Seattle Wine Society Spring Event
ITALIA Via The Backroads
March 19, 2005, 6 to 9:30 p.m.
St. Demetrios Cultural Center
2100 Boyer Avenue East, Seattle

ITALIA IS SOLD OUT!
Click here and request to be on a waiting list.

Menu• Dinner Wines • Additional Wines • Backroads Journey • Italian Wine Classification
Celebrations Catering • Entertainment •
Wood-Roasted Coffee • Italian Chocolates • The Cheese Cellar
Reserve Now!

Fabulous catered dinner ~ Live music
Specially selected, lesser-known wines from Italy’s far corners
Unique Italian wood-roasted coffee
Wines available for purchase

The choice of Italy for the Seattle Wine Society spring event was an easy one. Just look at the incredible coastline and the geographic and cultural richness stretching from north to south. The mountain-to-Mediterranean climate and the three seas surrounding Italy, along with rivers and lakes, provide an amazing bounty of foods and wines to choose for our feast.

It's a Celebration!
Imagine yourself sitting in a small trattoria, sampling local wines and regional specialties. Judy Lewis of Celebrations Catering has created a menu that promises to transport us right to the Italian countryside.

Menu by Celebrations Catering
Antipasti ~ Selection of Italian meats, imported olives,
Parmigiano-Reggiano and melon with a fig preserve,
served with toasted crostini and flatbreads

Primi ~ Farfalle pasta with roasted red pepper cream sauce

Secondi/Carne ~ Stuffed flank steak with Italian red sauce
served with creamy herb and tomato polenta and
Italian green beans with garlic and olive oil

Vegetarian option: Stuffed portobello mushroom

Insalata ~ Field greens with a honey arancia vinaigrette
served with arancia rosette pane rustico

Fruit and cheese

Dolci ~ Handmade chocolate-dipped biscotti

Italia Dinner Wines:
~ Bartolomiol Cartizze Prosecco, DOC “Superiore,” Veneto
~ Tenuta Bonzara Sauvignon Blanc, 2003, Emilia- Romagna
~ Frimaio, Chianti Classico Riserva, DOCG, 1997,Tuscany.
Sangiovese-Merlot blend
~ Miklus Negro di Collina “Collio,” 2001, Friuli Venezia Gulia.
50% Cabernet, 50 % Merlot

Additional Wines:
(Available for tasting using scrip as indicated. Ticket price includes 3 scrip; more can be purchased at the event for $1 each.)

~ Edi Simcic, Pinot Grigio, 2001 (2 scrip)
~ Tre Donne, Gavi di Gavi, 2003, Piedmont. 100% Cortese (1 scrip)
~ Mauro Barbera, Ania, 2000, Piedmont. 100% Nebbiolo d’Alba (1 scrip)
~ Cigliuti, Briccoserra “Langhe Rosso,” 2001. 50% Nebbiolo, 50% Barbera (traditional oak and style) (2 scrip)
~ Giuseppe Lonardi, Privilegia, 2000, Veneto.
50% Corvina, 50% Cab Franc (2 scrip)
~ Aldegheri, Amarone, 1998, Veneto. Top Valpolicella style (2 scrip)
~ La Berta 2001 Almante Alicante (This wine is making a public debut at the Italia event.) (2 scrip)
~ Fattoria Bibbiani, Pulignano, 1997, Tuscany.
Special clone Sangiovese (2 scrip)
~ Antonio Sanguineti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, 2000, Tuscany.
96% Prugnolo Gentile, 4% Mammolo (1 scrip)
~ Cantina Terre de Trinci, Sagrantino di Montefalco,
DOCG, 1999, Umbria (2 scrip)
~ Vinagri Puglia, Primitivo Salento, IGT, Fiore di Vigna, 2000, Puglia.
100% Primitivo, barrique (1 scrip)
~ Cantini di Palma, Il Nibbio Grigio, DOC, 2000, Basilicata.
100% Aglianico del Vulture, barrique (1 scrip)
~ Tomas & Geisen Nero d’Avola, IGT, “Karas,” 2000, Sicily.
100% Nero d’Avola (1 scrip)
~ Il Ciliegio, vin Santo dei Chianti, 2001 (2 scrip)
~ di Lenardo, Pass the Cookies, 2003, Friuli.
100% Late Harvest Verduzzo (1 scrip)
~ Cantina di Negrar "La Sorte," Recioto Classico 2002 (2 scrip)

Backroads Journey
by Stephanie Ninaud
Our culinary and enological Italia journey will not be passed as if in a comfortable motor coach. We are going off into the hills and valleys to meet winemakers who make handcrafted wines in small lots, often under 500 cases total. We’ll even touch ground where ancient Romans defined production areas for dozens of wines.

With the help of two local importers, we bring you a superb selection. Tom Kelly, himself an adventurer through the Italian backroads, has assembled a portfolio of wines from family-owned small vineyards for our sampling. Through Tom we will meet such passionate ambassadors of their craft as Antonio Sanguineti, who makes very fine Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, so named as this Tuscan wine was once the favorite of the nobility.

Another very limited wine will be the Fattoria Bibbiani Pulignano, of which only 210 cases are made annually, from a special Sangiovese clone. It is only grown on a tiny 5-acre plot, and employs the governo alla tosca process, which incorporates dried and pressed grape skins into the fermentation for a brighter, more aromatic palate.

We will also meet women enologists, such as the incomparable Tre Donne sisters, through their exquisite Gavi di Gavi. This is the traditional, prestigious white wine – one might almost say Italy’s Chablis. Look around for other wines (both rosso and bianco) by these ladies, critiqued favorably both here and in Europe.

