VINTAGE BABBO

Throughout the years we have continued to expand our Monday night “Vintage Babbo” tasting series. During the course of 2010 we plan to host more of these dinners than ever before, so stay tuned to this website for information on upcoming dates, or contact the Vintage Babbo hotline at 917-715-3599.

MONDAY, APRIL 26TH

Join us on Monday April 26th, 2010, when we welcome into Babbo Axel Heinz, the winemaker of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, as we taste through a series of vintages of one of the greatest of the “Super-Tuscans,” paired with a special menu from Babbo’s kitchen.

We will guide you through the creations of our kitchen and the property’s harvests, delivering an unrivalled dining experience.

The price of the dinner is $750 per guest, which includes tax and gratuity.

Luca Pasquinelli
Wine Director,
Babbo Ristorante e Enoteca

TO RESERVE, CONTACT CAROLINE MARSHALL AT
917-715-3599 or email at VintageBabbo@gmail.com

A little bit more about April's wine dinner...

Bolgheri sits within a region called the Maremma, a name that refers to the Marshland that once dominated the area. First the Etruscans, then the Romans drained the region by digging canals to the sea, but after the collapse of the Roman Empire the land reverted back to swamp until the twentieth century, when programs under the fascist rule restored the canals to rid the land of malaria-carrying mosquitoes. A large tract of land encompassing the town of Bolgheri belonged to the Della Gherardesca family. Viticulture really began in Bolgheri when Mario Incisa della Rocchetta, of Piemontese nobility married Clarice della Gherardesca and, after WWII, moved into the San Guido estate of Clarice’s family. Mario, who inherited a passion for wine and viticulture from his great-grandfather Leopoldo, brought in cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc vines and planted vineyards in the San Guido property, whose main activity till then was thoroughbred training. He named the wine “Sassicaia” because of the stony soil in the vineyard (Sasso is Italian for stone). It wasn’t until the 1968 vintage that the wine was released to market through the marketing of his nephew Piero Antinori. Success was practically instant.

In the 1970’s and 80’s, other producers began to establish themselves in the area. Piero Antinori’s brother Lodovico, who lived near his uncle and was inspired by his success, built a winery with the assistance of one of California’s most influential enologists of the time, Andre Tchelistchev. A similar success followed. Originally there was only one wine produced at the property, a Bodeaux-styled blend called Ornellaia, named for a type of maritime oak that grows in the area. A few other wines followed, most notably a single-vineyard merlot called Masseto, today considered one of the greatest examples of that varietal in the world. The property has since been purchased and is now controlled by the Frescobaldi family.

Join us April 26th, 2010, when we welcome into Babbo Axel Heinz, the winemaker of Tenuta dell’Ornellaia, as we taste through a series of vintages of one of the greatest of
“Super-Tuscans,” paired with a special menu from Babbo’s kitchen.

WHAT IS VINTAGE BABBO?
On selected Monday evenings (usually once per month), we invite Italian wine lovers to join us for a special Tasting Menu paired with the best vintage wines from our extensive cellar. Unlike many restaurant wine dinners, these are not distributor-sponsored events featuring “current-release” wines. The allure of “Vintage Babbo” is that it is a personal expression of the restaurant, an opportunity for us to dig deep into our cellar (as much as it may sometimes hurt to see these wines leave) and share the best of the best with our customers.

HOW TO RESERVE?
Our “Vintage Babbo” dinners are typically held in our upstairs dining room, and normally consist of 6 or more courses paired with wines. Prices range from $295 to $695 per person, depending on the wines being featured. To book a seat for any of the upcoming dinners listed below, contact us at 917-715-3599