Melgab International CC - Importers of Fine Italian Wine

Margaux and Lafite Oust New World

Thu, 07 May 2009 10:38:57 +0200

Guy Woodward (decanter.com) writes:

In what might be seen as a reversal of recent trends, two Bordeaux first growths have triumphed in a top-level blind tasting^?.

Yesterday in London, premium Chilean producer Errazuriz gathered some of the UK's top palates to recreate its landmark 'Berlin' tasting, pitting its own wines against the top names of Bordeaux, Tuscany and California.

In a line-up of a dozen wines, the judges gave the first two places to Chateau^? Margaux 2005 and Chateau Lafite 2005, followed by a 'Super Tuscan'. Errazuriz wines took the next four places, while Opus One, the sole^? Californian wine, was placed last of the 12.

Errazuriz president Eduardo Chadwick first conducted the tasting in 2004 in Berlin, when his wines took the top two places. Describing the event as 'a milestone in the history of the Chilean wine industry', Chadwick has since repeated the event in Tokyo, Toronto and Beijing.

The tastings frequently elicit protests from Bordeaux, whose producers complain that taking their wines out of context leads them to underperform.

On this occasion, however, a panel comprising some of the UK's top tasters, including Jancis Robinson MW^?, Tim Atkin MW and Oz Clarke, were unanimous in favouring the clarets.

Decanter consultant editor Steven Spurrier, who took part in the inaugural tasting, and has attended several since, observed that this was 'without doubt the most pro-Bordeaux result we've seen'.

...

The results in full:

Château^? Margaux 2005

Château Lafite-Rothschild 2005

Solaia 2005

Don Maximiano 2006

= Viñedo^? Chadwick 2006

= Seña 2005

Seña 2006

Château Latour 2005

Sassicaia 2005

Don Maximiano 2005

Viñedo Chadwick 2005

Opus One 2005

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, contest, bordeaux, berlin tasting, south-africa, South Africa

Countdown to Prowein and Vinitaly 2009

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:48:27 +0200

16/04 Update: Photos are up:

» ProWein + Vinitaly Trip (27 March - 10 April)
» ProWein + Vinitaly Trip 2 (27 March - 10 April)

Yep, Melgab's currently in the process of packing to take a trip at the end of the week: first to ProWein in Düsseldorf, Germany, and then to Vinitaly in Verona, Italy.

At this stage, if you're a participating producer at either expo, don't bother contacting us to make an appointment unless you propose to use outright bribery to make it worth our while. Our timetable is fully booked for the duration of both shows and promises to pack a mouthwatering punch.

If you happen to feature on said timetable then we look forward^? to seeing you soon!

Tags: melgab, wine, exposition, festival, germany, italy, south-africa, South Africa

2009 Chianti Classico Vintage Presentation

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:35:10 +0200

Chianti Classico^? once again held its presentation in Florence's Stazione Leopolda, the old train station between Porta al Prato and the Parco delle Cascine (just outside the city walls), whose construction was begun in the 1841, and which is named after Grand Duke Leopoldo -- it was discarded (as a train station) in 1860, and was thereafter put to many uses, ranging from site of the Espozizione Nazionale (National Fair) opened by King Vittorio Emanuele in 1861 to munitions plant in WWI.

The bombing it suffered in WWII destroyed the roof; a makeshift roof held up by iron pipes was applied, and the complex^? used as a railway warehouse until 1993, when it was transformed into an extraordinarily beautiful exposition area, which now hosts all sorts of things, from fashion shows to wine tastings. As Carlo Macchi points out, the lighting's beautiful, the temperature is just right, there's all the space one could want, and it's also quiet. In short perfect, and I began with the Riserve, starting with the one Chianti Classico Riserva^? 2001 being presented.

» Full Story

... be sure to browse both our Chianti and Classico sections if this leaves you with cravings. ;]

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, chianti, classico, south-africa, South Africa

Italian Region Launches Grape And Football Contest

Mon, 16 Feb 2009 10:10:04 +0200

Hmm, an instance of slightly overstretched cross promotion. Crazy enough to work though. Elena di Luigi (decanter.com) writes:

An Italian trade body^? is looking for writers to come up with the most original literary work on the affinities between the Grignolino grape and football.

Terre d'Asti, a promotional body representing the Asti region^? in northern Italy, has launched Wine & Passion, an international literature competition to promote Grignolino d'Asti wine.

The red grape grows on the hills surrounding Asti, in the Piedmont region of Italy. It has been cultivated since the 18th century and is generally made as a youthful dry^? red wine.

Among locals it is seen as an anarchic grape occasionally capable of excellence. Andrea Cerrato of Terre d'Asti said that if the grape was a footballer it would be given the number seven shirt.

