DOC – Deep Red Cellar

Secrets to Italian Wine

After living in Italy for 3 years and learning as much as I could about Italian wine I figured out a few keys that may be helpful for people trying to unlock the secrets to Italian wine and find something really good to drink.

It was an arduous task…tasting, traveling and conversing but I was able to work through it and set up a delectable nearly 500 bottle wine collection. So let me fill you in on a few important keys to consider when purchasing Italian wine.

Inexpensive Is Good

Now don’t get me wrong there are hundreds of delicious bottles of Brunello di Montalcinos, Amarones, Barolos and Barbarescos in the Italian wine market but if the recession is catching up with you do not despair – your days of craving complex, bold, beautiful Italian wine will not have to come to an end. The wonderful thing about Italian wine is there are many that cost sub $20 and are really rather lovely. For example, if you like the spice of Zinfandel – try a Primitivo from Puglia or if you prefer Sauvignon Blanc – try a Greco di Tufo or Fiano di Avellino from Campania.

Don’t Let Classification Fool You

In the states American wine classification is not as widely prominent as for European wines which deem their classifications quite important. The whole classification system could take pages to explain so let me just briefly give you the guidelines for the Italian classification system (which is designated on the wine bottle).

The system has a 4 tier structure which labels the lowest level as basic table wine (VdT or vino da tavola), the next higher level as wine having a specific geographic indication (IGT or indicazione geografica tipica), the third highest level being DOC (denominazione di originie controllata) meaning it not only grows vineyards in a specific geographical area but follows several other quality control guidelines and the final and highest level DOCG (denominazione di origine controllata e garantita) means the wine is not only controlled it is also guaranteed. This designation is usually set for the historical wines of the country.

For you visual folks out there it looks like this:

I’m giving you the wine pyramid basically to tell you to toss it out the window when buying Italian wine. Why? Have you ever heard of Super Tuscan wines? These are highly regarded wines yet they are not DOCG or even DOC wines – they dwell on the second to the lowest level of the wine pyramid as IGT wines. So don’t be fooled there are many excellent Italian wines with the IGT or even the VdT classification that could blow your socks off.

Plan A Trip

I am sure many of you would kill for a trip to Italy and let me encourage you to try to make that become a reality but not just because of it’s historical claim or the great food. The real key to finding great Italian wine is in visiting the country. Not only because there are hundreds of small family run wineries that don’t import any of their fabulous wine but also because if you go over there and drive up to one of these small wineries, you take with you not only some fabulous wine but probably a full belly, a new friend and a memory that can’t be beat!

Pyramid: www.iwinealot.blogspot.com

A Sentimental Wine For A Sentimental Night

Last night as I sat down to dinner, I was exhausted. Movers had left after 3 days of packing up my home (I say home because the building is only a house – the home part went away in boxes and crates).

A few hours earlier, I had stopped by my favorite caseficio to pick up a few goodies. Since my time in Italy is getting short, I am filling myself with as much of the local products as possible. Tonight, I shopped for mozzarella di bufala, proscuitto crudo, bresoala, and rustic bread. I added a few ingredients from my nearly bare cupboards to throw together simple and delicious antipasti. I’ll give you the recipe for bresaola salad at the end – it is one of my favorites!

My wine collection shipped back to the states a few weeks ago but my husband had enough foresight to set aside a few special bottles for the end. We have been working hard the past few days and are aware of our limited time left in Italy so decided to open a sentimental bottle for dinner. We chose a 2003 Piedirosso DOC from Cantine del Mare. This bottle was sentimental for several reasons. The vintage, 2003, was the first year Cantine del Mare produced wine. The winery is in our quaint, little town of Monte di Procida. Our dear friend, Pasquale Massa, is one of the owners and was generous enough to give us this bottle to enjoy.

The wine was medium bodied, ruby red and really lovely. The bouquet was quite light. My husband put it well when he said it was like a Pinot Noir with a little tannin. There were aromas of plum, black cherry, raspberries, leather and earth. The tannins were smooth verifying the wine’s age. Upon sipping, I tasted raspberries, strawberries, cherries, a hint of leather and a hint of spice. As I ate, drank and wound down from the week, I was impressed with what a delightful addition this wine was to my candlelit meal – even if it was on a patio table in the middle of my empty living room.

Bresaola Salad

2 servings

6 slices bresaola

1 handful rucola (arugula)

6 shavings of parmigiano reggiano

1/2 lemon

olive oil

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

On a platter, spread out the handful of rucola. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of the lemon. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Place bresaola slices on top arranging in a circle, then parmigiano reggiano. Enjoy!

