Giovanni Blason and his wife Valentina are nascent producers who shocked us with their price-to-quality ratio, earning tons of kudos in Gambero Rosso and beyond. They come from the Isonzo region, right up against the Slovenian border. Their Pinot Grigio is really sensational, full in the mouth, rich on the palate and extraordinarily drinkable at this price! 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Generally I write about the easier-to-sell wines before the more difficult-to-figure-out. This Cabernet Franc is so good you won’t believe it! The flavor just bursts out of the glass, spice laden, black pepper, red fruits, vivacious, fresh and curvy all at the same time, and ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

2 Glasses Gambero Rosso. This is Ermacora's flagship wine; it has tremendous focus and exhibits the classic, elegant balance that is the hallmark of the 2007 vintage. The wine lacks nothing in concentration, creamy custard-like flavors, with spice, hints of apples and bergamot. It is stately on the palate, with balance, complexity and character. Age this wine for 2-3 years and you won't believe the incredible wine it will evolve into! According to Wine Enthusiast: "Ermacora's luscious Pinot Bianco offers a decisive mineral backbone that is enhanced by s... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Isonzo is where Silvio Jermann, one of Italy’s greatest white winemakers, hails from. This is the fifth vintage that we’ve been importing wines from Blason, wines that are getting 1 and 2 glasses from Gambero Rosso, Italy's leading wine critic, for their quality and the fact ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Redwood City San Francisco

According to the Wine Spectator: "Clean and fruity, with apple, melon and banana aromas. Medium-bodied, with good fruit and a clean, focused aftertaste of light pineapple and cream. Drink now." (08/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

91 pionts Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2004 Capo Martino reveals terrific purity, depth and definition in its layers of sweet, ripe fruit, toasted oak, licorice and menthol. With air the wine's frame fills out and the richness of its expression becomes apparent. This blend of 70% Tocai Friuliano, 30% Pinot Bianco, Ribolla, Malvasia and Picolit spent 13 months in Austrian oak tonneaux. Anticipated maturity: 2007-2012." (03/08) 90 points Wine Spectator "Some honey and light almond character, with a hint of toffee. Full-bodied, with good fruit and a ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Franconia is rarely seen in the U.S. (the name of the grape has nothing to do with Franken wines of Germany), and it's a shame. This is a ruby red wine, with a distinctively herbal aroma and flavor, and a velvety mouth feel. Best of all, it is quite low in alcohol, making it ... Read More » 

Inventory: Redwood City

Ribolla Gialla with a small portion of Friulano and Riesling 

Inventory: Hollywood

An unusual blend for this richly fruity pink wine, 70% merlot and 30% franconia, however the taste is anything but bizarre. Strawberries and spice mix with flowers and lots of refreshing acidity, which makes this the rose to wash down cheese-rich foods like ricotto-stuffed ravioli. Minerals and stone fruit make for a fascinating finish on this value-packed rosé. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

Marzemino Gentile is one of the most interesting grape varieties of Trentino. Known as the Mozart wine (as mentioned in Don Giovanni) is typical of the area of Ala and Rovereto where the soil has a characteristic basaltic rocks and therefore full of manganese. The wine has medium size body, a dark ruby almost purple color but with a delicate and unmistakable nose of violets. The taste is fragrant of wild cherries and bilberries. Perfect with pasta with mushrooms and red meat with potatoes. 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse San Francisco

By order of the European Union, harvest 2007 marks the first vintage that the grape variety formerly known as 'Tocai Friulano' must be called Friulano. Tocai Friulano is the most typical white wine in Friuli, the northeastern region of Italy. It is an indigenous grape variety grown in Friuli for hundreds of years. This Tocai Friulano is produced in the Colli Orientali area of Friuli, an area known for its unique terroir and where world-class white wines of Italy are produced. Medium bodied, with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

The name means "hill of the apples." Apple trees were planted at the beginning of the century to stabilize a big land slide still visible today. Light gold with green highlights, explosive nose with elderflowers and hints of sage and mint, white peach and gooseberry. Dry, very balanced, ripe fruit with citrus notes, and a long, deliciously oily finale. 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Vitovska is incredibly dense and rich in this vintage. This textured white reveals generous fruit in an expansive yet intensely mineral style, with excellent depth and persistence on the palate. There is a lovely baritone register to the fruit, but the wine needs considerable air to be fully appreciated. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014." (10/09) This is a varietal that most of you are not familiar with. With Kante's delicate hand the structure, distinctive earthy character, power and depth really shine.... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City San Francisco

#45 Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2008 and 94 points: " Wonderful aromas of mango, honey and ripe melon. Full-bodied, with fabulous fruit flavors and lively acidity. The finish goes on and on. Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla, Malvasia Istriana and Picolit. Drink now. 5,800 cases made." (08/08) One of the stars of Italy's Friuli region, Silvio Jermann has created a line-up of modern, bold Friulian wines that set themselves apart from the majority of the country's whites. Of those, the Tunina is the best known and, perhaps, the most success... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood San Francisco

