Salento is called the “heel” of Italy because of its shape: it is a beautiful strip of land, bathed by two seas, the Ionian and the Adriatic, a door straight on the Balkans, Greece and south-eastern Europe. Land of border, where everything ends and at the same time can start. By destiny and by agricultural vocation, Salento is also the mother land of the wine civilization, because, as the local farmers say, wine in Salento is as old as man and his agriculture. 

Altitude and composition of the soils, exposure and solar irradiation, thermal excursions and ventilation, these characteristics make of Salento an incredible diverse wine region, expressing several microclimatic and terroirs, changing within a few kilometres. 

The cultivation of the vine, in these areas, located at the center of the Mediterranean, has crossed all the ages, from the Greeks to the Romans, to go to Longobards and Byzantines, and then Normans, Angevins and Aragonese, and reach up to our time with stunning, powerful wines.

Reds can be the intense and brooding made of Negramaro, or brilliant and vibrant, made of Primitivo or the indigenous Susumaniello. Because Puglia and Salento are, above all, lands of reds and rosés (rosati), sometimes even big and unforgettable ones. Wines with character. 

Today Salento shows the potential to become a symbol of the new frontier of Southern Italian quality enology. Two facts plays a big role in the quality viticulture of this area: ancient tradition in the cultivation of the vine on one side and perfect climatic conditions on the other. And then again, the proximity of the sea, an added value able to mitigate the effects of a hot climate and to give the wines that complexity (and elegance) that makes them truly unique, expressive of a truly unique “Salento identity”. 

Come and discover more about this underrated wine region. Meet in person some of Salento producers!

WHEN: 2018 OCTOBER 24th (Wednesday) - 11:00AM to 1:30pm

WHERE: THE WINEHOUSE (upstairs) - 2311 Cotner Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90064

COST: FREE FOR TRADE (credentials required) or CURRENT NASA MEMBERS - Renew your membership here !

With Consorzio of Salice Salentino producers and Laura Donadoni (guest speaker)

Please RSPV, limited number of seats available !

For questions or queries : info@nasommelier.com

For centuries, BORDEAUX has commanded an almost mythical status in the world of wine, beguiling kings, emperors and dictators alike. While its survival is dependent on the capricious nature of weather,  its prosperity has always been tied to the shifting fortunes of global economies. As powerful nations rise and fall, so does the fate of this place.

One of the unique and historical characteristics of this commanding wine region is the quality 'classification' of its left bank (Medoc) wineries. Most of us are well aware of the famous 1855 classification that divided the wineries into a 'Grand Cru' scale of 1 to 5 and how unreachable the 5 top Chateaux are in price...but how about the wineries that were NOT classified in 1855 ? The ones that were born after, or perhaps never made the cut back then but today make fabulous wines at accessible prices ?

Welcome the CRU BOURGEOIS. Created in 1962 but with a far longer history, this association of producers stands to protect, classify and promote all the superb wineries that were not classified in 1855 and were in the hands of merchants and not noble families. They represent some of the best and most competitive wines that Bordeaux has to offer. As a result of their selection criteria and positioning in terms of price, the Crus Bourgeois are ideally suited to today’s markets and the requirements of increasingly demanding consumers.

JOIN US FOR AN IN DEPTH OVERVIEW SEMINAR OF THE MEDOC DISTRICT OF BORDEAUX, THE 'CRU BOURGEOIS' ORGANIZATION & CLASSIFICATION & TECHNICAL TASTING OF SOME OF THE FINEST EXAMPLES OF 'CRU BOURGEOIS' BORDEAUX WINES, TOGETHER WITH CRUS BOURGEOIS DU MEDOC BRAND AMBASSADOR FOR THE USA, BRINDA BOURHIS (WINEVOX) AND CERTIFIED BORDEAUX WINE EDUCATOR, NASA VICE PRESIDENT, DIEGO MERAVIGLIA.

* EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL WILL BE PROVIDED / TRADE & NASA MEMBERS ONLY

WHEN: 2018 APRIL 17th (Tuesday) - 11:00AM to 1:30pm

WHERE: ANALOG BAR (Recording Room) - 801 5th Avenue Gaslamp, San Diego, CA 92101

COST: FREE FOR TRADE & CURRENT NASA MEMBERS - Renew your membership here !

For questions or queries : info@nasommelier.com

Learn more about the CRU BOURGEOIS

"Brothers come quickly ! I'm drinking stars !" was the exclamation uttered by father Dom Pérignon as he discovered bubbles in wine. A fluke, a coincidence of nature dictated by the extreme Northern location of the Champagne region causing stuck fermentations due to cold. He spent the rest of his life, 47 years, battling, studying, exploring, analyzing and comprehending this phenomenon. 

In 1668 Dom Pierre Pérignon, a monk, is nominated curator of the abbey of Hautvillers. He was in charge of  managing the supplies of this holy place and set out to improve and renovate the vineyards and wine the abbey produced. As a Benedictine monk, he followed the rule of St.Benedict...the strive for perfection and discipline; he left nothing to chance. He set out to make "the best wine in the world" and single handedly set the base for what Champagne and any 'classical method' sparkling wine is today. He invented techniques, methodologies and concepts that revolutionized wine forever.

A cuvée de prestige is a proprietary Champagne label that is considered to be the top of a producer's range. Famous examples include Louis Roederer's Cristal, Laurent-Perrier's Grand Siècle, Dom Pérignon, Duval-Leroy's Cuvée Femme, Armand de Brignac Gold Brut, and Pol Roger's Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill, Ruinart's 'Dom Ruinart' & KRUG's 'Grande Cuvée'.

The original prestige cuvée was indeed Moët & Chandon's 'Dom Pérignon', launched in 1936 with the 1921 vintage. Until then, Champagne houses produced different cuvées of varying quality, but a top-of-the-range wine produced to the highest standards (and priced accordingly) was a new idea. In the last three decades of the 20th century, most Champagne houses followed these with their own prestige cuvées, often named after notable people with a link to that producer and presented in non-standard bottle shapes (following Dom Pérignon's lead with its 18th-century revival design). These are indeed...the BEST SPARKLING WINES IN THE WORLD.

AS A TOAST TO THE ENDING 2017 VINTAGE, JOIN US FOR AN IN DEPTH GUIDED TASTING & SEMINAR ON DOM PERIGNON's NEW VINTAGES AND OLDER RESERVE GEMS, STILL AVAILABLE ON THE MARKET. THE PRESENTATION & TASTING WILL INCLUDE RARITIES RARELY PULLED AND WILL COMPARE AND ANALYZE THE VINTAGE CHARACTERISTICS AS WELL AS A TECHNICAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONCEPT OF 'PLENITUDES':

- Dom Pérignon Blanc vintage 2009, Dom Pérignon Rose' Vintage 2005, Dom Pérignon P2 vintage 2000, Dom Pérignon Rose' P2 vintage 1995, + a surprise old vintage (direct comparison to P2).

SEMINAR PRESENTED AND LED BY DOM PERIGNON US BRAND AMBASSADOR & NASA PRESIDENT, DIEGO MERAVIGLIA.

WHEN: 2017 DECEMBER 18th (Monday) - 11:00AM to 1:30pm

WHERE: WALLY's BEVERLY HILLS (private room) - 447 N Canon Dr, Beverly Hills, CA 90210

COST: FREE FOR WINE TRADE ONLY - credentials required & checked*

* Please note: This complimentary seminar and tasting is reserved for industry only (buyers or press) ! Capacity is set to 24 and credentials will be checked prior to confirmation of seat.

RSVP BY CLICKING BELOW / For questions or queries : info@nasommelier.com

Ribeiro is a Spanish Denominación de Origen (DO) (Denominación de Orixe in Galician) for wines located in the northwest of the province of Ourense (Galicia, Spain). Ribeiro has a long tradition of producing and exporting wine from the Galician Atlantic ports. It is believed that the first vineyards were planted by the ancient Romans. Nowadays, white Ribeiro wines are known for their fresh, slightly acidic, fruity character.

