Sauce Merchant - The Online blog of RetroVino.com

RetroVino August Offers

2011-08-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

RetroVino Autumn Wine

Hello People!

Don't miss an opportunity to avail of some great offers on Old and New world wine this Autumn with RetroVino Wine Merchants. The eternal optimists among us are looking forward to some warm days and balmy evenings later this month as part of our now annual Indian Summer. Crank up the BBQ, throw on a couple of steaks and enjoy a glass of something special from one of our selected vineyards, like Pieve de Pitti in Tuscany (pictured above).

Sláinte
Colly

Italian Favourites

We have fantastic offers on wines from four different Italian regions: Tuscany, Puglia, Basilicata and Abruzzo.

Pieve de Pitti
Chianti Superiore "Cerretello" 2008 (case of 12) - Was ~~€192~~
Now €156 (€13 per bottle)

"Il Nero" Rosso di Toscana 2007 (case of 12) - Was ~~€120~~
Now €108 (€9 per bottle)

Leone di Castris
Salice Salentino "Maiana" 2009 (case of 6) - Was ~~€60~~
Now €54 (€9 per bottle) 89 Parker Points

Primitivo di Manduria "Villa Santera" 2009 (case of 6) - Was ~~€96~~
Now €78 (€13 per bottle) 90 Parker Points

"Five Roses" Rosé 2010 (case of 6) - Was ~~€75~~
Now €66 (€11 per bottle) 87 Parker Points

Cantina di Venosa
Aglianico del Vulture 2007(case of 6) - Was ~~€75~~
Now €72 (€12 per bottle) Gambero Rosso - Due bicchieri

Vigneti Radica
Pinot Grigio "Tenuta Nicante" 2010(case of 12) - Was ~~€142.80~~
Now €114 (€9.50 per bottle)

*free delivery in Dublin on all orders of 12 bottles or more, a nominal charge of €10 is applied to all 6 bottle case orders and deliveries to the rest of Ireland
**any 2 x 6 bottle cases can be combined to form 1 x 12 bottle case

Mega Deal on Chilean stalwarts

We have a super offer on our best selling Chilean wines from Torrealba:
Torrealba Sauvignon Blanc 2008 - €98 per case of 12
Torrealba Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 - €98 per case of 12

A gift from Spain

This benchmark Albariño from Terras de Lantaño in Rias Baixas is the quintessential Summer white wine, bursting with citrus fruit. And it's yours for a song! This price is simply unbeatable for wine of such quality...

Terras de Lantano Albarino 2010 (case of 12) - Was
€228

Now €168 (€14 per bottle)

ORDER INFO

Aglianico Del Vulture "Vignali" in Decanter Magazine

2011-04-14T01:47:00.000-07:00

Laurence Veale of SourGrapes.ie was kind enough to send on a clipping from Decanter Magazine (UK edition) in which our Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina di Venosa (Basilicata, Italy) was featured in the "Panel Tasting - Highly Recommended" section. We couldn't agree more with Guy Anderson's appraisal of the wine: "Compelling, complex aromas of dark fruit, liquorice and balsamic." Have a read for yourself by clicking on the image below.
"Vignali" can be purchased online from The Corkscrew.

Newly commisioned Pinot Grigio - Tenuta Nicante

2011-03-08T02:10:00.000-08:00

We are pleased to announce the arrival of yet another new wine into our portfolio - Tenuta Nicante Pinot Grigio from Terre di Chieti in Abruzzo. Tired of tasting drab and characterless Pinot Grigio we decided to commision one of our own using one of Abruzzo's finest producers Rocco Radica Jr and his family's vineyard Vigneti Radica. Although not the symbolic home of Pinot Grigio in Italy (predominantly found in Friuli-Venezia Giulia), Abruzzo has a long standing tradition of producing wonderfully mineral white wines, and fresh, lightly tannic reds like Montepulciano.

