| Greetings!
In this issue we reach to our roots as a company by focusing on one of the first six wines in our portfolio - Santa Brigida, one of our first customers - Erato on Main, and what has always been a pleasure to us - enjoying great wine and sharing it with you!
Sincerely,
Kallie Smith & Nathan Woodhouse |
|
|
|
|
Retailer Spotlight 
Erato on Main
126 N. Main Street
Edwardsville, Illinois
618-307-3203
Erato on Main is a wine bar and restaurant well worth the short drive from Saint Louis. Their menu of mostly local ingredients changes daily, and the beer and wine list is full of tasty and unique gems.
The wine list varies slightly with season and availability, but you'll always find at least a handful of Ionia Atlantic's stellar Italian wine in the mix. Right now you can stop in for a glass of Vinchio Vaglio Serra Kroara Barbera or a bottle of several of our selections. If you're intrigued by the Santa Brigida mentioned below (there's no reason not to be!), then you're in for an extra special treat. Beginning around August 20th, Erato will pour Santa Brigida by the glass! This is truly an amazing opportunity to try a fantastic wine and only spend $8.00 doing it!!!
The staff at Erato are knowledgeable and friendly. They will put you right at ease in your decision making process, whether it's wine, beer, or food. Erato on Main is one of Ionia Atlantic's favorite spots and you'll often find us there. While dining one evening, Nathan and I heard the table next to us rave about the Seiterre Podere Sassoscritto and proceed to make their way through three bottles of it. We enjoyed their appreciation of it so much we purchased their next bottle for them. We hope to see you at Erato soon! Be sure to enjoy Ionia Atlantic wine while you're there, you never know who may be listening! |
| A Truly Super Tuscan
Fattoria La Ripa Santa Brigida
by Nathan Woodhouse
In December 2004, Kallie and I traveled to Florida for the Miami International Wine Fair. It was our first large scale trade tasting, and we discovered two brands which are still with us today; Majnoni Guicciardini and Fattoria La Ripa.
With a lot of work to promote the brands, we have done well with Majnoni's Chianti (about $12.00 retail), and fairly well with Fattoria La Ripa's Chianti Classico, which is derived from 100% organically certified grapes (about $18.00 retail). What hasn't sold so well is Fattoria La Ripa's "super-Tuscan," Santa Brigida.
Santa Brigida is a blend of 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet Sauvignon. It spends 18 months in oak barriques, then a year in the bottle before release. We wanted to focus on high quality wines with characteristics of the terroir. Fattoria La Ripa is definitely a producer that stays true to its land, and even with the addition of Cabernet, Santa Brigida is distinctly Tuscan. We were not the only ones to appreciate it. Wine Spectator awarded the vintage we tasted 90 points. As a new company with no labels, we needed the credibility that rating would bring.
The 2001 vintage, which I tasted last night with dinner, is spectacular and more long-lived than the previous two vintages. I prepared pasta with rapini and pancetta, which turned out to be less than spectacular, but the wine was fabulous.
After a bit of time in the glass, the wine opens to one of the most beautiful noses I can recall. Deep cherries and dark berries, currant, mint, herbs, leather, tobacco, licorice...it's a treasure trove of complexity, and the palate follows up well. Very well structured tannins, round in the mouth, with a delightful licorice and herbal finish that is perfect for food. This wine is a great example of why I love Italian wine. It is full-bodied, but not over-powering. It has a refreshing acidity from the Sangiovese, that makes it perfect for food.
After burning out on Sangiovese (our company built our portfolio with a foundation of Tuscan wine), my preference had wandered toward Piemonte. What a refreshing re-examination of Tuscany last night was. Fattoria La Ripa Santa Brigida is truly a gem in our portfolio. Be sure to enjoy a glass of Santa Brigida at Erato on Main for a limited time!
|
| What is a Super Tuscan?
In the late 1960's, innovative winemakers in Tuscany (particularly Bolgheri) began releasing wine that could not legally be labeled in the prestigious DOC or DOCG categories because they used international grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, and oak and aging methods that were not allowed for any DOC status. Bolgheri's microclimate and terroir are particularly similar to Bordeaux, so the desire to see what a Bordeaux grape could do there was great. These VdT wines (table wines), with no legal designation, were so great in quality they became known "super-Tuscans". Later, the IGT level was created to give wines like this a bit more guidance, and now there is a Bolgheri DOC zone to regulate the wines of the area. The original super-Tuscans contained Bordeaux varietals; Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot entirely or mixed with the Tuscan king, Sangiovese.
