Sorriso Market

Continuing our countdown of Nicolò Grippaldi’s wines until the big tasting on Friday, this is Spinasanta, Nicolò’s only 100% Nerello Mascalese bottling. This has the elegance and transparency expected with great Nerello, while being remarkably different than Nerello Mascalese from Etna. As with all of Nicolo’s wines, the palate offers a substantial backbone and underlying depth. There is a lot of energy bubbling up from just under the surface. Makes you wish it was Friday, already!

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tuesday, Sept. 24, 5-7 PM

Tonight, wine maven Ross Cohen of Classic Wine Imports — last seen behind our tasting table with a lineup of dry Rieslings from the Finger Lakes’ Forge Cellars — will be pouring a selection of French offerings perfect for the fall season fare.

We’ll have a new affordable White Burgundy, the Gérald Talmard Mâcon-Chardonnay, hailing from the actual town of Chardonnay! Then there’s the truly legendary white of Château Carbonnieux: A blend of 60% Sauvignon Blanc and 40% Semillon, it represents the quintessence of Bordeaux Blanc.

Our reds will include a cru Beaujolais from Morgon, one of the top ten villages in the region, and an overachieving Bordeaux from Cote de Castillon AOC, a blend of old vine (40+ years) Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc. Both of these wines are from the portfolio of ace wine importer Serge Doré, known for selecting wines of balance, energy, and finesse, as well as for his remarkably informative back labels.

And just in time for the upcoming feasts, we’ve brought in a Sauternes – perhaps the most iconic dessert wine of all – that won’t break the bank: Madame de Rayne 2019, in convenient half-bottles.

As always, we offer 10% off the purchase of three or more bottles from the tasting. We look forward to sharing this fall bounty with you!

In case you didn’t catch our email blast yesterday, we have a very exciting wine dinner coming up in a few weeks. As of now, only 8 tickets remain....Don’t sleep on this!

We are thrilled to partner with and for a one of a kind (and, perhaps, once-in-a-lifetime) event. Please join us for a very special dinner featuring the wines of Bodegas Muga. Even better, the wines will be presented by Manuel Muga, himself—the third generation of this legendary winemaking family!

Wednesday, October 16
5 courses
7 wines spanning 23 years
$189/pp, including all fees and gratuity
Limited to 20 guests

Menu and tickets available via Eventbrite link in bio.

We hope to see you there!

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight 5-8 PM

This evening, we have a rare cocktail tasting! Adam Wilson, from importer and distributor Vineyard Road, will be serving libations made exclusively with products from the venerable Piedmontese distillery Bordiga, founded in 1888.

We’ve been carrying their vermouths and Chartreuse-like Centum Herbis liqueur for some time. They also make a fine gin, bitter, and alpine amaro that we’ve recently added to our shelves. Almost all of their botanicals are foraged locally and each is infused separately to achieve the optimum flavor profile before blending.

So, we can concoct a Bordiga Negroni — featuring their Occitan Gin, Vermut Rosso, and Bitter — that truly reflects the terroir of Piedmont’s alpine foothills! And Adam has a few more tricks up his sleeve…

As always, we offer 10% off the purchase of three or more bottles from the tasting. Don’t miss this one!

Free spirits tasting, tonight, Sept. 13, from 5-8 PM,
27 Harvard St., Brookline Village

As the story goes, five friends in Finland were having a sauna and drinking rye whisky, when they began to ponder why nobody was making rye whisky in their homeland. Surprisingly, the idea of starting their own distillery still seemed like a good one the following morning… 

Tonight, Justin from Origin Beverage will be pouring some new-to-the-shop spirits that we are pretty excited about. We recently tasted a lineup of the Kyrö Distillery Company’s offerings and were impressed by their individuality, sheer tastiness, and fair pricing. So, we are now offering three of their rye malt whiskies – Peat Smoke, Wood Smoke, and Oloroso Cask – and their lightly sweet, rye-based Pink Gin, infused with fresh red berries and rhubarb. The whiskies will appeal to rye and Scotch drinkers, while the gin is like nothing else! See you tonight!

kyrodistillery.com/pages/story

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight, Sept. 10, 5-8 PM

This evening, we welcome importer and distributor Kosta Chernikov of Saperavi Brothers Wine Merchant, a passionate advocate for the wines of his native Georgia — the oldest winemaking culture in the world!

