Weekly Italian Wine Offers - Italian Wine Merchants (IWM)

Recent Offers

Our twice-weekly opt-in eLetter influences the industry and informs our customers on current offerings and trends in the world of Italian wine.

			February 4, 2010
			Amarone These days there is more to Amarone than just these two legends, and I'm delighted to offer my clients a selection of gorgeous, opulent Amarones that traverse the spectrum of style, palate and value.

			February 2, 2010
			Hofstatter: Hyphenated Greatness One of Italy's most striking winemaking regions actually belonged to the Austrians for most of its history. It wasn't until about a hundred years ago, in 1919, that Trentino-Alto Adige, aka Sudtirol or South Tyrol, as the Austrians still call it, became part of Italy.

			January 29, 2010
			Fontodi Flaccianello 2006-1999 Today, lots of Tuscan winemakers are making Sangiovese the centerpiece of their wines once again while at Fontodi they're doing what they've always done--making terrific wines, year after year. Of course, greatness never goes out of fashion.

			January 27, 2010
			Brunello di Montalcino Riserva 2004 One of the hallmarks of a great wine is the excitement evoked by the arrival of its latest vintage. By that measure, Brunello di Montalcino may be the greatest wine made in Italy, as the debut of the new Brunellos is always one of the most highly anticipated events of the year.

			January 25, 2010
			The Wines of Friuli: Unusually Beautiful Today we're highlighting the wines of my good friend, Josko Gravner. They aren’t the wines for the masses. They’re the wines for the few people who recognize their iconoclastic, unusual beauty. They’re wines for my clients, and I raise a glass to each and every one of you.

			January 20, 2010
			Fantinel: Good Wine and Good Will Nearly four decades ago, Fantinel purchased the first of several vineyards in Friuli and began making a wide range of wines. Today the winery, run by his three sons, now comprises some of the best vineyards in the region and produces some of its most sought-after, reasonably priced wines.

			January 15, 2010
			2003 Soldera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva We've always believed that wine can bring people together, and there may be no better wine to turn a disparate bunch of individuals into a group than one of Soldera's magnificent, otherworldly Brunellos.

			January 12, 2010
			Sicilia and Sardegna: Islands of Oppportunity Some of the most promising new wineries--and most exciting revitalized wine estates--are located on Sicilia and Sardegna. Although winemaking dates back hundreds, if not thousands, of years on these islands are experiencing a winemaking revival.

			January 8, 2010
			The Pride of Piemonte This week we're offering a selection wines from Domenico Clerico, Bartolo Mascarello and Giacomo Bologna--not just their great Barolos but also their 'everyday' wines too--charming and lively Dolcettos and earthy, ripe Barberas. These wines are worthy of any occasion and any companion.

			January 5, 2010
			Great Value in Verona Although Verona is famous as the setting for Shakespearean dramas like Romeo and Juliet and Two Gentlemen of Verona (who actually spend most of their time in Milan) it's also home to some of Italy's most famous wines including Valpolicella, Soave and Bardolino.

			December 29, 2009
			Celebrate in Style Italians are famously loyal when it comes to the wines of their country, or perhaps even more specifically, the wines of their own town. The only exception they sometimes grant is Champagne.

			December 22, 2009
			The Look of Last Minute From gift bottles of great Barolo or Brunello to membership in one of our four wine clubs or even a gift card, they're gifts that will demonstrate your good taste--and love!

			December 18, 2009
			Mint Condition: Wines in Original Wood Case (OWC) The wines I'm offering today are 'mint condition. They are not only made by top producers like Luciano Sandrone, Bruno Giacosa and Angelo Gaja in excellent vintages, but they are also bottles that are in their original beautiful wooden cases.

			December 16, 2009
			Holiday Sparklers Italians are inherently gregarious and their philosophy of life is all about sharing so it's not surprising that there's a lot of Italian sparkling wine.Each of these wines has its own character and style, they're all suitable for sharing and will add plenty of sparkle to your holiday table.

