The PRIMA Vini VINE Monday, November 25th
The PRIMA Vini VINE
Monday, November 25th
PRIMA Vini Dublin- 6890 Village Parkway, Dublin, CA 94568, 925-945-1800
Mondays, 10- 5, Tuesday through Saturday, 10–6,
Friday Nights Until 8 PM
SPECIAL Holiday Hours
NOW OPEN SUNDAYS, Noon-5pm!
(Come see Brandon, Teddy & Tadd)
Open 24-7 at www.primavini.com
The late arrival of Thanksgiving this year has proven disorienting. I find early ‘holiday creep’ an anathema (c’mon Costco? Christmas trees before Halloween?) and normally wait until Thanksgiving weekend- at the very earliest- to put up the ol’ Christmas lights. But there I was, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, with time on my hands (the Niners were simply unwatchable), a willing helper in my visiting daughter, and some decent weather in which I could safely dangle from a ladder. So, maybe for the first time ever, the Rittmaster Christmas lights were hung before Thanksgiving. Well, mostly. I tested all of my at-least-ten-year-old strings this year before I began the job- a lesson learned the hard way many years ago- but, of course, as soon I got them all secured to the eaves and plugged in to admire my handiwork, there were at least three sections of lights out. I find almost nothing more frustrating than trying to find the offending single bulb that kills an entire strand. And, ultimately, I failed. Sigh. I’m getting too old for this sh*t. Why do I even bother, you ask? Anne asks me the same question and I am at a loss to answer. But tradition dies hard at the Rittmasters.
And speaking of premature…. What’s up with Black Friday sales that start weeks before Black Friday? Everyone is so anxious to beat everyone else to the punch that I’ve began seeing Black Friday pitches in my in-box before Halloween! Our Black Friday sale will be on, well, Black Friday. But you don’t need to wait until then to get our best wine prices. Take advantage of the CHEERS2024 coupon below for $10 off on any purchase of $100 or more. It’s that simple. You don’t even need to shop from our website! You can just hit ‘reply’ to this e-mail and say ‘Hey, PRIMA. Give me a half-case of that lovely Saint-Damien Cotes du Rhone and gimme my sawbuck back.’ And we will!
And remember to SHOP LOCAL and SMALL this year. Trust me, this year more than ever, we all need your business!
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The other thing we’ve noticed is that the wine magazine ‘Best of….’ award season is also starting earlier and earlier. Wine Spectator’s Top 100, for example, came out over two weeks ago! We stubbornly wait until the first Monday after Thanksgiving to publish our first installment, so you’ll have to postpone the sheer pleasure of discovering our 24 favorite wines of 2024 until then. But they’re coming and it’s a great list!
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And, stop me if you’ve heard this already, December 7th is our Annual Champagne Extravaganza! The deadline to participate in the at-home Zoom edition of the seminar (along with the wines), is, if you’re Back East, this Wednesday. If you’re local, you have until Tuesday, December 3rd. Imagine all the fun of our Champagne seminar but with your own posse in the comfort of your own living room! Let Frank know if you want to play. Pricing is $378 per package, plus sales tax and/or shipping, as applicable.
*SPECIAL DELIVERY- WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4th*
WHITE TRUFFLES DIRECT FROM ITALY
$265 per ounce, must be ordered in whole ounces and are subject to the actual size and weight of the truffles delivered
E-mail john@primawine.com to order
Order must be placed before noon Sunday, December 1st for delivery here Wednesday, December 4th
They say when the weather is bad for wine grapes, it’s good for truffles. If that axiom is to hold true, this is going to be a spectacular year for our favorite fungus! But can there be too much of a good thing? That was the general consensus when I was in Italy a month ago and it was raining incessantly. The fear was water-logged truffles that would be heavy without flavor. Nature worked another miracle, though, and spectacular weather returned to Piemonte, drying out the ground a bit but still leaving the soils loose enough for the truffles to grow. The result, according to the man on the scene we call ‘Deep Truffle,’ is that 2024 is the best season for white truffles in four years and the delivery we received last week was spectacular. We had a tennis ball-sized truffle that filled the store with the most insanely heavenly aroma! I have decided to air-freight in another shipment this year and that will be for delivery here on Wednesday, December 4th. If you’d like some wonderful truffles to enjoy for the holidays, you must order them before this Sunday.
