Category Archives: Wine

Donnachiara and the Resilience of Wine

Posted on by
Reply
Ilaria Petitto, CEO of Donnachiara

It is a challenge to grow grapes and make wine. Fortunately, the Campanian people are a resilient bunch. They have continually overcome volcanoes, earthquakes and economic hardship. In particular, the word resilience holds significant meaning for Ilaria Petitto, CEO of Donnachiara winery. She heard it numerous times growing up in connection with her family’s metalwork business (the resilience of steel). The term is also apt given the resilience of the local people and, more currently, she is applying it to the potential for Falanghina to become well known and well respected, as Grillo has now become in Sicily. Accordingly, her flagship Falanghina is called Resilienza.

Established in 2005 by Chiara Petitto (Ilara’s mother), Donnachiara was named for her aunt Chiara Mazzarelli Petitto, who instilled a love of the land in her and was the inspiration for starting her own winery in 2005. As the Petitto family has been in the region for more than 5 generations, cultivating vineyards and making wine, this was a natural progression for the family.

From the very beginning, Donnachiara has been focused on crafting high quality wines from local grapes, which is apropos of a winery situated in Campania on Italy’s Southwestern coast. Despite perhaps being better known for the Amalfi Coast, Neapolitan pizza and Pompeii, Campania stands out as having the most indigenous (local) grape varieties of all of Italy’s wine regions. Grapes such as Fiano, Greco and Aglianico are not only cultivated, but celebrated, taking center stage in the region’s highest denominations.

For Ilaria, it is Falanghina that she wishes to next elevate and believes that the vines grown in Benevento provide the best expression of the grape. This white variety most frequently display citrus, floral and herbal notes, along with medium body and bright acidity, And, while less structured than the more vaunted Greco and Fiano, Ilaria, in collaboration with Donnachiara’s consultant winemaker, Riccardo Cotarella, is confident that it has the potential to create wines of distinction.

Regionally, the majority of vineyards are primarily situated along the interior border of Campania, where the elevation and distance from the coastline keep the climate cool and green. Accordingly, harvest takes place from October through November while winemakers wait for the grapes to reach full ripeness. And, within this area, there are three DOCGs: Fiano d’Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Taurasi that reflect the region’s top wines. It is here that the Donnachiara winery is located, with an average vineyard elevation of 600 meters above sea level.

Although a handful of larger wineries dominate the vinous landscape, most wineries in Campania are small. This preponderance of tiny ventures makes it challenging to find common ground and promote the region as a whole, but with her recent appointment to the Consorzio, Ilaria is hoping to change that in time. As a medium-sized winery (180,000 bottles annually), Donnachiara has some leverage to make its name in the market, but Ilaria recognizes that they will all be more successful if they can promote Campania as a single brand. Thankfully, she has the resilience to persevere!

TASTING NOTES
Falanghina 2017, Beneventano Falanghina IGT, Campania, Italy
Aromas of pear and lanolin; dry, rich and concentrated, with medium acidity, full body and long length.

Fiano 2017, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, Campania, Italy
Bright, fresh, with a slight nuttiness, lovely citrus and minerality, culminating in long length.

Empatia 2017, Fiano d’Avellino DOCG, Campania, Italy
This organically produced Fiano was very aromatic and extremely floral, with fresh acidity, stone fruit, wet stone and long length.

Alatheia 2017, Greco di Tufo DOCG, Campania, Italy
This was very structural, with citrus and almond notes, medium acidity and long length.

Greco Riserva 2017, Campania, Italy
Having spent more time aging before release, this Greco was more concentrated, with yeasty aromas and fuller body. The Greco di Tufo Riserva will soon be approved as an addition to the DOCG.

Resilienza 2016, Beneventano Falanghina IGT, Campania, Italy
Showing some development on both the nose and palate, this wine displays minerality, medium acidity, richness, lanolin, white flowers and apricot, with long length.

All of the Donnachiara Taurasi wines are produced in a very elegant style, with resolved tannins and ready to be enjoyed upon release, although they certainly have the potential to age.
Taurasi 2015, Taurasi DOCG, Campania, Italy
Hailing from the excellent 2015 vintage, this wine offers up floral and black cherry aromas with soft tannins, an earthy undercurrent and long length.

