What impressed me about the white wines from Grandis’ciutta is their high quality and reasonable price, all at $18.

Collio Chardonnay 2011 made from 100% Chardonnay. Chardonnay was confused with Bianco Bianco in this region until the 1970′s. The vines are at 400 to 600 meters and the training system is guyot. The juice is obtained from a soft pressing of the grapes macerated for 24 hours. 80% 0f the fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and 20% takes place in new oak barrels.The wine is matured on its lees, then the two lots are blended together and the wine is bottled. There were aromas and flavors of apple and honey with a slight hint of vanilla

Collio Pinot Grigio 2012, 100% Pinot Grigio. This grape variety was first called Ruläander when it came to the Gorizia area in the second half of the 1800’s. The color of the grape tends to be copper. The vineyard is at 325 to 475 feet and the training system is guyot. Soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, aging on the lees until the wine is bottled. The wine had a slight copper color, with flavor hints of peach and ripe apple. There was also an aroma of tomato leaf. It is a very interesting wine.

Friulano Collio DOC, 2011, 100% Tocai Friulano   If you ask for white wine in Friuli this is what they will serve you. The name of the wine was changed from Tocai to Friulano because Hungary has a dessert wine called Tokay and they convinced the EU to make Friuli change the name of their wine  from Tocai to Friulano in 2007. This was done to avoid confusion because the names sounded alike. This in my opinion was not necessary. Soft pressing of the grapes is followed by 24 to 48 hour fermentation at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. The wine is aged on its lees until it is ready to be bottled.  It has good fruit aromas and flavors with a hint of apple and a touch of almond in the finish and aftertaste.

Ribolla Gialla 2011, 100% Ribolla Gialla. This is the oldest grape variety of Collio. It has been here since Roman times. The vineyards are at 600 feet and the training method is guyot. The soil is sandstone marl and clay marl. The grapes undergo criomaceration for 24 hours and then are pressed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine remains on its lees until bottled. It has nice citrus aromas and flavors with a very pleasant finish and aftertaste.

Collio Bianco “Bratinis”2010  made from Chardonnay, Ribolla Gialla and Sauvignon Blanc in various percentages. The soil is a mixture of breakable sandstone and clay marl called ponca. The name of the wine comes from the locality where the grapes are grown and harvested. The vines are between 500 and 600 feet and the training system is guyot. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks.The wine matures on the lees and is then bottled. At one time the wine was produced in such small amounts that it was only available for the family. It is aromatic with hints of apple and peach and a touch if pineapple. It has a long finish and pleasing aftertaste.

Schiava Gentile 2011 from Peter Zemmer, the perfect light  red wine for warm weather drinking.  Made from the Schiava grape (a blend of various varieties of Schiava) this varietal grows on the special vineyards on the valley floor of the southern Lowlands of Alto Adige. $15

After the grapes are picked the stems are immediately removed and the grapes are fermented for 8 days at a constant temperature. The must is kept in regular contact with the skins through circulation pumping and gentle pressure from below. This is done to achieve ideal results with the coloring from the skins and emphasize the fruitiness of the wine.

The wine is light ruby in color; it is light, fresh and easy to drink with a touch of bitter almond in the finish. I had it with pizza with different toppings and it worked very well with all of them.

One night we were walking in the Piazza Pasquino when I spotted a chalkboard in front of a restaurant with the specials written in colored chalk. I could not believe my eyes–had I had too much Campari? I returned the next day and there it was written in bold letters:  Chicken Pamagana and Spaghetti with Meatballs. I can just imagine American tourist seeing this chalkboard and saying, “at last, real Italian food just like our favorite Italian restaurant back home.”

F.LLI Ciccazzo Via Della Croce

We went here in the mornings for cappuccino and a ciambella and/or a cornetto. Do not sit outside but stand at the bar like the Romans.  It is much more interesting and a caffe and cornetto costs only 2 Euros.

We did not have to leave for the airport until 9:30 so we stopped in Salumeria Focacci di Focacci, Via della Croce 43. And ordered two rosetta rolls filled with prosciutto di Parma to eat on the plane. The cost was only 3.94 Euros — a real bargain.

We like to go Café Ciampini in Pizza S. L. in Lucina, 29.

For cappuccino, gelato or a Campari and soda depending on the time of day. It is always interesting to sit outside in this  busy piazza.

