Terre di Giotto sorge a Gattaia, sull'Appennino Toscano, nel comune di Vicchio del Mugello.

Siamo nella parte nord della Toscana, area che dopo la fillossera non è più stata destinata alla coltivazione specializzata della vite per più di un secolo ma solo alla mezzadria, rimanendo fuori dai giochi delle denominazioni. Michele Lorenzetti, dopo una laurea in biologia, si iscrive ad un corso di laurea in enologia e scopre quanto il mondo della viticoltura convenzionale sia pieno di chimica.Trova nella biodinamica una logica applicazione ed estensione delle sue certezze da biologo e a Gattaia individua i terreni dove dar seguito alle sue idee e conoscenze. Nel 2006 qui impianta il suo primo vigneto. Siamo tra i 480 m. s.l.m. e i 590 m s.l.m., su suoli argillosi-calcarei con presenza di arenarie e scisti, in un'area che domina dall'alto tutta la vallata del Mugello dove le nebbie, che si fermano poco prima dei 400m, spesso condizionano il clima. E' un vigneto stretto e lungo, che ripropone sull'etichetta dei suoi vini, circondato da boschi di castagni e querce e sommerso dalla luce. Qui recupera l'esperienza del passato, reimpiantando Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris, Pinot nero e Riesling da selezioni massali francesi, perchè in passato il Marchese Vittorio degli Albizi qui le aveva portate ed impiantate prima che la fillossera distruggesse tutto. Solo 2 ha condotti in biodinamica  per una produzione di nemmeno 6000 bottiglie l'anno, suddivise su 4 referenze. Vini fermentati con i propri lieviti, vero patrimonio della gestione secondo natura della vigna, in vasche d'acciaio e senza controllo della temperatura. Vinificati senza ricorrere ad aiuti enologici, non stabilizzati, non filtrati nè chiarificati per portare nel calice la potenza e ricchezza di una natura intonsa dalle cime degli Appennini del Mugello.

Call the shop! (828) 575-9525.

Prepare for The Next Isolation!

In 1945, the owner of "Gino" an Italian red sauce joint, commissioned
Flora Scalamandré, wife of legendary textile house founder, to design wallpaper
for his drab Manhattan restaurant. When it came to covering walls,
the primary goal of Gino Circiello was to hide the splatters of marinara sauce
on the walls! The zebra design is now available in many colors. The pattern has endured because of the way they hop so unexpectedly into relatively
conformist rooms. The motif, says NYT, is a go-to choice for enlivening
powder rooms, foyers and hallways. SanFrancisco designer Maria Haidamus said:
"It adds whimsy to an otherwise sober setting."
Rooms covered in Scalamandré zebras have made cameo appearances
in movies including "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "The Mighty Aphrodite."
https://www.decoratorsbest.com/products/
scalamandre-zebras-masai-red-wallpaper

Your Celebrate and Decorate with Scalamandré Wine:
La Quercia Montepulciano Riserva 2015

Here's a solid, straightforward red that opens with aromas of sour cherry
and a whiff of new leather. The ripe fruity palate exhibits juicy blackberry,
raspberry and a hint of anise. It's easy drinking, with soft tannins.

*** $22 ***

And a BIG can of Stanislaus Red Sauce, $14.99!

Travel to Italy Through a Board Game

*** Lorenzo the Magnificent ***

Each player is an Italian Renaissance family seeking to impress the church and expand
their power. This is accomplished by acquiring cards representing lands, people, activities
or ventures. Dice-based workers are placed to action locations while resources such as wood, stone, and money are managed to the highest efficiency. Victory points determine the winner.
https://www.boardgamequest.com/lorenzo-il-magnifico-review/

Your Drink Like Lorenzo Wine
RODANO, Toscana 2017

A blend of Sangiovese and Merlot, Rodano is a class act. Made in the traditional style, 
Rodano uses younger Sangiovese vines younger blendedwith 30% Merlot 
to create a fresh vibrancy while maintaining the rustic characterof old world wines. 
Under Italian law, this bottle could be labeled Chianti Classico and, thus, 
command a higher shelf price. You will find cherry fruit with some dark plum notes 
and bits of gingerbread and spice. Long finish. Drink now through 2022. 

After import issues, Rodano is finally BACK!

*** $16.99 ***

*** In the Beginning ***
Before photography, plagues and pandemics were recorded in paint.
A great example is the oval depicting St. John healing victims of the plague painted
for the Hospital of San Giovanni di Dio in Florence by Violante Ferroni,
a woman who bent all rules at a time when large scale public commissions were reserved for men.
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgxwHNWFzLZsHLKvLMnZqCQCHLfTm

Webinar through Italian Embassy in Washington DC on June 4th from 4 to 5pm
Details: https://metrowinesasheville.com/wine-blogs/learning-italian/entry/violante-ferroni-webinar

Your Webinar With Wine:
Contessa Costanza
Cera Suolo di Vittoria Classico 2017

50% Nero D'Avola and 50% Frappato, Sicily $16.99
The Countess Constance wine Poggio di Bortolone is characterized by its remarkable freshness.
It has a bright red color and gives off vibrant aromas of blueberry, cherry and red currant.
On the palate it reveals its excellent structure and fruity and persistent finish.

From The MetroWines Book Suggestion Department
in Collaboration with Ciao Asheville

Italo Calvino presents a novel of endless mutations in this intricate story about writing and readers.
If on a Winter's Night a Traveler turns out to be not one novel but ten, each with a different plot,
style, ambience, and author, and each interrupted at a moment of suspense.
Together they form a labyrinth of literatures, known and unknown, alive and extinct, through which
2 readers, a male and a female, pursue both story lines that intrigue them and one another. 

ITALO CALVINO (1923–1985) attained worldwide renown as one
of the twentieth century’s greatest storytellers. Born in Cuba, he was raised
in San Remo, Italy, and later lived in Turin, Paris, Rome, and elsewhere.
More about Calvino: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Italo-Calvino

Published in 1992. In paperback from Malaprops
https://www.malaprops.com/book/9780156439619

Your Read it With Bottle

Sorelle Palazzi (Palazzi Sisters)
Toscana Sangiovese 2015, $17.99


Grapes grown from old vines on Colli Pisani, Pisan Hills, on soils that are composed
mostly of clay. Native yeasts, non-filtered, and vilification in large cement tanks
give one the chance to taste the "blood of Jove" (Sangiovese) without breaking the bank.
Dried herbs, including thyme and chives, and fruit. Easy to drink solo or with food. 
The Palazzi Sisters, or Sorelle Palazzi, started their winery in 1973 in the little-known Chianti town
of Morrona di Terricciola, in the heart of the Colli Pisani,between Pisa and Volterra. 
Certified Organic by ICEA.
***********************************************
Meanwhile, a Roman Mosaic Floor was found under a Vineyard near Verona!
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-52818746#

*** BIG DEAL of THE WEEK ***



Barbera is a vigorous and productive variety requiring management 
through pruning and planting density. The clusters are big and compact, 
and the grapes are rich in sugar, acidity, soft tannins and color. 
Vallana’s viticultural philosophy is sustainable farming. 
Grapes are ready for harvest mid-September. Handpicked and placed in small boxes. 
Fermentation takes place in large cement tanks and lasts for about one week. 
The wine is unoaked and rests in large cement vessels for up to one year before bottling.
The wine is perfect to drink young, but suitable for medium to long aging.


*** $12.99 ***