Wineshop: Rossorubino

Location: Via Madama Cristina 21, Turin

Opinions: A MUST for those who are tourists and for those who live in this wonderful city

Mark: 10 with merit!

Projects in progress: a lot!

Rossorubino, with its creative and incomparable partners and brothers, Edoardo and Andrea, are the soul of this specialized wine shop, located in a central area, with an excellent location and a continuous influx of people.

Our Export team met them in the well-organized, spacious and full of personality shop. We noticed that they are always very frank and direct and communicate sincerely to anyone who crosses the door of Rossorubino that, before being customers, they are people that the team (which consist of Edoardo, Andrea, Blue and Federica) would like to discover and with whom to establish a relationship. In fact, their modus operandi is that costumers present themselves, to fully understand the demands, and to provide them with what they are looking for and be sure of what they appreciate, what excites them and what inspires them well-being and joy.

Costumers are like the Delosperma cooperi flower, better known as the “pink carpet”, very colorful and with multiple shades, from yellow to red, from pink to violet and which opens its petals only when the sun shines. When people enter the shop, shy and with confused ideas about what they are looking for, they are “opened” by the kindness and professionalism of these professionals. They are the “sun” that opens infinite possibilities inside what they are intending to buy (yes, because the portfolio of Rossorubino is very wide). The dynamic focuses on dialogue and questions to address the desires of people and thus open an empathic channel and accordingly satisfy their dreams.

Rossorubino is a place conceived to explore the universe of wine in its different forms expression and manifestation from tasting to conviviality, from pairings to the cultural encounter.

We noticed with pleasure that Rossorubino, thanks to hard work, good communication in social networks and new technological implementations increased its product references. Its fame is undoubtedly due to the continuous exclusive and innovative activities which are organized as experimental pairings, professional tastings, free tastings to promote new products, gastronomic activities with cheeses and chocolates, jazz concerts and possibilities to organize personalized events. During several years of work, the perseverance rewarded them and the enoteca has been named in prominent magazines and gastronomic books such as GUIDA DEI CENTO 50 ristoranti + 50 piole, GUIDA L’ESPRESSO, IL SAPORAIO, TORINO PER IL GOLOSO as well as articles  about them in the newspapers LA STAMPA and LA REPUBBLICA.

Always faithful to its 3S philosophy (selection, suggestions and satisfaction) our Lacrima Baccus range works impeccably. It is always a real pleasure to hear that “we are the star cavas of their unforgettable occasions” and we cannot avoid getting red for emotion.

The pleasant and sudden news of this year has been the opening of a new wine shop at Turin airport. Being Turin a city with many students and young people (especially foreign students in Erasmus period) has an optimal connection with Spain and many people fly regularly.

The hope of the team touches the stars of the sky, but Edoardo and Andrea have their feet firmly anchored to the ground. They know that a season of tests and study of strategies awaits them (especially as regards the flow of people, the analysis of the age segment of the clients and the study of peak hours of affluence).

The shop is a paradise, where the faint colors infuse a sense of harmony and imperturbability, a classic and elegant style with a main window with a wall that represents the  soil of the vineyard and metal supports that represent the trunk of the vine that hold the bottles (the final product).

Our Lacrima Baccus’ products are located in the center of the store where there is enough lighting and visibility something that invites costumers to approach, a strategic point because the client inevitably drops a glance on the products due to the play of lights that facilitates the perceptibility.

We sincerely hope that all the dreams of this great team will be fulfilled, because as Neil Gaiman says: “Let people dream! Dreams shape the world. Dreams recreate the world.”

We landed intrepid at the Kiev airport to attend the Kyiv Wine Festival organized by our distributor Goodwine, a transparent, loyal company with a particular attention to the customer, his demands and, above all, a company formed by a young, alternative, dynamic and prepared people, who focuses all its energy and attention on the experiences of consumers. For this reason, there are innumerable events in different cities that are organized during the year.

