VIAS imports wine tasting, New York May 7th

In the collective imagination, Italy is immediately associated with breathtaking natural landscapes, awe-inspiring works of art, delicious cuisine and, of course, the finest wines.

If fact, each year Italy produces thousands of bottles of the most famous and appreciated red and white wines in the world.  Names such as Brunello and Barolo evoke images of the rolling hills of Tuscany and the lush vineyards and stone farmhouses of Piemonte.

If you are a wine enthusiast and enjoy the flavors of Italy, you can experience the diversity of  Italian wines on May 7th at the Altman Building with the Vias portfolio of Wines. Vias Imports, a company that for over thirty years has specialized in importing the wines of small, high-quality wineries, will gather a total of 40 producers from 19 regions of Italy, from Piedmont to Sicily , passing through Tuscany and Umbria. During this special event,  guests will have the chance to experience a selection of the best Italian reds, whites, rosés and sparkling wines such as Moscato, Passito di Pantelleria, Greco di Tufo, Nero d’Avola, Negramaro, Barbera d’Asti, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Gewurtztraminer, to name a just a few.

In addition, Amaro Montenegro, a much beloved digestivo, will create a "Montenegro Bar" to launch this  product in America. A Grappa Bar featuring a variety of the most famous Bertagnolli Grappe will also be on hand.

VIAS Imports Ltd., established in 1983, is one of the most renowned Italian wine importers in the US market. Its portfolio is one of the richest and most complete in the industry, representing the finest wineries throughout the country—over 800 different wines from more than 90 producers. In addition to this already noteworthy portfolio, VIAS imports wines from Argentina, South Africa, France, North America and Turkey.

The VIAS Portfolio wine tasting will take place on Monday, May 7, 2012 at the Altman Building, 135 West 18th Street New York, NY 10011 from 1.00pm to 7.00pm.

ABC and Shinn Estate Vineyards, Long Island

ABC Kitchen is undoubtedly known for its cuisine: farm-to-table inspired fare that relies on the freshest of ingredients to create memorable, delicious dishes. Yet, as rich of a story the cookery holds, there is an equal – if much lesser known – beverage narrative. Specifically, ABC Kitchen’s selection of wine is laudable for its dedication to organic, sustainable, and/or biodynamic wines (an astounding 100 percent of the wine list falls within this designation).

One area of particular interest for us – and for the team at ABC Kitchen – is that of biodynamics. To understand more about this type of wine, we connected with Emma Germershausen and Ann Marie Del Bello, manager and sommelier at ABC Kitchen, respectively. Biodynamic agriculture, they explained, is not just a way of farming – it is a way of thinking. Adherents of biodynamic philosophies often go misunderstood because of the lack of mainstream awareness and misinformation around the practices. According to Ann Marie and Emma, the best way to understand this way of farming is to go straight to the source.

This, in our case, would require visiting Shinn Estate Vineyard, a winery / bed and breakfast located on Long Island’s North Fork. Helmed by Barbara Shinn and her husband, David Page, Shinn Estate is the only 100 percent biodynamic, Demeter-certified vineyard on Long Island (and the 2008 Shinn Estate Merlot has been a staple bottle on ABC Kitchen’s wine list).

For more information and to see a video, go here.