2024 Varvaglione 1921 Susumaniello Rosé: A Puglia Prize

Apulia, also known as Puglia, is an Italian region which occupies the "heel" of the Italian "boot," bordering the Adriatic Sea on its east coast. This region is best known for its red wines, especially those made from Primitivo and Negroamaro. However, you can find other interesting red grapes there, although their total acreage may be small. One such grape, of ancient lineage, is Susumaniello. 

The name, "susumaniello," may derive from the term "somarello," which roughly translates as "small donkey." This may refer to the hardiness of the grape, as the donkey can handle a great load, or it may refer to the grape bunches, which some claim resemble an overloaded donkey. DNA analysis indicates the grape is a cross between Garganega and Uva Sogra, and there are some claims that the grape originated in the Dalmatian region of Croatia, although proof of such is largely lacking. However, as it's known Primitivo originated in Dalmatia, it wouldn't be a stretch to consider Susumaniello had a similar journey. 

During the 20th century, Susumaniello fell out of favor, as it became low yielding, and farmers preferred to work with more productive vines, like Primitivo and Negroamaro. However, in time, the low yields of Susumaniello became seen as a strength, indicative of higher quality, by a number of wineries, and the grape was saved from extinction. It's now used as a blending grape, as a single varietal, and in Rosé wines. 

Varvaglione 1921 is a family-owned winery based in Leporano, on the coast of the Ionian Sea, in Puglia. It was established just over 100 years ago, making it one of the oldest wineries in southern Italy, and is currently owned and operated by the fourth generation of the Varvaglione family. The winery focuses on the native grapes of the region, including Primitivo, Negroamaro, Malvasia Nera, Aglianico, Verdeca, Falanghina, Malvasia Bianca and Fiano. They own about 150 hectares of vineyards, and also purchase fruit from low grape growers. They are also certified sustainable. 

I recently received a media sample of the 2024 Varvaglione 1921 Susumaniello Rosé (about $19), which is produced from 100% Susumaniello and has a 13% ABV. The wine is aged in stainless steel, with periodic suspension of the lees. With a vibrant pink color, the nose is alluring with plenty of red fruit aromas and hints of spice. On the palate, it is crisp and dry, with bright red fruit flavors of strawberry, raspberry and cherry, along with subtle spice notes. On the lengthy finish, there's hints of minerality, and it's simply delicious. This would be excellent on its own, although it would also be an excellent food wine. 

Overall, this was an impressive Rosé, perfect for the summer, but which would be great year round. It would make a very good choice for Thanksgiving dinner. And at under $20, this wine is a good value as well. 

Non-Rant: Choosing A Wine Store

Introduction: Over 18 years ago, on May 9, 2007, I posted the following article with advice on Choosing A Wine Store. It was only the second article ever posted on The Passionate Foodie blog (and now there are over 5500 articles). With the first anniversary of Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet having occurred last Friday, I thought once again about this old article. I believe it's held up very well, and although today I might make some minor tweaks to it, the basic ideas remain solid. So, I'm presenting it as it was originally posted, without any revisions or changes. 

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If you wish to just pick up a bottle of wine, something under $10, then almost any store would do. Any local package store, grocery store or wine shop could cater to that need. But, what if you desire more than that? What if you are looking for a good wine store, a place to buy some different wines, maybe a case or two? What are the factors that differentiate the good wine stores from the mediocre ones?

Price: One of the primary factors for many people is price. We all want a good bargain when making any purchase. And wine prices can vary, sometimes significantly from store to store. You can see the price for the same bottle vary from $1 to $20 dependent where you buy it. Some stores cater to less expensive wines, such as $15 and under. Other stores have a variety, with some less expensive wines but also a selection of pricier ones too. Much will depend on the type of wine you are seeking.

Bottle price alone is not always indicative of the expense of a store. Many stores offer discounts, such as 10-20%, for purchasing a case of wine. And usually that can be a mixed case. So, even though a store's prices may be a bit higher than another store, the case discount may even matters out. In addition, some places run regular sales where you can get bargains. There are also stores that run promotions where you earn points based on your purchases, providing special gifts once you have acquired a certain amount of points.

Selection: You generally want a store that has a diverse selection of wines. Who wants to see the same old wines all the time? Some stores specialize in certain wine regions. Others may sell wines from more unusual regions. A good selection will also include varied prices, from $10 to $100 bottles, something for everyone. Remember that there are literally thousands of wines available so no store can carry them all. But, do look for places that try to acquire a good variety of wines from a number of regions.

Service: You want friendly and helpful staff at a good store. They should have a good knowledge of wine and those they sell. They should be personable and not snooty and pretentious. They should make you feel welcome rather than nervous. They should offer suggestions and recommendations without being pushy. Good service can include being able to order wine for you if they do not carry what you want.

