QPR, Meet Alto-Adige
It won’t shock you to know that we’ve been thinking a lot about the price of wine - whether the threatened tariffs go through or not. The past few months and years have seen everything creep up in price (or shoot through the roof: eggs!) Just like for the food we buy, price is an important factor. So when it comes to value, there are three letters always come up: QPR
The Quality to Price Ratio.
We’ve always aimed to deliver on this promise - maximize quality while minimizing price. That is a big part of why we started direct importing - we really minimize the price part of the equation when we take out the layers and layers of middlemen in the conventional wine trade and sell directly to you, the customer. As for maximizing the quality (and pleasure), that is why we go out in the field searching for and choosing to work with small producers who are devoted to something truly special, not just fancy packaging and loads of marketing. After all, why go through all the trouble of bringing you wine from halfway around the world, if it ends up being ordinary?
Pleasure is hard to quantify, especially with something as slippery as wine. But one thing is for sure - you know it when you see it. I see it happen all the time when I pour wine for someone; that unexpected smile, or gasp, that just-right pairing of food and wine together - finding something you didn’t even know you loved yet. It’s always a thrill to come across those experiences.
By my measure, when it comes to white wines, there is no more consistent purveyor of quality and delight than Corvée. Time and again, when I open their wines, I can’t help but feel my shoulders ease a little and a smile spread across my face. As for the price, this corner of the world remains undiscovered, which means undervalued. It blows my mind that wine made in a place more suited to mountaineering than farming can still be had for less than a $20 bill, but these wines remain stubbornly affordable.
I’ve said it before, and it bears repeating, Corvée has the trifecta: compelling wines, superb quality across the lineup, and an affordable price tag!
What is Corvée?
The name Corvée is a reference to the Feudal practice and in honor of the hard work that created the terraces that make up the stunning Cembra Valley landscape. Nobles and landowners, who already paid their sharecropper farmers a pittance, could compel their vassals into forced labor, thecorvée, on their one day off per week, for “public works projects” like roads or in this case, terrace walls. The Corvée winery began when Mario Esposito and his three partners from the village of Lisignano, were all still working day jobs - the Corvée winery was built during their "days off" so to speak.
THREE FRESH NEW RELEASES FROM AN ALPINE WONDERLAND
Cór means heart and the name of one of the most beautiful vineyards of the Cembra Valley on the sunny side of Mount Pincaldo (1268 meters). A Pinot Blanc with a light and bright straw yellow color, and a bouquet perfumed with white pulp fruit, apple, pear, peach, with hints of rose, viburnum, jasmine, and fresh green almonds.
Named after the French captain who led the Napoleonic troops in the assault on the nearby Segonzano castle. The temperature variations, and the deep, fertile clay-rich soils, define this limpid and fresh Chardonnay. Aromas of yellow fruit, pineapple, and orange peel blend harmoniously with the sweet aroma of caramel, "toffy" and hazelnut. The Alpine origin is revealed in the fresh acidity.
Pinot Grigio is the most well-known grape of northern Italy and we've looked for years to find the right one. Finally, here it is! It shows a light and bright yellow color, and a perfumed bouquet of pear, peach, and incense. On the palate the taste is rich and with a pleasant acidity and persistence, which represent the distinctive features of this rare "small scale" Pinot Grigio of great freshness and drinkability.