The Margutta

This Caffè is close to the parliament buildings, so politicians go there as well as the local police and the Carabinieri.  The piazza is very charming. Sitting outside on a weekday morning there can be a lot of noise and confusion from delivery trucks.

Timbale of Zucchine

  The interior is very nice and it is not only a caffè/bar but also a restaurant with come interesting items. I really like their Margutta salad and had it both times I went there.  In addition to the salad greens, there were fruits, nuts and cheese.   Michele had the Timbale of Zucchine the first time and the Pizza Romana the second time. The pastry is also very good. The original Caffè is in Naples so they have a Neapolitan accent.  Michele just had to order the sfogliatella.  

The hotel Raphael and the Grand Hotel Minerva have roof top gardens where we often stopped for drinks. The drinks are expensive but the views are spectacular.

Wineries aren’t required to list ingredients. Don’t consumers deserve that information?

THE POUR
If Only the Grapes Were the Whole Story

At RAW, a fair in London that brings together producers of artisanal and natural wines with others in the trade and the public.
By ERIC ASIMOV

Wine has been described as the perfect beverage because the grapes contain all the ingredients necessary to create their transformation. Put grapes in a vat, and over time the yeasts coating the skins set alchemy in motion, converting the sugar in the juice into alcohol.
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RAW 2013
The producers who take part in RAW are required to list any additives and processing techniques they have used in their wines.
It was just this sort of unbidden fermentation that inspired humans so long ago to spend the next few millenniums improving their methods of winemaking.

A few wines are still made in this way, or at least in approximation, with no other ingredients except the possible addition of sulfur dioxide, which has been used for eons as a stabilizer and preservative. Yet it’s no secret that many wines (most, in fact) include a lot more than grapes, yeast and sulfur. The list in some cases can be staggering.

Forget about the often poisonous chemicals used in the vineyards, which can leave residue on the grapes. In the winery alone, before fermentation even begins, enzymes may be added to speed up the removal of solid particles from the juice, to amplify desirable aromas while eliminating disagreeable ones, to intensify the color of red wines and to clarify the color of whites.

It doesn’t stop there. Other additives can be used to enhance a wine’s texture, to add or subtract tannins or simply to adjust quality. Winemakers can select specific yeasts and special nutrients to keep those yeasts working. They can add oak extracts for flavor and further tannin adjustment, and compounds derived from grape juice to fix color, texture and body. They can add sugar to lengthen the fermentation, increasing the alcohol content; add acid if it’s lacking; add water if the alcohol level is too high. Or they can send the wine through a reverse-osmosis machine or other heavy equipment to diminish the alcohol and eliminate other undesirable traits, like volatile acidity.

For all of its natural, pastoral connotations, wine can very much be a manufactured product, processed to achieve a preconceived notion of how it should feel, smell and taste, and then rolled off the assembly line, year after year, as consistent and denatured as a potato chip or fast-food burger.

Yet we pay little attention to wine’s added ingredients, even as we have become hyper-conscious about what we eat. Twenty years ago, many Americans may have enjoyed food indiscriminately, but now they weigh the nutritional, environmental, humanitarian, aesthetic and even political consequences of what they cook and consume. Isn’t it time to devote the same careful attention to the wine we drink?

It’s no simple task. Unlike processed foods, wine is not required to have its ingredients listed on the label. This contributes to the belief that any wine is elemental, like fruits, vegetables and meats, and can’t be broken down into constituent parts. That’s far from the truth.

“It is very surprising how many discerning foodies will drink mass-produced, highly processed wines without batting an eyelid,” Isabelle Legeron, an educator and consultant who holds the rare title master of wine, wrote in an e-mail. “They just haven’t engaged with wine in the same way, yet.”

For the last two years, Ms. Legeron has held RAW, a fair in London that brings together producers of artisanal and natural wines with others in the trade and the public. All producers who take part are required to list any additives and processing techniques they have used.

“With RAW, we are really trying to raise awareness about transparency,” she said. “We want to prompt people to ask questions.”

The first question might be: Why are wineries so reluctant to document what goes into their wines? Ingredient labeling is voluntary, and very few wineries have stepped up. Bonny Doon Vineyard, Shinn Estate Vineyards and Ridge Vineyards deserve applause as notable exceptions.

