Impressions: Spring in Portland is still fireplace season and this Montepulciano is the perfect wine to cozy up to. Polished notes of raspberry jam and strawberry compote hover over earthier tones of cedar, graphite, spiced leather, and tar. The palate is bold with acid to match and a silky texture that mingles with plush tannins leaving behind a fruity and earthy finish with lasting impressions of dried herbs. Pair with a beef bolognese, pizza or sunchokes.

The producer Luigi is a humble man that spends most all his time in his fields tending to his vines. He is not one that likes to be bothered too much, as it takes away from time he could be spending on his craft. Notoriously a very hard man to get a hold of, and having no cell reception in the vineyard makes this even more difficult. The graphic designer was working on Luigi’s new labels for his wines and couldn’t get ahold of Luigi for months. One day he finally got ahold of him when Luigi was working in the cellar. The graphic designer asked, “Luigi, where have you been?” to which Luigi responded with, “Today it is raining, call me when it rains!” Thus, the idea for the new label came to fruition with the umbrella and phrase “Chiamami quando piove” or “Call me when it rains”.