses a number of hybrid grapes such as Suwannee, Blanc du Bois and Stover. Now, these are not the typical grapes that most of us are used to…Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot and the like. The soil, humidity, heat and other factors just don’t allow for these “European” grapes to flourish, so the southern state wineries have adapted these native varieties into their wine production. For the most part, these wines are a little on the sweet side, which is why they are popular with today’s entry level and lighter-styled wine drinker. The vineyards for this popular winery are found in Clermont, Florida, where San Sebastian’s sister winery, Lakeridge Winery, is located.

Cassidy pouring our team a taste of San Sebastian's unique wines.

Our team was shown a short film on the history of the winery and then treated to a tour and tasting in the barrel room by the wineries representative, Cassidy. I had not had the chance to taste these wines in the past and was impressed at how much care was taken in their production. The wines that really struck me were the cream sherry and the port. These were very well made and overall were our group's favorite wines at the tasting. Along with the meeting room that we used, the winery has a tasting room/gift shop and an outside patio deck on the third floor overlooking the city of St. Augustine, complete with a bar area, live entertainment and dining. Next time you are visiting the oldest of cities, I would certainly recommend you stop in the San Sebastian Winery and check it out.

Ken Amendola, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekena

We love visitors at ABC, especially when they visit from overseas. Throughout the year representatives from wineries and importers visit our stores. It’s an opportunity for us to not only try their wines, as we all need a little refresher, but also to ask those burning questions about vineyard sites, varietal compositions and vintages. Sometimes we get lucky and they time their visit to coincide with one of our wine tastings, as happened recently. This way our guests can ask those burning questions that we may have overlooked, as well as get a better sense of the real character of a wine from the “horse’s mouth” so to speak.

I had one of those burning questions answered by Antonin Bonnet, Chapoutier’s America’s export director as he came by to feature their Bila Haut line of wines from the Côtes du Roussillon. Chapoutier is a well-known producer of highly rated Côtes-du-Rhone wines who has recently expanded into the Roussillon, just next to Spain. For twenty years Chapoutier has put braille on their wine bottles, and since my mom is both French and blind, I’ve always wondered why. I’ve heard different stories, but most often I heard that Michel Chapoutier’s mother or daughter were blind (and since they’ve been doing it for twenty years, I felt the mom was a better guess). But the truth is even more interesting and goes back to the great grandfather of the current owner/winemaker.

To quote Antonin:

The Hermitage wine 'Monnier de la Sizeranne' was purchased by Chapoutier from close friends, the Sizeranne family. Maurice, the nephew of Monnier de la Sizeranne, turned blind when he was a kid and devoted his life to simplify the braille language. He founded the Valentin Hauy association. Maurice died in 1924. We are not exactly sure when Marius Chapoutier bought these parcels, but Michel's decision in 1995 to put braille on the labels of all Chapoutier wine was homage to that story his grandfather taught him.

This homage extends to the new Bila Haut line of wines from the Côtes du Rousillon, which is what we happened to sample, and what he sampled at our local ABC wine tasting that evening, giving our regular guests a real treat with a French accent.

The “Occultum Lapidem” already has a cult following due to three consecutive vintages of 95+ scores from The Wine Advocate. The name translates as “mysterious stone” after a megalithic stone found on the vineyard site. The flavors are bold and dense, using classic Rhone varietals: Syrah, Grenache and Carignan. The higher proportion of Syrah and the addition of a large percentage of Carignan give the wine incredible complexity for just $25 per bottle. It compares with Chateauneuf-du-Papes that are three times the price.

If the “Occultum Lapidem” is their Roussillon answer to Chateauneuf-du-Pape, “L’esquerda” would be their answer to Gigondas. Slightly more feminine in style, though using the same three grapes, the real difference is in the soil. “L’esquerda” has more granitic soil compared to the Gneiss and schistous soil of “Occultum,” providing softer tannins and riper fruit, making this a fine companion wine that also has a few great scores for about $5 less per bottle.

The “basic” Bila Haut level includes a white, a rosé and a red for about $13 each. Again we are seeing some great scores in the current vintages with a Parker 91 for the current 2012 red. All are outstanding Rhone-style wines that happen to be from the foothills of the Pyrenées, providing their own version of the classic herbal garrigue flavors, buttressed by great minerality supporting slightly riper fruit than their Rhone relatives. Stop by one of our stores and try a bottle of these great wines to create your own stories, or just tell this one. Don’t forget our ABC wine tastings. You never know when you might get a visitor from one of our many exclusive wineries and importers from all over the world—and they always bring wine!