Many wineries try to explain away their reluctance by arguing that consumers will be confused by long lists of ingredients, or even a short list of traditional but unexpected substances that have been used in winemaking for centuries. For example, artisanal producers who disdain adding enzymes may still try to clarify their wines with egg whites or isinglass, which is derived from fish bladders. Certainly vegans might want to know that information.

The fact is, some consumers make conscious decisions not to buy products when they see what goes into making them. I don’t want added sweeteners pervading the groceries I buy, for example. I love peanut butter, but won’t buy it if it contains anything more than peanuts and salt. Don’t all consumers deserve the same opportunity to make informed, considered judgments about wine?

At the same time, other consumers — the vast majority — continue to buy processed foods regardless of mysterious ingredients. They are motivated by cost, convenience and sensory gratification, or maybe they just don’t care. No doubt the same will be true with wine.

It’s not apparent whether additives in wine pose public-health risks. Nonetheless, if we want foods that are minimally processed, authentic expressions of what they purport to be (like cheese rather than processed cheese), then we want to be able to distinguish between wines that are relatively unmanipulated and those that are industrial products.

Most wineries have no interest in full disclosure. Just as with food manufacturers, they will have to be dragged into some form of honest representation of their product. Sadly, the responsibility is left largely to consumers to monitor what they buy and drink.

As a first step, it helps to think of wine as food. Concerns about where food comes from and how it’s grown, processed or raised ought to be extended to wine. If we ourselves don’t set standards for quality and authenticity, who will?

ROMA

The days were becoming warmer and longer and just walking around the city and taking in the sites was a pleasure. Looking at the official seal of Rome, SPQR meaning ‘The Senate and the People of Rome,’  always reminds me that Rome was once the most important city in the world.  We sat in the outdoor cafes on sunny mornings enjoying cappuccino and cornetti and watching the world go by. At night we would stop for a Campari and soda or a Negroni at one of the roof garden bars watching the setting sun.  But as I have said before, I love the food in Rome and the highlights of the day for me are lunch and dinner.

Here are some favorite restaurants we went to on this trip. Some we have only been to a few times, others we have been going to for over 30 years.

all’Amatriciana

The first time I went to Il Matriciano ( 39-06-32500364) Via dei Gracchi, 55, was in 1981 and have been going back whenever I was in Rome, until two years ago.  On that trip, we sat outside and were disappointed in the service and the food.  The waiter wanted to serve us the antipasto, which included a slice of pizza, but I just wanted zucchini flowers.  He seemed to think he knew more than I about what I wanted and kept on suggesting dishes that were of no interest to me.  The menu has barely changed over the years and I always order the same things when I eat there.  It annoyed me and the experience was just not the same

We decided this year to give the restaurant another chance. On our way there, Michele said, “Let’s ask to sit inside because that is where all the Romans are.” When we arrived the owner offered us a table outside but we insisted on inside.  After moving a few tables around, we were seated. The restaurant filled up very quickly and Romans sat at every table inside.

Fragoline and Gelato

Our waiter was very good considering it was a busy Sunday afternoon.  He only spoke to us in Italian which we preferred.  As usual, I ordered zucchini flowers (I cannot get enough of them) to start. These were perfectly deep fried with a small amount of mozzarella filling and more than a hint of anchovies.  I ordered the bucatini all’Amatriciana.  Along with one or two others, this is one of the classic Roman pastas. Some places serve it with rigatoni but it is not the same. Then I had abbacchio (baby lamb) roasted with potatoes. It was cooked to perfection, moist with crisp skin. For dessert I had tiny fragoline, wild strawberries, and gelato. Michele loves fragoline and orders them every chance she gets.

The Barbera “Latina” 2007 from Cascina Castlet went very well with the pasta and the baby lamb. The restaurant had returned to form and produced the perfect traditional Roman meal. I was very happy.

Crostini

Last year we went to restaurant Armando al Pantheon, Salita de Crescenzi, 3906 68880 3034, for the first time and liked it so much that we decided to go again this year.  Michele made a reservation on line and when we arrived in Rome we confirmed the reservation just to make sure. This is also a traditional Roman restaurant. We ordered crostini with truffles and quail egg, bucatini all’Amatriciana and grilled lamb. Once again we had the fragoline with gelato for dessert.  Michele really likes the food here.

