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The Wines of Valpolicella – Fratelli Speri

21 Jun
2011

Fratelli Speri is located in the the wine zone known famously as Valpolicella within the Veneto region of north-east Italy. It lies within the province of Verona. Working back that’s the winery (Speri), then the zone (Valpolicella), then the province (Verona), then the region (Veneto). Don’t worry, I get confused too. They make a number of wine styles including Valpolicella, Ripasso, Amarone and Recioto (all to be explained later). There is also a casual review of their Speri Valpolicella Vigneto La Roverina DOC 2008 to finish things off. But firstly, here is an excerpt by the Speri family that I enjoyed.

From left: Gianpaolo, Gianpietro, Luca, Chiara & Alberto

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Nebbiolo: King of the Langhe (ie: Barolo & Barbaresco). Is its noble status achievable in some Australian regions?

14 Jun
2011

NEBBIOLO IS REGARDED AS THE ‘KING OF THE LANGHE’ WITH THE BEST – BAROLO AND BARBARESCO – POSSESSING OUTSTANDING AROMATIC COMPLEXITY, TANNIC POWER AND EXCEPTIONAL AGEING POTENTIAL. WHAT GIVES THIS GRAPE VARIETY ITS UNDENIABLE DISTINCTIVENESS IN ITS HOMELAND AND CAN IT ACHIEVE SOMETHING SIMILAR IN AUSTRALIA? DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO THE VINE, SOIL, CLIMATE, VINIFICATION, MATURATION AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS.

Introduction

Ancient Greeks referred to Italy as Oenotria – the land of wine 1. It is an apt description for the geographical ‘boot’ of Italy, which embraces a variety of climates and soils allowing for diverse opportunities in grape cultivation 2. The native grape of particular fame is Nebbiolo from the Barolo and Barbaresco zones, which herald from north-western Italy in the Langhe hills of the Piemonte region 3. Ample reasons exist for its elite status, but discussion will also be directed towards how Nebbiolo fares in Australia, where the illustrious qualities of Italian Nebbiolo wines convinced many Australian winemakers to plant the fickle grape, perhaps not always in areas best suited to the representation of its classic tar and roses character.

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Wine Reviews June

2 Jun
2011

CHALMERS Nero d’Avola 2009

Mildura, Victoria

RRP $29

This is a wine of mid-burgundy hue with dusty pink tones that made me seriously want to watch ‘Pretty in Pink’ because I kept picturing Molly Ringwald’s character fabulously suited up for her prom in that garish pink dress…you remember the one!

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The Laconic Bruno Giacosa

24 May
2011

Today I present one of the fathers of Langhe winemaking in Piemonte, Italy – Signor Bruno Giacosa. Some might refer to him as a stubborn man; someone who lived by the mantra of doing what tradition displayed to be best for the wine regardless of what trends dictated should be done to sell more. Clearly this philosophy has boasted well for Mr Giacosa. His wines are long-lived, penetrating, and at times, breathtakingly magical. This post is all about the Giacosa estates, coated in lots of love, with a friendly review of his Casa Vinicola Bruno Giacosa Dolcetto d’Alba 2007 at the end. Allora, let’s delve into the mind and world of Mr Giacosa!

Pensive Bruno Giacosa - Photograph by Gio

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Il coraggioso Matteo Correggia e il Roero

12 Apr
2011

The late Matteo Correggia - Photograph by Matthew Molchen

ABOUT MATTEO CORREGGIA

The wine world lost one of its greats back in 2001 when the driven and ardent Roero vine dresser Matteo was taken unexpectedly in an accident in the vineyard. Prior to his death, Matteo had worked fervently to establish the sandy soils and the vines of the Roero as fruit that could one day be held next to the great Langhe vines. His dedication to his craft meant he gradually bought the vineyards that he knew ripened the best and had the best exposures and sold off those he knew he would rather do without. When at last the world took notice to his beautiful wines, it was all be taken away from him and the estate was left in his wife Ornella’s capable hands. The wines are now made under the direction of enologist Luca Rostagno – the man Matteo wanted to make the wine in his cellar.