While we’ll be pouring an amber wine (skin contact white), our focus will be on reds featuring the inky Saperavi grape, the most widely planted in Georgia, with three different examples: a semi-dry party-in-a-bottle, the more serious “Dark Harvest” from grapes picked exclusively by women at night (!), and one fermented in the traditional manner, underground in qvevri, large clay vessels that resemble amphorae without handles.

Everything old is new again, and the ancient methods of this region where winemaking originated are once again on the cutting edge! Come taste the past AND the future!

And, as always, we offer 10% off the purchase of three or more bottles from the tasting! See you tonight!

.wineshop

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight 5-7 PM

This evening, we’ll be pouring some hard-working wines for after Labor Day! 

We’ll start with a pet-nat from Campania, made from Fiano, the region’s top white grape. Then there’s another white, a crisp Soave Classico, made from the fun to say grape Garganega (gar-GAN-uh-guh)! Our final white is from the signature grape of Friuli, Friulano. 

For reds, we have a delicious Alto Piemonte Nebbiolo from the Cantina Sociale Cooperativa di Gattinara, founded in 1908. Finally, our sole non-Italian, a rustic yet refined GSM blend from France’s Languedoc-Roussillon, grown in the Terrases du Larzac AOC. 

Please join us!

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tuesday 5-7 PM

This Tuesday we’ll be pouring some recent arrivals and revisiting some old favorites with Mat from MS Walker.

We’ll start with superb vintage bubbles from Piedmont, the 2019 Millesimato Contrato Pas Dosé, made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Contratto, founded in 1867, was the first to produce vintage traditional method sparkling wine in Italy in 1919, so this 2019 is their 100th vintage!

Next, we’ll celebrate the return of Ca’ dei Frati’s I Frati Lugana, gone for too long from Sorriso’s racks. The grape here is Turbiana. Once referred to as Trebbiano di Lugana, DNA analysis confirmed that it is not in fact related to Trebbiano at all but is instead a close relation to Verdicchio. Turbiana wines are lush but not lacking in acidity, often showing hints of pineapple and the distinctive green almond note often found in Italian whites, which morphs into hazelnut as the wine ages.

Our other offerings will include the latest vintage of Tiberio’s delicious, bracing Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo, a dark rosé made from the Montepulciano grape. This sold out the last time Mat poured it, so we made sure to load up on the new vintage!

La Kiuva’s Rouge de Vallée is a light, snappy, energetic Nebbiolo-based blend from Valle d’Aosta. Located in the mountains to the northwest of Piedmont, it is Italy’s smallest and least populous region, and the site of some of Europe’s highest vineyards. Here, the local form of Nebbiolo is called Picotendro, making up 70% of this wine’s blend, while the remainder consists of Gros Vien, Neyret, Cornalin, and Fumin.

We’ll finish with a bold Red from Portugal’s Douro region, the Van Zeller’s & Co VZ — hand crafted (and foot trodden in classic fashion) — a blend of at least 30 different grape varieties!

We look forward to sharing these fine values with you tonight!

.arnad

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight 5-7 PM

One of our favorite importers, Colleen from Dolce Vita Wine Merchant, returns to our tasting table for an all-Italian show this evening. Focussing mostly on Northern Italy, she’ll be pouring everything from bubbles to bright, bold reds

The bubbly is from Franciacorta in Lombardy, where the grapes varieties and techniques of production are the same as in Champagne. The lively and pleasing Antica Fratta Cuvee Real Brut is a blend of 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Noir refermented in the bottle in the classic method.

Staying in Lombardy, barely this side of the Italy/Switzerland border, we are in Valtellina, home of alpine Nebbiolo, called Chiavennasca in this neck of the woods. Pietro Nera’s La Novella Bianco is a surprising and delicious white Nebbiolo! Tropical fruits, creamy texture, with a refreshing minerality to boot.

