Diego Conterno 21, Nascetta, Langhe 2021

Bart here. Katie and I and our spouses were asked to meet at Newport Grill for an engagement celebration. Ben Shultz, until recently General Manager at Chester’s and our good friend and mentor we met while practicing service, had asked for his lovely girlfriend’s hand in marriage, and their new adventure was launched. Sadly for us, they will be moving to Arkansas to be closer to family.  At Newport we met up with George’s Youssef and his wife Desiree as well. We were seated and served by our old friend Stephen Brumble, CMS level 2 and WSET level 2 sommelier who guided Katie and I on our sommelier journey.  George’s, one of the owners of Chester’s, and Ben, his general manager, further guided us along and allowed us access to the Chester’s clientele as sommelier “interns” as we studied for level 2. Getting everyone together in one place was very special for us! We could not have done it without them!

Stephen had opened a bottle of Diego Conterno 21, Nascetta, Langhe, Italy 2021 for friends earlier in the evening and wanted us to try it.  

Three years of studying, and I had never heard of this grape. Nascetta, a beloved grape in the past, was nearly lost to extinction in the early 1990s. The Langhe region in Italy fortunately stepped up to reintroduce their native grape. While regionally rapidly growing inpopularity, it remains rare on the world stage. Stephen had evidently been able to source some for Newport Grill.  A delicate floral nose of honeysuckle with ripe peaches, tropical fruits, and a touch of soft mineral.  It truly was silky smooth on the palate—delightful.  It may be somewhere between white Burgundy and a dry Riesling (but it was late in the evening, so don’t hold me to this). We had just met for drinks but were provided with Ceviche, the chef’s daily fresh fish creation of citrus-cured seafood.  The Nascetta was at home, just as if we were at some seaside village in Italy.  Maybe it was the company, the ambiance of Newport, or maybe it was truly that good.