Haccademia: A Great Pizzeria on the Road to Mt. Vesuvius

Last year I was in Benevento for Campania Stories, a tasting of the wines of Campania for journalists. My friend, the wine writer Tom Hyland, introduced me to Marina Alaimo a wine and food writer from Naples and we spoke about wine and pizza. When I told her that Michele and I would be in Naples in February she said that we must contact her and we did.

Marina picked us up and took us to Haccademia, a pizzeria on via Panoramica 8 in Terzigno less than half an hour outside Naples on the way to Pompeii. Marina told us that the road that passes in front of the restaurant leads directly to the top of Vesuvio.

Maria Consiglia Izzo, a food blogger and photographer, and the sommelier Fosca Tortorelli joined us at the restaurant to sample the pizza. Marina introduced us to the owner, Aniello Falanga and his son Nicola.

Maria said Aniello is a self-taught pizzaiolo. He has devoted his attention to studying the techniques of raising and maturing the dough in order to make it more digestible and light as a cloud.

Aniello and Nicola at work

Aniello is very passionate when it comes to speaking about pizza. He is an advisor to pizza places both in Italy and abroad and taught the art of pizza making for many years. He has won many awards and is mentioned in Gambero Rosso and Slow Food Vesuvius. He even goes to elementary schools in the Naples area to teach young children how to make pizza.

Aniello with his Pizza Fritta

Aniello began working as a pizzaiolo in 1985 and opened his own pizzeria in 1989. For 20 years he had a pizzeria in Pompei. He has just received the stamp of approval # 631 from Association Vera Pizza Napoletana which certifies authentic Neapolitan pizza.

On Thursdays and Fridays, Aniello makes a special pan pizza. For this he uses flour made of ancient varieties of grains, which he has researched. The flour is made from variety of grain from the hills of Beneventane and is stone ground. Unfortunately, our visit was on a Wednesday so we did not get to try this pizza, though we did try several others.

 

Aniello explained each pizza that we were served.

They are all traditional Neapolitan pizza. The ingredients he uses reflect the area around Vesuvius.

Four Bocconcini di Montanara: little fried rounds of pizza dough topped with ragu of beef, baccala, tomato and mozzarella, and anchovies and burrata.

Pizza Margarita antichi pomodori di Napoli, fiore di latte di Tramonti, basilico, olio evo del Vesuvio. My favorite pizza and it was Pizza Margarita at its best.

Pizza with winter quash, guanciale, pumpkin seeds and mozzarella. Michele and I have never had a pizza before with this topping and it was so good.

Pizza Luisella: scarola Napoletano, fiore di latte Tramonti, olive nere itrane, capperi di Salina, alici di Cetara, pinoli tostati e olio di Vesuvio. This may have been Michele’s favorite because in contained all the flavors of Campania and was so fresh tasting.

Montanara mozzarella, tomato and basil-topped fried pizza at its best. Aniello told us that after frying the dough and adding the toppings, he places it briefly in the oven to melt the cheese and enhance the crispness.

Pizza fritta with ricotta and ciccoli di maiale. This was so light it was difficult to tell it was fried, and the filling was creamy and well seasoned.

Fosca and Marina

The first wine  we drank was selected by Fosca and the second by Marina

Fosca suggested we start with the Caprettone Spumante Method Classico 100% Caprettone from Casa Setaro. This was an excellent choice. I met Massimo Setaro in Rome last October. See https://charlesscicolone.wordpress.com/2016/10/10/a-taste-of-vesuvius-in-rome-casasetaro-winery/

Lacryma Christi del Vesuvio Rosso “Vigna Lapillo” Sorrentino made from 80% Piedirosso and 20% Aglianico. Marina picked this wine because the winery is only a few minutes away and we were going to visit it after lunch.

 

Before we left, Aniello insisted we try his Baba au Rhum. Not too sweet, it was surely the best version of this dessert I have ever eaten and great way to end a wonderful lunch.

 

 

 

Tom Maresca on the 2017 Tre Bicchieri Winners

I missed this event because I was in Rome. So here is the next best thing- a report by Tom Maresca

2017 Tre Bicchieri Winners

February 16, 2017    https://ubriaco.wordpress.com/

On the day of our heaviest snowstorm so far this year, the annual New York presentation and tasting of Tre Bicchieri award-winning wines took place just about half a mile from where I live.

