According to a Dec. 17 Kurman Communications press release:

Come in and "wined" down at Bella Bacinos' (36 S. La Grange Rd. ) "Up-close and Personal" Wine Tasting January 17, 2011 with renowned vintner Laura Catena of Argentina's Catena Zapata Winery. Starting at 6:30 p.m., traverse the lands of Argentina while enjoying a comprehensive tasting of Catena Zapata wines and the best complimenting fare of Bella Bacinos. Cost is $55 pp (excludes tax and gratuity). The evening will also include a stimulating and educational presentation that Laura gave at the Kohler Food and Wine Experience last year.

Available for sale will be signed copies of Laura's latest book, Vino Argento: An Insider's Guide to the Wines and Wine Country of Argentina (Chronicle Books ), released in September and featured on Oprah. "It is both personal, telling the story of my family, but also a biography of my country and its wine region. There is a lot of passion in this book," she says. The book is available for purchase for $27.50.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. To make reservations for this event, e-mail bacinos@comcast.net or call wine director and owner Dan Bacin at (708) 420-9600. 

About Catena Zapata Winery
The Catena Zapata Winery was founded over 100 years ago in Argentina's Mendoza wine region. Celebrated winemaker of Catena Zapata Winery, Nicolas Catena understood that producing smaller quantities of high-quality brands for export would boost winery sales and simultaneously Argentina's economy. Along with the huge interest in Argentine wine has come international admiration. Nicolas Catena was presented with Decanter magazine's 2009 Man of the Year.

Today Argentina's premier wine operation is owned and operated by Nicolas' daughter Laura Catena. A woman with degrees from both Harvard and Stanford, Laura knows the ins and outs of winemaking. "Winemaking is more an art than a science" says Laura, and she just so happens to be versed in both.

While wine imports to the U.S. have suffered during the global recession, Argentina has grown by 41% in total dollar volume between the years of 2008 and 2009. A large amount of that success can be attributed to Laura Catena and her position at the forefront of the fine wine movement in Argentina.

Laura believes that Argentine wines, especially those of Mendoza, are a real asset to the country. "The philosophy at Catena has always been to provide a quality of wine that is worth twice the price. We compare our $20 blends to $40 to $50 wines to see if they are good enough. In the end, we have nature to thank for most of it." The Mendoza region coupled with exceptionally handled vines has afforded the Catena Winery an admired array of rich, lush wines and never-ending prestige.

About Bella Bacinos La Grange
Bella Bacinos serves authentic Napoletana wood fired pizza, homemade ravioli and other Italian specialties in the restaurant's dining room and outdoor patio. Bella Bacinos' award-winning wine list includes more than 600 wines from around the world, including more than 20 served by the glass. The restaurant is located at 36 S. La Grange Rd., Downtown La Grange, Ill. Winter hours are 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, and is closed Monday but available for private events. For private events or more information, call (708) 420-9600 or visit www.bacinos.com.