Then there is the bold vision of Giuseppe Lonardi, who dares to make a wine from a new blend using 50 percent Corvina (a blending grape of Valpolicella) and 50 percent Cabernet Franc. A second fermentation is done on the Corvina skins, after which the wine is aged 22 months in barrique. Do you now see why Lonardi named this wine “Privilegia?”

The Baron de Renzis will put his best foot forward with his fine Vin Santo (only 100 cases produced). Literally the “wine of the saints,” Vin Santo is a holy wine used in the Mass and a true Tuscan specialty. Especially fine grapes from the late harvest are hung up or dried on mats, where they stay about two months. The shriveled grapes are then pressed, giving up only a small amount of liquid, which undergoes a complex maturation of two to six years. Skillful blending and the winemaker’s palate determine the final balance of sweetness.

Another local Italian importer, Giancarlo Manzin, has also combed his homeland to bring some very fine and interesting wines to Seattle over the years. One newer brand that caught our eye is Tomas and Giesen. This group set its focus on wines and grape varietals of southern Italy and her islands. With an eye towards organic techniques in their cultivation and harvesting, the winemakers ensure that exacting standards result in the highest quality. From Sicily, we will be tasting Nero d’Avola. This traditional, inky red Sicilian variety has been gaining favor as good examples become available for export.

Wines tasted at our Italia event will include a myriad of styles and varieties, in examples that mirror the art of the land and the hearts of the winemakers. From the seductive Amarone out of the misty hanging valleys above Verona, to the wines from the sunny, playful Tuscan hills south to the Mediterranean Sea, our footfalls will follow.

Did You Know...?
DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) In Italy’s wine classification system, the designation for the most strictly regulated and highly ranked wines.
DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) A broader and somewhat less tightly controlled designation. Over 300 areas have DOC status, of which 24 are currently designated DOCG. Regulations govern the production area, permissible grape varieties, yield, alcohol levels and other vineyard practices.
IGT (Indicazione Geografica Tipica) A category of wines created in 1992, to bring the high-quality wines known as vino da tavola into the system.

It’s a Celebration!
Born into a traditional Italian family who settled into the Seattle area, Judy Lewis of Celebrations Catering was greatly influenced by the many gatherings of her close-knit family. These always included authentic Italian dishes from recipes handed down through the generations – from the Abruzzi hills to the southern region of Calabria and Bari. Inspired by her many relatives, Judy learned the simplicity of the true Italian cuisine of her heritage. She has been a major participant of Festa Italiana in Seattle for the past seven years and we’re excited to have her cater our event.

La Mezzanotte Trio
Providing a lively and festive musical backdrop to help transport us to the Italian countryside will be La Mezzanotte Trio, featuring Bonnie Birch on accordion. Her list of accomplishments is long and includes a performance at Carnegie Hall. Closer to home, she has performed at Festa Italiana, Worldfest, Cultural Crossroads and at many local restaurants. Bonnie will be joined by a guitarist and a tenor to create an authentic Italian ambience for our evening.

Good To The Last Drop
We have a special treat in store to top off our evening’s journey through Italy – Italian wood-roasted coffee. Fresh from Caffe Pacori in Eugene,Oregon, this coffee is produced following an Italian roasting tradition passed down for generations. Coffee roasted in small batches over wood-fired flames is milder and sweeter than most with more natural flavor, a fuller body and a tantalizing aroma. It sounds as intriguing as a fine wine!

Sweet Bonus: Italian Chocolates
The Attibassi Coffee and Chocolate Company, founded in Bologna, Italy, in 1918, is flying in just for our Italia event traditional Italian chocolates. You'll sample two:
Nocciolatini di Bologna ~ Milk chocolate ball with a chocolate and crushed hazelnut filling.
Coccole al Cappuccino ~ An extraordinary meeting of milk chocolate and cappuccino cream.
Attibassi uses Callabaux, one of the highest rated chocolates in Europe. Also natural vanilla and cocoa butter; no hydrogenated fats, preservatives or artificial coloring.
These sweet treats, (and a Gianduja ~ Hazelnut infused milk chocolate bar most representative of Italy's full-flavor chocolates) imported by Frederic Courteau of Sabaidi Foods, will also be available for purchase at the event.

The Cheese Cellar
This hands-on specialty cheese shop offers genuine artisan cheeses imported from Europe, all from small farmhouse production. The retail shop in Fisher Plaza at the foot of the Space Needle is complete with an ageing room and a selection of wine to enhance your cheese experience. Contact Dennis Nelson and Theresa Simpson at 206-404-2743 or info@thecheesecellar.com. Their Web site is TheCheeseCellar.com.
On the cheese plate will be:
Piacentinu Ennese ~ Rare sheep's milk cheese produced exclusively in Sicily. The addition of saffron gives its striking yellow color. Whole black peppercorns also added.
Gorgonzola Dolce ~ Gentler, milder version of well-known blue cheese. Soft, spreadable and extremely creamy.
Grand Old Man Pecorino ~ Aged sheep cheese that develops an intense, rich flavor. Nutty and sharp with a dry, flaky, grating texture. A natural brushed rind with basket weave is nice for cooking, shaved or on a cheeseboard.
La Tur, Alta Langa ~ A blend of cow, goat and sheep milk from the Alta Langa region of Italy. Runny on the outside, curdy on the inside. Soft, fresh, and creamy.

Reserve a Table for Eight!
Buy tickets or reserve a full table for eight at our Italia Via the Backroads. Use the Ticket Reservation Form. You may enclose a check with the form, or go to online reservations and pay for your reservations now by clicking the BUY NOW button.