A Summer Lunch

 

It was a very hot day in August and we were at a friend house for a late lunch.  I brought a sparkling wine from the Veneto that my friend had never tasted made from the Durello grape to go with the appetizers.

Durello 36 Riserva Extra Brut Metodo Classico DOC made from 85% Lessini Durello and 15% Pinot Noir Sandro Bruno. The soil is volcanic with basaltic rocks. The vineyard is 4 hectares with a southern exposure at 500 meters. The vines are 35 years old. The vineyards are cultivated without the use of pesticides. Manual harvest takes place the 3^rd week of September. There is a selection of grapes followed by a soft pressing in a nitrogen saturation at a low temperature. Fermentation is in steel tanks for both grapes. After fermentation the lees are preserved by performing weekly batonnage for 8 months. Sugars 1g/l  The wine remains on its own yeast for 36 months. It ages in bottle for 6 more months before release. This is an intense wine with mineral aromas. The wine has hints of white flowers, pear, almonds and a note of lemon.

Michele had made some roasted red peppers and we ate them on crostini topped with anchovies.

 

Another starter was sauteed eggplant with cherry tomatoes on crostini topped with thin slices of Tuscan pecorino.

Our pasta was a summery version of pasta alla puttanesca.  Michele tossed the hot, cooked mezze maniche pasta with room temperature chopped tomatoes, capers, olives, anchovies , parsley and mozzarella.  The warmth of the pasta brought out all the flavors in the cool sauce.  Perfect on a hot day.

Pasta in the dish

I had brought a red wine that can be served chilled to go with the pasta but to our disappointment the wine was not good. I asked our host what he had chilled and he said he had one of his favorite with wines.  It was the best Falanghina he ever had and It was the perfect choice.

Beneventano Falanghina IGT Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina. The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality.

 

 

Dessert  was  an  improvised  one.  Sponge  cake  shells  topped  with  Grand Marnier and  orange marmalade marinated  strawberries and freshly whipped cream.

 

With fresh summer produce and good wines, an improvised lunch turned into a feast.

 

 

Italian Summer Sparklers

Any time is a good time for sparkling wines and to me a chilled glass or two seems just right when I am sitting in a garden, at the poolside or even on a picnic.  Here are 10 sparklers from Italy that I have enjoyed recently that cost $25 or less a bottle.  The list includes white, rose and red sparklers and some are made from unusual grape varieties.

 

Prosecco “Rustico” Valdobbiadene Superiore DOCG Nino Franco. 100% Glera (traditionally called Prosecco) from classic production area hillside vineyards situated at medium to high altitude. Pressing, destemming, cooling of the must and fermentation takes place in steel tanks at controlled temperature. Second fermentation is in “cuvee close” (Charmat method). $19

Romeo & Juliet Passione Sentimento Prosecco Brut Treviso DOC Pasqua  made from 100% Glera grapes grown on hillside  vineyards in the Conegliano sub zone of Treviso. The Charmat method is used and the wine stays in the tanks for 60 days instead of the more common 30 days. This produces tiny, more persistent bubbles and a more elegant Prosecco. It has hints of pear and apple and the alcohol is only 11% . $16

Falanghina Beneventano Santè Brut IGT 100% Falanghina. DonnaChiara.  The vineyard is in Torre Cuso, the best location to grow Falanghina.  The soil is volcanic chalky clay.  There are 2,500 plants per hectare and the harvest takes place the first week of October.  Fermentation lasts for 40 days. Illaria Petitto, the owner of DonnaChiara, referred to the production method used as the Martinotti method for sparkling wine (The Charmat method, as it is more popularly known, was invented by Federico Martinotti in Asti in the 1920’s).  Refermentation takes place at low temperatures in autoclaves for about 6 months. Then the wine matures on the dregs for another 2 months. The wine had very good bubbles; it was fresh, delicate with floral and citrus aromas and flavors. It was the perfect wine for the appetizers which were very much in the tradition of Campania.

