mondosapore

Pouring at two East Side wine shops next week

To see when and where Strappo will show up, click here.

Go taste and make the old boy feel the love.  

Typical upscale East Sider. Ignore the beer can.  It was a picnic.  

A winery we're bringing to New York

Please see the post and the linked article on Villa Monteleone, an excellent Valpolicella producer whose wines we will be carrying very soon:  Click!

Riesling by mistake

I'll say it right here.  I'm not an admirer of Riesling.  I don't go swimmy-headed when people go on and on about some Trockenbeereauslese or some even longer compound noun.  The heavy scent of petrol (carburante in Italian) gives me a headache and doesn't do much for my digestive tract either.  

To many people, of course, this puts me on the side of the Evil One (no, not Dick Cheney -- the other Adversary).  I think of Lyle Fass, who is mad about all things Riesling.  I'm sorry, Lyle and all you others, I'm a sorry dolt and a dull clod or something.

So imagine my surprise when, instead of a tasting of "crus of the southern Appennines," I walked into a Riesling tasting conducted by an enthusiastic Dutchman in charmingly accented Italian.  I was about to turn right around, but I thought, "No, my boy, you mustn't be narrow.  Well, OK, you're narrow.  But don't compound your narrowness!  To maintain narrowness is a sign of old age."  That was how I vanquished myself.  I know what buttons to push all right.

There were eight wines in four categories:

* A Sekt (methode classique)

* Three Trocken (Dry)

* Three "con residuo di zucchero" (with varying amount of residual sugar)

* One Eiswein (so sweet you get diabetes sniffing it)

I confess to wilful ignorance when it comes to such wines.  No doubt there's the language problem, but, really, most of it is due to the character of the wines themselves.  Generally speaking, they just don't hit me the right way.

E'en so, colour me surpriz'd when I tasted a couple of them.  Herewith and thenceforth are my pawky few notes.  Achtung: No umlauts were used in transcribing the names of the wines, etc.

Una nuova realtà salernitana

A new development in the Salerno area

We first visited with Rino di Maggio and Tiziana a year and a half ago.  Lunarossa, the winery they run together about an hour south of Salerno, produces about 55,000 bottles a year of reds and whites on 7.2 hectares, or about 17 hilly acres.  While they have received favorable recognition since their foundation in 2000 from a slew of high-profile Italian publications (Bibenda, Veronelli, Gambero Rossi, etc.) the wines didn't especially appeal to us. The main problem was that Rino pushed really hard on the international varieties; in addition to the local Fiano, Aglianico and Falanghina, he made a lot of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blends.  They may have won praise in some circles, but we thought they weren't distinctive enough to introduce into the US market.  I mean, really, we have plenty of such blends already on the shelves and wine lists of our suffering land.  We weren't going to load up on another one, or two, or three.

Above: Some dreadful Yank giving Rino an earful

9 Aglianici di Salerno

Most of the big guns in Aglianico are aziende whose vineyards are inland and upland -- especially in the rugged zone known as Irpinia, which encompasses most of Avellino province and parts Benevento.

The Province of Salerno isn't exactly a viticultural wasteland, either, and the critical and popular success -- "popular" as in ka-ching ka-ching -- of wineries like De Conciliis prove that Aglianico has a full and happy life outside the Taurasi hills, thank you very much.

I've written before that the coastal and inland typologies of Aglianico (and other Campanian varieties) are both distinct and valid.  The nine I tasted just a while ago are clearly of the coastal typology -- generally softer, less hard and tannic at the outset, and gorgeous with fresh red fruit scents and flavors.  Within today's selection, of course, there were wide variations, which is hardly surprising given the fact that this province covers fully the entire southern half of Campania.  It's a big and varied area.  

Before I share my meagre tasting notes with you, I must remark again how wonderful it is to see young people -- still in their 20s -- heading up the wineries.  Maybe Daddy or Mummy owns the joint, but young Chiara or Francesco runs the show.  Even though Italy seems to be lousy with oldsters leaning on canes as they hobble up steep declivities, a high proportion of young people are taking over wine.  Perhaps more down here in the Mezzogiorno because the old guard hasn't the same stranglehold as in more evolved regions to the North.  There are new things under the sun.

