French/Italian Lunch

I was in the mood for pate but because it was a cold and snowy day Michele was in the mood for an Italian stew. So we did a little bit of both.

We started with the pate, which we purchased.  It was made of pork and flavored with figs.

In the plate, with cornichons and fig mostarda.

 

Barolo Riserva 1989 Giacomo Borgogno and Figli 100% Nebbiolo. The grapes come from three different cru vineyards: Cannubi, Liste and Fossati. The winery is located in the center of the town of Barolo. The wine is aged at least five years in large oak barrels. This is a wine produced with traditional and natural wine making methods. Long fermentation and pumping over by hand takes place. Today the Farinetti family that also owns Eataly owns the winery. I have always had very good luck with older vintages of Borgogno. This is a classic traditional Barolo with hints of coffee, licorice, tar, savory meats and a touch of smoke. 1989 was a great vintage for Barolo

Friuli Style Beef Stew with dried porcini, served with polenta and green beans.

Fontina Valle d’Aosta Cheese 

Chocolate Chip Biscotti, Ciambellina al Vino Rosso and espresso for dessert

We ended with Vieil Armagnac Jean Cave Distilled in 1983. An elegant aroma of peach syrup, almonds with a touch of pistachio. On the palate structured and complex with notes of licorice and a undertone of smoke.

Puglia Rosè of Romaldo Greco

Recently, I wrote that I had been contacted by Caterina Baldini, president and co-founder of Associazione Puglia in Rosè, a producers’ association dedicated to Pugliese rose’ wines. Their purpose is to promote the Apulian Rose Wine Brand in the USA and the world.

For more information see Puglia in Rosè

Caterina had sent me samples and arranged another Zoom meeting for me with a producer, Azienda Agricola Romaldo Greco.

Representing the winery were Gloria Greco, a family member and one of the owners of her family’s winery, and Alessandra Zappi the export manager, who supplied much of the technical information.

Gloria Greco told me that Azienda Agricola Romaldo Greco was founded in 1973 by Romaldo Greco in Secil, a village in the heart of the Salento peninsular. It is 5 kilometers from Lecce.

She added that it has always been a great place to grow grapes. They have 15 hectares of vines in 4 different locations: Valentin, Murrone, Conte Grande and Renda.

Gloria said quality first, along with passion, tradition and innovation, sums up the Azienda and its wines.

They grow both autochthon and international varieties.

The Cork

Gloria said they use a special cork for their wine, Nomacoro Bioselect corks which are made using sugar cane. They are engineered to ensure that the wine tastes exactly the same from bottle to bottle helping to protect the wine from faults and flaws due to natural corks. Nomacoro’s breathable core allows the natural micro oxygenation of the wine and preserves the wine’s aroma and flavor.

The Cork

The Wine 

Malvasia Nera Salento IGP Rosè “Puro” made from 100% Malvasia Nera. Malvasia Nera is an old varietal with unknown origins. It is widely spread particularly in the southern part of Apulia. It is possible that the “parents” of this variety are Negroamaro and Malvvasia Bianco Lunga.

The vineyard is at 76 meters and the soil is medium textured with a high proportion of clay. There are 4,000/5,000 plants per hectare and the training system is spurred cordon. Harvest takes place at the end of September. The grapes are hand picked and carefully placed in small baskets. Gloria said this is to make sure that even the slightest fermentation does not take place so the grapes arrive as fresh as possible at the winery. There is a soft pressing of the grapes. Skin contact is for about 4 hours. This gives the wine a pale color with orange reflections. Fermentation takes place in temperature-controlled tanks for 10/12 days. The wine is aged for four months in stainless steel and one month in bottle before release. This is a balanced light fruity wine with hints of fresh fruit, red berries, cherries, red apples floral notes and a slight almond finish.

Gloria recommends drinking this wine as an aperitif or with antipasti, seafood and white meats.

An Almost Roman Lunch

Last year at this time Michele and I were in Rome with a friend. We had to leave earlier than planned because of the pandemic. Now we are all missing Rome, so our friend suggested we come to his home and have a lunch like we would have if we were in Rome. Almost.

