We are happy to introduce you to STOMANI CELLARS this week. Located in the SODO area of Seattle they make Italian style wines with fruit from Washington. ^^^^^^^^^^^^ PINOT GRIS - $12.99 - bright & crisp, showing signs of pear and leechee. Nicely balanced, excellent acidity lends nicely to lighter foods of all types from Asian inspired salads to shellfish.

SANGIOVESE - $25.99 - medium bodied, with acid levels focused to bring out the finest characteristics of the fruit. Dark garnet in color, palate of strawberry, raspberry and vanilla. Smooth finish and supple tannins. Aromatics are smoke, cinnamon, and strawberry. Serve with salads, roasted meats, some fine pasta dishes, or they (the winemakers) really enjoy a special dish such as Cioppino. (Cioppino is traditionally made from the catch of the day, which in the dish's place of origin is typically a combination of dungeness crab, clams, shrimp, scallops, squid, mussels and fish. The seafood is then combined with fresh tomatoes in a wine sauce, often served over spaghetti or other long pasta and toasted buttered bread, either sourdough or baguette. From Wikipedia)

TERREMOTO RED BLEND - $25.99 - big, bold and muscular, yet sophisticated. Showing big black cherry, spice, with a smooth finish. From the first sip to the last, your taste buds will quiver and quake with the experience. Cabernet, Syrah, and Sangiovese blend.

INSIEME - $20,99 - "insieme", Italian for "together" is a statement of their approach in wine making, bringing good people, food and wine together. The result is a sophisticated, full palate blend of merlot, sangiovese and cabernet. Serve with salads, roasted meats, or of course some fine pasta dishes.

CABERNET SAUVIGNON - $30.99 - a full bodied and bold wine. Dark fruit shows best, with hints of bing cherry. The complexity and layers within show through the supple mid-palate tannins. The finesse of the nice long finish, teases you into taking that next sip. Serve with hearty foods, like stews, poultry, roasted meats or American style BBQ. (notes from Stomani Cellars)

We found a couple more varietals that we hadn't heard of before and want to share with you.

First is a grape called KERNER. From Abbazia di Novacella in the Alto Adige region. One of the oldest wineries in the world, . This famed property was established in the year 1142 by Augustinian Monks and holds some of the most incredible relics, art and a library that will give you goosebumps. The Abbey continues to thrive today and remains financially independent from the state, supported largely by the 500,000 bottle production of world class wines from Abbazia di Novacella.

**The Kerner grape is an aromatic white grape variety. It was bred in 1929 by August Herold by crossing Trollinger (a red variety also known as Schiava grossa) and Riesling. Herold was working at a plant breeding station in Lauffen in the Württemberg region of Germany. This station belonged to a state breeding institute headquartered in Weinsberg. It received varietal protection and was released for general cultivation in 1969. Kerner is most commonly planted in the German regions of Palatinate, Rheinhessen, Mosel, and Württemberg, but it is also grown in Austria (Styria), Switzerland and Italy’s Alto Adige/Südtirol region. It was introduced into Alto Adige/Südtirol in the early 1970s and awarded Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) status in 1993.

Next we will try a TEROLDEGO ROTALIANO. **A vine of northern Italy’s Trentino-Alto-Adige zone, Teroldego is thought to have arrived there from the area of Verona around the shores of Lake Garda. It was first documented by name in various works of the early 1800s, and has more recently been shown to be genetically related to the Syrah, Marzemino and Lagrein varieties. It is planted almost exclusively in the Campo Rotaliano in the Adige Valley north of Trento, and its sole appellation of origin is Teroldigo Rotaliano D.O.C. Teroldego is easily overcropped to produce bright, fresh, balanced, fruity wines to be drunk young. Its personality is transformed if yield is restricted, when it offers lush, concentrated dark stone fruit and black cherry flavors and aromas offset by smoke, herb and bitter almond notes. It is marked by a particularly fine acidic balance and complexity, and restrained oak contact rounds out its structure. Alternate names: Tiroldola, Tiraldega.

**Information from Wikipedia

The Rotary Club of Des Moines would like to thank everyone that supported the POVERTY BAY WINE FESTIVAL.

Through your support this was a record setting attendance which will result in Rotaries ability to continue to give back to the community in the projects they are involved in.

If you missed out on this years event the dates are set for next year - March 4, 5, and 6.

There are some posters left if you would still like to purchase one. They are $10.00 and are numbered and signed by the artist. There were only 50 printed this year so they are limited.