So I slogged through the flying snow and the street-corner slush to take advantage of what I hoped would be a sparse crowd and a lot of idle winemakers, thus allowing me to actually taste some wines. For the first hour, I was right, and I did have the opportunity to taste some remarkable wines – but then the storm let up and the hordes came in, and my chances for thoughtful tasting ended. I’m happy for all those hard-working winemakers that the Tre Bicchieri tasting is such a popular event, but as a hard-working journalist I do most seriously wish there was some better way to experience and evaluate these wines.

But you’ve heard that lament from me before, and are probably quite tired of it now. Besides, the key thing about this particular tasting is how many top-flight Italian wines it gathers in one room, and I don’t want to let the circumstances of the tasting obscure that. My palate and the collective palate of the Tre Bicchieri judges don’t always agree 100%, but those guys sure get an awful lot right, so a collection of almost 200 top-ranked wines amounts to an event to pay serious attention to, no matter how many people you have to elbow aside to do it.

Not that even under the best circumstances I could manage to taste all 200 in one afternoon, but I did my best to get to a reasonable assortment of old-favorite, regular prize winners and some of the new kids on the block. I was impressed by everything I tasted, without exception. I don’t get the chance to say that often, so let me repeat it: Every single wine I tasted that snowy afternoon deserved its Tre Bicchieri designation. Here are the ones I tried: first reds, then whites.

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From Basilicata

Re Manfredi’s Aglianico del Vulture Manfredi 2013, a wonderful example of a grape I love

From Piedmont

Elvio Cogno’s Barolo Bricco Pernice 2011, another masterpiece from winemaker Valter Fissore

Bruno Giacosa’s Barbaresco Asili Riserva 2011, one of Barbaresco’s finest crus, beautifully rendered

Elio Grasso’s Barolo Ginestra Casa Maté 2012, benchmark Barolo, as always from this estate

Giacomo Fenocchio’s Barolo Bussia 90 Dì Riserva 2010, macerated 90 days on the skins, with consequent depth and intensity

Oddero’s Barolo Bussia Vigneto Mondoca Riserva 2010, a classic Barolo of a great vintage

Vietti’s Barolo Ravera 2012, a lovely, beautifully balanced wine with potentially great longevity (and I also liked Vietti’s very nice but not prize-winning Barbera d’Asti La Crena 2013)

From Sicily

Palari’s Faro Palari 2012, year after year the best red wine made in Sicily, in my opinion (and the 2012 Rosso del Soprano is right on its tail in quality: It got Due Bicchieri)

Planeta’s Cerasuolo di Vittoria Classico Dorilli 2014, a lovely light-bodied wine, refreshing and vigorous

From Tuscany

Boscarelli’s Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Il Nocio 2012, as always an elegant, complex wine

Castellare di Castellina’s I Sodi di San Niccolò 2012, graceful and lovely Sangiovese from winemaker Alessandro Cellai

Castello di Volpaia’s Chianti Classico Riserva 2013, medium-bodied, perfectly balanced, with the elegance that always marks Volpaia

Il Marroneto’s Brunello Madonna delle Grazie 2011, as always from this remarkable cru and maker, a very great wine

Mastroianni’s Brunello Vigneto Schiena d’Asino 2010, maybe the best Tuscan wine at this gathering of greats

Ricasoli’s Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Colledilà 2013, a luscious, juicy wine that drinks far too easily

Terenzi’s Morellino di Scansano Madrechiesa Riserva 2013, very young Sangiovese, with this maker’s trademark balance and elegance

From the Veneto

Allegrini’s Amarone 2012, already big and textured

Bertani’s Amarone 2008 and 2009, both still young and evolving, with great depth and the promise of decades of life

Masi’s Amarone Vaio Armaron Serègo Alighieri 2011, a stunning wine from a great site

Speri’s Amarone Vigneto Monte Sant’ Urbano 2012, another fine example of what seems to be a great year for Amarone

Tenuta Sant’Antonio’s Amarone Campo dei Gigli 2012, an infant Hercules

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I doubt anyone is surprised by the fact that Italy is producing so many fine red wines, but for me the best news of the day was how superior so many white wines showed themselves to be. Every single one I tasted had distinct varietal flavors joined to genuine goût de terroir. This for me was the most fun of the afternoon, and I kept switching from big reds to whites of every kind to keep my palate fresh. (It worked for a couple of hours, then I gave out.)