			December 10, 2009
			Gift of Age: On the Meaning of Time When you give someone a bottle that's not the latest vintage, that is not fresh off the shelf, but one that's had the benefit of time to develop complexity and nuance, it's a gift of a different dimension. It's a double-gift: a wine that's been aged to a state of optimum drinkability and one that's also a window into history.

			December 8, 2009
			Stocking Stuffers Nothing fits as well in a stocking or says "Happy Holidays" more clearly than a great Massolino Barolo, Gaja Barbaresco or 2005 Sassicaia, half-sized. Here's my 'wish list' of all the half bottles I hope will be in my stocking--and yours--this holiday season.

			December 3, 2009
			Holiday Samplers & Tasting Cases Collecting is never about amassing; whether wine or cowboy boots, it takes time to develop a true appreciation for anything worth cherishing. I've tasted the wines that I'm featuring many times and have been impressed by them many times over the years. Through this assorted case, perhaps you'll discover (many) wines that are exactly right for you, too.

			November 24, 2009
			Sangiovese & Nebbiolo: Two True Tastes of Italy The selection of Sangiovese and Nebbiolo wines that we're featuring today will offer wine lovers two true tastes of Italy that are perfect on your table any day.

			November 20, 2009
			Barbaresco 2005 In fact, the 2005 Barbarescos from top producers are truly exceptional wines--dense and complex and beautifully delineated--rivaling, in many cases, the quality of 2004, a universally praised vintage in Piemonte.

			November 17, 2009
			Piemonte's "Second" Reds Although the two noble wines of Piemonte, Barolo and Barbaresco receive most of the attention and praise, the "second two" reds of the region, Barbera and Dolcetto, are the wines people drink more often. They're increasingly wines equally worthy of interest.

			November 12, 2009
			Mascarello Barolo 2005 Many of the Barolos we are featuring today were produced by both Bartolo and Maria Teresa. We are also featuring some new bottlings, the 2005 Barolo, 2008 Dolcetto and 2007 Barbera--solely produced by Maria Teresa. We're also offering several older and acclaimed vintages. Quantities are limited.

			November 10, 2009
			Value Wines for Every Occasion The following 20 selections are among the wines I've personally chosen for our 2009 Holiday Guide. They're all under $50 a bottle and many are made by producers of much pricier labels. These are wines that I drink every day, and they're also wines that I'd be proud to give to my family and friends.

			November 5, 2009
			Magnums: More is Truly Merrier It was in a magnum-mindset that we decided to put together this list of big bottles: a collection ranging from the seriously profound to the purely pleasurable. We hope you'll find something you'll want to share with your family and friends or even build a party around!

			November 3, 2009
			Italian Thanksgiving At IWM we've been putting food and wine together for a very long time--and we've got some suggestions of Thanksgiving reds and whites that are both reasonably priced and quite versatile. They'll pair with a wide range of foods--and last through a meal that goes on and on.

			October 29, 2009
			Piemonte Ten Years Later: Change is Good These wines are just as great today as they were when IWM first opened its doors in October 1999. Some names have become famous while others remain a bit more obscure. The wines we're offering today will be drinking even more beautifully ten years down the road. That's the kind of change that I think is good.

			October 22, 2009
			Quintarelli 2000: What Does it Take to be Great? This is one of the most exciting moments of the year for us as Quintarelli only produces his Amarone in top vintages and they're only available in very, very limited supply. These wines are definitely for the ages.

			October 20, 2009
			The Names of that Nobody Knows are the Stars of Tomorrow The producers we're featuring today work with some of the most obscure grapes in Italy--which is no small accomplishment since Italy is home to about 2,000 different varietals. Which also means, I guess, that just about every Italian grape is obscure.

			October 16, 2009
			Holiday 2009 Gift Guide The wines that make it into our gift guide are among our very best--they're wines that we'd like to give as well as receive. This year, our holiday offerings are even more special. They're also wines with which we've chosen to celebrate our tenth anniversary.

