Italian Wine Maker Tabarrini Tasting May 22nd, 2025

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Join us as we welcome Italian Wine Maker Giampaolo Tabarrini to Sanford, NC to taste his amazing wines from Umbria. 

6:30pm Thursday, May 22nd, 2025 – Reservations Required

Email / Call Jake Jacobs – carolinawinemerchants@gmail.com 

to reserve your seat.

919-349-2080

$50 per person – Food Provided

Tabarrini is one of the most appreciated artisan businesses in the Montefalco area, with vineyards and a cellar in the Turrita area. Giampaolo, who represents the fourth generation of farmers in the family, is an enthusiastic and energetic winemaker, the creator and architect of an uncompromising project that has grown over time. A dreamer, a visionary, capable of evolving while remaining himself, he took over his parents' farm in the late 1990s and transformed it into an extraordinary success story. The company that bears his name resembles him and appears as a gear in perpetual motion, constantly seeking perfection and new challenges. A dynamism and a projection towards the future that rest on equally strong roots: in his own land, in the traditions of the place and in the values ​​that the Tabarrini family has passed down from generation to generation.

Montefalco “Land for Wine” is a slogan that is perfectly implemented in the chessboard of Tabarrini wines. Sagrantino is a bastion of Montefalco’s identity: it is made with separate vinifications of the vineyards to obtain Crus that tell the language of the territory with different accents. Alongside Sagrantino, other varieties and labels flourish, to design a range that sees many protagonists and no extras. From Montefalco Rosso, another great wine of the area where Sangiovese stands out, to the rediscovery of Grero (an ancient Umbrian variety with black grapes), passing through the whites. Among these, Trebbiano Spoletino sees Tabarrini as a pioneer, in terms of rediscovery and definitive consecration.

“Giampaolo Tabarrini continues to make some of the most compelling wines in Montefalco.” Antonio Galloni

https://tabarrini.com/

The Wines We’ll Taste

Tabarrini Adarmando Bianco 2020 - $34.99

Vinous 91

“The 2020 Bianco Adarmando mixes both savory and sweet, as honeyed florals and freshly sliced peach gain wild depths through a whiff of crushed rocks and enriching almond paste hints. This displays a lovely inner sweetness up front with a stern contrasting minerality as vividly ripe yellow pit fruits and citrus are carried across a tantalizingly acidic core. For all of its textural depth and concentration, this finishes perfectly fresh, slightly salty and completely irresistible. The 2020 is a seductive Adarmando drinking beautifully now yet has the balance for a long evolution.”

Tabarrini Padrone delle Vigne 2019 - $19.99

Giampaolo Tabarrini makes some of the top red wines in Umbrian, and this is the entry-point into his world. His Il Padrone (The Master) is an ode to his grandfather, the master that trained him how to be a vigneron. A blend of primarily Sangiovese with splashes of Barbera and Sagrantino, this big, bold, and decadent red sees 12 months of aging in French oak.

The finished wine offers up soaring notes of warm blueberry, dark cherry, dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, and herb. Full bodied, opulent, and finely textured, this is a big red wine that finishes smooth and easy. 

It is a fantastic VALUE!

Tabarrini  Montefalco Rosso Boccatone 2020 - $27.99

This wine is simply stunning! It is not Sagrantino’s younger brother. Such an intense and powerful wine borne from a blend of Sangiovese, Sagrantino along with a precious input of Barbera. It is a flavorful and age worthy wine in its own right with a lot of aging potential.

And here’s an impressive wine making stat. It sees a MONTH long maceration, then 18 months aging in barrel, and another 12 months in bottle before release.

The color is a bright ruby red with rich and intense aromas of ripe red fruits, licorice, herbs and spices. The taste is powerful, structured, and vigorous with intense tannins and a pleasant spicy long finish.

2019 Tabarrini Montefalco Sagrantino Grimaldesco - $44.99

Drink 2028 - 2040

Vinous 96

“The 2019 Montefalco Sagrantino Colle Grimaldesco is zesty and intense, with a burst of savory herbs and woodland berries complicated by crushed ashen stone and cedar shavings. This is a beast, silky upon entry yet with a dense wave of mineral-infused, tart blackberries that saturate as fine-grained tannins add youthful poise. It's structured and incredibly long, leaving a pleasantly bitter concentration and hints of sage that linger beneath an air of hauntingly dark inner florals and a tinge of licorice.”