Between the colors of the Ukrainian flag like the blue that transmits peace, tranquility and control of the situation and the yellow that according to the psychology of colors has a close connection with optimism, joy and firmness, we got lost between the singularity and the charm of this Country, visiting during our journey the first Orthodox churches of the Slavic history, with their icons that point to the symbolism and reveal recurrent, fascinating features, such as the fact that the design of the face of the drawn subjects always looks deeply and enigmatic. They acquire an excessive power because of the very big, fixed and sometimes melancholic eyes.

According to the philosophy of Lacrima Baccus, traveling in a country for work means being curious and pretending to know the different traditions and divergent ways of thinking. The whole team agrees that it is essential to understand the most heterogeneous cultures and personalities, so that our relationship with clients can be as natural and genuine as possible. We are always full of desire to enrich ourselves from the cultural point of view.

There is no marketing and selling technique that prevails over the historical-social-cultural aspect. Therefore, it is important for our winery to have empathetic, dynamic and unpretentious professionals, ready to create at all times a link based on dialogue and predisposed to active listening.

Under the gaze of the imposing statue of the Motherland and surrounded by the endless river Dnieper, in a friendly environment, we were able to deepen and understand more fully the profile of the customers of our Lacrima Baccus’ cavas during the event.

We realized that the interest in wines in Ukraine is exponentially growing especially as regards young people between 18 and 35 years old. More and more young people are investing money, time and passion to undertake sommelier and gastronomy studies. During the tastings we were surprised by the technical knowledge that people have about the wine-growing cultures of different countries, denominations of origins and grape varieties. A pleasant surprise, especially because the visitors, with humility, discussed with us about different facets of the world of wine!

Needless to say, that the organization by GOODWINE is every year more impeccable.

The dinner on 7^th of June gave us the opportunity, apart from regain strength and enjoy a nouvelle cuisine with chefs from different parts of the world with ****Michelin, also to interact with other representatives of wineries and workers of the GOODWINE team.

During the festival the influx was amazing, more than 4000 people ready to have fun learning.

Our products Heretat brut, Lacrima Baccus semi dry, Lacrima Baccus semi dry rosé and the prestigious Primerissimo were very successful due to the fineness and elegance of the delicate and vivid bubble and the fruit notes well balanced and carefully worked.

A special and heartfelt thanks to our distributor that makes us dream every year and leave us mouth -watering feeling just thinking about the next festival!

Finally, spring arrives after a hard winter. The inflorescences, which will soon give life to the clusters, seem to guarantee a positive fertility.

The first variety to flourish is Chardonnay.

At this time, even more than in others, the constant control of the vineyard is an absolute imperative; the winemaker constantly checks the state of health of the vine.

Fortunately, in our vineyards, the vine enjoys a good phytosanitary status.

We are in a decisive phase, closely linked to the future performance of the vineyard, in the shoots of the vine we can recognize the inflorescences of the panicle, similar to small green spheres, called inflorescences. In each one of them, there are many floral sketches, from which the individual flowers develop.

The flower, initially covered by a protective layer, detaches at the beginning of flowering and exposes the pistils and stamens. Right here fertilization takes place.

It is curious to know that the vine grown in Europe is hermaphroditic; it has male and female reproductive organs, self-pollinates and, therefore, does not require any intervention by insects. Fertilization occurs when the male seed fuses with the female ovarian cell in the ovary of the plant.

The development of the inflorescence depends largely on the climatic conditions: the higher temperatures can accelerate their development, but the rain or a sudden phase of heat can also cause the appearance of flowers and smaller berries, as in the case of rains of recent weeks, which has delayed this process.

We speak of a fascinating phenomenon for both experts and amateurs. The vineyards are currently characterized by a pleasant perfume, an intense and delicate smell, which makes us lose the notion of time, of space, and frees us from everyday stress. A perfume that we never want to forget, something so heavenly, impossible to explain with words and that you simply have to perceive it.

Have you ever seen those beautiful photos of naked vines with drops like tears at the end of some pruned branches? This phenomenon called “bleeding” is the characteristic sign of the awakening of the vine that unmistakably marks the arrival of spring. The phenomenon usually takes place between the end of February and March and marks the time when the bud break phase of the vine begins. Generally, during the winter the plant is in the “dormant” phase, it is subjected to pruning and the branches that will produce fruit are selected. Being in a lethargic phase, the plant has reduced its vital functions to a minimum. Between March and April, when temperatures begin to rise and the earth warms up, the vine slowly resumes its lymphatic activity.

