2022 ChevernyDomaine du Salvard
France | Loire
$22
Producers
Winemaker Alessandra Bodda’s daughter Martina recommends a regional antipasto, vitello tonnato, with her family’s lemony and refreshing Arneis. Thinly slice a chilled slow-cooked veal shoulder and top with the magic sauce of 200 grams tuna in oil, three cured anchovy fillets, two tablespoons of capers, two hard-boiled egg yolks, olive oil, and the juice of one lemon, blitzed until smooth. Like the wine, it’s a good starter for parties or a lazy Sunday lunch.
—Emily Spillmann
Wine Type: | white |
Vintage: | 2020 |
Bottle Size: | 750mL |
Blend: | Arneis |
Country: | Italy |
Region: | Piedmont |
Producer: | Tenuta La Pergola |
Winemaker: | Alessandra Bodda |
Vineyard: | 4 ha, Planted in 1995 |
Soil: | Sand |
Farming: | Sustainable |
Alcohol: | 13% |
Tenuta La Pergola Italy | Piedmont | Monferrato Rosso
Tenuta La Pergola Italy | Piedmont | Monferrato Rosso
Cantine Elvio Tintero Italy | Piedmont | Moscato d'Asti
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Silvio Giamello Italy | Piedmont | Barbaresco
The story of Monferrato Rosso began in a simple trattoria. Dixon and Kermit were on their way to Alba when they stopped for lunch. They were served a pitcher of Arneis that pleasantly surprised them and got the address of the producer. When they visited, they tasted several cuvées of Monferrato Rosso. It has quickly become a staff favorite, not only for its smooth earthiness and genuine regional typicity, but also for its versatility in pairing with a wide variety of dishes. We have high hopes for this everyday cuvée, because it has the finesse of a much grander D.O.C. Kermit says that it reminds him of the Piedmontese wines of old. Simple label, low price, totally satisfying!
Kermit’s love affair with the great reds of Piemonte dates back to the early days of his career: the very first container he imported from Italy, in fact, featured legendary 1971 and 1974 Barolos from Vietti and Aldo Conterno. Regular visits since then have seen our portfolio grow to now twelve Piemontesi estates, with a strong focus on the rolling hills of the Langhe.
Nebbiolo rules these majestic, vine-covered marl slopes, giving Italy’s most mystifyingly complex, nuanced, and age-worthy reds. When crafted via traditional production methods—long macerations and extensive aging in enormous oak botti—the powerful, yet incredibly refined Barolos and Barbarescos provide haunting aromatics of tar, raspberry, incense, tea, roses, and more. At times austere in their youth but well worth the wait, they pair beautifully with the hearty local cuisine starring veal in many forms, braised beef, pastas like tajarin and agnolotti, and of course, Alba’s famous white truffles.
Surrounded by mountains on three sides, Piemonte’s climate is continental, with baking hot summers and cold winters. Nebbiolo is only part of the story here: juicy, fruity Barberas and Dolcettos represent the bread and butter throughout the region, and other native grapes like Freisa, Croatina, and the white Arneis are also noteworthy. Value abounds in the Monferrato, while Alto Piemonte also has its share of thrills to provide.
Every corner of Piemonte is rich with tradition, especially when wine is concerned. It’s no wonder we have been singing the region’s praises for over forty years.
Bèrto Italy | Piedmont
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Langhe
Silvio Giamello Italy | Piedmont | Langhe
A. & G. Fantino Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Cantine Elvio Tintero Italy | Piedmont | Barbaresco
Benevelli Piero Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Giulia Negri Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Cantine Elvio Tintero Italy | Piedmont | Langhe
Silvio Giamello Italy | Piedmont | Barbaresco
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
Guido Porro Italy | Piedmont | Barolo
For the wines that I buy I insist that the winemaker leave them whole, intact. I go into the cellars now and select specific barrels or cuvées, and I request that they be bottled without stripping them with filters or other devices. This means that many of our wines will arrive with a smudge of sediment and will throw a more important deposit as time goes by, It also means the wine will taste better.
Drinking distilled spirits, beer, coolers, wine and other alcoholic beverages may increase cancer risk, and, during pregnancy, can cause birth defects. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/alcohol
Many food and beverage cans have linings containing bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical known to cause harm to the female reproductive system. Jar lids and bottle caps may also contain BPA. You can be exposed to BPA when you consume foods or beverages packaged in these containers. For more information, go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/bpa