Well folks, finally got my wine!! Hooray! I think it tastes better because of the extra effort and frustration!!
I’ll be honest… this is the first review I’ve had to review. I don’t think my vocabulary has the required words some of the ‘real’ wine folks use… That said, I’m usually a red wine drinker, but this Pinot Grigio is pretty decent. It tastes like fermented grapes. Seriously though, It’s just a tad bit sweet but finishes pretty dry. It’s certainly not sickening sweet like some other Pinot’s I’ve ordered in the past.
Again, I’m no wine connesouirre, so my opinion is pretty simplified simplistic. I’ve got a few dozen bottles of various reds in my basement, and buy some whites on occasion for company or bringing places. For a $6 bottle of wine, it’s pretty darn good and I might buy a case to add some variety to my collection.
My wife had a glass and thought it was pretty good. She’s not a wine drinker (she normally brews a dozen or so batches of beer each year, but has been slacking on account of the new baby), but she liked it, and that’s saying something!
@caffeineguy well done and thanks for hanging in there. You, sir, are a trooper!!! Oh yeah… happy birthday and congrats on the baby! & I’m in for a case!
/giphy elusive-prickly-protest
Well folks–
Apparently I/We were suppose to LabRat this for you. Unfortunately, like most folks that can afford a $70 case of wine, I/We work during the day and the FedEx guy wouldn’t leave it. (Delivery Attempt #1, Thursday).
I didn’t actually know I was supposed to LabRat it until after the first delivery attempt.
Note: The FedEx pickup is about an hour round-trip from home, and is usually closed by the time I could get there anyway-- so that’s not going to work. Sending it to my place of employment is not an option for other reasons.
Anticipating a problem with this, I even wrote “NEIGHBOR —>>” on the first slip, hoping he’d attempt to deliver it to one of my neighbors.
(Friday) Delivery Attempt 2: Nope, Even after my 60yr old neighbor walked up to the truck and offered to sign for the package, he still wouldn’t leave it.
I called FedEx and complained, who basically confirmed that my neighbor should have been able to sign for it.
Upon returning home, I realized the driver had littered my yard a second time with the part he peeled off the back of the self adhesive label. (Driver should get hit with a $250 fine for littering IMHO, unacceptable)
I then e-mailed Wine Country Connect with my troubles, who assured me they’d try to deliver it on Saturday. Nope. Nothing this weekend, WCC didn’t opt for Saturday delivery on this one it seems.
(Monday) Deliver Attempt 3: Watched the guy roll up again. If there’s another label on the ground tonight, I’m calling the police and FedEx can send the bottle back.
(ASIDE: This is the reason I haven’t actually bought any Wine in while now… )
So-- If by some chance I can take delivery of this bottle before the sale is up, I’l do my best to report on it, provided bouncing around in a hot truck for 4 days hasn’t destroyed it.
Sorry folks!
@caffeineguy
Just FYI for future referece, you could have redirected the package to a local Walgreens or a FedEx Office location if the half hour drive to the FedEx holding facility was too far for you to make it to on time. My Walgreens is open until 10 pm and the local FedEx Office (a former Kinkos back in the day) is open until 9 pm, 6 nights a week.
@caffeineguy Nothing worse than a delivery driver on a power trip and it’s ultimately up to them if you get your package or not. Working in ecommerce I’ve heard way too many stories like yours.
I can also say it’s not so easy to add Saturday delivery to a package. Assuming your zip code is eligible for Saturday delivery it’s still highly dependent on the operator that takes the call, what time the call comes in versus when the truck gets back to hub and how much work the local FedEx hub is willing to do get the package to you. Usually the package will sit on the truck til Mondau, so the loaders have to pull your package off the truck it was on and get it the Saturday delivery truck which might not even be at the same hub.
tl;dr If you haven’t sacrificed to Cthulhu to get the stars to align getting a package to deliver on Saturday is hard.
This is why I quit buying wine from Woot and now casemates. Had such a difficult time with Fedex delivery. My deliveries would come from about an hour away with no Fedex closer to my home for will call pick up like UPS. Waited around all day with no one making a delivery only to be told the guy came and no one was home! Liar! Is that fun for the driver?