'When teams were numbered from one to 11, the number seven shirt belonged to the most talented and rebellious player,' he said. 'Grignolino d'Asti is our number 7, and literature and football will give us a hand to promote this unsung hero.'

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, grape, soccer, south-africa, South Africa

Wine scientists discover appellation 'chemical fingerprint'

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 09:40:40 +0200

This should be used to verify the smart cork tracking method. That would result in a foolproof indication of the origin and authenticity of a wine. Frank Smith (decanter.com) writes:

Two forensic scientists at the University of Western Australia have found a way to prove the origin of wine chemically.

Alex Martin and John Watling used mass spectrometry to determine the chemical 'fingerprint' of 400 wines from around Australia.

The 'fingerprint' is made up of the concentration^? of over 60 trace elements. These depend mainly on the soil composition of the growing region^? and grape variety^?. It changes little during winemaking, transportation and storage.

Wines made from one grape variety in one region have similar chemical 'fingerprints', and are quite different to those of the same grape variety in other regions.

They are now building up a database of wines from around the world. Once completed it will be possible to identify the origin of an unknown wine sample by comparing its fingerprint to those in the database.

'We aim to reliably place a wine within 20km of its origin,' said Watling.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, australian, appellation, fingerprint, south-africa, South Africa

Valentines Day 2009 Wine Gift Ideas

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 09:08:22 +0200

We're well into 2009 and with Valentine's Day a month away, we decided to put together a small selection that would make any happy couple's day together all the more memorable.

Valentine's Day Suggestions: Antonini Ceresa Prosecco Raboso (Pink Italian Spumante); Ca'Bianca Moscato D'Asti (Italian Dessert Wine with a Light Fizz); Renzo Masi & Co Rosato di Toscana (Italian Rosé); Covides Duc de Foix Cava (Spanish Méthode Champenoise)

Click on any of the links above to view the wine's detailed profile or contact us should you wish to place a request and we'll quote accordingly.

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, valentines day, gift, 2009, south-africa, South Africa

Riunite & CIV buys Gruppo Italiano Vini

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 09:43:58 +0200

Kerin O'Keefe (decanter.com) writes:

Italian co-operative^? Riunite & CIV has bought Italy's largest wine firm^?, Gruppo Italiano Vini^? (GIV).

The deal, which saw Riunite & CIV consolidate its majority shareholding of GIV, will cement the Italian co-operative's position as one of the largest wine groups in the world. It is expected to generate a turnover of €450m (£423m, US$627m).

Before it became the sole^? shareholder, Riunite & CIV held shares of GIV along with four other firms. Originally two separate companies, the Reggio Emilio-based Riunite and the Modena-based CIV merged on 1 September this year.

'After our merger we became majority shareholders and it was then decided among all parties that it would be best to buy the others out,' Vanis Bruni, the new president of Gruppo Italiano Vini and vice-president of Riunite & CIV, told decanter.com.

Bruni added that GIV would be independently run, 'as far as production and marketing', and that current managing director Emilio Pedron would remain in the post.

GIV also recently acquired the Bolla brand of Italian wines from American distributors Brown-Forman.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, takeover, giv, south-africa, South Africa

Aussie Doc Creates World's Healthiest Wine

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:54:25 +0200

Well documented are our previous accounts of the benefits of resveratrol.

An Australian doctor says he has created the world's healthiest wine, which cleans your blood vessels and reduces the risk of heart attack^? as you drink it.

Each bottle contained up to 100 times the amount of resveratrol - a naturally occurring anti-oxidant found in grapes - than a standard drop, says Sydney's Dr Philip Norrie.

Resveratrol helped to maintain blood flow by keeping arteries free of fatty deposits called atherosclerotic plaque, Dr Norrie said. A wine infused with high levels of the odourless, tasteless anti-oxidant would act as a "vascular pipe-cleaner".

"While the positive effects of moderate wine consumption have long been documented, the inclusion of such large quantities of this beneficial anti-oxidant is very good news for wine drinkers," says Dr Norrie.

"What we've been able to do is boost the amount of resveratrol in wine and you won't even know its there ... you're effectively clearing your arteries while you drink."

Dr Norrie said he is producing both a Chardonnay and a Shiraz and each have 100mg/L of resveratrol per bottle.

» Full Story

Tasting notes anyone?!

Tags: melgab, wine, australian, resveratrol, health, south-africa, South Africa

Italy May Become World's Biggest Wine Producer

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 08:36:32 +0200

A bumper harvest is expected to push Italian wine production above that of neighboring France for the first time in a decade, possibly making Italy the world's largest wine producer.

The Coldiretti farmers lobby estimates the production of Italian wine is up 8 percent over 2007 to 4.7 billion liters, compared with 4.44 billion liters in neighboring France, where production fell 5 percent. Figures will be confirmed in January.