The tasting notes that follow are by Jason De Salvo and edited by me. I have great respect for Jason’s palate.

Blanc of Cabernet Franc 2019 Halcyon. Made from 100% Cabernet Franc from Contra Costa County on a breezy night in August (according to the label). The grapes arrived at the winery cool to the touch and barely reaching 20 Brix sugar. The clusters were whole pressed and watched to see that the “color” remained clear. This was a surprise wine and it was tasted blind. Because the color was so clear everyone believed it was made from white grapes. The wine is lively with hints of bell pepper, grass, herbs, quince, pears, white flowers and citrus (lime) rind. It is a bit flabby. It is a good summer quaffer. Jason said it would last until 2025 and gave it a 90.

We started with two kinds of crostini, one topped with homemade roasted peppers and mozzarella and the other with mozzarella and anchovies.

Fiorano Bianco 1995 Boncompagni Ludovisi Principe di Verosa made from 100% Malvasia Candia. I have had this wine a number of times and this was one of the best bottles I have tasted. There is a slight touch of oxidation with aromas of melon, honey wax and Queen Ann cherries. On the palate there are slight mineral notes with lots of flesh, good acidity and a medium long finish. Jason gave it a 92. I gave it 88 but after having it with food I gave it a 90. Jason said it would last until 2030.

For more information on Fiorano Bianco and Rosso see Fiorano Visit

Sauce for pasta cooking

Montesecondo IGT Toscana 2019 Silvio Messana made from 100% Sangiovese from two different biodynamical properties in the San Casciano zone of Chianti Classico. The original (Montesecondo) is lower, warmer with heavy clay soil in the town of Cerbaia. Vignano (village) vineyard is at 500 meters and much cooler and rich in limestone. The grapes come from younger vines and are picked early. Harvest is by hand most but not all of the bunches are destemmed. Varying proportions of whole bunches layered with whole berries go into concrete fermentation tanks. Fermentation takes place with natural yeasts and no sulfur is added. Maceration is short and there are no punch downs or other extractive measures. Aging is in concrete tanks for about a year. The wine has aromas of light red cherries, dried cranberries and herbs. This is a medium bodied wine with nice acidity. Jason gave it a 92.

For our first course, we had Bucatini alla Matriciana, one of Rome’s classic pastas and my favorite. It is made with guanciale (cured pork cheek), onion, tomatoes and a little hot pepper.

Our main course was rack of lamb with a Parmigiano-Reggiano crust. Here it is ready for the oven

The lamb ready to serve

On the plate

Homemade seeded sourdough bread made by Jason De Salvo

Fiorano Rosso 1985 Vino da Tavola Boncompagni Ludovisi  Alberigo Boncompagni Ludovisi, Principe di Venosa made with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes.  Burton Anderson, in his landmark book Vino, called Fiorano Rosso “the noblest Roman of them all”.  The Prince’s few acres of vines are planted along the Appian Way about 20 kilometers southwest of the center of Rome and almost right next to Roman’s second airport, Ciampino. It is the best cabernet/merlot blend made in Italy and one of the best in the world!  In my opinion–and I am in the minority here–one of the best places in the world to grow Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot is in Lazio close to Rome. The wine has aromas of black cherry, blackberries, and saddle leather, with subtle hints of VA. On the palate it is smooth, with pure fruit, lovely balance and a long pure finish. What a pleasure. Jason gave the wine a 95 and believed it would last until 2050. I gave it a 98 it was more than wonderful.

Chateauneuf du Pape 2004 Domaine du Pegau made from 85% Grenache, 9% Syrah and 4% Mourvedre, Counoise and others. They have 21 hectares of vines in Chateauneuf du Pape. 19.5 hectares are red grapes. The vineyards are located In many different areas. The oldest and best in the plateau of La Crau. The grapes are not destemmed, only natural yeasts are used. The grapes are whole cluster fermented in traditional cement vats. The wine is aged for about 24 months in a wide range of different old wood foudres. The oldest is about 90 years of age and was made from wood imported from Russia. Others come from many different places ranging from Eastern Europe to France. They range in size from 27 to 60 hectoliters. On the palate, the wine is spicy, meaty, and tastes of dark berries, and black pepper. This wine was also tasted blind. The type of wine was guessed but not the producer. The wine has aromas of dried cherries, blackberries, cranberries, pipe tobacco, and cloves. This is a full bodied wine with extracted fruit and a very long finish. Jason gave the wine 94 points.

