Notes from the Cellar

08/24/2026

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙥𝙚𝙧 𝘿𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚: 𝙎𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙎𝙥𝙪𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙞 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙏𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙖 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙖 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙨
𝘚𝘱𝘶𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪 & 𝘕𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘨𝘪𝘤 𝘗𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴

When I think about 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗗𝗮𝘆, my mind doesn’t drift to abstract culinary history. It drives 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸, 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘆, 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗼'𝘀 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲, 𝗡𝗝.

Growing up, spumoni wasn't just a random item on a menu; it was the ultimate conclusion to a proper family meal.

The version we fell in love with was crafted by the iconic 𝗚𝘂𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗝. From time to time, we would skip the restaurant altogether and head straight to the source in Paterson to pick up a dedicated box to store in our own home freezer.

I can still see those boxes clearly in my mind. When you opened them up, you weren’t looking at a tub of ice cream meant to be sloppily scooped. Instead, you were greeted by a row of perfectly pre-sliced geometric masterpieces, each individual multi-layered slice resting elegantly on its own white paper doily. The distinct bands of flavor and candied cherries melted together so beautifully on our palates.

Living here in Florida now, I still look for it. While you can easily find "Spumoni Ice Cream" tubs tucked away in the freezers at Publix, for me, it is just not the same. Bulk-scooped ice cream completely misses the soul, the texture, and the pride of those authentic sliced versions from Guernsey Crest.

To bridge the gap while I continue working in the kitchen to master making my own authentic, molded spumoni slices here in the Sunshine State, I wanted to curate a unique tasting flight.

True spumoni originated in Naples, Italy, born as an elegant, molded dome or loaf called a bomba. It was built with layers of rich gelato wrapped around a delicate, whipped semifreddo center packed with candied fruits and roasted nuts. It was a dessert of structure.

By pulling apart the classic flavor blueprint of this sliceable Italian treasure, I have aligned it with the structural characteristics of our four foundational Tavola Culinaria Cellars varietals:

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘢𝘺
𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘝𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘗𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘕𝘰𝘪𝘳
𝘈 𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘦'𝘴 𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘰𝘵
𝘑𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘱𝘩'𝘴 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘢𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘚𝘢𝘶𝘷𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰𝘯

Before we spoon and sip into this flight, please
𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗮𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗝/𝗡𝗬 𝗡𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗖𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗰𝘀:

"All, please raise your glasses with me tonight. Here’s to the short drives down 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝟮𝟯, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 tables of Marco's Italian Restaurant 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝗻𝗲, NJ 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻. Here’s to the tastes that refuse to be replaced, and the memories that travel with us no matter how far south we go. May your wine be perfectly balanced, your memories stay crystal clear, and your table always feel like home. Salute.

🥂 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗼 & 𝗡𝘂𝘁

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿: Chardonnay

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁: The Roasted Pistachio and Nut Crust

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆: Tavola Culinaria Cellars The Purple Rose Chardonnay—shares natural, buttery lactones that seamlessly match the earthy, fatty richness of roasted pistachios and chopped almonds. The wine's vibrant acidity keeps the palate clean, preventing the dairy fat of the spumoni from coating your tongue and dulling the next sip.

🍷 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿: Pinot Noir

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁: The Sweet Cherry & Candied Maraschino Layer

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆: Our Dancing Vines Pinot Noir is famous for its bright ruby hue, light body, and aromatic focus on tart red fruits like cranberry, strawberry, and cherry. Pairing a slice that highlights the candied cherry section of the spumoni creates an echo chamber of flavor. The wine's soft, elegant tannins allow the natural fruit sweetness to step forward without making the wine taste sharp.

🍇 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟯: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗩𝗲𝗹𝘃𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿: Merlot

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁: The Rich Chocolate Gelato Core

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆: Our A Grapes Journey Merlot brings a famously plush, velvety texture and rounded, gentle tannins to the table. Its fruit profile centers around deep black cherry and dark plum. When met with the smooth chocolate layer of a spumoni slice, the Merlot behaves like a liquid chocolate-covered cherry, wrapping its soft structure around the cocoa and sweet cream beautifully.

