Italian Wine Merchants UK - Cantina Caputo - Wines of Italy -

Want to start your wine cellar?

Paul Caputo — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 16:43:37 +0000

Starting a cellar does not have to be a costly exercise and it does not have to be all about making high yielding investments. Starting a cellar is about pleasure. Discovering and collecting wines and following them on their journey to maturity, will almost certainly be a rewarding experience.

So where do you start? We have selected our five golden rules for starting a wine cellar that covers every wine need.

1) Firstly, buy what you like. Following scores or good reviews is no substitute for tasting the wine yourself and making up your own mind. Not only is wine an incredibly subjective drink, one mans poison is another man’s nectar, it is also very mood driven. What you loved yesterday may not be suitable for today. Everybody’s palate is different.

2) Wine is for sharing. What is the point in having a great cellar if you can’t invite your friends around to share your latest discovery? That being said, not every social situation merits opening your best wines. It is important to carry a house red and white that drinks well, but is not expensive enough to make you flinch when your nosy neighbour helps themselves to their third … Read more...

Italian White WInes for the Spring

Paul Caputo — Fri, 05 Apr 2013 09:33:21 +0000

With the first signs of spring, late as they may be, comes the need for some suitable wines to carry us into summer. Those big, brooding reds that have helped us through the extended winter can now be left on the racks until the BBQ season. Now is the time for light, refreshing whites, bursting with flavour and in tune with the April and May sun (ahem). Here are our top five Italian grape varieties that will be in vogue this year.

The south of Italy has had a wine renaissance of sorts over the last decade. The quantity over quality approach that has menaced the Italian wine trade throughout the 70s and 80s looks to have all but disappeared. The range of quality wines that can be found in Puglia, Basilicata and Sicily is incredible, but it is perhaps the region of Campania that has improved most dramatically in recent years.

The Fiano grape, grown around the town of Avellino just east of Naples is proving capable of producing high quality wines. Vesevo, a project involving a New Zealand wine maker and distinctly volcanic soil, is a name to look out for. Their Fiano di Avellino, a DOCG wine (the … Read more...

The Big Chester Wine Quiz 2013

Paul Caputo — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:06:00 +0000

It’s back!! The big Chester Wine Quiz returns for the third time. Fine wine merchants Cantina Caputo have teamed up with Zebra Marketing and are pleased to host the third, highly anticipated event.

Building on the success of the previous two years, guests can expect a five star evening; welcome drink on arrival, wine tasting, raffles, quizzing, supper and a real chance to socialise with local like-minded business people.

Previous winners Walker Smith Way shared the trophy with WASP last year and there will no doubt be plenty of businesses looking to come away with pride, prestige and prizes.

The night will be hosted at the Queen Hotel, Chester on 23 May 2013 starting at 6:30pm. Entry is £20 per person and teams can be made up of 4-6 people. The quiz has gone from strength-to-strength and this year is set to be even better. If you think your taste buds are up to scratch and want a fun night out with colleagues then we hope to see you there.

The ‘Big Chester Wine Quiz’ will be raising money for local children’s charity, Empowering Youth Foundation (EYF), on the night. EYF is a development organisation that delivers invaluable life skills … Read more...

Discover Umbria

Paul Caputo — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 09:55:39 +0000

Like many other things, the wines of Umbria exist mainly in the shadows of their Tuscan counterparts. This is perhaps all the better for those of us in the know as there is quite often a deal to be had. There is plenty to discover here and plenty to appeal to the wine romantics amongst us. Viticultural history here goes back to the Etruscan civilisations. The industry also thrived in the Middle Ages and while walking the medieval streets of Perugia, Assisi, Torgiano or Orvieto, one needs little help in imagining 12^th century popes and aristocrats washing down a hearty meal with the local wines.

Surrounded on three sides by the Apennine Mountains, Umbria shares many of the geographical and climatic characteristics so celebrated in Tuscany. Cool breezes come off the mountains to the east while the warming currents of the Mediterranean create excellent conditions for the ripening of grapes. Despite all this, indigenous white varieties such as Grecchetto, Trebbiano, Verdello and red varieties such as Sangiovese and Sagrantino are being joined by increasing plantings of Cabernet and Merlot. Despite this, eight of the thirteen DOCs in the region were created after 1980. We are still in the early … Read more...

Understanding Abruzzo

Paul Caputo — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 12:18:48 +0000

Abruzzo often feels like a flash in the pan, a one hit wonder, a region universally applauded for cheap, easy drinking Montepulciano, but little else. Although this was certainly once the case, excellent value drinking wines of an unpretentious nature have indeed put this little region on the Italian wine map. There is however so much more to discover here. Take for example Pecorino, a white grape gaining increasing notoriety for its capacity to deliver wines of richness, complexity and concentration. Producers such as Umani Ronchi are demonstrating that this early ripening grape can yield premium wines suitable for serious discussion. Their Pecorino ‘Golden Fleece’ bottling bursts with aromas of fruit and flowers while a delightfully rich palate expresses ripe tropical fruits and mineral notes yet maintaining a balance of freshness and alcohol.

A mountainous region, Abruzzo is situated on the Adriatic coast of central Italy. Despite a fairly moderate Mediterranean climate prevailing here it is fair to say that the northern parts of the region share similar microclimates to Tuscany and Umbria, while the flatlands of Chieti resemble the growing conditions of the warmer south. The wonderfully versatile Montepulciano grape is cultivated all over the region, yet it is … Read more...

