Winter Wine Tasting 2012

A huge thanks to all of our guests for making our annual Winter Wine Tasting yet another great success.

Joining our 100 customers for the evening were Luisa from Cantine de Gregorio and Hugh from Val di Toro. Both producers are new to the list of Ricco.

The night began with a glass of Althea's Prosecco Frizzante, a perfect aperitivo.

A further 9 wines were enjoyed by our guests alongside an excellent 4 course meal from Janie and her team at Blue Fig Catering.

All the wines were very well received, but particular praise was reserved for; the 'Rahana' Inzolia from Gregorio, both the Vermentino and Morellino di Scansano from Val di Torro (very classic Tuscan examples from Vermentino and Sangiovese). The Rosa di Nero and Magaria Rosso also proved extremely popular, so much so that the demand for the Magaria Rosso (Nero d'Avola/Cabernet) has cleaned us out! Back in stock soon.

To finish the evening we broke out the Albana di Romagna Passito, another great reaction from our ever discerning customers. An excellent combination with Janies' Meringue with frangipan and winter fruit compote. A lot of wine for £14.95 and drinking beautifully now. Perfect for Christmas and New Year.

Always fantastic to see so many old and new faces. Thanks also must go to all of the staff who helped to create such a wonderful evening, not least Mark 'Swifthands' Bamford (KP)!

Don't forget, top up for the Party Season with Ricco, join us for one of our FREE tastings this December; Saturday 8th, 15th and 22nd, 10am - 6pm.

Short of time? We can deliver or dispatch any order. Free Local Delivery.

Need advice for food/wine matching? Come and see us at the shop.

Thanks again everyone,

Salute'!

STOP PRESS

Coming soon: 'Capotesta Rosso', the best Primitivo we have tasted in a good while. Another hit from Angelo at Cantine Paradiso - this is certainly a wine to stock up on. Drinking now, but will age for several years. 

Selborne Wine Society 2012

On Tuesday Ricco had the pleasure of hosting yet another excellent wine tasting with the wonderful people of Selborne Wine Society. 

To accompany our 8 fine Italian wines, a team from the society cooked up a very fine selection of antipasti.

Wines tasted on the evening were; 'Nerodise' Rosato Spumante, 'Salapia' Bombino Bianco, 'Versure' Fiano, 'Le Fossette' Falanghina, 'Secondopasso' Nero di Troia, 'Capoposto' Negroamaro, 'Terraferma' Rosso Primitivo/Nero di Troia and Albana Di Romagna Passito - a fantastic white dessert wine.

The winners of the evening? 

- Best value for money: 'Secondopasso' Nero di Troia.

An excellent medium-bodied red for everyday drinking. My favourite at the moment!

- If money were no option: 'Terraferma' Rosso 

Drinking now, will age. Very well made with elegant fruit on the nose and palate. A lot of wine for £14.95!

Both of these wines would make perfect choices for Christmas.

So yet another victory for Mr Angelo Paradiso at Cantine Podere Belmantello. Keep up the good work! 

Also great results again for Alberto Longo, with his 'Le Fossette' being the most popular white of the evening, great remarks also for his 'Capoposto'.

Always a pleasure to visit Selborne Wine Society; a very active, friendly group with a great mix of people. Why not join them for a meeting? See their website for details.

Thanks again to everyone that made it such a good evening, hope to see you again soon!

Winter Wine Tasting 2012

Winter Wine Tasting 2012 - Saturday November 17th

Join us for our annual Winter Wine Tasting at Grayshott Village Hall; 9 wines, a 4 course meal, winemakers and a discount on all wine purchased on the night. 

Tickets are £30 per person and include all food and drink.

Give us a call or email us (info@riccowines.com) to book your place.

Make sure you don't miss out this year - tickets really are selling fast!

Fine Art, Fine Wine, Fine Day!

A huge thanks to everyone who joined Ricco at Sophie Bartlett's private art viewing last Friday; an excellent exhibition of art with wonderful Italian wines, accompanied by a perfect English summers' day! A very pleasant evening for all our guests and really nice to see so many faces - old and new. 

A great collaboration between Ricco and Sophie, as part of the Hampshire Open Studio's project. 

Guests in the Ricco tent enjoyed a complimentary selection of our fine wines, including Serenissima Prosecco, San Tiziano Bianco, Caruso Rosso and other red and white wines. Of particular note, Le Fossette Falanghina, Cacc 'e' Mmitte, Capoposto, Le Morine Riserva, Terraferma and Albana Passito.

These were tasted alongside canapés and bites provided by Anne Moore of Plan B Catering, an excellent company based in Alton.