 The wine was the 2009 Montepulciano D’Abruzza, from Emidio Pepe.  At less than 40 euro, it was a real bargain in a restaurant. The wine was big but with a lot of fruit and not as tannic as I expected. I should have asked them to decant the wine. Most of my experience with this wine has been with vintages that are 25 years and older.

Carbonara

Roscioli Salumeria Vineria con Cucina – Via dei Giubbonari 21-22. This is not only a restaurant but also a salumeria, a shop specializing in salumi and cheese. Michele likes the restaurant because it has the best spaghetti carbonara in Rome. It can also be very creative with items like the hamburger di bufala with grilled ham and a balsamic drizzle, and the burrata e alici. This time we both ordered the carbonara. Michele is right, it was terrific.

 The wine was the 2008 Cerasuolo (Rosè) 100% Montepulciano d’Abuzzo from Eduardo Valentini. I believe it is Italy’s best Rosè and it was less than 40 Euro.

Spaghetti con Vongole Veraci

Da Giggetto (39- 066861 105) at Portico D’Ottavia 12 A, in the Jewish ghetto. It was a chilly and cloudy afternoon in Rome as we made our way to the restaurant. We sat   inside in one of the small rooms that look onto the street.  I do not need to look at the menu because I always order the same things: fiori di zucca ripieni con mozzarella e alici (small and crunchy but very good), carciofi alla giudia  (fried artichokes) and spaghetti con vongole veraci. The clams were small and tender with just the right amount of parsley, garlic, olive oil and a hint of hot pepper. Michele had fava beans with guanciale. We have been going here for many years and have never been disappointed.

Cacio e Pepe

Palatium- Enoteca Regionale Via Fattina 94   39-06-6920 2132. This is a restaurant run by the region of Lazio. All of the food is typical of the region. The wine is only from the region and a real bargain as most of them are between 10 and 14 euros. There is a very large selection. The restaurant was a few doors down from our hotel on the Via Frattina and as luck would have it we went there on the night that it rained. I had cacio e pepe which is a typical Roman dish and Michele had mozzarella in carrozza, a very large toasted sandwich.

We drank a bottle of Lazio I.G.P “Colle DE” Poggeri”  2011 from Cantina Stefanoni 100% Roscetto (Trebbiano Giallo). The harvest took place from 10 to 15 of October. Fermentation is on the skins for about 12 hours. The must fermentation is in wooden barrels for about two months. The color was yellow with golden reflections and the wine looked like it might have oxidized. This was not the case; it was fresh, soft and well balanced with good fruit aromas and flavors.  It is a bargain at 10 euros.

The view from our terrace

We found an apartment with a terrace and a fantastic view of Mount Vesuvius and the surrounding area. The cruise ships anchored right below the apartment, and at night so did the fireworks barge.  It looked like a private fireworks display just for us.  It was quite a sight!

The apartment did not have WiFi so we had breakfast in the morning and drinks at night at a cafè/bar called the Square and read our e-mail.  The first night in Sorrento we went for dinner to a restaurant called ReFood. There was a big display of fresh fish at the entrance that looked very appealing, though most of the tourists in the restaurant were eating steak.  Not a great idea.

Calamari

We went for the fish and vegetable dishes which were very good.  I ordered an Etna Bianco Superiore 2006 Pietramarina from Benanti made from 100% Caracanti.

I had the grilled calamari and Michele had pasta with zucchini and cheese. Michele enjoys the zucchini in Italy because the variety they grow is less watery and has more flavor than the kind grown here.

One of the reasons we like to visit Sorrento is that it is easy to take the bus or the local train to visit surrounding towns and we don’t need to rent a car. One of our favorite places to go is to Restaurant Lo Stuzzchino, a scenic half hour bus ride from Sorrento in the town of Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi.

The owner of the restaurant is Domenico (Mimmo) De Gregorio who is also the sommelier. In the kitchen are his father Paolo, his mother Filomena and his wife Dora. Often when Mimmo was calling an order into the kitchen we would hear him holler “Mamma”.  It is a true family restaurant.

Last time we were there he introduced me to a wine made from the Caprettone grape from the area around Mount Vesuvius.  I really liked this wine and asked if he still had any. He said he had a wine made from this grape but from a different producer. So he brought over a bottle of the 2011 Caprettone from Casa Barone.

Ravioli

The food at Lo Stuzzichino is excellent. I ordered the ravioli again. There were six, two filled with cows milk ricotta, two from sheep and two from goat. Each pair had its own special sauce. Michele had pasta with potatoes and provolone cheese, a typical dish of the region, which she really enjoyed.

