Hello Friends and Wine Lovers!

Welcome to the Carpe Vinum Friday Flights announcement! This week we’re heading to sunny Italy, and visiting the wonderful wines of the East-Central region. It’s the one to the East of Tuscany and encompasses Emilia-Romagna, Molise, Abruzzo (famous for the Montepulciano d’Abruzzo), Marches, and so on.

This is also the kick-off of the Labor Day Weekend! Perhaps it’s the last party weekend of the summer since, as the name implies, Labor Day means “Get Back to Work!”. Ironically enough, Labor Day is the day where no one works. Or those who aren’t fortunate enough to have the day off, will probably not work very hard, out of spite.

Speaking of working hard, or hardly working, let’s get back to Italy. . .figuratively, not literally, as nice as that would be. The Italians do work hard at their wine. I’ve said it before that I believe Italy is just one giant vineyard, and all these pictures in the wine books don’t seem to tell a different story. (Of course, they ARE wine books. I guess we could expect the photos would feature the vineyards.) But I digress.

Wine serves a larger function in Italian society, as it is served with every meal (Don’t forget that breakfast wine smoothie!) and viewed and an integral part of life. As a result, we can expect quite a bit out of the Italian wines, and it could take a lifetime to explore all the possibilities. This is the reasoning behind separating out the Italian wine tastings into different major regions that harbor similar styles. The wines here are mostly Montepulciano-based, with some delving into Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and some others. Also included in a wonderful Rosato (Rose) that is so deep in color, that it’s darker than some red wines I’ve had. And, oh. . .it’s so delicious!  So as another step in the Italian wine exploration, here are a few stellar examples of the wines from the East-Central part.

So Friday, September 2nd, between 4:30 and 9:00 PM it’s:

East-Central Italy!
Conti di Buscareto 2004 Rosato, Marches IGT
Casa Contini 2001 Biferno Riserva, Molise
La Valentina 2003 Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo
Di Majo Norante 2000 Contado, Aglianico, Molise
Castello di Corbara 2002 Lago di Corbara, Umbria

And a Bit More East. . .Possibly a Bit More Central!!
Silvano Strologo 2001 Rosso Conero Traiano, Marches
Barone Cornaccia 2000 Vigna le Costa, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Abruzzo

A stellar deal at $10 for the First 5, and $6 for the Extra 2 Premium Pours
Hope to see you here!
Seize the Wine!

Next Friday tasting is South Africa!

M