Daniel Eddy, on Twitter @abcwinedane

Gainesville Wine Consultant for ABC Fine Wines & Spirits

Wine Pairing Examiner for Examiner.com

Just east of the historic city of Verona—about an hour’s drive from Venice—and named for Capuchin Friars who once worshiped there, sits ninety-five beautiful acres of vineyards know as La Cappuccina! This past September, I had the privilege of visiting and meeting the Tessari family there – fourth generation Italian siblings whose family has been producing magnificent wines since 1890 and BIOS certified wines since 1985.

La Cappuccina Vineyard

The initial stop for our ABC wine team featured the beautifully restored 16^th century chapel; its bell tower silhouette now represents La Cappuccina’s logo. From there, it was onto the vineyards where we got a closer look at the inviting Garganega grape vines—anticipated to be harvested within the next few weeks.

Among many of the components that make La Cappuccina so unique, so natural, so basic, is its soil. Sisto Tessari, head agronomist (agriculturist) takes great pride in producing wines using the Vento based certification for organic farming that improves the overall health of the land he is cultivating. He showed us the lavic basalt rocks that contribute potassium, phosphorus, manganese, iron, zinc and calcium to enrich the polyphenols (healthy antioxidants) of the grapes. He explained how La Cappuccina’s terroir—set 260 feet above sea level with a south easterly sun exposure—amplify and enrich the soil as the driving force behind making their distinctive wines speak.

From there, it was onto the fermentation area where we met Pietro Tessari. As the head oenologist (winemaker), Pietro is dedicated to practicing the biodynamic theory of winemaking using—among many practices—minimal use of sulfur dioxide, a state-of-the-art filtration system, bottling following different moon phases, a naturally conditioned underground cellar for aging, and using bottles 20% lighter than the average. A fresh, delightful taste from one of their steel fermentation tanks of Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc rounded out the fermentation tour.

Bonnie Picking Garganega grapes La Cappuccina

Next, we had the honor of meeting Sisto and Pietro’s sister Elena, who handles all the marketing and PR aspects of the business. An elegant simple lunch menu was to follow as we tasted seven of La Cappuccina’s selected wines from the grapes which they are regionally known for—Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Carmenere and Oseleta. Four of their wines—Madego, Soave (100% Garganega), Nadia Bianco, and Pinot Grigio—are all available for purchase in most of Florida’s ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations. The family worked in concert to prepare and serve the lunch on their own from foods grown on the estate. We were treated to an amazing sampling of many authentic foods, consisting of freshly sliced figs topped with savory goat cheese, rustic hard-crusted homemade Italian bread with salami, crisp breadsticks wrapped in prosciutto, and a scrumptious homemade polenta with bacala fish!

Our final stop included an interesting visit to the Museum Di Bolca, just north of the vineyard estate. There, Sisto was proud of the fact that Northern Italy has something very special in common with us in of Florida—53 million year old fossils of tropical fish! That evening was capped off with a wonderful diner and walking tour in historic Verona as a thank you from the entire Tessari family.

I will not soon forget my short time spent at La Cappuccina and everything I learned there about organic wines; the special terrior in this Vento region and its simple beauty and charm. But for what it’s worth, I will always remember the Tessari family first. About how their passion for the environment, respect for the grapes and love of family all seem to find their way into and onto each bottle of wine that eventually makes its way around the world ready to be served, savored and enjoyed by all!

If you are interested in learning more aboutLa Cappuccina’sorganic winemaking practices or if you’d like more information about their wines,please visit their website at www.lacappuccina.it. Even better yet, stop into any one of our ABC Fine Wine & Spirits locations and purchase a case of La Cappuccina organic wines!

Ciao Bella!

Bonnie Yapello

Wine Consultant, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits Cape Coral

Follow me on twitter @abcwinebonnie

I have spent the last two weeks reviewing new products so I thought I would take time today to define some of the terms I use to describe the flavors and strength profile of the cigars. There is often some confusion when it comes to many of these terms so I thought I would pick a few key ones and give you the “Cliff’s Notes” version of what they mean.

The most misused and often misinterpreted cigar term is body. When one sees the term full-bodied then they need to understand that it means the cigar has some tremendous strength. This isn’t a stick that a novice should tackle, especially on an empty stomach. This is why we suggest mild cigars for beginners and medium for those working their way up the ladder.

What decides a cigar’s strength? Well, the simple answer is “terroir.” Yes, I know that is a wine term and all of our resident wine geeks will chuckle when they hear the cigar go all Sommelier in this article, but I can’t think of another word that sums it up any better. For those unfamiliar with this French word, it describes all of the environmental factors that affect a grape, or, in our case, tobacco. Soil, climate, and hills that limit hours of direct sunlight are great examples of things that can affect grapes and tobacco. For cigars we can take things a step further by picking the leaves from different parts of the plant, at different times, and keeping them segregated. This process is called priming and based on the where the leaves were on the stalk will determine the amount of strength and nicotine in the leaf. The plants on top, known as ligero, are the strongest. These receive the most sunlight and are harvested last. A cigar with lots of ligero will have quite a bit of punch. There are also regions that traditionally grow very strong tobacco. Esteli, Nicaragua and Jamastran, Honduras are two places that have a reputation for growing powerful tobacco with high levels of nicotine.