👑 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟰: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 & 𝗕𝗼𝗹𝗱

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗼𝘂𝗿: Cabernet Sauvignon

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁: Deep Dark Chocolate Shavings & Candied Fruit Peel

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝘂𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘆: Our Joseph's Promise is a bold, structural Cabernet Sauvignon demands a partner with tannin weight and natural bitterness to create balance. By garnishing your spumoni slice with a heavy dusting of high-quality dark chocolate shavings (70% cocoa or higher) and bittersweet candied citrus peel, you give the Cabernet exactly what it needs. The pleasant bitterness of the dark cocoa blocks your tongue's astringency receptors, causing the wine's bold cassis and blackberry fruit profiles to explode in a grand finish.

💖 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗡𝗝 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁 𝗔𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮. But the traditions that shaped us inside those vinyl diner booths, the tables at Marco's Italian Restaurant and family kitchens remain completely unshakeable. Until I can perfectly replicate that Guernsey Crest slice right here in my own kitchen, raising a glass of our four Tavola Culinaria Cellars collection alongside these classic Italian flavors is my favorite way to keep our history alive. It is an act of preservation, a tribute to the neighborhood spots that raised us, and a guarantee that the laughter shared over those paper doilies will never fade away.

"𝗟𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀:
Before the lights go down, let’s pour one final splash. Here is to the paper doilies, the local legends, and the recipes that refuse to leave our souls. May your freezer always hold a taste of home, and your cellar always hold a bottle worth sharing with the people you love."

Until I'll next Flight.

Cin, cin!

Gather Well!

-Founder, Notes from the Cellar

08/23/2026

08/20/2026

𝘼 𝙁𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝘼 𝙎𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝘽𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚'𝙨 𝙈𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨: 𝘾𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙢 𝙋𝙞𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙋𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙞𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙮
𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘚𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 & 𝘈 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯

There are calendar days that feel like they were written just for us. Did you know that 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗣𝗶𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁? For me, that intersection isn’t just a coincidence—𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹. You see, Dancing Vines Pinot Noir is a Tavola Culinaria Cellars varietal 𝗜 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿, 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼. And ice cream cake? That was his absolute favorite thing in the world.

𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁, these 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. Specifically, to 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵. Our family of five prior to had suddenly become a family of three. In the wake of losing our parents, it became fiercely 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮. I needed us to 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗜𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 while learning to 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 to just 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗲.

I had the first two weeks of that August 2019 completely off from work, and all I wanted to do was cook dinner every single night for my brothers, and I to share. And we did—𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.

As any I𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱. You sit at the table drinking coffee in the morning, and before you have even finished swallowing breakfast, you have already mapped out and completely planned the evening's dinner menu in your head.

𝗙𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, later that morning I called both of my brothers to check in on them, and also to let them know I'm cooking dinner tonight for us three, it would be ready around 6:00 PM. I was prepping a dinner of marinated, bone-in chicken breast. While my first brother and I always shared a deep love for 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲-𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘀, our brother Joey didn't. He was strictly a 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁-𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻, so I on this night I was 𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗵𝗶𝗺-Joey.

Later that afternoon, 𝗝𝗼𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗮𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿, asking if I’d mind if he skipped our table tonight. Of course, I don't mind at all. 𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

I immediately called my brother Angelo to break the news. "Joey won't be joining us tonight," I told him. "The chicken dinner menu I'm moving to tomorrow night. But listen—𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲. 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝟲:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠."

"Okay," Angelo said. We hung up, always ending with each of our family calls the way we always did with three last words of "𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂."

A bit later, Angelo dialed me back. "𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗳, 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿?" he asked playfully.

I smiled into the phone, and said; "𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲. 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝗹𝗲𝘁'𝘀 𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻."

"𝗢𝗸𝗮𝘆, 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝟲𝗣𝗠." He replied.

