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Biography |
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Home > People
> Marco D’Ambrosio |
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Marco D’Ambrosio
Fine-wines sales representative for Alaska
Distributors Co.
President and Creator of www.PairingWine.com
Born and raised in Abruzzo, Italy, Marco has always been
involved in wine. Since his childhood, he has been helping his
grandfathers in the whole winemaking process: from planting,
training and pruning the vines to harvesting and making this
wonderful product we all rave about. His education though has
always been business oriented. After completing a Master in
Economics and Management with a dissertation entitled “The Wine
Marketing and the Information Technology” Marco decided to cover
the wine world at 360° by taking and successfully passing the
Sommelier training with the Italian Sommelier Association (A.I.S.)
in 2004.
In January 2005 the big step: moving to Seattle. Since then,
Marco worked as a Sommelier at the private club The Ruins and
then joined Alaska Distributors Co. in 2006 , one of Seattle’s
major importer/wholesaler of wine, spirits and beer. His
objective is to educate his customers and at the same time being
a consultant to wine stewards, helping them create more
interesting and food-friendly wine lists. He believes that
education never stops and for this reason he is constantly
trying to expand his wine-knowledge by reading technical
information about wine, appellations and almost everything that
is “Vino-related.”
“It is vital for me to understand every step of this
industry. After being a wine buyer, working in distribution was
a natural progression. Being on this side of the business and
working for a very successful company allowed me to learn about
all the delicate synergies and politics of this very competitive
industry.”
Marco currently works with several high-profile accounts such
as Wild Ginger, Purple Café, Rovers, The Ruins, Volterra and
some of the Schwartz Brothers restaurants.
In the meantime, Marco has been working on his personal wine
project
www.PairingWine.com. His idea is to offer quality
wine-related education, with articles that range from food and
wine pairings to grape varietals, from correct tasting
procedures to wine growing countries and much more. Of course, a
wide array of Wine Reviews tries to give exposure to some of the
real interesting wines available on the market. In just a few
words PairingWine.com wants to be an educational resource that
uncovers the mysteries of the wine world. |
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Personal
Picks |
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Trimbach Gewurztraminer
2004 (France) $19
F.E.Trimbach is certainly one of the most respected Alsatian houses.
Their wines are consistent year in year out and their style is
classic. The 2004 vintage was very good in Alsace and allowed the
grapes to reach perfect maturity without compromising the acidic and
mineral content. This wine is a textbook Gewurztraminer with a
brilliant golden colour and very spicy and parfumy nose. The grapes
were sourced from both Trimbach's own vineyards and from long-term
contracted vineyards. At the nose this Gewurztraminer is extremely
intense and persistent and shows aromas of rose petals, lychee
fruit, and spices. At the palate the wine is full-bodied, fresh,
mineral and very fruity. The finish is dry and spicy. This
Gewurztraminer is an ideal candidate for spicy food pairings. Great
value!
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Feudi di San Gregorio
Rubato Aglianico 2004 (Italy) $15
Feudi di San Gregorio Rubrato Aglianico is made with declassified
Taurasi grapes. This wine represents for me the essence of
Campania's reds. It is a very bright ruby red wine with nice
intensity and persistence. The nose is fruity, spicy and also a
little rustic. The acidity level is high, tannins are firm and
exctraction is medium. The front palate shows red fruit and berries,
the middle palate mostly expresses the earthy-rustic components of
the wine and the finish is long, mineral and smooth. This wine is
perfect to pair with many southern italian dishes such as roasted
meats, salty cheeses, eggplant based dishes and game. Excellent wine
for the money!
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Feudi di San Gregorio
Serpico 2003 (Italy) $78
Feudi 2003 Serpico is probably the best red wine from southern
Italy. It is made with 100% Aglianico grapes from Irpinia in the
region of Campania. The name is dedicated to the home town of the
winery, Sorbo Serpico. The grapes are harvested from pre-philloxera
vines which are over a century old. Possibly this wine comes form
the oldest known vineyard in western Europe! The grape bunches
resemble cherry clusters and the berries are extremely small; it is
truly an amazing experience to try this wine. At the nose the 2003
Serpico is deep, complex and extracted. A light aroma of ash mixed
with oak and spices can be perceived after a few seconds. At the
palate this Aglianico is ample, very intense and persistent with
flavours of black cherry jam, coffee, chocolate and toasted spices.
The acidic and mineral level is high and tannins are very fine and
already fairly well integrated. There is even a light “savage”
component in the wine, very typical in many high quality red wines
from southern Italy. Feudi di San Gregorio Serpico is aged for 18
months in new French oak barrriques prior to release. Excellent.