Please never confuse the term full-bodied with full-flavored for it can hurt you if you aren’t prepared for the strong cigar. A full-flavored cigar is one with lots of different flavor profiles. This is also a cigar that will also be associated with the term complexity. Deciding a cigar’s complexity is easy for a seasoned smoker but not so much with the novice. Since complexity refers to a cigar’s ability to have multiple flavors and the intensity of each changing at various points during the smoking process, it is very difficult for an uneducated palate to pick up on many of the subtle changes. Learning to enjoy cigars is a lot like wine from an education standpoint. If you’ve never eaten grapefruit then you are going to have a difficult time determining what you’re tasting in a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. You will taste it because it is a predominant flavor in the wine, but your brain will not know what to associate that flavor with because it isn’t in your “database.” As with wine, knowing what the common components used to describe cigars’ taste and smell like are essential in educating one’s palate.

This is where the similarities with wine end. With cigars it is more difficult to pick up many of the flavors because smoke does not physically interact with your palate like a liquid does. This is why the wrapper imparts so much flavor because it is coming into physical contact with your palate receptors.

Spice is another term that often gets misunderstood when describing cigars. Most people equate the word spice to mean hot. “Is that jambalaya real spicy?” is a question most would ask to determine if the dish was too hot for them to enjoy. Of course that is a stupid question any way you slice it because it’s not jambalaya if it doesn’t burn a hole in the plate. In cigar terms we used the term spice to describe the various spices in the cigar. Cumin, Black Pepper, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg are all spices but not something that most folks would consider “hot.” Just take the heat connotation out of the equation when you hear the word spice when used to describe a cigar. Spicy means spices and not mouth burning.

There are many other cigar terms that I didn’t cover here and I will save those for another time. Hopefully a better understanding of the ones I have discussed will make it easier for you to make your next cigar selection. And remember, it doesn’t matter exactly what you taste when you smoke a cigar just as long as it is pleasing to you. Sometimes we just like things and we aren’t really sure why. That is ok too.

Chris Gwaltney, ABC regional manager and certified tobacconist. Follow me on Twitter @abccigarchris.

Even though “beer guts” are a myth, there are low calorie beers out there designed for easy imbibing without the fullness of other bigger beers. These are the beers you throw on ice in a Styrofoam cooler and take them tailgating or sit around a bonfire on a beach during a hot summer night.

In 1967, Dr. Joseph Owades, a biochemist, developed a process to remove the starch from beer and leave it with less calories and fewer carbohydrates, thus creating light beer. He marketed it as Gablinger’s Diet Beer produced by Rheingold. It was for those beer-bellied working men who wanted to shed those pounds but still enjoy a cold one. The advertising was unappealing and the beer turned out to be a flop, but it started a light revolution. Owades shared his formula with a friend at Peter Hand Brewing of Chicago, the makers of Meister Brau, and the magic word was added to end of Meister Brau: Lite. Phillip Morris, then owner of Miller Brewing Company, liked “Lite,” and after buying assets from Meister Brau, introduced the beer Miller Lite in 1973 with the slogan “tastes great, less filling.” Light beers were in full swing. In 1978, Coors Light shot a silver bullet in the light beer craze.

In 1982, Bud Light, the number three beer sold (by volume) in the world, came on the scene. Bested in sales only by China’s Tsingtao and SABMiller’s Snow, also in China, Bud Light is the most popular light beer on the planet. Other flavors include Bud Light Lime, a short-lived Bud Light Wheat, the less diluted, higher alcohol content Bud Light Platinum, as well as multi-fruit flavored Bud-a-Ritas, and Bud Light Cheladas, a mixture of Bud Light and clamato juice.

Many light beers are made by one simple step that can save big cost and man hours: brewing a regular beer and then diluting it with water. A brewery can take 10,000 barrels of beer and make 13,000 with the simple addition of more H2O. What the brewery does is brew a high original gravity beer and then cut a good majority of carbs and lower the alcohol with dilution. Very large breweries substitute more inexpensive adjuncts for malt like corn and rice with more fermentable carbs, getting the desired high gravity brew for dilution. Another method of creating a light beer is the use of “super yeasts,” or yeasts with extra enzymes derived from fungi, to further break down the unfermentable dextrins in a finished beer. This maintains a more complex taste.

