¡Meraviglioso! Exclusive Italian Imports

Preface: Sometimes Dave and I joke that we could easily stock an entire shop with French wine. We've noticed that recent club choices and tastings are often French-inspired or based, so we challenged ourselves for this month's club choices: "Let's try all Italian," said Dave, with a gleam in his eye. "Go for it," I replied. Read on.

Small Vineyards Imports: Dave had the distinct pleasure of attending the Small Vineyards Direct Import tasting a few months ago. Small Vineyards is a fairly low-profile company with a very large impact on the Seattle wine market; if it were not for their work, we would not see some of the amazing wines featured in our shop and in this month's club. Small Vineyards is a "direct importer," which means they have representatives who go to Italy, speak the native language with the winemakers, taste the wines, and settle on the choices of what to import. And only then do they bring them back directly for us to taste. It just doesn't get more intimate than this.

Buying from Small Vineyards or any direct importer is a "palate risk" - one has to taste the wines, as Dave did, and order right then and there; no other chances to order are offered. (The reason is the importing company needs to know what the orders will be and make one large import shipment.) What this means is you are getting wines which are rare, and will likely not be seen anywhere else but our shop, and therefore will not likely be enjoyed anywhere else but in your hands as a club participant. This is always our commitment to you - to bring you excellent wines which are not readily available from most retailers - it also reflects our goal to bring our customers interesting and new wines which will expand your overall tasting experience. As always, please let us know what you think.

2007 Compagnia di Ermes Cibele Bianco  $14 (Small Vineyards Direct Import)
A wonderful and fascinating white blend of indigenous grapes Ottonese and Bellone, named for the Greco-Roman roots of Italian wines. Compagnia di Ermes is a small winery in the town of Olevano Romano, which is just east of Rome. This true Mediterranean style white shows both lively fruit and great texture. A unique mix of apple and stone fruits are intriguingly complimented by a hint of kaffir lime leaf; there isn't anything quite like this wine and we knew right away it needed to be in the Traveler's club.

Pairing Suggestions: an ideal seafood wine; herbed chicken or seasoned pork chops, especially if using rosemary or oregano.

2007 Vietti Dolcetto d'Alba  $26
Vietti consistently produces exceptional wines based on a number of famous varietals, but Dolcetto d'Alba is at times overshadowed by the more well-known labels carrying the names of Barolo and Brunello. Produced in Piedmont as well, this is a classic and very refined Dolcetto d'Alba - lively floral notes play over a solid core of fresh fruit. It's as refreshing as it is appealing in structure and weight; a really beautiful red. This is one of the few reds that can be enjoyed on a hot day; serve slightly chilled.

Pairing suggestions: a great pasta with red sauce wine (though not with a sauce as strong as say, Puttenesca); meatballs; goes remarkably well with rabbit.

2005 Poderi Elia Barbera  $16 (Small Vineyards Direct Import)
Another small winery which produces superb bottles every year; Poderi Elia is well known both for Barbera, Barbaresco and Dolcetto. All the Poderi wines are the focused and visionary work of Federico Stella, who Small Vineyards describes as "meticulous beyond belief in the cellar, and seemingly oblivious to the outside world." He produces wines on his terms and the results are always stunning. This Barbera shows lively berry flavors with just a brush of earth and herbs.

Pairing Suggestions: superb with grilled or poached salmon.