I wanted this 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 to feel 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, so I crafted a highly customized menu to pair perfectly with the red Pinot Noir varietal being served this night:

𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲; 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿: 𝗙𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗢𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗠𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲

𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲; 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲: Rich Crab Burgers drizzled with a light remoulade, topped with fresh arugula tossed in a light garlic aioli, and crowned with a rich, sunny-side-up egg. Served alongside crispy seasoned curly fries with a spicy honey mustard dipping sauce.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲; 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁: A small, cherished ice cream cake pulled straight from the freezer.

I went out to the fountain and set up a 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲. I powered up my 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗲-𝗴𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲𝘁𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗿, turned on the music, and headed back inside to plate the meal. By 5:55 PM, the 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝘁 𝟲:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠.

As I sat down and 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿, a sudden evening breeze hit. I shivered slightly and muttered, "Ooh, it’s a little chilly tonight."

𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗽𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲. "I'll be right back," he said, and ran straight back to his house. I sat there by the fountain, not entirely sure what he was doing. Moments later, he reappeared at the table 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿. He handed it to me and said, "𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗽𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻."

I was so 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱. It was such an 𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. I could have easily run back inside my own house to grab a jacket, but he didn't even let me think about it—𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗶𝗺𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺. That's priceless!

We dove into dinner. 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗮𝗯𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿, completely devouring his plate. I, on the other hand, only ate half of mine, setting the rest aside to save for later. We kept the wine flowing, continuing our deep conversations, reminiscing about our childhood, our family, and the dance fun nights we used to spend together out on the dance floor at 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗽. We laughed about those legendary late-night 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗹𝗲 runs 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 (my two brothers and me) would take right before catching a midnight movie premiere.

As we talked, I noticed 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲, 𝗲𝘆𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗯 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿. I kept watching him look at it until he finally cracked.

"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳?" 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥.
𝘐 𝘴𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥. "𝘕𝘰, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸."
"𝘖𝘩," 𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘢 𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘺 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.
𝘚𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘐 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥, "𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧?"
𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵 𝘶𝘱. "𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵?"
"𝘕𝘰, 𝘨𝘰 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘵."
"𝘈𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦?" 𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥.
"𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘐'𝘮 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦," 𝘐 𝘴𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳. 𝘞𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘧 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳.

Once the 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱, I cleared our plates, brought them inside, and reached into the freezer. I grabbed a 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲 I had been saving and placed it right in the center of 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮.

This time, 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗽𝘁 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝘃𝗶𝗴𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘆𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘄-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 while we continued our journey down memory lane. Exactly fifteen minutes later, when it reached that perfect consistency, we sliced into it. We remained gathered around that table by the fountain until the very 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿 were gone, finishing the 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆. We 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 "𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘀," and parted ways for the evening.

At the time, I had no idea I was 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆. I just wanted to make this 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 for he and I. 𝗜 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝘀. Shortly after that 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁, my brother Angelo suddenly and completely unexpectedly passed away to join our parents in heaven the following week.

🥄 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 💚🤍❤️

Now, looking back on that 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴, I realize that 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗮𝘁. 𝗜𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗿. When I raise a glass of 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿 on this dual holiday, I don't just taste the wine or the sweetness of the ice cream cake—𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗺𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝘄 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀. 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿. The perfection of that night wasn't in a 𝗳𝗹𝗮𝘄𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘂; 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘁, leaving our tables smaller than they used to be. But 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘄𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗹𝗮. Let's us not wait for the perfect moment. 𝗘𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗸𝗲, 𝗽𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻.

🍷 "𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼, 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗴𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗻. Join me in a toast to the ones watching from above. Please, let’s raise our glasses 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻, 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲-𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗿𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀. To my parents, and to Angelo—we pour this Pinot Noir for you. Until we all sit at the same table again. Saluté, my brother, Angelo. I love you always and miss you!

This table tonight, my brother-Angelo belongs entirely to you! Cin, cin!
𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳

Cin, cin!

Gather Well!

