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Since 1925, the Marenco family has been producing wine.  Photo courtesy of Marenco. It began with Michele Marenco, whose dream was to make wine from his vineyard in the heart of the Bagnario Valley, situated in Strevi, in southern Piedmont, and part of the Monferrato wine region in northwestern Italy. Michele’s son, Giuseppe Marenco, who understood the territory’s potential, followed in his father's footsteps and continued to make quality wine from indigenous grapes. He built the winery in 1956, located in Strevi, and acquired the best land he could find to grow grapes. Today, Giuseppe’s daughters, Michela with her husband Giovanni Costa, Patrizia (winemaker), and Doretta, carry on the family tradition with passion, enthusiasm, and dedication. They supervise and control every step of the production process, from grape to glass.  Marenco sisters. Photo courtesy of Marenco. The Marenco family presides over 160 acres of vineyards, focused on practicing sustainability while maintaining traditional growing systems in the vineyard and optimizing the quality of the grapes. In order to help maintain quality control, all grapes are harvested by hand. They grow Moscato, Barbera, Brochetto, and other indigenous grapes from Monferrato, with vineyards in Strevi, Cassine, and Fontanile Castel Boglione.  Photo courtesy of Marenco. I recently received a tasty selection of some of their still wines.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Carialoso Monferrato Bianco DOC 2020 This wine is made with 100% Caricalasino, an ancient local variety that Patrizia Marenco rediscovered in the Strevi area and reproduced, beginning with 3,000 plants. Also known as white Barbera, the name Caricalasino means “load up the donkey” in Italian, and is a nod to the past when donkeys were the only means of transporting the grapes from hilly vineyards to the wineries. Usually blended with other grapes, Marenco was the first winery in Italy to produce a monovarietal wine. The first vintage was in 1996. “Carialoso” is the name of the grape in the Piemontese dialect. This wine was aged six months in stainless steel tanks and Oak barrels and then bottle-aged for three months prior to release.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Beautiful aromas of white flowers, white stone fruit, herbs, citrus, and minerality. Palate: Fresh and inviting with vibrant acidity, sapidity, peach, apricot, and a hint of citrus, with zest and pepper on the finish. Alcohol: 12.5% SRP: $24.99 Pairing suggestions: Grilled white meat, seared tuna, porcini risotto or sip as an aperitif. Albarossa Piemonte DOC 2021 The Albarossa grape is a cross between Nebbiolo and Barbera, two main Piedmont grapes. Albarossa was developed in 1938 by Italian enologist Professor Giovanni Dalmasso. However, it wasn’t until 2001 that Albarossa was recognized as a quality grape of Piedmont, which can now be used in Monferrato Rosso DOC. This 100% Albarossa was harvested from the vineyard in the Strevi hills. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine is aged 18 months in large Oak barrels. It is then bottle-aged for six months before release.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Violets, red fruit, baking spice, herbs, and cherry pie, Palate: Well structured, lively, and balanced with soft tannins and acidity. Lush notes of red fruit, plum, cherry, anise, and warm, spicy herbs and pepper. Alcohol: 14.5% SRP: $29.99 Pairing suggestions: Roasted or grilled red and white meats, stews, aged cheese, and charcuterie. Bassina Barbera D’Asti DOCG 2022 This wine takes its name from the Cascina Bassina, a farm in Fontanile (Asti). "Bassina.” short in Italian, was the nickname given to the lady who originally owned the Cascina. She understood the potential of Barbera in this area and began planting Barbera grapes on the best exposed sides of the hills. Barbera is the most widely planted grape in Piedmont. It is a juicy, fruit-forward wine. The grapes for this 100% Barbera were sourced from Bassina farm vineyard in Fontanile. After fermentation in stainless steel tanks, the wine was aged in concrete vats for nine months and then bottle-aged for three months.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Nose: Floral, fresh red fruit, baking spice, and balsamic.
