Once Upon A Vine

23/07/2024

"You can call it orange wine, or amber wine, or skin-contact white wine. You can call it unusual. But what you can't do is ignore it ..."

Read more about this oldest of winemaking techniques (white grapes vinified with the skins) and don't forget to use this week's special discount code at checkout to save an awesome 20% on all 'orange' wines!!

- https://onceuponavine.sg/blogs/news/gimme-some-skin

19/07/2024

Aglianico ... important red grape of Italy, known as the 'Barolo of the South' for its ability to age and develop in the bottle. 🍇 Loved for its dark, brooding character. ♥️ The Heathcliff of wines, if you will 🔥 🍷 🥰

Where can you find an Agliainco to taste? 🤔 We stock the gorgeous MILITUM CHRISTI made from 100% Agliainco grapes, by family winery Cianfagna of Molise (the 'secret' of southern Italy). 🇮🇹 🍷 😍 Psst! Now less than 1 case of the 2008 left in Singapore!!! ⏰

⭐️ Use the code SECRET when you buy any wine from Cianfagna (or truffle product from Centro Tartufi Molise) ... but be quick - promo ends midnight on Sunday (21/7)! ⭐️

Shop here: https://bit.ly/secretmolise



P.S. That's a reference to Heathcliff, the enigmatic hero/anti-hero of Bronte's awesome Wuthering Heights (not Heathcliff, the orange cartoon cat that came before the now more famous Garfield - my own cat's doppelganger)

18/07/2024

Find your passion and then find someone to share it with too! ☺️ Or the other way round 🤪 Wine tasting, wine studies, wine exams … all much more fun with someone else by your side!! 🥰 🍇🍷🤓📖

16/07/2024

� Fabulous wine from Molise = on SALE until Sunday! �

Fall in love with rare grape Tintilia � and don't miss the chance to taste beautifully aged Aglianico � with a special 15% discount when you order online this week.

Psst! Sign up to our newsletter, so you never miss a promotion!! �

Use the code SECRET to save 15% on the entire Cianfagna collection, or click this link: https://bit.ly/secretmolise

11/07/2024

🥂”Cheers!” 🤩 Postman delivered something exciting 👏🏻 🇮🇹 🍇🍷🥰

Italian Wine Scholar (highest honours) ✔️ … and now? 🤔 Which wine course next???!!! 📖🤓 Wine Scholar Guild

09/07/2024

Proud of myself tonight for a “mic drop” moment at a Riesling tasting 😝 thank you

09/07/2024

Riesling focus tonight … from trocken to auslese; from “estate” level to single vineyard (and up to 17 passes through the vineyard to pick for the correct berry ripeness) it’s a pleasure and privilege to taste such a delicious range of wines!!

09/07/2024

Up at the wine bar, enjoying a cheeky glass, ahead of another masterclass - the learning never stops!! 😝 Tonight we’ll be going full Riesling 🤪

09/07/2024

15% off biodynamic wines - the Serra San Martino collection!

Explore gorgeous blends or stunning single varietal wines... made from local vine Montepulciano; international grapes Syrah and Merlot; and the 'stranger' from next-door (Sagrantino - the healthy heart grape). Something for everyone!! 🙂

TOP PICK = LYSIPP 🏆 Premium Montepulciano 🍇 🍷 (see photo) available as MAGNUM while stocks last...

The facts on SERRA SAN MARTINO: Central Italy (east). Marche. 200km east of Florence. 20 km from the Adriatic Sea in the Ancona hinterland (along the Apennine Mountains). This husband and wife team are certified biodynamic and create minimal intervention, non filtered, high quality, artisan wines, in very small-production numbers.

Enjoy your 15% discount when you shop online with the code BIO15 (until midnight Sunday 14 July)!

05/07/2024

🍾🍾 🥂 Pop, pour and then pour some more... in our 25% shelf sale!!! 🥳

One bottle of bubbles is never enough, so get your hands on the last few magnums of this fabulous EXTRA BRUT while you can!!! 🍾🍾 🥂

The winery: Pojer and Sandri have built an incredible winery in the Dolomite mountains of Trentino, with dedication to innovation alongside traditional styles. They work with both international grapes (such as the classic 'Champagne grapes' used in their 'Champagne style' bubbles - Chardonnay and Pinot) as well as key local grapes like Nosiola and Lagrein. 🥰

Who should try EXTRA BRUT by Pojer e Sandri? 🤔 Lovers of Champagne, Cava, Cap Classic, ESW (English Sparkling Wine) and any bubbly made using the 'traditional method' with second fermentation in the bottle, which adds texture from the extended lees ageing. ⭐️ MAGNUM (150cl) U.P. $149 > Sale Price $111.75 ⭐️

What's the promo? 🤔 Save 25% on nearly 200 wines, including EXTRA BRUT (magnum), when you use the code CLEAR25 on a minimum $200 order ONLINE before midnight Sunday (7/7) 🎉

