Italian wines
A Wonderful Tasting at Vinum55 with Caiarossa and Château Giscours
Last evening a rare and appreciated treat at Vinum55 in Scottsdale with two wineries, one in Italy and one in France, owned by the same family being presented and tasted. While only five exquisite wines were served due to the rarity and price points, each were remarkable. Pricing for the wines ranged from $85 to $140/bottle. It was the only session I attended where all the wines were given my higher scores across the board.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
After a brief introduction by Shelly Fitzgerald of Vinum55 (on the right) , she turned the presentation and tasting over to Pauline Wlodarzyck from the winery.
Caiarossa was founded in 1998, and AJ Family Domaines acquired the estate in 2004. The land is biodynamic farmed with similar winemaking practices in place. The property is in Tuscany between Volterra and Ceche just outside Riparbella. The estate receives cool breezes off the sea, and the vineyards are located up on the hillsides. The land is worked by hand due to the steep sloped vineyards.
Now with the background information in hand, we commenced the tasting!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We started out the evening with 2022 Caiarossa, a blend of Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese and Grenache. Both this one and next were smooth, lively and provided an airy freshness. In the glass, both wines were radiant and bright.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The second wine was a 2017 Caiarossa that was a warm/hot year in Italy producing ripe fruits tasted of Plum and red fruits. A similar blend to the first with percentages varying and this substituting Alicante Bouschet instead of Grenache. This provided on the palate a more earthy with slightly more tannins and acidity than the 2022. A soft note of sweetness was noted on the finish.
Picture from http://www.TripAdvisor.comTripadvisor
We then moved on to three of Château Giscours with its tasting room and guest rooms building dating back to the 1790’s. This is located on the left bank of Bordeaux in the town of Labarde, in the Margaux appellation of the Médoc, Bordeaux, France. The refurbished winery was built using gravity fed principles for winemaking and even included feng shui concepts into the architecture. Their 2025 was named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator. The estate is 400 acres with no irrigation.
Started off with the 2022 Château Giscours with lively fruit being noted in the glass. On the eyes this received a noted “Excellence” with the bright coloring.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next wine was the 2020 Château Giscours that on the eyes was crisp, semi-transparent made with 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Merlot fermented in both stainless steel and concrete tanks. The wine was aged in 50% French Oak barrels for 12-15 months. This produced an elegant and voluptuous wine with energetic berries abounding on the palate. This wine received scores all in the mid 90’s by a host of critics. This received my highest rating during the tasting.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A very special treat of the 2008 Château Giscours was offered. This wine on the nose had both an earthy and barnyard character, with tastes of tobacco and layers of enjoyment. The finish provided smooth and silky tannins. I noticed just a hint of copper on the edges but beyond enjoyable to the last sip!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A great tasting by any standard and very much appreciated by those attending. A big hearty thanks to Pauline and Vinum55 for holding this event.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
Tour of Italy Through the Wine Glass Presented by Classico Wines
slide by Classico Wines
This week Vinum55 hosted a wonderful one and half hour presentation by Kevin Smith from Classico Wines at their Chandler facility.
slide by Classico Wines
The meeting started up with everyone getting a refreshing non-vintage De Faveri “Valdobbiadene” Prosecco from Veneto in northern Italy. This is made with 100% Glera grapes and possesses an alluring aroma and flavor of fresh peaches.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Up next was the 2025 Agricosimo Pecorino from Abruzzo working our way up north. One of the key takeaways this evening was Kevin’s pointing out the differences between warm climate and cool climate wines and the effects on acidity. Wines in Italy that are from cool climate being more acidic, lighter body with more tartness and herbaceous quality. This wine being from Abruzzo on the east coast of Italy.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The third wine of the evening was the 2024 Conti Vermentino Sardegna. Vermentino is gaining traction in the USA as a nice in-between wine from a harsher/more citrus Sauvignon Blanc and a smooth Chardonnay. This is especially true in California. This wine provided all the harnessed citrus needed without overrunning the palate. This is a great wine with so many white tender fish and shell seafood dishes. This and the next wine having my highest rating of the evening for white wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The fourth wine was the 2025 Les Cretes Petite Arvine Valle d’ Aosta. This is a unique grape and not widely known. It comes from Valle d’ Aosta in northern Italy next to Switzerland. This cool climate wine is known for vibrant grapefruit notes, white flowers and a salinity finish. Bright acidity with a full body made me order a couple of bottles!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
That concluded the line up of white wines for the evening. We then moved on to the red wines which many were anxiously anticipating. Here again two red wines stood out and received my highest marks for the evening. The first red wine tasted was the 2022 Le Sabbie Dell Etan Rosso from Sicily. This wine possesses an earthiness and was very acidic being grown on the slopes of Mount Edna in Sicily.