-Founder, Notes from the Cellar

08/19/2026

𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝘾𝙤𝙖𝙨𝙩: 𝘼 𝙎𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖 𝙔𝙣𝙚𝙯 & 𝙏𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙡𝙖 𝙑𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙮 𝙋𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙞𝙧 𝙏𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙚𝙣𝙪

When I think about 𝙘𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙮 like 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙞𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙉𝙤𝙞𝙧 𝘿𝙖𝙮, my mind instantly drifts back to the 𝙧𝙝𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙙. Growing up, 𝗻𝗼 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴—𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗿𝗯𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗰𝗸, 𝗡𝗝, 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗺𝘆 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆, 𝗙𝗟—was ever 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱. We are an 𝙄𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮; 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙪𝙖𝙜𝙚, and the 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 is just 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙥𝙚.

I still laugh remembering the freezer duties my first brother and I would get tasked with. We'd either pull the ice cream pies out way too late, leaving everyone hacking at rock-hard slices, or we'd leave the ice cream cake on the counter too long while the party turned into a full-blown backyard dancing mood. We’d walk back inside to find a delicious, melted, splattered mess on the counter. But guess what? It tasted even better that way.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲.

𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆, we are bringing that 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗲𝗱, 𝗳𝘂𝗻 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁: 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗡𝗼𝗶𝗿. Winemakers we call it the "𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗲" because it's 𝘀𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄, but when it’s done right, it is 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰. To celebrate, we are taking a walk through the California Vineyard, contrasting the breezy, fog-kissed hills of the Santa Ynez Valley with the warm, sun-drenched vineyards of the Temecula Valley.

Tonight we are pouring only one varietal from Tavola Culinaria Cellars-Dancing Vines Pinot Noir in celebration of National Pinot Noir Day. This four-course curated meal and dance floor belongs to our Dancing Vines Pinot Noir solely.

So, please pull up a chair, grab your glass, embrace the beautiful mess, and let’s dive into this ultimate four-course pairing menu.

🥂 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟭: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: Pan-seared duck breast crostini with a tart cherry compote and fresh thyme on a grilled baguette.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆: The western edges of the Santa Ynez Valley pull in massive blankets of cool ocean fog. This keeps the grapes sharply acidic. The crisp acidity acts like a knife, slicing straight through the rich duck fat while the wine’s natural red fruit notes beautifully elevate the tartness of the cherry compote.

🐟 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟮: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗳𝗼𝗼𝗱

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: Crispy skin-on pan-roasted wild salmon served over baby spinach with a warm bacon-shallot vinaigrette.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆: Pinot Noir is the undisputed flagship red grape of this region. Thanks to intense temperature shifts—hot afternoons followed by freezing nights—the wines develop a flawless balance of bright cherry fruit and snappy natural acidity. It provides just enough structure to stand up to a meaty, fatty fishlike salmon without overpowering it with harsh tannins.

🍄 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟯: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 & 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵𝘆

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: Earthy wild mushroom risotto drizzled with white truffle oil and topped with shaved parmesan cheese.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆: Grapes grown on the ancient marine seabed's and limestone-rich soils of this valley yield incredibly concentrated flavors. As these wines age, they shed their bright fruit and unlock complex, savory notes. It creates a stunning, savory umami harmony with the wild mushrooms.

🍓 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝟰: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘁

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲: New York-style cheesecake tartlets with a buttery graham cracker crust and a fresh strawberry puree swirl.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘆𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗼𝗻𝘆: The extra sunshine here yields a riper, softer wine bursting with sweet notes of dried cherry, baking spices, and a hint of cola. It acts just like a rich, liquid strawberry topping that handles the heavy, tangy cream cheese beautifully. It's lush, comforting, and a little bit sweet—reminding me exactly of those melted backyard ice cream cakes we loved so much.

🍷"As we clear the table, let’s raise our glasses. Here is to the memories that stay frozen in our hearts from National Ice Cream Pie Day, that carry over into National Pinot Noir Day. To the traditions that travel with us from 𝗝𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿. May your counter tops occasionally be messy, your gatherings always be loud, and your wine glasses never be empty. May we always be light on our feet so we can always keep dancing. Saluté to family, 𝘴aluté to the journey, and 𝘴aluté to embracing life’s perfectly melted moments. Cin, cin!

Cin, cin!

Gather Well!

-Founder, Notes from the Cellar