On a recent trip to a couple of Italy’s less-touristed regions (Abruzzo and The Marche), we visited the Cantina Frentana Cooperative Winery where we enjoyed a great tasting with a great view.  

Fast forward to today and we are stoked that several Abruzzo wines we tasted in Italy are available for us to share with all of you here in Pittsburgh. 

Please join us for a casual/walk-around tasting of SIX wines (snacks provided) at Barsotti Wines on July 22.

EVENT DETAILS

LOGISTICS: Arrive anytime between 5:30-7:00pm (event closes at 7:30pm) to casually taste through 6 wines with accompanying snacks. All of the wines will be available to purchase that evening ($12 to $20 per bottle).

LOCATION: Barsotti Wines in the Strip District – details will be sent with confirmation a week before the tasting.

PRICE: $40 per person – includes tasting through 6 wines, snacks and words of wine wisdom from Jack!

Space is limited – sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

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Let’s sweep away the winter doldrums with a fantastic French food feast.

Our long-time chef-friend Kevin Costa recently created a French dinner that tasted so good we asked if he could do it again for Off the Grid so that Jack could curate beautiful French wines to compliment the food (one is served in a TWO STAR MICHELIN restaurant). 

Don’t miss this tasteful collaboration and read on for Jack’s (long-winded) details.

FOUR COURSES / FOUR WINES

Course 1.  Duck liver mousse, bacon jam, toasted brioche, herbs

Wine 1. NV Maurice Grumier Réserve Perpétuelle Extra-Brut Champagne – Jack loves the extra-brut cut and intensity paired with brioche flavors while contrasting the duck liver mousse richness.  “This bottle holds a place of honor on Michelin two-star Saison’s wine list among the greatest bubblies in the world, and it deserves it. Made using the same solera system that produces Jacques Sélosse’s four-digit-priced bottles, it’s an extraordinary wine from one of Champagne’s best-kept secrets.” (quote from importer)

Course 2. Greens, pear, fennel, pecans, piave, mustard vinaigrette

Wine 2. Domaine de la Solitude Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2023 – White wines from the Rhone are extremely rare accounting for less than 10% of wine produced.  This CdR Blanc (mostly Grenache Blanc with small amounts of Marsanne, Viognier and Clairette) is created by a Chateauneuf producer and many refer to it as a “Baby Chateauneuf Blanc”. Kate and Jack tasted this wine at the estate.  Lovely flavors of white peach, apples and light citrus make this rare wine a delight.  James Suckling 92 points

Course 3. Beef bourguignon, mashed potatoes, gremolata

Famous French Chef Jacques Pépin emphasized deep, hearty flavors in preparing Beef Bourguignon and suggested a full bottle of red Rhone wine in the recipe. We agree! So we have chosen TWO big Chateauneuf du Pape reds to compare and contrast with each other while complimenting the Beef Bourguignon – Boom!

Wine 3. Domaine de la Solitude Chateauneuf du Pape 2023 – Known for blends of up to 13 different grapes, Chateauneuf du Pape reds are generally created around a base of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre.  The Solitude CdP contains 65% Greanche, 20% Syrah, and 5% each of Mourvedre, Counoise and Cinsault from biodynamically grown grapes.  We enjoy the rich, round, mouthfeel, and sophisticated balance of Solitude’s CdP.  Kate and Jack tasted this and others on site.  The estate has been producing wine for nearly 600 years. James Suckling 95 points, Wine Spectator 93 points. 

Wine 4. La Bastide Saint Dominique Chateauneuf du Pape Les Hesperides – We think you will enjoy the different cuvee in this Chateauneuf that features comparatively less Grenache, and much more Mourvedre in the blend that is 50% Grenache 50% Mourvèdre. The producer says the wine has a rich nose of black berries, licorice, dark chocolate, and spices.  James Suckling 94 points

Course 4. Lemon tart, berries, dark chocolate

EVENT DETAILS

Event starts at 6:30pm at the Speckled Egg in the SouthSide Works (428 S 27th St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203).

Unsure what to serve at your holiday celebrations?   

Wouldn’t it be great if you could attend a casual, walk-around tasting of sparklers, whites and reds?   

You CAN!  It’ll be fun and you can wear a holiday sweater if you want.

OTG curated great-for-holiday-celebration wines that fit a wide variety of culinary occasions from aperitivo, to turkey, to roast beast.

In the spirit of the season $15 of your entry price is a donation to the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition. This Pittsburgh-based organization provides support to caregivers and clinicians for children with life-limiting conditions.  Please explore their website to learn about their important work.

EVENT DETAILS

LOGISTICS: Arrive anytime between 5:30-7:00pm (event closes at 7:30pm) to casually taste through 8+ wines with accompanying snacks. All of these wines (and others) will be available to purchase that evening.