The vine begins the phase of growth that will cause the plant to be covered with foliage and the buds, that will become the future branches, will appear. By May, however, flowering will begin. This is a very important moment because the pollination of the flowers will yield the precious fruits: the grapes that, in September, after the harvest, will become wine.

This year the bleeding of the vine started at the beginning of March and the bud break around the 15th of the same month. Do not forget that the period depends on different aspects related to the seasonal trend and the type of vine.

To speak of spring is to take courage and emanate a cry of liberation when our soul warms up under the still weak rays of the sun. Spring is regeneration of ourselves. We wake up like the vine from the torpor winter and we enjoy life with more euphoria and positivity.

Spring comes with the awakening of exuberant nature by the infinite palette of colors that intoxicate the view and give the soul a feeling of calm with oneself and with life. Like the vine, not everyone is ready at the same time for this sudden change. Some people are more prone and there are also those who take longer … beauty means accepting the moments of each one.

This year was very important for ProWein fair because of its 25 successful years of trade fair history in the world of wine, once again becoming a reference for all countries. The agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner opened the 2019 edition with the following words: “When we launched ProWein 25 years ago, none of us could have imagined just how incredibly it would develop. It’s taken a massive amount of hard work and strong support along the way from our partners to grow this exhibition step by step into the world’s largest and most important trade fair for wine and spirits”. “We’ve got many things planned for our future as well,” says Hans Werner Reinhard, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf. A pair of heads of state, prime ministers António Luís Santos da Costa of Portugal and Andrej Plenkovic of Croatia, were even on hand at the exhibition grounds to join in the ProWein anniversary.

Each year the growth is exponential. Düsseldorf received a total of 61,500 industry visitors from the retail and restaurant/catering businesses. Visitors traveled from 142 countries (2018: 133 countries) and expressed strongest interested in wines from Germany, Italy, France and Spain.

As regards the wine and liquor suppliers, this year approximately 6900 people attended the fair.

It is relevant to highlight that the most important exhibitor countries in ProWein 2019 were Italy (1654), France (1576), followed by Germany (978), the overseas regions (600), Austria (335), Spain (661) and Portugal (387).

The dates of the next edition are already fixed: from 15^th to 17^th  March  and by 2021 the projects are even more pretentious with an expanded layout of the pavilions.

For what Lacrima Baccus consists, the meetings have been developed as expected with a very active participation by all our distributors who decided in advance the meeting. They delighted us with their presence. These moments together gave us the chance to meet them again, talk about the projects and objectives.

“The European common agricultural policy must be more oriented to support farmers with tax money, protect the environment, animals, water, biodiversity and climate. Organic farmers have been in Germany for many years. Nowadays is the moment when organic farming, not only economically, but also ecologically is successful. “

The BioFach fair is held in Nuremberg every year and is considered as the most important fair platform in the international business of organic products. It covers everything from raw materials and food to textiles, cosmetic and hygiene products.

As a parallel activity, at Biofach, conferences and talks are organized to analyze the future of both the organic food industry and its agriculture.

The participation to this event represents an exponential growth each year, given the greater awareness on the part of the population about the consumption of organic products.

Around 50,000 visitors and 2,962 exhibitors – 804 are German visitors – participate in this great event.

It is important to see how each year new trends are detected, that open our minds and bring us closer to new habits and at the same time to interesting knowledge. For example, last year emerged the growing popularity in the use of algae, superfoods and products with a high protein index, the tendency to create regional versions of global product trends, the continued commitment to the creation of substitute versions of pasta food, alternative beverages, the new presentation formats of traditional products and the increase of products from vegetable oils especially coconut and olive.

Some countries are much more open and sensitive to change, others less willing and more distrustful, in any case, thanks to the awareness campaigns that have been carried out in recent years, the first results begin to be tangible. Now is the moment when the consumer can really choose “bio” products! This year’s slogan is “let’s think less about the calories and more about the used chemicals products” and the T-shirts of the organizers shout it out.