There is a myriad light beer out there. There are some boast the lowest calories and some that use the super yeast method and have decent taste but easy drinkability. Ironically, there is only a 10 calorie difference between Bud Light and Guinness Draught. I would never put light beer down and have been known to drink a Bud Light Lime at the races as an easy, refreshing quaff when I do not want a filling craft beer, especially in the heat. Believe or not Beer Advocate cofounder Jason Alstrom gave Old Milwaukee Light an 85 (good) score, stating, “This is what a light beer is supposed to be...”

Adam Shugan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits beer consultant - Gainesville

Follow me on Twitter @abcbeeradams

There are any number of colorful and romantic stories of how the Syrah grape came to France. The most well-known is that Syrah (which is also known as Shiraz) originated near the ancient town of Shiraz, located in what is now Iran. In the past, when wine was still made there, they were called Shirazi wines – but these were white wines and there is no evidence of what grapes may have been used for them.

Other tales have the Syrah grape coming to France from Syracuse in Sicily, and from Egypt, or having been brought back from the Middle East during the Crusades. One Crusader, Gaspard de Stérimberg, is said to be the one who brought the grape vines to the Rhône Valley where he built the chapel (hermitage) on the hill above the town of Tain-l’Hermitage.

The problem behind these wonderful stories is that while the tales are referenced in historical documents and have certain orthographic similarities between names and places, there is no direct ampelographic evidence that they are true.

Recent DNA tests on Syrah grapes show conclusively that they are the offspring of two grapes originating in southeastern France – Dureza (red), from the Ardèche, and Mondeuse blanche (white), from Savoie. Today these parent grapes are barely planted and are extremely obscure, while Syrah is now estimated to be the seventh most widely planted grape variety in the world.

So if not from ancient Persia, where did the alternate name Shiraz come from? It seems to have been based on an older, anglicized name for Syrah that was used in Britain and in Australia in the early 19^th century – Seyras (sometimes spelled Ciras). That was the spelling when James Busby, the father of the Australian wine industry, brought the vines to Australia in 1831. At some point in time afterward Seyras became Shiraz.

The oldest surviving Shiraz vines are 160 years old and can be found in Barossa Valley, Australia

Syrah first gained prominence in the northern Rhône Valley, where it is the only grape used in making Hermitage, Cornas and Côte Rôtie among other great wines. In the southern Rhône the dominant grape becomes Grenache, though it is often blended with Syrah in such famed wines as Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Gigondas and Côtes du Rhône. In moderate climates such as this, Syrah is a medium- to full-bodied wine with a fairly high level of tannins. In warmer climates such as Australia’s Barossa, the wine is more full-bodied, more jammy and spicy, with softer tannins.

The grape temporarily lost its popularity in the early 20^th century, and it was at this time that Syrah was chiefly used – in the days before appellation rules became strict – as a grape blended into the red wines of Bordeaux to strengthen weak vintages. Today, however, Syrah/Shiraz is back on top. You will find many excellent examples coming not only from the Rhône and Australia, but also from South Africa, Chile, New Zealand’s Hawke’s Bay, California and Walla Walla in Washington State. The two names outside of France (Syrah) and Australia (Shiraz) are usually interchangeable, based on the discretion of the winemaker (or wine-marketer).

PS. While Syrah and Shiraz are different names for the same grape, it should be mentioned that Petite Sirah – also known as Durif – is not the same, being a cross between Syrah and the much more obscure grape variety Peloursin which was discovered by botanist François Durif in 1880. But that’s another story!

Bill Stobbs, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinebills

Collalto cellars at Susegana

In the past 10 years, prosecco has risen from relative obscurity to one of the best-selling sparkling wines on the US market. Massive advertising from the large wine suppliers and distributors certainly contributed to the success. The idea was to save money by trading down from Champagne. But is the consumer really getting a bargain? Most prosecco is produced on a very large, industrial scale resulting in a less-than-exciting product. For that reason, in this case, only the best will do; that name is (all wine professional agree) Collalto.

Azienda Agricola Conte Collalto is one of the oldest and most influential winemaking estates in Northeast Italy. Collalto’s family roots date back as far as 958 AD. In that year, Berengarius II, King of Italy, leased to Count Rambaldo I, illustrious ancestor of the Collalto family, the contea (county) of Lovadina, with all of its fields, pasturelands, woods and vineyards.

Castello San Salvatore, Collalto

For over a thousand years, the Collalto family has tenaciously preserved its agricultural patrimony, through countless political seasons and wars, and ever-changing social systems and fashions. Pincess Isabella Collalto is currently at the reins of the estate.

