Holiday 2024

To our Customers,

Here is Corti Brothers Holiday newsletter. There are a lot more things than what are given here for your delectation at Corti Brothers. But these should give you a start on your Holiday list.

All of the Corti Brothers Family wish you all a happy and joyous season and a splendid New Year, 2025.

Darrell Corti

THE RETURN OF CORTI BROTHERS RIME WINES, WHITE AND RED

The word RIME, (ree-meh) means “rhymes” in Italian and refers to the poetry of the early Italian Renaissance poet Francesco Petrarca, or Petrarch in English (1304-1374). The wines are made and bottled for Corti Brothers by a friend whose winery that makes the wines is in the village of Arquà Petrarca, where the poet died and is buried. To commemorate his death, his last name was added to the village’s

These two wines were born of necessity in 2019 and have become fixtures at Corti Brothers. The Rime Rosso, is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carmenère. Rime Bianco is a blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, Incrocio Manzoni, Sauvignon Blanc, and a dollop of Orange Muscat. Both are dry table wines at 13.5% alcohol and both can be served to good advantage at cellar temperature during the summer and slightly warmer in winter.

Although blends of varieties, they come from the same vineyards and barrels as the estate’s wines, yet they are a lovely balance between varieties, making delicious, crisp wines with moderate alcohol that should satisfy any palate. As they are, RIME White and Red, are very good value and could be called Corti Brothers’ House Wines. At times they can be out of stock, due mainly to shipping factors. However, they are back now and you should get them while the getting is good!

Both RIME wines will age in bottle for a reasonable period. They are fragrant, very drinkable, and balanced--as well made wines are wont to be. They are from the vintages of 2018 for the red and 2022 for the white–and have been in bottle for a year. Both are $12.99 per bottle or a case can be had in any assortment of bottles for $140.00. If you want to drink well, without thinking too much about the wine, RIME are meant for you.

CORTI BROTHERS RIME BIANCO, IGT Veneto $12.99 750ml (#7100) $140.00 cs/12 (#7100C)
RIME ROSSO, IGT Veneto $12.99 750ml (#7101) $140.00 cs/12 (#7101C)

Note:The un-linked items in the newsletter are not available for purchase on our website. If you are interested in any of those items, please phone or email us your request. 916-736-3800 or 800-509-Food cortibros@sbcglobal.net

LOST SLOUGH VERDELHO CANTEIRO 2015

This was an experiment. It was the first time to make a Madeira-like wine from a Madeiran variety, Verdelho, in California. It was made similar to the way early 19th century wines were made--in the Canteiro fashion where the wine was not subjected to very hot temperatures, but left in wood in a cellar both hot and cold. Canteiro means just that: the wines are left on “scantlings.” Verdelho Canteiro is probably a lot like what our Founding Fathers drank as Madeira. It is a soft wine, with some acidity and fragrance and without the high alcohol of most modern Madeiras. It could be used as a table wine, especially with certain dishes. Soy sauce flavored food would go very well with this wine, curiously as would oysters, a suggestion from Hugh Johnson, the noted British wine writer.

Lost Slough is the name of a slough in the California Delta area around Lodi and Stockton, California. This is where these verdelho grapes were grown by the Dancing Coyote Winery. If you are a fan of Madeira, dessert wines or of California experiments, you should try Lost Slough Verdelho Canteiro 2015. You may never see another.

LOST SLOUGH VERDELHO CANTEIRO 2015 $39.29 750ml (#7102) $424.00 cs/12 (#7102C)

HARBOR WINERY CALIFORNIA WHITE WINE, Criadera and Solera. A UNIQUE STYLE.

Here is a real wine anomaly. It was created by Charles Myers of Harbor Winery in West Sacramento for his own consumption. It was never meant to be sold, yet upon Charles’ death had to be sold because there were 17 barrels of it. The taxes were paid and the wine bottled. There were several barrels that were marked solera and those have been bottled as such. The other barrels were bottled as Criadera, or younger wine. Both wines started with a base from 1962 as a Palomino grape based wine with flor yeast to make them like sherry. (Although, probably more like a Jura wine than sherry.) In any event, the wine which originally had about 15% alcohol, has risen to 22% through barrel aging and concentration. These are unique wines, never to be seen again once gone. They are true collectors wines for drinking with rich soups or used in deglazing a pan where only a tablespoon or so will create a splendid sauce.

They are not for everyone. Only lovers of very old VORS sherries aught to try them. We do not have much left, and when gone, gone forever.

