Author: Joey Ciaramitaro

Sports on Cape Ann LIVE! this week…..

Don’t miss the Boston Bruins Alumni vs the GHS Fishermen Alumni LIVE from THE TANK on Saturday @ 2 pm!

Please hit the SUBSCRIBE button on our YouTube page to be informed of all our great Sports and Event coverages here on Cape Ann (and share)!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKraUlQeiNYSnPLW0-Us_sA

Hi Joey,

Pamela from the Mayor’s office suggested I reach out to you. You might know me from Detali

 ( Pop-Up space on Main st. ). I’m Ukrainian, my entire family is still there and my friends. I try to support them as much as I can. 

Gloucester is going to have its first Ukrainian refugee, my friend Dima from Dnipro, Ukraine. 

He will be coming in February. I’ve created a fundraiser for his basic needs for the first few months of his transitional time: housing, transportation, food, bills, etc.

This is it:  Glosta for Ukraine

THIS SATURDAY, January 28, 2 – 4 pm

COMPLIMENTARY

FINE WINE TASTING @ SAVOUR WITH GARY BALLARD OF MS WALKER

Founded in Boston in 1933, M.S. Walker is a 5th-generation, family-owned wine and spirits importer and distributor, a spirit bottler, and a national supplier. They serve restaurants and retail shops throughout the Northeast, with direct operations in Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island and brokerage operations in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

Gary Ballard of MS Walker has been with us many times and is always a favorite! He has many years of experience, first in the restaurant business and now in the wine business. He has travelled all over the world with the distribution companies he has represented, so feel free to ask questions! He is very knowledgeable and engaging.

WINES

Novellum Chardonnay, Rousillon, France

Varietal: Chardonnay Alc.13%

 Chardonnay shows up in some remarkable places but few as breathtaking as the Roussillon, where the Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean. From vineyards just a stone’s throw from the beach and within view of the historic Mont Canigou, Eric Solomon and Jean-Marc Lafage have created Novellum, a refined, aromatic and elegant Chardonnay that is aged in tank and neutral French barrels. This is an area of Roussillon where Jean-Marc and Eliane Lafage have some Chardonnay planted near the Mediterranean that makes a remarkably complex and mineral version of the variety. A small percentage is aged in barrel – usually less than 30%. The remainder of the wine is aged in tank on the lees of Viognier. The 2020 Novellum Chardonnay has a medium gold hue as well as a rich, powerful bouquet of caramelized lemon, honeyed almonds, candle wax, and toasted bread. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and balanced, it is one of the best values in Chardonnay that you can find.

Pairs well with seafood, roasted chicken and creamy polenta. $ 14.99

Merlin Mâcon la Roche Vineuse 2019, Burgundy, France

Varietal: Chardonnay Alc.14.5%

Olivier Merlin and his wife, Corinne, began in 1987 by renting 4.5 hectares. Since then, Olivier has been buying the property in stages as well as adding new vineyards such as those in St Véran. Olivier has established a reputation as one of the region’s most dynamic growers, a reference point for the Mâconnais. The whites demonstrate his exceptional winemaking talents, and the potential of “lowly” appellations. They are frequently taken for Côte d’Or wines if tasted blind. The single-vineyard wines, including Mâcon-La Roche Vineuse, get 18 months barrel-ageing with 30 to 50% new wood. This old-vine cuvée is fermented and aged for the first year in oak, before moving to tank to avoid drying out. The nose is surprisingly serious, with some spicy oak reduction. It’s quite peachy and rounded initially on the palate, before a pleasing salinity arrives and tightens up the finish. It’s best to drink from now until 2025.

Pairs well with sushi, shellfish, and grilled chicken. $ 25.99

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella, Alto Adige, Italy

We have two selections from this southern Tyrolian winery. As archaeological finds prove, viticulture has been practiced on the sheltered slopes of the Isarco Valley for well over 2500 years. The Kloster Neustift is one of the oldest active wineries in the world, producing wine since 1142. Through donations, foundations, purchases and exchanges, the monastery acquired a sizeable portfolio of vineyards over the centuries; to this day the monastery is surrounded by vineyards. However, since the monastery was temporarily dissolved at the beginning of the 19th century, not all the vineyards are owned by the monastery. But the growers still deliver most of their grapes to the monastery, where they are processed into expressive wines in the monastery’s own winery. White and red wines that come from their own vineyards, whose fermentation and subsequent maturation take place only in steel tanks, in order to maintain the characteristics of fragrance and freshness that have always distinguished the region.

