
Cellar Fine Wines of Essex added Boulder, Colorado’s Sanitas Brewing Company to its beer portfolio. Sanitas, now available in 12-oz. cans, includes Grand Cru, Black IPA, Saison, American IPA, Cherry Saison and Citrus Lager, all handcrafted using sustainable methods. Co-founders Chris Coyne and Michael Memsic say the inspiration for their logo, an owl and star, was an owl who would perch in a nearby tree and observe late-night brewing sessions and brand meetings. The star represents the icon once adorned on breweries from Belgium to Germany, whose points represent malted barley, grain, hops, water, yeast, and the brewer, “elemental ingredients in quality beer.”
On March 6, Cellar Fine Wines welcomed Winemaker Enrico Chioccioli to the state in support of launching new portfolio additions from the Italian wine line. Chioccioli Altadonna Family Estate Wines sits on 39 1/2 acres in Tuscany and has been operating for two generations. Cellar Fine Wines launched the new wine selections with a sales presentation at its Essex warehouse, followed by an in-store tasting on March 7 at Madison Wine Shop.
- The Citrus Lager is a California-style lager “fermented with lager yeast and brewed with organic Mexican limes and American oranges.”
- The American IPA is gold in color with ripe pineapple and “dank grassy hop undertones followed by bold bitterness.”
- Sanitas Saison is the brewery’s take on a classic Saison expression, with tangerine and bubble-gum-like Belgian yeast, offering grassy hop aromas.
- Enrico Chioccioli presenting to the Cellar Fine Wines sales team in Essex. One of two sons of Stefano Chioccioli, an award-winning winemaker, brothers Niccolò and Enrico Chioccioli Altadonna strive to produce high quality Italian wine from their Tuscany estate from harvest to bottling.
- Chioccioli Altadonna Family Estate Wines Rosalto and Ororosa, both rosés.
- All with Cellar Fine Wines except where indicated: Rich Veilleux, General Manager; Whitney Mitchell Algieri, Sales Rep., New Haven County; Janeen Carabetta, Marketing Manager; Andrew Clas, Sales Rep., Fairfield County; Enrico Chioccioli, Brand Manager, Chioccioli Altadonna Family Estate Wines; Andy Fredericksen, Craft Beer Manager; George Carabetta, Operations Manager; Anna Dziedzik, Sales Rep., Middlesex & Hartford Counties; Jeff Sharp, Sales Rep., Hartford & Litchfield Counties.