04/07/2024

⭐️ AMARONE down from $99 to $74.25 for this week only!!! 🍷 🎉

Biodynamic estate Tasi focus on historic wines of the Veneto, including a highly-rated Amarone (4.3* vivino rating - "well balanced ripe tannins, aromas of dried fruits and spices. Long and persistent finish") 🏆 🍷

Their 2016 is eligible for our 25% discount while stocks last, but be quick ... less than 2 cases left in SG!!! ⏰

Who should drink this wine? 🤔 If you like your wines rich, concentrated and with a long finish, then get your hands on an Amarone ... or other passito wines (made by the appassimento process of drying grapes*). 🍇

How does the discount work? Easy ... choose your favs (spend $200 or more) and use code CLEAR25 at checkout to see 25% OFF a huge collection of our fabulous wines, but do it before SUNDAY 7/7 ⏰

* GEEK OUT TIME 🤓 This special winemaking style has a long history in Italy, going back to before the Romans, when the best wines were sweet. 🍇 Today many passito wines are sweet (like Recioto di Valpoicella and Recioto di Soave, but also Vine Santo etc) but thanks to a lucky 'accident' in a Valpolicella winery, back in the early 20th century, the dry and 'amaro' (bitter) version was created. In the 1990s this dry red wine gained a reputation as one of Italy's most important wines. 🍷 The process is still time consuming (fully ripe grapes must spend several months being air dried, to allow water to evaporate, thus concentrating the acid, tannin, aromas and flavours) but the result is an opulent wine, capable of reaching high alcohol levels. Experienced wineries like Fasoli Gino (and the younger Tasi estate, run by 3 friends who grew up under the tutelage of the Fasoli Gino winemakers) know how to create a balance between power and elegance. They also enjoy experimenting with wine outside the Amarone DOCG like appassimento Merlot or Cabernet. There is even an appassimento Barbera now available from Castello Di Cigognola, so look out for that label if you want something super rare. Whichever wine you try, expect an Amarone of appassimento to be big, bold and beautiful to finish the evening! 😋

04/07/2024

4.5* vivino RED on promo this week... 🍷 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 😍️️️️️ "so smooth" says one happy drinker 😉

Nicola would love you to taste his flagship red, JANU - lovingly crafted from his oldest vines of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, located close to the cellar at his Vasto winery. 🥰. This wine is one of the most 'famous' in our collection - so many delicious vintages have been opened and enjoyed over the last 10 years, at our many many wine tasting events here in Singapore!!! 🏆 It was a TOP SELLER at our fabulous Wine Fairs and a great choice for gifts! 🎁

Who should try this wine? 🤔 Anyone who likes a deep, rich, decadent expression of this indigenous Italian grape! 🍇

What's the promo? 🤔 Save 25% on nearly 200 wines, including JANU by Nicola Jasci, when you use the code CLEAR25 on a minimum $200 order ONLINE before midnight Sunday (7/7) 🎉
.. BUT ... be quick: less than 2 cases left in Singapore!!! ⏰

04/07/2024

25% SALE ends soon... use code by Sunday (7/7)!!! ⏰

Laura's top pics - from nearly 200 labels on promo - includes the elegant CHARDONNAY Lange DOC by Barolo winery BREZZA (run by Enzo, 4th generation winemaker at this charming and historic estate) at $36.75 after discount 🏆 That's a proper bargain, for such a great wine made by such a prestigious Piemonte estate 😋 "It's a deal. It's a steal ... Actually ... I think I'll keep it."*

How do you save 25% this week? Easy - use the code CLEAR25 on a minimum $200 spend and let us delivery your fabulous vino direct to your door 🚗 🍷 🥳

* from the awesome Guy Ritchie film of 1998 'Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels' ;-)

01/07/2024

Our biggest sale, ever! ⭐️ 25% off 200+ artisan wines!

Help us make space on the shelves for new vintages … by stocking your fridge with fantastic wines ready to drink now! 🥳

Use the code CLEAR25 for a limited time only to save 25% on all the labels in our 'Summertime Shelf Space SALE' collection.

Start shopping here: https://ow.ly/kJUg50SkvGe

T&C: minimum spend $200; order by midnight 7/7; delivery within 1 month; enter code online at checkout.

28/06/2024

Celebrate my recent exam … with our 15% sale on wines of central and south Italy!! 🤩

Italy boasts a few special locations (and grapes) for producing rosato, such as the Chiaretto of Veneto, the Salice Salentino of Apulia and this gorgeous Cerasuolo of Abruzzo made from the Montepulciano grape. Its name is a reference to its cherry colour and its known and loved for its bold aromas and rich character, with a balance of ripe fruit and savoury notes. Such a flexible food-pairing wine. Go grab a bottle now!! 🍇🥰🍷

Use the code EXAM15 on a minimum order of 2 bottles (mix and match any labels from central and south Italy) by midnight Sunday (30 June)!!