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella Kerner

Varietal: KernerAlc. 13.5%

Kerner is grown as a frost-resistant grape variety especially at higher elevations in the Val Venosta and Isarco Valley. This cross between Schiava (Vernatsch) and Riesling owes its name to the German poet Julius Kerner. The sleek, spicy white also reveals itself to be poetic in the glass when its subtle tones of nutmeg emerge from the abundance of aromas and its fine, fruity bouquet reveals the great potential of this wine. The Novacella Kerner is greenish yellow in color. Peaches, apricots, and tones of tangerines are present on the nose. It is very lively, juicy, and sleek on the palate, with a mineral-rich finish.

Pairs well with fish, spicy dishes, and vegetable dishes. $24 .99

Kloster Neustift Abbazia di Novacella Pinot Nero

Varietal: Pinot Nero Alc.13%

The Pinot Noir or Nero grape is considered one of the noblest red grapes worldwide and is another variety that belongs to the so called “international” grapes of French origin, but widely cultivated around the world. Pinot Nero is a difficult grape to grow and wine to make, and it is a challenge for every winemaker with results varying from vintage to vintage and area to area. The Pinot Nero is a grape variety very sensitive to the terroir, producing different interpretations depending on where the grapes are grown and the land and soil characteristics. In Italy, the grape is cultivated in the north, mainly in Trentino Alto Adige. The Novacella Pinot Nero is brick-red in color. A nose with aromas of sour cherries, red berries, plums, and forest floor is followed by an elegant, velvety, and juicy palate.

Pairs well with charcuterie, salmon, and mushroom risotto. $ 25.99

Bodegas Mas Que Vinos, Ercavio Tempranillo Viñas de Meseta 2017, Toledo, Spain

Varietal: Cencibel (Tempranillo) Alc.14.5%

Some very impressive wines have been coming from Spain recently, such as the bottles coming out of Bodegas Mas Que Vinos – arguably one of the country’s hottest producers right now. Bodegas Mas Que Vinos beautifully demonstrates what great shape their country’s wine scene is in right now. The winery has been running since the 1850s with the Rodriguez family at the helm. However, the new millennium called for a serious update of the way the winery was run. So Gonzalo Rodriguez, along with two friends, set up a new Mas Que Vinos winery. The three established new vineyards and improved the old ones and are producing modern Spanish wine from the amazing native grape varietals that flourish on their sun-baked land. This Tempranillo is a lot more fruit driven than most, with silky tannins due to careful winemaking and no use of oak. On the nose it has aromas such as violets and fresh berries, hints of chocolate and white pepper spice. The palate is pure, soft and very well balanced with a touch of creamy texture followed by a spicy finish. It’s one of those wines that will be perfect on its own but will also match well with food.

Pairs well with roast beef, garlic chicken, and prosciutto. $14.99

La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva 2018, Rioja, Spain

Varietals: Tempranillo Alc. 14.5%

One of the oldest wine collectives in Spain, five Basque and Rioja-based vine growers created “Sociedad Vinicola De La Rioja Alta ” in July of 1890. A year later the company changed names to La Rioja Alta, and they’ve been producing classic Spanish wines for over 120 years. Over a century of winemaking experience certainly teaches you something as La Rioja Alta is garnering some incredible press. Their young and fresh red 2018 Viña Alberdi, already a Reserva (Crianza in Spain), matured in oak barrel for two years, in new barrels for the first year and in aged barrels for the second year. 2018 was a year of lower alcohol and more freshness in the wines, and they thought the wines were not designed for the long haul; so, they didn’t produce any other wine; the only wine from 2018 is Viña Alberdi! It has a pretty nose of raspberries, cassis, fresh herbs, vanilla and sweet spices. It is medium-bodied with round tannins, a creamy and fruity-chocolatey character on the mid-palate, and a supple finish with excellent length. Tangy acidity. 100% Tempranillo. It has the potential to age.

