| « Previous | News | Next » |
November 01, 2022
New Cream Imports: Barone di Villagrande
We have a brand new Cream Imports producer: Barone di Villagrande. We love introducing Chicagoland to some of our favorite finds and buying directly from the source—it takes lots and lots of tasting, but bringing you the good juice / cream of the crop / is our mission.
The story of Barone di Villagrande started 300 years ago. It is the oldest cultivation story on Etna, fundamental to Etna’s wine history, and remarkably continues today with 10th generation Marco Nicolosi at the helm. Located on the eastern side of Mt. Etna, Barone di Villagrande has been growing grapes in some of Earth’s best volcanic soils since 1727, using a minimal intervention approach in winemaking, and letting the soil be the driving force for their wines. Today, this family estate with 10th generation Marco Nicolosi at the helm has 18 hectares of certified organic vineyards.
We are passionate about Etna wines, as many know, and are thrilled to start with their Etna Bianco & Etna Rosso. Contradas are coming next year!
We tasted their Etna Bianco (90% Carricante) recently, and the scent of Granny Smith apples brought back memories of making caramel apples with grandma. Nothing like the first fall apple or rather just drink this! The wine finishes with white fruit, bright acidity, and wonderful minerality with hints of the Mediterranean.
Their Etna Rosso (80% Nerello Mascalese, 20% Nerello Cappuccio) elicits memories of another favorite fall tradition; making soup…do you also crack so much pepper that your wrist gets tired? This wine smells like cracked black pepper and a bouquet of raspberries and blackberries. Herbs and berries show on the smooth palate…the fruit softened from the wine resting in chestnut barrels for one year.
Wines that evoke memories—Fall in Chicago; Active Mt. Etna with a land of Black Basalt; the Ionian Sea Breeze—is there anything better?
