“Wine is bottled poetry.” - Robert Louis Stevenson

Red wine and champagne are my two favorite types of wines, and both really hold a special place in my heart, as well as our wine cabinet. I make it a mission at least once a month to pick up new bottles at a local wine shop. One of my favorite activities is tasting and trying out new wines - it’s so nice to stumble upon selections that staff members hand pick for you.

As the weather begins to get a little bit cooler, I’m stocking up on a few of my favorite varietals for the season ahead. Today, I am sharing four wines that I’ve been really enjoying lately - two reds, and two champagnes.

2017 Sidekick Cabernet Sauvignon

The inner comic book nerd in me totally gravitated towards this bottle. How cool is the graphic novel inspired artwork on this?! I absolutely thought the idea was brilliant, and could not wait to taste this lovely Cabernet Sauvignon. For less than $20 a bottle, it is pretty enjoyable, and had notes of cedar, mocha, plum, tobacco, and licorice.

The wine is most certainly bold and tastes of dark berries. This Cab is high in tannin, well bodied, balanced fruit, and the acid is a little lower than most Cabernets - which I really loved. You can enjoy this wine by itself, with a burger or any chicken dish.

Hello World Petit Verdot

It is so rare to find a delicious 100% Petit Verdot, but this bottle totally lived up to my expectations. Also, this wine is super reasonably priced at $20. What is absolutely so neat about this wine is that it’s aged in both stainless steel and oak barrels.

The Petit Verdot has aromas of bananas, cherry, and leather. This wine has spicy notes, strong tannins and the finish lingers on in such a great way. The perfect pairing for this would be cheese, or some type of rich meat dish like grilled steak or lamb.

SoloUva Franciacorta Brut

Remember that time I went to Italy, and picked up this lovely bottle of champs? Well, this is still a favorite of mine. I’m so happy that G and I picked up several bottles of this bubbly during our vacation in Rome to bring back home.

This champagne is a Chardonnay grape and is aged in stainless steel for approximately 36 months. Also, this wine is vegan, which is so unique for a bubbly. I love absolutely pairing this with oysters, or any seafood related dish.

Alain Vincey Champagne Brut Rosé

This french champagne is so delicious, it is a blend of 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Chardonnay with 20% Pinot Meunie, and truly does not disappoint. The bottle of bubbly is refined, and has aromas of berries - strawberry, cranberry, and raspberry to be exact. It has notes of orange, pistachio, and has a light toast as well.

One of my favorite things about this champagne is that it is crisp, gentle on the palate, bone-dry, light, and has a slight mineral note to it as well. I was actually super impressed that this bottle averaged around $50, when other high end champagnes typically hover closer to the $100+ threshold mark. This bottle is the perfect pairing to pork, salmon, and mild or soft cheese.

XO, Analise

“In vino veritas.” - Italian Proverb

This popular Italian proverb means “Wine makes people tell the truth” . Wine has played such a huge role on the Italian peninsula since ancient Roman times. During our trip in January we were able to experience some of the wines Italy had to offer, and we were not disappointed.

When we visited Italy, one of the highlights from our trip was visiting Rimessa Roscioli. The staff not only introduced us to some wonderful new wines, but gave us a spectacular history lesson on the Italian winemaking process. We were able to learn about some of the amazing wine regions around Italy as well. Our experience at the wine shop was spectacular, and we were so thrilled that they were able to ship us some lovely bottles back home.

Today I’m sharing what wines we enjoyed and purchased in Rome.

*Admiring all of the wines Rome has to offer.*

*Spending some quality time with Paola Carlomosti our lovely wine sommelier for the evening.*

What We Picked: Sparkling

Cascina Ronchi - This is a blend of Malvasia and Spergola varietals. The wine is well balanced, clean and crisp. The bubbly is the perfect compliment to any dish, especially seafood.
SoloUva - This is a Chardonnay grape and is aged in stainless steel for approximately 36 months. Also, this wine is Vegan, which is so unique for a bubbly. I definitely cannot wait to enjoy this during the warmer months ahead.

*Getting acquainted with the Cascina Ronchi.*

*My new favorite bubbly the impeccable SoloUva.*

What We Picked: Reds

Castello Dei Rampolla Chianti - I was on the hunt for a Chianti wine during our visit, especially since it is my Dad’s favorite. So, when we tried this bottle, I knew it was the one. This wine is a blend, 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot - all of my favorite grapes. The wine is balanced and absolutely amazing.
Primitivo di Manduria - This wine is full bodied, but encompasses soft tannins. It has notes of red jam, cherries, raspberries, and blueberry. It would pair perfectly with cheese, and especially pasta.
Bressan Schioppettino - I was blown away by this wine, and it is undoubtedly one of the most unique wines I’ve ever had. It has notes of black pepper, blackberries, raspberries and bilberries. Also, the bouquet of the wine encompasses woody and musk aromatics. We really enjoyed this wine with the Cacio e Pepe dish paired at Rimessa.
Cascina delle Rose 2014 'Donna Elena' Barbera d'Alba - The notes of the wine exuded cherries, plums, tobacco, dark chocolate, and cinnamon. This wine is so incredibly well balanced, and we couldn’t wait to add it to our collection.

*Enjoying a red wine tasting at Rimessa.*

*The standout red, and our new favorite - 2013 Bressan Schioppettino.*

*The full red lineup: (L to R) Castello Dei Rampolla Chianti, Primitivo di Manduria, Bressan Schioppettino, Cascina delle Rose 2014 'Donna Elena' Barbera d'Alba*

What are some of your favorite wines? Share below!

XO, Analise

Uncorked: Reds & Bubbles

Uncorked: Italy Edition

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