slide by Classico Wines
This wine is often compared to Pinot Noir and Nebbiolo for its elegance, light to medium body viscosity and high acidity. Being planted on prior eruptions, the soil provides distinct mineral and smokey flavors, not pronounced but present.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of our personal favorite wines is Aglianico. Poured this evening was the 2018 Fontavecchia “Vigne Catarrate” Aglianico Reserva from Campania. Campania being on the southwest portion of Italy in a warmer climate. Here in this picture, you see Campania overlooking Naples with Mt Vesuvius in the background.
slide by Classico Wines
This was a hefty wine with tobacco, leather and dried herbs being forefront and very noticeable. Very different than a typical California Aglianico from Sonoma like VJB Cellars (one of our personal favorites). These two would make a great comparison in contrasting a warm verses cool climate identical grape.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We then moved on to two of Italy’s most famous varietals, Nebbiolo and followed by Barolo. This 2017 Arpepe “Rocca di Piro” Grumello DOCG comes from Lombardia and is made from Chiavennasca grapes a local alpine name for Nebbiolo in Italy. This grape boosts a 500-year history in the mountains of Piedmont. This wine is light, but packs a punch with bright red fruit, high acidity and firm tannins. A wine looking to be paired with food. Notes flavors of sour red cherry, cranberries and raspberries. Secondary flavors of wet stone, herbal notes and surprisingly mint. Both this wine and the following received my highest ratings for the evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The last wine and a crowd favorite was the 2021 Boroli Barolo another DOCG wine from Piedmonte and made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes. Key notes of cherry and plum stood out. Wood from barrel aging were also noted. This is due to aging 18 months in oak and then aged another 18 months before release. This is a classical Barolo and a good standard in understanding why Barolo is sought after throughout the world.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
A very energetic and thorough “ride along” through Italy with various stops to enjoy some of their special and unique wines. Personally, I really enjoyed being introduced to two grapes/wines that I had not tasted previously, the Nerello Mascalee and Petite Arvine. We were so enamored with the Italy tour (and previous visits there), we had made reservations at an Italian restaurant to complete our tour and make it a perfect evening.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
https://californiawinesandwineries.com
Avellino’s – Always a Crowd Favorite on an Afternoon
Photo from Avellino Website
Avellino’s Italian Market and Wine Bar in Angels Camp, continues to exceed expectations! Located at 1225 S. Main Street, Angels Camp. They provide great imported wines, excellent service, genuine hospitality and scrumptious foods. It is one of our favorite places just to simply relax and enjoy a glass of Italian wine and a few truly Italian tidbits on an afternoon. 98% of all the foods and wines are imported from Italy.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First up was a delightful and refreshing 2017 Ferretti Brunello di Montalcino DOCG. Brunello di Montalcino is a prestigious Italian wine from south Tuscany. It is produced with 100% Sangiovese grapes around the town of Montalcino. One of the requirements of this highly regulated wine is it must be aged five years after harvest before being released with two years in the barrel. The Riserva version requires six years of aging and at least two years in oak. Brunello di Montalcino key characteristics are high acidity, firm tannins and intense aromas of red cherry, dried herbs and leather. It possesses an engaging vibrant red coloring in the glass and is full bodied. It is aged in Slavonian oak and its structure and aging potential is remarkable.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While sipping this wine I enjoyed their hearty and delicious freshly made minestrone soup. Almost every vegetable imaginable and a little sausage was used, and the result being an exquisite flavor and treat!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
My wife enjoyed the half charcuterie board with five meats and three cheeses. In addition, we ordered a baguette with a dipping sauce of Italian oil, balsamic vinegar and garlic. For more details on the market and wine bar you can read a previous story written at:
All the items on the board were imported meats and cheeses from Italy. Glad only a half board was ordered. A full board includes the following: prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella con pistachio, Coppa Stagionata (season Coppa), Salame con Finocchio (with fennel), Salame Picante (spicy), Taleggio, Pecorino Toscano and fresh Mozzarella cheeses. Served with the fresh baguette was fig jam, pickled vegetables, spicy olives, hot honey and semi-dried cherry tomatoes.
