 The Ansitz Rynnhof Estate, Tramin, Italy
Welcome again to the latest edition of the Jace Wines e-Blast Newsletter. We hope you are enjoying the experience. Alessandro Pascolo and Nathalie Bellutti welcome your comments and questions — please let us know your thoughts.
Ask Alessandro: One Customer asked: “Alessandro, you state that your Merlot Selezione is your ‘most important wine.’ Why? And, noticing that it’s mellow and medium-bodied, how long do you think it will continue to improve with age?”
Alessandro’s Answer: “Merlot Selezione is our most important wine because we succeed in making a great red wine in a traditionally white wine land. It was put in blind tasting together with Piedmont and Tuscan top red wines, and none could understand which one was ours – we fooled the judges. It will improve for the next 4-5 years, and stay at top level for not less than another 3-4.”
Jace is in the House: For those purchasing the Rynnhof wines, you may have noticed the back (brand) label features a photo of our 5th child, Jace. Yep, the pooch is our logo. Expect different versions of the back label, but the photo of Jace will always be there somewhere.
San Diego Private Tasting Scheduled. We have scheduled a private tasting of all the Pascolo and Rynnhof wines for Friday, March 23, 2018, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. at San Diego Wine Storage, 5330 Metro Street, San Diego, 92110. Located off Linda Vista Road, across the street from the “Home Brew Mart,” the birthplace of Ballast Point Beers. Chris has to leave at 6 p.m. sharp to catch a flight, so come on the early side. Local pick-up available. SPACE IS LIMITED, RSVP REQUIRED. RSVP to Chris by Tuesday, March 20, 2018 — [email protected]. Bridget and our colleague Mark Burgess will be there also.
Second San Diego Tasting Booked. The word is getting out. We’ve been booked for a community tasting in our neighborhood at the Mission Hills Wine Cellar, 1624 West Lewis Street, San Diego, 92103. It’ll be happy hour — Friday, April 27, 2018, starting at 6:30 p.m., it is always a great time in the neighborhood. Help us PACK THE HOUSE. We would love to see you – please make every effort to attend. Let us know if you can make it — [email protected]. Hope to see you there.
This week’s wine: Vernatsch (Schiava). Ever heard of it? Come on, be honest. Germans call it Trollinger. Italians call it Schiava. German speaking Italians living in the Alto Adige area of Tramin call it Vernatsch. We call it DELICIOUS. Noting that there are 1,368 different wine grape varieties being produced worldwide, wine writer Stevie
 Courtyard, Ansitz Rynnhof, Tramin, Italy
Stacionis recently remarked that this local wine from the Südtirol is “simple, yet profoundly delicious.” This wine has a slight violet aroma, a front palate of fruity strawberry juice, and a light body reminiscent of France’s famous Nouveau Beaujolais. But, it has more depth, with an enticing mid-palate of almonds and a finish with a fleck of white pepper that belies the desire to quench it as an aperitif and instead serve it with light snacks. It is the perfect accompaniment to the typical Tyrolean “Marende” — an assorted appetizer of smoked ham (you can substitute mild capicola or prosciutto), baby dill pickles, mild green olives (especially castrelevano), crusty rye bread and dry Tyrolean sausage (you can substitute dry sopressata).
NOTE: We only have 18 bottles of this wine. No kidding.
Why tempt us with something light, lively and fun if it’s so limited, you ask? Here’s the deal. First, this wine is the favorite of Tramin. It sells out. Each winery there, gone. Even mediocre bottlings, not just this spectacular bottling from Nathalie, sell out. Italians drink Schiava like we drink diet soda. Really. It took a lot to get Nathalie to release even 18 bottles for us. Here’s the kicker: First, for our next shipment, we can expand the quantity of Schiava, but it will have to be “pre-order” only — it’s so unique in the U.S. that Nathalie doesn’t want to deprive her regular customers of their limited allotment. So, let us know if you want some more, and how much. Second, we were able to “pinch off” what little remained to use in our proprietary blend made with Nathalie’s Lagrein, which will be available this summer. More on that as we get closer to release. |