Valpolicella Ripasso – three Alpha Zeta vintages

Paul Caputo — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:37:44 +0000

Returning from last weeks buying trip to Sicily, we were greeted with torrential rain and miserable grey skies. Therefore a little interactive, spontaneous fun was needed; before you could say Valpolicella, three vintages of Alpha Zeta’s Valpolicella Ripasso were dancing in their glasses.

Alpha Zeta is one of New Zealand wine maker Matt Thompson’s Italian wine projects. Along with a number of other regions, Matt has chosen the Veneto in the north East of Italy as a region capable of delivering wines in his trademark clean, fruit forward style.

We opened the 2008, 2009 and 2010 and almost unanimously concluded that Matt had achieved what he set out to do. Ripe, plummy fruit dominated all three vintages and in fact left room for only very subtle observations. To delve deeper and understand the quirky differences in these wines involves looking at the climatic characteristics of the Veneto. This is easier said than done as most wines in this price bracket are made with purchased fruit from numerous growers spread throughout the region.

In 2010 cool, wet springs reduced yields in north east Italy but a cool summer allowed the fruit that survived to ripen. Lower temperatures and rain ultimately ensured … Read more...

Under a Tuscan sun – Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

Paul Caputo — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:52:17 +0000

Tuscany is home to the three great masters; Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and of course Brunello di Montalcino. Last week we spent a few days under a Tuscan sun tasting new wines for our range and came across some excellent producers offering quality and value for money. Scorching temperatures and plenty of great food separated some intensive tastings of Chianti Classico against it’s more rustic neighbours, Chianti Colli Senesi (Chianti made in the hills around Siena rather than the traditional area around Castellina in Chianti) and Chianti Rufina (to the east of Florence). In Montalcino we grappled with the concept that far more Brunello is produced than the basic rosso di Montalcino while immediately to the east in Montepulciano some stunning wines were found.

Following our tastings at Fattoria di Rodano, whose farm can be traced back to the middle ages, we have added their Chianti Classico to the range. Produced along the road leading from Elsa to Castellina in Chianti, this is a traditional Chianti, the way we like them, packed with red cherries and hints of tobacco and violets. We have started with the 2006, very enjoyable now but has a good structure to improve also. … Read more...

Wine Tasting in Chester – The Big Chester Wine Quiz Part II

Paul Caputo — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 07:58:28 +0000

On May 31st Cantina Caputo and Zebra Marketing and Communications welcomed over 70 local business people from around Chester and Wrexham to the Guildhall in Chester. Following the success of the first Big Chester Wine Quiz last year, consensus was that doing it again was not only a good idea but an instruction. So as the rain came down and 6pm fell, corks were popped on a crisp, clean Prosecco frizzante DOC by Domenico de Bertiol, much to the enjoyment of arriving guests.

The event followed a similar format to last September, with each business being asked to submit a team of between 4 and 6 players to compete in a number of general knowledge and wine theory rounds. Preceding such trivia were a set of difficult dingbats and the obligatory blind wine tasting from which a soft, earthy Malbec showed mass appeal.

Local charity, Empowering Youth Foundation (EYF) again had a fantastic evening, raising over £500 as they raffled off a number of excellent prizes including fine dining in the Abode Restaurant, tickets to both Chester Performs and the Pageant of Power at Cholmondeley Castle, as well as a fantastic photo shoot opportunity with local photographer Victoria Lee.

Walker … Read more...

The Big Chester Wine Quiz 2012

Paul Caputo — Thu, 03 May 2012 10:40:35 +0000

Following the success of last years ‘Big Chester Wine Quiz’ we are delighted to hold another one, only this time bigger and better. Cantina Caputo and Zebra Marketing are once again teaming up and in support of local charity, EYF, are hosting an evening of wine tasting and local trivia.

The previous event was a huge success with teams from key local businesses taking part before local law firm Walker Smith Way eventually lifted the trophy. They will be keen to take it home again and will no doubt be in competitive form.

The event will take place on Thursday May 31st at the Guildhall, Chester and will be an excellent lead into the summer. Join us at 6.30pm for a glass of Prosecco and mingle with other local businesses before the quiz starts. Regroup with the rest of your team at 7.30pm and try to identify five blind wines. Don’t worry if your wine skills are not too polished as there will be plenty of opportunity to redeem yourselves in a variety of different quiz rounds.

We hope you will consider entering a team of between three and six people for a fantastic night of fun, food and wine with … Read more...

Barolo

Paul Caputo — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 10:36:06 +0000

Many would argue that Barolo needs no introduction, yet for an equal amount this legendary wine remains shrouded in mystery as jaw dropping prices only create more barriers to discovery. Iconic names such as Aldo Conterno, Bruno Giacosa and Paolo Scavino are well coveted, their presence compulsory in any serious cellar, but what of the other tiny estates of Barolo and where does one start when seeking to indulge in the hedonistic pleasures originating from this infamous stretch of land?

Barolo should be and often is, the rich, dramatic, powerful and masculine expression of the Nebbiolo grape, a grape that has found a perfect home in the subtle microclimates of elven communes of the Langhe area of Piemonte in North West Italy. The name Barolo takes its name from the commune of Barolo, which along with La Morra, Castiglione Falletto, Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba is the most important.

So why is Barolo so good? Well firstly, in 1980 Barolo was promoted from its DOC status to DOCG and subsequently new, sensible and forward thinking conditions were set down to ensure overall quality was maintained and a few poorly made examples didn’t spoil the wine’s historically good reputation. Maximum yields were … Read more...