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From Alto Adige

Abbazia di Novacella’s Valle Isarco Sylvaner Praepositus 2015, a stunning, fresh, and vigorous wine from a grape of usually no great distinction, this year slightly better than the Abbazia’s normally superb Kerner Praepositus

Produttori San Michele Appiano’s Pinot Grigio St. Valentin 2014, high-altitude, rounder than usual PG – a real dinner wine

Produttori Valle Isarco’s Sylvaner Aristos 2015 – this seems to have been Sylvaner’s year; a lovely, lively wine

From Campania

Marisa Cuomo’s Costa d’Amalfi Furore Bianco 2015, a lovely, fragrant dinner wine coaxed from postage stamp-sized terraced vineyards along the steep Amalfi coast

Fontanavecchia’s Falanghina del Sannio Taburno 2015, lovely, characteristic Falanghina, invigorating and lively

Pietracupa’s Greco di Tufo 2015, medium-bodied and deeply flavored, with strong mineral accents, a fine wine, almost as good, in my opinion, as the same maker’s Fiano di Avellino, which didn’t get Tre Bicchieri

From Friuli Venezia Giulia

Livio Felluga’s Bianco Illivio 2014, a masterful blend of Pinot bianco, Chardonnay, and the native Picolit, sapid and intriguing

Primosic’s Collio Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Riserva 2012, one of the briefly fashionable orange wines, but better than simple fashion: intense, distinctive, rich, and with the right food incomparable

Russiz Superiore’s Collio Friulano 2015, a lovely medium-bodied, deeply flavored (hints of almond) example of Friuli’s native grape

Torre Rosazza’s Pinot Grigio 2015, what PG used to be, fresh, vigorous, almost rambunctious

From Lazio

Casale del Giglio’s Antium Bellone 2015, distinctive, flavorful wine from an almost disappeared variety that merits preservation (Charles Scicolone has written about this estate here)

From the Marches

Cocci Grifoni’s Offida Pecorino Guido Cocci Grifoni 2013, a lovely wine from a variety that had been in danger of disappearing

Velenosi’s Offida Pecorino Rêve 2014, another fine example of the same grape variety, medium-bodied and mouth-filling; very enjoyable

From Sardinia

Vigne Surrau’s Vermentino di Gallura Superiore Sciala 2015, textbook Vermentino, fresh and bracing

From Sicily

Cusumano’s Etna Bianca Alta Mora 2014, capturing beautifully the volcanic nuances of Etna’s slopes

Tasca d’Almerita’s Sicilia Carricante Buonora Tascante 2015, a very characteristic version of Etna’s great white grape

From the Veneto

Pieropan’s Soave Classico La Rocca 2014, always the finest cru from this consistently great producer

Graziano Prà’s Soave Classico Staforte 2014, one of many excellent cru Soaves from this producer, all fresh, enjoyable and very age-worthy

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There were many more wines to taste, but I had about reached my limit for tasting accurately and for elbowing, so I trudged my way back home through the remnants of the snow storm. I wish I had had the capacity for more, because I’m sure there were more discoveries to be made and reported on. Ars longa, vita brevis. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Non sum qualis eram, etc. You get the idea: I’d do more for you if I could, but . . .

 

Naples is not just Pizza

When people think of Naples the first food they think of is pizza. While it is true that the best pizza is in Naples, there are many other culinary  delights in the city. Here are some of the dishes Michele and I ate in Naples recently.

