“March”ing Through Italy, One Sip at a Time

Cellar Society Newsletter March 2025

Hello, Friends! This month, we featured wines from all over Italy! As a noted fan-favorite, it was so fun picking these selections, knowing how much you all would enjoy them. Each wine is unique, and their stories were so fun to learn. Then, as a special treat, we even got Lorenzo Giusto from Veneto to host our Member’s Monday Dinner and share his experiences and insights. 

Sophisticated & Bolder Things

This package features two wines from Francesco Scanavino Vineyards, a boutique winery located in the Piedmont region of Northwestern Italy. This winery is known for its terroir-expressive small-lot wines. Its winemaker, Angelo Torrielli, was born in Paris, France, in 1947 and has worked for a variety of wineries in Italy. He now oversees the production of every wine for Francesco Scanavino.

“Here the vine is queen, the climate tends to drought; the grapes are of the highest quality and undisputed.”

Francesco Scanavino Roero Arneis Mosaico Di Sole

Varietal: Arneis

Terroir: Roero, Piedmont 

This beautiful white wine is made from the Arneis grape, which is Piedmont’s great white varietal and is very rare. Arneis is most compared to Pinot Gris or Sauvignon Blanc. This particular Arneis is from Roero, Piedmont, grown on the River Tanaro’s left bank. Across the river from Barolo, Roero’s sandy soils and sun-soaked slopes are ideal for Arneis—a grape once nearly lost to history, now shining in crisp, floral whites. “Mosaico di Sole” (Mosaic of Sun) captures the bright, floral character of Roero’s Arneis. You can expect stone fruit notes with good acidity and a lingering finish.

We paired this wine with Lemon-Caper Mussels, Arugula, and a Parmesan Crostini. The wine played beautifully with the lemony, briny mussels, and the crostini added a delicious crunch, deepening the flavors with the nutty contrast of the parmesan.

Francesco Scanavino Langhe L’Imeratore Rosso

Varietals: Barbaresco Nebbiolo, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barbera d’Alba

Terroir: Langhe, Piedmont

“L’Imeratore” translates to “The Emperor.” They named this wine in honor and celebration of an ancestor who owned the land before it was Franceso Scanavino. From the Langhe region of Piedmont, a patchwork of hills and microclimates that produces some of Italy’s most nuanced reds. This blend reflects the region’s elegant yet approachable style. It is structured yet smooth, with notes of cherry, dried herbs, and subtle oak.

We decided to pair L’Imeratore with Mushroom Arancini(fried risotto), topped with Blackberry Reduction and Roasted Garlic Aioli. This Langhe red held up to the richness of the arancini while introducing herbal and red berry notes that kept the pairing lively.

Bolder Things

Casetta Casa Vinicola Barbera d’Alba Barilin

Varietal: Barbera

Terroir:  Alba, Piedmont

Casetta Casa Vineyards is in the heart of Roero, more specifically the Vezza D’Alba. This area is known for its rolling hills and very old soil, which they identify using “Rocche.” Rocche is a mix of marl, sandstone, and limestone. Very sandy and perfect for growing wine grapes. The Casetta family has been in this area since 1725 and have been passing down the art of wine for generations. 

You can expect notes of cherry, spice, and vanilla. The long finish reveals soft tannins with some earthy structure that went perfectly with the dish we prepared. Chef made Smoked Ribeye Brasato al Barolo. Or, in simpler terms, beef braised in barolo wine on the Big Green Egg. This went with a lovely side of herbed polenta; the creamy texture was a perfect balance for the slightly sweet meat. 

Fontanavecchia Aglianico del Taburno 

Varietal: Aglianico

Terroir: Taburno, Campania

Fontanavecchia is located in the region of Campania. So if you’re looking at Italy and see the boot shape, Campania is where the “foot” meets the “shin” on the Western side. The Rilla family has dedicated themselves to the vines of the region over 160 years ago. With their help the Aglianico varietal has been preserved. Also known as the Barolo of the South this varietal has become increasingly popular. 

The soil of this area is more volcanic and brings out notes in this wine, such as dark fruit notes of blackberry and prune, floral hints of violet, and a touch of spice like licorice, clove, and black pepper. We paired this wine with Mushroom Arancini(fried risotto) that had a blackberry reduction sauce as well as a garlic aioli. This dish balanced with the wine wonderfully highlighting both the sweet and spicy notes.

Finer Things

Corte Adami Amarone della Valpolicella

Varietal: Amarone

Terroir: Valpolicella, Veneto

Corte Adami can be found in the Veneto region. You’ll know it for its cities of Venice and Verona, the city of Romeo and Juliet. Nestle between Verona and Lake Garda is Valpolicella. Corte Adami sits on the eastern side of this area. For their Amarone, Corte Adami uses a process called appassimento, or air-drying the grapes to intensify their flavor. 

You can expect notes of red fruits like wild berries and cherries, chocolate, sweet spices, and a hint of balsamic. The pairing we chose was different than what is typically suggested for this wine, but it turned out to pay off. We did an Apple-Raisin Panna Cotta. The sweeter notes of the wine played very well with the panna cotta’s warm spices and fruit. 

San Lorenzo Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Colline Teramane ESCol Riserva

Varietal: Montepulciano

Terrori: Colline Teramane, Abruzzo

San Lorenzo is in the Abruzzo area, or the lower calf of Italy’s boot. The winery can be found in the more northern part in the rugged hills of Teramo. They are known for their single-vineyard Montelpulciano. Meaning that all the grapes come from the same vineyard to show the differences in terroir. 

This wine was created to be completely balanced. Velvety with excellent structure. Sweet notes from dark red fruits with the earthy tones that came from aging in French oak barrels. We paired this wine with the Smoked Ribeye as well to do a side-by-side comparison to the Barbera.

Featured Apéritif

Baldi Cuvée 76 Spumante Rosé 2020

Varietal: Glera, Chardonnay, Merlot

Terroir: Asti, Piedmont

If you were able to join us for the Member’s Monday dinner, you received an extra pour. The Baldi Cuvee 76 is from Asti, Piedmont. Piedmont is typically known for its reds, but Asti is known for its sparkling wines, using their Spumante technique. Baldi is a family-run winery from this area, and the Cuvee 76 was a mark of celebration for their founding year and their dedication to méthode traditionnelle.

 This stunning sparkling Rose is light, refreshing, and crisp. On its own, the main flavors you’ll experience are wild strawberries, as well as soft floral and herbal notes. We, however, served it with fresh Mozzarella, Melon, and Herbs. This dish highlighted those soft sweet notes while offering a creamy balance with the mozzarella and herbs.

Cellar Society Wine Club

If you’re a member, you know how hard we work to make our wine club different. If you’re not a member, we aren’t like other wine clubs. Sure, you get two bottles of wine every month. But you get so much more than that. These wines are hand-picked by our owner, Heather, an avid wine lover. Then, on top of that, you get an invite every month to a dinner that is just for Cellar Society members and their guests. Not to mention the discounts and early invitations to all of our other events. Our members are special to us, and we’ve worked to create a community of like-minded wine lovers without all the stuffiness so everyone can feel welcome. Wanting to join? You can right here, and we can’t wait to see you!