 

Cuvee Aurora Rose Alta Lange 2011 DOC 100% Pinot Noir Banfi Piemonte. The grapes are grown in the hilltop vineyards of the Alta Langa, south of Alba in Piemonte, in a mix of clay and calcareous soil. There is one hour of skin contact and cold maceration, which prepares the grapes for soft crushing. The must is clarified and fermentation is at a controlled temperature. The final cuvee consists of 90% clear wine and 10% of the previous vintage wine. The wine is aged in French oak barriques. Fermentation takes place in the bottle (Classic Method). Yeast contact is extended for at least 24 months followed by a traditional hand riddling (remuage) on pupitres and degorgement a la glace. A period of brief aging follows. The wine is pink in color, with small bubbles and hints of strawberry and apple.$25

Durello 36 Riserva Extra Brut Metodo Classico DOC made from 85% Lessini Durello and 15% Pinot Noir Sandro Bruno. The soil is volcanic with basaltic rocks. The vineyard is 4 hectares with a southern exposure at 500 meters. The vines are 35 years old. The vineyards are cultivated without the use of pesticides. Manual harvest takes place the 3^rd week of September. There is a selection of grapes followed by a soft pressing in a nitrogen saturation at a low temperature. Fermentation is in steel tanks for both grapes. After fermentation the lees will be preserved by performing weekly batonnage for 8 months. Sugars 1g/l  The wine remains on its own yeast for 36 months. It ages in bottle for 6 more months before release. This is an intense wine with mineral aromas. Hints of white flowers, pear, almonds and a note of lemon.$25

Caprettone Spumante Method Classico 100% Caprettone CasaSetaro Production zone Alto Tirone, Vesuvius National Park. The age of the vineyards is 18 to 25 years. They are at 350 meters and the training system is espalier, guyot trained with a few buds per plant. Vinification: maceration at 4C in steel tanks, fermentation for 18 to 24 days, the second fermentation takes place after about six months. The wine remains on the lees for 30 months and remains in bottle for about 12 months before release.  The Caprettone grape is excellent for making spumante method classico because it has very good body and produces a round and elegant wine.$20

Cantina Federiciane Montelone di Napoli Gragnano DOC Sorrento Peninsula 2010, made from Piedirossa and Sciascinoso. Fermentation with selected yeast takes place in temperature controlled autoclaves.  This is a fizzy red wine that when poured has a lot of foam that quickly disappears in the glass. It is fruity with red fruit aromas and flavors, hints of raspberries and strawberries, and easy to drink. In Naples they often drink sparkling beverages with pizza and Gragnano goes very well with pizza margarita. $16

Lambrusco di Sorbara Rosato Millesimato 2013 Cantina della Volta made from 100% Lambrusco di Sorbara (Emilia Romagna). The harvest is manual, then the grapes are soft pressed, the must is clarified, and the alcoholic fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine remains for at least six months in the tanks for the maturation process, selected yeast is added before the wine is bottled. The bottles are stored horizontally in piles for the long re-fermentation process and maturation at a controlled temperature, then remuage, disgorgement and liqueur d’expedition. The wine has hints of red fruit with a touch of hazelnuts and pomegranate.$24

 

 

Vietti Moscato D’Asti “Cascinetta” DOCG 2014 is made from the same grape as Asti Spumante and has many of the same flavors and aromas. It is also low in alcohol around 6%. The difference is that this wine is only slightly sparkling (frizzante) and it is vintage dated while Asti is not. It should be drunk as close to the vintage date as possible. The two wines share the same DOCG $16

Banfi Vigna Regale “Rosa Regale” Spumante Brachetto d’Acqui DOCG 2014 is a sweet wine and it is most famous as a red sparkling wine. Made by the Charmat method. It is made from the Brachetto grape. It has intense berry flavors and aromas, especially strawberry, and goes very well with chocolate and all kinds of chocolate desserts. $20

 

 

 

 

 

 

Durello- A Grape from the Veneto that makes Great Sparkling Wines

Monti Lessini Durello DOC Spumante and Passito

 In the Veneto, the little known Durello (also known as Durella) grape is used to make sparkling wines. I have tasted one or two before and liked them so on a visit to the region last December, I was hoping to taste some others.  But as luck would have it, none of the producers we visited made one.

 In May, I found myself in the Veneto once again.  To my surprise, Azienda Marcato one of the producers we were scheduled to visit, specialized in sparkling wines from this grape. They also made a Passito which I had never tasted.