			October 8, 2009
			IWM's 10th Anniversary & Bodegas Chacra In honor of IWM's ten-year anniversary, we've selected to highlight the wines of Bodegas Chacra, a group of wines most fitting because they come from Argentina, but from an estate owned and operated by Piero Incisa della Rocchetta, an owner of the great Italian wine Sassicaia.

			October 6, 2009
			The Veneto: Famously Obscure The style of Veneto wines ranges quite widely--from soft, fruity Proseccos and steely Soaves to light, fruit-driven Bardolino and rich, intense and long-lived Amarones. The wines we're offering today are so varied that you might say they're not just representative of the Veneto but of Italy.

			October 1, 2009
			Le Macchiole To be Italian is to be a part of tradition and history; ours is a culture deeply rooted in the past. And yet there are plenty of Italians with a modernist mindset, men (and women) who seek new frontiers and became famous pioneers--men like Marco Polo and Amerigo Vespucci and...Eugenio Campolmi.

			September 29, 2009
			Island Dreams Although they're officially considered part of Italy's south, the islands Sicilia and Sardegna are really worlds unto themselves. In fact, they've both been awarded "autonomous status" by the Italian government because of their unique culture and language—although we'd say it should be because their grape varietals.

			September 24, 2009
			Memorable Italian Merlot There are several Italian Merlots that are very, very good--and a handful of Italian Merlots that are indisputably great. There's Masseto, of course, as well as the stunning Redigaffi from Tua Rita and Le Macchiole's Messorio. They're all on the short list of great Italian Merlots that we're offering today.

			September 22, 2009
			Life, Italian-Style If you're curious about the wines that we often pour at our events, we're offering a sampler of our most popular red, white and sparkling wines. Even if you can't visit us in person, you can still get a taste of life, Italian-style, with us.

			September 17, 2009
			Orange is the (Wine) Color of Autumn These are the wines that will take us seamlessly into fall. They've got lots of flavor--earth, spice and fruit--but not too much tannin. They're simple to understand but not simply made. White, orange or red, I can't tell you how much we're looking forward to (drinking) them all.

			September 15, 2009
			BYOB: Wines You Won't Find on Just Any Shelf BYOB may be a bargain wine lover's favorite four letters. It means they can bring their own wine to restaurants and drink them for free. As wine merchants, we love the idea--they have to buy those bottles somewhere, after all.

			September 10, 2009
			Giacomo Conterno: Consistently Great Consistency is one of the measurements of greatness. There are actually only a handful of producers who have been great for over fifty years and one of my favorites is Giacomo Conterno, the Barolo master. His are brilliantly pure and perfectly balanced--wines that will improve over decades

			September 8, 2009
			IWM Wine Clubs Everybody seems to be starting a wine club--hotels, travel companies even newspapers have gotten into the game. Of course, we think it makes a lot more sense to join a wine club run by an actual wine store, like IWM, where that's all that we do.

			September 2, 2009
			Daughters of Italy There are women in Italy who produce wines just as effortlessly. Some inherited winemaking skills from their fathers, some came to the business independently, and others are just beginning to make their talents known. As a collective, the quality of their wines is nothing short of remarkable.

			August 31, 2009
			A Last Case of Summer It's a bittersweet time of the year: Summer's still here! Summer's nearly gone! At IWM, we think it's a time that deserves one last hurrah, one final round--one last case or two or three--of summer wine.

			August 27, 2009
			What's a Well-Rounded Cellar? Each one of these winemakers has something dramatically different and compelling to contribute to your wine cellar. It is their diversity of talent that is the strength of Italian winemaking--and the beauty that is Italian wine.

			August 24, 2009
			Southern Exposure We've chosen a handful of southern producers whom we think are particularly noteworthy. Who knows? With their combination of talent and value maybe this particular renaissance will last for another 300 years too.

			August 19, 2009
			Gaja: 2004 Brunello and 2005 Barbaresco This week, we're delighted to offer the gorgeous wines of Angelo Gaja from both Barbaresco and Brunello. His Brunellos are outstanding; the 2004 offering is made all the more golden by the fact that Gaja didn't release any Brunellos in 2002 or 2003 because they didn't meet his exacting standards.