Next up, Tuscany’s Val d’Orcia, a stone’s throw from Brunello. Here Antonio Mastrojanni pursues his own vinous muse after having sold his eponymous Brunello-based winery. His mastery shines through in this harmonious Chardonnay of exceptional depth and elegance.

Then we venture to the Veneto. Azienda Agricola Marion is the kind of winery that restaurateurs and fellow winemakers sing the praises of. That is, in fact, how Colleen came to import them. This is the Platonic Ideal of an entry level Valpolicella: fruit-forward, thirst-quenching, downright delicious!

Finally, to Piedmont for the Aurelio Settimo Dolcetto d’Alba. While the name “Dolcetto” literally translates as “little sweet one,” in fact the Dolcetto grape makes medium-bodied, dry wines with some obvious tannic grip to them, perfect for the rich mushroom or meat pastas of the region.

So, please join us for this bevy of bottled beauties — there’s something for nearly every taste here!

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight 5-7 PM

The single vineyard Rieslings of Forge Cellars made a big splash for us a couple of years ago, and we are happy to welcome their lineup back to our shop! This evening, wine maven Ross Cohen, of Classic Wine Imports, will be pouring three single vineyard selections as well as the multi-vineyard Classique blend from this top-notch New York winery.

Interestingly, they always start with the Classique — a blend from 16 lieux-dits, each vinified separately — and only after this production do they use what’s left for the single-vineyard bottlings. The result is just 300-500 cases from each vineyard.

Forge Cellars is a collaboration between managing partner Rick Rainey and 14th generation Rhône Valley vigneron Louis Barruol, of Château de St.-Cosme fame. From vineyards on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake, these bone-dry beauties are expressive and vibrant, and offer incredible value as well. In fact, we are selling the single vineyards at a lower price than we did two years ago! Do not miss this opportunity, as these are sure to go fast.

FREE TASTING, 5-8 PM, 27 HARVARD ST

Dante from Arborway will pour some new arrivals to the shop plus one that hasn’t yet hit the Tuesday table.

We’ve got two whites from France’s Loire Valley: a Melon (the grape of Muscadet wines) and a Chenin Blanc, both from the idiosyncratic, organic and biodynamic winery Vignoble de L’Ecu.

Then there’s a delicious Pinot Grigio from Friuli made in the Ramato style — that is, with skin contact, so an orange wine — brought to us by the good folks at the Perusini winery.

Next up, from Liguria, a lively rosé, made from Ciliegiolo by the same winery, Il Monticello, that makes one of our favorite Vermentinos, located in the poetically-named Colli di Luni (Hills of the Moon).

Finally, an organic Cru Beaujolais, crafted by young cult winemaker Pierre Cotton from Gamay Noir grapes grown on the slopes of the dormant Mont Brouilly volcano!

See you this evening!

Wines for today’s Olympic face-off….

Light body reds: Aetnus Etna Rosso, Saint Amour Gamay, and Corridor Pinot Noir;

Medium-body: El Chaparral Garnacha, Val di Suga Rosso di Montalcino, and Castillo di Nieve Barbera;

Fully Body: Catena Malbec, Tempranillo from Porto’s ‘27, and Scattered Peaks Cabernet Sauvignon.

What a lineup! See you from 15 today!

FREE TASTING TONIGHT AT SORRISO MARKET, 5-7 PM, 27 HARVARD ST, BROOKLINE VILLAGE

This evening Kevin and Will are pouring a lineup of All-American beverages in honor of team USA at the Olympics!

There’s a delicious Pinot Gris from Oregon. And the new vintage of our best-selling orange wine — make that best-selling wines period! — hailing from the Central Coast of California.

For reds, there’s a fruity, friendly Pinot Noir from California’s Santa Rita Hills and a bold, organic Mourvedre from Napa Valley.

And we’ll be introducing a new-to-the-shop American Gin, made with botanicals sourced from the four corners of the USA. From wild juniper picked in the Pacific Northwest to cherry bark from the deep Southeast, from the sacred yerba santa of the Mojave to juicy Maine cranberries, the vast landscape was criss-crossed to find the flavors that could represent the United Taste of America!

