WINE – Page 5 – Deep Red Cellar

Boots And Brunello In Montalcino

Most people know the Italians are good at making leather products and wine (among other things) so it stands to reason that when my family and I took a trip to Montalcino, those two things were on my mind.

Montalcino is located in the Val d’Orcia portion of Tuscany about 29 miles from Sienna. Settled during the Etruscan times, it was named after the “holm oak” which used to cover it’s terrain. Montalcino was known for it’s tanneries and high quality leather goods before it fell on hard times. It’s economic boost was enhanced due to the production of Brunello di Montalcino, the long-aging, luscious, red wine made from “Sangiovese Grosso” grapes. Brunello di Montalcino was the first wine to be designated as DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita). Today, there are over 200 producers of Brunello di Montalcino (aka “the little brown one” in reference to the color of the grape). In addition, Montalcino also produces Rosso di Montalcino and many lovely Super Tuscans among other wines.

I discovered while doing my research that there are clones of the Sangiovese grape which make up the different types of wine (i.e Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti, Nobile di Montepulciano, etc.). To be honest, I could not find a definitive answer as to exactly how many clones are in existence. I read anywhere from a whopping 650 “presumed” clones, to about 100 or so nationally recognized clones, to as little as 12 types of strains. Regardless of the type of clone, Sangiovese is characteristically known as a quality grape that has the ability to age at least 10 years.

It was incredibly cold as I walked through this beautiful, little town – amazed at the number of Enotecas that lined the streets. I couldn’t help but be excited at the thought of 1,000’s upons 1,000’s of bottles of wine surrounding me! I stopped in two shops (below is Enoteca di Piazza), was given generous tastings at both, and piled the car with cases of wine.

Hungry from the shopping extravaganza, my family and I headed to “Taverna del Grappolo Blu.” A restaurant which came highly recommended from several reading sources as well as my tour guide from “Banfi.” This is a cozy niche run by Luciano and Maria Pia. It’s tucked in a small alley and offers authentic, rustic food. I ordered “Pinci al Ragu di Carne,” a house specialty made of a meat sauce and hand-rolled pasta. The “Pinci” looked sort of like a cross between spaetzle and thick spaghetti. To say it was delicious is an understatement. It tasted so warm and comforting after a day out in the cold. After the extensive Brunello tasting earlier in the day, Rosso di Montalcino was the perfect choice to accompany this meal.

All trips I take are for different reasons but this particular trip had a purpose – to buy regional wines that stood out and begged to come home with me. That was easy to accomplish. And if you’re wondering about the boots…that was also easy to accomplish. As a matter of fact, even my husband purchased some fashion-forward models.

NOTES:

-Wines from Montalcino can be purchased from my affiliates: WineAccess.com, Wine Messenger and Snooth

-Taverna dei Grappolo Blu, Scale di Via Moglio 1, Montalcino, IT +39 0577847150

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

The Best Stocking Stuffer Ever!

I received the best stocking stuffer ever this year for Christmas…..a bottle of 2005 *Gaja Barbaresco! Who would do that? Who would put such a pretigious gift in with miscellaneous crackers, m&m’s and magazines? I tell you who…..my awesome husband, that’s who!

Christmas dinner was quiet at our house this year. We had an intimate family setting of just me, my husband and our daughter (i.e. only 2 drinking age adults! 😉 ). It was as if I had planned for this gift well in advance. The menu was simple – grilled filet mignon, sauteed green beans and oven roasted potatoes. My husband is a grill master so the steaks were cooked to carnivorous perfection. And somehow, the garlic splashed, sauteed green beans and roasted potatoes seemed to turn out perfectly as well.

About an hour before dinner, we opened and decanted this lovely red. Of course, I probably should admit that we couldn’t help but have a teeny taste right away. When we sat down to dinner, we thanked God for our many blessings, poured, looked, swished, smelled and sipped. This barbaresco was young when we drank it but it lived up to the Gaja name as usual with a beautiful ruby red color. I can see where more aging would greatly enhance it. It had medium body with berry, licorice and spicy notes. The tannins delicately sliced through the steak and the finish was long.

As I write this, I believe I’ve come down with a case of the flu. Regrettably, that means I won’t be having any gourmet food or wine for a little while. In the meantime, I’ll have to live vicariously through the memory of our great Christmas dinner and the best stocking stuffer ever!

*If you’d like to know more about Gaja wines, click on the June 2009 archives.

A Little Slice Of Burgundy

The excitement continues to bubble in the Overstreet’s wine adventures. In May, we took a trip to the Burgundy region of France where we purchased a small plot of a vineyard in a village by the name of Villars Fontaine (not far from the famous Romanee Conti vineyards).