Orders must be in whole ounces and are subject to the actual size of the truffles we get. Shipping is extra and price is subject to change.
ON THE PRIMA Vini Calendar
Saturday, December 7th-
PRIMA’s 37th Annual Champagne Extravaganza
The highlight of PRIMA’s social calendar is not that far off! Save the date and use the links below to grab your tickets. They’re selling out fast.
*A Sit-Down Seminar entitled ‘Champagne- The Elements of Style’
focused on the amazing diversity of Champagne with a panel of experts and six fabulous Champagnes
12 PM- 1 PM, Limited to only 18 attendees - 4 Seats Remaining
$125 per attendee, plus tax (includes access to the Grand Tasting that follows)
https://primavini.com/sit-
Can’t make it in person? The seminar will be available on Zoom (including all the seminar wines). E-mail frank@primavini.com for more information
*PRIMA’s Famous Walk-Around Grand Tasting
THIS JUST IN!
OYSTERS ARE BACK! Our friends from CaliCrab will be on hand during the tasting with plenty of your favorite bivalves to accompany your bubbles.
1:30 - 3:30 pm
Bubbles as far as the eye can see and, of course, great nibbles too.
$75 per attendee, plus tax
https://primavini.com/walk-
This year featuring multiple cuvees of:
Gaston Chiquet Blanc de Blancs
Marc Hebrart Cuvee Mes Favorites
Marc Hebrart Brut Rose
Charles Heidsieck Brut
Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blancs
Gosset Brut Reserve
Gosset Brut Rose Reserve
Bruno Paillard Grand Cru Blanc de Noirs
Bruno Paillard Rose Extra Brut
Henri Giraud Esprit Brut Nature
Henri Giraud Dame Jane Brut Rose
Alexandra Sainz Brut Heritage
Alexandra Sainz Brut Millesime
Alexandra Sainz Pinot Noir Brut Nature
Philipponnat Brut
Philipponnat Brut Rose
Duval-Leroy Brut
Explore the fascinating cheeses and wines from the Austrian, Italian, and French Alps
through a tasting experience for the ages.
December 12th - 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
This class is at The Cheese Parlor in Livermore
Just 8 tickets left!
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ANY TIME WE’RE OPEN
COME SEE WHAT WE’RE POURING IN THE PRIMA Vini WINE BAR!
We change the wines we pour by the glass week frequently so there’s always something interesting and fun open. Or pick a bottle up off our shelf, wine fridge or Enoteca! If it’s under $50 on the shelf, there’s only a $15 corkage and if it’s over $50, hey, we’ll waive it! Or do what the ‘Back to School Moms’ did last week and bring your own group, a bunch of your favorite fixins’ from one of our fine local restaurants and take over the place!
PRIMA LOVES YOU
I’m sure you knew that, but we wanted to tell you anyway. Thank you for having supported PRIMA and spending 47 years of great wines and spirits with us. Not only do your shopping dollars help keep small family businesses like ours alive, you are also supporting the small family-owned vineyards about which we are so passionate.
We would like to put these in your holiday stocking…
- $10 off on your purchase of $100 or more before tax. Expires on December 31, 2024. Enter promotion code CHEERS2024 at our on-line checkout – www.primavini.com or mention it if you order by e-mail and we’ll do it for you.
- Enjoy our Giant California Cabernet Blowout - Big names, bold flavors at unbeatable prices including the very popular 2022 Austin Hope Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles for only $49.99 with ground shipping included on 6 bottles or more - https://primavini.com/
california-cabernet-blowout/? in_stock=1
Let the holidays begin! CHEERS.