We look forward to tasting with you tonight!

Three categories with three competitors each....Who will move on to the finals?! It all goes down from 1-5 today!

Light-body whites: Gruner Veltliner (Austria), Alvarinho (Portugal), Sauvignon Blanc (South Africa)

Medium/Full-body whites: Chardonnay (France), Lugana (Italy), Chenin Blanc (Mexico)

Aromatic whites: Moscatel (Spain), Gewurztraminer (France), Riesling (Germany)

Epic!

FREE TASTING THIS EVENING, 5-8 PM, 27 HARVARD ST

Kevin and Will will be pouring three fun, affordable new arrivals plus an old favorite from Veneto… all perfect for summer!

Terra Alpina Pinot Grigio, hailing from Alto Adige in Italy’s northwest, has been a staple for us forever, but new to our shop is their fresh, crisp Pinot Bianco.

Similarly, the Scala Ciro Rosso, made from Gaglioppo grapes in southwest Italy’s Calabria, has been a staff and customer favorite for some time. We just brought in their delicious Scala Ciro Rosato, also made from Gaglioppo.

An old favorite worth revisiting is the lovely, lively Adalia Valpollicella from the Veneto, a perfectly chillable red if their ever was one!

And finally, another newbie: the robust, fruity Tiger Horse Shiraz-Mourvedre, from South Africa’s Western Cape, will go wonderfully with any red meat offerings from your backyard grilling sessions, from burgers to kebabs to steaks!

We look forward to seeing you!

SPECIAL EVENT: HARRIDAN VODKA, TODAY,JULY 20, 1-3 PM, 27 HARVARD ST.

We are thrilled to welcome Bridgette Taylor, founder of Harridan Vodka, to Sorriso Market this Afternoon! Her award-winning spirit is made in Upstate New York — twice distilled from 100% organic local corn. This is a game-changing vodka, one with presence and personality that can be sipped and savored, not something meant to be invisible. And the bottle? Handblown in Mexico from recycled glass. In short, this is a work of art inside and out.

Bridgette will be telling her story and pouring from 1-3.
She’ll be whipping up some cocktails as well: the crowd-pleasing Harridan and fresh lemon juice and some summer-time old fashioneds! She’s also bringing some beautiful gift packaging, and teeny tiny bitters samples for folks to take home if they buy a bottle. And on top of that, we’re offering 10% off the usual price per bottle! We really mean it when we say, “This is not to be missed!”

SPECIAL EVENT: HARRIDAN VODKA , SATURDAY, JULY 20, 1-3 PM, 27 HARVARD ST.

We are thrilled to welcome Bridgette Taylor, founder of Harridan Vodka, to Sorriso Market this Saturday! Her award-winning spirit is made in Upstate New York—twice distilled from 100% organic local corn. This is a game-changing vodka, one with presence and personality that can be sipped and savored, not something meant to be invisible. here. And the bottle? Handblown in Mexico from recycled glass. In short, this is a work of art inside and out.

Bridgette will be telling her story and pouring from 1-3. She’ll be whipping up some cocktails as well: the crowd-pleasing Harridan and fresh lemon juice and some summer-time old fashioneds! She’s also bringing some beautiful gift packaging, and teeny tiny bitters samples for folks to take home if they buy a bottle. And on top of that, we’re offering 10% off the usual price per bottle! We really mean it when we say, “This is not to be missed!”

Free Tuesday tasting: Brookline Village, 5-7 PM

We’ll be doing a very focussed dive into Portugal this evening, starting with three price levels of white wine from Vihno Verde and ending with two reds from Marquês de Borba in the Alentejo region.

Until recently, I thought that Portuguese Vinho Verde was a style of wine, when actually, it is a region in the country’s cool climate, Atlantic-influenced north. While most of us associate Vinho Verde with low alcohol, slightly effervescent, simple whites, there are in fact many more serious bottlings.

Our first two Vinho Verdes are from Quinta do Ameal. The Bico Amarello is a blend of Loureiro, Alvarinho, and Avisso grapes, and is the closest in style to the American stereotype of Vinho Verde. Amazing bang for the buck here! The next level up and a smidge higher in alcohol and price, the Ameal Loureiro is a pure expression of that grape variety. Both of these wines are perennial Wine Enthusiast Best Buys.