 

Bufala mozzarella

Fish in acqua pazza

Grilled calamari

Fried fish and shell fish

Pasta with baby octopus

Fried anchovies and seaweed

Grilled octopus

Spaghetti pomodoro and basil

Grilled pork sausages

Grilled scamorza

Pasta and potatoes

Pasta with eggplant

Fusilli with tomato and ricotta

Paccheri pasta with piennolo tomatoes

Linguine with colatura and tomatoes

Sausages topped with friarielli and scamorza

Sfogliatelle and taralli with almonds

Penne with swordfish and eggplant

Fiocco di Neve.  On the weekends there are very long lines for this dessert, a cream filled bun

Baba 

Ricotta with berries and honey-fantastic

Sfogliatella and Cappuccino at Gambrinus

Gambrinus, we stopped here often

The last Sfogliatella before leaving Naples.

Food from restaurants Da Donato, Ciro a Santa Brigida, da Nennella, La Taverna Santa Chiara, Osteria La Chitarra and Haccademia

Bella Napoli

 

Naples is the most exciting city in Italy. Everywhere you look there is something to see!

Mt. Vesuvius

 

Pulcinella by Lello Esposito

Group of students asked us to take their picture.  They shouted “We love America”.

Castel dell’Ovo

The San Carlo Opera House.  We went for a tour and saw a mini concert.

 

Castello di San Martino from the hotel rooftop.

The Royal Palace

Naples underground.  A fascinating tour.

Neapolitan songs at da Donato restaurant

The seal of approval

 

 

Pizza anyone?

On the Via Caracciolo.  A little girl dressed as a nurse with a patient for Carnevale.

At the Archeological Museum

The store for soccer fans

 

On the street

Laundry day

Anteprima Amarone Tour: Visiting Villa Crine

Another stop on the Anteprima Amarone tour was the Crine winery, which is located in Pedemonte di San Pietro in Cariano, Verona.

Villa Crine is an entirely family run winery and visiting the winery is like visiting their home. Giovanni Battista Venturini the owner/wine maker, his wife Maria, their children Giuseppe, who recently graduated with a degree in enology and Diletta, a university student, all take part in the running of the winery.

Giuseppe

Giuseppe, a very personable young man, speaks English well and gave a tour of the winery. He said that he is the fifth generation and they want to preserve the values and techniques from the past but also keep up with any new innovations that would improve the quality of their wines.

He said that all their vineyards were in the Classico zone and showed us the grapes drying on wood mats in a barn that was open on both sides.

Giuseppe then took us through a tasting of the wines.

Valpolicella Classico “Il Pigaro” made from 60% Corvina Veronese, 30% Rondinella and 10% Molinara. The Pigaro vineyard has alluvial gravel soil. There is a hand selection of grapes at the end of September/beginning of October. The wine is aged for one year in very old barriques and in bottle before release. This is an intense wine with red fruit aromas and flavors and a hint of black cherries.

Valpolicella Ripasso Classico Superiore grapes same as above. The grapes are picked at the best stage of ripeness and then they are left to dry for 20 to 30 days in late September and October. Destemming and soft pressing in stainless steel tanks occurs during November. In February re-fermentation occurs on the Amarone pomace and the wine gains fragrances and intensity. The wine is aged in oak barrels for two years. Their wine is bottled and remains in the cellars for one year until release. The wine has hints of cherry, spice with a touch of hazelnuts and cacao.

Giuseppe said even though the Molinara grape does not have to be included in Amarone any more they use it because it adds acidity to the wine. He said they always used this grape, and as the 5^th generation involved in the winery he will keep the traditions.

Drying the grapes

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2011 Made from 60% Corvina, 15% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 5% Molinara. Giuseppe said his grandparents and great-grand parents use to place the grapes for drying in the barns at Villa Crine using the “large table mats” which were traditionally used for the cultivation of silk worms. Today the grapes are placed on the mats or in wooden cases in the special drying room, which is controlled on a daily basis in order to check the temperature, humidity and the well being of the grapes.

Destemming and soft pressing takes place during the months of January and February, depending on the vintage, using rubber rollers. Traditional fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks using techniques which go back to 1893.

The wine is aged in large oak barrels of 10 to 30 HL depending upon the vintage for about one year. It then is bottled and remains in the ancient tuffa cellars, which were excavated at the foot of the mountain, until it is released.

Giuseppe said Amarone can be sold 3 years after the harvest.