HARBOR WINERY CALIFORNIA WHITE WINE Solera $38.99 (#7103) Criadera $38.99 (#7104)

The last cases of ANDIS 2022 Amador County Zinfandel MADE FOR Corti Brothers. Wayne Thiebaud label.

This wine is a repeat of a 50th anniversary wine Corti Brothers had made in 2015. It commemorated the 50th anniversary of the 1965 Zinfandel, made as a homemade wine by Charles Myers of Sacramento, instructor in English at Sacramento City College, from Amador grapes which he and I showed to Bob Trinchero of Napa Valley’s Sutter Home winery and which convinced Bob to buy Amador County grapes in 1968. The wine making was very much the same as Charles had used in his home wine making. (I have his wine making notes.)

The 2015 wine was a great hit with our customers. The label is a painting of Charles reading a book, part of his former colleague Wayne Thiebaud’s oeuvre.

In 2022, I thought about having the wine remade at Andis winery in Plymouth, CA., in the heart of Amador County. In 2022 we were extremely lucky, since the grapes, from an old head pruned vineyard, were harvested just the day before a heat spike of some three days duration. The result of this is that the wine has a natural 12.5% alcohol, something rare in Amador County, but extremely enticing. It shows that lower alcohol Zinfandel can be made there, and made successfully.

This is not a wine for extremely long aging. In fact it is getting to that point where it is entering its delicious drinking window. It will keep 5-8 years more, but if you want to enjoy a splendid Zinfandel that harkens back to wines of the 1940s and 50s, this is your chance. To my mind, this is what excellent Zinfandel should be like. It can be used almost as a white wine if served slightly chilled or as a delicious light red, when you are looking for that style of wine. Not every bottle in your cellar has to be “great.” Some just should be delicious!

CORTI BROTHERS Amador county ZINFANDEL 2022 12.5% $29.99 750ml (#7105) $323.00cs/12 (#7105C)

ANDIS ARINTO 2021: The first bottling of a unique Portuguese varietal.

ARINTO is a white Portuguese varietal normally grown around the Lisbon airport and probably set to become extinct with the airport’s expansion. It is the variety which there produces the white wine called BUCELAS. ARINTO is grown throughout Portugal, but Bucelas is its home. After the Napoleonic Wars in Portugal, the British soldiers stationed there brought the wine back to England as “Portuguese Hock” due to the extremely good acidity the wine had. In California this variety has what we need: high acidity. Andis Vineyards in Amador County has the only planting there, but the variety is most times used as a blending component with Sauvignon Blanc due to the small quantity normally produced. In 2021 vintage they got lucky and made enough to bottle separately. We have taken the remaining production.
ARINTO has a white flower scent, like most fruit trees do; a nice, refreshing acidity; and the ability to develop. It has a major defect: It buds out early, making it susceptible to late spring frosts which cause the low production so far in Amador County. But it is a variety very much worth looking at in California, especially in warm areas. With climate change, it is this kind of variety that will make splendid wines now and in the future. Here is your chance to taste the first vintage.

ANDIS ARINTO 2021, Amador County. $23.49 750ml (#7106) $253.00 case/12 (#7106C)

LAWER VERJUS FROM SYRAH FROM KNIGHTS VALLEY

Have you ever heard of verjus? Its alternative spelling is “vertjus,” meaning the juice from “green” or unripe grapes. It is a tart condiment--an archaic substitute for souring or tarting a dish as with lemon juice when there were no lemons. Curiously, lemons arrived in Europe in the 8th century when the Arabs ruled Sicily. The Romans had no lemons. They had only citrons, which do not give a lot of juice, but were used for their thick, scented rind. But verjus was widely known and used. Both European and Arab recipe books of the late Middle Ages, make frequent mention of verjus, since it was easy to produce from unripe grapes and lent a good bit of sharpness to recipes, especially long cooked dishes where you need some sharpening of flavor but not a lot of acidity. Since Lawer Verjus was just produced in the 2024 vintage, I thought our customers might like to try it. Verjus is an ingredient that time has forgotten.

Made by Cary Gott, a noted Napa Valley winemaker with more than 50 years making wine in California, this is his first effort at making verjus.

Lawer Verjus has a very pale pinkish tinge. A very fresh, lovely scent of flowers and some grape-y scent that is very pleasant. The flavor is a sharp flavor, somewhat akin to a very tart apple taste. It has a definite sharpness and then a round finish that does not leave a puckery taste in the mouth, but a rather round pleasantness. There is very little citric acid in grapes, but a lot of malic acid which is balanced by some sugar natural to the unripe grapes. It is delicious mixed with sparkling water to make a pleasant, nonalcoholic drink.