The PRIMA family
Perfect for the holidays!
Framed 3-D Topographical MGA Maps of Barolo
and the Langhe
…for in-store pickup only; these cannot be shipped. In stock now
Everyone who visits the Langhe region of Piemonte comes back wanting one of these gorgeous and informative three-dimensional topographical maps. They’re on just about every wall in every cantina in the area and are invaluable reference tools for identifying each individual MGA and graphically seeing how they all interact. We managed to sneak a dozen or so of these rare maps onto our last container from Alba. These are wonderful additions to any cellar wall and you’ll love discovering for yourself the amazing topography of these iconic vineyards. The Barolo and Barbaresco maps are 85×63 cm while the Albeisa maps of the entire Langhe region are slightly smaller. On display in Dublin.
PRIMA’s Wines Of The Week
Any of these would look great sitting next to that turkey next Thursday…just sayin’
Everyone has an opinion about the best wines to serve for the traditional American Thanksgiving. But Thanksgivings these days are rarely what Norman Rockwell envisioned back in the day, are they? Flavors are fresher, brighter and more international. And even if you do have Aunt Lucrecia’s famous yam casserole with the burnt marshmallows on top, the overall effect is a lot more wine friendly- at least at our house. We love this holiday, though, and between us, we chose some of our favorites for your perusal. Any and all of these would be happy to find a place at your holiday table this year- or any other table you have! It’s a really fun set of wines.
And, just to make it extra fun, order a case of 12 bottles, mixed and matched, and we’ll include the shipping.
Happy Thanksgiving from all your friends at PRIMA!
2018 Antica Fratta Franciacorta Essence Rose
$44.99 - WINE OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE
The Franciacorta appellation couldn’t be any more picturesque; it’s right on Lake Iseo with mountains all around plus the snow-capped Alps towering in the background. Some of Italy’s finest sparkling wines are produced here, but only about 15% of them ever leave the country. Tucked into the side of a forested mountain in the Monticelli Brusati northern section of Franciacorta, Antica Fratta was originally an old monastery that was transformed into a country villa in the 1850s. The owner, a knight and local wine merchant, dug wine caves right into the hill behind the villa. After his passing, the property and caves fell into disrepair. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that it was renovated to become the Antica Fratta Winery we know today. The caves, unusual for this region, provide additional space to age sparkling wines on their lees for longer than the appellation requires, and the bubbles are only released when the winemaker feels they are ready. It’s all about patience. At Fratta, they produce several styles of Franciacorta, but what all the wines have in common is lovely concentration and amazing elegance. They are also marvelous showcases of their unique terroir. The 2016 Antica Fratta Franciacorta DOCG Essence Rosé is a blend of 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Nero, aged on the lees for 36 months and in bottle for another six months prior to release. Unlike Champagne which allows a percentage of still Pinot Noir to be added for color and complexity, Franciacorta Rosé must be made with sparkling wine only. Its depth and complexity comes from a slightly warmer climate that allows the grapes to ripen more fully while still maintaining great acidity, and some skin contact with the Pinot Nero prior to fermentation. This is a delicate but very complex wine with berry and citrus fruits, toasty brioche, and a creamy, persistent mousse. This was the other of our favorites, and because we couldn’t decide which we loved more, we’ve decided to love them both! This gorgeous Rose drinks wonderfully as an aperitivo or to celebrate, say, the arrival of a Tuesday. With food, though, this will truly come alive. We were thinking a duck breast with a bit of a cherry gastrique, the classic Risotto Milanese or, what a perfect wine for Thanksgiving!
