Trust Your Importer, Marc DeGrazia Selections

Join us for our attendance-limited, signup-only Friday night tasting!  Depending upon the weather, tastings are held on the patio or the back of the shop with a max of 8 people per time slot.

Just as each wine shop has its own style and character so do producers, importers and even distributors. There are certain importers in the business you know you can trust - when you see their name on the back of a bottle you are pretty much guaranteed its a great bottle of wine - they might not always be your style but they are sure to be well made wines. From time to time we like to celebrate those importers who deliver us amazing bottles that we love to drink and share with you. So keep an eye our for our Trust Your Importer Events!

Marc De Grazia has been a force in the Italian wine world since the 1980's.  He, like many of the American import pioneers of that time, discovered that the work of many fine individual Italian grape growers was disappearing as they sold their grapes or juice to coops or large export houses. Traveling among the growers in the Tuscan hills, he encouraged them to do business the way vignerons in Burgundy had learned to do - by bottling the best selections of their wine under their own labels. The growers agreed that they would make the wine if Marc would sell it for them.  And that is exactly what he did.

He started with 6 wineries at that time and now the company represents over 60 small family estates from 14 Italian wine regions.  I have visited many and met most of them at Vin Italy and I can honestly say I am always impressed by the consistent quality of wine made by passionate individuals who obviously love what they do.  The wines always have a huge presence on our shelves with producers like Poderi Fiorini, Cantina Gini, Antonio Caggiano, Malabaila and more.  Plus Marc's own winery in Sicily, Tenuta della Terre Nere, is one of our absolute favorites on the Etna.  

Marc paid us a visit back in 2010 and we did one of my favorite tastings in our 15 years of business - I was so enthralled with my newly developed obsession of wines from the Etna, that I was thrilled to have him in the shop (on a Sunday no less!) for an exclusive tasting of his cru wines for our customers.  I've been a fan of his wines and those he represents for 11 plus years now and I'm anxious to share some of my favorites, including one of his Cru Nerello Mascalese wines from the Etna.  The hardest part will be narrowing the selection to 5 wines...I hope you'll join us!

Here's how it will work: 
-You sign up for a time slot where you will taste with 7 other people. It is $5 to attend but you will receive that $5 back with the purchase of a bottle of any of the wines presented. If you are a couple or with a group, you can purchase up to 8 spots for a time slot if available. Use the green button above to reserve your spots.  $5 refund is one per attendee per bottle from the event only.
-We will hold our tasting outside on the patio from 5:30 PM to 8 PM on Fridays weather permitting. If it rains we bring the event inside to the back of the store.
-Please arrive 5 minutes early for you time slot as we may not be able to move you to another spot.
-No waiting in line for your taste of wine in a plastic cup and snippet of info. During your time slot you will have the presenter's undivided attention as you learn about and taste the wines from Riedel glassware.
-When your tasting is over you can browse and shop or enjoy a glass or bottle at our indoor and outdoor tables.