Thursday Wine Tasting , January 26th!
We will have a very special guest, Greg Rivera, of August Imports, with a beautiful spred of Italian and Slovenian libations!
August Imports specializes in the import, education, and sale of high-quality wines from all over the planet. We support environmentally sustainable growers, and world-class producers from both well-established and up-and-coming regions. So, whether the brand is micro-boutique or sold nationwide, fine wine is at the center of our ethos.
August Imports Wine Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Thursday, Jan 26th 4-6pm
*Our original location- 103 North Side Square*
$20 Per Person (Wine Tasting Only)
Reservations Requested. Call 256-964-7980
Presented by special guest,
Greg Rivera of August Imports!!
2021 Marchetti Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi, Marche, Italy $16.99
Refreshing citrus fruits, playful acidity, and complex minerality are the hallmarks of this varietal, and when well-made, it is one of the best whites in the Mediterranean world. Incredibly, this wine is all free-run juice (no pressing!), and as a Classico, is the best example in its class we have ever tried. Marchetti’s family has been making Verdicchio for generations, and it shows.
2020 Giocato Pinot Grigio, Slovenia $15.99
Aleks Simcic, of the Edi Simcic estate in Slovenia, is considered by many to be one of the finest winemakers in Eastern Europe. Located just meters over the Italian border and next door to Colli Orientali in Friuli, Simcic lives in Goriska Brda, a lush, subalpine zone that actually belonged to Italy until the end of World War II. It also happens to be one of the region’s best areas, perhaps THE best area, to grow white varietals.
When Aleks was challenged by his importer to make an expressive and flavorful Pinot Grigio at less than $15, he accepted the challenge, and Giocato is the result. Low yields lend it great viscosity, and the palate offers a perfect balance of tropical fruit and acidity. As with the high-end wines of Edi Simcic, this is a wine that won't let you down.
2020 Giocato Sauvignon Blanc, Slovenia $15.99
The complement to his highly popular Giocato Pinot Grigio, Alek Simčič's. Sauvignon Blanc is a classically-styled wine from one of Europe's top white.
2019 Macedon Pinot Noir, TIkvesh, Macedonia $16.99
From the country of Macedonia, this stunning Pinot Noir is named for Alexander the Great (the original “Macedon”), and hails from an area noted as the “cross-roads of the ancient world, and the birthplace of wine”. It originates in Gradsko, sharing the same latitude band as Burgundy and Russian River Valley. The 40+ year old vines grow where two major weather fronts collide: the Aral Mountain continental and the Greek Aegean, yielding virtually no rain and consistent wind. The result is a wine of terrific elegance and complexity, rich yet linear; pretty, but with a suitable depth. A bright and aromatic bouquet billows with ripe cherry flesh and spring flowers. Lush dark fruits enter on the palate with just a bit of rhubarb and earth. Fantastic value!!
2020 Bocelli Sangiovese Rosso Tuscano, Tuscany, Italy $18.99
Dark ruby and purple hues. The nose is abundant with dark cherry and cranberry. The palate is ripe, bright, red fruit with integrated tannins and balanced acidity. The wine has a clean and juicy finish.
2020 Poggio Vignosa Chianti Docg, Tuscany, Italy $16.99
In the deft hands of our favorite Brunello producer, Luca Brunelli, the Poggio Vignoso Chianti has evolved into a value extraordinaire. Everything Luca touches becomes a study in patience, balance, and precision. Commuting the 10 quick kilometers across the Val d’Orcia from his family home in Montalcino, Luca tends to these Colli Sinesi vines in the small town of Torrenieri. Importantly, he treats every plant with the same reverence as those he uses for his high-end wines. The altitude and soil may differ from those near his hilltop cellar, but the common denominators – plants trained to grow a small number of clusters, hand selection, and low yields – remain firmly in place. Always quality over quantity with Luca, regardless of whether the wine is destined for the Chianti bottle or the Brunello.
Grown throughout the Maremma (southern Tuscany) and prized for its notes of dark cherry and earth, the Morellino clone of Sangiovese can best be described as ‘friendly’. It provides the perfect backdrop for a Chianti which is light on the palate, yet pleasing in terms of fruit. Known for its rusticity, this thick-skinned grape can provide a bit of tannic balance, even in an unoaked setting. Since the clusters are what local farmers call spargolo - looser, with more space between berries - it is also more resistant to mold than the local champion, Sangiovese Grosso. Over 300 days of sun, dense clay soils, and constant breezes ushered inland by valleys running perpendicular to the sea make for a true trifecta in terms of growing conditions.
2020 La Quercia Montepulciano D'Abruzzo, Italy $17.99
This Montepulciano is a great example of what can happen when you match low-yield winemaking expertise with a prolific growing zone, and constantly cut, cut, cut back the vines. Made by winemaker Antonio Lamona, the result is one of the best quality, most expressive and balanced Montepulcianos around. This wine is also 100% organic, and delivers as a wine that takes no shortcuts.
