Rimessa Roscioli ZOOMRimessa Roscioli ZOOM

It’s with mixed emotions that I announce that today’s Wine In The Time of Coronavirus will be the last entry in the series.

Given the state of the global pandemic, and the fact that folks like me are now being invited to travel the globe again in search of unsung vinous treasures to tell you about, it seems fitting that from here on out any virtual tastings simply become features on those virtual tastings, without the pandemic baggage. Also, let’s just give my immature brain some props for avoiding the temptation to end the series on number 69 (niiiiiiiice)!

We’re sending this series off with a sample tasting of a handful of selections from Rimessa Roscioli‘s relatively new wine club. Roscioli is an historic Roman food and wine shop, along with a restaurant, all focusing on (wait for it…) Roman cuisine. Situated near Campo de’Fiori, they enjoy a gorgeous little spot smack dab in the historical center of Rome, originally founded as a bakery in 1967 (on a property that itself was a bakery since the 1800s… and even back to the Roman empire based on remains of an oven found there).

The wine club is the brainchild of Lindsay Gabbard and Alessandro Pepe, apparently stemming from a guided tasting idea inspired by a night out with Anthony Bourdain. Gabbard had “an absolutely incredible tasting” with Alessandro, and began working with him after moving to Italy from the U.S.

The wines in the club all have scan-able QR codes on back labels, linking to detailed stories on each producer/release. There are currently around 1,600 members in the club from the USA (all 50 states are covered in shipping). Most (90%) of the producers that they feature make less than 40,000 bottles/year (“MUCH less” according to Alessandro), with many being exclusive to the club. Interestingly, they’re looking into having their wines shipped completely via sailboat in a nod to sustainability. They’re also purchasing vineyards; as Gabbard put it, “We try to physically and tangibly work with producers and improve wine regions, and even save territories.”

The price to join ranges from 179€ to 1000€ for each 6-bottle shipment (24 bottles per year). Those looking to check them out in person but lacking boarding passes to Rome can check them out in NYC, as they’re planning on opening a Roscioli in SoHo in the Spring of 2023.

Are the selections as interesting as they sound on paper? Based on our tasting, the answer is “Yep!”

Rimessa Roscioli SummaRimessa Roscioli Summa Rimessa Roscioli GiarroccoRimessa Roscioli Giarrocco Rimessa Roscioli San GiovenaleRimessa Roscioli San Giovenale

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