by James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier

Deep in Emilia-Romagna, atop the Colli Piacenti, Giulio Armani of Denavolo, nurtures vines that create some of the most authentic wines available today.

Here, on Armani’s mountain, battered by wind, broiled by hot dry days and chilled by cool mountain nights, Armani – a master winemaker well known for his role as head winemaker at natural wine stalwart, La Stoppa – coaxes beauty, elegance and grace from native and local varietals. Beyond providing electrifying vivacity, Armani’s wines are some of the most insanely versatile food wines and provide innumerable pairing opportunities beyond Parmigiano-Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma.

In contrast to his work at La Stoppa, Armani’s makes only white wines from both native, and some unknown local varietals. In the vineyards, these grapes produce small berries with high skin to must ratios, and Armani leverages that fact and makes wines with extended skin contact – also known as orange wines. Following a minimalist approach, and letting the fruit and the soil speak for themselves, Armani’s wines are pure expressions of grape and place. They are also in very limited production, highly sought after by natural wine enthusiasts and incredibly difficult to find.

And this year, there isn’t much to go around.

Just fifty-five cases arrived last week for the states of Washington, Oregon and California and the Port Townsend Food Co-op received just four of those fifty-five.

We are thrilled to be able to offer the following Denavolo wines on pre-sale to co-op members. Contact James at jamesr@foodcoop.coop

Catavela 2019
$21.49
Aromas of apricot and honeysuckle. Light wine in the mouth, with a delicate nose of apricot, honeysuckle and orange peel. In the mouth, Catavela is clean, fresh and salty with bright acidity and beautiful minerality. This wine makes you salivate. Young vines planted between 500 to 600 meters elevation, grapes: Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, Marsanne and Trebbiano Maceration time: 50% directly press and 50% 6 days of skin contact.

Dinavolino 2019
$23.99

A wine with a slightly volatile presence on the nose and in the mouth, and slightly sparkling on opening. Classic aromatics of this cuvee include notes of cedar, bitter orange peel, pine, resin. The wine is tannic on the palate yet balanced by zesty acidity. Parcel selection of old vines planted in 1975 starting at 350 metres of altitude, deep soil, grapes: Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, Marsanne and a local grape. Maceration time: 8-9 months – bottled in June 2020.

Mansano 2019
$29.99
On the nose, the notes of exotic flowers and thistles are delicate and elegant. On the palate, a fresh and salty acidity gives way to fine but marked tannins. Old-Vine Sauvignon Blanc planted on agrilo-calcaire at 350 meters election. 10 month Maceration. The wine has a slight effervescence.

Dinavolo 2018
$42.99
Armani’s flagship wine with fine, well integrated tannins, and aroma’s of pine trees, bitter orange, cedar, camphor. This wine can age for years. Parcel selection of old vines planted in 1975 starting at 350 metres of altitude, shallow rootstock soil full of calcaire rocks, grapes: Malvasia di Candia Aromatica, Ortrugo, Marsanne and a local grape. Maceration time: 8-9 months – bottled in June 2019.