Check out the great line-up of wines for our Italian tasting this coming Wednesday. You really should be attending! Rivetto family vineyards with the Alba Castle in distance Italian Tasting - Wines new to NZ - with Martin Cahnbley of Planet Wine Wednesday 11th August at 6:00pm at Eliza'a Manor on Bealey $25pp Eight Italian wines of fantastic quality from Tuscany, Veneto, Pietmonte and Trentino will make up this tasting - they are all new to NZ wines that will be tasted for the first time in Christchurch. Cheese & Bread included. Off-street parking available at Eliza's Manor The wines we will taste: Villa Jolanda Prosecco  Anselmi San Vincenzo 2009 Riseccoli Chianti Classico 2007 Rivetto Dolcetto 2009  Villa Jolanda Barbera 2008 Villa Jolanda Barolo 2004 Pinino Rosso di Montalcino 2007 Rivetto Barbaresco 2005 To book your place at this great tasting phone Dean or Brian at Hemingway - 374 3344. Booking is essential to attend. Canterbury Cheesemonger cheeses included in price  Numbers limited. Here below are some notes on the wine producers: Tenuta di Riseccoli is a private, family-owned estate nestled in the unspoilt hills of central Tuscany, an area famous for the small wineries producing some the world’s outstanding red wines and also renowned for its exceptionally rich artistic and cultural heritage. The Estate now covers 125 hectares, of which 28 ha are in vine. The remainder of the Riseccoli Estate consists of olive groves and Mediterranean forest, home to wild boar, deer, other wildlife and migrating birds. The boar and deer have developed a great taste for the superb grapes! The estate has been the property of the family of the famous Florentine artist Romano Romanelli, since 1902. Aesthetics, attention to detail and quality winemaking are the hallmarks of this prestigious estate. Tenuta di Riseccoli has been a member of the “Consorzio del Marchio Storico del Chianti Classico”, Italy’s oldest winemakers’ association, since 1927. The estate produces three red wines as well a Vin Santo dessert wine and Extra Virgin olive oil of the higest quality. Its Saeculum di Riseccoli wine, a Super-Tuscan blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, has contributed to establishing this estate’s reputation at the forefront of Italy’s boutique wineries. All the wines bearing the Tenuta di Riseccoli label are created exclusively from grapes grown on the estate. Vinification and bottling take place at the estate’s own cellars. Visits and tastings to the estate can be arranged by appointment. In addition, Riseccoli offers Agritourismo accommodation in 2 tastefully refurbished villas. Please email agritourismo@planetwine.co.nz for more information. Today, the estate is owned by four brothers - the grandsons of the founder Romano Romanelli. They are all achievers who firmly believe that the trilogy: expect more, get more and enjoy more also applies to wine.  Roberto Anselmi, a former racing driver, is widely regarded as one of Italy’s leading white wine producers. He has been at the forefront in recent years of quality Soave production, making three dry cuvees and one award winning dessert wine, I Capitelli, with the Recioto di Soave technique. Frustrated by the low quality and general lack of ambition in the Soave region, in 2000 he chose to declassify all of his wines and leave the Soave DOC, his wines are now labelled as IGT Veneto Bianco. He takes a quality minded approach, starting in the vineyard with densely planted Guyot-trained vines and corresponding low yields. Anselmi took over running his family property in the 1980s, and his wines are very impressive in quite a modern, approachable style. He also produces the elegant, well-structured Realda Cabernet Sauvignon from this cool climate region which will come as a surprise to the uninitiated. Roberto's motto says it all: The quality in the production of wine is not the fruit of dogmatism but the productive results of scientific projects, of sacrifice and the wishes of man. In 1902 the Rivetto family founded their winery in Alba capital of the renowned Langarola region. 37 years later in 1939, Ercole, the family’s patriarch, sealed the winery’s fate when he purchased the Estate of Count Loirano di Vassallo. The estate sits 400 m above sea level, occupying 89 acres facing the spectacular Serralunga d’Alba Castle and the charmingly picturesque village of Sinio. The vineyards extend from the southwest along the highest hilltop. The land has been prized for many generations. As a token of esteem and hospitality, the Falletti family, owners of the Langhe property, bestowed upon their cousins, the Vassallo Counts, this rich land located in Loirano, a region synonymous with quality. Sinio is home to ancient wine cellars producing Dolcetto d’Alba, Barbera d’Alba, Nebbiolo d’Alba, Barolo and Barbaresco, all of which are diligently controlled to guarantee a level of quality that improves with age. The methods of preparing the grapes are the result of four generations of wine making. Evolving technology, combined with the region’s fertile soil and the vineyard’s mineral deposits work in delightful harmony. In the last decade, the Rivetto enterprise has steadily grown in diverse ways. The family has purchased a valuable 2.5 acres of vineyard land in La Morra, which will extend their production. They have opened a shop in historic Piazza Garibladi, located in Alba, offering their delicious wines and grappa to the public. The estate has opened its doors to tourists; allowing wine lovers and nature enthusiasts to stroll the magnificent grounds, experiencing the fascinating and delicious customs unique to a century old tradition. Villa Jolanda is one of the brands of the large Santero wine house based in Piedmont. Santero produce wines from all over Italy and, through their size, can offer a wide range of superb value wines at all price points. Opening Hours Hemingway Fine Wines Mondays/Tuesdays          11am to 7.00pm Wednesday to Saturday   10am to 7.00pm Sunday                              Closed Metered and 30min Parking available in Chester Street West (turn right from Durham St Nth or left from Cramner Square) Shop: Corner Durham St North and Chester St West, Christchurch CBD   Phone: 03 374 3344.   Fax: 03 374 3343 Email: hemingwayfinewines@xtra.co.nz  www.hemingwayfinewines.co.nz   The wine you drink is the wine you deserve