Join the crowd for Wine Down Wednesdays at Vinous, EVERY Wednesday!!! We have THIRTY wines at the bar to choose from and ALL wines will be 25% off starting this Wednesday, May 7th, from 4PM-9PM! 

Bring your friends, family, and even your colleagues for an evening of delightful wines and good company. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just looking to unwind after a long day, Vinous offers the perfect ambiance for a memorable night. Discover new favorites, savor classic vintages, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of Wine Down Wednesdays.

We can’t wait to see y’all! CHEERS!

Strawberry Jammin is Coming Saturday May 10th, 2025

Downtown Alive! Concert on Steele Street 3pm-5pm DJ in Charlie Watson Lane See you in Sanford for a berry good time!

Featured at Vinous Wine Bar

Childress Sun Kissed Strawberry Wine 

Sip into simplicity with sensational fruit flavors of ripened strawberry and sweet berry flavors. This sweet white wine blends harmoniously with sun-kissed strawberry notes, creating a fragrantly fresh sipper.

Castello del Poggio Strawberry Moscato 

Strawberry Kiss reveals a silvery amber color, enticing you with its vibrant hue. The bouquet fills the air with the irresistible aroma of sweet strawberries, evoking memories of biting into juicy, sun-ripened berries. The palate is a delightful journey of flavors, where the essence of strawberry shines through, accompanied by subtle hints of candied berries.

Del Mar Strawberry Margarita 

A unique blend of strawberry fruit and agave wine crafted in Mexican tradition, it contains 13.9% ABV for a lower alcohol content. Just twist, pour over ice and sip to enjoy! Agave wine is made from fermented blue agave plants, making this cocktail the perfect choice for any summer afternoon.

 Join us for our FIRST TRIVIA NIGHT!!! Thursday, April 24th, 2025 from 7PM-8:30PM, Father Matt Garrison will be hosting Trivia Night. There will be prizes/gift certificates presented to the winners!!! 

  Importer Wine Tasting

Saturday April 5th, 2025

1pm to 3pm

@Vinous Wine Bar

Sophie Barrett - Haw River Wine Imports

$30 Per Person – 

Charcuterie Boards & Snacks Provided

Come spend your Saturday afternoon with me (Jake) and Italian & French Wine Expert extraordinaire Sophie Barrett of Haw River Wine Imports as we take you on an educational tour of the fascinating wines of Italy, France & Spain.

We will dive deep into each individual wine with the history, terroir , wine growing methods, winemaking techniques and proper way to taste and evaluate.

It’s going to be a fun, educational day of wine tasting!

  1. Ostatu Rioja Blanco 2024

Ostatu consistently makes one of the best white wine values in the world, and their 2024 Rioja Blanco is better than ever. What if you could find a white wine that possessed the brightness and freshness of a Sauvignon Blanc, the lushness and texture of a Chardonnay, and the mineral complexity of a great Loire Valley white? 

Their white wine is made up of 90% Viura and 10% Malvasia from vineyards in the 60 to 70-year age range.

2. Comte Leloup Muscadet 2018 

  The first terroir and family home is Chasseloir, a vineyard with schist soils in the heart of the Muscadet Sèvre-et-Maine appellation, right between Saint-Fiacre-sur-Maine and Château-Thébaud, on the hillsides above the river Maine. These are the family's oldest Melon vines, with vine age averaging 100+ years old! The resulting wine is dramatically delicious with deep notes of fresh lime and lemon, oyster shell and salt spray, and a Chenin-like meld of quince and pear.

3. Garofoli Piancarda Rosso Conero Montpulcino 2020 

Vinous 90+

“The 2020 Rosso Conero Piancarda, a varietal Montepulciano, lifts from the glass with a dusty mix of dried roses, red currants and hints of nectarine that form a truly inviting bouquet. This is silky and elegant, nearly creamy in feel, yet elevated and cool-toned, with mineral-laced wild berries and a salty flourish that adds a savory sensation toward the close. The 2020 leaves a coating of fine tannins, as inner florals arch across the palate, and a caking of minerality slowly fades away. The warm vintage has imparted an extra suave character here, yet the Piancarda’s structure and acidity are nicely balanced and should promote medium-term cellaring. Lose a few bottles in the cellar; you’ll thank me later.”

