Sometimes the Answer is That Obvious
A few days ago, a customer stopped by to grab a case of wine, and before leaving, asked, “I’m making Linguini con Vongole tonight for some friends, do you have any recommendations?”
Without hesitation, I made a beeline for a tall bottle with a sunny label, a Vermentino from Pietra del Focolare, and put it in his hands. “This should do the trick.”
Sometimes it's that obvious! A burst of fresh lemon aromas to complement the hit of garlic, enough weight to stand up to the pasta, and a bright acidity to match the briny clams. Italian whites are made for just this sort of thing. Winemaking traditions have always developed to serve local cuisines, and with almost 8,000 km of coastline, there is plenty of great seafood and fish on the menu in Italy.
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Stefano Salvetti and Laura Angelini started their winery, La Pietra del Focolare, in 1995, when Laura inherited 7 hectares of vineyard, nearly all planted with Vermentino in the Colli di Luni's rust-red schist soils. Now joined by their daughter Linda, they continue to refine their farming and winemaking, maintaining their focus on this expressive white grape so suited to Italy’s abundance of seafood. They've become specialist in Vermentino, with seven different bottlings!
Here’s the great news: you don’t have to limit yourself to an Italian menu to savor this wine. The ‘Augusto’ will play beautifully with a full range of dishes, including our own Pacific Northwest coastal bounty. Seafood Risotto? Yes. Coho Salmon? Why not! Dungeness crab? Check! Halibut? Scallops? Tuna? Of course!! Think of it like that fresh squeeze of lemon to brighten up your dish--except it's in your glass!
From the stunning terraced vineyards that sit just below the marble quarries of Carrara, 'Augusto' is 90% Vermentino and 10% Trebbiano. A start-to-finish delight. Aromas of bright yellow citrus, with a hint of sweet cut grass and white flowers. On the palate, a medium-weight wine with mineral drive and a lengthy finish. This wine is a captivating slice of the Italian coast you won’t want to miss.
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Even as I write this newsletter, I have a smile on my face, thinking of the sunny afternoon on the Ligurian coast when we discovered this wine--salt in the air, a meal of fresh-caught fish, and a view of the Mediterranean. While you wait for your next beach vacation or coastal getaway, add a few bottles of this for your late summer seafood dinners and early fall entertaining.