Verjus is a culinary relic. Do not expect the same results when using as with lemon. But is it a taste that brings back flavors that were in fashion once and now have been out of fashion for nearly seven centuries. This may be its revival!

LAWER VERJUS Made from Syrah from Knights Valley, Sonoma, CA. $17.99 375 ml (#7107)

PANETTONE –LOISON–BARDI–COCCHI

PANETTONE is the Italian Christmas bread recognized all over the world as the symbol of this holiday. There is so much done about panettone, that there is a movement to have it all year round. This might be a mistake, since it has a long cultural basis, where panettone means Christmas. This year as for the past several years, Corti Brothers has three different producers whose panettone we think is superb and have become our go to brands. Once again we have the production from Dario Loison, including some new flavors (those in BOLD) and the Vermouth di Torino flavored one from COCCHI, whose vermouth di Torino is the flavoring. The last is the oldest producer we have offered, BARDI, who we have had for almost thirty years. There are also the VENEZIANA and then the FILONE from LOISON, to round out the choices. LOISON, with the new flavors in BOLD

BLACKHABANA , Dark chocolate filling with real Cuban rum 750g $38.99 (#7108) Limited Quantity

REGAL CIOCCOLATO, with chocolate , boxed, kilo $36.99 (#7109)

MARRON GLACÈ, with marron glacè pieces and cream, kilo, $37.99 (#7110)

AMARENA, large black cherries, boxed, kilo, $36.99 (#7111)

MANDARINO di CIACULLI, with raisins and late mandarin from Sicily, boxed, kilo, $36.99 (#7112)

LIMONE, with raisins, candied lemon peel and lemon cream, boxed, kilo, $36.99 (#7113)

FICO di CALABRIA, with raisins and Calabrian white Dotato figs, boxed, kilo, $37.99x (#7114)

NOËL,with raisins, candied pear, cinnamon, clove and star anise, boxed, kilo, $36.99 (#7115)

AGRUMATO, Five citrus fruits, including Chinotto, boxed, kilo, $36.99 (#7116)

PERA e CIOCCOLATO, with candied pears and chocolate, gold wrapped, 750g $32.99 (#7117)

CAFFÉ, coffee flavored, wrapped, kilo, $32.99 (#7118)

ARANCIO e CIOCCOLATO, candied orange and chocolate, wrapped, kilo $32.99 (#7119)

CLASSICO, with raisins, orange and citron peel, wrapped, kilo, $29.99 (#7120)

CREMA, with vanilla cream, wrapped, kilo, $32.99 (#7121)

CLASSICO A.D. 1476 with Slow Food Presidia candied fruit, raisins, and Mananara vanilla. 500g $25.99 (#7122)

PANETTONCINO boxed, 100g, the smallest made, $9.99 (#7123)

MAGNUMS (Classico A.D. 1476) with raisins, candied orange and citron peel, Manara vanilla.

3 kilo $89.99 (#7124)

5 kilo $125.99 (#7125)

10 kilo $249.99 (#7126)

VENEZIANA, The panettone-like bread typical of Venice, made all year round.

VENEZIANA AMARENE e CANELLA, Cherries and cinnamon, wrapped, 600g $26.99 (#7127)

VENEZIANA CIOCCOLATO e SPEZIE, Chocolate and spices, wrapped, 600g $26.99 (#7128)

VENEZIANA ALBICOCCA e SPEZIE, Candied apricots and spices, wrapped 600g $26.99 (#7129)

VENEZIANA ALL’ALPIANE, with Vignalta passito wine, Our Exclusive, kilo,$29.99 (#7130)

FILONE: A LOAF SHAPED BREAD FOR TOASTING, Loison’s specialty since 1938.

FILONE FRUTTA, raisins and orange peel 500g, boxed, $16.99 (#7131)

FILONE CIOCCOLATO, with dark chocolate, 500g, boxed, $16.99 (#7132)

FILONE PERA e SPEZIE, candied pears and spices, 500g, boxed, $16.99 (#7133)

FILONE LIMONE, Amalfi lemons, Piemonte hazelnut icing, 500g, boxed, $16.99 (#7134)

FILONE MANDARINO, Ciaculli mandarin, raisins, Piemonte hazelnut icing, 500g boxed,$16.99 (#7135)

FILONE ARANCIO e CIOCCOLATO, Chocolate and candied orange peel, 500g, boxed,$16.99 (#7136)

COCCHI PANETTONE AL VERMOUTH di TORINO, kilo, wrapped $36.99 (#7137).

