mondosapore

Tuscan grape prices fall 50%

As if to validate my occasional screeds about overpriced Italian wines, Roberto Giuliani of Esilazioni Etiliche has published a post relating the "worst conditions in twenty years" for the grape growers and winemakers of Tuscany. One spokesman for a Tuscan property said that he was offered ten euros for a quintale (roughly 220 pounds) of white grapes -- less than the cost of harvesting them. He left them on the vine. (Click on the link above to read the entire piece in Italian.)

This isn't the first I've heard of viticulturalists leaving grapes to rot this year, nor is Tuscany alone in its plight. The market is so weak that even Germany seems to be taking a lot less Italian red wine than usual -- and if the Germans aren't buying there is a crisis indeed. 

The Italian Wine Guy also has written lately about the crazy, unrealistic pricing of so many Italian producers -- one of his periodic screeds on the subject, too.  (Click here for link.) Everybody in the business knows that this is a huge stumbling block.   

3 Bicchieri 2010: Valle d'Aosta, Liguria, Puglia

Click here for today's Tre Bicchieri news for three vastly unimportant wine regions.

First 5 regions of 2010 Tre Bicchieri winners announced

Today Gambero Rosso announced the newest winners of their ultimate accolade, the Tre Bicchieri, for 2010.  The five regions today are Umbria, Lazio, Molise, Basilicata and Calabria.  Go here for the entire 5-region list.  

More coming tomorrow and tomorrow...

Schedule of GR Tre Bicchieri 2010 releases

This is the news all have breathlessly awaited.  It's the region-by-region release of Tre Bicchieri winners for the year.

I'll keep you posted.

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5 ottobre Umbria, Lazio, Basilicata, Calabria, Molise
6 ottobre Puglia, Liguria, Valle d'Aosta,
7 ottobre Emilia, Abruzzo
8 ottobre Campania, Marche
9 ottobre Sicilia, Sardegna,
12 ottobre Alto Adige, Lombardia
13 ottobre Friuli, Trentino
14 ottobre Veneto
15 ottobre Toscana
16 ottobre Piemonte

Another Tre Bicchieri winner from the Domenico Selections fold

Read all about it...CLICK

Another dreadful podcast

I am a scemo.*

I intended to post another podcast of Dom & the Somm with Susannah Gold.  Somehow I recorded 'cast 2 over 'cast 1.  Really, I don't know what happened.  Forgive me, Susannah.  You should probably do the sound engineering thing next time. 

Anyway, here's the link to the latest thrilling episode of "Dom without the Somm":  click.

It's short -- 7-8 minutes.  

I tried the video version but the results were hideous to behold.  (Note to self: ALWAYS WEAR THE SHADES.)

 

It's all my fault!

* Halfwit, dummy, dope.

Cool places: Some new venues for Domenico Selections wines

It's happening, friends, step by step, resto by resto, wine store by wine store, consumer by tipsy consumer:

This is what I'm talking about.

When the ship comes in

Please check out this post on Muddy Boots: Click!

Something about the wines we have coming in this month and by the end of August.

Ciao for now.

Gary Vay vs Robert Parker

So who is the real market maker?  Thanks to JB at Domaine547, who pointed me to the article, which no one else on the Robinson site could track down, I learned that Mr. Vaynerchuk has just inked a multi-million dollar, 10-book deal with Harper Collins, a venerable publishing house now under the universal thumb of Rupert Murdoch.  Jancis, the pride of Cumbria, goes on to say:

Gary is nothing if not a brilliant publicist.  The email from his current PR person announcing the deal also lets slip the following nugget, based on a single post called 'Gary Vaynerchuk as market maker' at the American site for enthusiastic newcomers to wine domaine547, thereby proving the value of all the social networking that Gary's career to date has been based on: 

14 vs 400

• When Robert Parker scored two wines in the 90s, the winery received fourteen orders in the weeks that followed.

• When Gary scored one of the wines a 93 on Wine Library TV, the winery received 400 phone calls and orders within 24 hours.

Taken with yesterday's news that the US is currently arguably the healthiest wine market (see America - the new wine frontier), things look pretty rosy for the scourge of New Jersey. 