Taurasi 2013, Taurasi DOCG, Campania, Italy
The 2013 vintage was a more challenging one, with lots of rain. Yet despite the less than stellar conditions, the wine is lovely with ripe red fruit, good acidity and long length.

Taurasi Riserva 2012, Taurasi Riserva DOCG, Campania, Italy
Only made in select years, the Riserva spent 24 months aging in oak. It displayed darker fruit and a more overt oak influence on both the nose and palate. The vintage was great, but warmer than usual.

The Wines of Rioja: Something for Everyone

Posted on by
Reply

Among Spain’s most vaunted wines, Rioja wines offer up “something for everyone.” And, while that phrase comes straight from the “Rioja 101” brochure I received at a recent Rioja tasting, I believe it to be much more than marketing hype. The wines are produced as white, red, or rosé, covering the full (wine) color spectrum, as well as in a range of styles.

White wines primarily feature local grape varieties such as Viura, Garnacha Blanca and Verdejo, while rosés are generally made from Garnacha or Tempranillo. The red wines may be produced from one or more of the following varieties: Tempranillo, Garnacha, Graciano and Mazuelo. Aside from the differing blends, the wines vary based on length of aging and use (or lack thereof) of wood vessels.

In particular, wines that spend long aging in wood — typically American oak — qualify for specific labeling terms based on the Rioja regulations. Specifically, non-oaked/unaged wines carry no additional terminology on the label. Those wines bearing the designation “Crianza” have been aged for at least three years with one in cask. Reserva wines spend three years aging with one in wood and then an additional six months in bottle. Grand Reserva wines, usually only produced in top vintages, spend a minimum of five years aging with two of those in oak and an additional two in bottle before release. As minimums, winemakers are permitted to exceed these regulations and often do. Whites and rosés follow similar, but shorter, aging regimens within each aging category.

What this means for you, as a consumer, is that you will find a variety of Rioja options depending upon your palate and other preferences. In general, the unoaked wines will be fresher, more fruit forward and potentially more simple, but equally delicious. Conversely, the longer aged wines typically offer oaky/woody notes, often accompanied by notes of vanilla and spice, along with more robust flavor characteristics with firmer tannins and less fruit, but still remain fresh.

More recently, several new zone classifications have been created and now don labels as well. Vino de Zona permits wines that are produced exclusively in one of the three zones (Rioja Alta, Rioja Alavesa and Rioja Oriental) to designate this on the label. Similarly, wines from a particular village or town (Vino de Municipio) may bear that name if nearly all of the grapes come from that particular area. And finally, Vinedo Singular is a new term used for wines produced from single vineyard that is at least 35 years old and must meet other quality requirements.

At the tasting mentioned above, I had the opportunity to taste among whites, rosés and reds from a variety of different producers and, not surprisingly, found numerous wines to enjoy. In addition to their food friendly versatility, Riojas are also well priced, particularly among older wines and offer good value. So, the next time you are looking for great wine, look no further than Rioja. You’re sure to find something for everyone!

[For additional information on Rioja, please see my previous stories on CVNE, Bodegas Beronia and Vintae.]

Among my favorites of the tasting were:
CVNE Monopole Rioja Blanco 2017, Rioja, Spain, $15 – rich, full-bodied and complex with long length.

Muriel Fincas de la Villa Blanco 2017, Rioja, Spain, $15 – fresh, with citrus and pear notes.

Faustino VII Rioja Rosado 2018, Rioja, Spain, $11 – slight floral nose with notes of under-ripe strawberries.

Palacios Remondo La Vendimia Rioja 2016, Rioja, Spain, $16 – beautiful nose, with balanced, ripe fruit and long length.

Bodegas Taron Taron Reserva 2006, Rioja, Spain, $18 – well integrated tannins, herbal and floral notes, with rich concentrated fruit and a slight balsamic character.

Bodegas Olarra, Cerro Anon Gran Reserva 2009, Rioja, Spain, $17 – tart, berries, spice and wood, concentrated, long length.

Bodegas Campillo Gran Reserva 2009, Rioja, Spain, $35 – Produced by the daughter of Faustino, fresh with lots of herbaceous notes, long length.

Faustino Barrel Select Gran Reserva 2001, Rioja, Spain, $50 – beautifully complex nose, spice, fruit, herbs, stunning, long length.