Bella Umbria

A couple weekends ago I packed my bags and went off to Umbria with my husband, daugther and two other terrific families to a memorable gem high in the hills of Fratta Todina in Umbria.

I know this is a wine and gourmet food site, not a travel site, but I would be remiss if I neglected to share our accommodations with you. We stayed at the extremely lovely La Palazzetta del Vescovo. I first found this Relais on “Trip Advisor” after many hours of searching for a great get-away. I was intrigued because it had many reviews and NOT ONE was negative. Odd, because there is always some curmudgeon out there who has something negative to say about every place I’ve ever seen reviewed. My first visit resulted in me adding to the glowing reviews on “Trip Advisor.” This past visit was my third time back to La Palazzetta del Vescovo and it was more like going to see good friends then it was going to a place to stay. The structure used to be a vacation home of a bishop and the owners have beautifully restored the once pile of rubble with impeccable quality and attention to detail. Stefano and Paola, are lovely, gracious hosts who make you feel like you’ve known them for years. The food is prepared by Paola with passion as evidenced in each taste. The wine is carefully selected by Stefano, a certified Sommelier, whose ability to find exquisite wines and pair them with Paola’s food is superb. Chiaretta is an added bonus – a bouncy, happy dog who accompanies Stefano to greet guests upon arrival.

While staying at our truly delightful accommodations, Stefano kindly set up a wine and olive oil tasting at Tenuta Le Velette in Orvieto. The estate is in the heart of the Orvieto Classico production (a DOC white wine). The property’s history dates back to the Etruscans and includes cellars dug out from tufa stone, a typical, volcanic stone of the area. The estate has the ideal placement on the hills of Orvieto to produce outstanding wine and olive oil. The owner, Corrado Bottai, generously spent several hours with us. He took us all around the grounds. We saw numerous cellars, some started by monks. They were dark with cave-like tunnels and alcoves where dusty bottles of wine were hiding. The electricity kept going out so we had to use a candelabra – it felt like the best stocked haunted house ever. Another cellar had floors, walls, and ceilings covered in a cushy, colorful array of white, orange, and rust mold. Signore Bottai assured us this was some of the best real estate to age fine wines.

The tasting took place in a beautiful room in the manor. It was adorned with fresco painted ceilings, opulent lighting and a large wooden table full of meats, cheeses, breads, olive oil and most importantly, several bottles of wine. We tasted 6 wines – all of which were delightful. As a matter of fact, we enjoyed them so much, my husband and I bought every varietal we tasted. In addition, we purchased 3 bottles of their wonderfully pungent olive oil.

The Whites –
Berganorio (Trebbiano, Grechetto, Verdello, Malvasia, Dupreggio)
Lunato Orvieto Classico Superiore DOC (Trebbiano, Grechetto, Verdello, Malvasia, Dupreggio)
Grechetto Solo Uve (Grechetto)

The Reds –
Calanco (Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon)
Gaudio (Merlot)
Accordo (Sangiovese)

I especially loved the rawness of the Sangiovese. It was a great expression of what Sangiovese lends to the numerous varietals it intertwines with in so many wines out there in today’s market.

Signore Bottai left a great impression on me. He has an excellent grasp on the English language but without all the colloquialisms Americans use. This resulted in his mind churning for the appropriate words to express himself. He spoke beautiful, mindful expressions that made me envious of his vocabulary. I wrote down some of these so I wouldn’t forget them. One of my favorite quotes was: “Sangiovese is a great confusion in the glass.” I couldn’t agree more!

I left Tenuta Le Velette with yet another great adventure under my belt. I was somewhat full from wine and antipasti but that didn’t stop me from going back to enjoy Paola’s cooking and Stefano’s wine selections. This was my last night and I was not going to miss out. My friends and I dined on Cinghiale (wild boar) marinated in local red wine and drank a lovely bottle of Montefalco…if only I could just move in with Paola and Stefano…maybe I could be the housekeeper…the gardener….the dishwasher…..

Castello Banfi – Montalcino

My family and I went on a trip to Montalcino recently and took some time to stop by the famous Castello Banfi Estate for a tour and tasting. I am always surprised at how these unique opportunities stare me in the face here in Italy. I scheduled our appointment on the telephone. We arrived to a friendly greeting and a personal tour of the facility followed by a private tasting in their beautiful Enoteca. I realize we were visiting during the “low season;” however, amazed that we were the only ones around to see and experience this wonderful estate.