Italy last surpassed France's production in 1998, and has since been reducing the area of land cultivated as vineyards in favor of improving quality, Coldiretti's wine expert Domenico Bosco said Wednesday.

Italy's strong harvest is largely due to good weather, Bosco said, which helped Sicily, in particular, recover from lower 2007 yields caused by a deadly fungus there.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, harvest, france, south-africa, South Africa

Savoring Italy, One Beer at a Time

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:11:59 +0200

This is the glorious Italian realisation of an old sentiment. Evan Rail (nytimes.com) writes:

HALFWAY through our six-course tasting menu of regional Piemontese cuisine, the sommelier^? arrived with a special beverage to accompany the plate of raviolini stuffed with local pumpkin and asparagus^?.

"I think this will go well, because it matches the sweetness^? of the pumpkin," he said, setting down a glass not of wine, but of a slightly oxidized^? golden ale, which, he explained, had been fermented with wine yeast^? and had spent four years aging in the bottle.

A cold beer might seem like a strange pairing for traditional Italian cuisine, especially in the heart of wine-loving Piedmont, but the entire meal that night was based on local brews, and the sommelier himself was Teo Musso, a brewmaster with near-rock-star status in the Italian culinary scene. Through his artful small brewery, Le Baladin, Mr. Musso has helped bridge the worlds of craft beer and fine dining, ensuring that fine beers have a large presence in Eataly, Turin's high-end supermarket, and founding his own beer-themed restaurant and hotel, Casa Baladin, where my wife and I stayed one night this spring.

"I want people to think of my beer as something that belongs on a table in a good restaurant," Mr. Musso said. "I do not want them to think of it as something from the pub."

» Full Story

*tears^? of joy*

Tags: melgab, beer, artisanal, piedmont, dinner, south-africa, South Africa

Brown-Forman sells Bolla & Fontana Candida to GIV

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 11:33:34 +0200

Richard Woodard (decanter.com) writes:

Brown-Forman is to sell Italian wine brands Bolla and Fontana Candida to the company's Italian partner, Gruppo Italiano Vini^? (GIV), for an undisclosed sum.

The deal follows GIV's acquisition of the Bolla winery^? in 2006 for US$11.1m. The Italian company has been producing Bolla for Brown-Forman since then, and has produced Fontana Candida since 1987.

Bolla was Brown-Forman's third biggest-selling wine, with sales of more than 1.1m cases in the company's last fiscal year. However, the brand has been in decline since sales topped 1.5m cases in 2001.

Brown-Forman CEO Paul Varga said the deal was part of the company's continuing efforts to focus on the best opportunities for growth and shareholder return. The company's profits mostly come from spirits brands including Jack Daniel's and Southern Comfort.

The sale^? of Bolla and Fontana Candida is expected to close before the end of the year. GIV will take over distribution of the brands outside the US on 1 January 2009, and within the US by 30 April.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, takeover, giv, south-africa, South Africa

Wine Spectator 2008 Top-100: Italian Highlights

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 10:52:10 +0200

Each year, Wine Spectator editors survey the wines we've reviewed over the past 12 months and select the most exciting for our Top 100.

In 2008, we reviewed more than 19,500 wines from around the world in blind tastings. More than 5,300 of them earned outstanding ratings (90 points or higher on our 100-point scale). We then narrowed the list down based on four criteria: quality (represented by score); value (reflected by release price); availability (measured by case^? production or cases imported); and an X-factor we call excitement. But no equation determines the final selections: These choices reflect our editors' judgment and passion about the wines we tasted.

Fourteen countries are represented, making the 2008 list the most diverse group in the history of the Top 100, which debuted in 1988. Quality remains high, with an average score of 93 points, consistent with the past two years. With the dollar weak early in the year, however, prices increased, pushing this year's average to $52 per bottle. We hope that you enjoy this list of exciting values, emerging stars and classic wines and that our Top 100 of 2008 leads you to more deeply explore the world of wine.

» WineSpectator.com

We highlighted the featured Italian wines for personal reference and thought we'd share them with you:

» Italian Highlights (PDF; 146kb) | password: melgab.co.za

Enjoy!

Tags: melgab, wine, winespectator, pdf, top 100, italian, south-africa, South Africa

The Globalization of Wine

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:36:40 +0200

Ed Schwartz (napavalleyregister.com) writes:

There is a lot of talk these days about the globalization of wine. Some wine people are up all night tossing and turning, worried about that sometime in the distant future, all wines will taste^? alike, assuming there could ever be such a thing as a "universal" taste.