It was Valentine’s Day and so Deb De Salvo made us a glorious dessert—a chocolate soufflé pie in a chocolate crust. I ate two slices and it was hard to stop there.

With ice cream

Hermitage and Quail

We have been eating all of our meals at home for months now, and Michele tries to make a variety of dishes. This can be a problem because we usually order the ingredients on line.  Sometimes the item she has in mind is not available, or worse, when the order comes it is missing. Recently Michele ordered some quail, which she knows I enjoy.  Luckily, they came and we planned a meal around it. What to drink was not a problem.  I chose Hermitage.

We started with a simple version of Croque Monsieur, a grilled prosciutto and cheese sandwich.

Hermitage 1999 “La Chapelle” Paul Jaboulet Aine made from 100% Syrah planted in a diversity of terroir. The age of the vines is 40 to 60 years. The grapes come down from the slopes of l’Hermitage on small sledges and then are sorted manually and vinified traditionally in the cellars. The final assembly is made during aging in the cellars in wood for 15 to 18 months. During this time the wines are also racked. This is a complex and elegant wine showing no signs of age. It has hints of black fruit, black cherries, spice and leather. It has a long finish and very pleasing aftertaste and is a very impressive wine.  It was the perfect companion to the meal because of the depth of the aromas and flavors.

Quail in the pan.  Michele braised them with prosciutto, sage and white wine.  They were meltingly tender.

Quail in the dish, with roasted Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes.

Dessert was pears poached in white wine with lemon and cinnamon.  Topped with a few raspberries.

Café and my favorite red wine and fennel taralli cookies, which always remind me of Rome.

Daniele Cernilli on Bruno Giacosa

The great wines of Bruno Giacosa

by Daniele Cernilli 02/08/21 | 

Giacosa’s wines, like all the world’s great wines, express elegance more than boldness and structure and they have a very great propensity to age.

I met Bruno Giacosa in February 1980 at one of first editions of the Nonino Risit d’Aur prize. I was with Gino Veronelli with whom I was working and I was just 25 years old. During the luncheon they served a wine that, even if I was still a novice, I thought was fantastic. I then told Veronelli: “Not bad, this Nebbiolo”. His reply was: “You, cretin! This is not a simple Nebbiolo, this is a 1971 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Castello di Neive”.

Sitting in front of me was a man wearing glasses who smiled at the scene he just witnessed. It was Bruno Giacosa. I apologized, voiced my appreciation of his wine and we began to talk using the formal third person “lei” distinction, which we did for as long as I had the pleasure of knowing him.

As many of you know, Giacosa was one of the key figures in the world of Langhe winemaking. For many years not only did he select the grapes for the wines of his estate – Barbaresco (the winery is in Neive) and Barolo, as well as Arneis (of which he was one of the first producers) and a Spumante Metodo Classico made with Pinot Noir acquired in Oltrepò Pavese – but he also worked as a consultant, especially for Fontanafredda, for whom is acquired massive quantities of Nebbiolo grapes from the Langhe.

Up until 1996, when he acquired the Falletto di Serralunga estate, he got his grapes from historic suppliers who cultivated their vineyards under his close supervision. Thus he had a unique experience with and knowledge of the vineyards in the Langhe that few could match.

I could go on forever with anecdotes about his wines. One involves a wine that is no longer produced, Barolo Riserva Collina Rionda, and in particular the legendary vintage 1982. It took place during the finals for the Tre Biccheri (Three Glasses) award and we were in Bra, at the Boccondivino restaurant, the historic headquarters of Arcigola first and then Slow Food, before they moved to Agenzia di Pollenzo. Aside from yours truly, those present included Gigi Piumatti, Piero Sardi and Carlo Petrini and at the time we were proud supporters of the Barolo Boys and their new winemaking approach. This did not mean that we underappreciated the “traditional” producers but we thought the “new” producers, who were then young as were we, were more interesting because they sought to make Langhe wines in a different way.