2022 Domaine Francine et Marie-Laure Serrigny
Bourgogne Aligote
$31.99 (coming back to stock tomorrow)
As old school as their label, this ancient property near the town of Savigny-Les-Beaune has been run since 1995 by Marie-Laure Serrigny and her younger sister Francine who hew to tradition as closely as possible in order to properly do justice to a legacy of old vines that would be the envy of anyone in Burgundy. The oldest on the entire property are neither Pinot Noir nor Chardonnay, rather two positively ancient parcels of Aligote planted sometime just after the turn of the twentieth century, during Burgundy’s post-phylloxera restoration. At well over the century mark, these vines produce the most prized wine in the cellar, a white that shows just what is possible when inspired winemaking and old vines come together. Aligote is (in)famous for its pronounced acidity and intense minerality. In the olden days, that would be just about all you’d get! But, thanks to climate change, recent summers are yielding riper fruit and, therefore, better concentration, so Aligote is finally having its moment in the sun (if you will). But Aligote gets to another entirely different level here. Fermented on its native yeast and aged in older barrels, the approach is deceptively simple for a wine with this much depth and character: Great shimmery pear and Golden Delicious apple fruit, a beautifully subtle texture that expands as the wine warms and all of Aligote’s hallmark acidity. Are you looking for a white that will stand up to all the flavors of a traditional American Thanksgiving? This might be your wine! And, with this much chutzpah going for it, you should buy enough to serve for the next 10 Thanksgivings! Only 200 cases were produced!
Everyone’s favorite martyr returns! Poor Saint Damien, dead since 287, is now known as the patron saint of doctors, and his visage graces the label of one of the most exciting wineries in the southern Rhone Valley……..
2022 Domaine Saint-Damien Cotes du Rhone Villages ‘Plan de Dieu’ Vieilles Vignes’
$21.99
80% Grenache, 15% Carignan, 5% Mourvèdre. Domaine Saint-Damien is in Gigondas, and is owned by the Saurel family who farm 24 hectares, half of which are in Gigondas proper. In addition to making a stable of really great, meticulously crafted Gigondas cuvees, they make several cuvees of really delicious, quite serious Cotes du Rhone too. All of the wines here are real old school efforts that rely on ripe (but not over-ripe) fruit fermented and aged in old casks and concrete tanks. There’s no screwing about with new wood, high alcohols or flashy winemaking technique. 2022 is another classic vintage that produced classic wines and, at a property like this, they are classics indeed! The vintage brought with it beautifully defined fruit, great levels of natural acidity and rich, robust tannins. Mature vines made particularly intense wines. The Plan de Dieu is sourced particularly old vines from the lower terraces of a single vineyard in the commune of Violès and brings forth lifted aromatics that are packed with black Provencal olives, fresh black truffle, bitter chocolate, white pepper and some clove-y spice to go along with a mouthful of hoisin sauce, plum jam, black cherry and garrigue-tinged earthy, herbs and spices. It’s a Cotes du Rhone Villages that drinks like a Gigondas; a bottle now to serve with that Thanksgiving turkey, beef or lamb dishes or, better still, you can hide a few bottles deep in a dark cool place and let it do its thing for a few more years. Very highly recommended.
2022 Alinea Carignan, Breedekloof, South Africa
$24.99
And now for something completely different! Carignan from Sout
2021 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino
$29.99
Sure, Uccelliera’s popular Ros
Vinous: Darkly alluring, the 2021 Rosso di Montalcino slowly comes to life with a beguiling blend of mentholated herbs, pine shavings and dried strawberries. This sweeps across the palate with textures of pure silk, soothing all that it touches with ripe red fruits and rosy inner florals guided by vibrant acidity. It finishes structured, potent and long, punching well above its weight class, as licorice mingles with savory spices through the youthfully tense finale. This is next-level Rosso di Montalcino. In a word, spellbinding. 93 points
Wine Spectator: Rich, vibrant and complex, this Rosso delivers cherry, raspberry, iron and Tuscan scrub flavors. This is harmonious and firms up nicely on the finish. Fine aftertaste. Drink now through 2030. 2,933 cases made, 1,000 cases imported. 92 points