Signing up with Fed Ex to be recognized so you can reroute your shipments easily is (A) a confusing pain and (B) worth it. I had to “sign-up” in like two Fed Ex websites, and click on confirmation emails and got confused and to what I was doing and thinking ‘this is a mess’ but then all of a sudden when I clicked on the Casemates tracking link I had the options to reroute and stuff. After the pain, it’s now Very Easy to reroute stuff to my local Walgreens. But that first time you have to set aside 15 minutes for confusing web sign-up adventure; don’t get frustrated and quit. Keep going! Keep clicking around. You’ll be happy you did. I now pick up my packages their first morning in town, or it waits for my convenience in the air-conditioned Walgreens.
@PatrickKarcher
Ditto for me too. I couldn’t get through the battery of security questions, by the time I gave up, I wasn’t even sure I was Me??
But not to worry using the FedEx “Echelon -5: Alternative Security Identification Protocol” …They mailed me out a ‘PIN’, good to go now.
It is possible to just ship to the most local FedEx store from the start, or does everything have to be rerouted after transit?
In any case, It seems a nice solution would be for Casemates’ account pages to have a shipping address (or several select-able addresses) that is used for Casemates shipments, with options like “Allow Saturday delivery”, or Lookup nearest FedEx site. I wouldn’t want to interfere with the default delivery address for my bluetooth speakers and cell phone battery packs from meh!
Anyway-- I should finally have my bottle tonight, which works out well because it’s my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than a bottle of wine!
@caffeineguy Happy Birthday
And, just add a FedEx or other address during checkout. ezpz
I’ve got at least half a dozen different addresses entered in, but my default remains FedEx.
Caution however, your last shipped to address becomes your default.
Some LA wineaux have thus received some shipments intended for local delivery…
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Il Donato Italian Pinot Grigio - $20 = 22.22%
It really is incumbent upon all to insure wcc had a valid and useful delivery address.
While FedEx is in no means without culpability, a home address with no one home is inexcusable; and yes, they do forge delivery attempts even when there is life within, something difficult when the address is for a business.
@rjquillin I’m not really sure what your point was… (inexcusable?) I didn’t actually order any wine, and haven’t in months; WCC selected me to LabRat with almost no notice. While I am grateful to partake in sampling and reviewing a bottle of wine, this doesn’t happen to be a week we can chase the FedEx guy around the county.
That said, if weekend delivery to residential addresses was allowed, then I could have been around to take delivery. If WCC’s logistics software can’t figure out that my address is a residential address and ship with Saturday Delivery, then there should be an option in my profile to specify Saturday delivery. Alternatively, there should be a completely different default shipping address for Casemates (if there isn’t already) so that I might specify an address with a warm body over the age of 21 with whatever minimum ID requirements are required in my jurisdiction.
@caffeineguy@rjquillin In caffeineguy’s defense, when I was “chosen” to rat, my bottle had shipped well before I received an email telling me I was going to be a rat. Seems like maybe Casemates should ask to rat first, ship later? Would that be too hard?
@caffeineguy@caffeineguy@Arianawcc@winedavid49
apologies if either of you took offense.
No hidden point, and exactly what I said.
If wcc doesn’t have a good delivery address, expect, no delivery; and even if they do have a good address, FedEx can still provide a no delivery.
The rat program has been quite successful dating back to early WW days, it does, however, really need better initial contact with potential rats, prior to shipment, to insure they can fulfill their expected mission: report in a timely manner for the community.
We’re all disappointed when it’s broken for whatever reason.
Did you get a day three delivery?
Guess not; no report.
@rjquillin Delivery attempt 3 (Monday), mid day, not a chance of being home. FedEx guy again threw the label backing on the ground, this time in the yard. I called FedEx Express and reported the driver, asked to be sent a written apology so I don’t file a police report and have the guy charged with littering. (Aside: isn’t FedEx Express a little redundant??)
I had the package sent to a more reasonable pickup location, was hoping they could have accomplished that same day, but alas, the bottle went back to the distribution center, and is making its way to the closer pickup location today. I should be able to get it and sample it tonight.