  

 

I can't bear these crowds: Aglianico tasting, ably led by a lonesome Maria Sarnataro, a newly minted sommelier.

There were more producers here than anyone.

The good, the very good and the bland.

Sorry for not editing.  You want it fast or you want it good, huh?

1. DE CONCILIIS DONNALUNGA 2007

 Strong black cherry perfume and taste, dark ruby color, a layer of oak that's not too intrusive.  Suave and modern.  Commercial but not a sell-out, know what I mean?

2. BARONE PIETRALENA 2008

Understandably still closed, this wine promises to be a knockout.  Lovely acidity, lots of brightness, a little luscious than the De Conciliis but it will, possibly, become easier to drink through a long meal.

3. CARMINE BOTTI 2004

A bit of the lusciousness of #1, very good structure, same DOC as Bruno De C's wine, as you can easily tell.  What a difference some age makes.  Very long and nuanced finish.  The young lady from the azienda joined Maria and spoke about the wine.  She was impressive as was the wine.

4. ANTONIA RIZZO FIIX 2007

Very peppery, "nervous."  Lovely bright red fruit tastes.  Also plum notes as the wine opened.  Most individual character so far.  Very long finish.  Barriques but second passage.  Wood comes on a bit after a while, although it's never excessive.  Good stuff.

Party nite in Alphabet City

Click to get the illustrated summary of a balls-out tasting on Avenue C last night...

I'll pour tomorrow

Look for the outrageous old Strappo at Alphabet City Wine Co. tomorrow, Friday (May 8). 

I'll be pouring some new additions to the offerings at that upstart wine store, which is run by the East village Wine Geek and his henchmen:

* I Stefanini Selese -- a delicious Soave that's easy on the unemployment check.

* Piandibugnano Cuccaia -- a Sangiovese/Merlot blend that's the supertuscan for smart shoppers.

* Terra di Vento Petrale -- an earthy Aglianico kissed by sea breezes.  (Sigh.)

Tasting details:

Friday, May 8

6 - 9 PM

Alphabet City Wine Co.

100 Ave C
New York, NY 10009

(212) 505-9463

www.abcwineco.com

Notorious Strappo next Friday nite...

See the latest whorish self-promotion here:  Click!

Vinitaly odd and ends

Fine cuisine at Vinitaly

We had an absolutely wild day yesterday -- a solid schedule of meetings and negotiations from 9 AM to 6:30 PM.  We have a few today and some tomorrow as we segue out of Verona.  We signed contracts and began price negotiations, tasted and retasted, etc. 

As in my brand-new post on Muddy Boots, I'm too rushed and tired to spend a lot of time writing.  The contemplation of this week's events will have to wait till I return to New York.

A few stray comments and amusing little stories...

* The professional part of the fair seemed less crowded this year than last. Was it my imagination or was there much less American English spoken in the pavilions?

* The domestic wine market in Italy is shriveling, at least as far as good wine goes.  The economic crisis is driving people more and more to supermarket wine.  Bad for producers, occasionally very good for importers.

* Yesterday Angelo Gaja held forth for an hour and a half at a retrospective of his wines.  Amazingly enough, he had brought Jancis Robinson in to share the dais and to explicate the historical significance of his contribution, etc.  She sat there and was given no time to utter a peep.

* Speaking of Jancis, of whom I am a gushing fan, Jeff spotted her in the press room this morning, about to have a sit-down with some Italian journalists. I got up from my laptop and rushed over, gushed, "I am a fan," and she actually knew who I was!  She thanked me for some information I'd given to her Julia Harding regarding Luigi Reale's Tintore wine ("Borgo di Gete"), at which I blushed and said something inane.  I quickly recovered, as I'm never nonplussed for long.  "I heard you had an easy day of it yesterday..."  She laughed and made a face. 

Ah la predica lunga!     

By the way, I'll never wash my right hand again.  Jancis...

 

Photo: Verona's Roman main street (decumanus)

Vinitaly, days 1 & 2

The old soldier has risen from his bed of pain and staggered forth with his merry band on days 1 & 2 of the Grande Fiera del vino.  It's been a very busy and highly productive fair so far, despite the wretched health of your 'umble servant.

I've another appointment in a few minutes so will keep the commentary, and also the "witticisms," to a minimum.  I'll let the pix speak for themselves, mostly.



