Brunello di Montalcino dinner

I will be conducting a Brunello di Montalcino dinner on Wednesday, June 6 at Via Carducci (1419 W. Fullerton, Chicago / 773-665-1981). The dinner will focus on the 2010 Rosso di Montalcino, 2007 Brunello di Montalcino and the 2006 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva. Here is the menu, with the appropriate wines:

Antipasti: Grilled octopus with a salad of shaved fennel, oranges and endive – Welcome white wine

1^st course: Risotto gorgonzola with porcini

2010 Lisini Rosso di Montalcino

2010 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino

2^nd course: Wild boar ragu with pappardelle and pecorino

2007 Citille di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino

2007 Ciacci Piccolomini Brunello di Montalcino "Pianrosso"

2007 Banfi “Poggio alla Mura”

3^rd course: Filet, rosemary potatoes and rapini with a Brunello green peppercorn reduction

2006 Citille di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

2006 Tassi “Franci” Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

2006 Tiezzi “Vigna Soccorso” Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

2006 Camigliano “Gualto” Brunello di Montalcino Riserva

Dessert: Formaggi e frutta secca

The wines selected for this dinner are new releases and most of them are not yet in the market, as they will become available later in the summer and early fall. So this is a rare opportunity to taste this many examples of Brunello di Montalcino at one sitting and to enjoy them with the cuisine of Via Carducci chef Joseph Rosetti. You will be among the first people in Chicago to taste these superb wines!

Wednesday, June 6  -Via Carducci, 1419 W. Fullerton, Chicago

Welcome at 6:30 – Sit-down for dinner at 7:00

Price: $70 per person plus gratuity

Space will be limited, so reserve your seat at this dinner right away. Call the restaurant at (773) 665-1981. A credit card number will be required at the time of the reservation. If you have any food allergies, let the restaurant know at the time of reservation.

Looking forward to seeing you on June 6 for this special evening!

Birth of the Cool

Sauvignon Blanc grapes ready for harvest, Leyda Valley, Chile (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

If you've read my blog over the past two years, you know how much I love Sauvignon Blanc from Chile. For decades, red wines - especially Cabernet Sauvignon from Maipo Valley - have been the most acclaimed from this country, but little by little, more attention is being paid to the white wines, especially Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from cool zones such as Casablanca, Leyda and San Antonio Valleys, located not far from the Pacific Ocean.

I'll deal with a number of these wines in two posts; today's will deal with three Sauvignon Blancs from 2011:


Viña Los Vascos Sauvignon Blanc 2011 (Casablanca Valley)
At the outset, I must admit I have been routinely disappointed with the wines - white and red - from this Chilean firm, owned by the Lafite-Rothschild company of Bordeaux. So I was thrilled to enjoy this lovely Sauvignon Blanc which is quite simply, delicious! There are beautiful lime, pear and peach fruit flavors and excellent persistence, but it's the sleek, vibrant acidity of this wine that holds everything together and begs you to try another sip. This is clean - no oak aging- and very refreshing. Enjoy this over the next 2-3 years with shellfish, whether sautéed or even lightly grilled- it's lovely with either. Suggested retail price - $14. Considering the price of a similar quality Sauvignon Blanc from France or California, this is an excellent value.



Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc "Cool Coast" 2011 (Colchagua Valley)
When I tasted the 2009 version of this wine (I believe that was the inaugural release), I was blown away! (read here). The 2011 version is on par with that wine, as this is all about exotic aromatics of pink grapefruit, mango and pineapple, backed by a rich mid-palate and vibrant acidity. Colchagua is not thought of as a valley in which to produce top-notch white wines in Chile, but the owners of Casa Silva have found a small parcel near the ocean that delivers outstanding fruit. Enjoy over the next 2-3 years with shellfish and especially with Thai food. Suggested retail price - $25.

Cono Sur Sauvignon Blanc "Vision" 2011 (Casablanca Valley)

Here is one of the best wines from Chile as regards to outstanding quality and an excellent price. This is a single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from Casablanca Valley that is simply irresistible! This has complex, gorgeous aromas that just scream Sauvignon Blanc with notes of gooseberry, spiced pear, melon and freshly cut hay. These perfumes just jump out of the glass- one smell of this wine and you're hooked! Superb texture and excellent persistence - you'd think this had seen at least a few months or oak aging, but there was no oak contact at all with this wine, only steel. Vibrant acidity and a flavorful finish with appealing notes of spearmint and tarragon. This is great now and should be consumed over the next 2-3 years, not only with shellfish, but also rich seafood such as Dover sole and halibut- don't worry, this wine will stand up to almost any seafood. Outstanding value at $15 and an outstanding wine, period!

I'll review more cool climate whites from Chile - Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay - in an upcoming post - but for now, the moral of the story is that 2011 was a great vintage for Sauvignon Blanc throughout Chile. Don't miss out on these great values!

Using Technology to Understand Italian Wines

VinItaly Interactive Wine Tasting

The VinItaly US events in Chicago and New York next week - Monday, April 30 and Wednesday, May 2, respectively, are shaping up to be not-to-be-missed events for the Italian wine lover (see details here).

There will be a grand tasting of several hundred wines along with an excellent array of seminars, ranging from restaurant trends to indigenous varieties to in-depth tastings of Prosecco and Valpolicella.

That would be enough for any event to make it special, but the VinItaly organizers are going a step farther for this year's affairs, as they are introducing an interactive wine tasting at these two events. Attendees will be able to use iPads to facilitate education, promotion and consumption of Italian wine.