After many tweaks and discussions regarding the juice, bottle and the label design, we arrived at a wine which we are sure will be welcomed on the Irish market, not least for it's purity and drinkability. Voci della Cantina, the online blog of Vigneti Radica reveals that "This year's Pinot Grigio [2010] is a special one for many reasons. It was a very good year for the white grapes. Some people say the best in the past ten years. It's our second harvest. So, enologically speaking, we did many things better than the first time."

Here are a few pics of the newly bottled Tenuta Nicante. Please let us know what you think of the design, and if you get a chance buzz over to our Facebook page and "Like" us, or follow our tweets on Twitter for a chance to win a bottle of the new stuff.

New Portfolio wine at RetroVino: Aglianico del Vulture "Vignali"

2011-02-26T06:32:00.000-08:00

Aglianico del Vulture is not as it's name suggests the Aglianico of some scavenging bird, but an Italian red wine based on the Aglianico grape produced in the Vulture area of Basilicata in the south of Italy.

Located on volcanic soils derived from nearby Mount Vulture, Aglianico del Vulture is the only DOC in Basilicata. It was awarded Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) status in 1971. Aglianico del Vulture is a wine which has more than 2000 years of history and represents the perfect marriage between the rich structure of the volcanic soil and the gentle exposure of the Venosa hills.

Aglianico del Vulture DOC can only be produced in a handful of communes, one fo which is Venosa, home to Cantina di Venosa founded in 1957.

"Vignali" Aglianico del Vulture from Cantina di Venosa is the latest wine to be imported onto Irish shores by RetroVino.

We love it's full bodied, intense flavour, it's firm tannic structure and chocolate-cherry notes.

The 2007 vintage has softened beautifully and reveals a rich texture. This wine has the potential to improve in the bottle for 6 to 20 years.

Grape variety: Aglianico 100%.
Vine training: Espalier
Planting density: About 3.500 vines per Ha.
Vineyards ages: 10 to 20 years old.
Yield: 55 to 65 hl/Ha.
Altitude: Between 400 and 550 metres a.s.l.
Production district: The Aglianico DOC. area, which comprises 15 communes in the northeastern part of the Potenza province.
Harvest period: Usually from 10th to 30th of October.
Grapes picking method: By hand early in the morning ,into up to 12 kos. boxes, followed by immediate transportation to the Cellars.
Wine-making: Maceration in small stainless steel containers for 7-8 days at between 23° to 26° C.; fermentation to dryness and malolactic fermentation completed in stainless steel tanks.
Maturation: Partly in small French oak barrels and partly in Slovenian oak 25 and 50 hectolitre casks for 12 months.
Tasting notes: A modern fine Aglianico vey well structured Colour: ruby red with garnet hints Bouquet: raspberry and blackcurrant fruit with spicy notes
Taste: dry, persistent, very pleasant harmony.
Alcohol: 12.5% vol.
Food matching: A versatile wine to accompany Mediterranean dishes, grilled meats and cheese.
Serving temperature: Open some time before drinking and serve at 16° to 18° C.in plain red wine glasses.

The Corkscrew Winter Wine Fair

2010-11-11T09:29:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite things to do of a day or evening is to attend a wine fair. If you've never been, what usually happens is... a wine retailer hires a room in a hotel or function room in a restaurant/pub, and displays his/her wares for all to sample.

Typically there can be as many as a hundred wines open for tasting. You can get absolutely steamboats if you wish, or pretend you are a pro and spit everything you taste into a spitoon. It's a great way of trying wines that you've never tasted before without commiting to purchasing a bottle. It's also a good way of finding another producer of a variety you are already familiar and happy with.

The best thing of all is that all tastings at these events are free, you just pay a nominal entry fee.

Which leads me nicely onto a wine fair which is happening this weekend in the salubrious surroundings of The Westbury Hotel off Grafton St in Dublin City Centre, and which I will be attending.

One of my favourite wines shops - The Corkscrew, based on Chatham St - are holding their annual fair, with all proceeds going to Cheeverstown charity.