Castello Banfi is comprised of about 7,100 acres, 2,400 of which are made up of a “constellation” of single vineyards and the remaining acreage dedicated to olives, fruits, etc. The winery was founded by John Mariani, Sr., an American of Italian heritage, and is still run by the Mariani family today. This estate produces 26 different labels, from Brunello di Montalcino, DOCG Riserva to Moscadello di Montalcino, DOC with a smattering of Brunellos and Super Tuscans in between (they also have an estate in Piedmont that produces 15 different labels). As you can imagine, this estate is massive producing approximately 10 million bottles of wine annually! They have a state-of-the-art facility and are leading the way on the experimental forefront.

I was intrigued by their hybrid tanks that they use for fermenting some of their wines. These unique tanks are stainless steel on the bottom and top with wood in the center making for a very eye-catching impression. For traditional aging, they use Slovenian oak casks and barriques of French and American oak. Always attending to detail, Banfi winemakers personally select the raw wood from the forests of France according to their origin and physical characteristics for their French barriques. They season these barriques at the estate for 3 years (instead of the traditional 2 years). According to Banfi, this gives the wood rounder and more persistent aromas. Coopers (or barrel makers) use an indirect and cooler toasting than usual for about 3x longer than the traditional period of time to produce a more uniform and balanced flavor. Their custom-made barrels are larger (350 L.) than the traditional barrique (225 L.) as it is believed to provide ideal wood surface to volume of wine ratio. Their steel tanks are numerous and vary in size but some are by far the largest I’ve ever seen. Depending on the wine, they use various aging methods and combinations. One method has them combining wine aged in Slovenian casks with wine aged in French barriques, another method has them aging wine in various sizes of oak barrels and then of course, they do steel tank aging and bottle aging.

We finished our tour with a tasting at the Enoteca which is just as beautiful in it’s own right. We were given a generous tasting flight that helped us decide on our “souvenirs.” We walked away with Poggio Alle Mura, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (made from select vineyards producing consistently outstanding Brunello), Summus Sant’Antimo DOC, and BelnerO IGT (both Super Tuscans).

If you would like to try a bottle, or two, or three of Banfi wines, you can shop: WineAccess.com or type “Banfi” in my “Snooth” search window to start shopping.

*written with information obtained from our lovely tour guide, AnnaLisa Gori, Banfi visitor guide and www.castellobanfi.com

Falanghina

I have run the full gamut of wine drinking over the years. I started, as most of you, with the natural progression…..occasionally drinking white zinfandel at an office party or restaurant then slowly working up to Chardonnay. After many glasses and some apprehension, I made the big switch to red wine – enjoying mostly merlots and maybe an occasional pinot noir. Then I expanded my palate to the oaky, tannic wines of cabernet sauvignon. From there, I drank all kinds of red but stayed exclusively in that color realm assuming that white wines were for sissys – beginner drinkers.

How wrong I was! I have become energetically aware of the beauty of white wine in the last couple of years and, once again, drink it quite often – especially in the summer. Remember in my last post when I said I had a great white wine I wanted to tell you about……well, sit back as I tell you about falanghina.

In southern Italy’s Campania region, falanghina is one of the more prominent white wines produced (along with greco and fiano). The primary area for falanghina runs mostly along the coast from the Falerno del Massico DOC zone in the north, past Naples, and down to the beautiful Amalfi Coast. It is believed that Roman merchants brought the falanghina grape over from Greece many, many, many, many, moons ago. The word, falanghina, originated from the Latin word “phalange” which means stake or pole in reference to the method used of training the vine on the pole.

Blah, blah, blah………let’s get to the good stuff. Falanghina is a wonderfully, light, refreshing wine with delicate aromas and a pleasant palate. It requires a dry, warm climate which makes it perfectly balanced with good acidity and fruity notes. This wine is best served as an aperitif at 8-10 degrees Celsius. Some say it tastes similar to pinot grigio. It is often produced in a blend with other local varieties such as verdeca, coda di volpe, biancolella, and greco but can be great on its own as well. Some of the more prominent producers are Feudi di San Gregorio in Avellino and Ocone in Benevento. Within the Costa d’Amalfi DOC subzone, “Cuomo’s Ravello” is some of the best available with distinctly floral and citrus notes.