Vineyards grown on very steep slopes  (known locally as socalcos or bocaribeiras) benefit from deep soils of granitic origin with a significant content of stones and gravel which improve the structure of the soil and reflect sunlight onto the vines. White wine represents about 80% of the wine produced, and is most produced with the Treixadura variety which is native to the area. Other athorzed white varieties are: Albariño, Godello, Torrontés, Loureira, Macabeo and Albillo.

RIBEIRO wines are superbly fresh, vibrant and clean. Largely unknown outside the Spanish market, they represent amazing values and are true gems of a Spanish denomination all to be discovered.

Join us for a SEMINAR and TASTING of the most representative and renowned producers of this small jewel appellation.

WHEN: 2017 MARCH 27th, 11:00am to 1:30pm

WHERE: PRESS CLUB -  20 Yerba Buena Ln, San Francisco, CA 94103

COST: FREE FOR TRADE & CURRENT NASA MEMBERS - Renew your membership here !

For questions or queries : info@nasommelier.com

Chianti and Chianti Classico...2 wines that are as established in the world as the concept of wine itself. Hailing from the heartland of the Etruscan culture and based on the central Italian king of grapes Sangiovese ("the blood of jupiter"), Chianti has come to symbolize the very essence of central Italian viticulture, agriculture, folklore, tradition and mystique around the globe. Despite its over 800 year documented history, but going back much further, many misconceptions still exist on this fabled nectar of the Gods. It will be our mission and pleasure to clear up any obscurity related to this enological cathedral in a splendid event of tasting, culture and history as we dive deeply into all the details there are to know about this iconic and time-tested appellation.

This seminar reviews some of the recent changes and updates in regulations, clarifies wine styles and specific terroirs (villages and subzones) and explores in depth the beauty of this icon of Italy. Led by NASA Director of Education Diego Meraviglia, the seminar also includes a detailed guided tasting of several of the most significant wines from both regions, examples of the various towns, sub-zones, styles, new vintages, terroir and classification level : 

- 'Badia a Passignano' Chianti Classico gran selezione, Antinori, 2010

- 'Bibbiano' Chianti Classico riserva, Montornello, 2013

- Chianti Classico riserva, Fattoria La Ripa, 2012

- Chianti Classico riserva, Nozzole, 2013

- 'San Lorenzo', Chianti Classico gran selezione, Castello Di Ama, 2013

- Chianti Classico, Castello Dei Rampolla, 2013

- Chianti Rufina, Selvapiana, 2014

- Chianti, Spalletti, 2014

- Chianti Classico riserva, San Felice, 2013

- Chianti Classico Riserva "Novecento", Dievole, 2013

...and more.

PART OF SommCon 2016 (San Diego) - FREE FOR TRADE

REGISTER HERE

WHEN
Sunday JUNE 19th, 10:30am - 1:30pm

FEES
$75 non-members / $50 members / FREE for buyers (credentials required)

Italy is one of the most Volcanically active countries in the world, especially in Europe. It is also the only country that produces wines on active live volcanoes. Volcanoes have moulded, shaped and influenced the civilizations of this ancient country since the dawn of ages. One must only think of the Vesuvius or Etna as an example. Wine is no less influenced by these majestic and intimidating children of geology and Italy boasts some of the best and most peculiar vineyards in the world, cultivated on highly particular volcanic soils on the very slopes of these fire breathing mountains. These are some of the most unique wines in the world.

Join us for 3 hours of specific geology, terroir, ancient culture and wine tasting of some of the most representative volcanic wines, as we do a flight across the enological products of man, nature and fire to understand how Italian volcanic wines have set a new unparalleled standard of personality. Learn the difference between BASIC VOLCANIC and ACIDIC VOLCANIC, how the wines behave from these 2 terroirs and what are the appellations built through history on these pseudo-lunar environments. Led by NASA Vice President & Director Of Education, Diego Meraviglia.