And the Oscars toast to…Piper-Heidsieck

Posted on by
Reply

Tuesday morning, I wiped the sleep from my eyes, dressed up as nicely as possible considering the arctic temps and headed downtown to the iPic Theaters on Fulton Street. My plans to watch the Oscar nominations at Piper-Heidsieck’s viewing breakfast were derailed by crazy traffic on the West Side Highway, getting me to the venue over an hour late.

But, all was not lost. Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted and promptly handed a glass of Piper-Heidsieck to start the day. There are worse ways to wake up!

Despite missing the broadcast, my fellow writers happily filled me in on some of the details and I quickly realized that apparently not much had changed since last year, as I once again had only seen one of the Best Picture nominees. This time, it was Black Panther, the first superhero film to ever be nominated in this category. The movie also scored noms in numerous other categories, including Original Score, Best Song, Costume Design and Production Design. I think we could all use a superhero about now!

Long associated with the movie industry, having first appeared on the scene (and screen) in Laurel and Hardy’s debut film, Sons of the Desert in 1933, Piper-Heidsieck is now in its fifth year of a long-time partnership with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Thus, Piper-Heidsieck will be the only Champagne served on February 24 at the awards ceremony and Governors Ball (as well as at related events).

As in previous years, the Champagne house once again designed a limited edition bottle for the occasion. While last year’s bottle was all about the “Golden Age” of Hollywood with an Art Deco design and emphasis on the color green, this newest label brings together two inseparable components of the awards — the red carpet and the golden Oscar statuette — in its red and gold design.

Yet, unlike the statuette, which is solid bronze and only plated in 24-karat gold, Piper-Heidsieck is the real thing — true Champagne. And, whichever movie gets your vote, the award-winning Piper-Heidsieck is the perfect Champagne, with which to toast your favorite film. Lights, camera, cheers!






‘Tis the Season to Think… Pink

Posted on by
Reply

As the old year draws to a close and the new one lingers on the horizon, the arrival of the Winter Solstice (on or about December 21) brings with it the shortest day – and longest night – of the year. From its Latin roots, we are reminded that on this day, the sun stands still; we can take a moment to reflect and look up at the stars.

Gazing upward, Orion greets us from his perch in this sky. Home to three of the 25 brightest stars, Orion’s gleaming placement among the stars permits him to be seen all over the world, regardless of hemisphere. This winter constellation, named for the myth of Orion, and seen so well amidst the darkness, poetically alludes to the regenerative powers of the sun as Orion’s own eyesight was restored by its healing rays. And, just south of his brilliant belt, Orion’s faithful companion, Sirius, also known as the Dog Star, literally sparkles as brightest star in the sky.

In olden days, this moment in the calendar marked the end of harvest (and all of the hard work it entailed) and signaled instead a time to celebrate. Rome’s festival of Saturnalia took place from December 17 to 25 – those Romans knew how to party!

So, taking a cue from these ancient holidays, now is the perfect time to raise a glass (or two) in celebration of this festive season and all that we have to be thankful for!

Of course, you can toast the holidays with red or white, but why not think pink this season? If you’ve put away your rosé, along with your bathing suits and shorts, it’s time to reconsider your rosé routine. Unfortunately, rosé has become nearly synonymous with the lazy, hazy days of summer and relegated to pool parties and picnics.

But, rosé is much more than that! Yes, rosé is perfect for the hot and humid temperatures of June, July and August, but it is not a pair of white pants and can be drunk after Labor Day. If rosé is here to stay (which it most definitely is), it should stay all year round. In fact, rosé is such a versatile wine that it should be a welcome addition to the table any time of year.

So, it was a pleasure to receive a quartet of rosés from Provence, which itself is nearly synonymous with rosé, to mark this year’s holidays and share with friends  at a Solstice celebration. As 2019 looms large and, with it, the sparkle of a brand-new year, fresh with promise, the bright, fresh flavors of rosé, along with their warm pink hues, provide a nice respite from the gloomy grey skies of winter!

TASTING NOTES
Château Coussin  La Croix du Prieur Rosé 2017, Côtes de Provence, France, $14.00
Primarily produced from Grenache, this wine presents intense notes of strawberry, spice, perfume and floral.

Château Henri Bonnaud Terre Promise Rosé, 2017, Côtes de Provence, France, $15.00
Comprised of half Grenache and half Syrah, this wine greets the nose with lovely cherry and berry aromas that persist on the medium-bodied palate, along with a hint of floral.