If nothing else this development supports what I've long believed was happening, a major generational shift in the power to influence the marketing, selling and, yes, the making of wine.  

The tone of Jancis' piece also lends support to my belief that she's not rooting for the old guard. 

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)

Trivella, baby, trivella

Trivella means drill.  As in drill for oil.  And it seems that one of the greenest, cleanest of the Italian regions, Abruzzo, is about to turn into "Saudi Abruzzo," by some accounts.

I got a comment the other day from Pierluigi Salvatore, a wine blogger and resident of a seaside town in Abruzzo. He alerted me to this threat to the environment of Abruzzo -- a threat that could have massive negative effects on the economically important wine production in that region.

His original is after the jump, just in case you want to verify the fidelity of my translation.  Here is Pierluigi's note in English:

Unfortunately, we citizens and winelovers in Abruzzo have been overwhelmed by a serious development that threatens [the quality of] our lives and wines.  To our misfortune they've found petroleum under our fields, and the oil companies are getting drilling rights to 51% of our territory.  The oil here is very low-quality, so they plan to build processing refineries right over the wells, the first of which would be among the vineyards of Ortona and Tollo, important centers of wine production. 

Rai [the state broadcasting company, laden with political appointees and sliced into party-specific segments] and the press are concerned with trivia, showing pretty scenes of vineyards with Mozart playing in the background. They are quite ignoring the fact that soon one of the most pristine environments in Italy could become infected with petroleum and its toxic emissions.  To this point, wine bloggers have completely ignored the topic.  Please help me.  We have to save our future.  On my blog I've already reported this story, which is becoming a nightmare of all of us.  Thanks -- Pierluigi.

Of course we all know what the likely outcome will be.  Money talks, and loudly.  Money always wins.  And most of us are left to clean up the shit.

Meanwhile, a couple of shots of Abruzzo as it still is.

 

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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

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

More about Amarone and the question of quality

Lately I wrote about Amarone in the wake of Sandro Boscaini's presentation at the Wine Media Guild luncheon.  Here is the link to an excellent elaboration of the subject of Mr. Boscaini's concerns over expanding Amarone production and maintaining quality standards.  It was written by Julia Harding MW, on Jancis Robinson's site: click here to read.

 

Julia also posted a tasting roundup of Amarones, "2005 Amarones by the Score."

In the tasting article, I'm very pleased to see the high scores given to some friends -- Stefano Accordini and Villa Monteleone in particular.  Bravi!

Yes, this would be Julia Harding.

Photo stolen specially for you from JancisRobinson.com

Quoted!

Yours truly was extensively quoted in the Italian Sommelier online magazine just recently.  Franco Ziliani quoted my comments this week on the Benvenuto Brunello event, I daresay approvingly, here in New York, and my rather dyspeptic remarks about aged Amarone.  The latter ties in eerily well with Eric Asimov's posting on age-worthy wines.

Here's the link to the Sommelier column authored by Ziliani:  here.

Here's the link to Franco's often incendiary blog, Vino al Vino.

And to article in question on The Pour, of course.

By the way, Ziliani also quoted New York-based writer and sommelier Susannah Gold from her blog Avvinare.

Grazie mille, Franco.

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. 

Vinitaly and other clusterfucks

A new year brings new rounds of Italian wine shows to attend or consider attending or avoid attending, as the case may be.  The Big One, as always, is Vinitaly, the international formiculation held every year in Verona, this year April 2 - 6.  It's one of those things you have to go to even if you're dreading every minute of it.  (What a difference two stints at Vinitaly make -- contrast with my joy at attending a couple of years ago.)  I think of Vinitaly as the 3D version of Physical Graffiti or Irish music, with too many notes and a nervous-making tempo.

Photo: All the charm of Vinitaly

The worst manifestazione that I've been to in Italy is the oddly prestigious mess at Merano, the Merano Wine Festival to be precise, which this year will be held November 7 - 9.  As I noted in 2007, it combined Teutonic charm with Italian efficiency.  Mai più, as they say in operas.  (Never again.)

 

At Merano Wine Festival:  Une saison en enfer

As I've noted several times, the most interesting and, no doubt, the most productive wine shows to attend to scout new producers of promise are those regional shows or panel-vetted convegni that are focused and designed to showcase emerging wineries, regions and/or wine types.  I've only been to a couple of

Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri 2009 & 2008: The Predictables?