Pairs well with cured meats, grilled chicken, and roasted lamb. $25.99

 And don’t forget to check out what’s new in our beer case, including Rockport Brewing’s black lager, Steel Derrick.

Find out about new wine arrivals and other events at Savour by following us n Facebook and Instagram. 

_______________________________________________________

Kathleen’s Price-Value Gems:

Unique to SAVOUR our three price-value collections, with

each category ($9.99ers – $14.99ers -$19.99ers) offering hundreds of wines.

at one price, personally curated by Kathleen, some have limited availability.

9.99ers…the quality is taste delivering above-price enjoyment …Value!

14.99ers…exhibiting qualities of complexity…Elevating the Experience!

19.99ers…value laden wines by innovative vintners…Expect Exceptional!

Adding to this Saturday’s wine tasting with Gary Ballard is Savour’s Everyday Tech Tastings at the North Shore’s Only Digital Wine Machine. Fun to use and enjoy! Taste up to 20 wines with new selections regularly added…& yes, complimentary. Kathleen welcomes your questions for food pairings.

Welcome Your Donation in any amount for Pathways for Children.

Thank You! …Kathleen

 For Your Mobile Calendar – July

Savour Wine Tastings!

January 28 – Gary Ballard of M.S. Walker

Jan. 30 – Feb. 6 – Savour Closed for Winter Break

Feb. 11 – Gordon Alexander – Owner, Terroir Wines

Feb. 18 – Chris Hoffman of Oz Wines

Feb. 25 – Marc Bergeron of Masciarelli Wines

Continuing to offer a case discount 0f 10% on wines and all items purchased with the case to all customers. Wine Club members get 5% off on 6 bottles and all items purchased with the 6 bottles. Thanks again for your support!

 We continue using our 5 Molekule high performance air purification units that clear the air of 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and allergens every hour, store wide.

We are pleased to continue curbside pickup service

Savour Wine & Cheese l 76 Prospect St. l Gloucester l 978. 282 .1455

Savour Wine and Cheese

76 Prospect St.

Gloucester, Ma 01930

978 282-1455

www.savourwineandcheese.com

Game Changer. I can’t wait to get one. All I can thing about!

The 10th Annual Bluefin Blowout, presented by Lyon-Waugh Auto Group and hosted by The Hotel at Cape Ann Marina, benefiting the Alzheimer’s Association
July 25th – 27th Tournament
July 24th Bluefin Bash Fundraiser
.
Need a place to stay?
Book your hotel today!
Use code BFB23 at The Hotel at Cape Ann Marina
OR
Visit Beauport Hotel Gloucester

FIG’S FIGHT:

The Go Fund Me Here- https://www.gofundme.com/f/figs-fight-against-stage-4-melanoma

With every dark cloud there is a silver lining… The dark cloud is Rich is in bad shape and the only way to get him back to Boston is by Med-flight.

The silver lining is that all of your donations will cover almost all of this unexpected expense which is close to $33k. So as soon as a bed opens at Mass General, Rich will be on his way to be accepted as a surgical patient (expediting the normal process by 3-4 days) as his spleen is of major concern.

Though he isn’t nearly out of the woods yet, without all the support from this community his situation would most definitely be much worse.

Special thanks to Rich’s brother and sister in law as well as Sarah’s aunt for fronting the expense until the Go Fund Me donations are available.

Back here at home, this group is focused on even more fundraising now as this setback has almost burned through all our efforts to date. So get a friend and bring them to the event!

***JANUARY 23rd -IMPORTANT UPDATE!!!**

Unfortunatley, Rich needs our help more now than ever!!!

 Latest update below (as of 1/23/23)

Rich has had a dull pain in the area where they removed his kidney back in October, and doctors had chalked it up to a muscle strain because he went back to playing gigs a month after the surgery.