Recioto della Valpolicella same as above for grapes. Giuseppe said the grapes used for Recioto are dried longer because they want sweeter grapes. They press the grapes in February when the sugar lever is high. The juice is removed and the fermentation is controlled by keeping a cold temperature. They need a cold temperature so the yeast remains dormant. The wine remains in stainless steel tanks for one year and 6 months in bottle before release.

This is a one of the best examples of Recioto I have ever tasted. It is very intense and complex with hints of violets, prunes, figs, black cherries and notes of hazelnut. The finish goes on and on and the aftertaste is fantastic.

They also make a wine from 100% Molinara called “Il Pellerossa.” It looks like a rose wine because the grape has low color extracts. It is produced in a very limited quanity.

In the past there were horses on the property.

We also tasted their olive oil which was very good

Dinner with Andrea Sartori in Verona

One night, Tom Maresca, who was on the Anteprima Amarone tour in Verona with me, arranged for us to have dinner with Andrea Sartori, President of Sartori di Verona. We met Andrea on the way to Trattoria I Masenini, a restaurant I have never been to before. There were a number of other producers in the restaurant and I believe it is one of the city’s best. Tom and I know Andrea for a long time and I enjoyed our dinner conversation. We spoke about wine, people that we knew in the wine business, and had a very nice time.

Andrea Sartori

Here is some background on the Sartori di Verona winery

The history of Andrea’s family’s involvement in wine goes back to 1898. As recently as 2002, they owned only 37 acres of vineyards and they purchased additional grapes from individual growers with long-term contracts.  This was not enough, however, since the average vineyard property in the Veneto is just 4.2 acres. Andrea was able to solve this problem by establishing a joint venture with the 800 member Cantina Colognola di Colli.  The Cantina received a small percentage of shares in Sartori, and in exchange Sartori acquired exclusive access to 5,681 acres of vineyards in the Soave and Valpolicella zone. With more mergers and acquisitions, the newly named Collis Veneto Wine Group now has over 3,000 members making it the third largest in Italy.

Andrea brought two wines to have with dinner.

I Saltari Valpolicella Superiore DOC 2011 made from 60% Corvina, 10% Rondinella 10% Croatina and 10% Corvinone. The vineyards are in the Mezzane Valley on terraces and it is calcareous alkaline soil. Vinification is in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. After racking the wine is transferred to various size barrels for malolactic fermentation. For 12 to 14 months, the wine goes through regular racking and topping up of the barrels until blending. The wine has hints of violets and blackberries with a touch of cherry and leather. Both Andrea and I had the Faraona alla Mantovana, tortellini filled with guinea fowl, pine nuts and raisins. The wine matched it perfectly.

Amarone Della Valpoicella Classico “Corte Brà” 2006 DOC. 50% Corvina Veronese, 30% Corvinone, 15% Rondinella and 5% Oselta. The grapes come from the Corte Brà vineyard in the hills north of Verona. The grapes for this wine are carefully selected, placed in small crates and dried in well-ventilated rooms with fans for 3 to 4 months. When optimal dryness is reached, a hand selection of the best grapes takes place and the grapes are fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks for about 30 days. The wine is transferred to traditional tanks for malolactic fermentation. It is then aged in Slavonian oak casks and French tonneaux for about 4 years. It remains in the bottle for another 2 years before release. Franco wants to release the wine when he feels it is ready. This is a classic Amarone that will age.

Roast pork cook with crisp skin around every slice was a great complement to the wine.

Andrea said that he did not want to make jammy Amarone that tasted like dessert wine and did not go with food. Both of the wines we tasted had a good balance between fruit and acidity. He feels that all of his wines are food wines.

Visiting Bolla on the Anteprima Amarone Tour

It is only fitting that this was the first winery I visited on the Anteprima Amarone Tour was Bolla since Bolla Soave or Valpolicella may have been the first Italian wine I ever drank back in the 1960’s in NYC.

Christian Zulian in the Cellar

The Bolla winery is located in San Pietro in Cariano in the center of the Valpolicella area. It was established in 1883 making it one of the oldest wineries in the zone. It has been under different ownership over the years and the current owner is Gruppo Italiano VIni. The exclusive partner for the US market is Banfi Vintners.