The process is easy and intuitive, consisting of three steps:

1) Registration: The guest will receive an individual QR card in exchange for his or her business card and then will be able to go freely to the different wine tables/bar with the iPads.

2) Ordering: At the wine table/bar, the visitor can order any wine of the participating exhibitors of the VinItaly Interactive Experience. A sommelier or service person will ask for the QR card to be scanned at the iPad and then serve the requested wine.

3) Tasting: The visitor tastes the selected wine and can choose from different parameters (taste, scent, color, etc.) on the iPad to rate the wine. Afterward, the guest's preferences can either be saved or deleted and can choose to try other wines or finish his VinItaly Interactive Experience. At the end of the tasting, the customer will receive either a print-out of all the wines tested that day or an email with their preferences.


I think this is a great idea, one that should really make this day a unique one. The grand tasting is special enough, as participants will be able to taste some of Italy's finest wines, but now their experience will be even more enlightening, given this new way of using technology.

The VinItaly Interactive Experience will be offering selected wines from Consorzio di Tutela della Denominazione di Origine Controllata Prosecco, and the portfolio of Folio Fine Wine Partners including Arnaldo Caprai, Donnafugata, Marchesi de’ Frescobaldi, Masi Agricola S.p.a. and Villa Sandi.


See you there!

A Dream Realized in Champagne

Excellent fine wines and great spirits selection with low prices.

Bruno Paillard (Photo ©Tom Hyland)

For all you dreamers out there, consider the case of Bruno Paillard. Born in Reims in 1953 and working as a Champagne broker, he sought to establish his own Champagne house. But there had not been a new company opened in Champagne for more than a century. Certainly he had to realize that this could never happen. How could he acquire grapes, for example?

Thankfully, Paillard was stubborn enough to pursue his goal - even going to the point of selling his old MK2 Jaguar in 1981, in order to raise enough capital to start his company. Today, Champagne Bruno Paillard, located on the prestigious Avenue de Champagne in Reims, is a thriving company, one that has remained small (45,000 cases per year) to maintain its high levels of quality.

Paillard was in Chicago recently as part of a national tour for his importer, Vintus. I took a few minutes to speak with him and of course, try his wines. He is a modest man, but also a proud one, as he took the time to explain the errors in the brochure about his wines. These are very particular products and he wanted to make certain that I knew the source of his grapes for these wonderful products. For example, his Blanc de Blancs is now produced exclusively from Grand Cru vineyards, whereas in previous years, this wine also included grapes from Premier Cru sites as well. This is obviously a source of great pride as well to Bruno and he wanted to make sure I knew about it!

Here are notes on four cuvées he tasted out in Chicago:

NV Brut Premiere Cuvée

A blend of 22% Pinot Meunier, 33% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir, made exclusively from juice from the first pressing. Dried pear, quince and biscuit aromas. Medium-bodied with a clean, round finish with very good acidity. Quite tasty- enjoy over the next 3-5 years. (Suggested retail of $40)

NV Brut Rosé Premiere Cuvée

Made primarily from Pinot Noir (85%) with the remainder Chardonnay. Pale salmon color; aromas of pear and strawberry. Clean, elegant finish, very good acidity and complexity. Enjoy over the next 3-5 years. ($50)

NV Blanc de Blancs Réserve Privée Grand Cru 

Dried lemon peel and yellow flower aromas; medium-full with excellent concentration; precise acidity and a long, long finish with a distinct minerality. Quite complex; lovely richness on the palate with beautiful finesse. Enjoy over the the next 5-7 years. Outstanding  ($70)

1999 Brut Millésime Assemblage

Featuring an artist label, this is a blend of 42% Pinot Noir, 29% Chardonnay and 29% Pinot Meunier. Exotic, complex aromas - hints of juniper (!) and marzipan along with a touch of gingerbread. Nicely balanced with very good concentration and ripeness. Good length in the finish with good acidity. Bruno told me that in 1999, the grapes achieved excellent ripeness, however the acidity is lower than in a great vintage, such as 1996, which means that this 1999 will mature at a quicker pace. Enjoy over the next 5-7 years. ($80)

Congratulations to Bruno Paillard for realizing his dream and continuing to craft some of the most elegantly-styled Champagnes in the market today. Like the man himself, these wines are very classy!

VinItaly Tour - Chicago and New York

The VinItaly USA tour is back, this time with events in Chicago and New York. This is always a must for any Italian wine lover, as dozens of producers from all over the country pour their newest releases at the walk around Grand Tasting; in addition, there are sit-down seminars in each city.

The Chicago tasting will take place on Monday, April 30 at the River East Art Center (435 E. Illinois Street). The Grand Tasting will run from 1-5 and is for members of the wine trade. There will also be a Grand Tasting for the public from 6-8:30. Two seminars are also scheduled for that day; the first on restaurant trends and the second on indigenous varieties.

To register for the Chicago event, go to this page.

To purchase tickets for the consumer event, go to this page.


The event in New York City will take place on Wednesday, May 2 at Three Sixty (Tribeca Rooftop), 2 Desbrosses Street. The walk around tasting will run from 2-6. There are also four seminars scheduled for that day, beginning at 11:15- one on restaurant trends and one on brand building and increasing wine sales. The other two will be tasting seminars on Valpolicella and Prosecco.

To register for the New York City event, go to this page.


In addition, on Thursday, May 3 in New York City, there will be the 82 Mercer consumer tasting in partnership with the American Cancer Society's annual Taste of Hope fundraiser.


Whether you want to learn more about your business or merely want to sample hundreds of the finest wines from Italy, this is an event you will not want to miss!