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Spring Newsletter

posted on 4 April 2011
Vinitaly 2011 Every time that Vinitaly comes around it seems that time has just flown by… Like last year, we won’t be having our own stand, but those who want to taste our products will still be able to do so on the  Garda Classico Consortium’s stand, no. D8 in the Lombardy Pavilion at PalaExpo. The winery, naturally, will remain open for visits or tastings. Mission to New York My second trip in 2011 to New York was very hard work and very exciting at the same time. I had the chance to meet some more important restaurateurs and get a better idea about how that market really works. Now we’re in the phase of firming up orders… One thing is certain, I dragged my suitcase full of samples to show to restaurateurs for miles and miles: I think I’ve worn out the wheels! I shall preserve it lovingly as a faithful comrade-in-arms. The Issue Project Room Event The evening sponsored by Cantrina for the Issue Project Room went very well. In the setting of one of Brooklyn’s historic buildings our wine was sampled by contemporary artists, patrons and art lovers, accompanied by musical performances from Elliott Sharp and Jo Andres. We are now working on the follow-up to this operation. The 2007 Nepomuceno has been bottled The 2007 Nepomuceno, our highly individual blend of Merlot, Marzemino and Rebo was bottled one week ago, ready for the long period of bottle-ageing that normally precedes its release onto the market. In the style of this wine – whilst its typically substantial body and concentrated structure remain constant – the over-ripe notes are increasingly giving way to the freshness of the fruit, a consequence in particular of a more discriminating use of very ripe grapes. We think that the 2007 was an excellent vintage and we therefore hold out great expectations for this wine… 2010 Groppello The 2010 Groppello, too, is now in bottle, and in two months’ time, when it has had the chance to recover from the stress of bottling, it will be ready to go on sale. For those of you who don’t know it yet, Groppello is the indigenous grape variety and wine of our zone, the Valtènesi. We like to offer this wine in the fresh and fruity style that shows off the variety at its best, and the market is proving us right. However, we are now finishing off selling the last few bottles of 2009 Groppello, and we are also very happy with the spicy note it has developed after a year in bottle. Cristina and Diego

Cantrina in real time

posted on 4 March 2011
I am writing from New York… I try in English (no time, unfortunately to have our dear Michael Benson translating for us). The weather is fine, better than in Italy, chilly temperature but no snow. The city is amazing, as always and each time I’m back it seems to me like being back home. Just an update about the mess I’m doing here, working in New York for the second time this year. Today a benefit event will be held by the Brooklyn based Issue project Room, rapidly becoming the point of reference for contemporary art in the New York area. Cantrina is a proud sponsor and our wines will be the only ones in tasting for the night

The Befana’s* Newsletter

posted on 5 January 2011
*[In Italy the feast of Epiphany is “personified” by la Befana, an imaginary, witch-like crone who brings gifts to good children and (sweet) “coal” to those who have misbehaved]. I always like to be a little bit different, so the Befana’s feast is one I identify with… and that is why I am only now taking the opportunity to wish everyone a Happy New Year, assuming you have survived the massive beanfeasts during the recent holiday period! I just have one or two TEENSY-WEENSY bits of news to tell you about: Cantrina has also gained a foothold in MonteCarlo, for now just with our most extreme wine, the ERETICO 2007… I am increasingly convinced that unique products really do make a difference in the marketplace and so one should always be prepared to TAKE A GAMBLE!

Harvest 2010

posted on 6 November 2010
What can we say about the 2010 harvest, which came at the end of a year that was especially strange and difficult? There was a late spring and a rainy summer that was cool and humid, an early autumn and lots of problems with the health of the vines. 2010 will definitely not be one of the vintages of the century and, as things stand right now, it is very hard to pick out any products of real excellence. However, after the first few days of harvesting, which caused us a great deal of apprehension because of all the care and hard work that we had to put into selecting the grapes, we can now say that we are hoping for a few pleasant surprises from the vats where fermentation is just coming to an end. In short, it took us more time to pick less grapes than usual; also, we didn’t set aside any grapes for drying to make the Sole di Dario and we selected fewer grapes for the Nepomuceno. From our initial tastings, though, we can look forward to wines that may be less fleshy and muscular, but which display great freshness, fine aromas and acidity and which should eventually offer elegance and longevity. The French (who know a thing or two about wine) refer to these as “cellar masters’ vintages”: years in which the skill and sensitivity of the winemaker really can compensate for nature’s lack of generosity. We hope we’ve done a good job!
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