Amongst our most distinguished guests was Mr Peter Terry Esq, his brother Stephen (of the Hardwick) was unable to attend, but thankfully his better looking twin could!

Again, thanks to everyone who made it such a special event, especially; Anna, Emily, Abbey and Nicola for their splendid service of food and wine and a big thank you to Sophie for her hospitality and collaboration with Ricco - the beginning of a series of events to be held at Ricco combining fine art and fine wine. 

Fine Art and Fine Wine

As part of the Hampshire Open Studios project, Ricco would love for you to join us at a private viewing of paintings, prints and drawings by artist Sophie Bartlett at her home on Friday August 17th, 5.00pm - 8.30pm.

Alongside Sophie's fine art (all of which is for sale) Ricco will be providing visitors with a selection of Italian Wines and nibbles to enjoy during the viewing. 

For more information email info@riccowines.com or visit us in the shop.


Hope you can join us!

Ricco Review - Nerodise Extra Dry 2011 and Terraferma Rosso Puglia 2010

Trevor introduces two seriously good Puglian wines - both from Mr Angelo Paradiso of Cantine Paradiso. Brand new to the list of Ricco.

Tenuta di Sesta wins Gold!

Great news just in, one of our wineries "Tenuta di Sesta" has won a Decanter World Wine Awards 2012 Gold Medal - one of only three awarded this year - for their Brunello Di Montalcino DOCG 2007. 

At present we stock Tenuta di Sesta's 'Camponovo' Rosso Toscana IGT, an excellent Sangiovese based Red with immediate appeal on the nose and palate.

Congratulations Giovanni and all the family at Tenuta di Sesta! 

Ricco Tasting July 2012.

Ricco are holding an open tasting this Saturday 14th July, 10am-6pm at our shop in West Liss.

See below for our latest video - a sneak preview of some of the excellent discounts available this Saturday!

Hope to see you here!

DIT 2012

This week Ricco were at Lords Cricket ground; has Trevor (finally!) been discovered as the worlds greatest Cricketer? No...although he did once have a beard to rival that of W.G. Grace.

Daniele and Trevor

Instead, we were at the Definitive Italian Winetasting 2012 to showcase a selection of our fine Italian Wines to an audience of Restaurateurs, hoteliers, wine merchants and journalists. Joining Trevor and Owain was Daniele Manfrini of Cantine Podere Belmantello - an excellent producer from Northern Puglia.

An immediate impact was made by a new wine to our list, Podere Belmantello's 'Nerodise' - a sparkling Rose' from 100% Nero di Troia grape. Steven Spurrier of Decanter Magazine described it as "a very well-made wine" which was "clean, refreshing and uplifting". We would go even further and say that this is the finest sparkling wine we have tasted for a good while; a great aperitivo and very versatile with food.

Overall this was a very good day for Ricco and the other wines that caught the attention of the professionals included; Salapia, Pignoletto, Secondopasso, Cacc'e' Mmitte and the Albana Passito.

We were very happy to have been visited by a number of our clients; Jonathan from Shardana, Andres and Marie-Lou from the Purefoy Arms, Preston Candover along with Stephen Terry and Ben Bedell of the Hardwick, Abergavenny.


Later, we enjoyed an excellent supper with Stephen and Ben at the Galvin "Bistrot de Luxe" in Baker Street. The whole experience here was truly refreshing; the food, ambiance and service were excellent. A real pleasure (and an affordable pleasure!) well done "Bistrot de Luxe", Ricco will definitely be back.

Ricco Review - L'Intruso 2009

Queen's Jubilee Weekend - June 2012

A huge thanks to all that joined us at Ricco for our tastings last week, we had a busy weekend and really enjoyed your company.

As ever, the "Chloe" Spumante from Althea was very popular. The new vintage Pignoletto was also a real winner - a very food friendly white wine. The new "Lorenzo" Piemonte Cortese also received a very positive response; this is in every respect a Gavi, but cannot be named as such because it has a screwcap closure.

Going south into Puglia, the range of wines from Alberto Longo were universally enjoyed for their style and quality; in particular his "Le Fossette" Falanghina - a very impressive premium white wine from 100% Falanghina. A wine traditionally matched with seafood, white meat and fresh cheeses.

Something (almost) as popular as the wine was the arrival of Mark and Nicola in their classic Ferrari Testarossa, Mark would do anything to outshine Trevor in his Renault Kangoo van!

As for the reds, the wines of Petrigama continue to delight, the Rosato, Aglianico and Nero di Troia. Take advantage of our June promotion; 15% discount on this fantastic range!