When: Sunday Nov 14th
Time: 1-6pm
Where: The Westbury, Dublin 2
€: 25 bucks

Have a look at the 2 flyers, and feel free to pass them on to anyone who might be interested in heading along. You can buy tickets (€25) online here or drop into the shop on Chatham st to get one.

See you there!

Puglian Wines hit the shelves and Parker Points

2010-10-11T02:12:00.000-07:00

The wines of Leone de Castris (which I wrote about here), imported exclusively by Retrovino, are now available in a number of Dublin city centre locations including The Corkscrew on Chatham St, and Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer St. Both shops now stock the 2006 Salice Salentino 50° Riserva and the 2008 Primitivo di Manduria "Villa Santera". The Salice Salentino "Maiana" is available across from Fallon & Byrne in Dylan McGrath's new restaurant Rustic Stone.

The Corkscrew have also launched a fantastic new website which I think you'll agree look particularly slick. You can follow their tweats @corkscrewnation

In other new ....Recently posted on "eRobertParker.com", Wine Advocate issue n. 189/ June 2010 included the article "The Best of Southern and Central Italy" by the prestigious sommelier Antonio Galloni.

The….

- “Villa Santera” Primitivo di Manduria DOC ’09

- “Messapia” Verdeca IGT ’09 (on the Market)

...have obtained the same Score (90 points) on “eRobertParker.com” issue n.190/August 2010.

eRobertParker.com has posted Wine Advocate Issue #190/ August 2010. This Press Update includes the article “Italy's Finest Values” by Antonio Galloni.

Please find Galloni’s introductory comments and wine reviews below.

LEONE DE CASTRIS

“If these wines are any indication, recently arrived consulting oenologist Riccardo Cotarella is having a profound impact on quality at Leone de Castris.”

Leone de Castris Primitivo di Manduria Villa Santera 2009 – 90 points

“The 2009 Primitivo di Manduria Villa Santera is a joyous red bursting with varietal character. Dark fruit, licorice, clovers and flowers emerge with lovely inner sweetness, adding complexity to the dense, expressive fruit.”

Leone de Castris Verdeca Bianco Messapia 2009 – 90 points

“The 2009 Verdeca Bianco Messapia is one of the finest wines I have tasted from Puglia. Bright citrus, lime peel and flowers come together beautifully in this rich, textured white. The balance here is simply beautiful. Verdeca, thought to be of Greek origin, is one of the many ancient varieties that are being rediscovered in southern Italy.”

RetroVino Wines at Rustic Stone

2010-08-17T04:18:00.000-07:00

After a year long haitus after the demise of his Michelin starred restaurant Mint, chef Dylan McGrath opens his new restaurant Rustic Stone, on Dublin's Georges St next week (Tuesday 24th August).

Dylan's previous restaurant, Mint, was hailed as one of the most exciting places to eat in the country. It received many accolades, among them; a Michelin star, Food and Wine best chef and best wine list, hotel and a catering gold award for excellence. It was the only restaurant, besides Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, to receive 2 stars in Georgina Campbell’s guide.

Dylan has been working extremely hard over the last few months with his new team creating an original concept that maintains his own distinctive innovative style and creativity, but at a price that is affordable and accessible to everyone. “At Rustic Stone our philosophy is simple”, said Dylan, “we source the best seasonal ingredients available, apply simple techniques to extract the best flavour and at the same time we give the customer the information they require to add nutrition and structure to their diet”.

Rustic Stone is a new casual dining, contemporary restaurant which will deliver on the flavours Dylan is so passionate about but without the formality he previously would have been associated with.

"My new "rustic" idea will add some real nutritional goodness to everyday dining", said Dylan, " In today's health conscience society so many of us try to be careful with what we eat which sparked the initiative in me to try to create a fresh, new menu which combines amazing flavours with nutritious food", he said.