Our ABC wine team has visited the Collalto estate on numerous occasions. This is not an ordinary winery: the Conte Collalto estate is an ecological oasis without peer among all the ecosystems of northern Italy. Its 150 hectares (371 acres) of vineyards are harmoniously surrounded by magnificent, centuries-old olive trees, dense woods, fields and grazing pastures, where cattle and horses, woodcocks, pheasants, hare and boar reign undisturbed. Significant investments over the years have helped to preserve the natural environment by applying only the most appropriate forms of land conservation and sustainable farming.

Isabella Collalto and family

The Conte Collalto estate vineyards currently yield about 850,000 bottles, of which 550,000 are Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG. Conte Collalto produces wine exclusively from its own estate-grown grapes and performs every step from grape-growing to vinification and bottling in its historic cellars at Susegana.

The Glera grape--the main variety of proseccos--represents the heart of Conte Collalto’s wine production. Full 160 acres of the estate’s 371 acres of vineyard are dedicated to this noble variety. Prosecco is made with a minimum of 85% of the Glera (prosecco) grape and, up to a maximum amount of 15%, of Verdiso, Bianchetta, Perera and Glera Lunga.

Currently available at ABC Fine Wine & Spirits are the Prosecco Superiore Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG Brut ($17.99) and Extra Dry ($15.99). Other favorites and best-selling wines from Collalto are the Spumante Rosé ($18.69), the Pinot Grigio ($13.89) and the Cabernet Sauvignon ($29.99).

Salute!

Atanas Nechkov, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineatanas

The world of wine is both vast and growing every day. It's difficult for masters to keep up, much less the average person. In our quest to learn and appreciate wine, we are exposed to a lot of information but not all of it is accurate. I will go through the most common of these falsehoods to set the record straight.

Sulfites. This is a craze sweeping the wine world of the average Joe. Many believe that sulfites are bad and either make you sick or produce headaches. This, however, is not the case. Many foods we consume on a daily basis contain sulfites, such as garlic, potatoes and broccoli. One glass of orange juice contains more sulfites than an entire bottle of wine, but yet no one complains of headaches after breakfast...unless you have children! Furthermore, sulfites occur naturally in wine during fermentation and are in EVERY bottle of wine; even the ones that say "no sulfites detectable" contain a small amount.

Cork vs. Screw Cap. Many believe wine with a cork is superior to capped bottles. This is not necessarily true. While most high quality wines contain corks, some are switching to the screw top, aka Stelvin Enclosure. These caps obtained a bad wrap when they were first introduced because they were being utilized by the lower quality bulk wines. Nowadays, higher quality producers are adapting this technology because it is cheaper than corks and has a lower risk of tainting the bottle.

Serving Temperatures. Over the years I have heard many suggestions as to what temps to serve wine. So here is the breakdown in degrees: whites: 45-50, reds: 50-65, rosés: 45-55, sparkling: 42-52, fortified: 55-68. I'm sure you have heard that reds are supposed to be served at room temperature. While this is true, what is meant by 'room temp' is actually cellar temperature in French caves.

Name Brands. The big houses with recognizable names give us a sense of security when making a selection, but at what price? We recognize these names because they spend millions on advertising and incentives. While working for wholesalers there were many products in which the winery would pay anywhere from $5-$20 per case sold. The question is, who really pays for this? The answeris you, the consumer. While you may have a guarantee of a certain quality, these wines are usually overpriced based on true worth. Don't get me wrong, there are many recognizable wines that are well worth their price, but personally I prefer smaller, boutique houses. These don't necessarily give you a guarantee of quality, but they do generally give you more bang foryour buck.

Price. This goes along with #4. I have heard countless times that higher priced wines are superior to the less expensive ones, but that is not always the case. Again, think about what you are paying for. Just because a wine is not expensive does not mean it is cheap, and the opposite is true for high priced products. I have had many values that beat out wines at double the price. All in all, don't judge a wine by is price.

Drink Well,

George Ryan, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine consultant - Sunrise

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinegeorger

Reputation and trust are two of the most important qualities to consider when we think about bringing a new wine on board.There are literally thousands of producers from all corners of the world that would love to sell wine to us thirsty Americans. At ABC Fine Wine & Spirits we are fortunate to have some of the most reputable, highly rated and trustworthy producers in our portfolio.

Located in Tuscany, La Calonica, owned by the Cattani family, is at the top of my list of producers that emulate excellence. Founded in 1973, the La Calonica estate has become one of our best sources for great quality wine. The property extends for about 45 hectares between the towns of Montepulciano and Cortona.

Montepulciano is famous for producing one of Italy's most iconic red wines, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. La Calonica produces a highly rated Vino Nobile and Vino Nobile Riserva available in our stores.

The lesser known Cortona side of the property produces equally impressive wines. The Cortona DOC title was just created in 1999 despite centuries of winemaking tradition.The Cortona DOC produces many traditional Sangiovese based wines but also excels in the production of international varieties.

