Italian Wine Tasting
Franciacorta, Liguria, & Valpolicella!
Friday, December 26th
4pm-6pm
Italian Wine Tasting
Special Guest, Kara McKelvey
Domaine South
Friday, December 29th, 2025
4pm - 6pm
$20
256-759-9952 to Reserve
NV Ca Del Basco Franciacorte, Lombardy, Italy $38.99
This is a fresh, dense sparkling wine with lots of cooked-apple, fresh-lemon and mineral character. Full body, lots of fruit and a delicious finish. A blend of mostly chardonnay with some pinot noir and pinot bianco. Drink now. 94 points Wine Spectator
Only the best of the estate's Chardonnay, Pinot Nero and Pinot Bianco grapes to into this bottling. Each was vinified separately and then skillfully blended with reserves (20%) of the finest vintages which were held back.
2023 Cascina Feipu dei Massaretti Pigato, Liguria, Italy $24.99
Salt, fresh lemon, white grapefruit. Palate is gentle with linen, pomelo, honeycomb, saline. Agostino “Pippo” Parodi and his wife Bice inherited this special estate from Pippo's grandfather which at the time was mostly growing fruits & vegetables. They converted over the land starting in the 1960s to planting vineyards of native Ligurian varietals, mostly Pigato and also Rossese. The estate is named Feipu (local dialect for grandfather) and Massaretti, the locality. Now led by their daughter Brunella and her husband, Mirco Mastroianni. Small family estate, doing incredible work to keep these native varietals compelling and interesting.
2022 Allegrini Lugana Oasi Mantellina, Lugana, Italy $24.99
Turbiana Cortese
Among the better expressions from this vast, somewhat sclerotic Lugana region, evidencing many styles and expressions. Some reductive lees-driven framework compresses hints of jasmine, stone fruit allusions, almond husk and spruce. The finish eases over the structural seams to good, sappy length. Nice drinking.
The company’s new venture on the shores of Lake Garda presents its highest expression in Lugana Oasi Mantellina. From the slopes of the medieval village, the Guyot-trained vineyards stretch out as far as the small lake that lends its name to the reserve or ‘oasis’. Here the clays become sandier, with a good amount of gravelly content. The wines are therefore less mineral and more acidic, all enriched by soil composed of unique clays, which are unmistakably reflected in the Turbiana grapes.
Oasi Mantellina, with its small lake of the same name, is home to over 60 animal species, some of which are rare. These are mainly birds that stop here during their migrations.
2024 Tormaresco "Califuria" Rose, Puglia, Italy $16.99
A bright peachy pink color, like a warm sunrise over the sea. Together with fruity notes of grapefruit and pomegranate, with hints of delicate lavender flowers, bathed in Apulian sunshine.
A wonderful joining of classic winemaking and modern viticultural techniques, these exceptional wines are crafted from 100% estate grown fruit, a rarity among Puglian wines. Tormaresca is the only producer with vineyards in both of Puglia’s two elite winegrowing sub-regions: Salento and Castel del Monte DOC.
The Tormaresca estate is composed of two properties. Bocca di Lupo is located in the Castel del Monte DOC of northern Puglia. It offers an ideal growing environment for Chardonnay, Aglianico and Cabernet Sauvignon. Masseria Maime is located on the Salento peninsula in Southern Puglia. Its vineyards extend over half a mile along the Adriatic coast and are planted with Negroamaro, Primitivo, Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.
2023 Cascina Feipu dei Massaretti Rossese, Liguria, Italy $24.99
This might be the best Rossesse I have ever had. Rossesse is the primary red grape that is grown in the north west area of Italy called Liguria. The most famous part of Liguria is the Cinque Terre, a steeply terraced seaside area overlooking the sparkling sea– this area is famous for white wine made from grapes like Pigato and vermentino. But Masseretti is located in Albenga, a little removed from the coast with good elevation, they make a killer Pigato but when I tasted this light red it blew my mind. Rossesse is thought to have been brought to Liguria from France and honestly tiny amounts of it are planted worldwide. But for Ligurian reds it definitely takes the cake. It’s a light bodied, aromatic grape that has established acidity and strawberry energy throughout. Rossesse is really a sponge for Terroir, so it can range in flavor profiles depending on where it was planted. Sometimes I really think it falls short: it's too acidic. But this is a masterpiece of luscious, poppin, tasty and dynamic red wine. Started in the 60s with a passion for hand harvesting and thoughtful farming, this estate is such a cool emblem of Liguria.
Serving temp: You could chill this down in the fridge, should be at least 65 degrees!
Pairing: A dreamy pesto dinner al fresco!
2019 Allegrini "Grola" Valpolicella Classico Superiore, Veneto, Italy $32.99
A blend of Corvina Veronese 70%, Corvinone 25%, and Rondinella 5%. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with black cherries, leather, dark chocolate, baking spice and slight plums. Full bodied. Light to medium tannins. Great acidity. On the palate, this is delicious on its own but with enough acidity to really work well with food. Flavors of black cherries, plums, spice, char and just a bit of dark chocolate. Solid finish. Drink over the next seven to ten years.