I posted the new Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri awards for 2009 over the weekend.  I thought I'd point you to the 2008 list (link here). 

Compare & contrast.  There's a high degree of consistency, to say the least.  If I have time, I'll do a region-by-region c & c.  For now, you who have time on your mani can toggle back and forth in the spirit of good clean fun. 

A dopo!

Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri 2009: Piemonte!

Ta-da!  The headliner you've all been waiting for, ladies and gentlemen, Piemonte & the Old Guard!

Piemonte - Tre Bicchieri

Barbaresco Asili Ris. 2004 Bruno Giacosa
Barbaresco Bric Balin 2005 Moccagatta
Barbaresco Cottà 2005 Sottimano
Barbaresco Gaiun 2004 Tenuta Cisa Asinari dei Marchesi di Grésy
Barbaresco Maria Adelaide 2004 Bruno Rocca
Barbaresco Pora 2004 Ca' del Baio
Barbaresco Rombone 2005 Fiorenzo Nada
Barbaresco Sorì Burdin 2005 Fontanabianca
Barbaresco Sorì Paitin Vecchie Vigne 2004 Paitin
Barbaresco V. Erte 2004 F.lli Cigliuti
Barbaresco Vign. Brich Ronchi 2005 Albino Rocca
Barbaresco Vign. Starderi 2005 La Spinetta

Barbera d'Asti Bricco della Bigotta 2006 Braida
Barbera d'Asti Sup. Montruc 2006 Franco M. Martinetti
Barbera d'Asti Sup. Nizza A Luigi Veronelli 2006 Brema
Barbera del M.to Sup. Barabba 2004 Iuli

Barolo Bricco Boschis 2004 F.lli Cavallotto – Tenuta Bricco Boschis
Barolo Bricco Luciani 2004 Silvio Grasso
Barolo Broglio 2004 Schiavenza
Barolo Brunate 2004 Mario Marengo
Barolo Cannubi  2004 Michele Chiarlo
Barolo Cannubi 2004 Damilano
Barolo Cannubi Boschis 2004 Luciano Sandrone
Barolo Cannubi S. Lorenzo-Ravera  2004 Giuseppe Rinaldi
Barolo Cascina Francia 2004 Giacomo Conterno
Barolo Case Nere 2004 Enzo Boglietti
Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra 2004 Domenico Clerico
Barolo Enrico VI 2004 Monfalletto - Cordero di Montezemolo
Barolo Falletto 2004 Bruno Giacosa
Barolo Ginestra Ris. 2001 Paolo Conterno
Barolo Ginestra V. Casa Maté 2004 Elio Grasso
Barolo Lazzarito 2004 Vietti
Barolo Le Gramolere  2004 Giovanni Manzone
Barolo Monfortino Ris. 2001 Giacomo Conterno
Barolo Parafada 2004 Vigna Rionda - Massolino
Barolo Prapò 2004 Ettore Germano
Barolo Ravera 2004 Elvio Cogno
Barolo Rocche dell'Annunziata 2004 Rocche Costamagna
Barolo Romirasco 2004 Aldo Conterno
Barolo S. Giovanni 2004 Gianfranco Alessandria
Barolo S. Lorenzo 2004 F.lli Alessandria
Barolo Sarmassa 2004 Giacomo Brezza & Figli
Barolo V. del Gris 2004 Conterno Fantino
Barolo V. La Rosa 2004 Fontanafredda
Barolo V. Rionda 2004 Luigi Pira
Barolo Vign. La Villa 2004 F.lli Seghesio
Barolo Vign. Rocche  2004 Renato Corino