Antico Francischiello Restaurant is about 20 minutes by bus from Sorrento. It is a lovely restaurant with a great view of Capri and excellent traditional food so we returned again this year.

Antipasto

There was a group of Japanese tourists in the restaurant when we arrived that were having a very good time eating ravioli followed by whole fish roasted in a salt crust.  After lunch most of them ordered tea, which was served in teapots, and there were the small traditional teacups for them to drink from. The interior of the restaurant in very elegant and it is the only restaurant in the Sorrento area to be honored as one of the Historic Restaurants of Italy.

We started with a vegetable antipasto, which we had enjoyed the last time we were here, and it was just as we remembered it. The dish that was our favorite was home made pasta with artichokes and squid, something we have never had before.

They have a nice wine list but they were out of a number of things because they were waiting for a delivery. The owner recommended a Fiano di Avellino “Ventidui” 2011 from Villa Araiano and it was a good choice.

We also returned to Torre del Saraceno, which is one of the most expensive restaurants in the area. The tasting menu that we ordered was 125 Euros a person but there were ten courses. My favorite course was the risotto topped with crispy seaweed.  It is a very elegant restaurant and the service is excellent. The chef Gennaro Esposito travels a lot, and in March we saw him outside SD26 in NYC where he was doing a special dinner.

The wine I ordered was the Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Riserva 2006 Villa Bucci. 100% Verdicchio from vines which are 40 or 50 years old. This is a great white wine that I do not drink or write about often enough. It is aged for at least 1-1/2 years in Slavonian oak casks of 50 and 70 HL, very unusual for a white wine, plus in bottle for one year before release. It is very complex and elegant with hints of hazelnuts and honey and a touch of spice.

In Sorrento on the last day we returned to Restaurant Basilica. We sat outside in a corner table in the shade. I started with marinated white anchovies followed by pasta with scampi and tomatoes. Michele ordered mozzarella di bufala and said it was excellent. It looked so good that I had to order it, too.  It was delicious.

They had the 2004 Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from Eduardo Valentini, 100% Trebbiano d’Abruzzo. This is one of my favorite white wines and it was about $55, less than retail in NY so I had to drink it. The waiter could not get the cork out of the bottle so he had to push it in.  Then he decanted the wine so there was no way to chill it.  We drank it at room temperature and I enjoyed it so much that I will never chill this wine again.

Scarbolo Wines

Pinot Grigio 100% Pinot Grigio. There are 5,500 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. The grapes are hand harvested. There is a soft pressing of the grapes immediately after harvesting. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The juice is cooled and the wine is decanted naturally to remove any particles remaining from the fermentation. The wine is aged on the lees in stainless steel tanks for 6 months with frequent batonnage. $16

Friulano 100% Tocai Friulano. There are 5,700 vines per hectare and the training is guyot. Several hand harvests are conducted with a final late harvest of about 10%. Soft pressing of 60% of the whole grape clusters right after harvesting. 30% of the fruit is destemmed and left on the skins for a brief period of cold maceration. The remaining 10% is dried out and gently pressed. Fermentation takes place in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The wine has nice fruit and a hint of almonds.$19

My Time 2007 made from 40% Chardonnay, 30% Sauvignon and 30 Friulano. The three different varieties are harvested at the same time at pressed together. After cold decantation the juice is transferred t0 500 liter French oak barrels for fermentation. The wine is aged on the noble lees for 1 year in 500 liter French oak barrels with frequent batonnages. The wine is then aged in stainless steel tanks for at least one year. The wine is bottled when it is “time” and aged in bottle for 4 months before release. $39

Pinot Grigio XL 2007 in magnum  100% Pinot Grigio. The grapes are from their oldest vineyard “Mattia”.   There are 5,500 vines per hectare and the training is guyot. There is a careful selection of ripe bunches. The fruit is destemmed and transferred to temperature controlled stainless steel tanks, where the juice ferments with the skins for 6 days. After a soft pressing a small portion completes fermentation in 500 liter French oak barrels while the remaining juice stays in stainless steel. The wine is aged 9 months on its noble lees in stainless steel and tonneaux with frequent batonnages. The wine is aged in bottle for six months before release. The wine has good fruit with a hint of strawberry and apple. The 750 size is $25 a bottle.