 Aristide & Lizzy plotting world marketing domination at the press room












Sandro Cavicchioli, enologo of the fantastically alive Francesco Bellei spumanti and Lambrubscos

















One of several stunning wines made from the Sorbara grape




















Italo Sobrino Cascina delle Rose of the Asti zone.  Serious Barberas and Barbarescos. 

















Italo's hand and some of his wines.  The hand of his wife, Giovanna Rizzolio, is evident in these elegant wines as well.

Report: Today's Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri Event in New York, NY

FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Supercrowded as always.  Some producers had either run out of wine or left their table by 6:30, several even sooner.  I got the impression they were saving themselves for Vinitaly.

I was there for the press briefing at 3.  There were fewer print journalists than usual and more bloggers.  The main benefits: no waiting in line and a first shot at the wines.

As usual, many more reds than whites had been awarded Tre Bicchieri.  The whites that I tasted seemed to have a narrow range of flavors and textures, as if one person had done all the tasting/judging.  Not true, of course, but it struck me that way.  There was far more diversity among the reds with regard to types and flavor profiles.

Last year I focused on the South.  This year, the North.  With of course a few in between, especially Abruzzo e Marche.

In truth I went less to taste than to observe and schmooze.  I saw a number of the usual suspects -- writers/bloggers like Koeppel (OK, so he's an accredited print journalist too), Italian Wine Guy, East Village Wine Geek, Dr. Vino and the contrarian Alice Feiring.  IWG asked me to taste a wine that Alice liked very much, one of the few.  Too barnyardy for me, ergo right up Alice's alley.

I chatted with some interesting and very engaging producers, including Stefano Illuminati, Ruggero Brunori (a neighbor of the Trevisanis and a good friend of the irrepressible Adriano Liloni), and the elegant, beautiful Elisabetta Foradori, whose Teroldegos I admire.  She said, "I put all my passion into my wines."  I replied, "It shows."  The wines mirror their maker; she looked and spoke as I would have expected after drinking her wines.

SECOND IMPRESSIONS

Soave reviews on McDuff's blog

Just posted: a very favorable review of the Domenico Selections I Stefanini Monte de Toni Soave, by my blogging buddy, David McDuff. 

Yes, it's the full malolactic fermentation that gives this particular wine its mouthful.  No wood despite what some tasters believe.  It's a very quaffable Soave, as Mr. McDuff writes.  Link here to his post.

Grazie mille, David!

_____________________________

By the way, I am all packed and ready to go.  First to Pisa > Florence > Abruzzo > Rome.  Five wineries in six days.  Maybe by fall we'll see a couple of these on the Domenico Selections site.  News as we go along, even without a WiFi connection, thanks to BlackBerry  (I know you guys in Waterloo, Ontario, follow this site: I appreciate you.)  Pix depending on WiFi situation. 

A presto!

Accordini Il Fornetto 2000

Verona, August 2006

It seems like a hundred years ago, my first trip to Verona and my first encounters with people who are now my fast friends in the wine world, like Elisabetta Tosi and Giampiero Nadali.  It was a trip and an encounter that actually did change my life.

One of the most memorable and pleasurable of my wine encounters back in August 2006 was a visit to the Stefano Accordini winery.  Guided by Lizzy (Elisabetta's nom de bloggeuse) we met Daniele Accordini, one of Stefano's sons, who is the winemaker.  (Later, at Merano, we met his brother Tiziano, who manages the winery and handles marketing.)

The Accordini operation is quite small and very typical of the best artisanal wineries in Italy:  family-owned and run, with each decision taken requiring the all-out support and work of the members of the family. 

I mention all this because last night we finally drank a bottle of Il Fornetto Amarone 2000 that we bought at the cantina that seemingly long-ago August.  We had dinner with Ken's sister and brother-in-law, with whom we shared part of our month-long stroll through Italy that summer. 

But before I share with you our impressions of the "Il Fornetto" crû that was not, I confess, stored in optimal conditions, let me republish the original post of that visit with Daniele, who has also been the oenologist for the Valpolicella "cantina sociale" (co-op), which has produced some exceptional wines under his aegis.  I have added new comments and notes, which appear in brackets [ ]. 

Pedemonte (VR), Monday, August 14

Valpolicella. 