There are a number of other factors, of less importance, but which can enhance or detract from your wine buying experience.

Appearance: A good wine store is clean and should not have dust all over their wine bottles. Display racks should be easy to see the individual bottles and their prices. They might have note cards describing the wines, or providing ratings and reviews from wine magazines.

Tastings: A good wine store will hold free tastings where you can try some of their wines. This can help you decide on which wines you might like to buy. Many stores now have weekly tastings.

Extras: A good wine store will sell more than just wine. They might sell other alcoholic drinks, from beer to hard liquors. They might also sell various foods, such as cheeses, chocolates and sauces. This can make the wine store a better one-stop place to stock up for a festive evening.

Website/Email: A good wine store will have a website providing information about the store and any upcoming events. Some even may an email list that will keep you up to date on their events.

But, there is one factor which I think is the most important of all. Passion.

Passion: The best sign of a good wine store is the passion of the owner. You can see that passion in them when they help you, when they answer your questions and make suggestions. The owner clearly enjoys wine, and is sincere in desiring to spread that joy to others. You can see that passion in them when they help you, when they answer your questions and make suggestions. These are the store owners who will truly work at making a good store. They will take care to make your experience as fine as possible. Their passion will show in every aspect of their wine store, elevating them above the rest.

No one wine store will probably cater to all of your needs, especially selection-wise. So, it is beneficial to visit different wine stores, to see what wines they offer that other stores do not. Your favorite wine store might not stock Greek wines but another store might. Your favorite wine store might sell 12 different Oregon pinot noirs but you might be looking for an Oregon producer that your store does not sell. But, in the end, you will probably have one or two wine stores which you frequent often, those places which you feel are the best. And I am willing to bet that the owners of those places have a true passion for wine.

Happy 1st Anniversary To Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet!

Happy 1 Year Anniversary to the owners of Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet in Melrose! And Best Wishes for many more years to come. 

A year ago, I first met the new owners, Vijay, Andy, Puja, and Brian, and it was with a little trepidation that we discussed their plans for the shop. That's a normal situation with new owners of any business. What is their objective for the business? How will the business change? Will the staff be retained?

Their answers were very positive, and uttered with complete sincerity, so that my trepidations vanished. They wanted the shop to be an artisan wine, beer and spirits store. They certainly didn't want to turn it into a package or convenience store. They also planned on retaining any of the staff who desired to work there. Finally, there would be changes, but they hoped only positive ones, those which would further their primary objective. 

After this past year, I'm pleased to report that they have lived up to everything they told me that first day. All of the new owners are sincere and hardworking, fully open to suggestions from all of the staff. And all of the current staff previously worked for Beacon Hill Wine.  

Victoria Hill is a destination shop, not just a neighborhood shop, a place which attracts people from all of the surrounding communities. In large part, this is accomplished by offering products that aren't available at many other local wine and liquor shops, including the big box shops. The diversity of their selection continues to always expand, and have been greatly welcomed by the customers. 

For example, the wine selections, numbering around 600, include offerings from about 25 different countries, including less commonly available wines from regions including Croatia, Lebanon, Georgia, Armenia, Bulgaria, Serbia, Peru, Brazil, Slovenia, Hungary, Switzerland, and more. Wines from additional countries, such as Mexico, Canada, and England, may be added in the future when good choices can be found.    

To expand their wine selection, new wooden wine shelves, such as the ones pictured above, have been added, allowing the shop to stock even more wines. These two shelving units are devoted to Portuguese and Spanish wines, from Vinho Verde to Port, from Albarino to Txacoli.  

There's also a new shelving unit for Sparkling Wines (from Crémant to House Champagne, Cava to Grower Champagne) and Rosé Wines (from Provence to Txakoli, Italy to California). The shelving unit also has some Ciders, Non-alcoholic Wines, Mocktails and Mixers. 

In addition, about 25%-30% of their wine selection are "Natural Wines," which is used as an overall designation for wines that are Biodynamic, organic, sustainable, or similarly produced, whether certified or not. To more easily locate the Natural wines, you simply have to check the new wine price labels, shown above, and look for an "N" in the right hand corner. More Natural wines continue to be added all the time.  

The store also carries a variety of interesting and delicious Sakes, from Junmai to Honjozo, Ginjo to Daiginjo, Sparkling Sake to Yuzu Infused. And if you need help selecting Sake, just ask me while I'm working and I'll be more than willing to help you.