4. Thevenet Bourgogne Rouge Les Clos 2023

  This is gorgeous single-vineyard Pinot Noir from the southern reaches of Burgundy. This is Thévenet’s sole red wine, sourced from a superbly situated single vineyard called Les Clos, in the village of Bussières. Sporting a lovely translucent garnet color in the glass, Thévenet’s Les Clos presents dusty, soil-inflected, authentically Burgundian aromas of cranberries, red raspberries, chalky earth, and rose petals. The wine’s palate impression alternates notes of sour cherries and tangy raspberries framed by weight-lifting tannins and a persistent dusty limestone soil signature. Bright minerals, balancing acidity, and appetizing savory herbs carry the wine to its long finish.

Come join us at Vinous Wine Bar/Carolina Wine Merchants on Saturday May 18th as we welcome Jay Raffaldini to Sanford as we taste his amazing lineup of Italian wines. We will have food, wine, and Jay to speak about the wines.

Tickets for the event are just $35 and must be purchased in advance. Contact me, Jake Jacobs either by email or by phone. 

carolinawinemerchants@gmail.com/ 919-349-2080

https://carolinawinemerchants.com/

Vinous Wine Bar

112 S. Steele Street in beautiful historic downtown Sanford, NC.

For those of you who don’t know Raffaldini specializes in Italian grape varietals. One visit to Raffaldini vineyards you will feel like you’ve been transported to the beautiful countryside of the rolling hills of Tuscany.

Raffaldini Vineyards

450 Groce Road

Ronda, North Carolina 28670

Email: info@raffaldini.com

T: 336.835.9463

https://www.raffaldini.com/Visit/About-Us

The Raffaldini Wines

Vermentino Superiore 2021

“Our largest white planting this is our signature grape which we use to make a wine similar to the wine commonly found in the Italian island of Sardinia. With its beautiful minerality and saline features, this wine reminds drinkers of Mediterranean summers. Vermentino grows effortlessly on our property and when it arrives at the winery there is little winemaker intervention that takes place. It is simply a lovely wine, smooth and refreshing white with juicy notes of pineapple, sweet lemon and peach.”

Montepulciano Riserva 2020

Our largest planting on the property this grapes hails from the Province of Abruzzo which lies east of Rome. The Montepulciano grape tends to make wine that are most similar in profile to Merlot – juicy with ripe and rich fruit framed by lively acidity and soft tannins. Tending to prefer a more complex style made near the city of Chieti, we also put some of these grapes through the Appassimento drying process while also co fermenting these grapes with some Sagrantino and Petit Verdot.

Sagrantino 2020

Sagrantino is one of the rarest grapes in the world with almost 95% of the 2000 acres planted being located in the Province of Umbria and around the town of Montefalco, Sagrantino flourishes on our property and when the grapes arrive to the winery they are brimming with mouth drying tannins. We further accentuate the bigness of the wine by also utilizing the Appassimento drying process to create a savory, drying and earthy full bodied wine in the traditional Umbrian style. This wine is not for the faint of heart.

Grand Riserva 2019

The flight of the Bumble Bee defies physics- their wings are too small and don't flap fast enough to support their weight. Yet somehow, through the sheer force of their will and determination, they fly. Given the nearly impossible climate conditions we have here, we should not make a wine this wonderful, yet we do. Raffaldini Grande Riserva, our Flagship, is our Bumble Bee wine. Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, and Sagrantino grapes, harvested at optimal ripeness are triple-sorted and then dried heavily using the Appassimento drying process to further concentrate the grapes natural flavors and aromas.

La Dolce Vita 2021

La Dolce Vita (translated from Italian as The Sweet Life) is our version of the widely popular Italian sweet wine called Moscato D'asti. What makes La Dolce Vita so lovely is the aromatic profile of flowers is supported by acidity and sparkling bubbles to balance the sweetness of the wine while retaining freshness. Best served chilled it is a delightful wine designed to pair with dry cheeses and fruit or as a standalone when simply having relaxing moments.