Château Leoube Le Secret de Leoube Rosé 2017, Côtes de Provence, France, $40.00
Bringing together Grenache, Cinsault and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine presents delicate floral aromas with beautiful minerality on the bright and refreshing palate, culminating in long length.

Mirabeau en Provence Pure Rosé 2017, Côtes de Provence, France, $20.00
A blend of Grenache and Syrah, this wine offers up aromas of strawberry, citrus and musk on the nose, which give way to more peachy notes on the medium-bodied palate with long length.

Colome’s winemaker is living the impossible dream

Posted on by
1

Born, raised and educated in Burgundy, Thibaut Delmotte launched his wine career doing three harvests each in Burgundy and Bordeaux before taking a year off to travel throughout South America. He booked an open ticket, headed to Buenos Aires and visited Argentina, Chile and Brazil, eventually finding himself somewhat settled in Salta teaching French at the local Alliance Française.

When a new acquaintance discovered his background as a winemaker she told him about a high elevation vineyard north of the city. He didn’t believe it was possible to grow vines at such an altitude but was intrigued enough to secure an appointment with the man behind the project: Donald Hess.

Thibaut and Donald arranged to meet at the property at 9:00 AM, which required Thibault to depart Salta at 5:00 AM. By 6:00 AM, the pavement gave way to gravel as he snaked his way up the mountain. By 9:00 AM, there was no sign of life and he was beginning to think that he had been punked. Soon he came to a small village and was assured that he was close to his destination. Another 40 minutes of driving brought him face to face with the tall, Swiss gentleman who promptly laughed at seeing the small, compact rental car in which Thibault had made the journey.

Still disbelieving, Thibaut permitted Donald to give him a tour of the mountainous property, which was barren desert – more suited to cacti than Cabernet. Then, he saw the eight hectares of pre-phylloxera vines and was duly impressed.

Hess spoke about his grand plans for multiple vineyards and a large capacity winery. Thibaut was excited about the opportunity, but readily admitted to his lack of experience to take on such a project. Undeterred, Donald continued with the tour and invited Thibaut to lunch that afternoon. But, before the meal, he was to take part in a blind tasting during which he was asked to taste and rank 10 wines in order of his preference. It was the ultimate job interview! When Thibaut’s least favorite wine was revealed to be the Colome Malbec Reserva he was certain he had blown his chance, but Donald appreciated his feedback as to why the French-born and bred winemaker didn’t find the overt/powerful wine to his liking. Hess offered him the job on the condition that he commit to the post for at least three years. That was fifteen years ago.

In the early years, the emphasis was on building the new winery, developing the vineyards and, equally important, investing in the local village to upgrade its infrastructure, increase its access to education and solve social ills such as alcoholism and teen pregnancy. It was also necessary to create own electricity

Despite its initial rusticity, the Colome property itself dates to 1831, when it was established by the Isasmendi-Dávalos family. It remained in the Dávalos family until 2001, when Hess was finally able to purchase the property. Hess himself was first acquainted with Colome and its potential while visiting his great aunt in Buenos Aires several years prior and had the opportunity to taste an old bottle of its wine.

In addition to the state-of-the-art winery, Colome’s estate is home to the James Turrell Museum. Turrell is a California-based, light and space artist, whose experiential installations defy explanation. To get a better sense of his art, please see: http://www.bodegacolome.com/museo/?lang=en  The winery attracts 8,000 visitors each year who usually spend half a day tasting wine and visiting the museum. A nine-room hotel is also available on the estate for those who wish to stay over.

More recently, the focus has been on two special projects: Autentico and Altura Maxima (maximum height). The Autentico project relies on doing things the “old way.” In this regard, the best blocks of 100 year+ vines are still trained using the pergola system, watered with flood (instead of drip) irrigation, treated without chemicals and generally approached with a low intervention philosophy. This approach continues in the winery, where the use of oak is eschewed in favor of showing the true (authentic) wine in the glass, uncovered by wood aromas and flavors.

At a height of 3,111 meters (10,200 feet) in altitude, Altura Maxima is the highest vineyard in the world (although a recently planted plot in Tibet threatens to take this title away). It was initially planted in 2007 to Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, as well as Malbec. Given the elevation, the vines receive more ultraviolet light, forcing them to develop thicker skins on the grapes. This ultimately produces wines with more structure and concentration, while the 25 degree diurnal difference ensures that the wines retain high levels of acidity and elegance. All of this comes at a price; the very extreme conditions mean that wasps, donkeys and frost are all threats to the fruit. Thus, the vineyard only yields a small production of grapes (4 kilos per hectare compared to 7 kilos per hectare).