The Lis Neris winery and Vineyards are located in the Village of San Lorenzo with Slovenia to the North and the Isonzo River to the South. The vineyards are planted in a unique area that thrives from its position located on a small plateau of calcareous gravel in close proximity to the Eastern Alps and the Adriatic sea to the South. Today, the Pecorari family, led by Alvaro, has immerged as one of Friuli’s leading producers. This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is hand harvested and fermented in 100% French oak barrels, then atured on the fine lees in the same ferm... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

90 points Wine Spectator: "Very fresh, with loads of apple pie, lemon and mineral character. Full and rich, with a slightly oily texture, but long and crisp. This is really delicious. Drink now." (08/08) According to Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2007 Chardonnay is not especially varietal in character, but it does offer pretty notes of apricots, yellow peaches and minerals in a perfumed style of Chardonnay. The wine reveals good up-front intensity... Anticipated maturity: 2008-2010." (10/08) 

Inventory: Hollywood

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Malvasia emerges with lovely nuance and detail in its aromas and flavors. The Malvasia is made in a more mid-weight, focused style than the VitWow I love this Malvasia, it has such a unique mineral character, it is purposeful, long, complex, delicate and ethereal as well as powerful. How can he do this? Just a wonderful expression of Malvasia Istriana which is a very different grape than Malvasia Bianca, much more focus..." (10/09) Edi Kante's wines come from Friuli but if you don't know the Carso Plate... Read More » 

Inventory: Main Warehouse

Giovanni Blason and his consulting enologist Andrea Rossi have turned this 37-acre property into a juggernaut of affordable quality wines. Giovanni and his wife Valentina own this winery in Gradisca d’Inzonzo, 3.75 miles from the Slovenian border and about 20 miles north of Trieste. Franconia is rarely seen in the U.S. (the name of the grape has nothing to do with Franken wines of Germany), and it's a shame. This is a ruby red wine, with a distinctively herbal aroma and flavor, and a velvety mouth feel. Best of all, it is quite low in alcohol, making it ... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood

Aromas of white sambuco, mint, tomato leaves, tropical fruit (banana, mango). Fresh and elegant with good acidity and a long refreshing finish. Pairs well with antipasti, fish, vegetable soups, omelettes with herbs, risotto with asparagus. 100% Stainless steel, 30% Malo-Lactic fermentation, Aged 6 months on the lees with weekly batonage. 

Inventory: Hollywood

50% Pinot Grigio, 25% Chardonnay, 25% Sauvignon. This is a truly magnificent wine with layers of mineral, complex fruit aromatics. No barrique flavors just pure nature. (Greg St.Clair, K&L Italian buyer) 

Inventory: Hollywood

92 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (10/09) Such an evocative varietal and such a unique expression, you can't say it's like NZ or Loire or…….. no, It is Carso. Of the 2006 wines I tasted this wine definitely had the most long term potential, it was a cauldron of molten mineral, braised herbs and powerful spice laden aromatics. Aging for me is critical for this wine to reach its full expression and that will be truly, truly something. Try after 2012 or with lots of decanting now. Edi Kante's wines come from Friuli but if you don't know the Carso Pla... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse Redwood City

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate "The 2006 Chardonnay is wonderfully nuanced and expressive. At once delicate, yet fully-flavored, the wine favors an expression of terroir over varietal flavors. This is a beautiful Chablis-like wine from Edi Kante. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2014. " (10/09) Thank you Edi Kante, because of you I think Chardonnay still exists as a grape variety. Potent, oily, full and thick with vibrant focus enlightening the wines size and power, lengthening the mouth feel, simmering, awesome. Edi Kante's wines come from Friuli bu... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood Main Warehouse

This forward thinking producer put a stop to all chemical products in the vineyards and employs a non-interventionalist style of winemaking that allows the free expession of the grape and the soil. All the wines are macerated on the skins for extended periods of time giving increased complexity and silky texture and body. All the wines are unfiltered and unfined in hopes of keeping all of their flavor intact at bottling. Stefano Novello produces wines that can be drunk now or that can be kept for many years to come. 

Inventory: Hollywood

90 points Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: "The 2006 Vespa Bianco possesses attractive layers of succulent peaches intertwined with smoke, earthiness and French oak. This medium-bodied white exhibits outstanding harmony and tons of style. Vespa Bianco is 45% Chardonnay, 45% Sauvignon and 10% late-harvested Picolit. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2016." (10/08) According to the Wine Enthusiast: "Creamy and generous with notes of soft vanilla and stone fruit, this Chardonnay-Sauvignon blend has a beautifully aromatic nose and a light, compact texture in the mou... Read More » 

Inventory: Hollywood