Winesday with The Wine Shop – Chianti
Dan and Ellen O’Connell at The Wine Shop in Koloa. Photo courtesy of The Wine Shop.
Tasting Kauai is happy to partner with the O’Connells for Winesday with The Wine Shop. Owners Dan and Ellen O’Connell are a delightful couple whose passion for wine is infectious, their knowledge is vast, and the service is friendly. Their beautiful store carries everything from wine and spirits to gourmet foods and sweet treats. Check in with Tasting Kauai every Wednesday to learn about their favorites. ¡Salud!
Ellen and I were reminiscing about our trip to Italy last year, and it seems like yesterday! One of our favorite stops was the two day visit to Badia a Coltibuono, where the history alone was worth the stay. One of the highlights was our trip to the “Abbey of Good Culture”, which was established in 1051 by Giovanni Gualberto, founder of the Vallombrosan order and patron saint of the foresters, rangers and parks. Many believe the Vallombrosans may have been the first to cultivate Sangiovese in Tuscany. The Abbey is still in use today and includes a “wine resort” restaurant, culinary school, as well as several spectacular accommodations.
We enjoyed and received our diploma from the culinary school, which is known to be one of the oldest cooking schools in Chianti today. The restaurant on property was absolutely marvelous with fresh organic pasta and local specials such as rabbit, lamb, poultry and succulent steaks. And then there were the wine tours and tastings. We did the works … historical reserve wines, great antipasto and fresh bruschetta were all a part of the tour.
Their entry-level Chianti is very light and enjoyable while their Classic Reserve has a lot more flavor brought out by the barrel age. The Sangioveto, which is their tribute to a cultural tradition that dates back to the middle ages, and features grapes that were harvested in 2003 for the 2009 vintage. The flavors are deep with blueberry and sage, dusty cedar, fresh leather and sweet tobacco. We just received two, six-pack allocations for the year. This wine is great to drink now or you can store and drink in five to six years.
See you at The Wine Shop!
Aloha,
Dano and Ellen O’Connell
The Wine Shop is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday. On the first Saturday of each month from 4 to 7 p.m., they host monthly wine tastings. For more information call 808-742-7305 or visit www.thewineshopkauai.com. The shop is located just across the street from the Koloa Post Office.