pizza and pasta party

giulio grasso describes his family’s entry into the wine business  as ‘late’ because his male ancestors were soldiers in the various world wars. only after the turmoil in europe settled, in the mid 1950s, did the family start to bottle wine. the estate’s most precious vineyard, the three hectares they own in the asili cru, was a wedding dowry from giulio’s grandmother (from barbaresco) to his grandfather (from treiso). today, the family owns 25 hectares including the valgrande and marcarini crus in treiso and the asili and pora crus in barbaresco. the ca’ del baio line-up is extremely impressive and delightful and considered some of the best wines from barbaresco. this however, is 100% rhine riesling and has been the first vintage of a long-time passion project of the family. bright and citrusy this does well with a variety of sauces styles.

meaning "baal's house" casa di baal was founded by annibale "baal" salerno when he started making olive oil in the 1960's. five children later this do it all family decided to start making wine. they converted what little plantings the had to organic viticulture and began focusing on fiano and aglianico. 2006 was their first year of production. barbera del sannio, a local fresher grape that has no relation to barbera d'alba, is a grape that has been farmed by annibale for years. its aged in amphora, and has a much more vibrant character to the more typical and intense aglianico wines. another versatile option it likes a chill and pairs nicely with pepperoni or spiced sauces.

the almondo family has a deeply rooted history in the region dating in the 14th century, but their attitude towards winemaking is anything but antiquated. domenico is now joined by sons federico and stefano. federico is a trained enologist and all three work the vineyards together. Today, the estate is 23 certified organic hectares. they continue to focus on native varieties and their dedication to native grapes has led to the almondos spearheading and hosting a decade-long collaboration with the university of turin and other regional producers to collect and study massal selections of arneis and document key clone variations. the estate's keystone vineyard is the bricco delle ciliegie (the hill of cherries) that still features fruit trees amongst the vines. almondo's roero is made from 100% nebbiolo, the grape that makes the great wines of barolo and barbaresco. gorgeous floral and red fruit notes with smooth, mouth-coating tannins and a precise acidity. while not as powerful as barolo or barbaresco, this elegant nebbiolo showcases the lighter style of the grape, perfect for everyday drinking and pairing with a wide range of pasta and pizza!

this is a family-owned estate was established in 1930 when daniele venica purchased ronco del cero.  today the winery is one of friuli's most well-known and respected estates.  giampaolo venica is the 3rd generation winemaker having taken over the estate from his father gianni and uncle giorgio.  the winery is known for highly textural and aromatic whites that use little to no wood in the production of their wines. although friuli-venezia giulia is known for its white wines, merlot has made a name for itself as the most popular red wine— as if merlot had originated there! this is soft yet plush with juicy plummy fruit and hints of cocoa on the finish. this one loves a fuller richer sauce such as a bolognese, a meat-lovers pizza, or mushrooms!