During the tasting, which was rigorously “blind”, one wine split the jury. I liked it, others did not as much. But at a certain point, Petrini said: “Hold on, this is a very great wine. Either we choose it for the award or I’ll chain myself to the table until you agree with me”. Fortunately, we gave the prize to this wine and it was, in fact, Collina Rionda 1982.

The reason why this wine was subject to such discussion was that, as I tried to explain in my editorial dedicated to blind tastings, certain wines take time to reveal themselves. They have extraordinary elegance and a great propensity to age, while their structure is less imposing, they are more austere and, in a blind tasting, they risk not being fully understood if the proper amount of attention is not paid to them. This was an emblematic example but it is also true for many of Giacosa’s wines as well as those of other great traditional Langhe producers.

I, personally, adore Giacosa’s Barolo and Barbaresco, especially those that have the red label, which Bruno reserves for the wines he thinks are particularly good, and consider them to be among the best in the world. And like all of the world’s great wines, those of Rousseau to the great reserves of Biondi Santi, they express elegance more than boldness and great structure. They are marathoners, not middle-distance runners, and with aging they reach levels of complexity unreachable for other wines. This is the result of something one learns over time, listening to this wines with attention and respect, with the awareness that if you do not understand them this will place a limit for those who taste them.

FROM CHARLES:

Thank you, Daniele(aka Doctor Wine), for this enlightening article.  In the spring of 1985 Sheldon Wasserman published his book “Italy’s Noble Red Wines.” Sheldon invited his publisher and  Dominic Nocerino, of Vinifera Imports to my home to celebrate the occasion. Dominic had just moved from Chicago to NY and was the importer and distributor of the wines of Bruno Giacosa. Giacosa was already one of the top producers in the Langhe and I really liked his wines. Dominic brought the 1964 Barbaresco Santo Stefano Castello di Neive. I still remember the wine and it might be the best Barbaresco I ever had the pleasure to drink.  I felt that I had to go and visit the winery.  In the summer of 1985 I travelled to Piedmont and visited the Giacosa winery with Ed Mc Carthy and Mary Ewing Mulligan, MW.  It was a wonderful visit, and only the first of many that followed over the years.

---

Puglia in Rosé

Recently I was contacted by Caterina Baldini, president and co-founder of Puglia in Rosè, a producers’ association dedicated to Pugliese rose’. She asked me if I would like to sample some wines and meet some producers via the Internet of Puglia rose’.

Caterina explained that Puglia in Rosè, based in Bari, is the first producers’ association dedicated to Apulian Rosè wines. The aim of the association is to make Apulian rose’ wine better known and appreciated by wine professionals and consumers in both the national and international markets.

Rosè wines have a long history in Puglia. The first winemaker to popularize the wine was Don Piero De Castris in 1943 when he produced a rosè from the negroamaro grape at his winery in Salice Salentino. His first production was put in beer bottles and called “Four Roses” but soon, with the improvement in the bottling line, it became the first rose’ bottled in Italy and sold in the USA.

Puglia is one of Italy’s largest and best producers of Rose and the wines come in different styles and colors ranging from a pale pink, to salmon to dark pink. Some are so dark that they could be mistaken for a red wine and there is a rosè from Puglia for every occasion and taste. When l was the wine director and sommelier at I Trulli, a Pugliese restaurant in NYC, we had a large selection of roses from Puglia and they were very popular.

Caterina arranged for me to receive some samples and we made an appointment for our first meeting.

On Zoom, Caterina introduced Maria Viola Petroni, the owner of Donna Viola, a division of Petroni Vini. She is the fifth generation in her family to be involved in wine, a tradition that goes back to 1865. She told me that she follows every step of production from the cultivation of the grapes to marketing.

The Donna Viola winery is located on the most elevated hills of the Alta Murgia in Puglia. They have 10 hectares of vineyards and they are very traditional. They only make wines that are monovarietal, 100% of one variety, using only indigenous grapes.