Quick, what do you think of?  Chances are, you think of an insipid light red wine from Bolla.  Or you may confuse it with its even more insipid cousin, Bardolino. 

Yet the Valpolicella region of Veneto, in the Northeast of Italy, has been transforming itself no less than the wine-making areas of southern Italy.  Recioto, the traditional dessert wine of the area, gave rise to the potent Amarone, and Amarone gave rise to Ripasso (a cheaper, morefood-friendly version of itself).  At the same time, the increased attention to quality has led to the planting of vineyards higher and higher into the hills and mountains around the valley, with lower yields and Guyot vine-training to bring the quality improvements home. 

This reinvention has been a necessity for the reasons all too familiar with the Italian wine scene: thousands of small to medium sized producers, a staggering variety of grapes and styles -- and a maze of labels and names that's hard for Italians to understand, let alone a wine retailer in Wisconsin or a consumer in Connecticut.

The variety of wine types and names is a double-edged sword, a marketing nightmare but a dream for people like me who love to explore "new" producers and discover great wines.  After all, as Aristide tells the people we meet in the cantine that we visit, "Terry Hughes è l'ambasciatore del vino italiano in America." (Your humble servant is the ambassador of Italian wine in America.)  Well, I do what I can.  It's a task that I've assumed with passion and a sense of long-term commitment.

Anyway, as your diplomatic presence in Valpolicella, ladies and gentlemen of the United States, I am happy to report on a most extraordinary find today, not three miles from where I am typing out this post, overlooking the valley and the mountains of this renascent denominazione di origine controllata. 

Thanks to Lizzy and Giampiero, we met with Daniele Accordini of the Azienda Agricola Stefano Accordini for what was supposed to be a brief tour and tasting.  Almost three hours later, during which time Daniele's son was repeatedly sent by his mother to find out exactly when his father was coming to pranzo (the big meal of the day, just as it was in America when I were a wee lad), we had run through seven wines, including a barrique tasting of the 2004 Amarone (an experiment with American oak!).

Daniele, the winemaker or enologo, and his brother Tiziano run the firm now.  Their total annual production is about 60,000 bottles [which is more or less the maximum a small family-run outfit can make].  This makes them a respectable player in Italy, artisanal in nature but commercially viable, which is apparent in the use of expensive new French barriques and their own bottling facility.  This Accordini firm (there are several in the area with the same surname) has a healthy export market to the US (especially California and New York), Russia, Norway, Switzerland, Belgium and Japan. 

Daniele talked at length about his firm's push for improved quality as expressed in -- what else -- terroir.  They began with land in the valley, have gradually moved up into the hillsides and are now acquiring more land in the nearby mountains.  The 2004 Amarone that we barrel-tested came from a new vineyard at 500 meters.  Of course, yields are lower up there, but the vines are less subject to botrytis (not the good kind, as he explained).  And as everywhere, Accordini is moving from tendone to the Guyot discipline of vines.  Lower yields, higher quality fruit.  [Raisined fruit was not a problem in the rainy 2008 season but may have been in previous years, though altitude and cooler nights should have minimized the problem].

I won't spend time transcribing notes or describing impressions of all the wines we tasted; suffice to say that it was the full range of wines from the region, from a basic and rather acidic Valpolicella Classico to Ripasso and so on up to two levels of Amarone.  I'm going right to the top wine, their cru (Il Fornetto), the firm's "super-Amarone."  If Amarone in general is the economic salvation of Valpolicella -- as it should be at US retail prices of at least $50-60 and up, way up -- then Accordini's Il Fornetto is an apotheosis. 

As with all Amarones, this one hit the nose with characteristic but unusually intense coffee and chocolate aromas.  At 16% it seemed a little too at first.  Overwhelming.  But with time, as it opened up, every sniff and taste revealed new flavors, new depths, more smoothness.  Raspberry.  Anise, a little.  Cherry, of course.  A thought I even detected a hint of mint, although I didn't want to say so aloud.  However it opened up in perfume and flavor, it was always rich, concentrated, powerful yet balanced.