Campo del Votto 2009 made from 100% Merlot.  This is a single vineyard wine made only in select years. There are 6,000 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot, harvesting is by hand and there are two separate harvests. The first whole clusters harvested are dried out for about 20 days, destemmed and transferred to small oak barrels for fermentation. The whole clusters from the second harvest are immediately destemmed and placed in small oak barrels for fermentation. There is frequent manual punch down of the cap. After fermentation the barrels are sealed and the wine remains in contact with the skin until mid December. The wine is aged in barriques for 2 years and then in bottle for 6 months before release. This is a wine with aromas and flavors of ripe berries, with hints of chocolate and tobacco. $40

Refosco 100% Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso. There are 5,800 plants per hectare and the grapes are handed harvested, destemmed, and placed in stainless steel tanks with large bases to promote extraction of color and sweet tannins through frequent pumping down. After fermentation the wine remains in contact with the skins for a few weeks. The wine is aged in French oak barrels of different sizes for three years and another 6 months in bottle before release. This is a wine with good fruit, hints of plums and a touch of spice $40

Peppino has been serving the Wine Media Guild at Felidia for 20 years

The Bastianich Wines

 Vespa (Wasp in Italian) Bianco 2010 DOC is made from a blend of 45% Chardonnay, 45% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10%Picolit (late harvest). The percentage changes according to the vintage and it is a field blend. The vineyards are located in the villages of Buttrio and Premariacco, in the Colli Orientali delFriuli DOC. There are 8,500 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot. The Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc are vinified separately, 50% in 4,000 liter oak botti and 50% in stainless steel. The Picolit ferments in 500 liter tonneaux. 60% of the wine undergoes malolatic fermentation. The wines remain on the lees for almost one year. The assemblage in aged in bottle for an additional year before release. This is an elegant wine with ripe pear aroma and flavor, a hint of honey and citrus, and good acidity

Vespa Bianco 2007 in Magnum this wine has aromas and flavors of mature pear and greater depth than the 2010. It was showing no signs of age.

Tocai Plus 2008 DOC Is 100% Friulano (Tocai) 90% is late harvest and 10% appassimento (dried grapes). The grapes come from a single vineyard of 60-year-old vines. The soil is calcareous marl. There are 3,000 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and 60% of the wine undergoes malolactic fermentation. The wine remains on the lees for 9 months and in bottle for one year before release. It has hints of candied orange peel, pear and melon with a nice finish and long aftertaste.

Vespa Rosso 2009 DOC 50% Merlot, 30% Refosco, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. There are 5,000 to 8,000 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot. The wine is made by fermenting and macerating each variety individually in open-topped, 500 liter tonneaux barrels. The punch down is done by hand for the softest possible extraction. A vertical press is used which extracts softer tannins, as there is less skin-against–skin friction. The wine is aged for 18 months in Allier barriques and another year in barrel before release. This is a structured fruit forward wine with a hint of spice.

Vespa Rosso 2002 This wine is still fruit forward and has developed more complex flavors and aromas. It is showing no signs of age.

Calabrone 2008 70% Refosco, 10% Schioppettino, 10% Pignolo and 10% Merlot. There are 6,000 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot. 50% of the Refosco and all of the Schioppettino grapes are dried for four weeks. The dried clusters are then de-stemmed by hand and gently crushed. Fermentation and maceration take place in open-topped 500-liter tonnaux barrels. The punch down is done by hand for the softest possible extraction. In is interesting to note that they use a vertical wooden press. After 24 months in new Allier barriques the assemblage is created. The wine is aged for 2 years in bottle before release. This is a big wine, with mature red fruit with hints of chocolate, coffee and spice.

Valter and Nadia

Valter was in NYC recently and invited me to a tasting of his wines and lunch at Felidia restaurant.

For more information on the Cogno Winery http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2010/12/20/a-unique-white-and-traditional-barolo-at-the-elvio-cogno-winery/

The Wines

Barbera d’Alba “PRE-Phylloxera” DOC. Made from 100% Barbera. Valter said that the vineyard is over 120 years old. He rents the vineyard, which is situated in Berri close to La Morra. The vineyard is only 3,400 square meters. The vines are vertically trellised and Guyot pruned and the vineyard is at 520 meters. The grapes are harvested in the beginning of October. The wine is fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with automatic pump over. Aging takes place for 12 months in large Slavonia oak casks and another 6 months of bottle age before release. Only 1,800 bottles are produced.