The Director of the Cantina, Christian Zulian, took us on a tour of the cellar. There were barrels of every size from barriques to barrels of more than 40hl and everything in between. Some old barrels went back to 1883.

Christian said that he was from Tuscany, had worked for Antinori, and had been at Bolla only a short time. Being an “outsider” he might have a different approach to the wines.

He took us through a tasting of the wines.

Valpolicella Cl. Sup. Ripasso DOC 2015 Made from 70% Corvina and Corvinone and 70% Rondinella. Vineyards are in the Valpolicella Classico zone located near the village of Jago. The soil is very stony, clay and limestone. Harvesting is by hand toward the end of September and takes place only when the grapes are perfectly ripe. The lots are vinified separately. The grapes undergo a cold pre-fermentation process for about 5 days, total contact with the skins lasts about 20 days. It is stored cold for about 4 months before undergoing the ripasso process. Christian said this process entails fermenting the wine on Amarone must for about 20 days to increase color, aroma, body, complexity and fruit flavors. The wine is aged for about 9 months in first and second passage barriques and then transferred to larger barrels for about 3 months. The wine remains in the bottle for one month before release. This is a modern style ripasso, clean but full with hints of dark fruit and wild berries. Sugar 8.5 g/l

Christian explained in detail the law concerning the production of Ripasso. In short, because of the process for every bottle of Amarone produced, the winery can produce two bottles of Ripasso. 

Valpolicella Cl. Sup. Ripasso 2014 “Le Poiane” DOC made from 70% Corvine and Corvinone, 30% Rondinella and other local varieties. The vineyards are mainly located in the Jago and Crosara areas of the Negrar locality. The limestone-marly hill soil is surrounded by the typical dry stone walls known as marogne. These calcareous stone walls create terraces.

The grapes are picked when they are perfectly ripe. At the end of February when the Amarone is drawn off the ripasso process takes place. The wine is aged first in barriques and then in large barrels for about 12 to18 months. Then in bottle for another 3 months before it is release. This is a complex wine with hints of dry fruit, spice and black pepper. Sugar 4.5 g/l

Amarone dellla Valpolicella “Rhetico” Classico DOC 2010, 85% Corvina and 15 % Rondinella. The training system is pergola Veronese on the hills of the valley of Negrar. The soil is Calcareous marl marked by the marogne. The most loosely clustered and ripest grape bunches are hand picked and taken to the drying loft where they remain for about 120 days under optimal conditions of temperature, humidity and ventilation. Christian said the drying process, known as appassimento, increases the sugar content, polyphenolic and aromatic compounds in the grapes. At the end of January, the dried grapes are soft pressed and put into fermentation tanks, where alcoholic fermentation takes place after cold pre-fermentation maceration. This gives the wine more complexity. There is a slow fermentation at a controlled temperature 18 to 20C for about 3 weeks.

The wine is aged in barriques of different origin and toastings for 36 months and another 12 months in bottle before release. This is a wine with intense and complex aromas with hints of ripe red berries and a touch of vanilla and chocolate. Residual sugar 7.5 g/l

Amarone della Valpolicella “Le Origini” Riserva DOCG 2010 made from 75% Corvina and Corvinone, 25% Rondinella. Training system is the Veronese pergola. The vineyards are located in the high Marano and Negrar valleys. Carefully selected grapes gathered on trays and transported to fruit sheds to dry for about 120 days. The grapes become raisin like and this enriches the sugar concentration of the grapes to 24 to 25 degrees Babo and the polyphenol and aromatic compounds. Pressing at the end of January is followed by pre-fermentation maceration at 5C for about 7 days. Then begins a slow fermentation for 25 days at a controlled temperature, followed by another 5 days of post-fermentation maceration, which gives high glycerin, and this gives smoothness, balance fullness and complexity. Christian said the wine is aged in small oak barrels, partly new and partly used once previously, then 36  months in 4,000 to 7,ooo litter, big oak barrels

 

This is a complex wine with hints of cherries, jam and liquorice with notes of spice and cedar.

Sugar 8.5 g/l and the alcohol is 16.6%.