Palate: Aromas segue onto thepalate with bright, ripe berries, spice, sour cherry and a hint of dried plum. Alcohol: 14% SRP: $20.99 Pairing suggestions: Appetizers, pasta, grilled meat, chicken, and simple fish dishes. The logo of the ducks on the bottle label was inspired by the wild ducks that populate the lake on the Bassina Estate. Until next time… Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com With my family coming for Thanksgiving dinner, I made sure to have an assortment of wine and spirits on hand to please every palate. My menu this year strayed from tradition as I felt it was necessary to forge a new path with healthier cuisine. Granted, not everything I prepared was free of calories and carbs, but at least I was able to control the ingredients. We enjoyed fresh spinach lasagna, roasted brussel sprouts with cranberries, homemade peasant bread, tossed salad and corn salad in lime juice. The grand finale was key lime pie and fresh fruit. I started off the festivities by pouring a glass of Prosecco for everyone, never anticipating that my guests would choose to continue drinking it throughout the meal! These bottles of sparkling wine almost upstaged my meal as they were met with much enthusiasm and enjoyment. Every palate was sated and we never opened any still wine.  Photo credit: Penny Weiss Some of the best Prosecco comes from Glera grapes grown in the small towns of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, the home of Prosecco Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG.  Because Conegliano Valdobbiadene is situated between the sea and Pre-alps, the area experiences a mild climate with constant breezes. Vineyards have great sun exposure and benefit from the altitude and broad differences between day and night temperatures. The slopes, micro-climate, sun exposure and various soils make this an ideal setting for growing Glera grapes for the production of Prosecco. PassioneSentimento Prosecco Treviso Spumante Brut, DOC is produced by Pasqua Vigneti é Cantine located in Verona, Italy. This Prosecco is made with 100% Glera grapes grown in vineyards in the premium Conegliano subzone in Treviso. It is made using the Charmat method where the second fermentation takes place in large stainless steel tanks to trap carbonation in wine. Whereas, in the méthode Champenoise, the second fermentation happens inside the individual bottles in which the wines are sold. This wine is quite aromatic with fresh fruit, pear and brioche. The palate offers pear, apple, a hint of slate and lemon zest on the finish. This is a fresh and balanced wine with tiny bubbles and lovely perlage. Serve as an aperitif or pair with fish, pasta and white meats. Alcohol: 11% SRP: $16  Photo credit: Penny Weiss To learn more about Pasqua Vigneti é Cantine please read my story at: https://www.thewineknitter.com/the-journal/category/pasqua-vigneti-e-cantine Nino Franco Prosecco Rustico Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Nino Franco Winery is family owned and now in its fourth generation of producers. The winery is located in Valdobbiadene at the foot of the Prealps and was founded in 1919 by Antonio Franco. They are one of the oldest wineries in Valdobbiadene and they are celebrating their 100th year!  Photo credit: Penny Weiss This wine is 100% Glera grapes harvested from vineyards in Valdobbiadene DOCG. The second fermentation takes place in “cuve close”. (Tank method). Intoxicating aromas of floral, pear, white stone fruit and a hint of citrus segue onto the palate with hints of tart apple and white peach. Lively fruit, fine and persistent bubbles along with a creamy mouthfeel and vibrant acidity, make this sparkling wine irresistible. Serve as an aperitif or pair with appetizers, fish, roasted veggies and pasta. Alcohol: 11% SRP: $19 So, the next time you’re perusing the sparkling wine section, pick up a bottle or two of Prosecco from the “home of Prosecco in Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. I am taking a short break and will return the week of December 8th. If an impending snowstorm doesn’t thwart my travel plans, then I am off to Italy in two days. I will be exploring the sparkling wines of Asti D.O.C.G, BRACHETTO D’ACQUI d.o.c.g., FRANCIACORTA d.o.c.g. and Custoza D.O.C. I will have lots to share with you upon my return. In the meantime, watch for my posts on social media! Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com Celebrating wines and their regions has become a “thing”. And, I’m all for it! For those who may not be familiar with a particular wine grape or region, this is a great way to introduce them. And for aficionados, it’s a wonderful excuse to pop open a bottle to join in on the celebration. But, whom am I kidding; I never need an excuse to drink wine! May 9th is National Moscato Day. The Gallo Family Vineyards created National Moscato Day in 2012 to help promote and celebrate this popular wine. Moscato is the Italian word for Muscat Blanc, which is considered one of the oldest wine grapes in the world. Moscato originated in the Piedmont region of northwestern Italy in the Moscato d’Asti appellation, which earned its DOCG status in 1993. Being such an ancient grape, Muscat can be found throughout the world but is best associated with Italy. Moscato is known for its sweet flavors such as orange blossom, peaches, honeysuckle, lemon and light alcohol content. It comes in a variety of styles from still to semi-sparkling and sparkling. To help celebrate National Moscato Day, Castello del Poggio sent me a bottle of their Moscato wine to taste.  Castello del Poggio was established in 1706, and is located in the Monferrato area in the Province of Asti in Piedmont. The property has 430 acres of which 390 acres are dedicated to vineyards. The climate is mild continental with calcium rich clay and alluvial gravel soil. Castello del Poggio Moscato IGT is pale yellow with heavenly aromas of peach, honeysuckle and citrus. The palate offers a semi-sweet wine with slight effervescence and gentle flavors of peach, honey, apricot and a hint of pear. The acidity balances the sweetness making it a very pleasant wine to drink. Sip as an aperitif or pair with spicy food, cheese and dessert. Alcohol: 7% SRP: $12.99  Join in the fun on May 9th and pour yourself and friends a glass of Moscato wine! Have a happy National Moscato Day!  Until next time…
Cheers! Penina To leave a comment or if you have an inquiry, please contact me at wineknittercomments@gmail.com |
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