Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche Add
Voga Pinot Grigio Add
Mondoro Asti Spumante Add
Wines are recomendations only and may not be carried by this store.

Parusso Bussia Vigna Rocche

Attributes:
Producer:

Parusso
Region:

Barolo, Italy
Varietal:

Nebbiolo
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2000: WineAdvocate Rating: 89
Aromas:

floral
Fruit:

fruity

1999: WineAdvocate Rating: 89
Body:

solid
Complexity:

rich
Flavors:

spice
Fruit:

good fruit

1998: WineAdvocate Rating: (90-92)
Body:

full-bodied
Compliments:

powerful
Fruit:

super-concentrated

1997: WineAdvocate Rating: 91-95
Complexity:

rich
Compliments:

well-balanced
Flavors:

jammy
Fruit:

huge

1997: WineAdvocate Rating: 92
Flavors:

minerals, new oak, tar, tobacco
Fruit:

concentrated
Texture:

glycerin

1996: WineAdvocate Rating: 92-94
Body:

full-bodied
Compliments:

distinctive, powerful
Flavors:

cherry, herbs, leather, mineral, smoke, tar

1995: WineAdvocate Rating: 90
Aromas:

floral
Body:

full-bodied
Complexity:

layered
Flavors:

cherry, herbs, leather
Fruit:

concentrated

1994: WineAdvocate Rating: 90
Acidity:

soft
Aromas:

*-scented
Body:

medium-bodied
Compliments:

delicious

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese, Parmesan
Fish or Shellfish: Salmon / Trout, Bluefish and Mackerel
Pasta & Grains: (Grilled) Tofu, Pasta with Creamy Mushroom Sauces, Pasta with Meat & Tomato Sauce, Polenta, Squash or Pumpkin Ravioli
Poultry & Eggs: Duck Confit, Game Birds, Roast Chicken with Herbs
Red Meat: Barbeque Pulled-Pork or Ribs, Ham, Hamburgers, Lamb Shish Kabobs, Pork Chops, Pork w/Fruit Sauce, Salami, Salami or Sausage, Sausage, Variety Meats or Organ Meats, Veal Scaloppini, Wild Game - Elk, Caribou, Moose, Venison
Sauces: Bagna Cauda, Red Wine Sauce, Tomato Sauce
Vegetables: Arugula (Bitter Lettuce), Beets, Cabbage, Eggplant, Fennel, Grilled Vegetables, Mediterranean, Grilled, Onions, Leeks, Peppers, Radishes, Shallots, Tomato, Vegetable Gratin or Stew, Wild Mushroom Strudel, Wild Mushrooms

Barolo:

Considered the king of Italian wines, Barolo is made from the Nebbiolo grape in the Piedmont region of Italy. Full bodied, high in tannic, acidity, and alcohol, their aromas suggest tar, violets, roses, strawberries, even truffles. Very similar to, if a little more full-bodied than, Barbaresco. Barolos need to be aged for at least three years in the winery (five years if it is a Reserva), but benefits from additional aging. More recent vintages are fruitier in flavor, often a bit oaky, and may be ready to drink as soon as two to five years after release.


Nebbiolo:

This noble variety from Italy is used primarily in Barolo and Barbaresco, two Piedmontese wines. It is a powerful, lusty grape, high in both tannin and acidity but balanced by an ample alcoholic content. Its color can be deep when the wine is young, but orangey tinges can develop within a few years. Its complex aroma is fruity, earthy, woodsy, herbal and floral.

Voga Pinot Grigio

Attributes:
Producer:

Voga Italia
Region:

Italy
Varietal:

Pinot Gris/Pinot Grigio
Bottle Size:

750 ML

2004: NatDecants Rating: 87
Aromas:

funky

Food Matches:
Fish or Shellfish: Ligurian Fish Soup
Red Meat: Liver, Pate or Liver, Proscuitto & Serrano Ham
Sauces: Cream Sauce with citrus, Cream Sauce with herbs
Vegetables: Asparagus, Spinach Ricotta

Italy:

Makes nearly as much wine as France, but lags behind in their classification system. As a result, Italian wine isn’t taken as seriously as French wine. Most Italian wine is made from native grape varieties that don’t grow well elsewhere, such as Nebbiolo and Sangiovese. The most important regions are Piedmont, where Barolo and Barbaresco dominate, Tuscany, home to Chianti, Montepulciano, and the Super-Tuscans (a collection of relatively new reds), and the Northeastern region, where you’ll find Soave, Valpolicella, and Bardolino. Italy’s soils and climates are varied and ideally suited for viticulture, from the Alpine foothills in the north to the Mediterranean coast in the South. Its hilly landscape provides sun and cooler temperatures, even in the warmest regions. Italy has two categories of fine wines. DOCG, which means regulated and guaranteed place name, refers to a small group of elite wines. DOB wines are those with regulated (but not guaranteed) place names. A lower tier of table wines are grouped into IGT wines, which indicate the location on the label, and ordinary table wines, which carry no geographical indication except, “Italy.”


Pinot Grigio:

(pee noh GREE joe)—also known as Pinot Gris, is grown mostly in northeastern Italy but is also found in Germany (where it is called Rülander), Alsace, Oregon and California. It is deeper in color than other white grapes and has a medium body and low acidity.

Mondoro Asti Spumante

Attributes:
Producer:

Mondoro
Region:

Asti, Italy
Varietal:

Sparkling
Bottle Size:

750 ML

NV: WineEnthusiast Rating: 82
Aromas:

*-scented

NV: Tastings Rating: 89
Acidity:

bright, clean
Body:

light, light-bodied
Compliments:

racy
Flavors:

chalk, citrus, tropical fruits
Fruit:

sweet

NV: Tastings Rating: 87
Body:

medium body
Compliments:

pleasant
Flavors:

herbs, oak

NV: Tastings Rating: 82
Body:

light, medium-bodied
Flavors:

earth, peach
Texture:

creamy

NV: Tastings Rating: 88
Acidity:

clean
Aromas:

floral
Flavors:

apricot, candied, peach
Fruit:

sweet

Food Matches:
Cheese: Blue Cheese
Fish or Shellfish: Bouillabaisse, Calamari, Caviar, Deep Fried Bass, Deep Fried Catfish, Shellfish (scallops, clams, crab, lobster, shrimp, etc...), Stews and Soups, Sushi
Fruits & Nuts: Fruit Salad
Herbs & Spices: Saffron, Wasabi
Poultry & Eggs: Soufflé
Red Meat: Ham
Vegetables: Bruschetta, Fruit Salad, Leafy Greens, Lentils, Nicoise Salad, Risotto, Vegetable, Roasted Mixed Vegetables, Spinach, Stir Fry, Zucchini

Sparkling Wine:

Sparkling wines are part of a growing category of bubbly wines.

Fancy Asparagus Pasta

Rated

Ingredients

1/2 of a 16-ounce (454 g) package penne pasta
14 asparagus stalks, cut to 1-1/2-inch (4 cm) lengths
2 tsp (10 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup (160 ml) finely chopped onion
10 mushrooms, quartered
1 cup (250 ml) sliced cooked ham, cut to approximately the same width and length of asparagus
1 cup (250 ml) light cream
Salt
Pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain; set aside.

2. Place the asparagus in a pot and fill with 1/4- to 1/2-inch of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and steam the asparagus until tender, about 7 - 10 minutes.

3. In a large skillet, warm the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until it begins to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and ham, and cook until mushrooms are drained of liquid.

4. Add the asparagus to the skillet and pour in the cream. Continue to cook over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the drained pasta and mix well. Serve immediately.

Yield

Makes 4 servings