Globalization of wine sets me off in another direction — the amazing growth of international commerce in wine in this generation. Not that international wine trade is something new. The Greeks, as in many things, did a wonderful job 2,000 years ago planting vines and spreading wine culture. The Greek trade in wine was surprisingly extensive. There was a system of appellations to ensure the origin of the best wines so that customers of Greek wines knew where the wine came from. Large stores of wine traveled wherever Greek ships traveled — and that was all over the known world. We even know from ancient records where the best wines came from. So, the Greeks developed the kind of Epicurean consciousness that is now also part of the modern wine mind.

I've always believed that this globalization, or internationalization of wine has caused great competition, which is always good for the development of wine and our wine industry.

...

One notable example — the wines of Italy. Not so long ago, most United States wine consumers thought of Italian wines as the rather rough, thin inexpensive wines in straw flasks with the Chianti on the label. Now, what has happened in Italy has been phenomenal and not just in Tuscany. Today, a top level wine merchant will have well over 200 Italian red wines ranging from excellent Falesco wines under $10 to a line of highly regarded wines from Gaja, some of which command prices close to $300 a bottle.

Today, fine Italian wines are not restricted to the Northern districts. Excellent wines are being enjoyed from Sicily to Puglia, Campania and points south. Italian grape varietals^? that in the past "got no respect" are now flourishing stars under new and expert hands — Nero^? d'Avola and Sagrantino are just two examples.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, globalisation, wine making, south-africa, South Africa

Discussing The Global Economic Crisis Over $300 Wine

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:44:41 +0200

This really tickles my funny bone. Deidre Woollard (luxist.com) writes:

We may all be cutting back, but at the the White House dinner Friday night for foreign leaders to discuss the global financial crisis, the meal was anything but spare.

The menu for around 24 global leaders gathered in the White House State Dining Room included, according to the AP, fruitwood-smoked quail^? with quince gastrique; quinoa risotto^?; thyme^?-roasted rack of lamb^?; tomato^?, fennel^? and eggplant^? fondue^?; a salad^? course of endive^?, baked Brie and walnuts^?; and a pear torte. What's raising some eyebrows though is one of the wine selections, the Shafer Cabernet Hillside Select 2003, which runs for around $300 a bottle, if you can find it. This wine was served with the main course will more modest wines such as the Landmark Chardonnay Damaris Reserve^? 2006 (around $40 a bottle, served with the appetizer) and the Chandon Étoile Rosé^? sparkling wine^? (about $30 a bottle, served with dessert) rounded out the rest of the meal.

The President pays for his own groceries in the White House but state dinners such as this one are paid for with taxpayer dollars. It is perhaps some comfort in this case^? that at least two of those attending: President Bush and French President Nicolas Sarkozy are said to be teetotalers. Others in attendance included Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper; Chinese President Hu Jintao; German Chancellor Angela Merkel; and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, white house, opulent, dinner, south-africa, South Africa

Prosecco Goes for top DOCG Status

Wed, 15 Oct 2008 16:30:13 +0200

Michele Shah (decanter.com) writes:

The Prosecco DOC^? di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene Consorzio^? has applied to the Italian government for promotion to the higher DOCG^? status.

At the same time, the basic IGT^? (Indicazione Geografica Tipica^?) level Prosecco grown in the lower plains will also have to go though stricter quality control, the DOC says.

Some IGTs will be elevated to to DOC (Denominazione di Origine Controllata^?) while others will be demoted, losing the right to put 'Prosecco' on the label.

DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita^?), established in 1963, is the highest legal category of Italian wines.

The Prosecco Consorzio has applied to the Ministry of Agriculture to allow promotion of the best Proseccos in 2009.

Speaking at the Consorzio tasting in London on Monday, Consorzio director Giancarlo Vettorello told decanter.com it was time 'to push ahead with our UK promotion as sales in UK are on the rise and Prosecco seems to be all the rage.'

There were 37 producers at this year's tasting, 12 more than last year.

Today the Prosecco DOC produces some 57m bottles of which 15m are exported worldwide. The currently imports 6% of total exports, the equivalent of 1m bottles exported in 2007.

» Full Story

Tags: melgab, wine, italian, prosecco, docg, south-africa, South Africa

Melgab International CC - Importers of Fine Italian Wine

Margaux and Lafite Oust New World

Countdown to Prowein and Vinitaly 2009

2009 Chianti Classico Vintage Presentation

Italian Region Launches Grape And Football Contest

Wine scientists discover appellation 'chemical fingerprint'

Valentines Day 2009 Wine Gift Ideas

Valentine's Day Suggestions

Riunite & CIV buys Gruppo Italiano Vini

Aussie Doc Creates World's Healthiest Wine

Italy May Become World's Biggest Wine Producer

Savoring Italy, One Beer at a Time

Brown-Forman sells Bolla & Fontana Candida to GIV

Wine Spectator 2008 Top-100: Italian Highlights

The Globalization of Wine

Discussing The Global Economic Crisis Over $300 Wine

Prosecco Goes for top DOCG Status