Our final Vinho Verde is the Palacio de Brejoeira Alvarinho, an iconic label in Portugal. A stunning wine, deliciously food-friendly, and still costs under $30! Among our favorite bottles in the shop, this always wins devotees whenever we pour it.

Then it’s off to Alentejo, in the hot, dry southwest of the country. This is the land of big, bold reds. We’ll be sampling two from Marquês de Borba, their entry-level Colheita and their upper-end Reserva.

The Colheita is deliciously fruity shows the influence of French and American oak barrels, and is a blend of Alicante Bouschet, Aragonez, Trincadeira, Touriga Nacional, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. The Reserva is composed of Trincadeira, Aragonez, Alicante Bouschet, and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes, aged for 18 months in small French oak barrels. Deeply colored, with aromas and flavors of ripe red fruits and spices. Dense yet lively, wwell-integrated tannins and a lingering finish. A wine built for aging, this 2015 has a nice little head start!

Seems like every other person I meet of late has either just been or plans to visit Portugal. But even us stay-at-homes can get a taste of the Iberian Peninsula’s Emerald Jewel.

See you tonight!

Free tasting: Brookline Village, Tonight, 5-8 PM

When casting about for a theme for this week’s Tuesday tasting, it was inescapable to note that this coming Sunday is Fête nationale française, le 14 juillet, or what we English speakers call Bastille Day!

So this evening, Kevin will present a rare-for-Sorriso all French line-up of wines. The selections span the hexagonal nation, from Alsace to Burgundy to Bordeaux.

From Alsace, in the country’s northwest corner, we have a bubbly Brut Rosé of Pinot Noir, and a Pinot Gris — quite different from the ubiquitous Pinot Grigio derived from the same grape.

Next it’s off to southwest, for a beautiful, fresh, organic orange wine made from Muscat Blanc à Petit Grains. The skin contact is beautifully judged here, adding an extra dimension without smothering the grape’s varietal character.

The it’s back east to Burgundy, of which the southernmost part is Beaujolais, where the primary red grape is Gamay Noir and not the Pinot Noir of the rest of the region. We’ll be tasting a Cru Beaujolais from one of the top ten villages where the wine bears the name of the village rather than the more generic “Beaujolais.” We’ll be pouring one from a less commonly seen village name, Regnié, which is the most recent Cru, only promoted to that status in 1988!

Finally, back to the southwest to Bordeaux — along with Champagne and Burgundy, the most famous of all French wine regions. Known for legendary and costly wines such as Margaux and Lafite, it’s also the source of many fine everyday wines that are easy on the palate and the pocketbook. This one, from the great 2916 vintage, is comprised of the three most important grapes of the appellation: 45% each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the remainder being Cabernet Franc.

So join us to celebrate one of the great contributions to world culture: les vins de France!

Join us tonight from 5-8 PM for our free weekly wine tasting as Kevin and Will pour a selection of All-American wines for Indelendence Day imbibing!

For whites, we have a delicious Napa Fumé Blanc (AKA Sauvignon Blanc) and pure, almost crystalline, unoaked Chardonnay from vines grown in diatomaceous earth. Both will serve well as aperitifs, and pair perfectly with salads and fish or chicken dishes.

For reds, we have an intriguing and savory Oregon Pinot Noir, a dark-fruited and amazingly affordable Cabernet from Washington State’s Columbia Valley, and an exuberant Zinfandel from California’s Sonoma County! All guaranteed to complement your dogs and burgers and other tasty grilled fare.

And, as always, we offer 10% off 3 or more bottles from the tasting. So, now’s the time to stock up for the holiday!

Another highly successful campfire test is underway with……what else? “Campfire” from is fantastic anytime—or, especially like tonight—after a dinner cooked on the fire. Available at Sorriso, naturally.

Free tasting: Brookline Village, tonight 5-8 PM!
10% off 3 or more bottles from the tasting, mix or match.