With FedEx, unlike UPS (to the best of my knowledge) as soon as you have tracking info you can reroute the delivery. With UPS there must have already been one delivery attempt. Now that is pathetic CS and policy on their part.
If you dig thru the threads here you’ll find a lot of commentary on how many of us have avoided the pitfalls you’ve encountered. Most by having a bulletproof delivery address, a FedEx office or business the most common, where the former also addressed the occasional Saturday attempt where a business may be closed. Others have reported grocery and drug establishments also accepting deliveries.
ymmv with those however.
Our 2016 Il Donato Pinot Grigio offers fragrant aromas of Bartlett pear, quince and an edge of peppermint. Bright on the palate with vibrant, fresh acidity, this is an easy-drinking, light-bodied Pinot Grigio. A perfect accompaniment to your favorite seafood dishes, try with Garlic Butter Shrimp Kebabs or fish tacos with a tropical fruit salsa.
This traditional table wine is an ideal complement to light, fresh, authentic Italian dishes. A classic Italian Pinot Grigio, it is refreshing and refined with crisp citrus flavors influenced by the Adriatic Sea breeze and minerality from the ancient soils.
Appellation and Winemaker Notes
Il Donato is an Italian saying that speaks to the gift of hard work and the love of food and wine.
We can’t think of a more fitting name for a wine produced in tribute to our great grandfather, Samuele Sebastiani, who came to America from Italy in 1895. Hard work and the love of wine are the tenets upon which Samuele built our family’s winemaking tradition—one that today has spanned some four generations. Our Il Donato wines are crafted in his honor, paying homage to the humble, yet highly satisfying, table wines that first inspired Samuele to pursue his life’s passion.
In Italy wine is food, an integral part of every meal that should serve to complement, rather than dominate, the other dishes you are enjoying. Our Il Donato wines embody this ideal. Il Donato Pinot Grigio is a refined, classic Italian wine that sit comfortably alongside the delectable dishes of the region.
Located north of Venice, the Veneto stretches across the northern edges of the Adriatic Sea. Unlike the rest of the Northeastern Italian growing regions, the Veneto appellation is characterized by its hot summers and cool winters. The climate of the area is influenced by its proximity to the Adriatic, which has a tempering effect on the weather, producing the ideal conditions for growing grapes. Veneto is relatively flat, consisting of hills and plains, and sandy silt soils. While the region has been making wine for four millennia, until recently, the rest of the world has had very little exposure to the wines of the region. That is changing, however, and Veneto is going through a winemaking revolution, with an in ux of new winemakers, new technologies, and new ideas. Today, the region is viewed as one that can produce excellent wines of great value.
Innovation Rooted in Sonoma
Founded in 2001; rooted in tradition and driven by innovation, Don Sebastiani & Sons is among the nation’s leading producers of fine wines and first-rate spirits.
Don Sebastiani and his two sons; Donny and August, established “Don Sebastiani & Sons” in 2001. Today the company is led by Donny Sebastiani, great–grandson of Samuele the Sebastiani patriarch.
“The plan is to continue the progress that previous generations in my family have made,” says Donny. “I want to have a similar impact on the wine industry. We are focusing on appellation-driven wines that appeal to a more wine-savvy audience.”
Rooted in the historic Sonoma Valley since 1904, with additional winery operations in Napa Valley, the family-owned company business encompasses complementary beverage categories, including a robust portfolio of wines sourced from premier growing regions throughout the world; and a line of award-winning spirits, including Contigo, El Fumador, and El Macho artisanal tequila brands hand-made in Jalisco, Mexico.
Donny continues, “At the end of the day, I’ve learned that the best thing a company can offer is well-made products of consistent quality. That’s our family tradition, and that continues to be our vision for Don & Sons.”
Available States
CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI
Huh, well that’s a bit different! So is it made in Italy/bottled here, or is it some sort of distribution thing, or is it sourced from Italy but vinted here, does anyone know?
@novium@ThomasF@winedavid49@ThomasF Would be nice to see bottle shots with front/back labels that you could zoom on. Don’t think we’ve seen that since the woot days.
