by Amanda Donnelly

ARRIVING FRIDAY, MAY 22

As most of you know by now, every so often I get behind a particular wine and can't sing enough praises about it.  Well, this email is about one of those such wines.  I tasted this wine last week,
and instantly knew it would be a huge hit among our customers.

This is something a little different, which makes it even more interesting and fun. It is a late harvest Verdicchio, made by Maurizio Marchetti, one of the great winemakers in the region of Marche in Italy. Marche is just outside Ancona, in the Verdicchio Classico zone of Italy. The wine is imported by Small Vineyards, a company dedicated to importing artisan, and family wines, searching all over Italy for the best small production wines.

This rich, lush, silky-textured wine comes from a very small harvest. Production is only 900 cases. The grapes are allowed to stay on the vine for an extra month. The result is not a sweet wine, but a wine full of wonderful concentration and body. The grapes undergo a process very unusual in the eyes of most Americans. Cryo-maceration is applied, in which whole bunches are frozen overnight, extracting more compounds from the skins. Then, destemming, crushing and separation of skins and must is accomplished and the must starts a classic alcoholic fermentation (as opposed to the regular Verdicchio, this must is much more "plump" and full of compounds). Lastly, the wine is inoculated with lactic bacteria. The temperature is lowered and a prolonged malolactic fermentation takes place - approx. 4-5 months (very slow).

Though this whole process may seem strange to us, is it in fact a return to a more classically styled Verdicchio. For many years, Verdicchio was a heavier, more full-bodied wine than today's light style. By allowing extra time on the vines, Marchetti has created a very smartly-stylized version of the classic Verdicchio.

The fuller body of this wine and richer quality creates a wine that is intended to be enjoyed all year long, and can stand up to heavier, more robust foods.

I was incredibly impressed by the quality of this outstanding wine. I love sharing these special and very affordable wines with our customers! The wine is on sale for $9.99; or $8.99 by the solid case! This is one of those surprising gems that I urge all to try!

LOCAL CUSTOMERS: Please stop by the shop this Saturday, from 12-6 PM when we will tasting this wine, among others!

Marchetti Late Harvest Verdicchio 2006 Full-bodied and lush, this is not a sweet wine. It is off-dry, taking advantage of an extra month on the vine to develop greater body, structure, and fruit essence. It is deftly made, with lush ... more BN#268928 $14.99 On Sale $9.99 Bottle 750ml SKU03141 $179.88 On Sale $107.88 Case 750ml SKU03142