The Sauza Tequila story

Three Generations of “Dons”

The rich history of Sauza Tequila began in 1873, when visionary Don Cenobio Sauza founded the Sauza Distillery.
As the quality of his tequila distillation advanced, his son, Don Eladio Sauza joined in the process. Don Eladio was a true businessman who led the family into success during one of the most turbulent times in Mexican history.
Don Eladio Suaza’s son, Don Francisco Javier Sauza, followed the footsteps of his grandfather and father. He helped Sauza Tequila grow into an international company.
The name of Tres Generaciones translates to the obvious homage to the three generations that led Sauza into stardom. The “Three ‘Dons,’” as they are known to the world, have led Sauza’s growth from 1873 to the present time.
In honor of the Three Dons, Sauza named a tequila line after the three generations, hence Tres Generaciones. The three founders have left a mark on the legacy of Sauza Tequila and are setting the bar high in the tequila industry.
All Tres Generaciones tequilas are made with hand-picked, 100-percent blue agave and are triple distilled. Add organic to the scenario and the distillation process changes.
Organic fermentation is slower and brings out different notes in the flavor of the tequila.
There are three different varieties of Tres Generaciones, Plata, Reposado and Anejo. Each has its distinct character, but all share the characteristics of authentic agave flavor, smooth drinking style and supreme quality. These qualities date back to 1873 and embrace the wisdom and secret distillation techniques of the three Dons.
The Plata is an un-aged, crystal clear agave that is well-balanced and very smooth on the palate. I could not detect any burn or bite; in fact, the herb flavor with spicy characteristics was overly pleasurable. At $43.99, this is a perfect, flawless tequila to open the road for tequila curiosity.
The next step or level upwards in the tequila process is Reposado. The difference in flavor from Plata to Reposado is in the aging process, as well as where the tequila rests for aging.
Reposado is aged in American oak barrels for a minimum of four months. The oak makes the difference and creates numerous flavor profiles the Plata cannot achieve because of the lack of oak. In the wine world, the analogy is simple: stainless steel aging versus oak aging, each has their merits.
The Reposado is sweet and spicy with tones of agave and herbs mixed with a subtle white-pepper undertone. Like the Plata, the Reposado is smooth and elegant with a drop of sweetness that resembles dried figs. Reposado is $46.99 and a true bargain.
The highest achievement in the Sauza Tres Generaciones Organic series is the Anejo ($73.99). Anejo is aged 12 months in once-used American bourbon barrels. This special tequila is known as being rich and smoky with an array of subtle flavors, including vanilla and mint. I found the Anejo to be smooth, round and complex. The flavor profile starts with a brown sugar flavor followed by smoky oak and agave. As with bourbon, the finish was warm oak, smoky and minty.
With the holidays upon us, consider learning about the wonderful tequilas from Sauza, specifically the Plata, Reposado and Anejo “Tres Generaciones” collection.
If you want to go one step further, look for the newly-released Casa Sauza XA, Edicion Limitada. This is Sauza’s first Extra0 Anejo and is aged for three years in small American new and once-used oak barrels. After my first sip I realized this was a truly elegant and sophisticated tequila.
The tequila captivates your senses and is easily the most memorable tequila I have sampled. At $150 a bottle, I am sure this limited edition of 12,000 bottles will vanish quickly.
Let’s raise our glass to the accomplishments of the Three Dons.