THE WINE:

Donna Viola “Tramonto” (Sunset) IGP Puglia 2019 made from 100% Bombino Nero. There is a very low temperature controlled fermentation, which lasts for 12 to15 days to preserve the delicate aromas and flavors of the wine. The color is a light pink with orange reflections. Bombino Nero is a very delicate variety to work with but it is well suited to make rosè wines. It has been in Puglia for a long time but might have come from Spain.

I asked Maria how they arrived at the color that they want and she replied, “Unlike the maceration method which gives some time for the juice to be in contact with the skins, our rosè wines are made from the immediate pressing of red skin grapes without any maceration time. We work our red grapes in a soft press for 1-2 hours. Through a glass, we can see the color of the juice and when we think the color is perfect for us, we transfer the juice into steel tanks. This is the better method to make rosè wine, because with the soft press we choose only the best quality of juice to produce top quality rosè wine.”

The wine remains in stainless steel for 6 months and is bottled in the spring following the harvest. The wine has hints of cherry, strawberry, raspberry, wild roses and a touch of almonds and is fresh and soft on the palate. Maria said the wine should always be between 12 and 12-1/2% alcohol to keep its fresh flavors and aromas. The wine matches well with seafood, white meat, antipasto and fruit.

I will be talking to more producers of Puglia and will keep you posted on my findings.

Lunch with a Friend

We invited a good friend to join us for lunch the other day.  He brought a bottle of Notarpanaro, a wine that I used to drink frequently a number of years ago. Somehow, I had lost track of the wine so I was glad to see it again and we all enjoyed it.  

For starters, Michele made crostini with toasted ciabatta bread topped with marinated roasted peppers and shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

“Notarpanaro” 2011 Negroamaro Salento IGP Rosso Cosimo Taurino made from 100% Negroamaro from a 40 hectare plot located on a plain of 40 year old vines. The exposure is north/south and the soil is of medium consistency. There are 5,500 plants per hectare and the training system is small tree spurred. Harvest takes place the end of September. Automatic winemaking in temperature-controlled stainless steel tanks. Fermentation lasts for 10 to 15 days and maceration lasts for 7 to 10 days. The wine is aged in 2.25 hl French oak barrels of second, third and fourth passage for 6 to 8 months. This is a wine with hints of prune and other dry dark fruit aromas and flavors, a touch of spice and a note of licorice.  It was a perfect combination with the pasta.

Pasta ready to serve

Mezze Maniche with cherry tomato sauce and fresh bufala ricotta.

Peppers, onions and potatoes ready for the oven.  When partially cooked, Michele add sausages to the pan.

Sauteed broccoli rabe with garlic

Sausages, peppers, potatoes and onions out of the oven

Irpinia Aglianico 2016 “Memini” Az. Ag. Guastaferro made from 100% Aglianico. The wine bursts with sweet ripe fruit flavors of cherry, raspberry, strawberry and pomegranate. It has a wonderful fruit filled finish and a very long aftertaste. It was a very interesting Aglianico and I have never tasted one like this before. Daniele Cernilli (aka Doctor Wine) in his book The Essential Guide to Italian Wine 2020 states: … In 2002 Raffaele Guastaferro inherited 10 hectares from his grandfather with over 100 year old vines trained using the old starseto (pergola Avellinese) method…creating a very interesting style for the wines that were also based on tradition. I liked this wine so much when I had it for Christmas at the home of Tom Maresca and Diana Darrow that I wanted to serve it to my guest.

On the plate

Dessert was simple.  Red Wine Cookies and espresso.

Grappa – The Water of Life

I enjoy grappa all year round. I often drink it after a meal to help me to digest. Sometimes I put a little in my espresso for what the Italians call “caffe corretto.” I like to drizzle grappa on my lemon granita and other fruit ices, and I pour a little in fruit salad. Michele also cooks with grappa, especially in desserts made with chocolate. But when the weather turns cold, as it has done in NYC recently, I just seem to drink more.

