and more:
• A Genius In Orcia DOC
• Wine & Food Seminar
• Join Mario Batali's Fight!

Where Sassicaia Left Off...Forte
Mondavi, Gaja, Torres... Every so often an individual of unrivalled ambition enters the world stage and teaches its onlookers something new. Pasquale Forte joins that list. His $42 million investment outside the hills of Montalcino, matched by his methodical and genuine approach to wine, has captured the eyes of the best winemakers in Montalcino and is now being whispered about in the leading Bordeaux houses.

Pasquale’s modern day Xanadu, Podere Forte, is an estate and learning institution dedicated to the further evolution of wine. The new gravitational flow winery is equipped with sophisticated research laboratories, stocked with soil samples from around the globe and is destined for greatness. Only in its infancy, Forte’s Super-Tuscan Guardiavigna, has already won critical acclaim, capturing the coveted Tre Bicchieri award and leaving the naysayers speechless.

IWM is pleased to announce that it has secured 95% of the miniscule US allocation. We encourage you to read below to learn about Podere Forte’s two wines, the genius of its winemaker, and Orcia, Toscana’s next great appellation. To speak personally with a Portfolio Manager and to place your order, please call Perry Porricelli at 212.473.2323.

Podere Forte 2001 Guardiavigna
Guardiavigna is the name of the small tower that sits at the highest point of the Podere Forte estate, where Gigiotto di Rocca d’Orcia, home from the Napoleonic Wars, stood with his Arquebus musket to guard over the vineyards. The wine is a full bodied blend primarily of Sangiovese, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grapes from the best south, southwestern vineyard locations in Toscana. Discover the exotic spice Petit Verdot can achieve under the Tuscan sun.

Tasting Note:
This extraordinary blend provides a deep and powerful experience that has all the international sex appeal of the next Sassicaia. It’s expressive nose carries aromas of ripe red fruit, licorice and spice. On the palate, flavors of fennel, balsamic, blackcurrant and crushed dried berry fruit explode mid-way for a luscious trip layered with repeating sensations of spice.

This wine represents the changing of the guard, Guardiavigna is now the preeminent Super-Tuscan! Like its predecessors, this is a wine of international appeal that will compete with the first growths of France and cult wines of California.

Podere Forte 2001 Guardiavigna $79.00

Click here to reserve your allocation of Guardiavigna!

Podere Forte 2001 Petrucci
Petrucci is the ancient name for the magnificent estate that is today Podere Forte. Going back to the historical roots of the Petrucci Estate, it was Pasqual’s intent to use 100% Sangiovese for the Petrucci label, as it represents the best of the local indigenous varieties. The 2001 vintage was superb in Tuscany yielding grapes of great balance and structure. Forte’s “Petrucci,” expresses the character of Sangiovese at its purest, combined with the outstanding cellaring potential of this vintage.

Tasting Notes:
The enchanting nose of cherry, plum, and violets fills the glass. Fresh tobacco leaf, spice and cinnamon announce deep rooted characterisitics that will evolve with age. Barrel-aged and non-filtered, this wine is a particularly outstanding companion with small game and squab.

Petrucci does not carry the immediate grandeur of Guardiavigna; it is more a wine of elegance and intrigue. There are layers in this Sangiovese that will test the senses of even the most trained sommeliers.

Podere Forte 2001 Petrucci $69.00

Click here to reserve your allocation of Petrucci!

A Genius Finds His Calling In Orcia DOC
How does the son of a Calabrian peasant farmer become a scientific genius and open the doors to a $42 million winery that is destined to change the wines from the hillsides of Toscana? The modest producer doesn’t say much, but those that know him will say it is his relentless pursuit of perfection that combines perception and analysis. Like Einstein, he is one of few capable of thriving on four hours of sleep in pursuit of his passion.

As a mechanical engineer, Pasquale’s training is meticulous scientific research and analysis. He has applied this approach to winemaking; taking soil samples every 20 yards, plowing his own fields, using biodynamic farming, testing and replanting grapes for the optimal ripening cycle. He is a self-taught enologist and is far removed from the glamour lifestyle of many Montalcino producers.

His persistent research and principals of enology led him to Orcia DOC, a historic hilltop village between the prestigious soils of Montalcino and Montepulciano. With its steep hills, dark soils, and nearby location to the Monte Amiata Volcano, the terroir offers even more grandeur than its neighbor. Taste and see for yourself!

Click for an IWM exclusive glimpse of the vineyard and estate!

 

New IWM Seminar Series!
Join IWM's Director of Tastings, Anne Burrell, for a two-part series on wine and food Italian style! Be sure to catch her April 22nd at 10:00 PM EST on the Food Television Network's Iron Chef, as she supports Mario Batali's efforts for the title.

Italian Vineyard Pairings I: Vino e Formaggio
Saturday, April 3, 2004 (1:00 - 2:30 pm), $75

This two-part series begins with a lesson in wine and cheese. IWM Director of Tasting Anne Burrell pairs up with IWM's sommelier to explore both classic and unusual pairings from artisans of The Boot.

Italian Vineyard Pairings II: Vino e la Cucina
Saturday, April 17, 2004 (1:00 - 2:30 pm), $75

Part II examines wine and food pairing, Italian style.
Director of Tasting Anne Burrell and IWM's sommelier
put together some magical pairings for you to try at home.

To reserve your seat(s) today, call Derrick Mize at 212.473.2323

Click here to register for all IWM Seminars!

Join Mario Batali's Fight!
On March 31, 2004 Chef Batali is being honored at the Food Bank For New York City’s 2004 Annual Gala Awards Dinner to be held at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers for his unyielding support in ending hunger.

Frances McDormand will be the Master of Ceremonies and Oliver Platt will join Benjamin Doller of Sotheby's as the evening's auctioneers. Auction prizes include:

- Lunch for 2 with Mario Batali & Michael Stipe at Masa
Mario Batali & Jake Gylanhaal make dinner for 8 in your home

- Tennis lesson & doubles match with Jim Courier followed by lunch at NY Tennis Club, Tennis port

For more information about the Food Bank’s Gala Awards Dinner and to purchase tickets click below or contact Patrick Mooney, Director of Development, at 212-566-7855 x 229.

*Each guest who donates at least five cans of food at the event will be entered to win a dinner for two at Babbo.

Click to learn more and purchase tickets for this event!

Fight hunger with The Food Bank For New York City
www.foodbanknyc.org