A Tour of Masciarelli Winery with a Tasting Lunch at Castello di Semivicoli

Our second stop of the day was at Masciarelli Winery which is also located in the Chieti province. Open daily to receive guests by appointment, this winery was one of the most tourist friendly to visit. Masciarelli was founded in 1981. They have 18 labels and 5 product lines.

We took a quick tour of the wine making facility and then went to Castello di Semivicoli for a tasting lunch to try the wines. Typically, guests would taste in the shop next to the cellar but you can also book a tasting at the castle.

Castello di Semivicoli is a 17th century baronial mansion that has
been renovated into a luxury boutique hotel by by Masciarelli owner, Gianni Masciarellli. I sat across from a window which gave me beautiful views throughout lunch. It also distracted me so I did not take the best notes. I can tell you that the wine and food were delicious, the company was enjoyable, the views were spectacular and the ambience reminded of a more genteel time. The hospitality was so nice that I forgot I was working.

The Tasting with Pairings

Gianni Masciarelli Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo 2017 - No notes, I was admiring the color in my glass along with the view out the window and the view on my plate. We started with an individual bread basket filled with salad and prosciutto that was perfect with the wine.

Masciarelli Castello di Semivicoli Trebbiano d'Abruzzo 2014 - This easy white was fermented in stainless steel with 12 months contact with the lees, it was medium bodied, smooth and fruity with pear and citrus, a lovely complement to the saffron risotto which came next. A'Bruzzo fun fact- Saffron has been in the region for over 400 years, the amount produced is small but the quality is considered to be quite high.

Masciarelli "Johnny's Barrel" Trebbiano 2013 - Served in a Burgundy glass during the risotto course, this bottle was number 200 of 900 bottles. It was aged for 28 months in French oak. This was one of my favorite whites of the trip. Dry with aromas and flavors of honey, lemon citrus and a distinct mineral-laced finish.

Marina Cvetic Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2013 - Bright aromas and flavors of dark berries and plums, medium bodied with good tannins and acidity with a slightly spicy finish, great with food, delicious with the pasta course.

Masciarelli "Johnny's Barrel" Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2013 - This bottle was number 654.

That was the end of my notes, we were served two more wines after that one.

Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2012
Masciarelli Villa Gemma Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 1995

All three of these red wines were delicious with the meat and potatoes.

After dessert, we walked off our lunch with a tour of the vineyards around Castello di Semivicoli. There is a large swimming pool out amongst the vines for hotel guests to cool down after a day spent at the beach, out wine tasting or sight seeing. The lunch service was impeccable, the building was elegant and the grounds were scenic, it truly looked like a lovely place to stay.

Neighbor Luigi Valori joined us in the vineyard to talk grapes, terroir and green pruning. It was a very informative afternoon perfectly paired with a beautifully prepared lunch.

All of the above wines are highly recommended.

An Immersive Introduction into the World of Asolo Prosecco

Dinner Views at Osteria Alla Baracca. I was very excited to visit the Asolo DOCG Prosecco region at the end of May on a press trip as it is an Italian area that I have not previously traveled through. Asolo is located in the Province of Treviso at the foot of Monte Grappa in the high hills to the west of the Piave River with views of the Dolomites. The grapes are grown in 17 communes surrounding the town of Asolo. The days were very warm while I was there but I needed a sweater or light jacket on most evenings due to the diurnal swing that makes it a great area for grape growing. Wines from the Master Class Tasting. Asolo was elevated to the DOCG level in 2009. The majority of the Prosecco that I have found in Houston is Prosecco DOC which is mostly from very large producers. Asolo was separated from this category and the region was given this higher status because there are terroir elements that make it distinctive in the world of Prosecco. The Sant'Anna Vineyard. Many of the vin

Lust Zinfandel 2007

My husband loves this wine so he purchased quite a few bottles at a recent Michael~David dinner that we had attended. Last night, I decided to open a bottle to serve with dinner. I was making a roasted southwestern pork tenderloin, sweet potato fries (w/ chipolte ketchup) and a salad consisting of baby lettuce (fresh from my garden) with strawberries, red bell peppers, red onions and walnuts tossed with a white balsamic-raspberry vinaigrette. This turned out to be a great pairing. It is a bold wine that really stood up to the strong chipolte seasoning while complementing the fruit flavors. I opened the bottle a 1/2 hour before I served it as I have found this wine to be more enjoyable when I do so. The Lust Zinfandel by Michael~David 2007 was a dark purple color with a ruby rim. It has intense aromas of very ripe mixed berries and baking spices-both allspice and ginger with hints of cedar. It has flavors of creme de cassis, milk chocolate and also more of the baking

"The Zen of Zin" Tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks

On Friday evening, my husband and I attended the Zinfandel wine tasting at Fleming's in River Oaks. My husband gets totally pumped up for any and all things Zinfandel but what I found really intriguing in the line up of wines were the aged offerings. Brent Sloan, managing partner at Houston's premier wine storage facility Nos Caves Vin, had provided Fleming's with four 18 year old bottlings and one 17 year old bottling from his collection of some of his favorites. I found this interesting because 1. I don't believe that I have ever had an 18 year old Zinfandel before this evening and 2. From various wine classes, I had always heard that at best Zinfandel had very limited aging ability. So, I was definitely excited to give these wines a taste. There were also an additional five younger Zinfandel wines that are some of Fleming's best sellers. The entire tasting line up for the evening included: 2009 Orin Swift Saldo - California 2007 Schulz "Lampyridae Vin

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