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Marchesi di Barolo
Barolo Connubi 2001 (Italy) $80
Barolo wine was born in the cellars of Marchesi di Barolo. Today
this producer is one of the largest land-owner in the area with a
total property of 100 acres of vineyards. Marchesi di Barolo owns
about 30% of the Cannubi vineyards and 45% of the Sarmassa
vineyards. These numbers are very impressive, however what is even
more impressive is the quality of the wines in the bottle. This 2001
Barolo Cannubi is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes. After undergoing a
soft-press, the grapes are destemmed and fermented in small tanks at
a controlled temperature of 82°-86°F. Maceration lasts 12-14 days.
The wine is aged for two years in Slavonian oak casks followed by a
year in bottle prior to release. Barolo Cannubi is very elegant and
powerful at the same time. Cannubi soil is a mix of clay and
calcareous stone, with a thin layer of sand on top. The area is
hilly. This wine is rich in dark fruit flavours and spicy notes such
as cinnamon and cloves. At the nose, this Cannubi has also a floreal
character which reminds of violets and rose petals. This full-bodied
Barolo is very intense and persistent with a long tannic finish
which reminds of licorice and dark fruit. If well stored this 2001
Cannubi can easily age for 30 years. Marchesi di Barolo is a very
traditional producer which delivers consistent wines year in year
out.
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Chateau de Sancerre
Sancerre 2005 (France) $20
This is the only wine that can be sold under the exclusive name
Chateau de Sancerre. This Chateau has been built in the 10th century
and the property has been purchased by the Marnier-Lapostolle family
in 1919. This very classic Sancerre is completely stainless steel
fermented and kept on lees in order to preserve freshness. The
vineyard is south facing and includes clay, limestone and flint. The
2005 vintage is a little bit softer than 2004 . The wine shows a
great pale gold brilliant colour and nice fluid texture. At the nose
it is intense and persistent with notes of fresh flowers, peach and
melon. At the palate this Sancerre is sharp, vibrant, clean, fresh
and very mineral. The middle palate is fairly soft and quite
charming. The finish is long and intensely reminiscent of orange.
Wonderful wine to pair with shellfish, cheeses, poultry and white
fish in general.
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Fonterutoli Badiola 2004
(Italy) $14
Castello di Fonterutoli is one of Italy’s most prestigious estates
and it has been in the hands of the Mazzei family for 24 generations
since 1435. Fonterutoli Badiola is a blend of 75% Sangiovese and 25%
Merlot and probably represents the best fusion of old and new world
at this price. The grapes are hand harvested and fermented in
stainless steel for 2 weeks. The wine is then aged in French and
American oak barrels for 9 months. This tuscan IGT has a deep inky
purple hue and great extraction. At the palate the wine is an
explosion of wild berries and cocoa. It is soft, intense,
persistent, balanced and it shows creamy, well integrated tannins.
Summing up, it seems to drink a much more expensive wine.
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Chateau St. Georges 2000
(France) $36
Château St. Georges is one of those properties in Saint Emilion that
are loaded with history and tradition. The 50 hectares of vineyards
once belonged to king Henri. The wine is a blend of 60% Merlot, 20%
Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Cabernet Franc and it comes in a very
classic and elegant package. The wine has a deep purple hue and
robust texture. The nose expresses notes of black fruit, especially
blackberries, coffee nuances and also a little bit of toasted
chocolate. The palate is extremely elegant and clean with great
minerality and superb silky tannins. I would pair this wine with
cured meats, creamy cheeses, grilled meats and game.
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Gosset Brut Excellence
Non-Vintage (France) $42
Gosset is the oldest Champagne house in France: everything started
back in 1584. Since 1993 this brand is property of Béatrice
Cointreau. The blend is 42% Chardonnay (Cote de Blancs), 45% Pinot
noir Grands and Premiers Crus (Montagne de Reims and Vallée da la
Marne) and 13% Pinot Meunier (Vallée de la Marne). This Brut
Excellence N.V., like all the rest of Gosset champagnes, does not
undergo malolactic fermentation. The results are a richer
full-bodied style, an higher acidity and an extremely good aging
potential. This Champagne is extremely alive, it has a very fresh
attack and shows some complex earthy notes typical of the Pinot Noir
grape. The colour is a brilliant straw to golden yellow and the
perlage is quite nice. At the nose this Champagne offers notes of
pears, aromatic fruit and honey. At the palate the wine is slightly
dry, somewhat warm, rich and very fresh. The flavour reminds a
little bit of crisp fruit, citrus preserve, bread crust and honey.
The finish is long and slightly spicy. Gosset Brut Excellence N.V.
has a big personality and an amazing structure. It is quite
different from all the rest of the most famous Champagnes that
undergo malolactic fermentation. The richness of flavours and
minerality of this Cuvée, makes it very pleasant with all different
kinds of food. It is perfect as an aperitif or with fish dishes and
savory creamy sauces. Excellent and extremely well priced.
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