28/06/2024

Looking for some down-to-earth wine advice? Enjoy a few minutes with Jancis and her thoughts on finding the best ‘value’ wine (not same as price), or the unnecessary weight of some bottles, or the food-pairing power of rose!! ☺️

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Hear from Master of Wine Jancis Robinson as she debunks some of the most common wine myths that keep wine drinkers from making good wine choices. 00:10 - Why...

25/06/2024

Yes, I’m such a that I wore my resveratrol earrings for my wine exam yesterday!! 🤪🍇🍷📖🤓

23/06/2024

Someone’s making it hard for me to study today!!! 🤪 📖🍇🍷🤓

22/06/2024

3rd vintage of this Essex Chardonnay… and it’s delicious!!!

22/06/2024

English Wine Week in SG … part 2 🤩🥂🍷🥰

22/06/2024

Fantastic lineup of ESW this afternoon (honouring English Wine Week here in Singapore)!! So many of these vines grow under 30 mins drive from where we grew up, so it’s making me a little homesick 😝😝

21/06/2024

Taking the / up a notch, comparing a stunning Etna with a superb Brunello (Nerello Mascalese vs Sangiovese) 😉👏🏻🍇🍷🤓📖

As always recommends - we LEARN by DRINKING !!!

Exam countdown … 2 days 🤯🤯🤯

21/06/2024

Comparing these potential ‘sibling’ varieties, that both share similarities with Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and other rare, ancient vines!! 🍇📖🍷🤓

Gaglioppo (“beautiful foot”) of Calabria tends to produce ruby wines either red fruit notes and dusty tannins; Nerello Mascalese (“black of Mascali”) wines of Etna are loved for their “obvious nobility” (J.R.) showing great site sensitivity and often a ‘Burgundian’ complexity across the various Contrada!!! 😋

21/06/2024

Studies are always better with wine!! 😜 It’s time for some Sicilian beauties, like the gorgeous Carricante and Nerello Mascalese of Mount Etna, that show their best when grown on the slopes of Europes most active volcano 🥰

21/06/2024

Happy 'Lambrusco' Day! 🍇 🥂

Did you know that in Piemonte, near Turin, they have a long tradition of sparkling red wines (similar to those from Lambrusco). And just like that more famous appellation, they have often been misunderstood, The 'sweetness' ranges from bone dry to semi-sweet, but rarely the fully sweet style associated with cheap fizz of the 1980s ;-)

Explore the fizzy reds by Cascina Gilli ... like the tasty LUNA Di MAGGIO (from local Freisa grape) named for the May moon after harvest, when it's traditionally bottled. "Nose bursts with fresh strawberries and on the palate it's bright and fruity with a touch of tannin that gives a savoury edge to the finish."

Good news - you can try this fun wine for just $33.15 a bottle if you buy before the 25% sale ends!! Check the website for full T+C on the Summertime Shelf Space SALE that features 75% of our portfolio (while stocks last)!

20/06/2024

20/06/2024

Might have to unwrap this beauty for later, as my wine exam studies move on to Molise 👏🏻🤓🍇📖🍷😋

Not tried a Molise wine yet? Now’s the perfect time - our special 25% sale includes different labels that showcase the rare local grape Tintilia del Molise, including the beautifully-aged 2011 Gran Maestro pictured here. 🥰

Tintilia grapes make full-bodied reds with “fresh acidity and fine tannins”. Expect an “aromatic profile of flowers, ripe plum, underbrush, leather, licorice and spice”. Tintilia is still only about 2% of Molise’s vine plantings (Montepulciano takes up c. 50%) and it’s pretty much non-existent outside this tiny Italian region, with very little exported. It’s certainly a rarity for the Singapore market. On top of all this, Gran Maestro is only made in exceptional years with the 2011 vintage limited to a production of 2,600 (number handwritten on the neck of every bottle)!!! So, don’t wait too long … grab a bottle while you can at our best sale price ever 🎉

19/06/2024

“If you don’t like it, go and drink something else … there’s plenty of good wine in the world!” … and the same for which vine to plant … and I’m tempted to extrapolate to most things in life - if what you’re doing, or who you’re spending time with, doesn’t make you happy - well, life is short; so move on and live life!!! In all its fabulous uncertainty and wonder ☺️

19/06/2024

Empty glasses, soon to be filled with delicious Yarra wine ℅ Mac Forbes!!

18/06/2024

Taste like a Roman!! 🤩 🇮🇹 🥂 The residents of Rome are lucky to have vineyards just outside their city walls, many planted on hills that overlook the Eternal City and remind us of viticulture’s ancient traditions (especially the importance of selecting grapes that suit a specific climate, soil, exposure and food-pairing)!!

The white of the ROMA DOC showcases Lazio’s local vine, Malvasia del Lazio - known as Malvasia Puntinata, for the black dots (punti) that appear on the skins as the berries ripen 🤓 Get a bottle right here in Singapore, with 25% off, when you shop online in our Summertime Shelf Space Sale 🎉