Enrico Opening a Bottle of Spumante

The tasting and tour of the Marcato winery was led by Enrico, the son of the owner, who proved to be very enthusiastic and informative. When I told him I was interested in the sparkling Durello, he said he would let me taste all of their production. He told us that the most popular style is the Spumante and many feel it is the best expression of the DOC.

 The DOC for Durello was established in 1987 and covers an area high up in the hills on the border between the provinces of Verona and Vicenza, in the area known as the Monti Lessini. The production zone for Lessini Durello is of volcanic origin. The hills on which the vines grow are layers of rocks formed by lava flows. The soil is dark, stony and rich in minerals and fossil deposits. Geologically, the soil is of volcanic tuff basalt.

 There are 500 growers but only I0 of them actually bottle the wine. About 600.000 bottles of Lessini Durello are produced a year, mostly as sparkling wine made by the Charmat Method.

 The grape is of ancient autochthonic origin and fossils found in the area are said to be the direct ancestors of Vitis Vinifera.  Its vines are vigorous, disease resistant, and grow best in a soil composed of lime and clay of volcanic origin.  The clusters are medium sized, pyramid shaped (sometimes with wings) and compact.  The grapes have a thick and leathery skin (may be the reason for it name) and good acidity.

 Lessini Durello — The Spumante and the Passito must be 85% Durello and a maximum of 15% of Garganega, Trebbiano di Soave, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

 At the Marcato winery I tasted a number of sparkling wines made by the Charmat Method (tank) and the Traditional Method (Champagne Method).

  I Prandi Estate — is on the site of the Marcato winery located on the Il Duello Hill between the two small villages of Ronca and Montecchia di Corsara in the heart of the Soave Colli Scaligeri area and Lessini area. It is 30km from west of Vincenza and 30km east of Verona.

 

I Prandi-Lessani Durello Brut – Charmat Method – Pergola Veronese method of training the vines, all the grapes are from the Veneto region, Verona and the Alpone Valley. The wine is 85% Durello, 10% Chardonnay and 5% Pinot Nero. It is soft pressed, temperature controlled fermentation at 14-16 C, malolatic fermentation is complete and then there is a secondary fermentation and the wine is on the lees for eight months. It has a straw yellow color with greenish tints, tiny bubbles and good acidity like all wines made from this grape.

 I Prandi – Lessani Durello Extra Dry Charmat Method – 85% Durello and 15% Chardonnay. It is on the lees for four months and the residual sugar is 18g/Lt The wine is straw colored, fruity and floral, yeasty and mineral.

These were two of the best sparkling wines I have tasted that use the Charmat Method.

 The Barattaro Estate is situated at the foot of the Lessini hills in the village of Montecchia di Corsara in the heart of the Alpone Valley area. It is 32 km east of Verona and 27 km west of Vicenza.

 

Lessini Durello “36 months” Traditional Brut Method – Made from 85% Durello and 10% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay. It is on the lees in the bottle for 36 months. It is yeasty with citrus fruit aromas and flavors.

 Lessini Durello 60 Mesi Traditional Method Brut 2003 – Made from 85% Durello and 15% Pinot Noir. It is on the lees for 60 months.  It has aromas of bread and yeast and a hint of almonds. 

We really enjoyed this wine

 Lessini Durello AR 2002 Traditional Method Brut. – Made from 85% Durello and 15% Pinot Noir.  At least 10 years on the lees. This is a very complex wine with aromas of fruit, acacia, yeast and honey. Enrico let us taste this wine and told us that it had not been released yet. I liked all three of these wines but was so impressed by the 2002 that Enrico gave me a bottle of the current release the AR 2000. I drank it with friends recently and everyone was surprised that this grape could make such a great sparkling wine.

 

Lessini Passito The Durello grapes are dried for four months. There is 24 to 36 hours of maceration and then a complete fermentation. It is aged in large oak barrels for two years and has a minimum alcohol of 14%.Enrico said that it is vinified in the same manner as Recioto di Soave. It had flavors and aromas of apricot, orange peel, hints of almonds and acacia with a nice finish and aftertaste.