Our new addition from Tuscany, the "Camponovo" 100% Sangiovese from Tenuta di Sesta - a wine of great character and drinkability, offering versatility with foods; salamis, steaks, roast meats, lasagne and young cheeses. Watch this space for other new wines from this excellent cantina.

Another new addition to our list is "Scassa" Barbera d'Alba Superiore from Grimaldi Bruna. An excellent example of Barbera with a great balance of fruit and rounded tannins.

To complete the weekend, the "Albana Passito" dessert wine proved popular for those indulging their waist-lines, no offence intended to the officers from Sandhurst who found this particularly appealing! For those needing to accommodate both chocolate and cheese, we advised the "Il Griccio" red dessert wine from 100% Syrah from Alberto Longo, well done Alberto!

WATCH THIS SPACE FOR RICCO'S EXCLUSIVO EVENINGS - DATES SOON TO BE ANNOUNCED.

Diamond Jubilee @ Ricco

Sunny at last and Ricco also has something to brighten your calendar! 

In celebration of the Queens Diamond Jubilee, we invite you to join us for a free tasting from our portfolio of excellent Italian wines - Thursday 31st May, Friday 1st June and Saturday 2nd June - 10am-8pm.

We will taste lots of wines that are perfect for the holiday weekend; whether it be a glass with friends, a BBQ or a bank holiday meal. Also available will be a selection of light bites and our new range of high quality extra virgin Olive Oils and produce - exclusive to Ricco.

DISCOUNTS OFFERED ON PURCHASES OF 6 OR MORE BOTTLES.

Lots of new wines to taste, come and see us.

Also, we are close on Sunday and Monday, so be sure to stock up and I am available for lunch or supper (please form an orderly queue!)

-


NEW DELI IN SELBORNE

Talking of the Queen, you may be aware of the Queens Pub and Restaurant at Selborne; we certainly are and are pleased to announce the opening of their new delicatessen.

Erick and mum at the Queens Deli

They have an excellent range of fresh bread, fruit and veg, meats, cheeses and most things you would expect to find in a good delicatessen. From personal experience, their Scotch Eggs are simply delicious!

You will soon be able to experience a fantastic range of Ricco's wines in both the deli and restaurant.

We are lucky to have such a shop in the local area, so get along and have a look - it is well worth the effort and Nick and Erick's venture deserves to be a success. This truly is another little nugget for anyone interested in quality food and wine and the Queens pub has ample private parking for the deli.

Very well done Nick and Erick!

-

Ever in London? Fancy a good glass of wine?



Ricco are proud to announce that our wine can now be enjoyed in Claridges Bar and Restaurant.


Happy Drinking Wills and Kate! 

UPDATE - Buckets and Spades back in storage

Our dalliance with the Isle of Wight has been cancelled (for now) - the organisers have had to call off the Spring Garden Show due to the severe weather that is battering the Island. 

As a result, Ricco will be OPEN on Friday the 27th and Saturday 28th April as per usual. 

We’ve also had a delivery today, so our Rubente (as featured in the Sunday Times) and Gavi are back in stock. We also have 2 new wines to offer you, both from the highly accomplished cantina of Alberto Longo.

- "Le Fossette" - a high quality white wine from the Falanghina grape.

and

- Cacc 'e Mmitte (pronounced Catch-a-me-te') di Lucera - a blend of Montepulciano, Nero di Troia and Bombino Bianco. A very versatile, rounded and satisfying red.

Ricco @ The Isle of Wight

A short message to all of our customers.

Ricco will be exhibiting at the Isle of Wight "World of Wines Exhibition" at Robin Hill Park this weekend; 28th and 29th April, so the shop will be closed on Friday the 27th and Saturday 28th April.

If you're on the island pay us a visit!

Salute!

Easter @ Ricco Wines

Easter's here and with it the sun, the perfect opportunity to spend time with family, friends or that special person.

Take advantage of Ricco's specially discounted wines, perfect for the Easter weekend. 

Frizzante Prosecco - perfect as an aperitif - a great match with canapés and antipasti. Was: £8.95 Now: £8.25

Castel del Monte Bianco - a top quality dry white wine from Puglia - perfect with all antipasti, fish and shellfish and white meats. Was: £8.75 Now: £7.99

Etna Bianco - a characterful dry white from Sicily - enjoy with all antipasti, grilled vegetables, fish and shellfish and white meats. Was: £10.95 Now: £9.90

Castel del Monte Petrigama Rose' - a very versatile and flavoursome Rose' from 100% Bombino Nero - perfect for most vegetarian, fish and white meat dishes. Was: £9.95 Now: £9.25

Having Lamb, Beef or Pork? Try one of these Puglian wines from local grape varieties;