Rustic Stone is also adopting an old Spanish technique which is still quite new in Ireland. Customers will be served their meat or fish dishes on a hot volcanic stone which they cook themselves. This method adds an element of theatre to the meal yet at the same time adds to customer preference allowing them to have their dish cooked exactly how they like it.

Also on the menu is a list of salads and dressings carefully chosen by Dylan which is left to the customers to add and mix themselves. Along with these salads will be a choice of new and unique side orders which are packed full of flavour. Dylan is particularly excited with his new range of sugar free cocktails and desserts which he has created specifically for Rustic Stone.

Best of all, Italian wines from the RetroVino portfolio will be available at Rustic Stone. There will be also a handfull of well sourced French and Portuguese wines. Look out for Pieve de Pitti "Cerretello" and "Aprilante" as well as a sumptuous Salice Salentino "Maiana" from Leone de Castris in Puglia.

Rustic Stone is located on 17 South Great Georges Street and will officially open to the public on Tuesday the 24th of August. The restaurant will open for lunch from 12pm to 2:30pm and for dinner from 5:30pm to 11pm. For more information you can visit www.rusticstone.ie

RetroVino Q&A on SourGrapes.ie

2010-04-27T08:32:00.000-07:00

The latest in the "Intojuicing" series from Lar Veale's sourgrapes.ie sees a Q&A with Colly Murray of RetroVino.

Click here for details...

Sunday Tribune Article

2010-04-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

Lar Veale of sourgrapes.ie and wine editor @ The Sunday Tribune has penciled a review of Cerretello, Aprilante and Tribiana from Pieve de Pitti in yesterday's edition of the paper...
Click on the tumbnail for enlarged version...

New 2010 Italian Wine Portfolio

2010-04-16T10:02:00.001-07:00

I realise that we're almost halfway through the year already, but I've just gotten around to updating my online portfolio of Italian wines on www.retrovino.com. My new year starts during the Summer months as RV was set up in the Summer of 2009. The following wines arrive just in time to kick it off.

So, what's new?

A fine selection of Piemontese Barolo, Barbaresco & Barbera from Oddero, Conterno Fantino and Guidobono. A new Chianti Classico from Fattoria Campoperi. 2 Brunelli & a Rosso di Montalcino from Col D'Orcia in Tuscany. Some classic Venetian wine in the form of Valpolicella, Amarone, Soave from Cantina di Negrar. There are also wines from Silicy, Umbri, Abruzzo and Emilia Romagna.

Have a quick look here. As always, I would be delighted to hear your feedback.

I'm currently working on making the regions and producer lists load dynamically, to alleviate some of the busyness of the page. Its a bit of a eyefull at the moment. A nice bit JQuery should sort that all out!

The Sunday Tribune Wine Section by Lar Veale

2010-04-14T15:13:00.000-07:00

Before you tuck into your brunch this Sunday, leggit down to the shops and pick up a copy of The Sunday Tribune and check out Lar Veale's article about Pieve de Pitti wines - available in Ireland via RetroVino.

A little birdie tells me that Cerretello (Chianti Superiore), Tribiana & Aprilante (both white Toscana IGT) will be featured.

If you have stumbled across this post after 25/4/10 then see sourgrapes.ie where you are sure to find the afforementioned article!

New Arrivals - Leone de Castris

2010-04-14T14:47:00.000-07:00

Besides Primitivo, Apulia’s other major grape variety is Negroamaro. In many aspects, Negroamaro is the exact opposite of Primitivo. It ripens notoriously late, producing wines that are high in acidity and with nervy tannins but not very deeply coloured, with less sensual fruit than Primitivo. While Negroamaro can be harnessed to make some attractive unoaked, early-drinking, fruit-focused modern wines, its major interest in the past have been its ageworthy versions released after years of cask ageing, not in their primary youth but in the glory of their balsamic tertiary evolution. Aged Salice Salentino, the best appellation for this style of wine have been some of the best wines of Italy’s Meridione.