Esteemed wine maven Ross, of Classic Wine Imports, returns with a line-up of wines to beat the heat! From all over Italy and France, we’ll be pouring a clutch of chillable, thirst-quenching, crushable quaffs.

First up, from the volcanic soils of Sicily’s Mount Etna, a blend of Carricante, Catarratto, Grecanico and Minnella. Fresh, tangy, mineral driven wine from organically grown grapes.

Next, on to France for the Clarendelle Bordeaux Blanc, overseen by the same winemaking team as first growth Chateau Haut-Brion! In classic Bordelaise fashion, it’s a blend of 55% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Sémillon, and
19% Muscadelle. A refined wine with a great deal of tension and elegance, the Semillon rounds out the more edgy Sauvignon Blanc, while the Muscadelle adds a floral flourish.

Then we’re back to Italy, specifically Salento, located in Puglia, the heel of the boot. The Masseria Li Veli Buanco is made from Verdeca, a grape of mysterious, probably Greek origin. It’s able to maintain good acidity in the sweltering southerly climate, but as you would expect from a southenn wine, it’s riper, rounder, and more fruit-driven Than its predecessors in this lineup.

Next, it’s back to France for one of the big hits of the season, a fun, fruity, frankly pink rosé: Maison Gutowski’s La Dépendence from Provence. It’s labelled IGP Mediterranée, not Côtes de Provence, as it contains Cabernet Sauvignon in addition to Grenache and Syrah — but that only makes it more delish!

Our sole red for the tasting is a Nebbiolo from Northern Italy. In fact, if you went any further North, you’d be in Switzerland! Tenuta Scerscé Nettare Rosso di Valtellina is 100% Nebbiolo, but in the elevated, cool climate atea, it makes a lighter, earlier drinking, red that clocks in at a midest 12.5% alcohol. You can definitely put a light chill on this. And it will go great with anything off your backyard grill!

Finally, Adriano Adami’s Vigneto Giardino Valdobbiadene, an off-dry Prosecco that may be difficult to pronounce but is hella easy to drink!

See you tonight!

Edition 1 gets takes the official campfire test and passes with flying colors!

Free Tuesday Tasting - Tonight, 5-8 pm, 27 Harvard St.

Colleen from Dolce Vita Wine Merchant is back to pour a few of our favorites from her portfolio plus some that we recently added to the racks. These are all value-oriented wines that perform far above their modest price points.

SiSi Pinot Grigio is Colleen’s own label, its name inspired by an Italian winemaker who responded to every question “Si si!” It’s one of the best we’ve tasted under $20!

Abate Lugana hails from the area of Lake Garda. Lugana is made from Turbiana, once known as Trebbiano di Lugana to distinguish it from the insipid ordinary Trebbiano. Smooth, crisp, and enticing, with flavors of citrus and the slightly bitter almond note prized by the Italian palate.

Poderi Garona’s Fenrose rosé comes from the town of Boca in the Novaresi hills of Piedmont, which was once more famous for its wines than Barolo and Barbaresco! It’s a field blend of Nebbiolo, Vespolino, and Uva Rara, for a uniquely Piemontese take on pink wine.

Colleen’s portfolio was initially all Italian, but she’s recently begun to sell French wines as well, and we’ve picked up some gems. Introducing vigneron Joris Larriaut’s Chateau Camus white and red from Graves in Bordeaux! Bordeaux, of course, makes some of the most famous and costly wines in the world, but is also a great source for everyday drinkers that put to shame your typical American wines at the bargain end. Bordeaux is the land of blends. The white is Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, while the red is Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. These are fine examples of how these grape varieties perfectly complement each other.

Finally, another fairly recent addition to the shop, and a return to Piedmont, Madonna delle Grazie Dogliani. Dogliani is reputedly where the Dolcetto grape originated, and there is little argument that it produces among the very finest Dolcetto wines, richly deserving its DOCG status.

So please join us tonight for a tableful of tasty tipple!

I can’t wait for tomorrow, literally! Component tasting 6-8 PM Thursday in Brookline Village; custom cocktails Saturday 8-10 PM w/tix via link in bio. June is looking great!