Grappa was first called acqua vita, water of life. At one time, it was only a beverage imbibed by farm workers in Northern Italy, especially in the cold months, to give them energy before they went into the fields to work and it was a morning drink taken between the hours of 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM. Southern Italy does not have a tradition of grappa because the weather is too warm. It is only recently, with the popularity and often-high prices that grappa has achieved, that wineries in Southern Italy have utilized their grape pomace (vinaccia in Italian) to make grappa.

Up until about 25 years ago all grappa was what I call traditional, that is, made without being aged in wood. It was clear in color and the flavor reflected the grapes from which it was made.

Traditional grappa Capo di Stato from Loredan Gasparini made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec.

Today many grappas are aged in new barriques and for the most part they are dark in color.  In many cases the wood flavor has taken over.

Making grappa from a wood carving at Marzadro Distilleria in Trentino

Grappa made from white grapes has more aromas and is easier to drink than grappa made from red grapes, although grappa made from red grapes has more taste. If you are going to introduce grappa to someone for the first time it is better to choose a grappa made from white grapes as it is easier to drink.

Single grape varieties (monovarietal) are produced with pomace from one type of grape. The grape variety can be on the label if at least 85% of the pomace comes from the same grape.

The pomace

Many grappas are produced using pomace from several varieties of grape. If each variety exceeds 15% they must be listed on the label in ascending order.

At a distillery there are 100 days of work, 24/7 from September to December. The freshest selected pomace is distilled each day. The distillation takes place in alembics using the traditional discontinuous bain marie system (steam distillation). The first part of the production called the “head” tastes bad because it contains too much methane (he said it tastes like nail polish) and is therefore discarded. The last part is called the “tail” and contains too many impurities and is also discarded. The discontinuous method produces small amounts of high quality grappa.

The Alembics are handmade out of copper and are excellent conductors of heat. Therefore the particular fragrances and aromas of the pomace (a solid raw material-grape skins) are enhanced to their maximum in order to keep everything uniform. Today almost all distilleries are computerized.

The continuous process of grappa production in giant stills produces large amounts of grappa. This type of production produces commercial grappa that is not of a very good quality.

After distillation the traditional (clear) grappa is left alone in steel or glass containers. The grappa that is to be aged is placed in barrels of different sizes ranging from 225 liter barriques to 1,500 liter barrels, and even larger. If aged for 12 months, the grappa is called “aged,” and if aged for 18 months, it is called “reserve.” These aged grappas take on different shades of colors from straw yellow to amber. They are smoother than traditional grappa but are much more expensive.

Grappa aging is subject to strict control by Italian customs authorities. Inspectors regularly visit the distillery and put seals on the grappa that has not been bottled to prevent anything being added to the grappa.

I prefer the taste and natural aromas of traditional grappas.

However there are always exceptions, such as the Segni Grappa Riserva aged for 5 years in barrel made from 6 different woods oak, chestnut, ash, cherry, mulberry and juniper from the Mazzetti Distillery in Piedmont.

Some producers use barrels that were first used to age port and some others age it in terracotta.

Grappa can be infused (steeped) with herbal plants such as ruta (rue), which includes a twig in the bottle, grappa camomilla (chamomile), and fruits, such as grappa di mele (apple), grappa di lamponi (raspberry) to name just a few.

On a “Hello Grappa” press trip, I visited the Bepi Tosolini distillary in FVG and tasted “Grappa Smoked.”  Lisa Tosolini, granddaughter of the owner, told us that this grappa is distilled by the traditional method with bain marie pot still.  This grappa is made from Friulian red grape skins and then aged in French oak barriques. The oak casks have gone through a toasting process with Kentucky tobacco leaves. This is a dry and intense smoked grappa, which tasted like an aged single malt whiskey. This was a first for me and another new twist to what is being done with grappa.

There are 45 distilleries that produce grappa in Italy. Pomace is the grape residue left after the first pressing when making wine. According to Italian law, an Italian wine producer cannot make grappa, but must send it to a licensed distillery. For example a producer  like Banfi will send their pomace to the Bonollo distillery in Siena  and tell them what type of grappa they want, traditional (clear), or aged (in barrels) and the alcohol content they want for their grappa.

There are over 4,000 grappa labels on the market today.