“I am falser than vows made in wine,” William Shakespeare, As You Like it, III v, 73.
Recently, I was delighted to share a couple of hours with Jim Lo Duca, president of Lo Duca Brothers wine importers. His ebullience and enthusiasm were palpable as he related his family company’s history, products and future.
Founded in 1941 by Tom and Guy Lo Duca, the company cut its teeth on importing Italian-made accordions and other instruments, and the company purchased the Italian factory in 1950. (A tidbit of trivia: At one point, the accordions were sold by Sears under the Silvertone label.)
Jim attended Marquette High School, then Marquette University, graduating with degrees in accounting and law. These majors would serve him well in the coming years. In 1978, he took over the slowly growing company and, wearing his Marquette shades, applied himself to further growing this winner.
He noticed that Lo Duca’s instrument factories in Italy were nestled amid charming vineyards and began importing Italian wines. Thereafter, he would (and continues to) visit his cluster of small winemakers twice per year, tasting wine and animatedly discussing it as well as plotting Lo Duca’s future.
All of the wineries in Lo Duca’s portfolio are small and have a maniacal commitment to quality while selling in an attainable price range. I found myself spellbound as I watched Jim’s unbridled passion for his products and his future. I couldn’t resist asking him what’s in Lo Duca’s looking-glass, other than small lots of fine wine. One of his most exciting R & D projects is a red version of Mamertino, his rocketingly popular white wine.
Many of Lo Duca’s wines carry an attractive seal of the company’s name. To me, it looks like the equivalent of the old AAA signs that used to grace motels. Buy me, it declares!
Now, on to a tasting of Lo Duca’s selection of wines, all of which I found to be quite pleasant. Most of these wines are available in wine shops around town. As usual, I’m scoring them on my “A-“F” basis:
– 2008 Lo Duca Pinot Noir, $9.99: Light ruby, with a deep flowery nose redolent of cherries. Medium, lightly rich body and a clean finish. B
– 2003 Bosco Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, $12.99: This darkly garnet wine from central Italy had medium to heavy body with deep rich fruit and citrusy notes. Deep and spicy with a long finish. Fun! B+
– 2004 Pan Vino di Bosco, $15.99: A blend of 15 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 85 percent Montepulciano grapes, this deep, brooding wine was made with fruit from the Bosco Nestore estate. I found it resplendent with notes of deep berries and chocolate. As the kids would say, the finish rocks! A+
– 2009 Lo Duca Moscato D’Asti, $12.99: Made from the intriguingly beguiling grape Moscato, this had classic notes of flowers overlaid on the typical Moscato nature. It had light body with a touch of spritz (again, the French call this Petillance). Sweet and fun. Perfect for a picnic or a pleasant dessert. A-
– 2008 Mamertino, $9.99: This wine was commissioned when Julius Caesar was elected Counsel of Rome. Whereas it used to be a blend of grapes, it’s now 100 percent Chardonnay with a pleasant 9.5 percent alcohol level. It had light body and lightly flowery notes with a touch of spritz. Great summer wine! A
– Lo Duca Reggiano Lambrusco, $6.99: 100 percent Lambrusco grapes from Northern Italy. This had a medium-garnet shade with medium body. It was beautifully fruity with a zippy spritz and a clean, pleasant finish. Almost like a vinous soda! B+
Today’s winner was the Pan Vino di Bosco, which kept getting better. The price/value winner was the Mamertino. I can’t wait for the red!
Cheers!