Darione - 100% Primitivo - from Angelo Paradiso, a very classic, very good example of Primitivo at a very good price. Was: £9.95 Now £9.25

Aglianico - 100% Aglianico from Az. Ag. Tarantini, a highly drinkable and rounded style of Aglianico. Was: £10.95 Now: £9.99

Nero di Troia - 100% Nero di Troia from Az. Ag. Tarantini - Soft tannins, rounded fruit, an excellent wine from a great producer. Was: £11.95 Now: £10.99

Something to drink with your Easter Eggs or chocolate desserts? You have to try our 'Visciola' - a Cherry wine from Le Marche, another one of Piergiovanni Giusti's gems! Its also wonderful just sipped on its own at the end of a meal. Sometimes found as a Liqueur or fortified wine, this is the real thing; a straight table wine (13.5%) rarely found in the UK, for a short period only we are offering this at the discounted price of just £19.95, take advantage whilst the offer lasts!  

We are happy to deliver free in the local area, for more information please give us a call on 01730 894751 or visit our shop; we are open normal hours throughout Easter (Thursday, Friday, Saturday 10am - 8pm).

Happy cooking and drinking! 

Salute!

Puglia 2012

Early last week, Messrs Ford and Davies of Ricco Wines were fortunate enough to visit the Italian region of Puglia.

The purpose of our trip was to visit the cantinas of two new suppliers; "Podere Belmantello" and "Azienda Agricola Tarantini", both of which produce wines of excellent quality and provenance.

Escaping the snow and freezing weather conditions of England, we arrived in Puglia on Sunday afternoon. Exiting the aeroplane we were immediately hit by the intense heat of Southern Italy (temperatures were approaching 10 degrees Celsius) and we made our way to the beautiful town of Corato where we were to stay.

On Monday, with the snow falling (Puglia's first significant snowfall in a decade!) we travelled into the countryside to visit the winery of Tarantini. At present they produce 3 wines; A rosato of Bombino Nero, and two reds - a Nero di Troia and an Aglianico.

We tasted these throughout the day and they are truly excellent wines, we also tried some of their 2011 vintage (still maturing in stainless steel casks) and even for young wines they are already showing real character and promise.

The following day we journeyed to Cerignola, another fine Puglian town. Here we met Angelo and Daniele of the cantina "Podere Belmantello" who produce a fantastic range of regional whites and reds, including (amongst others) a white Fiano and reds from Primitivo and Negroamaro. Pictured (left) is the entrance to their their impressive new tasting room.

We had an great time in Italy; the wine, food and hospitality were faultless and we are proud to announce that within weeks we expect to receive our first consignment of wine from both producers. Watch this space!

Salute!

UPDATE: Ricco is delighted to tell you that Nadia Tarantini (of Az. Agr. Tarantini) will be joining us at the Farnham Wine Festival on March 10th 2012. Yet another reason to visit www.farnhamwinefestival.co.uk to buy your ticket - just £15!

New wines, Trevor learns to Skype and Farnham Wine Festival

As we begin to finalise our list for 2012, we can already announce a number of new wines, from a number of new cantinas, that will be available from Ricco in the very near future.

Within the next few weeks we will be receiving our first delivery of Barolo and Nebbiolo d'Alba from our friends at Cantina Bruna Grimaldi (see their sparkling new website here). We tasted their wines when they visited us in the summer and not only is the quality excellent but the price will be too!

We will also be stocking some wines from a cantina called Spinelli, their Sangiovese and Pecorino are both highly drinkable (and affordable!) - but retain the provenance and quality that Ricco demand.

In its never-ending search for excellent wines at great prices, Ricco Wines now has another weapon in its armoury - video conferencing! Throughout this week we have unleashed the devastating force of Trevor 'Adonis' Ford via webcam, securing yet more excellent new wines from new cantinas.

From the Puglian cantina of Paradiso we will be importing a number of very regional styles of red and white wines including Bombino Bianco, Fiano, Negroamaro and Primitivo. The winemakers from this estate were here with us last week and we rounded off their visit with a very successful and enjoyable business lunch at the Queens at Selborne.

Also confirmed this week was a new collaboration with a cantina (also in Puglia) called Azienda Agricola Tarantini; including a rose' from the Bombino Nero grape and two reds -  a Nero di Troia and an Aglianico. We first met Nadia of Tarantini at a tasting in London last year, her wines are very impressive - another little gem in Puglia!


Nadia Tarantini will be joining us for Ricco's table at the Farnham Wine Festival on Saturday the 10th of March 2012. Tickets are just £15 which includes tasting food, live music and a chance to sample up to 80 wines! See www.farnhamwinefestival.co.uk for more information.