PHILIP S. KAMPE

SAGRANTINO D.O.C.G. Wines by Philip S. Kampe

Umbria is the only landlocked province in Italy. Tuscany is to the northwest, Marches is east and Rome is southwest. Due to the popularity of Tuscany, a conversation about Umbria and its wines rarely surfaces.
For the past 15 years, Umbria has been a wine destination of mine. Friends (Fausto and Patrizia Proietti) own a beautiful medieval guest house in Trevi, named TETTI de TREVI (.com).  From the balcony of any of the seven guest rooms, you can see the vineyards of Montefalco.  
Each night that Maria (my wife) and I stay at Tetti de Trevei, Fausto Proietti and I plan the route for the next days wine journey in Montefalco.
The region around Montefalco is known specifically for SAGRANTINO, the newest noble wine variety in Italy. Sagrantiono is considered an indigenous grape that only grows in the hilltop areas around Montefalco.
According to current research, the first mention of the cultivation of the Sagrantino wine grape dates back to 1549 in Montefalco. The Sagrantino name can be traced back to the ‘Sacrament’ because the grape was cultivated by monks to produce a raisin wine used for religious rites. There are many theories regarding the origin of the grape. Some say St. Francis of Assisi brought the grape from the Middle East to be used as a sacramental wine. Others contend that the grape was brought to Umbria by the Greeks, as well as Franciscan (French) friars. It’s still a debate that exists today. I don't know the answer.
Montefalco is located in a valley surrounded by the Apennine Mountains. The valley is extremely warm in the summer, often over 100 degrees. Sand and limestone soil keep the roots cool during the warm days. Mountain breezes cool the wine growing region at night. Fortunately, a drying breeze, known by locals as Tramontano, comes from the north and helps limit rot. The varied climate, from hot to cool, results in a grape that has concentrated dark fruit and is loaded with tannins.
Sagrantino nearly disappeared from the Umbrian vineyards in the 1960’s. The grape was revived, thanks to the dedication of a few pioneering wine producers including Fratelli Adanti and the founding of the Caprai winery.
Thanks to the dedication various producers from the region, Sagrantino obtained a D.O.C. in 1979, followed by a D.O.C.G. in 1992.
Sagrantino wines are gaining popularity around the world. I believe because the wines are so unique.
At a recent sampling of 100% DOCG Sagrantino wines, numerous producers stood out of the crowd.
My favorites included:
CASTELBUONO, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2006
PERTICAIA, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2006
CAPRAI, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2005
COLPETRONE, Sgrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2007
SCACCIADIAVOLI, Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2005

PHILIP S. KAMPE

                                                               -

BEAUJOLAIS DAY WORLDWIDE by Philip S. Kampe

Tonight at midnight, local time, the first bottles of the 2012 vintage of Beaujolais Nouveau were opened all over the world. It's a festive, light-hearted moment about a festive, light-hearted wine. Beaujolais generically is red, fruity, lacking bitter tannins, low in alcohol and is made using a grape (Gamay) not often encountered in other wines. And Beaujolais Nouveau has the additional luck of being a very good wine for traditional Thanksgiving.
Tonight is the annual party hosted by Frank and Georges Duboeuf celebrating the arrival of Beaujolais Nouveau in New York City. The soiree will take place at midnight at the famous Highline Ballroom and will be sponsored by Deutsch Family Wines and Spirits.
On Thursday the traditional daytime uncorking will take place with Jacques Pepin as the special guest of honor.
This is one of my favorite times of the year. It is a time when we give Thanks to so many things including Beaujolais Nouveau 2012.

TEMPRANILLO DAY is today, Thurday, November 8th

Greetings!  We hope you're ready for International Tempranillo Day (it's already started on the Iberian Peninsula)!   Here's the press release that went out from our partners at Vibrant Rioja.  Don't forget to join us on Twitter using the hashtag #Tempranillo or #TempranilloDay, and check the event listings at www.internationaltempranilloday.com. Tempranillo Takes the Stage Vibrant Rioja to launch month-long celebration of International Tempranillo Day November 5, 2012 – NEW YORK, NY - In celebration of the 2nd Annual International Tempranillo Day on November 8, 2012, Vibrant Rioja is hosting tastings across the nation and launching a full-scale social media campaign that will run throughout the month of November. From a fun tweet chat to a “Win a Trip to Rioja” Facebook sweepstakes, Vibrant Rioja hopes to build awareness around the versatile grape that made Rioja Spain’s most famous wine region. At 8 pm EST on November 8, Vibrant Rioja will kick off the month-long celebration with the #Tempranillo Day tweet chat, cohosting the virtual event with TAPAS (Tempranillo Advocates, Producers, and Amigos Society) and Nanette Eaton of the acclaimed blog, Wine Harlots. Widely regarded as a leading wine personality in the social media sphere, Nanette’s social media presence earned her the number two spot on Cision’s annual Top 10 List of influential bloggers on Twitter. Nannette will lead participants through a virtual discussion and tasting of Rioja and US Tempranillo wines. The tweet chat will introduce a month-long Vibrant Rioja Facebook sweepstakes giving consumers an opportunity to win an all-expense paid trip to Rioja, the world’s most famous Tempranillo-producing wine region. Vibrant Rioja will award a second prize of a Rioja Wine Dinner, including a $250 gift certificate, as well as over a dozen runner-up prizes of Rioja gift packs throughout the month. The Sweepstakes begins on November 8, 2012 at 12:00 a.m. ET and ends on November 30, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. In addition, Vibrant Rioja is hosting events across the country that will celebrate International Tempranillo Day by giving consumers a chance to taste the wines of Rioja, Tempranillo’s most famous region. For more information on all of the Vibrant Rioja Tempranillo Day events, check out our Facebook Event Calendar at www.facebook.com/RiojaWines/events. Established in 2011 by TAPAS, International Tempranillo Day is a celebration of both the traditional wines made with Tempranillo, such as those from Rioja, as well as those produced by winemakers in newer regions around the world, from the U.S. and Mexico to Australia and South Africa.  Besides its vast acreage within Rioja, Tempranillo is planted in over 500,000 acres of the world’s vineyards, making it the 4th most widely planted grape in the world. Native to Rioja, Tempranillo is the region’s most widely-planted grape, where it manifests in one of the world’s great wines. About Rioja Located in north central Spain, Rioja is considered one of the greatest red wine regions of the world. Rioja reds are blended predominantly with the indigenous Tempranillo grape from one of the region’s three subzones — Rioja Alta, Rioja Baja and Rioja Alavesa. The DOCa of Rioja administers highly sophisticated and stringent quality control in the winemaking process, from viniculture to bottling. More than 200 brands from Rioja are available for purchase in the U.S. For more information, please visit www.vibrantrioja.com. # # #

