ATTN: EVERY SUMMER STELLINA SPONSORS A WINE TASTING SERIES ENTITLED “UNDER THE STARS!” GREAT WINES ARE TASTED OUTDOORS, IN THE SHADE OF OUR VERY OWN GRAPEVINES, ACCOMPANIED BY FOOD FROM OUR KITCHENS. AND THIS YEAR THE SERIES CONTINUES…..
The first wine tasting of the summer season is on THURSDAY JUNE 14 at 6:30, when we resume our annual “UNDER THE STARS!” series with an in-depth look at one of our very favorite Italian wineries, TORMARESCA.
TORMARESCA represents a fusion of one of the oldest wineries in the world, ANTINORI of TUSCANY, with one of the oldest wine-growing regions in the Mediterranean, the southern region of PUGLIA. Both ancient and modern grapes and growing practices are on display, and the wines represent the absolute best that southern Italy has to offer.
Like all of the tastings that Stellina has offered this year, this will combine 5 WINES WITH A FIVE-COURSE MENU designed to pair perfectly with the vintages. Professional commentary will be available, as well as the opportunity to ask questions.
If you’re an Italian wine aficionado, you won’t want to miss this unique opportunity to taste some of the finest Italian whites, reds and roses. Cost for the tasting, including all wine and food, is $65 per person.
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To accompany an all-Puglia lineup of wines, we’ve chosen an all-Puglian array of dishes.
MENU
Rose Calafuria
PANFRIED MOZZARELLA AND PANCETTA BUNDLES, WITH ARUGULA AND RED ONION SALAD
Chardonnay Pietrabianca
ZUPPA DI PESCE BIANCA
Negroamaro Morgicchio
PASTA PUTTANESCA PUGLIESE
Trentangeli Rosso
GRILLED PORK BOMBETTE WITH SIGNORA BIMBI’S PEPPERS
Aglianico Bocca di Lupo
EGGPLANT, TOMATO AND BURRATA WITH LAMB SPIEDINI
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Special added course:
Cannoli
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ABOUT TORMARESCA: After 26 generations and more than 600 years in the wine business, the Antinori family of Tuscany has expanded its involvement in Puglia. The Antinori family gave birth to Tormaresca in 1998 when they started investing in Puglia, considering it one of the most promising regions in Italy for the production of high quality wines with a strong territorial identity
Viticulture in Puglia is history and at the same time innovation. Cultivation of wines started thousands of years ago, at the time of “Magna Grecia”, to which the Greek origins of many names of Apulian grape varieties attests. Tradition continues through the presence of native varieties such as Negroamaro, Aglianico and Primitivo, both true expressions of a strong and extra-ordinary vital territory.
The production of high quality wines is related to recent steps towards innovation and creativity: substantial changes have been obtained through the use of modern viticulture techniques and the introduction of non native grape varieties (i.e. Chardonnay and Cabernet) that express themselves in this “terroir” in a completely unique way.
Tormaresca is the expression of the above two souls. Character, personality and top quality are the characteristics that Puglia transmits to the native grape varieties.
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MEET VITO PALUMBO
ROBERT PARKER: I need to make a special callout to Vito Palumbo, manager of Marchesi Antinori’s Puglia estate Tormaresca and “Mr. Puglia” in person. Few have championed the Puglia wine identity more articulately and more passionately than Vito Palumbo. Tuscany’s Antinori family invested in Puglia in 1999. This ground-breaking winery subsequently brought a wave of new investments and hot-climate winemaking technology to the boot of Italy. The Tormaresca experiment has not always been an easy one. Despite the many ups and downs (including difficult vintages), Vito continues to be an inspiration for the many new faces that are now blossoming in the wake of Tormaresca’s birth.
“Tormaresca is a fantasy name, a play on the Puglian dialect, and means Tower by the Sea,” he explained. “It’s also an extension of the Antinori philosophy to respect local tradition and original vines, while leveraging technology to improve the results. We respect the past, but we never stop innovating.”- Vito Palumbo
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TASTING NOTES
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ROSE “CALAFURIA”, SALENTO IGT 
NEGROAMARO 100%
COLOR: a peach petal pink.
AROMA: both intense and delicate with fragrant notes of peaches, roses, and cherry blossoms.
FLAVOR: a fresh and balanced wine, highly savory and with much aromatic persistence
Calafuria takes its name from the over 700 bays on the Apulian peninsula. The region has a long tradition in the production of rosé wines made with Negroamaro, a variety that best expresses its full potential near the sea. Our rosé is produced from vineyards that extend across the Adriatic coastline for over a kilometer.
WINE ENTHUSIAST: 87 POINTS, Red berry, violet and a whiff of clove lead the nose. Bright and fruity, the refreshing palate doles out crushed raspberry, wild cherry and a savory note of pink peppercorn.
ROBERT PARKER: The 2014 Negroamaro Calafuria is not a Rosato that I was previously familiar with. But I’d love to have a wine like this at my side next time I enjoy an all-fish lunch on a beach somewhere in Southern Italy. The nose is absolutely pristine and crisp and the wine boasts a pretty pink color that is delicately tinged with peach and copper hues. Pretty berry nuances appear on the close and the wine exhibits a nice dose of acidity to keep the palate refreshed.“
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CHARDONNAY “PIETRABIANCA”, CASTEL DEL MONTE DOC
CHARDONNAY 90% – FIANO 10%
ORGANIC WINE
AROMA: complex and nuanced with notes of both citrus fruit and tropical fruit in addition to light floral sensations and vanilla.
FLAVOR: fresh, savory, and mineral with light touches of oak.
NEGOAMARO “MORGICCHIO”, SALENTO IGT
COLOR: Intense ruby red
AROMA: Bouquet varied, ranging aromas of plum and blackberry with those of sweet spices, coffee and chocolate, with nice toasty notes
TASTE:Dry and warm, soft and velvety tannins in perfect harmony and balance
Ripe plums, dark berries, dark chocolate, licorice, scorched earth and spicy tannins sit on the palate for days.
TRENTANGELI ROSSO. CASTEL DEL MONTE DOC

Organic Wine
AROMA: intense and fruity with notes of cherries, berry fruit (blackberries and mulberries), and spices (pepper and liquorice).
FLAVOR: Warm, rich with great structure and persistence. The aging in barrique endows the wine with length and elegance.
This organic and unfiltered wine from the DOC Castel del Monte is a blend of Aglianico, Cabernet and Syrah, grown on the Bocca di Lupo estate.
A rich, dark and earthy core supports attractive aromas of star anise, wild black berries and cherries, mocha and vanilla with notes of hay and dried herbs. A supple palate offers generous black fruits alongside cocoa nibs and toasted spice. Overall, a muscular wine with a brooding character.
AGLIANICO “BOCCA DI LUPO”, CASTEL DEL MONTE DOC 
AROMA: An intense and complex nose with successive notes of red fruit and dried fruit, spice, herbs, and balsamic sensations.
FLAVOR: An elegant wine with firm tannins, a very important structure, balance and a round texture, and a lengthy and persistent finish and aftertaste.