Salice Salentino, a small village in Salento rich in vineyards and olive groves, is the landscape giving life to the Leone de Castris wine tradition. New vines have been planted over the years: Chardonnay, Pinot, Sauvignon, Cabernet, Merlot, Montepulciano, going together with the traditional ones: Negroamaro, Malvasia nera, Verdeca, Bianco d'Alessano, Moscato, Aleatico, Primitivo.

The Winery’s production is very rich: red, white and rosé DOC wines (Salice Salentino, Locorotondo, Copertino, Primitivo di Manduria), interesting IGT Salento and Puglia wines, sparkling rosé and white wines; a distillate and an extra-virgin olive oil.

RetroVino will be importing two Primitivos; an IGT and a DOC from Manduria as well as my personal favourites, the Salice Salentino "Maiana", and the 50th Anniversary Salice Salentino Riserva. The Five Roses Rosata (Rosé) which was the first rosé bottled in Italy in 1943 will also be making an appearance on the Irish market. Lets hope we have the weather to relish it!

Gibney's Wine Fair

2009-11-02T02:43:00.000-08:00

When: 26.11.2009 | 17.00 Hour - 22.00 Hour
What: Gibneys Annual Wine Fair
Where: Grand Hotel Malahide - Malahide
Category: Consumer show

Event description:

The annual Gibney's Wine Fair will take place at the end of November in the Grand Hotel in Malahide. One of Dublin's top wine events this pre-Christmas consumer show is one of the social events in North Dublin. RetroVino will be exhibiting on the night with 5 wines from Pieve de Pitti available for tasting.

Tickets will be on sale in the Autumn through Gibneys in Malahide.

For more information contact Ann Moran Tel: (01) 845-0606

Email: info@gibneys.com

PdP Wine Tasting @ Hole in the Wall

2009-09-08T10:54:00.001-07:00

Sergio Gargari owner and producer of Pieve de Pitti (respresented in Ireland by Grand Cru Wines) will be present to talk about his wines & tell a few tales.... The cost p.p is €30 and it includes dinner & wine tasting.

The chef for the evening will be Carlo Santinelli of Pinocchio fame. Carlo is a chef, barrista and general manager at the Italian eatery & wine bar in Ranelagh.

Numbers are limited and payments need to be made in advance of the dinner. You can book a table directly by calling the Hole in the Wall pub on 838-9491.

It will be a great evening and we'd love to see you there.

Colly

Ps: If you haven't been to The Hole in the Wall pub you must check it out as its Dublin's hidden gem with an award winning restaurant and bespoke wine shop! Click on the google map link below for more details.

The Hole in the Wall
Blackhorse Avenue
Phoenix Park
Dublin 7

View Larger Map

And the Importer is.......Me!

2009-08-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

After much introspection I came to the conclusion that I should become a wine importer. I am now the proud owner of a wine retailer's license, a company and a brand new set of commitments and headaches. What is life but one big challenge anyway, so what the heck. I figure I'll give this a go and see how things pan out. Its probably not the most opportune time to start a wine business; the economy is in shite and people are buying cheap plonk in Tesco and Dunnes like no mans business. Nevertheless, the goal is to weather the recessional storm and if the whole venture goes tits up, at least I'll have plenty of good wine to console myself with!

The first supplier with whom I shall work with, naturally enough, will be none other than Sergio Gargari of Pieve de' Pitti wines. I will be selling the range of wines from said winery through my website and by other means which can't be revealed here for legal reasons, wink wink. I look forward to bringing onto these shores some interesting wines from Italy, France and Spain. RetroVino' goal is to offer the consumer a limited range of high-quality wines at very affordable prices, delivered from Europe's finest vineyards... Check out Lar Veale's review of PdP Cerretello! to whet your appetite. Stay tuned!

Vine growth

2009-07-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

There has been considerable growth since I last visited Pieve de Pitti in February. It wasn't pissing rain this time either, which was a bonus. Alas, if we only had weather like it in Ireland...I reckon we could grow a lovely Pinot Noir. Pínot Dúbh it would be called!