This is an elegant well-balanced wine with hints of raspberry, strawberry and cherry and a touch of spice. It is a Barbera that will age. I was very impressed with this wine. $60

Valter explained that the vines come from pre-grafted plants propagated by cuttings that they have maintained over many years and therefore they have the original Barbera characteristics. The terrain is sandy-chalk, which is a natural protection for the vines from phylloxera.

Valter said that this wine was something he always wanted to do and it is also a tribute to his father-in-law, Elvio Cogno, who made a pre-phylloxera Dolcetto d’Alba “Boschi di Berri” when he was at the Marcarini Winery.

Barbaresco “Bordini” DOCG made from Lampia, a sub-variety of Nebbiolo. The vineyard is at 250 meters and the vine training is vertical trellised with Guyot pruning. The vineyard is in Neive. The harvest takes place at the end of September. Vinification is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with automatic pump over. The post-fermentation maceration is for 20 days with submerged cap.

The wine remains on the lees for 60 days. Ageing is for 12/14 months in large Slovenian oak barrels and it is in bottle six months before release. $43

Valter spoke about the three main clones of Nebbiolo: Lampia, Michet and Rosè. He said that the nurseries in Italy were now producing vines that are a combination of all three, taking the best characteristics if each. They would be mostly Lampia with some Michet and a little Rosè. He also pointed out that because of natural pollenization, this may be happening in his own vineyards.

Barolo Cascina Nuova DOCG 100% Nebbiolo (Lampia & Michet) The vineyard is at 380 meters with a southern exposure. It is the youngest vineyard. There are 4,000 plants per hectare and the vines are vertical trellised with Guyot pruning. The harvest takes place in October. Vinification is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with automatic pumping over and a maceration of 30 to 40 days. The wine is aged in 40HL oak barrels for 2 years and in bottle for another 6 months before release.

Valter said that 2009 was one of his favorite vintages because it has a lot of fruit and is more approachable. $43

Barolo “Bricco Pernice” DOCG 2006 100%.  It is made from a sub-variety of Nebbiolo called Lampia. The vineyard is 300 meters above sea level with 5000 vines per hectare and faces southward. The grapes are from the finest vineyards in Novello, in the most historic part of the Ravera cru. Harvest is in October. Fermentation in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks with pumping over and 30 days maceration with submerged cap. It is aged for 24 months in large Slovenian oak barrels 25/30 HL. It remains on the lees for 90 days and spends12 months in bottle before it is released. This is a well-structured and elegant Barolo. 9,000 bottles were produced. $85

Barolo “Vigna Elena” Riserva DOCG 2008. This wine is made from 100% Rosè, a sub-variety of Nebbiolo. Valter said he is one of the few to do a Barolo with 100% Rosè. The vineyards are 380 feet above sea level and face southward. There are 4,000 vines per hectare. The vineyard is 1 hectare. The harvest is in October and the grapes are fermented in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks with automatic pump-over with a post fermentation maceration of 30 days and a submerged cap. The wine is aged for 36 months in 40HL Slovenian oak barrels. Valter said the he only uses native yeasts. The wine is left on the lees for 60 days, and undergoes 12 months bottle aging before it is released. Valter pointed out that this wine is only made in great vintages. He also said that 2008 was an excellent year and it made a very traditional style Barolo. The wine has typical Nebbiolo aromas of roses, tobacco and a hint of liquorice. 5, 000 bottles produced. $90

When it comes to Barbareso and Barolo Valter is a traditionalist. He feels that a long maceration makes the tannins softer and is necessary to make a complex wine with all the necessary aromas and flavors. He will only use botte grande. Barriques extract too much from the wood into the wine and he would not use them for Barolo or Barbaresco.

Barolo “Ravera” DOCG 2000. It is made from the Lampia and Michet, sub varieties of Nebbiolo. The vineyard is 380 feet meter above sea level, with 4,000 vines per hectare and faces southward. Fermentation in stainless steel temperature controlled tanks with automatic pump over, maceration for 30 days with submerged cap and on the lees for 90 days. 24 months of aging in 25/30HL Slovenian oak barrels and six months in bottle before it is released. He called Ravera the most important Cru in Novello and went on to say that the mostly calcareous soil (classic blue clay) of this vineyard adds elegance and structure to the wine, making it ideal for aging. 15,000 bottles produced. $N/A I had tasted this wine from the barrel when I visited the winery two years ago. The barrel sample was very Pinot Noir like but now it is pure Nebbiolo.

