Summer Camp

*Cittavino & Co. Wine Club members receive 1 FREE ENTRY! come to one, two, three- or the whole series! Member sign ups are in the drop down menu selection. 

We will meet at Temescal Lake in Oakland for an Aperitivo of 4-6 wines and special Italian snacks. Emilia of Cittavino & Co. will guide us through a casual tasting with a map or two, as well as sommelier wine terms with a professional wine tasting grid for (a low pressure) 
reference. Expect an educational, but relaxed post-work decompression tasting while you wait for the rush hour traffic to clear.

Purchase the whole series for $190

June 25 Central+ Southern Italian Rosati $45

The pink came first. Long before we were sought out individual reds, whites, and bubbles, vineyards were co-planted with different varieties and contadini (farmers) made dark pink field blends. Italy has never really let go of this tradition, but instead adopted this style into more formal wine appellations and longer macerated rose'. We'll taste coveted rose' specific wine regions, discuss the history of wine making from the Etruscans to the French, as well as discuss the versatility of the pink drink. 

July 2 Emilia Fizzies + Other BBQ Wines $45

Emilia-Romagna became a hyphenated region in 1948 in post-war politics. Culturally, the two halves consider themselves very different. The prized cured meats and cheese traditions come more from the Emilia side as do Lambrusco and fizzy wines over all. We'll pop some Lambruschi and go over the "complicated" unrelated family of Lambrusco grapes. I will also introduce you to more obscure fizzy wines made with even weirder varieties from the micro-movement of dedicated farmers in the area. Additionally! I'll snag a few reds and styles that I think are easy going and priced right for BBQ fare and atmosphere. 

July 16 Best Wines of Sicily (Cittavino & Co. favs, expect the obscure & Cellar stash) $75

I'm just as obsessed with Sicily as everyone else, though I will argue that I dove in long before the tourist and White Lotus craze. I have been on an Etna deep dive since 2018, and will open some of my un-imported suitcase-stash that also explains the history and evolution of the region. We will also discover some super obscure varieties and appellations from other areas of Sicily.

July 30 Sardegna Whites +varieties you’ve never heard of $55

This island fascinates me- it's history, culture, and language is different from that of southern Italy and it maintains a sort of wild freedom. On my most recent trip to Vinitaly I met a producer resurrecting Sardinian varieties I had never heard of AND they were delish, fresh and bright. I will pour what I think are some top wines from the region as well as get my hands on this Vinitaly stash that we can explore for the first time together! There will also be a Vernaccia di Oristano, a funky wine that remains a constant from the ancient Phoenicians and part of the Mediterranean's oxidative wine culture (Sherry, Marsala, etc...)