Boca 2004 Le Piane
Colli Tortonesi Bianco Pitasso 2006 Claudio Mariotto
Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Derthona 2006 Vigneti Massa
Colli Tortonesi Timorasso Il Montino 2006 La Colombera
Dogliani Papà Celso 2006 Abbona
Dogliani Sirì d'Jermu 2006 Pecchenino
Dogliani V. Tecc 2006 Einaudi
Dolcetto d'Alba Barturot 2007 Ca' Viola
Dolcetto di Dogliani Briccolero 2007 Quinto Chionetti & Figlio
Gattinara Tre Vigne 2004 Giancarlo Travaglini
Gattinara Vign. Osso S. Grato 2004 Antoniolo
Gavi del Comune di Gavi Bruno Broglia 2007 Gian Piero Broglia
Ghemme 2004 Torraccia del Piantavigna
Langhe La Villa 2006 Elio Altare - Cascina Nuova
Langhe Nebbiolo Costa Russi  2005 Gaja
Langhe Nebbiolo Sperss 2004 Gaja
Lessona S. Sebastiano allo Zoppo 2004 Sella
M.to Rosso Pin 2006 La Spinetta
Nebbiolo d'Alba 2006 Hilberg - Pasquero
Piemonte Chardonnay Monteriolo 2005 Coppo
Roero 2006 Filippo Gallino
Roero Audinaggio 2006 Cascina Ca' Rossa
Roero Mombeltramo Ris. 2005 Malvirà
Roero Srü 2006 Monchiero Carbone

Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri 2009: Toscana

Here's one of the climactic regions for you.

Note the implicit punishment of Brunello.  That said, a lot of the usual names show up including, inexplicably to my tiny mind, Avvoltore (Moris Farms).  Viva the international style. I guess.

Toscana - Tre Bicchieri

Amor Costante 2005 Brunelli - Le Chiuse di Sotto
Avvoltore 2006 Moris Farms
Bolgheri Rosso Sup. Grattamacco 2005 Grattamacco
Bolgheri Sassicaia 2005 Tenuta San Guido
Bolgheri Sup. Argentiera 2005 Argentiera
Bolgheri Sup. Ornellaia 2005 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
Brancaia Il Blu 2006 Brancaia
Brunello di Montalcino 2003 Biondi Santi
Caberlot 2005 Podere il Carnasciale
Cabreo Il Borgo  2006 Tenute Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari
Camartina  2005 Querciabella
Carmignano Villa di Capezzana 2005 Tenuta  di Capezzana
Casalferro 2005 Barone Ricasoli
Cepparello 2005 Isole e Olena
Chianti Cl. 2006 Badia a Coltibuono
Chianti Cl. Castello di Ama 2005 Castello di Ama
Chianti Cl. Cortevecchia Ris. 2005 Fattoria le Corti
Chianti Cl. Il Margone Ris. 2005 Il Molino di Grace
Chianti Cl. Montegiachi Ris. 2005 Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico
Chianti Cl. Rancia Ris. 2005 Fattoria di Felsina
Chianti Cl. Ris. Ducale Oro 2004 Tenimenti Ruffino
Chianti Cl. Tenuta di Capraia Ris. 2005 Rocca di Castagnoli
Colline Lucchesi Tenuta di Valgiano 2005 Tenuta di Valgiano
Flaccianello della Pieve  2005 Tenuta Fontodi
Fontalloro 2005 Fattoria di Felsina
Galatrona 2006 Fattoria Petrolo
I Sodi di San Niccolò 2004 Castellare di Castellina
Il Carbonaione 2005 Podere Poggio Scalette
Il Corzano 2005 Fattoria Corzano e Paterno
Kepos 2006 Ampeleia
Livernano 2005 Livernano
Lupicaia 2005 Castello del Terriccio
Montecucco Sangiovese Lombrone Ris. 2004 Colle Massari
Mormoreto 2005 Marchesi de' Frescobaldi
Nambrot 2005 Tenuta di Ghizzano
Nobile di Montepulciano Asinone 2005 Poliziano
Nobile di Montepulciano Bossona Ris. 2004 Maria Caterina Dei
Nobile di Montepulciano Ris. 2004 La Calonica
Pietradonice 2005 Casanova di Neri
Poggiassai 2006 Poggio Bonelli
Pugnitello 2006 San Felice
Redigaffi 2006 Tua Rita
Rocca di Frassinello 2006 Rocca di Frassinello
Saffredi 2005 Fattoria Le Pupille
Sammarco 2005 Castello dei Rampolla
Siepi 2005 Castello di Fonterutoli
Tignanello 2005 Marchesi Antinori
Vignamaggio 2005 Villa Vignamaggio
Vin Santo 1996 Avignonesi