La Costa Vineyard

Alt title: Extended Lunch

Alt alt title: Smile

Alt alt alt title: Friend

I hadn't called Ermanno prior to my visit today and didn't reach him on the phone before lunch.  I did see his son at the bar when I was picking up a sandwich to make a picnic in the vineyard.  His son was kind and gave me these two bottles of wine, which his father had been wanting to give me.  It is this year's production of the Spergola sparkling wine from last summer's harvest.  It is absolutely incredible.  More on that later.  His son explained also his contribution to the label this year with the fox in the vineyard.

Anyway, I had finished my sandwich and had just posed the two bottles for a photo when Ermanno walked up behind me.  He brought a few bottles along with him also and asked me to have a taste with him.  That's too good an invitation to say no! 

Ermanno brought out some glasses from the house and we had an impromptu tasting in the yard.  See the extras.

Spergola is a local variety of Reggio-Emilia and in particular to the hills, which you see in this photo.  It has a nice floral and fruity bouquet that I always enjoy and has enough nose to enjoy like you might a fine red, but still light in the mouth.  The flavor hints strongly of pears and apples, but dry enough, and there is something more with a good acidity.  Ermanno has worked so hard in the past few years to cultivate the vineyard to get the best quality possible and I can testify to his hard work and the winemaker who took care of the rest.  The something more I told Ermanno is something akin to a hint of lemon. To which he replied, "Exactly!"  This variety has a good acidity with the clay soils of the region and can be at times slightly bitter.  This year's production shows no bitterness and I think is the real revelation.  The acidity balances so well with the white fruity and floral notes which expresses itself also in the hints of citrus.

Amazing.

Enjoy the extras of the vineyard, Ermanno, his yard with the fruit and hazlenut trees - and of course... the Spergola sparkling wine!

He gave me one more bottle to take home to make an 'even' three for good luck. :::)))