TASTING NOTES
This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is IMG_20181118_191526_076-1024x1024.jpgColome Autentico 2017, Salta, Argentina, $on-premise only
This 100% Malbec is deep purple in color with intense aromas of wood, plum, black fruit. The dry palate displays very ripe blackberry and blueberry joined by floral and spice, with firm, ripe tannins, full body and medium+ length. It is released young, but can age five to seven years.

Colome Altura Maxima 2014, Salta, Argentina, $125.00
Also 100% Malbec, this wine spends 23 months in old oak and one year in bottle before release. It is a very floral Malbec with fine grained tannins.

All I Want for Christmas: Marta Scarampi dresses

Posted on by
Reply

Regardless of which winter holidays you do or don’t celebrate, who doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of presents? So, with that in mind, I am starting a list just in case anyone wants to know what to get me. Next up, a fabulous dress from Marta Scarampi!

Thanks to a holiday invite from my friend Susannah Gold of Vigneto Communications, I had the pleasure of meeting the Torino-based designer and browsing her wares while sipping wines from Lugana, a unique DOC that spans two Italian regions – Lombardia and the Veneto. Here, the white grape variety Turbiana, which is closely related to Trebbiano di Soave, reigns supreme, finding its way into a wide range of wine styles from still to sparkling and from dry to sweet. [NB: I previously wrote about Lugana’s wines last year.]

 

Italian native Marta Scarampi studied at FIT before returning home to launch her fashion line. Her line features a selection of capes and her travel and business collection – dresses and jackets that easily go from the boardroom to the boarding queue.

These capes are much better to keep a super woman warm on a cold day and can be customized with faux fur collars, rainproof hoods and are available in a range of fabrics and styles. They looked uber chic and sophisticated on my friend, Lisa, who tried on several different options.

Always and forever the dress girl, I was smitten by two styles in Marta’s collection. The first was her Lucca stretch dress (pictured left), while the other was a more celebratory number with metallic threads, worthy of the holiday season. Like the capes, the dress styles can also be made-to-order with the client’s preferred fabric choice.

All I Want for Christmas: Papapietro Perry Pinot

Posted on by
Reply

Regardless of which winter holidays you do or don’t celebrate, who doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of presents? So, with that in mind, I am starting a list just in case anyone wants to know what to get me. First up, Pinot Noir from Papapietro Perry!

I first became acquainted with Papapietro Perry Winery back in 2008 when I compiled a lengthy list of Sonoma County producers to potentially visit for our upcoming trip. We would be in Sonoma for an extended weekend (Thursday through Tuesday), first to attend the very first Wine Bloggers’ Conference and then to enjoy a few days tasting and touring throughout the county.

We had arranged to meet our San Francisco-based friends, Peter and Nicole, for the day and set off in pursuit of Pinot. With our focus on Healdsburg, that day included visits to Ridge, Seghesio and Papapietro Perry. Well-known and respected for their Pinot and Zinfandel, Papapietro Perry had ended up on the list thanks to the favorable reviews they garnered in Wine Spectator magazine (and continue to receive in that and in other publications).

The winemakers behind the label are Bruce Perry and Ben Papapietro. With their mutual love of food and wine, the two friends began making wine together in a shared pursuit of Pinot Noir. Starting in Ben’s San Francisco garage back in 1980s, their homemade attempts turned out to be quite good, eventually permitting them to quit their “day jobs” to pursue wine full-time. And, keeping it all in the family, they are joined by their wives, Renae Perry (who is responsible for winery operations) and Yolanda Papapietro (who handles distribution).

During our 2008 visit, I was very impressed with the wines, tasting two Pinots (Charles Vineyard ~ Anderson Valley and Leras Family Vineyards ~ Russian River Valley) and two Zins (both from the Russian River Valley). So, it was a pleasure to reacquaint myself with Papapietro Perry wine again more recently. Trust me, if someone gifts you their wines, you will not be unhappy!