I’m confused - are the grapes for this wine sourced from Puglia (Southern Italy, the heel of the boot) or the Veneto (Northeastern Italy)? The backstory above for Il Donato references both, but those regions are responsible for grapes that make very different wines.
As far as I know, Puglia isn’t particularly known for Pinot Grigio (I believe typically jammier Reds, and Whites with more residual sugar), while Northern Italy is much more amenable to quality production of the Pinot grapes.
@alexa84 That was my question, too. How could something coming from Pugila have an “IGT delle Venezie” appellation?
This also didn’t make sense: “Il Donato’s offerings [sic] are particularly remarkable, with many winemakers considering it [sic] Puglia’s best vintage in over 30 years.” Are the wines labelled “Il Donato” only from the one vintage?
@alexa84@winedavid49 the appellation descriptions do not compute. Someone needs to look at a map of Italian wine regions and sort this out. $6 a bottle for Veneto Pinot Grigio could be a great deal. For Puglia, not so much…
I ordered a case, because I enjoy a pinot grigio and the price is right. In reviewing the comments, I learned alot about fedex deliveries and appreciated the one lab rat report. Hopefully it won’t disappoint. I can always use it for cooking if it ends up tasting like a $6 bottle of wine.
Well folks, finally got my wine!! Hooray! I think it tastes better because of the extra effort and frustration!!
I’ll be honest… this is the first review I’ve had to review. I don’t think my vocabulary has the required words some of the ‘real’ wine folks use… That said, I’m usually a red wine drinker, but this Pinot Grigio is pretty decent. It tastes like fermented grapes.
Seriously though, It’s just a tad bit sweet but finishes pretty dry. It’s certainly not sickening sweet like some other Pinot’s I’ve ordered in the past.
Again, I’m no wine connesouirre, so my opinion is pretty simplified simplistic. I’ve got a few dozen bottles of various reds in my basement, and buy some whites on occasion for company or bringing places. For a $6 bottle of wine, it’s pretty darn good and I might buy a case to add some variety to my collection.
My wife had a glass and thought it was pretty good. She’s not a wine drinker (she normally brews a dozen or so batches of beer each year, but has been slacking on account of the new baby), but she liked it, and that’s saying something!
First glass done! Where’d that bottle go??
@caffeineguy Thank you for making this Lab Rat report happen!
@caffeineguy Thanks for the report and happy birthday! Also, apparently congrats on the baby!
@caffeineguy well done and thanks for hanging in there. You, sir, are a trooper!!! Oh yeah… happy birthday and congrats on the baby!
& I’m in for a case!
/giphy elusive-prickly-protest
@caffeineguy in the nick of time! bless you!
Well folks–
Apparently I/We were suppose to LabRat this for you. Unfortunately, like most folks that can afford a $70 case of wine, I/We work during the day and the FedEx guy wouldn’t leave it. (Delivery Attempt #1, Thursday).
I didn’t actually know I was supposed to LabRat it until after the first delivery attempt.
Note: The FedEx pickup is about an hour round-trip from home, and is usually closed by the time I could get there anyway-- so that’s not going to work. Sending it to my place of employment is not an option for other reasons.
Anticipating a problem with this, I even wrote “NEIGHBOR —>>” on the first slip, hoping he’d attempt to deliver it to one of my neighbors.
(Friday) Delivery Attempt 2: Nope, Even after my 60yr old neighbor walked up to the truck and offered to sign for the package, he still wouldn’t leave it.
I called FedEx and complained, who basically confirmed that my neighbor should have been able to sign for it.
Upon returning home, I realized the driver had littered my yard a second time with the part he peeled off the back of the self adhesive label. (Driver should get hit with a $250 fine for littering IMHO, unacceptable)
I then e-mailed Wine Country Connect with my troubles, who assured me they’d try to deliver it on Saturday. Nope. Nothing this weekend, WCC didn’t opt for Saturday delivery on this one it seems.
(Monday) Deliver Attempt 3: Watched the guy roll up again. If there’s another label on the ground tonight, I’m calling the police and FedEx can send the bottle back.
(ASIDE: This is the reason I haven’t actually bought any Wine in while now… )
So-- If by some chance I can take delivery of this bottle before the sale is up, I’l do my best to report on it, provided bouncing around in a hot truck for 4 days hasn’t destroyed it.