Reply to: Reply to Heidi Stine

Send

DONNACHIARA--Campania's BEST by Philip S. Kampe

“DonnaChiara”, Five Generations of Female Winemakers  by Philip S. Kampe

The Petitto family, from southern Italy’s Campania region, have been land owners for over twelve hundred years. Imagine what your relatives looked like in the 9th century? During that time period, (13 centuries) numerous Petitto family members, both male and female, were the winemakers for their estate. Their job was to supply the family estate with wine from their vineyards.
During this long period, not until recently, has a first in the wine industry of Campania been accomplished. The last five generations (150 years) of winemakers in the family have been women.
The most recent family winemaker, Illaria Petitto, an attorney by trade, decided to break from the family tradition and make wine on another parcel of family property, which is located  in Montefalcione. The land has been in the family for generations.
Production began in 2005.

The ‘Made in Campania’ wine style using modern technology paired with traditional terroir and ancient grapes has made the DonnaChiara vineyard a leader in the region.

The area surrounding the vineyard  is well known for the production of three Irpinian DOCG wines, Taurasi, Greco di Tufo and Fiano di Avellino.
Illaria, like her mother, Chiara, for whom the vineyard is named (www.DonnaChiara.it) , wants to make wines  only with grapes that are true to the tradition of the area. As head winemaker and visionary, Illaria Petitto says “Our grapes are very ancient and rich of history that talks about our land. Each grape has different characteristics, as color, smell and flavor. I really believe that to return to the original that it will help our wines to obtain the right consideration they deserve”.
While everyone has been involved in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, I have had the opportunity to sample the wines of DonnaChiara, thanks to Cathleen Burke Visscher, an

Independent marketing guru who has urged me to sample the 5^th generation female (Illaria Petitto) winemakers wines, under the relatively new DonnaChiara label.

What I found were wines that were ‘old world’, intertwined with remarkable ‘new world’ flavors and aromas that combined tradition with passion in each drop. I was literally blown away by the quality and consistency of each wine that I sampled.

DonnaChiara wines should be on your radar if you are a true wine lover. If you are  looking for a new label, at unbelievably reasonable prices, then DonnaChiara is your answer. 

The wines of DonnaChiara are readily available, although production is limited.

What I would recommend, and I will go out on a limb, are ‘All’ of the wines that are produced by DonnaChiara.
In my opinion, each wine I sampled was an exceptional interpretation of the grape that was represented.

My list begins with Sante Spumante Falanghina Brut IGT, a perfect sparkling 100% Falanghia wine that serves as an aperitif before, after or during a (seafood) meal.
At 14% alcohol, the Tarasi Reserva DOCG explodes with toasty, full, rich, dark fruit notes that interpret  the Aglianico grape in its original form. Just as warm and full-bodied is the Taurasi DOCG and Irpinia Aglianico DOC, both, a natural match for game and roast. For pasta, try Campania Aglianico IGT. Elegant seafood, lobster and crabmeat pair beautifully with Fiano di Avellino DOCG, while Greco di Tufo DOCG pairs with raw seafood and herb cheese. White meats have met their match with the wonderful Beneventano Falanghina IGT.

Love and passion for tradition has paid off for Illaria. The wines from DonnaChiara are a true testament to winemaking at its best.

PHILIP S. KAMPE