The Vineyards

Day of Reckoning

2009-06-10T14:26:00.000-07:00

On May 30th 2009 I became the luckiest man alive when I married the love of my life Yasmine in the Arcipretura di San Donato, Terricciola, Tuscany.
We had a truly legendary reception afterwards at Sergio's Villa Pieve de Pitti where Danielo prepared sumptuous food which was washed down with Cerretello, Moro di Pava, Aprilante and of course buckets of Prosecco.

Wedding Shots

The warm Tuscan evening guaranteed a full al fresco experience as we dined by the pool under the big Cypress trees. Guty and Simone provided the tunes, followed by a mesmerizing performance by a local 15 piece Italian-Brazilian Samba band.
The most memorable day of my life! Thanks to the Irish & Brazilian contingent who traveled all the way to share the day with us... Y&C

Convegno Tirreno 2009

2009-03-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

A few shots of Pieve de Pitti Wine paired with some delicious Tuscan dishes @ Convegno Tirreno 2009

Feb Visit to Pieve de' Pitti

2009-02-17T08:03:00.000-08:00

Last weekend I paid a trip to Pieve de Pitti to see how the land and her vines were coping with all the rain that has engulfed Tuscany in recent weeks. During my stay at the Villa I was lucky enough to sample some of Ida's wonderful cooking and flew back to Dublin with a cheery grin on my well fed face. Here are a few pics from around the estate & vineyards. . .

February Visit to Pieve de' Pitti

Decanter World Wine Awards 2008

2008-12-16T07:58:00.000-08:00

Bronze

Pieve de' Pitti Tribiana 2006
Tuscany, Italy

(White)

Very sweet spices with some vanilla. Basil and sage with an earthy/mineral finish.

The red wines of Pieve De' Pitti

2008-10-27T15:32:00.001-07:00

Pieve De' Pitti wines made their Irish debut with a review on Lar Veale's Sour Grapes website.

READ MORE . . .

Aprilante Video Review

2008-10-27T15:17:00.000-07:00

This weekend I had the pleasure of speaking with Sergio Gargari from Pieve de’ Pitti about the super Tuscan white wine, Aprilante, made from Vermentino (40%) and white Malvasia (60%).

A big thanks to LAR @ www.sourgrapes.ie for doing the honors with the video production

Pieve de' Pitti

2008-10-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Pieve de’ Pitti is situated in the southern part of Terricciola, in the heart of “Alta Valdera”. There are 198 hectares of woods, cultivated fields and above all vineyards and olive groves that stretch radially, on the hill with the main landmarks, the Villa and the Castle of Pava. The name Pieve de’ Pitti in derived from the name the name of parish chapel of St. John of Pava, built on the ruins of an ancient Etruscan church And from the Florentine Pitti family, who owned the estate until the end of XVII century.

The road that leads to Pieve de’ Pitti offers a wonderful panorama, it winds uphill full of vineyards and olive trees, guarded by an age-old oak, nominated among the monumental old trees of Italy, until the top of the hill, where it enters a wood of ilexes and in the very center there are the historical wine cellars, the villa and the castle, and the park with the swimming pool.

Icon Tasting @ Enowine, IFSC

2008-10-24T07:35:00.000-07:00

Last night I attended my first Icon tasting @ Enowine at the IFSC, Dublin. I guess its fair to say I wasn't disappointed. Here's how it works: state-of-the-art Italian designed Enomatic Wine Serving System allows you to serve a taste of any of the 60 wines they have available. I reckon the measure is roughly 30ml? It gives you the opportunity to "try before buy", avoiding disgruntlement on opening when you get home.

My favourites from last night were a 2005 Chateauneuf Du Pape, Le Chalice du Julian and a La Serra Amarone della Valpolicella

If you happen upon this shop whilst roaming around Dublin's main business district hunting for disenfranchised bankers, drop in and have a go!