The need for healthy and natural foods and the interest in organic products has divided consumers between “bio” and “traditionalists”. However, many consumers are convinced that they are using organic products, while in fact they are buying natural, integrated, dietary or macrobiotic products. This stems from the fact that the perception of biological quality is often summarized and generalized and there is no clarity about the difference between the biological and the conventional.

Among the causes that stop the spread and growth of organic products in the market are the cost, the difficulty of finding the products regularly in the usual outlets and the insufficient preparation of the merchants with respect to the organic products they sell. There is still a long way to go to make all these products more and more affordable!

Regarding food, the nutritional quality is certainly the same, while from the environmental point of view the reduction of contamination (which can be derived from agricultural practices) is very high. The characteristics of organic foods are constituted by the clarity with respect to the origin of the raw materials, the relative certification of the product and freshness and respect for hygiene standards.If we want to know even more, when we speak of “bio” we refer to natural substances, which are present in nature and exclude the use of chemical substances synthesized by man as fertilizers and pesticides.

Our Lacrima Baccus winery has been using organic viticulture for many years, respecting the environment and our mother earth. 2017 for us was the beginning of a historic stage, the moment of obtaining the ecological certificates of the CCPAE from our cavas and wines such as Lacrima Baccus Reserva Rosado, Heretat de Lacrima Baccus, Mar y Cel, Rose and Clear, Âme en Noir and Icarus.

It is fair with these references that we present ourselves for the first time to this so well organized and impeccable event in the charming city of Nuremberg, with its old atmosphere and the powerful castle of Kaiserburg, something simply unforgettable. The beautiful old town is synonymous with medieval charm, rich in historic buildings, spectacular churches, one of the largest pedestrian areas in Germany and the traditional Hauptmarkt.

Unfortunately, the time to visit this intriguing and enigmatic city is very scarce; since the frenetic pace of the fair does not leave us time even to take in the fresh air of Bavaria and this is a very good sign!

Entering the fair you can perceive the penetrating perfume of the spices, the vivid and discrepant colors and the true natural essence of the food. Gastronomy is pleasure, happiness and the main factor to define human identity. Eating and drinking are acts of knowledge that do not end in the simple act of consuming, but produces echoes in the memory.
In the first moments of implacable emotion typical of the “novices” who do not know what to expect, we received during the first day a more focused audience meetings and in the following days the discreet interest was realized in good contacts in different countries.

There is no doubt that it is a very interesting fair that makes us discover new products and new techniques of organic production that range from honey to oil and tiger nuts, an essential event where there is much to discover and much more to learn!

It is difficult to describe and reproduce with words the awe-inspiring city of Amsterdam.

There is always the tendency to compare it as the Venice of the north because of its numerous channels and its peculiar construction. We disagree with this “stereotyped image” and we define it as a city with a unique and incomparable identity. One of the most fascinating cities in the world, a small paradise loved and appreciated by tourists for its romantic and changing appearance, a place where the visitor loses himself among the many cultural activities, the ancient architecture, and at the same time modern, and its museums. Venice is static, classic, magnificent and conservative, Amsterdam; on the contrary, it is dynamic, multicultural, respectful of the environment, very youthful and chameleonic in what it offers.Our export team was in this city to participate in the World Leading Leading Wines event, on 30^th of January, looking for importers and distributors who fall in love not only with our cavas, but also with our passion and work’s method, always faithful to our business values, the DNA that flows through our veins.

These importers are attracted to attend the event for the international range of quality wines, which are present to the event and most importantly, for their interest in the new wines, cavas, champagnes and proseccos available to expend their portfolios.

It is interesting to know that, at the request of the senior trade buyers who attended the World Leading Leading Wines events, only wineries of internationally recognized quality are invited. Therefore, only producers whose wines won recognition such as Decanter World Wine Awards, Concourse Mondial de Bruxelles, International Wine and Spirits Competition, London International Wine Challenge, Mundus Vini, Wine Advocate/Robert Parker, Wine Enthusiast, Wine Spectator, The major national wine competitions are invited.