BARDI

BARDI PANETTONE ALTO, Traditional tall shape, kilo, boxed, $23.99 (#7138)

BARDI PANETTONE BASSO, low shape, wrapped kilo, $26.99 (#7139)

BARDI PANETTONE, Tall shape, Senza Canditi, only raisins, wrapped, kilo, $26.99 (#7140)

BARDI PANDORO, Tall New Year’s cake, boxed, kilo, $25.99 (#7141)

CASTELLO DI VERGNANO ACETO BALSAMICO TRADIZIONALE & PASSIONE

For a singular gift for “foodie” friends, there is nothing better than Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale, the “real thing” made from boiled down grape must and long aging in various different woods. Corti Brothers has sold the Tradizionale from the Violi family since 1982. The name Castello di Vergnano is now the estate name rather than the previous name which was San Geminiano. We have two bottlings of the same products.

One bottling is in the Consortium bottles, the other is in the bottles bottled by the estate and not allowed to be called with the same name. It is called PASSIONE. The products inside are literally the same. Only the bottling is different.

CASTELLO DI VERGNANO, Consorzio bottling AB TRADIZIONALE: 100 ml

AS 15(1970) $83.99 (#7142)

AS19 (1855) $139.99 (#7143)

AN 12 (1650) $499.99 (#7144)

CASTELLO DI VERGNANO PASSIONE PER BALSAMICO 100 ml

PASSIONE 8 $35.99 (#7145)

PASSIONE 12 $46.39 (#7146)

PASSIONE 25 $92.89 (#7147)

MONASTERY GINGER SNAPS AND PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES: Simple pleasures

Here are two choices for a simple pleasure: cookies and milk. When you just think you need something quiet and simple flavored after all holiday commotions, these two cookies--made in a Benedictine monastery in Ferdinand, Indiana, by the nuns who live there--a tasty peanut butter one and a lively tasting ginger snap one, could not be better suited to my mind for their simple, direct tastes with a cold glass of good milk. In our busy world, sometimes a quiet down experience is better than the constant hullabaloo. I think most Americans feel the same way. Quiet down and enjoy cookies and milk. You can even dunk them in the milk.

These two cookies are, of all the ones made, to my mind, some of the best on the market.

MONASTERY COOKIES,

Peanut Butter 8 count bag $5.99 (#7148)

Ginger Snaps 6 oz bag $6.99 (#7149)

TWO PORTS FOR WINTER DRINKING: Cockburn Vintage 2015 and Delaforce (LBV) Late Bottled 2017

It seems that Port, in particular Vintage Port, gets drunk mostly in the winter. It is a shame since it goes very well after dinner, most of the time! Vintage Port does not have to be strikingly old to be enjoyed, but can be enjoyed just for its fragrant, fruity taste and sweetness to go with some cheeses or savouries. It has one drawback: it doesn’t like being left open for any amount of time other than a few days. To the rescue comes Late Bottled Vintage Port, which, on the other hand doesn’t mind being left open for a longer time. It is just slightly different from the classic two years in wood, then long bottle aging typical of Vintage. On the other hand LBV Port is a fine dessert wine, whereas vintage port is not. A chocolate dessert with LBV is lovely, it fights with Vintage. Cheese or a savoury needs Vintage. I know it’s tough to be dogmatic with wine and food, but some combinations really just do work out better dogmatically.

These two wines are delicious and attractively priced. They have an added bonus, if you don’t drink them this year, they will have improved for next year and for a lot more. So you could buy several bottles of each and if not drunk this year, you will have providently started a port cellar which you will not regret having in the years to come.

COCKBURN VINTAGE 2015 Bicentenary Vintage (1815-2015) $69.99 750ml (#7150) $755.00 cs/12 (#7150C)

DELAFORCE Late Bottled Vintage 2017 $22.99 750ml (#7151) $248.00 cs/12 (#7151C)

TUTTO CALABRIA AUTHENTIC CALABRIAN CHILI SAUCE

This is a chili sauce similar in presentation as Siracha. It is made in Calabria, the toe of Italy’s boot, since 1970. The history of chiles in Calabria is very special. In fact, the history of peppers in Italy is very regional--Calabria being the Italian Region which is known for its use of chile peppers. In fact, if a dish is called “Calabrian” it generally means hot peppers are included. Its very simple, vegetable based cuisine is enhanced by the use of chiles. And to think that at one time, the most sophisticated city in the world was in Calabria: Sybaris, which gave us the word “sybarite.”

