Monday, April 6, 2015

aria . the wines of Joan d'Anguera. a winemaker dinner





Brothers Joan and Josep Anguera will be on hand to discuss their newest vintages, transition to biodynamic agriculture and new direction in the Montsant appellation.

Their father was an early pioneer, growing grenache, carignan & syrah, who helped define the Montsant growing region in Catalunya. Now Joan and Josep are carrying on the legacy and taking that vision to the next level with the release of the 2012 and 2013 vintage.

More about d'Anguera

Featured Wines:

Cava Avinyó, Nature NV
Do Ferreiro, Albariño, Rias Baixas 2013
Joan d'Anguera "Altaroses" Granatxa, Montsant 2013
Joan d'Anguera "La Planella" Carinyena/Syrah/Garnatxa, Montsant 2012
Joan d'Anguera "Finca L'Argata" Garnatxa/Syrah, Montsant  2012
Joan d'Anguera "Bugader" Syrah, Montsant  2012





Monday, March 2, 2015

aria . bouchard pere & fils wine dinner with luc bouchard





Featured Wines
Henriot But NV
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Beaune du Chateau Blanc 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Puligny Montrachet 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Savigny les Beaune 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Volnay Caillerets 2012
Bouchard Pere & Fils, Beaune Greves L’Enfant Jesus 2010

About Bouchard Pere & Fils
The name Bouchard Pere & Fils is familiar to Burgundy lovers around the world.

Founded in 1731 in Beaune, the Bouchard tradition spans over 280 years and 9 generations.  In 1775, Joseph Bouchard acquired his first vineyards in Volnay in the famous “Les Caillerets” climat and started to develop the family’s vineyard holdings.
During the French Revolution, property belonging to the clergy and nobility was confiscated and put up for sale.  Joseph’s son, Antoine Philibert Joseph Bouchard, seized the opportunity to extend the family’s vineyard holdings in Beaune including the famous “Beaune Grèves Vigne de l’Enfant Jesus.”

Today, Buchard Pere & Fils wines are produced from 80 different Burgundian appellations with nearly 70 percent  designated as Grand or Premier Cru wines.



About Luc Bouchard
Luc Bouchard, a ninth generation descendent of the Bouchard family, is responsible for the Americas for the distinguised Burgundian house of Bouchard Père & Fils.

Bouchard grew up in the vineyards of Burgundy and took part in the annual harvest since childhood. In fact, following family tradition, Bouchard was baptized with one of the house's most famous wines, the Beaune Grèves Vigne de l'Enfant Jésus . His love of wine developed early in life, as Bouchard spent his vacations in the house's extensive cellars, and later working in the vineyards of the Rheingau region of Germany.


Monday, September 15, 2014

aria . on the spanish wine route with nicole andrus




Featured Wines
Artadi, Santa Cruz de Artazu, Artazuri Rosado, Navarra 2013
Fillaboa, Albarino, Rías Baixas 2012
Palacios Remondo by Alvaro Palacios, Plácet Valtomelloso, Rioja 2011
Palacios Remondo by Alvaro Palacios, Propieded, Rioja 2010
Artadi, El Sequé, Alicante 2009
Vall Llach, Vall Llach, Priorat 2008

About Nicole Andrus
Raised in the Napa Valley of California where her parents founded Pine Ridge Winery in 1978 and Archery Summit Winery in Oregon in 1994, Nicole has done everything from pitch-forking grape stems and performing lab analyses to assisting her parents with sales and marketing in domestic and foreign markets. Through these experiences she developed a great interest in travel and new cultures and while in high school spent an exchange year in Switzerland, where she learned German and developed a love for the European lifestyle.  In college she helped her father out in his new venture, Archery Summit Winery, and during her Sophomore year decided to spend another semester overseas in Ecuador, where she developed a keen interest in the Spanish language, the Galapagos Islands and botany.  

Upon her return to the U.S., Nicole pursued an undergraduate degree in Biology and a Master’s degree in Molecular Plant Systematics, where she studied the origin of a plant genus endemic to the Galapagos Islands at Miami’s F.I.U.  While she both enjoyed and excelled in her chosen field of botany, after time she yearned to return to her roots in the wine business and to once again live overseas.  She thus accepted a position in the research and development department at Bodegas Miguel Torres in Spain, combining her scientific background with her longtime affinity for wine. 

Nicole worked at Torres for two and a half years, and then served as an independent wine consultant for various Spanish wineries interested in the US market.  In 2005, Rob Mondavi of Folio Fine Wine Partners contacted Nicole about his new company’s (Folio) interest in importing Spanish wines into the U.S.  Nicole was thrilled at the opportunity and by 2006 had helped Folio to negotiate agreements with eight estates from the Spain: Fillaboa, Palacios Remondo, Comenge, Vall Llach, Cims de Porrera, Capafons-Osso, Clos Dominic, Mas de l’Abundància, Artadi and Leda. Today Nicole serves as Folio’s Spanish Imports Specialist where she divides her time between liaising with producers and hosting groups in Spain, as well as travels to the U.S. to educate American accounts and consumers on Folio’s top-notch portfolio of Spanish estates. In tandem, Nicole is also co-founder of Niso Wine Tours (www.nisowinetours.com), a specialized Spanish wine tourism company.


Thursday, April 10, 2014