Blog

Rohesia isn’t just Negroamaro Rosato anymore.

By Paolo

Every rose is unique. And every rose conveys a different message, every time. And that message is an expression of the elegance that makes an entire species of flower unique. The message is just about color. It’s a message about a particular type of talent. A sort of vocation, just like that of sunlight which shifts its tonality depending on the time of day. And this is how a polychromy of passions comes into being. These passions are what inspired our new line of wines, Rohesia. A triptych. Red. White. Rosé. No longer just Negroamaro Rosato but now also Malvasia Bianca and Susumaniello. With the launch of these wines, our Rohesia brand is in the spotlight. Its potential is greater than ever and its symbolic roots have now fanned out into three different declinations.

Continue reading Rohesia isn’t just Negroamaro Rosato anymore.
An Easter message from the Cantele family

By Do Bianchi

Happy Easter and happy holidays from all the families at the Cantele winery to you and yours.

We hope that you and your families are healthy and safe and that you are able to enjoy the spring holiday season despite the need for social distancing.

Here in Salento, we are busy working in the vineyards and at the winery.

Viticulture and agriculture are considered essential businesses and so the winery is still up and running (although we are not hosting guests or wine tastings, for obvious reasons). And our wines will be leaving soon for the U.S.

But we are taking every step and precaution to make sure that our employees stay safe and healthy.

In the photo above, taken the other day in one of our vineyards here in Salento, you can see that the vines are beginning to flower. It’s a sign that the vegetative cycle — the cycle of life — has been renewed just as it is every year during spring. It reminds us that despite the enormous challenges we are all facing right now, the world of wine continues its journey from vine to glass as it has for millennia.

We will get through this — together. And we’ll look forward to when we will be able to raise a glass wine together, here in Italy and in America.

In the meantime, wishing you a happy Easter and holiday season from the Cantele Winery.
Prowein cancelled, Vinitaly postponed: The latest updates.

By Do Bianchi

We are closely monitoring the wine trade fairs and the new dates as they are announced (nearly all the major wine industry gathering have been postponed in response to the ongoing global health crisis).

Here are the most recent updates:

CANCELLED: Prowein 2020, regularly held in March, has been cancelled this year. The next fair will take place Sunday, March 21 – Tuesday March 23, 2021.

POSTPONED: Vinitaly 2020 has been rescheduled from its regular April dates to Sunday, June 14 – Wednesday, June 17, 2020.

If you’re traveling for wine in coming months, be sure to follow best practices for staying healthy.

See this link from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for best ways to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Travel safe and healthy!
Taste with Paolo in Houston (Feb. 18) and Boulder (Feb. 22)

By Do Bianchi

No need to register. Just come, taste, and chat!

Vinology (Houston)
Tuesday, February 18
6:30 p.m.

Boulder Wine Merchant (Boulder, obviously)
Saturday, February 22
5:30 p.m.
U.S. friends: Please voice your concerns about pending wine tariffs by writing to your representatives

By Do Bianchi

American friends and wine lovers,

As you are probably already aware, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is currently considering the implementation of 100 percent tariffs on wines produced in the European Union, including Italian wines.

Using the first two links below, you can writes to your representatives in congress expressing your concern (it takes just a few clicks to fill out the form and generate a pre-written “form” letter that will be sent to your senators and your congressperson).

The third link can be used to post a comment on the USTR website. The deadline for submitting comments to the USTR is Monday, January 13.

Thank you for making your voice heard.

Write to your senators (via the National Association of Wine Retailers):
https://account.votility.com/enterprise/NAWR/ec/697

To your congressperson (via the National Association of Wine Retailers):
https://account.votility.com/enterprise/NAWR/ec/698

To the United States Trade Representative (USTR):
https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=USTR-2019-0003-2518

The deadline to register your concern with the USTR is Monday, January 13.
Happy Holidays!

By Do Bianchi

Wishing all of our friends, across the world, a happy holiday season from all the families at the Cantele family winery!

Thanks for being here in 2019. We look forward to seeing you in 2020!
Cantele Chardonnay Teresa Manara brings home top honor at Bibenda gala

By Do Bianchi

On Saturday, November 30, the editors of the Bibenda guide to the wines of Italy held their annual gala awards ceremony at one of Rome’s ritziest hotels.

Paolo Cantele was on hand to receive the Cinque Grappoli (Five Bunches) award, the publication’s top ranking, for Cantele’s 2017 Late Harvest Chardonnay Teresa Manara.

This wine has a special place in the Cantele family’s heart: It’s named after the grandmother to the current generation, the woman who fell in love with Salento and decided that she and her husband should relocate there in the years that followed World War II.

It’s also a special wine because it was winemaker Gianni and export director Paolo’s father, Augusto Cantele, who became a pioneer of Italian Chardonnay when he began making the wines in Salento in the late 1990s.

As Paolo wrote on the estate’s Facebook, “it’s an award that we are proud of, as winemakers and as Pugliesi.”

The Bibenda guide to the wines of Italy is one of Italy’s most prestigious. For five decades, its editors have been publishing some of the country’s most respected guides to Italian wines, olive oils, and distillates. In 2013 it created the Italian Sommelier Foundation to expand its reach into wine education. It’s widely considered to be one of Italy’s most important food and wine-focused associations in the world. The Cantele family couldn’t be more thrilled to receive this top award.

Image via the official Bibenda Facebook.
Happy Thanksgiving!

By Do Bianchi

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends in the U.S.!

Wishing you and yours a happy and healthy holiday season!
For your holiday consideration: Cantele Rosato

By Do Bianchi

One of our most popular wines in the U.S., the Cantele Rosato is made from 100 percent Negroamaro grapes. The fruit is sourced from our top vineyards: The same grapes that are used to make our top Negroamaro also go into this beautiful pink wine.

With just enough tannic structure to make it perfect for the holiday feast, its freshness and bright flavors make it a wine that everyone at the Thanksgiving table will enjoy.

Having trouble finding it in your market? Please don’t hesitate to reach out to our American blogmaster here. He’ll be happy to help you source it in your city.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our friends in the U.S. Wishing you and family a happy and healthy holiday season!
“Smart Buy”: Wine Spectator features Cantele Salice Salentino, 90 points

By Do Bianchi

We’re thrilled to share the news that Cantele’s 2015 Salice Salentino Riserva is featured in this month’s issue of Wine Spectator!

Here’s what senior editor Alison Napjus had to say in her tasting note for the wine:

Cantele 2015 Salice Salentino Riserva
90 points
“Smart Buy”

This fresh, medium-bodied red shows a lovely mix of ripe red and black fruit, currant, raspberry and blackberry flavors, with light, creamy tannins and hints of iron and herb. Drink now through 2024.

Alison Napjus
Wine Spectator
November 2019