I have become specifically infatuated with the Campi Flegrei DOC falanghina of my friend, Pasquale, at Cantine del Mare (http://www.cantinedelmare.it/)- a local winery in my town of Monte di Procida. He produces two types of 100% falanghina wine both with the typical straw yellow color and delicate, fruity bouquets. The first type is his mainstream bottling and shows hints of vanilla and peaches. This wine has the unique benefit of having 15% of it passing briefly through barrels before it is mixed with the remaining wine and bottled aged. The second, “Sorbo Bianco,” is a little more full-bodied with careful grape selection and a dominant aroma of green apple along with hints of peaches, pineapple and vanilla. This wine (100%) is stored in oak barrels for approximately 6 months before it finishes aging in the bottle. Besides being a lovely aperitif, both wines pair superbly with fish and shellfish.

The wines of Cantine del Mare are not exported (yet) but I have noticed falanghina popping up at local gourmet and grocery stores in America. If you’re intrigued, I encourage you to go out and find a bottle to try yourself. And while you’re at it, purchase the ingredients for “Insalata Caprese” that I wrote about in my inaugural post – these two paired together are a match made in heaven. Enjoy!

Sources: Joseph Bastianich and David Lynch, Vino Italiano, the Regional Wines of Italy, (New York, Clarkson Potter/Publisher, 2002); Rinaldo Pilla, www.pillawine.com, (Davenport, 2005)

Wines Of Italy

To write about the wines of Italy, is almost like attempting to write about the creation of the world. It could, quite possibly, take my lifetime and I still wouldn’t be done, nor would I know everything there is to know. So, I thought sifting through the designations might be a good place to start.

There are 19 wine regions in Italy and upwards of 1,000 different grape varieties. In some areas, the countryside is boundless in graceful vineyards spreading as far as the eye can see. Many people are familiar with varieties such as Chianti (the good and the bad), Amarone, Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello di Montalcino. Or, if you’re a wine drinker from the 70’s, wine in a straw cloaked jug. But there are many, many lesser known varieties. Some are not even open to exportation and only known in their local area. Since living in Italy, I’ve also become familiar with landlord wine which can range in taste anywhere from a dirty, wet sock to a lightly refreshing, frizzy summer pick-me-up. Believe me……..I’ve had both.

The wines in Italy are designated much like the wines of France. Specific regulations are followed in order to be named in a designation. These designations can help land you a good bottle; however, they don’t always guarantee a good one. As a matter of fact, surprisingly, many wines with lesser designations are just as good, if not better, as some of the ones with the more controlled regulations.

There are 4 basic designations for the wines of Italy: Vino da Tavola (VdT) – Table Wine, Indicazione Geografica Tipica (IGT) – typical geographic location, Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC) – denomination of controlled origin, and Denominazione di Origine Controllata Garantita (DOCG) – guaranteed denomination of controlled origin.

VdT is wine classified as table wine but that’s about it. It can be made of any grape(s), grown in any area of Italy and is often sold as bulk or blending wine. Many of the house wines in restaurants are of this designation. Although they don’t carry an illustrious designation, some of these wines are the perfect compliment to casual, al fresco dining in a scenic, little village. There are exceptions to every rule, of course, as some “Super Tuscans” are classified as VdT (more on Super Tuscans later).

IGT is wine classified as having been grown in the appropriate geographic location but other than that, no specific regulation is required. These wines encompass a large playing field and can be some of the best. In Italy, they are plentiful in enotecas, restaurants, and grocery stores.

DOC is wine classified as having followed the appropriate guidelines for growing region, varietal, production formula, and aging. Wines that fall under this designation go through rigorous tasting from a committee for every production year before they can be certified. Many of these wines are excellent; however, when you see this designation, it does not necessarily assure exceptional wine.

DOCG specifies the same as the DOC but, as mentioned above, the “G” stands for “garantita” (or guaranteed). This designation is usually set aside for the more historic wines like Brunello di Montalcino, Barbaresco, Chianti, etc. and is considered more strictly regulated.

In upcoming posts, I will travel through specific regions and wines (there’s a great white wine I want to tell you about). If you desire an in-depth look into the designations or any other wise counsel on the wines of Italy, I suggest Vino Italiano: The Regional Wines of Italy . This book is chock-full of information and has been invaluable to me as I’ve trekked through the different regions of Italy.

In the meantime, may I suggest going to your favorite wine store, and picking up a bottle of Italian wine. Whether you find a VdT, IGT, or DOC, I hope you have fun exploring.

Sources: Joseph Bastianich & David Lynch, Vino Italiano. The Regional Wines Of Italy, (New York, New York, Clarkson Potter/Publishers, 2002); Robert M. Parker, Jr., Parker’s Wine Buyer’s Guide, 7th Edition, (New York, New York, Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2008); Hugh Johnson, Jancis Robinson, The World Atlas Of Wine, (London, England, Octopus Publishing Group, 2007)

photo by Joe Overstreet