I wish I were the exquisite tasting writer that Frederic Koeppel is, because he would have been able to write a precise sort of rhapsody about this wine.  I can tell you that all of us were stunned by its intensity and depth, its long long finish and its ability to develop in glass.  As we drove back to Lizzy's house, she told us that Daniele Accordini is known and respected locally for his consistency and high quality Amarone, even in difficult years.  In really bad years, of course, he doesn't make an Amarone at all.  He is also the president of the local cantina sociale (co-op) and of the regional association of winemakers.  With all those commitments, it's no wonder that, as Lizzy said, "His wife is a saint."

What food would best go with a wine of this power and character? 

The food of good conversation with friends.  As Daniele himself said, "This is a wine fuori pasto -- outside of meals -- for friends to share slowly and talk about.  A vino di conversazione."  I'd have to agree.  For a terrific food wine, I'd pick his "Passo", a ripasso, over his other Amarone.  The Passo has some of the same characteristics of a full-blown Amarone but at about a quarter the price.  (12 euros vs. 60 euros for Il Fornetto and 25 euros for the "basic" Amarone at the cantina; double those figures for retail sales in Italy.  God knows what they are in the States.) [I've seen most bottles of Il Fornetto priced at about $200 in the New York area.]

...Il Fornetto was a strikingly individual wine of great character.  Unforgettable and unique...

Tre Bicchieri in New York: Here's the dope

Cellar/Tasting Notes

are pleased to invite you to a tasting of the wines awarded Tre Bicchieri in our guide Italian Wines 2009

cost per ticket $50.00 per person With receipt at the tasting, you will receive a complimentary copy of Gambero Rosso’s Italian wines 2009, the ultimate guide to Italian wine, a $40.00 dollar value. Date: Friday, March 6, 2009 - Time: 4.30 pm Location: Metropolitan Pavilion - 125 West 18th Street, New York NY Cost: $50 per person

Soave ain't what it used to be

And Hurrah to That! 

The popular Dr. Debs ("Good Wine under $20") has written about a pair of Soaves from Domenico Selections producer I Stefanini. 

Read Deb's review here.

Francesco Tessari, the young winemaker, and his vineyardist father, Valentino, are delighted of course.

Le variazioni

Yesterday's Amarone lunch, featuring Sandro Boscaini of Masi, was pleasant and informative.  I sat with Tyler Colman, aka Dr. Vino, and we had a good chat about one thing and another.  As ever, Tyler took copious notes.  As ever, I took none. 

I have mixed feelings about many of the Amarones that were open at the tasting.  The wildly varying styles and organoleptic profiles served to restrict the very name of Amarone to a technical term, restricted, that is, to a specific methodology of appassimento (partially drying grapes for greater concentration), attracting a small amount of botrytis, rendering the first pressing of said grapes into the must that will be named Amarone, etc., etc.  Any mutual resemblance was quite absent.  Many of the wines were indistinguishable from ripasso (second pressing of said grapes), or in some thin acidic instances, from a rather full-bodied Valpolicella Classico. 

 

Photo from Veronissima

Boscaini diplomatically, as his playful title "Mr. Amarone" required, criticized the relentless expansion of the Amarone zone and production levels* over the years as well as the impossibile explosion of alleged ripassos, which simply could not be produced in such large numbers if they were legitimate second pressings. 

The other thing that struck me was the rhapsodic way in which a number of attendees were describing -- and heartily drinking -- the older Amarones available to us (back to 1972).  Maybe I'm just a slob or a barbarian, but I found many of those older wines to be distinctly underwhelming.  Tired, rather flabby.  I much preferred the newer ones, whether from 2004 or 2001 -- at least they had some life to them in the form of a balanced acidity and fruitiness.  And they actually complemented the food, which yesterday consisted of a polenta, a fowl risotto and other hearty cold-weather plates.  The younger wines' acidity balanced out the rich heaviness of the yummy grub. 

But I never cease to be amazed by the cult -- no, the fetish -- of the old in wine, especially in Italian wine.  Italy is the country where people drink even the big reds quite young, and, you know, "bring on the tannins."       

* In the linked article posted by Jeremy Parzen, Franco Ziliani shows no such restraint.

Sandro Boscaini of Masi will talk about Amarone

Well, what else would the man come all the way from S. Ambrogio in Valpolicella to talk about? 

Sant'Ambrogio hillside. Taken from the estate across the lane from Masi, Villa Monteleone, whose Ripasso is a knockout.