There are very few places that take you back to Italy like Avellino’s! Not only a crowd favorite but one of ours also!
Saluti,
Michael Kelly
Avellino Italian Market & Wine Bar – Always a Winner!
Avellino’s Italian Market and Wine Bar in Angels Camp continues to exceed expectations! This was our fourth visit, and they continue to provide great imported wines, excellent service, genuine hospitality and scrumptious foods. Brought a relative who was visiting us and he was impressed and delighted with the time spent there with the foods and wines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Started out with a taste of 2020 Pinot Nero a very light red wine from Alto Adige region in Italy. Alto Adige is Italy’s northern most wine region. It consists of high-altitude vineyards with its cool Alpine climate in the Dolomites. This provides crisp and aromatic wines, both white and red. The light color still provided both aromatics and tastes of raspberries, strawberries along with cranberry. A wonderful wine on a warm Sunday afternoon.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was to choose a wine to go with our charcuterie board that was ordered. Elected to go with a Chianti Classico, Isole e Olena as it would complement so many of the items on the tasty board. Opening with an enchanting fragrance of flowers and red berries. On the palate there is juicy raspberry and red plum with a presence of silky tannins surrounding the fruit. The charcuterie plate looked like a feast for a King & Queen.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
All the items on the board were imported meats and cheeses from Italy. They included the following: prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella con pistachio, Coppa Stagionata (season Coppa), Salame con Finocchio (with fennel), Salame Picante (spicy), Taleggio, Pecorino Toscano, Gorgonzola and fresh Mozzarella cheeses. Served with the fresh baguette was fig jam, pickled vegetables, spicy olives, hot honey and semi-dried tomatoes.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
All of us so enjoyed the semi-dried imported tomatoes on the charcutier board that we ordered the Bruschetta. That again was a winner with flavors not typically found in America.
Sláinte or better yet for this article, saluti!
Michael Kelly
2022 Selvagrossa “Poveriano” Cabernet Franc from Italy
Background
Met the owner and distributor for Vinity Wine Company in Emeryville, California at CabFranc-a-Palooza in June, 2025. They were pouring a couple of Cabernet Franc wines from Italy. I have been intrigued by Cabernet Franc wines from Italy for the last few years since Daryl Corti won the Best of Show for his wine from Italy from both the Professional & People’s Choice Judges in 2023 at the International Cabernet Franc Competition.
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine comes from the Marche region in Central Italy (in red on the map below), located on the Adriatic coast. The vineyards are located 12 km east of the coast in the hills of Pesaro at an elevation of 325 feet. The wine spent 14 months in French barriques being 50% new and 50% neutral. Additionally the wine spent six months in bottle before being released. The alcohol level was 13.5%.
The wine on the eyes was cavernously deep red with medium-heavy viscosity. On the nose, lush red and black fruits rose to greet the imbiber. Present were a modicum of pyrazines (green bell pepper) and spices. On the palate, a rustic old world Cabernet Franc was immediately noticeable with dark cherry flavors, earthy minerality and complex structure. The finish was surprisingly smooth with silky soft tannins and very well balanced.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Went to the Wine Steward in Pleasanton, California and spoke with Jim Denham looking for a recommendation for dinner with either a Nero d’ Avola or Montepulciano d’ Abruzzo. He alternatively suggested this wine for a chicken cacciatore meal this evening at a good friend’s home in Livermore, California. Cacciatore is a rustic Italian dish that has braised chicken in a flavorful tomato sauce with vegetable and herbs. Accompanied by a fresh salad. This wine provided fruit flavors surrounding each morsel consumed this evening! Very nice food and wine pairing.