Today, super-Tuscan is a loosely used term thrown at any Tuscan IGT red wine. We believe a true a super-Tuscan should be a rich and powerful wine, from French varietals and Sangiovese alike, that will age well for several years. Though each has a unique style and growing area, Campo all Sughera Arnione and Adéo, Canonica a Cerreto Sandiavolo, Fattoria La Ripa Santa Brigida, and I Giusti & Zanza Dulcamara, Perbruno, Nemorino and Belcore are all examples of super-Tuscans in our portfolio.
|
| Through the Grapevine
Scott Reed shares stories of life on the road as Ionia Atlantic's National Sales Manager
One of the greatest pleasures I have in this exciting business is presenting "new" wines to potential accounts and consumers. Ionia Atlantic Imports is continuously searching for new wineries and wines that will excite the masses. One of these "new" wines is the Vinchio Vaglio Serra "Kroara" Barbera. "New", you ask? Sure, the Kroara Barbera has been one of our best selling wines since we brought it in over a year ago, at least in the 750ml bottle. It's easy drinking style and affordability made it a success from the start. Now...(drum roll please) we bring you the same great wine in a 3 liter bag-in-box format! That's right, great affordable wine in a convenient and beautiful 3ltr package. There was slight hesitation to import in this format, but this was quickly alleviated by the wide acceptance by our distributor partners and retailers alike. The success has led to the addition of Kroara's white wine counterpart, the Kroara Cortese 3ltr BnB. The Cortese is on its way across the Atlantic now and will be ready to stand beside the Barbera by early September.
(And now back to an example of one of my greatest pleasures...)
At a 'blind tasting' party hosted by Ionia Atlantic Imports in Kansas City, Kansas a few weeks ago, I decided to bring the new Kroara Barbera bag-in-box to the event. I poured it into a decanter and hid the box in the next room. The rest of the selections were in their respective bottles and wrapped so no one could see what they were. Everyone "oooo'd and ahhh'd" at the mystery wine in the decanter. The 20 or so participants eagerly tasted this 'mystery' wine and love, love, loved it! (Now to the part where I either get punched or hugged). I spun around the corner and came back into the room with the box of wine itself. The audible gasps from the tasters said it all. They could not believe they had tried, AND LOVED, a boxed wine. A few people shook their fist, a few raised their hands in celebration, and a few of the unbelievers tried it straight from the box to make sure I hadn't pulled a fast one. In the end everyone was pleasantly surprised and amazed by the experience. Bag-in-Box wine can be just that good, especially the Kroara Barbera and soon, the Kroara Cortese. Proudly look for the Barbera now at your favorite retailer.
|
Recipe & Wine Pairing
Costoletta di Maiale con Pomodori
This recipe is slightly modified from the French cookbook by Carole Clements and Elizabeth Wolf-Cohen. It is absolutely delightful. Take care not to overcook the pork, as it is best when tender and juicy.
1 tsp butter
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 pork chops, about 1 inch thick
2 T white wine
1 tsp fresh thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp tomato paste
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 small tomato peeled, seeded and chopped
1 tsp fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
In a heavy cast iron skillet, melt butter and oil over high heat. Sprinkle pork chops with salt & pepper, then add to pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and cook until browned, about 2-3 minutes on each side. Remove chops to a plate and pour off fat from pan.
Pour the wine into the hot pan and add the thyme. Boil for about 2 minutes, until the wine has nearly evaporated. Lower the heat to medium low, add the cream and tomato paste, whisking about 2 minutes. Return the chops to the pan and cook for about 4 minutes, taking care not to overcook.
Add mustard, tomato and parsley, stirring well. Heat for about one minute. Serve the chops with the sauce drizzled over the top.
Pair with Fattoria La Ripa Santa Brigida. ¡Buon Appetito!
| |
|
|
|
Ionia Atlantic was formed from a passion for great wine and Italian lifestyle. Wonderful wines are found throughout the world, but we believe the most exciting, historic and diverse land for wine is Italy. We strive to share the fruits of this beautiful land by offering traditional, artisan wines with competitive pricing.
Sincerely,
|
Kallie Smith
Ionia Atlantic Imports |
|
|
August 2009