At the beginning of the event, we realized that it was a bit hard to begin the comparison and the exchange of opinions with the distributors and overwhelmed with a feeling of impatience and with the desire to interact with some importers, we understood that it was still a little early to have such immediate pretensions. Since the event ended with a dinner, it was clear that the importers would not come early in the morning to try the interesting products. Only after a while, finally the light … and the first interested importers!

De Lange, a company that covers the area of ​​Amsterdam, Beauvin Wijnhandel, satisfied with our proposal of organic cavas, The Wine Guys, an importer with a curious name that is engaged in online sales and Bouvigne Wijnimport an importer who does not included cava in its portfolio and which is studying the possibility of incorporating one. We continue interacting with other interested distributors such as Brindiamo, which, as the name suggests, basically works with Italian wines, but is increasingly confident of incorporating a product of our denomination of origin, Wijnkoperij Cees Van Noord interested in a Premium range, and Damar Imangil, a small import, but very well segmented.

Although tired, we did not give up and during the dinner, we took advantage to serve our cavas, following a logical order according to the proposed menu. It was fair with this action and our perseverance that we knew the representatives of Schermer, a very good importer who felt in love with the characteristics and the balanced aromas of our products, Ton Overmars, who did not waste time and made a business appointment with us at Prowein 2019 and Erik van Dujin very receptive in collaborating with us.

Our export team, after evaluating the profile of distributors, is increasingly sure that organic products in markets of countries such as Holland, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany Belgium, are unspeakable success and this range become essential.

Evidently, our business trips are a tool to sell and make our products more known, but we do not focus only on this important aim. Our team, during its travels, regenerates itself, recharges the batteries, and returns new and full of energy to the winery, with an important suitcase … that of the acquired experience!Abroad, our team finds many more answers to its questions and be amazed with everything it see, from the most trivial to the most unusual and it get excited with all those people who stumble on its way.We love, apart from showing you photos, to communicate all what we live verbally, to make you feel part of our journey, so that you accompany us and do not leave us alone in our successes and also in our difficulties.

Here in our blog, we leave feelings and important experiences of our trips and we desire with fervor that you enjoy it!

From the offices of our winery, today, we begin to hear the tinkle of glass bottles. A distant sound that does not bother, on the contrary, awakens in us the curiosity to go down the stairs and see what is happening in the production line. We hear the news of a colleague who says: “The tirage has already begun!” Opening the door, we perceive first the smell of fresh jasmine and field flowers and we find our colleagues, who frantically and laboriously move from one part to the other of the production line in an indefatigable way, controlling that everything follows correctly.  They will dedicate a lot of time, until March, to one of the most important phase of cava’s elaboration. It deals with a process, which consist of filling the bottles with base wine and the “tirage liqueur”, composed of yeast and sugar. The same yeasts will be the unquestionable protagonists of the second fermentation within the same bottle.

Once this process is finished, the bottles will be lowered into the darkness of the cellar, placed in the “rimas” position (horizontally). Our colleagues know very well that a season of hard work begins for them. When we watch television or listen to news about industries, factories, workers, the message we receive is quite sad. It is thought that there are no workers anymore because on the screen there are only images of technological robots that move pieces. The images of the workers are never there. However, for us the worker is the point of support and departure of everything, the embodiment of the success of our products. At six o’clock in the morning, our team starts its workday. Rightly, at this time, our colleagues are still a little sleepy. Before 7 am, few words are exchanged and if a question is asked, the answer comes after a few minutes, because everyone is very focused on the work to be developed, aware that, on the other hand, there is a great responsibility: the success of our winery.

At eight o’clock, all are already awake, active and full of energy and with a resplendent smile, they welcome the other part of the workers team, who begins the shift.
This is the most beautiful moment of the whole day, the meeting of each member of our winery. They, already awake for hours, wish the best day to others, minimizing their fatigue. The tiredness is heard, but not as a complaint, but as proof of the great involvement and dedication that our collaborators adopt, every day, every hour, every second …

The rest will accompany our product during a certain time so that little by little, without haste, it will mature its gestation months later. Great things need their time and our great products get the care, affection and time necessary to get their personality.

Lacrima Baccus, together with a group of vine growers, signs new contracts in the United States during a tour of APVSA.