Sorry folks!
@caffeineguy
Just FYI for future referece, you could have redirected the package to a local Walgreens or a FedEx Office location if the half hour drive to the FedEx holding facility was too far for you to make it to on time. My Walgreens is open until 10 pm and the local FedEx Office (a former Kinkos back in the day) is open until 9 pm, 6 nights a week.
@caffeineguy Nothing worse than a delivery driver on a power trip and it’s ultimately up to them if you get your package or not. Working in ecommerce I’ve heard way too many stories like yours.
I can also say it’s not so easy to add Saturday delivery to a package. Assuming your zip code is eligible for Saturday delivery it’s still highly dependent on the operator that takes the call, what time the call comes in versus when the truck gets back to hub and how much work the local FedEx hub is willing to do get the package to you. Usually the package will sit on the truck til Mondau, so the loaders have to pull your package off the truck it was on and get it the Saturday delivery truck which might not even be at the same hub.
tl;dr If you haven’t sacrificed to Cthulhu to get the stars to align getting a package to deliver on Saturday is hard.
It looks like there are two Il Donato wines, a red from Puglia, and a Pinot Grigio from Veneto, and the description above seems to have borrowed from both:
http://ildonato.com/wine-vino-rosso.html
http://ildonato.com/wine-pinot-grigio.html
@jwhetzel They have also done a Pinot Grigio Daunia (Puglia) in the past.
This is why I quit buying wine from Woot and now casemates. Had such a difficult time with Fedex delivery. My deliveries would come from about an hour away with no Fedex closer to my home for will call pick up like UPS. Waited around all day with no one making a delivery only to be told the guy came and no one was home! Liar! Is that fun for the driver?
Signing up with Fed Ex to be recognized so you can reroute your shipments easily is (A) a confusing pain and (B) worth it. I had to “sign-up” in like two Fed Ex websites, and click on confirmation emails and got confused and to what I was doing and thinking ‘this is a mess’ but then all of a sudden when I clicked on the Casemates tracking link I had the options to reroute and stuff. After the pain, it’s now Very Easy to reroute stuff to my local Walgreens. But that first time you have to set aside 15 minutes for confusing web sign-up adventure; don’t get frustrated and quit. Keep going! Keep clicking around. You’ll be happy you did. I now pick up my packages their first morning in town, or it waits for my convenience in the air-conditioned Walgreens.
@PatrickKarcher
Ditto for me too. I couldn’t get through the battery of security questions, by the time I gave up, I wasn’t even sure I was Me??
But not to worry using the FedEx “Echelon -5: Alternative Security Identification Protocol” …They mailed me out a ‘PIN’, good to go now.
It is possible to just ship to the most local FedEx store from the start, or does everything have to be rerouted after transit?
In any case, It seems a nice solution would be for Casemates’ account pages to have a shipping address (or several select-able addresses) that is used for Casemates shipments, with options like “Allow Saturday delivery”, or Lookup nearest FedEx site. I wouldn’t want to interfere with the default delivery address for my bluetooth speakers and cell phone battery packs from meh!
Anyway-- I should finally have my bottle tonight, which works out well because it’s my birthday, and what better way to celebrate than a bottle of wine!
@caffeineguy Happy birthday!!!
@caffeineguy Happy Birthday
And, just add a FedEx or other address during checkout. ezpz
I’ve got at least half a dozen different addresses entered in, but my default remains FedEx.
Caution however, your last shipped to address becomes your default.
Some LA wineaux have thus received some shipments intended for local delivery…
Il Donato Italian Pinot Grigio
6 bottles for $44.99 $7.50/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $69.99 $5.83/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2016 Il Donato Pinot Grigio
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations)
2016 Il Donato Italian Pinot Grigio - $20 = 22.22%
Had this over the weekend - it was crisp and light. I’m more of a red drinker so I thought it was a bit too light, but a good summer quaff.
It really is incumbent upon all to insure wcc had a valid and useful delivery address.