This past week, Rich, Sarah, Emmy, and Sarah’s parents flew down to Florida to visit family. ⁣ ⁣ While there he spiked a fever, had chills, and was in unbearable pain. After consultation with his oncologist back in Boston it was recommended he get a scan immediately at the local hospital in Stuart, FL. (which by the way this hospital is absolutely NOT equipped to manage Rich’s pain or his illness)!⁣ ⁣

After multiple scans, they discovered a mass on his spleen. They are awaiting pathology to determine what this mass is. In addition it appears the scan shows melanoma has spread to his liver. We are completely devastated as we know he’s out of FDA approved treatment options. Please pray as hard as you can for a trial he can qualify for. ⁣ 

So as it stands now, Rich and Sarah are stuck in Florida. Plans are for a possible transfer to a cancer center in Miami did not work out, so they are currently waiting for a bed for him at Mass General Hospital in Boston.

Rich needs a medflight, which needs to be paid for privately and is NOT covered by insurance. The cost for the medflight from Florida to Boston is $33,000!! ⁣ ⁣

This is going to deduct the much needed funds we have already raised for Rich from his gofundme.

 If you are unable to donate, PLEASE SHARE! Keep Rich in your prayers!

**THE FIG’S FIGHT TEAM- friends and family of Rich Figurido, have created this fund to support our amazing friend Rich and his family, during the fight for his life against stage 4 Melanoma****

Most people have not been aware that Rich is even sick. He has been working, performing and looking/sounding great but has had many struggles in the background.

This is the history up to where he is at today:

⁣In September of 2019, Rich was diagnosed with stage 3b melanoma. He began his journey at Mass General Hospital with Dr. Howard Kauffman and his team at the cancer center. They removed large tumor on his back and a few axillary lymph nodes (armpit). 2 nodes came back positive for melanoma. 

He then began targeted at home treatment.
2 weeks later, he was experiencing high fevers and shakes. He was instructed to stop his treatment. They started him on Keytruda, an intervenes immunotherapy every 3 weeks that had to be done at MGH.

He continued to have scans every 3 months while receiving treatment until a tumor showed up in his axillary lymph nodes again. He had surgery to remove 27 lymph nodes around the large tumor. After a brutal recovery, Rich had clear scans for almost 11 months.

Then the cancer returned; and this time it hit an organ (his left kidney) and was diagnosed as  stage 4. They removed the tumor and began a different intervenes treatment. 
He had one infusion and got very sick. It took 8 weeks, multiple ER visits, and many medications to get him back to feeling “normal”.  When they rescanned, the tumor on his kidney was back, so his team decided to try and shrink it with a clinical trial treatment that his oncologist was very hopeful for.

Rich was the first human infusion of this new trial, and he felt great the first 3 months he was receiving it. However, when they rescanned, the tumor had grown. The trial was unsuccessful and he was taken off of it. They were afraid if they tried to remove the tumor again, they would spill more cells and make it worse, so his team tried the last FDA approved treatment option they had.

This was a treatment similar to first one and he could take the medication at home. 2 weeks into it he spiked a 106.4 fever and became very sick. They were hoping they could lower the dose and keep him on a low steroid to prevent the fevers, but after multiple dosage changes they knew it wasn’t going to work.

Rich woke up one morning in a ton of pain and ended up in the hospital for 4 days. The tumor on his kidney had grown so large, it was hemorrhaging and causing all sorts of problems. They decided the only option was to remove the whole kidney and Rich had the kidney removal surgery on October 31st of 2022. ⁣ ⁣

Unfortunately, Rich is out of preventative treatment options. Because the tumor was bleeding, they believe the cancer cells are traveling somewhere in his body, looking for another place to call home. There are more trials he can qualify for, but he needs a tumor to do so. Moving forward, the only option he has is to rescan every couple months and wait for a tumor to pop up and treat it. His oncologist has one particular trial in mind that has been very successful and we are hopeful he will qualify for when the timing comes.

***Our goal is to raise funds for Rich and his family to cover medical expenses, as well as catch up on any financial needs. With his conditions, treatments, and surgery, Rich has been unable consistently work over the last 3 years, and we all want to support him the best we can! ***