Free tasting | Saturday, January 18, 2020 | 4-6PM

Our Saturday Free Wine Tasting this week is all about Southern Italian red wine. Is there a better place in the world than Southern Italy? It’s such a unique part of the world full of unbelievable tradition, wine, cheese, pasta, and people. Southern Italy is a place we constantly daydream about, and luckily for all of us we’re able to evoke European bliss in your glass and on your plate right at The Cheese Shop! Read on here for Saturday’s line-up. As usual the natural and organic wines being opened and poured on Saturday are 10% off the normal retail price. Ci vediamo Sabato - See you Saturday!

Southern Italian Reds Line-up:

2017 Creta Paglia, Calabria Coclò

Who: Antonello Canonico

What: 100% Magliocco (Evil Eye - yup, it’s a grape)

Where: Calabria, Italy (Creta Paglia is located in San Marco Argentano, north of Coscenza in northern Calabria)

How: Antonello’s philosophy is to produce clean, natural wines and favors oak for a fermentation vessel for all of his wines, which is a great vessel for aging given the thickness of the hearty grape skins that he’s dealing with!

Farming Method: Biodynamic

Fun Fact: Antonello used to work with the natural winery L’Acino before starting his own biodynamic venture in 2017.

Tasting Notes: Dark cherries, spice, earth, and an almost balsamic edginess on the finish. Easy drinking with a ton of structure and depth.

2017 Davitha ‘Isola dei Nuraghi’

Who: Francesco Mariotti 

What: A blend of Caricagiola, Pascale di Cagliari, and Muristellu

Where: Sardinia, Italy

How: These grapes were macerated for 40 days before aging for at least 5 months in 550L tonneaux.

Farming Method: Biodynamic

Fun Fact: Francesco only started Davitha 4 years ago but he’s been passionate about wine for a long time. He’s a trained sommelier and buddies with winemaker Eugenio Bocchino --whose Barolo is a mythical experience!

What It Tastes Like: Refreshingly herby with playful raspberry notes.

2018 Lamoresca Rosso

Who: Filippo and Nancy Rizzo

What: Nero d’Avola, Frappato, with a splash of Grenache.

Where: Sicily, Italy

How: These grapes underwent spontaneous fermentation and spent 4 weeks on the skins; they were then aged in concrete for a year.

Farming Method: Natural

Fun Fact: Filippo used to own a wine bar in Belgium before switching to winemaking-this was where he and Nancy met!

What It Tastes Like: Deliciousness. But more specifically, blackberries, raspberries, with wild minerality and cocoa.

2017 Vino Lauria Scoglitti Frappato

Who: Vito Lauria

What: Frappato 

Where: Sicily, Italy

How: This was fermented and aged in stainless steel.

Farming Method: Organic

Fun Fact: Frappato is indigenious to Sicily where the name is said to be a mispronunciation of ‘fruttato’ which means fruitful. 

What It Tastes Like: A melody of cherries, roses, and fig jam.