Hot chiles were brought back to Europe, to Spain, in 1493 by Columbus. They were being talked about by 1494. By the 17th century, Niccolò Fontegueri started calling them “peperone.” Peperoncino was first used to name them by the end of the 19th century. The first recipes using them were written by Vincenzo Corrado, a Neapolitan chef, since Naples was at the time, the seat of cooking in Italy. In the meantime, dishes using chile peppers were called “piatti infuocati” fire-y dishes. It is curious that the famous spaghetti dish of garlic, oil and chile peppers was invented in 1983. Before this it was made only with garlic (aio) and olive oil (oio). In Italy, sausages called “Calabresi” always contain chiles.

There are nine varieties grown in Calabria used in any Calabrian preparation. Tutto Calabria’s Chili Sauce is made with Calabrian chiles, water, vinegar, olive oil, salt and garlic–in this order. We sell a lot of it. With the current fashion for hot sauces, you should try this essentially Calabrian product.

TUTTO CALABRIA AUTHENTIC CALABRIAN CHILI SAUCE 8.8 oz $6.99 (#7152) $36.00 cs/6 (#7152C)

VIRGINIA DINER Old Bay SEASONED PEANUTS

Virginia peanuts have a special place in American foodstuffs. Peanut cultivation was begun in the State in the early 19th century. By the mid 1800s Virginia peanuts were known as the best of the best. By the turn of the 20th century, Virginia was the nation’s top producer. In 1929, The Virginia Diner, was established in Wakefield, Virginia, and its peanuts became famous. Now you can try them with the Eastern seaboard’s famed seafood seasoning–Old Bay. The crisp, roasted peanuts are flavored with Old Bay Seasoning, which is emblematic of this part of the U.S. And for good reason.

The Virginia Diner Old Bay Seasoned Peanuts are not usually available to us on the West Coast. But now you can try them since Corti Brothers has a stock. They are delicious by themselves and enhance your favorite cocktail. They are also very difficult to stop eating!

VIRGINIA DINER Old Bay SEASONED PEANUTS 9 oz tin $6.99 (#7153) $36.00 CS/6 (#7153C)

TEAS FROM THE MOST FAMOUS TEA SHOP IN HONG KONG: Lock Cha Tea.

Since 1992, Corti Brothers has sold the teas from both China and Taiwan selected by Wing-chi Ip, proprietor of the most famous tea shop in Hong Kong when I made my first trip to China to see tea production. We have been out of Lock Cha teas for a while for various reasons, but they are now back in stock.

Here are the Hong Kong packed boxes containing the sealed bags of whole leaf, unique teas.

DONGDING OOLONG (Fragrant type) Taiwan 75 g $23.99 (#7154)

PHOENIX OOLONG (Dan Cong) Guangdong, China, Wuyi mountains, refreshing, mellow 50 g $19.99 (#7155)

OLD TREE SUIXIAN Wuyi mountains, orchid fragrance, sweet and refreshing 50g $16.99 (#7156)

WHITE TIP ORCHID OOLONG Zhengyan area, Wuyi, orchid fragrance, sweet, mellow 75g $21.99 (#7157)

2024 Premium SHIFENG (Lion Peak) MINGQIAN LONGJING, most famous green tea in China, 50g $53.49 (#7158)

SUZHOU DONGTING BILOCHUN the second most famous green tea of China, 50g $36.99 (#7159)

ORGANIC SILVER NEEDLE (Non-certified) Zhenghe county, Fujian, fresh, sweet, long 50g $18.99 (#7160)

MOONLIGHT WHITE TEA Yunnan, a special pu-er, floral, sweet palate, refreshing 50g $19.99 (#7161)

ANHUI YELLOW TEA, exclusive to Lock Cha, wild trees, excellent with food 75g $17.99 (#7162)

JASMINE PEARL GREEN TEA Fuzhou, Fujian, ball shape leaf 130g $28.99 (#7163)

PREMIUM JASMINE GREEN TEA Fujian, scented five times, sweet, fragrant 100g $16.99 (#7164)

AGED ZHENGSHAN BROWN PU-ER, thick, smooth, soft, delicate fragrance, 10 yrs old 75g $17.99 (#7165)

RED TEA IN DRIED GREEN TANGERINE SKIN 56g $16.99 (#7166)

PREMIUM ZHI YA PU-ER IN DRIED GREEN TANGERINE SKIN Pu-er about 5 yrs old 48g $15.99 (#7167)

These last two teas are made with young tangerines from Xinhui in Guangdong. Remove paper wrapping, cut into a quarter of piece. Rinse with very hot water, Refill to brew. The tea is from Yunnan.