I continue to conduct Wine Tastings every Thursday evening, from 5-7pm, and every Saturday afternoon, from 1-4pm. The tastings showcase diverse wines, exposing many customers to wines, countries and grapes they have never previously sampled. Customers have been very appreciative of this approach, and open to tasting more unique wines. They have often found new favorite wines, buying wines they wouldn't have purchased on their own, wary of buying a wine they've never experienced or knew little about. There have also been plenty of repeat customers who regularly come to the tastings to experience these new wines. 

On Friday nights, there are also often additional tastings, of Wine, Beer or Spirits. Please come by any of these tastings to expand your palate and taste some delicious and fascinating new wines, beers and spirits.  

Besides the diverse wine selection, the Beer chiller contains an excellent assortment of craft beers and ciders, many from local breweries, as well as some of the usual favorites, from Modelo to Budweiser. Customers have been very complimentary about the beer selection. 

The Spirits selection is diverse as well, including some harder to find selections, from Blanton's Bourbon to Chartreuse. Local spirits can also be found, from producers such as Barr Hill and Short Path.

Another physical change to the store has been new and extra lighting, to make the store brighter and easier for customers to see all of the selections. A new chiller case was also added, which holds wines, single beers, and hard seltzers.   

More changes are in the planning stages as well, such as the addition of more wooden wine racks, and possibly a new wine tasting station. As the holiday season approaches, even more wines will be added, included more higher end wines, which are great gifts for family and friends. 

Many thanks go to Vijay, Andy, Puja, and Brian, for creating an excellent store, for carrying a diverse and interesting selection, and for being open to suggestions. They have worked very hard during this past year, and it has been a real pleasure to work for them. 

If you live in Melrose, check out Victoria Hill and see what your new neighborhood wine, beer & spirits shop has to offer. If you live outside Melrose, please also check out this destination spot as you are likely to find plenty of selections that aren't available at your own neighborhood wine shop. And please come to the tastings and learn more about the wonders of wines, beer and spirits from all over the world! 

Victoria Hill Wine, Spirits & Gourmet
538 Main Street, Melrose
(781) 665-3332
Hours of Operation: Monday to Wednesday: 10am-8pm, Thursday to Saturday: 10am-9pm; Sunday: 10am-7pm. 

A Restaurant Crawl in Newburyport: Cormorant, Park Lunch & Bar-25.

Last Wednesday, I visited my good friend, Adam, in Newburyport, where he docks his fishing boat, the Wharf Rat. Although we didn't go out fishing, we engaged in a short restaurant crawl, with Adam showing me some of the local highlights, including The Cormorant, Park Lunch, and Bar 25. It was a fun and tasty evening, including both food and cocktails, and enticed me to return soon to explore more of the culinary options in Newburyport. 

Our first stop was The Cormorant, a small burger restaurant, reminding me almost of a diner. We began with a winner, and which I give a hearty recommendation. 

The restaurant has a counter, with stools, on the left side, and several tables on the right side. It gives the diner vibe, and we chose to sit at the counter. Adam mentioned that as this restaurant is very popular, you might have to wait in line during the busier times. Fortunately, we had no trouble finding space on a Wednesday evening. 
  

The restaurant is open for Lunch and Dinner, Wednesday to Saturday, and Brunch on Sundays. The Lunch/Dinner menu has Starters (4 options for $17-$18), such as Street Corn, Gauc & Chips; Salads (3 options for $16-$21), such as Salmon Kimchi Salad; Sandwiches (7 options for $17-$20, with fries or salad), including Pork Cutlet Parmesan and Italian Tuna; and Burgers (6 options for $17-$20, with fries or salad, and there's an option to design your own burger). Each day, there's also a number of Specials, such as those in the photo above. If you check their Facebook page, you can see photos of their daily Specials. 

They also serve Wine, Beer and Cocktails. They have a list of seven Housemade Cocktails ($10-$12), and are able to make plenty of other cocktails if you ask. I was intrigued by the Bourbon Cream Soda ($10), made from Bourbon, Cream Soda, and Bitters, over ice. You can also make it a Float for an additional $2. It turned out to be delicious, and wasn't overly sweet. It was refreshing, a great choice for a summery day, and now I want to make them at home. A simple idea but one that worked very well. 

I opted to create my own Burger, with 2 Patties, Cheddar, Swiss, Bacon, and BBQ sauce. The Brioche type bun was butter grilled, and was soft and flavorful, while the burger itself was excellent! The large, smashed patties possessed a nice meaty, grilled taste, enhanced by the toppings, which added a touch of smoke and salt, as well as a mild sweetness. A top notch burger! The French Fries were also delectable, with a great salty crispness to them. I certainly cleaned my plate, immensely pleased with my burger and fries. Overall, the Cormorant now enters my list of my Favorite Burger spots. 