Those attending the event demanded the selected wines, which attracted 150 importers and distributors during the “Born to be Wine” tour. Among them, there was our Lacrima Baccus Cava in the company of the Barolo Riserva Luna Nera, sophisticated wines and cavas, with original labels that add value to the North American market.

Classic wines and those that offer good value-money were also part of the event. Bodegas Verum, Bodegas Pradorey, Bodegas Castelo de Medina and Lacrima Baccus represented Spain. On the other hand, Barolo Reserva Luna Nera represented the Italian wines. As far as France is concerned, it was possible to negotiate on site with Maison Albert, Sadel, Château Haut-Blanville, Domains Auriol and Cellier des Chartreux, to name but a few. Several Champagne houses traveled with us, including Alain Mercier, Charles Clément, Guy de Forez and Klepka-Sausse.

Each winery paid $ 250 for an exhibition table that included glasses, spittoons, ice cubes and an American-style gourmet buffet. A well spent amount if we take into account that during the event we met relevant buyers.

The next meetings will be held in New York, Washington, Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Dallas, Mexico City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal from January 15 to 31. The advance wine selection will take place at the Beacon Hotel in New York (2130 Broadway) on Friday, December 14 with twenty importers and distributors who are already working with APVSA members.

Source of information: APVSA, december 2018.

The oenologist’s work, in the process of elaborating a cava, is an arduous and responsible task. He, throughout the year, assumes completely different functions and must remain alert to each type of process. In the steps prior to mixing varieties, the oenologist’s role is similar to that of an orchestra director, it is he who gives his approval to start the collection of the grape, it is he who chooses the yeasts to be used for the alcoholic fermentation, and it is always he who controls almost obsessively and restlessly that the temperature of the tanks remains stable and, during all this time, he does not close his eyes at night, and if he does, it is only to dream about his wines and about the next steps to do to get a product of excellence. However, at this time of year, our winemaker assumes a much more complex, mystical and magical role. It becomes the true creator, who molds, with everything he has at his disposal, his raw diamonds, the wines, which he will have to polish little by little in the following steps to obtain our cavas of optimum quality. The hand of the winemaker is seen in the blend of the wines, mixing the different components that constitute a finished product. It is very difficult that a base wine obtained in a single harvest and coming from a single vineyard and from a single vine variety can provide the perfect aromatic balance and the level of sugar and acidity necessary to produce an excellent cava. This is why we usually mix different varieties of still wines, in our case, always from the same vintage, producing Vintage Cavas every year. This procedure is carried out directly at the end of the first fermentation and is considered the real key in the art of cava production. What we are looking for in our winery is to contribute what is missing to a component with one that has it, something like leveling the lame leg of the table, to achieve complexity and originality in the finished product. Due to the long aging on the lees of our cavas, our winemaker has a difficult task, since it is difficult to predict the result of the mixture. There is no chemical formula in force to know how to get it, this is intrinsic to the considerable experience of our technicians, their knowledge, their philosophy of product style and their magic touch;).

The initial blend of still wines in the denomination of origin Cava involves the use of 9 varieties of grapes such as Macabeo, Xarello, Parellada, Chardonnay, Malvasia, Trepat,  Garnacha, Monastrell and Pinot Noir, to give life to a wine that is subjected to a second fermentation, the key passage in which the perlage (bubbles) is formed in the cava.

To make a blend we need (and certainly we have) a team of tasters of great experience, sensitivity and finesse, who as composers must be able to perceive the particularities of each individual element to put it in value in its entirety. They have to be visionary, creative and be able to imagine what they want to achieve, thinking about how to improve and how to make the product exponentially more attractive, staying anchored to the style of our winery.

The secret is to choose expressive base wines from the point of view of softness, warmth on the palate and acidity. According to our experts will be chosen which way to undertake, opting always for obtaining a fine, sophisticated and well-integrated bubble and reaching very elegant finishes with great complexity in the aftertaste. The variations are endless and the tasting of the blend is a discipline that requires rigor, knowledge, ability to perceive the future and must be nourished by a great passion.

Professional tasters or simply CAVA ENTHUSIAST, we are intrepid to know how we will evolve our 2018 vintage.