The Chateau de Villars Fontaine, the winery of the same name, and the adjacent vineyards are owned by Monsieur Bernard Hudelot who planted them in the 1970’s and is now selling the land in shares. Our “plot” of land is 214 square meters or about two times as big as the house where we’re currently living. As I write this, approximately 2/3 of the total available shares are sold. Besides the fun of “owning” a small plot of a vineyard and “investing” in a small part of the winery operations in one of the world’s great wine regions, we can also purchase high quality vintages at affordable prices. I probably don’t need to tell you that having a few hundred bottles of fine, Burgundian wine in our personal wine stash is a very lovely situation.

Villars Fontaine produces Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the varietals this region is famous for, using traditional methods to create superior wines intended to be aged for long periods. Monsieur Hudelot also recently resurrected Gamay in an attempt to change it’s stereotype from a mediocre wine to one that can also be a great, long-aging wine. To me, Monsieur Hudelot does amazing work with his wines that sets them apart – first, he ages them for a very long time (whites 18 months, reds 30 months) and second, because of the barrels he uses, the wines come out not overly oaky but complex, smooth and balanced. This is due, in part, because Monsieur Hudelot contracts a single barrel maker who, over a three year period, slowly and naturally air dries the French oak staves used in the barrel production. This process eliminates the rough tannic properties of the oak. The long aging process in contact with the naturally dried wood enhances the structure and helps to produce the brilliant result so elegantly emanated in the wine. The whites can easily sit in the cellar and improve for 10+ years and the reds for 30+ years.

In May, we brought home the 2005 vintage. The Chardonnay is already delightful but can, amazingly to us, age some more (if we can keep it around long enough). The Pinot Noir is showing great potential as it gives us a hint of what is to come. We found ourselves back in France in June, so we visited the winery again and purchased about 100 bottles of the 2002 vintage of both varietals. The whites are stunning – smooth, subtly complex, perfectly balanced! The reds – still not at their intended drinking age, appear to be slowly working their way to excellence.

So, we have officially started a cellar and look forward to tasting the progress of the wines we purchase as they show their complexity and style in a new way each time we treat ourselves to a glass. It is sort of like they are starting out in a comfortable, cotton dress and working their way up to the perfect, little, black dress.

If you’re interested in owning a little slice of Burgundy for yourself, the “ownership” involves the purchase of a plot of a vineyard and advanced purchase of about 100 bottles of each current year’s vintage, to be picked up two to four years later when properly aged, bottled, and released. Please feel free to contact me for more information.

Written with assistance from Stevie Bobes, Chateau de Villars Fontaine

Oh The Opportunities! – GAJA Winery

Oh the opportunities that have come my way since coming to Italy in April 2007. I have been taking them all in with utter amazement. The experiences and adventures have been just incredible.

One such experience took place in May while traveling through the Piedmont region in Northern Italy. My husband, me and some of our favorite wine-crazed friends, the Stockermans, were on our way to Burgundy. We stopped over in the famous town of Barbaresco just to have a look around (by the way, the expanse of vineyards flowing over the land enroute was absolutely beautiful). It was a rainy day but the town was still welcoming with its quaint shops and picturesque streets. We spotted an Enoteca opened and excitedly parked our cars across the street. Upon exiting our car, we became even more excited when we spotted the GAJA winery right next door to the Enoteca! Oh my goodness! I can’t even begin to tell you the adrenaline rush to literally stumble on such a prestigious find! We went into the Enoteca and my friend, Cathy (who thankfully speaks fluent Italian), asked if GAJA was open for tours. The lady behind the counter graciously offered to call and ask. She said they usually do not give public tours but by nothing short of a miracle, we were given the opportunity for one.

Let me take a moment to give you a little history – Four generations of GAJAs have been producing wine in the Piedmont region of Northern Italy’s Langhe hills since 1859. That is the year Giovanni GAJA founded GAJA Winery in Barbaresco. Today, the winery is owned by Angelo GAJA. Besides combining respect for traditions with bold innovations in the vineyards and cellars, Angelo also introduced GAJA wines to the foreign markets. In addition, he recently started introducing wines, spirits, and accessories such as wine coolers, decanters & wine glasses to Italy through “GAJA Distribuzione.” Angelo’s wife, Lucia, and 3 children, Gaia, Rossana & Giovanni also work with him. In fact, Gaia GAJA officially joined the winery in 2005 making her the fifth generation of GAJAs to work at the winery. Besides the 250 acres of vineyards GAJA has in Barbaresco and Barolo, they have added 40 acres of vineyards in the Tuscan town of Montalcino and 250 acres in Tuscany’s Bolgheri district. Guido Rivella is the very talented winemaker for all three of these estates (a busy man no doubt).