After our burgers, we traveled a short distance to Park Lunch, an old-school sports bar, which has been around since 1957. One of their decorative highlights are all of the university and college flags on their walls, and it's said that wherever you went to school, you'll be able to find its flag. Coincidentally, when I looked up from the booth where we sat, I saw the flag for my own university, Suffolk, on the wall above us. 

Park Lunch has an extensive menu of salads, sandwiches, burgers, pizza, steak, chicken, pasta and more. They are especially well known for their Fried Clams, and that's the reason we stopped there. The restaurant was fairly busy that evening, and it seemed many of them were regulars.

I began with a cup of their Clam Chowder ($5.95), and it was quite tasty. It was on the thinner side, not the overly thick chowders you find elsewhere, and contained plenty of clams and pieces of potato. It had a fine taste, and was something I'd order again. 

We ordered a Small Order of Fried Clams (Market Price, in the $40s), and received quite an ample mound of clams, more than sufficient for two people to share. The clams were generally plump and flavorful, although the coating had a touch of a gritty texture. It definitely wasn't a sandy grit, but it seemed to be an element of the breaded coating. Overall, they were tasty, but they didn't top my favorites from the Clam Box.  

We ended the evening at Bar-25, which has a Middle-Eastern inspired menu and a Prohibition-inspired bar. It has an elegant vibe, an excellent bar, and would be great for an intimate date or just a night with friends. It was relatively quiet that evening, but I can easily see how it would get crowded on the weekends.

They have plenty of offerings of Wine, Beer, Spirits, Cocktails and Mocktails. The Cocktail list (13 options for $13-$16) was inventive and intriguing. I opted for the BLT, made from sun-dried tomato infused Mezcal, bacon washed Ancho Reyes Poblano, Triple Sec, Lime, and Organic Agave. This was a superb cocktail, subtle and complex, well-balanced and absolutely delicious. This will likely end up as one of my favorite cocktails of the year. Highly recommended!  

The Food Menu is primarily divided into Mezze (small plates) and Entrees. The Mezze have about 19 options ($8-$22) and Entrees have about 8 options ($22-$38). Some of the dishes include: Braised Lentil & Naan, Persian Empanada, Fried Chicken Shawarma, Lamb Kebab, and the B25 Burger. There were plenty of options which appealed to me, but at this point, we chose to select just a single Mezze. 

We opted for the Haloum ($14), breaded Halloumi cheese, pecorino romano, and spicy shakshuka. Halloumi originated in Cyprus, and has a texture that reminds me of cheese curds. It's also a great choice for frying, as its melting point is high. Their Haloum had a nice crispy coating over the firm and tasty halloumi, enhanced by the mildly spicy sauce. 

This was a pleasant introduction to their cuisine, but this is definitely a restaurant to which I want to return, because there is no much more on the menu that I want to experience. Plus, I want to try more of their cocktails. 

What are your favorite restaurants in Newburyport?

Win 2 Tickets To A Wine Dinner at Matria!

You can win 2 Tickets to a special Stags’ Leap Winery wine dinner being held at Matria in the InterContinental Boston on August 21! 

On Thursday, August 21, at 7pm, Matria, at the InterContinental Boston, will be hosting a three-course wine dinner, showcasing the wines of Stags’ Leap Winery. The menu will include:

• An Amuse-Bouche: A deconstructed Short Rib Arancini, featuring layered creamy risotto and a tender braised short rib center, finished with roasted red pepper sauce, shaved Parmesan cheese, and lemon zest, paired with Stags’ Leap Sauvignon Blanc. 
• First-Course: A Classic Caesar Salad served in a parmesan crisp bowl, topped with a whole white anchovy, garlic chickpeas, and lemon zest, paired with Stags’ Leap Chardonnay. 
• Main Course: Filet Marsala, seared beef filet finished in a Marsala reduction with parsley-swirled pappardelle, trumpet mushrooms, and white and green asparagus segments, paired with Stags’ Leap Cabernet Sauvignon. 
• Dessert Course: Tiramisu, made with whipped mascarpone cheese, lady fingers, cocoa powder, and espresso, paired with Stags’ Leap’s ‘Lead The Investor’ red wine. 

The dinner costs $120.00 per person (excluding tax and gratuity). However, I've been given 2 Tickets to this exclusive wine dinner to give away to my readers. So, I'm holding a Contest for these tickets, and all you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post and tell me which of the four food/wine pairings at this dinner sound the most appealing to you. 

On Friday, August 15, at 3pm, I will randomly select one of the entries to win those 2 tickets. Please note this contest is only open to people 21+ years old. Please also note that you are responsible for leaving a gratuity for your servers. 

So which pairing appeals to you most?