When I speak of international varieties, I'm including both red and white grapes.I have always been a fan of La Calonica's Don Giovanni Sauvignon Blanc. Despite our admiration of this wine we never introduced it to you, our guests, because let's face it...most of us don't shop for Italian Sauvignon Blanc.

So how do we get this delicious Sauvignon Blanc to you? Two of our most popular Italian wines come to us from La Calonica. Capanne Vecchie Sangiovese Cabernet and Capanne Vecchie Sangiovese Merlot have been best sellers in our stores for years. We are now proud to announce their sister Capanne Vecchie Bianco as the newest addition to our portfolio. The Capanne Vecchie Bianco is produced from the estate Sauvignon Blanc with the addition of traditional white Tuscan varietals. It shows a nose with lightly grassy notes, melon and white peach in a long complex finish. Trust and reputation!

Paul Quaglini, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinepaulq

I guess I should start this out by saying that the title may be a little misleading. I didn’t technically attend a cigar festival in Panama City Beach, but rather that’s sort of what broke out the four days we were opening a new store there.

As many of you may already know, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits has decided to expand our celebration expertise further west into the Florida panhandle. Our first store will be opening in a city that knows a little something about celebrations, but sadly hasn’t been properly catered to in this department. Now those in the Panama City area will have a “one-stop shop” for all of their party needs. Of course it took a lot of time and effort to make this happen but I am happy to report that we served our first guest yesterday morning at 9:05 a.m.

The final and most critical stage in opening a new store is loading it up and making it sparkle for the guests. For this, a large group of team members, from all parts of Florida, were literally bussed in to complete the task. It was a diverse group of regional managers, team leaders, assistant team leaders, wine supervisors, wine consultants, beer consultants, inventory team members, and field trainers, a member of the marketing department, and one guy who really loves Bombay Sapphire gin.

The mission that this motley crew of 55 accomplished was that they turned an empty building into the Tahj Mahal of Celebrations in less than four full days. As impressive as this feat was, as a cigar man the thing that impressed me the most was the love and insatiable appetite for cigars that this group had. Between Steve “Big Mungo” Mungeer and myself, we brought well over a hundred sticks. When I got home Thursday evening I had zero cigars in my bag. Of course not everyone smoked, but for each of one of the non-imbibers there was someone like myself to pick up the slack. From the novice to seasoned cigar lovers, everyone enjoyed the cigars that ran the full spectrum of strength, style and flavor.

The new humidor at ABC Panama City Beach

I guess that is what I love most about cigars. It brings people together and forces them to sit, relax and congregate. There is no texting, phone conversations, or Facebook status checks going on; just the occasional “cigar selfie” and lots of conversation.

I am very fortunate that I get to work with such great people and the fact that many enjoy cigars is just icing on the cake. When you have your next work gathering, out of town conference, or corporate retreat, make sure you bring some cigars. Enjoying an evening smoke with those whom you spend so much time working with is a great team building exercise. Perhaps the best.

I am certain that we would have made that new store in Panama City Beach shine without smoking cigars each night, but they certainly made the job more enjoyable.

Visit us now in Panama City Beach at 11699 Panama City Beach Parkway.

Long Ashes,

Chris Gwaltney, ABC Fine Wine & Spirits North Florida regional manager, Certified Tobacconist and Cicerone Beer Server

Follow me on Twitter @abccigarchris.

It’s a common refrain that true Champagne, that is the most famous and prestigious sparkling wine in the world, must be produced within the strict confines of this eponymous region in northern France to be the genuine article. This fact is, of course, indisputable. All other sparkling wines produced throughout the world, irrespective of quality, are technically just so.

But save for perhaps the most ardent aficionado, the conventional enthusiast probably wouldn’t know that the Champagne region itself actually has a bit of a split personality. You could call it a Champenoise version of north and south.

In the north of the appellation, there is the Champagne produced near the postcard cities of Epernay and Reims, home to region’s most famous houses, like Mumm, Moёt & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot. Yet a journey to the extreme south of the region, towards the medieval city of Troyes, reveals another side to Champagne; a less heralded but no less gifted district named the Côte des Bar.

For generations of grower-producers in the Côte des Bar, their vineyards served an integral role as a source of high quality grapes for the big houses in the north. These farming families also made a small amount of Champagne, too. Recently, the increased global demand for Champagne has enabled the best of these smaller houses in the region to gain a wider audience.

Francois Moutard of Champagne Moutard-Diligent can trace his family’s grape growing heritage in the village of Buxeuil back to 1642. Around the time the Champagne appellation was officially defined in 1927, Moutard-Diligent began to bottle wine under its own name.

Today, winemaker Francois oversees 22 hectares of vineyards planted to the essential varieties of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier rooted in predominantly limestone soils. These are the same prized Kimmeridgian and Portlandian deposits that are found in nearby Chablis, located just to the south. It’s this terroir that gives his wines a wonderful stony minerality.

