French & Italian Wine Tasting
with Vineyard Brand Wines!
February 21st at Le Petit Bijou
Taste phenomenal wines from the Loire Valley, Abruzzo, Savoie, Sicily's Mt Etna, and beyond!
"Our Mission is to select and offer wines of the best quality and value from the best places on Earth so that there is absolute confidence in any wine with "Imported by Vineyard Brands" on the label."
Le Petit Bijou
Call 256-964-7980 to Reserve
Vineyard Brands Wine Tasting
Le Petit Bijou
Friday, February 21st
4pm - 6pm, $20
With Special Guest, Phil Oreh of Alabama Crown
256-964-7980 to Reserve
"In a world increasingly dominated by vast sums of capital and multinational firms, it is difficult for a small wine importer to
survive unless that company has considerable expertise and an unwavering commitment to quality rather than quantity ...
'Imported by Vineyard Brands' is as close to a guarantee of quality as the consumer can expect."
The Wine Advocate
2022 Chateau de la Ragotiere "Cuvée Amélie" Muscadet de Sèvre et Maine sur lie, Loire Valley, France $13.99
This soft, rounded wine is smooth with creamed apple flavors while also having a proper tangy of acidity. That tight and tangy edge makes the wine refreshing now while also allowing it to age for a few more months.
GRAPE VARIETY 100% Melon de Bourgogne
REGION OF PRODUCTION Loire Valley, near the Atlantic Ocean, near the village of Vallet, in the Appellation Muscadet Sèvre et Maine sur lie. SOIL Silico-argillaceous on late mica schist. EXPOSITION Hillside, very rocky South, South-East.
AGE OF VINES Fifty years VINE GROWING Guyot pruning, controlled natural green cover. Organic approach (organic fertilizer, use of pheromones, tillage).
WINEMAKING Vibrating sorting table. Pneumatic press and very severe racking before alcoholic fermentation, temperature-controlled at 14-16°C (57°-61°F). 100% Malolactic fermentation. Aged of fine lees for 10 months, then bottled after cold precipitation of the tartar and sterile filtration.
PAIR WITH FOODS Grilled Lobster, Salmon, Scallops, Comté.
2023 Umani Ronchi Terre di Chietit Pecorino "Vellodoroa", Abruzzo, Italy $18.99
A refreshing, light-to-medium-bodied Pecorino, combining tangy green apple fruit flavours with hints of herbs, stones and almonds. The lively acidity lifts the palate, giving a finish that’s as clean as a whistle.
The grapes come predominantly from the Roseto degli Abruzzi estate, with some sourced from partner growers in the northern part of Chieti. The soils here are a mix of sand and clay and the climate has a wide thermal range. The grapes were harvested by hand.
The grapes were gently pressed and rapidly cooled before undergoing a spell of static settling. Alcoholic fermentation took place in stainless steel tanks at a temperature of 16-18°C over ten to fifteen days. Malolactic fermentation was not carried out. The wine then spent four months ageing on its lees in stainless steel tanks before bottling.
2023 Denis & Didier Berthollier Chignin Vielles Vignes, Savoie, France $28.99
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% jacquère, Origin Savoie Estate Bottled
TERROIR: Alluvial limestone clay scree. South, south-west facing hillsides.
VINEYARD: Average age 80 years (over 100 years for some of them). No chemical herbicides have been used since 2011. The 2021 vintage is the first one to get the AB certification (organic). The vines are grown organically and biodynamically. The soils are maintained by, scraping, raking and mowing, grass
cover in spring, and the use of natural plant infusion (for example nettle or willow infusion). Lunar phases are adhered to when undertaking major work such as pruning, trimming and treating.
WINE MAKING: The grapes are pressed in whole bunches. Cold settling without the use of enzymes. Spontaneous fermentation from the wild yeasts on the grapes. Racking on fine lees, blending and stirring for 3 months. Vinification without sulphite, only a small quantity used at bottling when necessary. Total final sulphite rate: less than 30 mg/l. Bottled in June and September. Lunar phases are respected for racking and bottling.
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Organic Agriculture: Certified Biodynamic:not certified without SULPHITE during winemaking, very low addition just before bottling. Total sulphite: less than 20 mg/l.
TASTING NOTES: Pale, limpid and brilliant. Nose of white flowers and citrus fruit, white peach and lemon. Beautifully fresh, mouth-watering citrus and mineral palate with a certain salinity.
2023 Grosbois Extra Ball Rose, Chinon, Loire Valley, France $22.99
For the pinball enthusiast you may not be, Extra Ball isthe extra ball that is offered to you when you earn lots of points. For Sylvain and I, in our winemaker jargon, Extra Ball Rosé, comes from a direct pressing ( no maceration withthe skin) ), for more fruity, fresh and appetizing wine. It’s a real fruit ball !!!
GRAPE VARIETY: 100% Cabernet Franc
TERROIR: Extra Ball grapes come from a plot of 4.5 hectares (11.1 acres) where the soil is claystone
and sand. AVERAGE AGE OF VINES: 25 years VITICULTURE AND VINICULTURE:
• Organic.• Hand harvested • Winemaking: Direct pressing, indigenous yeasts
TECHNICAL INFORMATION: • Aging: Steel tanks • Added SO2: 30mg/L
Denis & Didier Berthollier Persan Arbyolâ, Savoie, France $49.99
A festival of red fruit in the mouth, with redcurrant and blackcurrant underpinned with bright acidity, this wine is just made for a get-together with friends, for tasting in a joyous atmosphere over a plate of tapas or charcuterie. It can be enjoyed while young, but its complex structure means it will also age gracefully.
GRAPE VARIETY: Persan is an old Savoyard grape variety that originated in the Valley of the Maurienne, and had all but become extinct. Today it has re-established itself as one of the essential indigenous grapes of the Savoie. TERROIR: Scree slopes with clay and limestone, exposure to the west. VITICULTURE: Organic farming with the introduction of biodynamic techniques HARVEST: Manual within the last two weeks of September, in whole bunches in crates of 300 kg to prevent the berries being crushed, age of vines 5 years, yield 35 to 50 hl/ha, small plot, limited production. VINIFICATION: Sorting by hand and 100% destemming, maceration without SO2 for 7 to 10 days, aged for 12 months in vat and amphora. Low addition of SO2 at bottling, i.e. a final total rate below 40 mg/l. Estate bottling respecting the lunar phases. TECHNICAL INFORMATION: Organic Agriculture: Certified Biodynamic: not certified without sulphite during winemaking, very low addition just before bottling. Total sulphite: less than 30 mg/l
2021 Tenuta de Fessina Etna Rosso "Erse", Mt Etna, Sicily, Italy $24.99
This one is sensational and unlike anything else you’re going to have all year. It has this incredible volcanic minerality to it that’s incredibly unique to Fessina. Then, once you experience that minerality, get ready for a flavor explosion. We’re talking bright, beautiful dark fruits, layered with an ever-changing bouquet of floral, citrus, and spice aromas that’ll keep you coming back for more. It’s no wonder Fessina’s been racking up those Tre Bicchieri awards from Gambero Rosso, or that Wine Enthusiast is warning these wines are “quickly reaching cult status.”