I have had this wine before on several occasions and always enjoyed it. However, if I understood him correctly Christian said he was going to give the wine more aging in barriques made from American oak!

 

I also tasted:

Soave 2015 This was an excellent example of classic Soave.

Barrel sample of 2016 Valpolicella

Bardolino 2015 light and fruity and a great food wine, as was the Valpolicella 2016 sample from the barrel.

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2012 This is their entry level Amarone and it was very good.

Anteprima Amarone Valpolicella Tour

After I made reservations for Naples and Rome, I was invited to the Anteprima Amarone Valpolicella Tour in Verona. It would mean I had only one week between trips!

I decided to attend anyway. Verona is a fascinating city, the food is very good and then there is the wine. I would be able to taste the wines of Valpolicella, visit the wineries and speak to the producers again at the dinners. When one has the opportunity to visit Italy, one goes.

The Consorzio per la Tutela dei Vini Valpolicella, founded in 1924, sponsored the event. The members include viticulturists, winemakers and bottlers from the Valpolicella wine production zone, a territory that includes 19 municipalities in the Verona area. Over 80% of the producers are members.

I received a listing of over 80 wineries that I could choose from to visit. On Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, I visited 10 Wineries: Bolla, Bertani, Villa Canestrani, Villa Crine, Vigneti di Ettore, Roccolo Grassi, Massimago, Fidora, Cantina di Soave and Marco Mosconi.

The Valpolicella appellation is located north of Verona. It borders Lake Garda to the west and is protected by the Lessini Mountains to the east and north. It covers the Verona foothills area, which is part of the eastern Alps. The vines are traditionally pergola-trained according to the typical “pergola Veronese system.”

The main grapes are Corvina, Corvinone and Rondinella and to a lesser extent Molinara. All of them are strictly indigenous and found only within the Verona province.

At the wineries I tasted Valpolicella, Valpolicella Classico, Valpolicella Superiore, Amarone della Valpoilcella and Recioto della Valpolicella.

On Friday night there was a dinner with all the participating wineries. I could choose the wines that I wanted with dinner and had a chance to speak to the producers at my table.

On Saturday morning there was a blind tasting of the 2013 Amarone with sommelier service. There were about 80 wines, both barrel samples and those already bottled.   After the tasting, representatives of the participating wineries gathered in another room with their wines and I was able to taste any of the Amarone wines that I missed.

It was a very interesting and informative event and I am glad that I went. For me the highlight was tasting a broad range of Amarone, one of Italy’s great wines.

Next time I will report on the wineries I visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doctor Wine: The Cart before the Horse

Signed DW | Published on DoctorWine N°194

The cart before the horse

by Daniele Cernilli 23-01-2017

When asked how he made his wine, a famous French producer replied: “Taste it first and then, if you like it, I’ll tell you”. His was a very reasonable position which gave preference to the organoleptic qualities of a wine before any ‘ideological’ one and is totally in line with credo of “Good, Clean and Correct” championed years ago by Slow Food’s ‘lider maximo’ Carlo Petrini. “Good” comes first and only after that the rest. However, too often there are some who forget this and say things that, quite frankly, are make little sense. For example, before even pouring a wine into a glass, a producer or salesman may say: “You know, it’s organic and we’re converting to bio-dynamic,” as if this is something that will help make an easier sale. What they seem to imply is that since it is organic, it has to be good and better than other wines that are not. Petrini would probably defined this as “putting the cart before the horse”. And this because while it is a good thing, in fact even important and full of merit, that a wine is the product of sustainable wine growing, what is more important is that the wine has those organoleptic qualities which make it enjoyable and pleasing. In other words, without the brettanomyces being mistaken for the characteristics of the terroir or the volatile acidity overshadowing the aromas that distinguish the varietal or blend. It is a question of enological consistency, one involving those pleasing organoleptic notes which make a wine recognizable and easy to place in its respective category. More precisely, it is an indispensable factor which takes preference over any other consideration. Everything else comes after and is part of the explanation a producer gives on how he was able to make such an interesting wine that so pleasingly represents where it was made. The bottom line is that factors like sustainable wine growing should not be reduced to being a simple sales ploy because this benefits no one and only creates confusion.