Moutard produces two 100% Pinot Noir non-vintage cuvees: the full-bodied, straw colored Moutard Brut NV ($34.99), a Blanc de Noir produced from free-run juice and the zesty Moutard Rose de Cuvaison NV ($39.99) with lovely red berry fruit and a creamy texture. Employing a short maceration with the Pinot Noir skins gives this wine its vibrant coral pink color.

Perhaps what truly distinguishes the Côte des Bar from the other districts within the Champagne appellation is the utilization of three obscure Champagne grape varieties: Pinot Blanc, Petit Meslier and Arbane.

Moutard uses these to great effect in his two vintage tête de cuvees. The Moutard Cuvee des 6 Cepages ($56.99) is an iconoclastic, barrel fermented blend of all six permitted Champagne varieties with the rare Arbane and Petit Meslier added to equal portions of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Blanc. It sports a bright gold hue and rich notes of hazelnut, pear, coffee and pastry.

Moutard also produces a limited bottling of the sensational and unique Moutard Cepages Arbane Vielle Vignes ($79.99) comprised completely of single vineyard arbane fruit sourced from a hillside planted in 1952.

I’d also be remiss if I didn’t include a mention of their two other terrific offerings: Moutard Champ Persin ($39.99) a Blanc de Blanc made entirely of Chardonnay from a single vineyard plot. There’s even a semi-sweet “dessert” Champagne to serve with shortbread cookies: Moutard Demi Sec ($32.99).

The holidays are just around the corner and I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than with these distinctive bubblies. Cheers!

Jim Greeley, SW Florida wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @ABCWineJimG

Just returned from a few days in north Georgia. Camping in the mountains; spending the days fly fishing for the magnificent Brown and Rainbow trout and the evenings in front of the fire telling lies about the fish that day while dinner was cooking and the wines were opened. In the fresh air, wines always seem to taste better, as does the food, and for this reason I usually bring some of the good stuff.

Our first day, we spent the entire day on the Soque River getting wet, getting the gear tuned up and relaxing. I drove through the night and needed a slow day…no better place to slow the days down! At camp, we grilled up some mixed veggies and some smoked sausages while we snacked on some gruyere, manchego and cheddar with salami. W. Fevre Chablis 1er Cru Vaulorent 2008 with the cheeses was simply delicious, and Michel Chapoutiers’ Bila Haut Occultum Lapidem 2010 ($25) was as good as it has ever been.

A good night’s sleep was interrupted by our need to get on the water at Blackhawk Trophy Fly Fishing. We grabbed our gear and a guide and spent the day on one of most beautiful sections of water I have seen. The fish were big and hungry and the day passed way too fast. Back at camp, we cooked up chicken and peppers on the open fire. A bottle of Pic & Chapoutier St. Peray ($20) signaled the end of the day and was also quite fine with the cheese plate. We chose the Cyrot-Buthiau Volnay ($45) for the wine, and it was stunning!

At sun up the next morning, we were already on the way to one of my favorite places in the area, Fern Valley. A beautiful stretch of the Soque, made even more so by the morning clouds and slight drizzle. I especially love casting the fly in the rain. It seems to be more tranquil, less people on the water and the trout come alive. A fat pork tenderloin roasted on the fire while we sipped the Mosel Riesling Spatlese trocken. Maison Champy Volnay 1er Cru Taillepieds ($64) was perfect with the pork. Then all the fresh air caught up to us and we were out.

Our last day we were greeted by 50 degree temperatures as the sun came up over Duke’s Creek in the Smithgall Woods. Another of my favorite spots in north Georgia, for its rugged beauty and technical water—very hard to be successful consistently on Dukes. All day yielded only one trout for me, but it was a beautiful 23 inch hooked jaw leviathan, and it fought like the champion it was. After slipping her back in the cold water, we lazily roamed back to the truck and already you could feel the change in seasons, as the wind was settling down and the temperature was dropping. It was reported to be heading into the mid-30s that night, and it did. Two fat porterhouse steaks and a little Bordeaux helped ease the cold. The Ch. Ampelia 2011 ($18) and the Ch. Gloria 2010 ($55) both rocked the nearly two pound porterhouse cut, although keeping them warm enough to enjoy was a chore!

And did I forget to mention we also had a lovely selection of cigars? My next trip is already in the planning stages—just can’t get enough of those mountains!

