Making You A Believer

​So the crux of this business is above all else to sell wine.  If we just amass a big inventory and nobody is buying, then rest assured we are quickly out of a job.  Yet the balancing act is to find wines that the masses will love and subsequently buy.  To borrow a phrase from a wine retailer friend of mine, you could call it The Wineslinger Paradigm.

As buyers we certainly get wined-and-dined, entertained and at times bamboozled by our sales reps.  It’s the name of the game.  Yet there are those wines that speak to us on other levels, that go past the simple “consumer-friendly” or “ultra-rare” or “trophy-wine” status.  These wines remind us why we even got into this business in the first place.

A few years ago, while at another store, I was introduced to the wines of Tenuta della Terre Nere.  Begun as the dream project for esteemed Italian wine importer Marc de Grazia, and derived from vineyards nestled precariously beneath the very active volcano called Mount Etna in Sicily, Marc champions the native Sicilian grape Nerello Mascalese (and its sibling Nerello Cappuccio).  At first introduction to these wines, I had the crazy notion this was the unholy union of a Premier Cru Burgundy and a Barbaresco.  I got hints of bright, tart cherries and hints of earth and mushrooms, with bolder tannins and notes of red fruit, truffle and peppercorn.  And the white wines – typically a blend of Carricante, Cataratto, Inzolia, Grecanico and Minnella – are some of the most balanced, clean and fruit-driven wines I have come across.

These have become the wines I want everyone to try.  I’ve had great luck in turning people on to these wines.  In particular, the current releases are spectacular:

Tenuta della Terre Nere Etna Bianco D.O.C. 2015.  A blend of Sicilian white grapes (mentioned above), this wine shows off loads of white flower, apple and peach notes, with hints of bright minerality and lovely balance of acidity.  This will be my wine at home for the rest of the year (it’s my favorite wine for the holidays)!

Tenuta della Terre Nere Etna Rosso D.O.C. 2015.  With 5% Nerello Cappuccio, this Nerello Mascalese gives you lots of leather and earth coupled with dark red fruits, tobacco, a multitude of spices and hints of pepper and truffle.  It’s an incredible wine for under $20.

Sicilian wines in general have a lot to offer the consumer, what with variety and affordability and diversity in great supply.  Next time you’re in to either store, ask us about these wines and many more from Sicily.  You’ll be glad you did.