The dessert was a homemade crust and strawberry pie that was spectacular.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
And if this wasn’t decadent enough, freshly whipped cream crowned this delicious slice!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The only thing better than this gorgeous wine and delicious food was catching up with good friends with conversations both lighthearted and heart-felt. Thanks, Gomes, for a wonderful evening!
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly
Want to Visit Italy? Travel to Angels Camp, California to Avellino Italian Market and Wine Bar
Photo from Avellino website
This last weekend had a wonderful, unexpected experience wine tasting and eating at a new venue called Avellino Italian Market & Wine Bar. As noted by the name this is a combination of a wine bar, small plates for dine-in (both inside & outside), homemade Italian foods to go and specialty items. What a treat to enter a shop where 99% of the items are imported from Italy. It was like being transported effortlessly to Italy without any air travel!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Started the tasting sitting at the wine bar experiencing wines from various parts of Italy. Found out the wine list changes weekly and to my surprise they had one of my favorite white wines, Torremossa Fiano. A wine with bright and crisp notes of fruits in the nose and soft minerality and a saline finish.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was Montepeloso, a super Tuscan comprised of equal amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Sangiovese wines. Lots of flavor from the assemblage of these grapes being complex and very balanced.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Followed by Familia a collaboration of Carlo Deperu and Tatiana Holler. Ripe cherries dominated the palate with dark inky coloration and spiciness. The wine is from Sardinia combining grapes of Muristellu, Caricagiola and a tinge of Cannonau.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The next wine was a shining star, Barrosu. A big bold wine from Sardinia made from Cannonau, Grenache grapes. Bramble and a earthy minerality finish. This wine is best served with a big meal but still enjoyable to taste. A couple of other wines were tasted but wanted to highlight these.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
During this last weekend rain and light showers were constant and chilly (by California standards). Ordered a bowl of hot minestrone soup and this was like nothing I have ever tasted outside of Italy. Fresh vegetables galore, cheese, croutons, pork sausage and every Italian spice known. The flavors and textures were amazing and warmed us up immediately. The size of the bowl was twice what I was expecting and consumed every drop of the soup.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was to choose a wine to go with our charcuterie board that was ordered. Elected to go with a Chianti Classico, Isole e Olena as it would complement so many of the items on the board. Opening with an enchanting fragrance of flowers and red berries. On the palate there is juicy raspberry and red plum with a presence of silky tannins surrounding the fruit. The charcuterie plate looked like a feast for King & Queen.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
All the items on the board were imported meats and cheeses from Italy. They included the following: prosciutto di Parma, Mortadella con pistachio, Coppa Stagionata (season Coppa), Salame con Finocchio (with fennel), Salame Picante (spicy), Taleggio, Pecorino Toscano and fresh Mozzarella cheeses. Served with the fresh baguette was fig jam, pickled vegetables, spicy olives, hot honey and semi-dried cherry tomatoes.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Besides the indoor seating, they have an outdoor rustic patio area but due to the inclement weather everyone was inside and the facility was packed. The interior was tastefully decorated with Italian art, posters and signage.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
They also sell the wines tasted and others not on the weekly tasting list. There were three racks of wine with various price points. The one rack that caught my attention included a Barolo, a Brunello di Montalcino, a Chianti Classico and Montepulciano.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Have not mentioned the ownership up to this point. Sara Beaudreau is the proprietor of Avellino Wine Bar. Sara was the chef and owner of Sarafina’s Italian Kitchen in Arnold until recently when she sold it. In November of 2024, Avellino was opened in downtown Angels Camp. Her creativity and authentic dishes are amazing and inspirational. Many other items were on the menu, and we only tried two! The current listing of tantalizing foods can be found on their website.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One last note, Sarah and her entire staff were working tirelessly and flittering like bees the entire time we were there providing a level of service not often found in the Sierra foothills. A special thank you to Debi Miller for encouraging me to visit.
Sláinte or better yet for this article, saluti!
Michael Kelly