TASTING NOTE
Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Nunes Vineyard 2016 Russian River Valley (CA), USA, $60.00
This 100% Pinot Noir wine spent 11 months in French oak, 50% of which was new and 50% of which was 1 and 2 years old. Pale garnet with a paler rim, typical of Pinot Noir, this wine offered up spice, earth and cherry aromas. It was dry, with bright acidity, fresh cherries and raspberries, spice, a slight woody note, and an undercurrent of earthiness on the medium-bodied palate, culminating in very long length. A truly beautiful wine.

 

You Can Go Home Again: A Visit to Macari Vineyards

Posted on by
Reply

They say you can’t go home again, but our visits to the North Fork of Long Island, post-real estate sale, continue to make us feel welcome.  And nowhere was that more apparent than at our former next door neighbor, Macari Vineyards.

Living next door to a winery is great! As I liked to joke when we visited the tasting room with house guests – it was stagger distance. But, all kidding aside, they truly were great neighbors. From the very beginning, the Macari’s were helpful, kind, warm and generous. While most people consider borrowing a cup of sugar from their neighbors in a pinch, we borrowed their winemaking expertise in the form of a chemical analysis of the wine that my husband made with two friends from Macari fruit. Plus, they produce amazing wine, currently under the direction of winemaker Kelly Urbanik Koch.

So, when my husband’s employer decided to do an event on the North Fork, we knew that Macari would figure prominently on the agenda. Upon arrival, the assembled guests (a group of employees, management and advisory board members) were provided with a tour of the winery, followed by a guided tasting with Alexandra Macari in their beautiful, Private Barrel Cellar. Afterward, we enjoyed dinner on the deck, accompanied by an assortment of Macari wines.

All in all, it was a wonderful visit and we definitely felt at home!

TASTING NOTES

Macari Sparkling Pinot Noir Gabriella 2012, $35.00
Named in honor of Alexandra and Joe’s daughter – and an integral part of the Macari team – Gabriela, this effervescent wine offered up aromas of cotton candy, cherries and yeastiness. On the palate, it is dry with medium+ acidity, ripe berries, cream and melon.


Macari Sparkling Cabernet Sauvignon “Horses” (2015 or 2016), $N/A
Unfiltered and cloudy wine due to the minimal intervention used to produce this non-disgorged sparkler, it is named for a vineyard area called horse head bluff because well, it looks like a horse’s head. Pale salmon in color, the wine is slightly off-dry, with slight cherry fruit, strawberry cream and toasted marshmallow on the cleansing palate. It is currently sold out; make sure to catch it next time around.

Macari Sauvignon Blanc “Katherine’s Field” 2016, $24.00
Fermented in 100% stainless steel, this wine displays notes of slight smoke, citrus, and tropical fruit, which persisted on the clean, fresh palate, with a slight spritz and long length.

Macari Sauvignon Blanc Lifeforce (2016), $28.00
In contrast to the Katherine’s Field Sauvignon Blanc, this wine is fermented in concrete egg-shaped tanks yielding an edgier, more structural wine with angularity, heaviness and a fuller body, along with intense acidity (whereas the other SB is softer and rounder).

Macari Chardonnay Reserve 2014, $27.00
This full-bodied white was barrel fermented in two- and three-year old French oak, resulting in aromas and flavors of toothpick, apple and spice, along with medium+ acidity.

Macari Bergen Road 2013, $50.00
This Bordeaux-style wine leads with 51% Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. Aromas of black cherry, oak, balsamic vinegar, give way to flavors of herbs, earth, oak and spice on the dry, full-bodied palate, culminating in long length.

Macari Alexandra 2010, $85.00
A flagship red blend made only in top vintages, it is primarily produced with Merlot. Compared to the Bergen Road, it presents with darker fruit, smoke, vanilla as well as beautiful dried fruit, dried herbs and resolved tannins on the full-bodied, lush, palate. Only 200 cases were made.

Keeping up with Italian Wines

Posted on by
Reply

With its wealth of wines and wine regions, there is a lot to know about Italian wine! Plus, Italy seems to be in a constant state of flux with regard to rules and regulations as it continually seeks to improve the quality of its production. In October, I attended the Simply Italian Great Wines U.S. Tour 2018, organized by IEEM USA, to get the scoop on a new DOC as well as update my knowledge on Lambrusco. Similarly, some recent press releases have also kept me up-to-date on changes in Piedmont.