			August 17, 2009
			Special Cellar Discoveries Enjoy these perfectly-aged, wonderfully mature wine. Our finds are your good fortune--twice over. First, because we're able to price them quite fairly and second, because they've been aging gradually under perfect conditions.

			August 12, 2009
			The Wines that Inspired Passion on the Vine I'm offering some of those wines today from producers such as Josko Gravner, Bartolo Mascarello, Ernico Scavino, Ales Kristancic and Guiseppe Quintarelli. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I have.

			August 10, 2009
			Great Art Made Simple: Memorable Rosso Expressions The wines that we're featuring this week come from some of the best producers in Toscana who regularly turn out flawless Brunellos or superb Super Tuscans but who also make memorable rossos and Chianti Classicos.

			August 6, 2009
			Amarone: A Study in Contradiction This week we're delighted to offer clients a selection of gorgeous, opulent Amarones that traverse the spectrum of style, palate and value. In addition to offering the wines of the Master Quintarelli and those of his rebellious student, Dal Forno, I'm also offering a more value-conscious selection from Tomasso Bussola.

			August 4, 2009
			Pomodoro e Vino The month of August should be renamed Pomodoro. The word has a much more melodious sound (it's Italian after all) and it also honors the month's signature fruit: the tomato. What is August, after all, without a tomato? And who prizes it more than the Italians? And here are vinous options for tomato-centric dishes.

			July 30, 2009
			Barbaresco This week, we're pleased to be offering you a range of Barbarescos from these three astounding producers: Gaja, Giacosa and La Spinetta. Three different producers, three different styles, all incredible in their own right: it's a bounty of Barbaresco, one of the best summer reds.

			July 28, 2009
			This week IWM celebrates summer with a group of wines that aim to please. Ranging from Italy's boot to its tip, representing red, white and sparklers, this selection of wines bring the party with them wherever they go.

			July 23, 2009
			2006 Super-Tuscans This unbelievable offering of 2006 Super-Tuscans from the very best producers—Antinori, Guado al Tasso, Fontodi, Tenuta San Guido, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia and Tua Rita—is a wine-lover's dream come true, and this is an offer you do not want to sleep on.

			July 21, 2009
			Pinot Noir: An Italian Love Affair This week's offering will make even hard-core Francophiles think again about Italian Pinot-because when you bring Pinot Noir and Italy together, you get an affair to remember.

			July 16, 2009
			Massolino for Every Occasion This week, we’re proud to offer an expansive selection of the wines of Franco Massolino. I hope you taste them and see what you’ve been missing; these are wines not to be overlooked.

			July 14, 2009
			Tuscan Babies This week we're pleased to be offering wines made from Sangiovese—three Chiantis and two Rosso di Montalcinos—all of which go for the gusto in the way that only Sangiovese wines can

			July 11, 2009
			Domenico Clerico This week, we're pleased to offer you a selection of Domenico Clerico's gorgeous wines, Barolos that embody Piemonte, its history, its traditions, its evolution and--above all--its terroir. This former leading proponent of the modernist movement, seemingly operates at the extremes of tradition and modernism, handling the dichotomy with finesse and passion.

			July 8, 2009
			Barbera & Dolcetto Don't think that Piemonte begins and ends with Barolo. While the fussy Nebbiolo may be the grape that pushed Piemonte into the upper reaches of the wine echelon, other indigenous and delicious varietals grow side by side with Piemonte's diva grape.

			July 2, 2009
			Collectible Whites Today, we're offering a limited quantity of the wines of Fiorano and Gravner in the company of three other masters of white wine—Gaja, Miani and La Castellada. These are whites with meaning—wines that raise the eyebrow and let the mind drift.

			June 30, 2009
			4th of July Firecrackers The 4th of July is upon us and summer is in full swing. Whether at the beach, by the pool, in the park or on the patio, it's time to enjoy the festivities and celebrate. This week, IWM is happy to help by offering two samplers, one white and one red, as well as a selection of Italian spirits.

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