Mr. Boscaini will offer wine and insights at the Wine Media Guild's monthly luncheon tomorrow at Felidia. 

What I want to know is this:  Just how bad was the weather in Valpolicella in 2008 and what can we expect from the wines of the vintage, Amarone and otherwise? 

Understandably, it my be hard to get a straight answer to the question.  Still, I wonder if I can win some points with Boscanini by declaring my friendship with two fine personages he knows quite well, Giampiero Nadali and Elisabetta Tosi.  As I mentioned the other day, this dynamic duo have created an embryonic social network for Amarone (and more), called Terroir Amarone.  It's all in Italian now, but an English version will come soon, as Giampi tells me.

Meanwhile, I'm glad the weather will be cold and gross tomorrow -- perfect for Amarone!

Benvenuto Brunello, etc.

Yesterday we all met at the Hilton on 6th Avenue for the big event, the Brunello tasting and so on.  The weather was miserable, the crowd more or less the same, and the event over all had some of the clusterfuck qualities of Vinitaly, on a much smaller scale, of course.

As always, the crush of people in the most prestigious exhibit/tasting areas was intense.  You had to have your badge rescanned to get into the Brunello room, which had the allure of a Mumbai railway station at rush hour.  I managed to get a taste of a couple of well-known Brunellos -- quite nice but if they were 100% Sangiovese, I'll eat my cappello. Too drinkable and round too young, too darkly grapey.  To me it was all redolent of the Merrill Lynch bonus scandal:  Have these people learned nothing? 

Allora, as they say. We spent most of our time scouting other wine-producing areas, Chianti and Abruzzo (successfully) and Calabria (more disappointments -- stop the new-American-oak barrique madness!) among them.

We spent a lot of time tasting and chatting with Stefania Pepe, winemaking daughter of the iconic Emidio Pepe, and her husband, who has the wonderful name Adone Del Negro ("Adonis Black").  Each of them owns vineyards, some certified biodynamic, some certified organic but working through the stringent, seven-year process to be biodynamic as well.  Every one of their wines was highly individuated and utterly compelling.  What knockouts. 

I mentioned to Stefania that her father's wines can be off-putting; they not only require a very long ageing to show their stuff but are also uneven and too particolare.  Not to mention very expensive.  She handled that one nicely.  "I want to make the best wines I can.  Not to be the most expensive or particular.  I want everyone to like them." 

By the way, like Emidio, Stefania and Adone are making more of their wines in cement rather than stainless steel.  The contrast between two of Adone's -- from the same vineyard and 100% Montepulciano d'Abruzzo -- illustrated the distinctive character each fermentation container imparts to wine. When asked which of them we preferred, we declared, "Both!"

Speaking of asking awkward questions, I'm never one to shy away.  We found another good Abruzzese producer, whose wines are very well priced.  His low end, super-economy line was impressive.  A lot fuller and rounder than is typical of Montepulciano.  So what did I ask him?  "Any oak?"  No.  "Trucioli?"  (Oak chips?)  I admire the gentleman for keeping his composure.  Well done, sir.  

 

Domenico Selections Website: Live at Last!

Domenico Selections dot com.

We asked for something simple, clean, functional.  With a warm, sunny look.  Suggesting Mediterranean light and vitality.  Free of red-white-and-green clichés.

Yes, we do have the useful traditional map of Italy with clickable regions where we have producers.  Short but sweet regional intros - not the standard boilerplate, either, but a personal viewpoint based on our experiences and observations.  Ditto the producer profiles.  Short, factual wine spec sheets.

And watch this site grow. More producers are on the way.

Still missing: the Muddy Boots blog.  Soon, kids, soon.  And the listing of where you can find the wine, mainly because this is in flux. 

Bookmark this link.

Baci per May Matta-Aliah, who designed the Domenico Selections corporate identity program as well as the site.  She is the owner of Red-Dot-Solutions here in New York. 

Monday Rerun 11: Sweeter than a kiss

This post focuses on a couple of wineries, but it does attempt to present their dessert wines in the context of a bigger, long-term trend to quality in Italy. I still think that good Italian dessert wines are among the best in the world, right up there with all but the very grandest of Sauternes and Tokaji.  (Port and sherry are in another realm altogether, I think.)