 

65 Shades of Grey
At the Simply Italian event, attendees had the opportunity to taste through 65 shades of grey (or more correctly in Italian, grigio). All of the wines were produced from the Pinot Grigio grape variety and were part of the new DOC delle Venezie.  This new denomination was established in 2017, implementing new rules such as lower yields, and elevating Pinot Grigio from IGP status.

One of the largest production areas in all of Europe, the DOC comprises 30,000 hectares spread over three regions. The DOC delle Venezie bills itself as “Italian style Pinot Grigio,” but there is still plenty of room for diversity with wines at the event ranging from still to sparking and one with a hint of color from brief skin contact. Although I tasted through quite a few of the wines on offer, I wisely did not attempt to try all 65. Of the ones I tasted, my favorites included those from Tomassi, Perlage, SalvaTerra and Tre.

The (Un)usual Suspects
Whereas Pinot Grigio is quite well-known in the U.S., Lambrusco is less ubiquitous, but definitely worth knowing about. In a session titled, “Lambrusco D.O.C. & Sangiovese D.O.C.: The Cultural Heritage of the Territory,” Professor Giammario Villa explained that the Emilia Romagna region’s main cultural focus is food, as evidenced by talk about dinner as early as breakfast. This emphasis is likely a result of the Via Emilia Road built by the Roman consults in 187 BCE, which created the hubs of Reggio, Parma, Bologna, all of which are synonymous with food. Vinously, the region has numerous geological differences that have influenced the local wine legislation. The Professor also noted that the region is marked by a preponderance of cooperatives (responsible for 75% of the wines produced), which has kept wine prices relatively inexpensive.

With regard to Lambrusco itself, there are 6 DOCs: Colli di Scandiano e di Canossa and Reggiano within Reggio Emilia and four more in Modena. Wine produced in the more flexible designation of Lambrusco di Modena has been made as early as the middle of the 10th century and currently permits higher yields than the more specific Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro, Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce and Lambrusco di Sorbara.

While there are stylistic differences among the various DOCs, in general, Lambrusco is produced via the Charmat Method and the resulting wines typically display high acidity, at least some effervescence, low alcohol and fruity and floral aromas. However, they are more varied with regard to tannins and body/structure.

Coming from the northern part of the region, the wines of Lambrusco di Sorbara are usually quite light in color, while those from Reggiano are deep in color with a lively foam. Located in the central part of the region, with vines grown at a higher altitude, the wines of Lambrusco Grasparosa di Castelvetro hail from the clay soils and hilly slopes and offer up earthy, spicy notes along with more tannin and structure.

Tasting through a selection of these wines, I was reminded just how much I enjoy Lambrusco and wondered why I don’t remember to drink them more often. My tasting notes are included below.

Updates in Piedmont
Within Piedmont, perhaps best-known for Barbaresco and Barolo, attention has been turned to its Barbera variety. Specifically, the Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato has partnered with the Università di Torino – Disafa to conduct a scientific study to create a sensory map of the Barbera d’Asti DOCG appellation. Called Barbera d’Asti 2.0, the focus of this study is to better understand the influence of geological and climatic conditions and how these growing conditions relate to the wine profiles of the wines produced in each area. The study took a year to complete and the results (aka the map) have just been published.

Shining light on another grape variety, the same Consorzio has also received approval to modify the specifications of the Monferrato DOC, which has now been expanded to include two additional DOCs: Monferrato Nebbiolo and Monferrato Nebbiolo Superiore. The new denomination will take effect with the 2019 harvest, with the first wines released into the market in 2020, after the requisite aging periods (12 and 18 months, respectively). The main impetus for this change was to permit producers to include the grape variety on the label. Given that the Monferrato designation by itself has limited consumer recognition, this should give the participating wineries a better opportunity to market their wines.

TASTING NOTES
Cleto Chiarli ‘Vecchia Modena’ Lambrusco NV
Aromas of strawberry greeted the nose. On the palate it was very tart and fresh with underripe strawberry flavors and and long length.

For.Mo.Sa Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro DOP NV
With deeper, darker red fruits, bright acidity, this was relatively full bodied with good length.

Ca’ Montanari ‘Opera 02’ Lambrusco di Modena DOP NV
Displaying a cocoa note as well as red fruit on nose, this wine was fuller in body, offering up darker fruits and good acidity.

Lombardini ‘Il Signore Campanone’ Lambrusco Reggiano DOP NV
A shier nose with less fruity aromas, this wine was earthy with slight cherry notes on the palate.