So there we went. We arrived at a large, ominous door which began to creak open and expose the vast, beautiful business structures with views of the vineyards beyond. We walked in and were showed a room to wait in until someone came for us. We were sitting there so giddy with glee, it was hard to actually take in the whole gamut of where we were, what we were doing, etc.

As if we were at the end of the rainbow, luck was continuing to overwhelm us. Our tour guide showed up and introduced herself as Sonia, Angelo GAJA’s personal assistant! Sonia was a delight and spent a generous amount of her time taking us all over this lovely winery. And I do mean lovely, the building where the press, tanks, and barrels, etc. dwell were decorated as if on the pages of “Architectural Digest.” Beautiful sculptures, lighting, wall hangings – even the floors were shiny, black and uniquely exquisite. We were shown an art gallery on the premises that displayed several wonderful pieces (there was a painting I would’ve loved to have in my home 🙂 ).

As our tour came to an end, we were taken into yet another beautiful room where a tasting was set up for us. Ok, I know I keep going on with ridiculous adjectives to describe this whole experience, but the wines we were able to taste were absolutely divine. We tasted 5 wines:

Sori Tildin 2006 Langhe Nebbiolo DOC

Costa Russi 1997 Langhe Nebbiolo DOC

Sori San Lorenzo 1997 Langhe Nebbiolo DOC

Conteisa 1997 Langhe Nebbiolo DOC

Rennina 2001 Brunello di Montalcino DOCG

It would take a whole other post to describe this tasting so let me just say – SPECTACULAR!!!

As you can tell, I was awestruck by this day in the life of living in Italy. I can hardly wait to see what adventure awaits us around the next corner…..just not sure if it can top this one!

If you ever have the opportunity to pick up a bottle of GAJA wine, you must! This is the time to splurge (prices range from $40-$350+). Here’s a great source that carries some of the exact wines I tasted (or similar vintages) – WineAccess.com. Also, you can click on my “snooth” search window. Buy a bottle for a special occasion or to open for a time you want to remember for years to come -the wine will actually help make your special occasion even more memorable. I would be remiss if I didn’t inform you that your life will not be complete without it. 🙂

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

Enate Cabernet Sauvignon – Merlot

I am amazed sometimes at how life’s paths come together. I was living in Japan in the late 1990’s just starting to spread my “wine wings.” My friend, Lynn, and I were great partners in crime, seeking out places to buy wine. On one of the many adventures, we stumbled on this very stylish Enoteca in Tokyo. It became my favorite place. I would stock up and haul bags of wine back to my home on the train that was often filled like a sardine can.

That is when I found the Spanish wine, Enate, specifically their cabernet sauvignon – merlot blend. It was inexpensive and some of the best everyday drinking wine I’d tasted. I drank it regularly from the first day I found it until my feet left the ground of the Kanto Plain for America.

After relocating to America, I started looking for the wine I had grown accustomed to drinking and enjoying so much. I couldn’t find it in any store and even spoke to a few wine distributors. One offered to see if he could get it if I’d be willing to purchase several cases. By that time, I was living in Southern California with no air conditioning and no wine cellar. Lynn, my compatriot mentioned earlier, made a trip back to Japan during this time and was kind enough to get me a couple of bottles……..still the wonderful taste I remembered.

It was here where life’s paths collided. I had almost forgotten about my pal, Enate, until this past September when I was sitting at a wonderful tapas restaurant in Barcelona. As my husband and I were looking over the wine list, I was elated to discover that they had Enate – they even had the cabernet sauvignon-merlot blend! As I was sipping on a glass with great delight, a rush of memories came back about life in Japan, the Enoteca in Tokyo, the sardine can trains, etc. I like how wine has a way of taking you back to the moment when you first discovered a favorite bottle.

It was then that I decided I needed to find out where to buy this pal of mine and take it home. It didn’t take long……it was waiting for me at “El Cellar de la Boqueria” a quaint little store in the very lively “La Boqueria” market. Two cases came home with me and I’ve been savoring them sparingly in hopes of somehow not running out until I know for sure where I can get my next stash.

Tasting Notes: Enate Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot, Somontano, 2006

This medium bodied wine has a ruby red color with tastes of blackberry, vanilla and spice rounded out by a toasty finish and balanced acidity.