While FedEx is in no means without culpability, a home address with no one home is inexcusable; and yes, they do forge delivery attempts even when there is life within, something difficult when the address is for a business.
@rjquillin I’m not really sure what your point was… (inexcusable?) I didn’t actually order any wine, and haven’t in months; WCC selected me to LabRat with almost no notice. While I am grateful to partake in sampling and reviewing a bottle of wine, this doesn’t happen to be a week we can chase the FedEx guy around the county.
That said, if weekend delivery to residential addresses was allowed, then I could have been around to take delivery. If WCC’s logistics software can’t figure out that my address is a residential address and ship with Saturday Delivery, then there should be an option in my profile to specify Saturday delivery. Alternatively, there should be a completely different default shipping address for Casemates (if there isn’t already) so that I might specify an address with a warm body over the age of 21 with whatever minimum ID requirements are required in my jurisdiction.
@caffeineguy @rjquillin In caffeineguy’s defense, when I was “chosen” to rat, my bottle had shipped well before I received an email telling me I was going to be a rat. Seems like maybe Casemates should ask to rat first, ship later? Would that be too hard?
@caffeineguy @caffeineguy @Arianawcc @winedavid49
apologies if either of you took offense.
No hidden point, and exactly what I said.
If wcc doesn’t have a good delivery address, expect, no delivery; and even if they do have a good address, FedEx can still provide a no delivery.
The rat program has been quite successful dating back to early WW days, it does, however, really need better initial contact with potential rats, prior to shipment, to insure they can fulfill their expected mission: report in a timely manner for the community.
We’re all disappointed when it’s broken for whatever reason.
Did you get a day three delivery?
Guess not; no report.
@rjquillin Delivery attempt 3 (Monday), mid day, not a chance of being home. FedEx guy again threw the label backing on the ground, this time in the yard. I called FedEx Express and reported the driver, asked to be sent a written apology so I don’t file a police report and have the guy charged with littering. (Aside: isn’t FedEx Express a little redundant??)
I had the package sent to a more reasonable pickup location, was hoping they could have accomplished that same day, but alas, the bottle went back to the distribution center, and is making its way to the closer pickup location today. I should be able to get it and sample it tonight.
@caffeineguy
Sad.
With FedEx, unlike UPS (to the best of my knowledge) as soon as you have tracking info you can reroute the delivery. With UPS there must have already been one delivery attempt. Now that is pathetic CS and policy on their part.
If you dig thru the threads here you’ll find a lot of commentary on how many of us have avoided the pitfalls you’ve encountered. Most by having a bulletproof delivery address, a FedEx office or business the most common, where the former also addressed the occasional Saturday attempt where a business may be closed. Others have reported grocery and drug establishments also accepting deliveries.
ymmv with those however.
I appreciate the delivery issues some are having, but I think we’ve beat that horse to death. Hope we get a lab rat report soon…
Tasting Notes
Our 2016 Il Donato Pinot Grigio offers fragrant aromas of Bartlett pear, quince and an edge of peppermint. Bright on the palate with vibrant, fresh acidity, this is an easy-drinking, light-bodied Pinot Grigio. A perfect accompaniment to your favorite seafood dishes, try with Garlic Butter Shrimp Kebabs or fish tacos with a tropical fruit salsa.
This traditional table wine is an ideal complement to light, fresh, authentic Italian dishes. A classic Italian Pinot Grigio, it is refreshing and refined with crisp citrus flavors influenced by the Adriatic Sea breeze and minerality from the ancient soils.
Appellation and Winemaker Notes
Il Donato is an Italian saying that speaks to the gift of hard work and the love of food and wine.
We can’t think of a more fitting name for a wine produced in tribute to our great grandfather, Samuele Sebastiani, who came to America from Italy in 1895. Hard work and the love of wine are the tenets upon which Samuele built our family’s winemaking tradition—one that today has spanned some four generations. Our Il Donato wines are crafted in his honor, paying homage to the humble, yet highly satisfying, table wines that first inspired Samuele to pursue his life’s passion.
In Italy wine is food, an integral part of every meal that should serve to complement, rather than dominate, the other dishes you are enjoying. Our Il Donato wines embody this ideal. Il Donato Pinot Grigio is a refined, classic Italian wine that sit comfortably alongside the delectable dishes of the region.