Shayne Hebert, Central Florida wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwineshayne

Sitting tonight in Panama City Beach, about to open a new store, I’m drinking a great wine to get myself ready. Bila-Haut Occultum Lapidem is a wine from southern France that makes me want to travel to see what is so special about this vineyard. One of the great things we can talk about is the name—Occultum Lapidem—so let’s learn a little history about biodynamic wine and the name of this blend…

Rudolf Steiner was an Austrian philosopher and scientist who founded the principles of biodynamic agriculture in the 19^th century. Steiner’s lectures were a series on an ecological and sustainable approach to agriculture that increases soil fertility without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, which is widely used throughout Europe and the United States today.

Steiner did a lot of research on alchemy and sciences from the Middle Age.

Pierre Adrien Fleurant wrote to us:

Michel Chapoutier, who studied Steiner thoroughly, picked one of the most famous alchemical mottos:

V.I.T.R.I.O.L.—which stands for Visita Interiora Terrae Rectificando Invenies Occultum Lapidem.

It literally means: Visit the Interior Parts of the Earth; by Rectification Thou Shalt Find the Hidden Stone.

For Michel, this greatly defines the interaction between the earth (the “land” component of terroir) and life (vineyard). He split it into three parts to name our top Roussillon wines: “V.I.T.”, “R.I.” and “Occultum Lapidem.” The big stone, which lies on the top of our main vineyard, has long been given esoteric powers by the locals—one of them being to capture the power from the earth and spread onto the land. We related this to the “hidden stone” motto and named the vineyard Occultum Lapidem. And in return for all of this study, Chapoutier gets a great grade on his wine AND fabulous flavor...

There is, unsurprisingly, at least as much sheer complexity on display here as in any of Bila-Haut’s wine, with mace, vanilla, licorice, wisteria and rowan taking things in a sweeter and spicier direction than found in their other 2011s. Enveloping richness and an almost velvet feel – so fine are the tannins here – make for a soothing finish whose deeply meaty and salty savor hold my salivary glands in thrall, reminding me of the scallop-like sweetness possessed by some of the finest and most minerally-inflected of white wines. This sensational value should drink beautifully through at least 2025. 94 points, eRobertParker.com (Jan 2014)

I don’t think I could say anything any better.

Kathleen Anderson, Northwest Florida wine supervisor

Follow me on Twitter @abcwinekat

Sandwiched between seven days visiting wineries in north Italy (Giorgi, La Cappuccina, Collalto and Nicolis) and spending four days vacationing in Roma, I had the opportunity to visit Castello Banfi in Montalcino. My visit was arranged by Filippo di Belardino, artisan vino specialist and Wines of Italy Hall of Fame inductee, and by Nick Shoults, national retail director of Off Premise Chains.

Approaching the castle, I noticed the modern Banfi Winery a kilometer or so away at the base of the hill. The castle and tasting room is perched high on a hill overlooking 7,100 acres of Banfi land; one third of the property is under specialized vine and the balance is shared between olive groves, wheat fields, plum trees, truffle stands, forest and scrub.

Once inside the tasting room, I was greeted by Michela Dominici at the Enoteca wine shop (located next tothe castle) for the winery tour. We drove back down the hill where Michela walked us through the winery.

Our first stop was to see the Banfi patented fermenters. They call this technology Banfi hybrid composite. The concept is that the winemaker likes both stainless steel as well as French oak for fermenting the premium wines. The 24 Banfi hybrid composite fermenters have stainless on top with French oak in the middle for just the right effect of both! They are rather large, containing over 22,000 bottles worth of wine. Since they are primarily for fermenting, which doesn’t take long, they can be used 4-5 times each harvest season. These fermenters cost around 24,000 euros and have a life of about seven years.

As we ventured further into the winery, I saw a forest of huge temperature controlled stainless tanks that house the one million+ bottles produced each year of what they refer to as their “volume labels.” At this facility, they produce 10 premium and 25 volume wines. The best are the Brunello di Montalcino 100% Sangioveseand Summus, which is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Sangiovese. The Brunello, by law, must spend three years in the barrel and two more years bottle aging.

The next amazing thing I was shown was their barrel farm. I don’t think anyone else does this, but Banfi buys freshly cut French oak “barrel stays” and ships them to Montalcino where they age and season them themselves! There are dozens of tall stacks of barrel stays neatly stacked and organized by the specific French forest they come from. Some of these forests include Troncais, Nevers3, Fountainbleau and Allier Ott. They have them labeled by the vintage they were cut. Once they meet their seasoning expectations, Banfi ships them to Piedmont where a master cooper builds the barrels.

After the very informative tour of the winery, we returned to the castle/hotel restaurant for a five course typical Italian meal paired with five Banfi wines.

Banfi was founded in 1978 thanks to the will of Italian-American brothers, John and Harry Mariani. At the tasting room, the pourer said that the money for starting Castello Banfi was generated mainly from sales of the very popular Lambrusco Riunite.

Andy Abernathy, COO of ABC Fine Wine & Spirits

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