]]> http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/barolo-barbaresco-and-pre-phylloxera-barbera/feed/ 6 charlesscicolone Valter and Nadia IMG_3029 IMG_3022 IMG_3026 IMG_3024 IMG_3028 IMG_3025 http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/challenges-facing-brunello-di-montalcino/ http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2013/04/29/challenges-facing-brunello-di-montalcino/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:10:41 +0000 Charles Scicolone http://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/?p=3225 Continue reading →]]> Brunello has been facing many challenges recently.   It all began when members of the Brunello Consortium considered a proposal to permit the addition of grapes other than Sangiovese to make Brunello.  Though the proposal was defeated, an anonymous letter surfaced accusing some Brunello producers of using other grapes, creating a lot of animosity among the members and an investigation by the authorities.

Another challenge has been the loss of one of the staunchest advocates for the traditional, all-Sangiovese Brunello, the legendary Franco Biondi Santi who passed away recently at age 91.  He prided himself on making wine the way his grandfather did and used his influence to make sure that Brunello would only be made from Sangiovese.  His loss has been deeply felt by those who believe in the traditional Brunello.

As if there this was not enough, there is also the strange case of Gianfranco Soldera, owner of Cassa Basse.  An ex-employee of the winery who did not like the way he had been treated entered the winery one night and destroyed over 60,000 liters of wine by simply opening the valves.  Most of the 2006 vintage had already been bottled but almost all of the wine from 2007 to 2012 has been lost.  This was a considerable loss since Soldera Brunello sells for over $200 a bottle.  Mr. Soldera may have had insurance, however.

The Brunello Consortium offered to give Mr. Soldera wine.  He thanked them but refused the offer.  Later, he made statements to the press about this offer that the Brunello Consortium did not like, so now they are suing him for libel.

Following is the press release by the Consortium and its Chairman Frabrizio Bindocci.  I think it makes for very interesting reading!

The Consortium of Brunello di Montalcino, considering the statements made by Gianfranco Soldera and published by the Corriere della Sera of 26th March last to be highly injurious, has decided to bring an action for libel against Mr Soldera. The suit, which will be filed with the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Milan, refers to the part of the interview given by the owner of the Case Basse Estate where he defined the proposal of the Consortium to give him the “wine of solidarity”, with a different bottle and label, after an employee had drained the contents of his barrels down the drain, as “inadmissible and offensive, a fraud to the consumers”.

As underlined by Fabrizio Bindocci, Chairman of the Consortium, “we consider the lawsuit a necessary course of action to safeguard the image of the winemakers, of Brunello wine and of the entire territory of Montalcino. We feel deeply offended and damaged by these and other negative statements on the Consortium and the winemakers made by Mr Soldera following the event that struck him. Our decision was made as a result of the request voiced in unison by the winemakers to take a strong measure against someone who offends the reputation and work of each one of them. This is the only reason behind our decision, and we are very firm in underlining it, once and for all”.

Pursuant to the lawsuit, the Board of the Consortium has also decided to immediately expel Gianfranco Soldera, as set forth in the articles of association. Despite his being a resigning member, Mr Soldera would have been part of the Consortium until 2015 – but his highly improper behaviour has determined the incompatibility of his participation in the Consortium.

Focusing on the motivation of the lawsuit, Chairman Bindocci wishes to stress “how incomprehensible it is to label as fraud a gesture that Mr Soldera himself, in a press release, had ‘highly appreciated’ ”. The entire phrase spoken by Gianfranco Soldera is: “They wanted to give me their wine: I would have had to bottle it as if it were my own, not knowing where it came from. An inadmissible and offensive proposal, a real fraud to the consumers”. The Consortium stresses that its proposal was meant as a symbolic gesture of solidarity, given that his wine estate had suffered great damage due to the act of vandalism.

“We consider it important to point out,” concludes Chairman Bindocci “that the statement reported by Corriere della Sera, as well as the tone adopted by him and his groundless inferences made during that interview, have considerably damaged the image of Brunello and its territory, one of Italy’s expressions of excellence worldwide”.

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