Located north of Venice, the Veneto stretches across the northern edges of the Adriatic Sea. Unlike the rest of the Northeastern Italian growing regions, the Veneto appellation is characterized by its hot summers and cool winters. The climate of the area is influenced by its proximity to the Adriatic, which has a tempering effect on the weather, producing the ideal conditions for growing grapes. Veneto is relatively flat, consisting of hills and plains, and sandy silt soils. While the region has been making wine for four millennia, until recently, the rest of the world has had very little exposure to the wines of the region. That is changing, however, and Veneto is going through a winemaking revolution, with an in ux of new winemakers, new technologies, and new ideas. Today, the region is viewed as one that can produce excellent wines of great value.
Specifications
Price Comparison
$156/case MSRP (not available online)
About The Winery
Winery: Don Sebastiani & Sons
Innovation Rooted in Sonoma
Founded in 2001; rooted in tradition and driven by innovation, Don Sebastiani & Sons is among the nation’s leading producers of fine wines and first-rate spirits.
Don Sebastiani and his two sons; Donny and August, established “Don Sebastiani & Sons” in 2001. Today the company is led by Donny Sebastiani, great–grandson of Samuele the Sebastiani patriarch.
“The plan is to continue the progress that previous generations in my family have made,” says Donny. “I want to have a similar impact on the wine industry. We are focusing on appellation-driven wines that appeal to a more wine-savvy audience.”
Rooted in the historic Sonoma Valley since 1904, with additional winery operations in Napa Valley, the family-owned company business encompasses complementary beverage categories, including a robust portfolio of wines sourced from premier growing regions throughout the world; and a line of award-winning spirits, including Contigo, El Fumador, and El Macho artisanal tequila brands hand-made in Jalisco, Mexico.
Donny continues, “At the end of the day, I’ve learned that the best thing a company can offer is well-made products of consistent quality. That’s our family tradition, and that continues to be our vision for Don & Sons.”
Available States
CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA, WA, WV, WI
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, September 13th - Monday, September 17th
Huh, well that’s a bit different! So is it made in Italy/bottled here, or is it some sort of distribution thing, or is it sourced from Italy but vinted here, does anyone know?
@novium Sourced in Italy and the winemaker, Greg Kitchens, is in Sonoma, so I think it is the latter.
@novium @ThomasF @winedavid49 @ThomasF Would be nice to see bottle shots with front/back labels that you could zoom on. Don’t think we’ve seen that since the woot days.
@kaolis @novium @Winedavid49 Think I figured it out, found the back label!
@ThomasF ty!
@kaolis @ThomasF Aha! Thanks!
I’m confused - are the grapes for this wine sourced from Puglia (Southern Italy, the heel of the boot) or the Veneto (Northeastern Italy)? The backstory above for Il Donato references both, but those regions are responsible for grapes that make very different wines.
As far as I know, Puglia isn’t particularly known for Pinot Grigio (I believe typically jammier Reds, and Whites with more residual sugar), while Northern Italy is much more amenable to quality production of the Pinot grapes.
@alexa84 That was my question, too. How could something coming from Pugila have an “IGT delle Venezie” appellation?
This also didn’t make sense: “Il Donato’s offerings [sic] are particularly remarkable, with many winemakers considering it [sic] Puglia’s best vintage in over 30 years.” Are the wines labelled “Il Donato” only from the one vintage?
@alexa84 @winedavid49 the appellation descriptions do not compute. Someone needs to look at a map of Italian wine regions and sort this out. $6 a bottle for Veneto Pinot Grigio could be a great deal. For Puglia, not so much…
I’m pretty sure ther is a mistake here.
@alexa84 @rpm @Winedavid49 Yep, looks like descriptions got mixed. Will edit out Puglia, as today’s is an IGT delle Venezie appellation.
I ordered a case, because I enjoy a pinot grigio and the price is right. In reviewing the comments, I learned alot about fedex deliveries and appreciated the one lab rat report. Hopefully it won’t disappoint. I can always use it for cooking if it ends up tasting like a $6 bottle of wine.