BOOKS

FUTURIST MIXOLOGY is the name of this fascinating, bilingual work (English/Italian) produced by Roberto Bava of the house of COCCHI in Asti, Italy, which makes products that are much in line with the notions of this work. What is Futurism? Many would not know that it was a social system set up between the years 1925 and 1935 in Italy where poets, writers, and artists worked on notions that wanted to bring something new to the world after the shock of World War I. There was also some sense in it of what in the U.S. would be called “Modernism.” This work is for barmen, written by a barman–(I really do prefer this term to that of “bartender”!) His name is Fulvio Piccinino. There are elucidated 18 Futurist cocktails, called “polibibite” meaning a “drink made of many things,” the exact notion of a cocktail. There is a general history of the Futurist movement in art, food, and drink. It is enlightening--and for barmen--a real opportunity to look at what was being created and thought about during this period between two wars.

Italy is not much considered in the cocktail world, but just look at the idea of a “Negroni.” In Futurist Mixology, you have ideas about other similar drinks which should cause even more ideas, and so on. For barmen and the adventuresome drinker, this is a book to keep in the bar and also next to your bed. It is a terrific read.

FUTURIST MIXOLOGY LA MISCELAZIONE FUTURISTICA 2014, 324pp $58.00 plus tax (#7168)

VERMOUTH DI TORINO by Fulvio Piccinino is a very good English translation of the Italian original which sets out everything that there is to know about Vermouth, especially the one made in Piemonte called “di Torino.” Originally published in 2015, this second edition of June, 2024, is a last word on vermouth, now very much on drinkers’ minds and palates. Its subtitle: “The history and production of the world’s most famous aromatised wine,”
sets the stage for a charming and illustrative read. Its “time line” is impressive.

Vermouth and its entry into the cocktail world is well described. As are the “polibibite” of the Futurists. The author is author of the Mixology work above. Everything notable and some things not so notable about Vermouth are described in this one of a kind work. The collection of graphic art alone from generations of Italian artists used as publicity material for Vermouth is worth the price of this work. All of the producers of the consortium of Vermouth di Torino are described with their histories. It is a fundamental work on a delicious product, now returning to the fore.

This is a book that should be in everyone’s library.

VERMOUTH DI TORINO, Fulvio Piccinino, Second English Edition, 2024, 149 pp., $29.00 plus tax (#7169)

THE SIGNATURE WINES OF SUPERIOR CALIFORNIA:
A new California wine book by Mike Dunne

First off, I wrote the Introduction to this work, self published by Sacramento’s former Sacramento Bee Wine and Food editor, D. Michael Dunne. We have been friends for a long time. Mike Dunne has, without a doubt, the best exposure to the vineyards and wines of the area surrounding Sacramento than anyone I know. He has lived the experience and has written about the area for almost fifty years.

The half title of the work is “50 wines that define the Sierra Foothills, the Delta, Yolo, and Lodi.” And it does just that. It is a particularly nice blend of tasting information and actual history, both of a specific winery and the region it is in. Mike has lived most of the places, people and wines he writes about, making this a real treasure of information for the novice, and also for the well read and traveled wine knowledgeable drinker, who doubtless will find nuggets of information that were probably unknown. I know I did! It is a very lovely production in paperback, with an immensely readable text, which merits your attention. So far, nothing similar is on the market.

THE SIGNATURE WINES OF SUPERIOR CALIFORNIA 348pp. $24.95 plus tax/shipping (#7170)

For a printable version of our Newsletter, click the link below.

TERMS OF SALE: This list supersedes all others. All taxable items, such as wine, beer, spirits, books will be taxed at the rate of 8.75%. All California State required bottles and cans will incur the California Redemption Value (CRV) charge for recycling, per bottle, at 05¢ for under 24 oz and 10¢ for 24 oz and over. This is for all sales since we sell in California. Foodstuffs are not taxable. Shipping will be charged at prevailing rates. PLEASE NOTE: In extreme weather, either hot or cold, please give us a shipping address where your order may be properly received and stored. Corti Brothers cannot be responsible for items left without protection. Please order early for best selection. Transit times increase during the holiday season.