I drank this one on Sunday while watching football.  I’m just getting to post about it now.

Wine Club Notes:

Got Google Maps?  Start with a wide view of Italy’s Veneto region.  Then zoom in on the province of Treviso.  Zoom a little more, and you’ll locate the town of Valdobbiadene, just below the Veneto’s alpine areas.  It’s a cool-climate zone that’s ideal for growing grapes earmarked for sparkling wines.

You have found the home of Bortolomiol, an estate that traces its lineage all the way back to 1760.  Its modern history began much more recently, in the 20th century, when Giuliano Bortolomiol planted grapes with Prosecco (Italy’s name for sparkling wine) in mind.  Today, his four daughters, Maria Elena, Elvira, Luisa and Giuliana, carry on the family’s winemaking heritage.

The 2011 “lus Naturae” is an exceptional sparkling wine made from estate-grown Glera grapes, farmed organically.  “We firmly believe in the principles of sustainability and total respect for the environment,” Maria Elena tells us, and it shows in the clean, crisp style of “lus Naturae.”

Grape Composition: 100% Glera

Grape Source: Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG of Italy

Aromas and Flavors: Acacia, Minerals, Honey and a Hint of Almond

Food Pairing Suggestions: Snails cooked with garlic and wild herbs.

 

My Thoughts:

I’d like to start off by saying I have received so much grief from people for “drinking champagne by myself for no particular occasion.”  Well, for one thing, it’s sparkling wine bitches, and it was a Sunday and I put on pants.  I’m pretty sure that counts as a special occasion.

Anyway…After scaring the crap out of my cats by popping open the bottle I poured a delightfully fizzy glass of pale straw colored goodness.  Definitely a fresh minerally aroma.  I have no idea what an Acacia smells like, so I’m going with that’s in there too.  I love the crisp, clean, refreshing taste paired with the extra tiny bubbles that rolled across my tongue.

I’m really liking this one despite the fact that I can’t pronounce a singled damned word off of the bottle.  Bonus points for using organic grapes.  However, I wouldn’t pair it with snails.  I wouldn’t pair anything with snails.  Some fresh sea scallops seared with garlic and wild herbs would totally work for me though.

On a scale of “this tastes like piss” to “oops, I just drank the whole bottle” I would give this a “Opening a bottle of this is celebration enough!  And yes, yes I did finish this by halftime of the NFC championship game.” Would I buy it again?  Absolutely!  That is…if I could figure out how to pronounce it.  Thank goodness for online ordering and cell phone cameras.  All I have to do is take a picture of the bottle, walk into local wine shop, and do the ever classy whip out cell phone, pull up picture and say, “Yo, Do you carry this?”

Final Grade: A