LOCATION: Barsotti Wines in the Strip District – details will be sent with confirmation a week before the tasting.

PRICE: $50 per person – includes tasting through 8+ wines, snacks and support for the Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (and certainly some words of wine wisdom from Jack!)

Space is limited – sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

Let’s celebrate Highland Park’s newest addition. Bryant Street Tavern bills itself as a “New England Style” escape right here in Pittsburgh. Many of you already know the owner, Angela Earley, co-owner of Penn Avenue Fish Company, so we are stoked about the fish quality! Angela would love for us to experience BST-style eats at the new restaurant, and in true OTG style, Jack is bringing the wine!

FOUR COURSES / FOUR WINES

Bubbly (sort-of Cava from Spain)

Oysters and Hush Puppies

White Chardonnay from California (highly regarded 93pt Chardonnay)

Lobster Roll-ette – chilled lobster, scallion, celery, dash of mayo

Red Pinot Noir from Oregon (#1 top value 2024 Wine Enthusiast, hard to find!)

Pan Seared Salmon – glazed bok choy, romesco, malt vinegar fingerling chips

Red Cabernet Sauvignon from California (92pts and professionals call it a ‘crowd-pleaser’)

Bryant Street Tavern’s Signature Black-n-Blue Burger (slider style) 

EVENT DETAILS

Event starts at 6:30pm at Bryant Street Tavern (5801 Bryant St, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Free street parking.

Space is limited – so sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

Earlier this year Kate and Jack enjoyed a quick vacation to Northern Italy where they visited Venice, Bologna and Florence – all three are well-documented fantastic food and wine destinations. Now you are invited to enjoy these culinary destinations through four wines (chosen by Jack) and some tasty food (created and served by Sprezzatura).

What you can expect: Two whites, two reds and tasty Sprezzatura food. For those who like numbers – one of the wines scored 96 points from the Wine Spectator.

Please join us for this budget-friendly tour to Italy that will be easier/faster/cheaper than traveling to Europe.

Event starts at 6pm and will be held at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Location and parking information will be sent with confirmation the week of the event.

Do points matter?

Retailers and Reviewers care a lot about points – retailers sell with points, reviewers earn by awarding points. This warrants a discussion don’t you think?

Let’s gather and celebrate our opinions! We’ll have four wines with impressive point/scores (all between 94 and 97 points) and Jack will share the scores AFTER we taste – see if you agree with globally recognized reviewers.

Jen Saffron and her Sprezzatura Team will provide bites – Jack will provide the presentation and “try” to avoid verbosity.

Event starts at 6pm and will be held at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Location and parking information will be sent with confirmation the week of the event.

Space is limited – so sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

Question: How can we lighten up a month that is growing darker?

Answer: A mid-week wine flight with bites provided by SPREZZATURA!!! 

Join us for FOUR wines with Sprezz bites and the usual OTG-style description and discussion led by Jack Brice.

This tasting precedes the North American holiday of Thanksgiving (Canada already celebrated), so we will feature two American whites and two American reds.

Event starts at 6pm and will be held at the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (616 N Highland Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15206). Location and parking information will be sent with confirmation the week of the event.

Space is limited – so sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

Have you ever wanted to try wines never before imported to the USA?

How about a dinner/tasting in a space we’ve never before had an event?

How about wines imported by a brand-new Pittsburgh-based wine importer?

Well – here we go! 

Here’s the longer story:

The landscape in and near what is today’s Northeast Italy has for centuries provided fertile wine grape-growing conditions (for the Roman Empire, Napoleon, Austro-Hungarian Empire, Italy, Yugoslavia, and now Slovenia). Pittsburgher Sharon Semenza discovered these wines while traveling in Italy – she learned that (in addition to traditional regional varietals) the estate’s owners researched their soils to determine similarity with Burgundy, which obviated a need to produce Chardonnay – all of this together compelled Sharon Semenza to create Semenza Wine Imports in order to import and share these wines with America.

A recent Wine Spectator article suggested that these wines are produced in “The Next Great Wine Country” so let’s not miss out. Please join us and Sharon Semenza for the American Debut of these wines with fabulous food to match by fan-favorite Jen Saffron of Sprezzatura at a new location – the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary in Highland Park.

Space is limited – so sign up soon if you’d like to attend.

Aperitivo with Rosé
taleggio and cherry crostini + antipasti

White Course
orecchiette with sage brown butter cream sauce with lemon zest

anchovy focaccia

Jakot, Marinic Anne Goriska Brda 2019 Brda Slovenia

Chardonnay, Domaine Vicomte de Noue-Marinic, Groblja Vedrigano II Cru Classificazione 2020 Brda Slovenia

Red Course

lamb ragout with parmesan toast points

beets oregano with arugula

Dolce
chocolate espresso mini tarts