ABOUT THE ROERO

Matteo Correggia’s estate is based on the northern side of the Tanaro river in Piemonte in the area known as the Roero (rather than the more southerly and well-known Langhe wine region). It is an area long-renowned for the native white grape Arneis, a wine that is usually unoaked and consumed when young and is a beautiful accompaniment to fish dishes. It is the reds though that are commanding due attention, with a classic Roero rosso like Matteo Correggia’s La Val dei Preti or earlier maturing Roero made from 100% Nebbiolo in the Canale d’Alba region of the Roero hills. These wines tend to be lower in price also due to a lower demand with the majority of people going for the more publicised Langhe wine region. So I say, scoop up a bargain, put your feelers out there, and the next time you come across a wine with Roero on the label, well apart from knowing a little more about the area now, you can feel confident that it is an area producing reputable, delicious wines worthy of the purchase! Trust me!

Roero and the Langhe wine regions: courtesy of Chevsky

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Wine Reviews April

18 Mar
2011

TEDESCHI Soave Classico DOC 2009

Veneto, Italy

Here we have the perfect aperitif, or should I say, aperitivo, like the Italians? Well…when in Rome! This is made from the Garganega grape variety in the hills of the classic Soave zone of the north-eastern Veneto region of Italy. It is the sort of wine to begin your lunch or evening with as it is beautifully rounded with a green apple crispness, good body and juicy texture with a delightful hint of almonds to the finish. Fruity yet complex plus agreeably low in alcohol, this is a wine that will not cause complaints! Ideally paired with aperativo foods, fish and white meats.

RRP $27.00

CULLEN Mangan Petit Verdot Malbec Merlot 2009

Margaret River, WA, Australia

Ahh blends. They’re a polarising bunch. Under the right winemaking skill varietal blends work so that the flavours and grape characteristics intertwine harmoniously. This is a shining example made from a very complimentary blend of Petit Verdot, Malbec and Merlot. Hello to a nose of blood plums with hints of mulberry and a sprinkling of pepper. The palate has fantastic fruit concentration and body but overall is medium-weighted, which is reflected in the lower alcohol content of 12.5%.  Being Cullen means being biodynamic, which means these wines are not overworked and express themselves as they should be. There’s no pretentiousness here. This is top quality wine from one of the wine community’s most respected Australian producers.

RRP $38.00

KELLERMEISTER Dry Grown Shiraz 2008

Barossa Valley, SA, Australia

Ahh Kellermeister, you’ve done it again. This is such a seemingly black-fruited wine due to the Shiraz fruit coming from some of the oldest vines in the Barossa Valley. Lifted aromas of dark cherry, mulberry and dark bitter chocolate greet you then gently hint to aniseed, complex savoury aromas and a good touch of smoky, cedary oak. It is velvety and voluptuous in mouthfeel, politely leaving a crux of blackberry, liquorice and spice flavours as the lingering aftertaste. Ideally complements game, beef and vintage cheeses.

RRP $34.00

For the Baroliste: I present to ye, Signor Luciano Sandrone!

17 Mar
2011

The bottles of Luciano Sandrone - Photograph La Donna del Vino

Ah yes, twas yet again another fantastic session at the Prince Wine Store in Bank Street, South Melbourne.

They held a tasting of eight wines from the meticulous producer Luciano Sandrone in Piemonte. His are wines I have yet to look at in a back-vintage line-up so I was super keen to do this Masterclass with a group of randoms to see what we would be looking at.

The last time I’d seen Sandrone’s wines was back in 2008 at ‘The Greatest Tasting of my Life‘ and more recently in January at the ‘2011 Lorenzo Galli Wine Scholarship-Day 1 Tasting‘. Both times I have looked at his Cannubi Boschis Barolo, which was interesting for me to realise and compare notes back. Either way, he is seemingly an excellent producer and the ability to understand the story behind his production, gradual collection of vineyards and philosophy behind his wines was truly a beautiful opportunity to be able to share.

All in all we were a group of about fifteen…yet again, I was the only female. Why aren’t other women onto this? There’s not that many places you can hang out and drink with just men and not get teased for it!? Meh! Maybe I’ll just keep it my little secret…shhhh 😛

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Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday, Saturday – The Sicilian Wine Tasting

15 Mar
2011

Of course it would be inappropriate had I not made reference to the ‘eloquent’ and oh so lovely Apollonia from the Godfather I, considering the fact this is a Sicilian wine tasting I am about to talk about!

Last week on Wednesday I received a call from one of my places of work, Enoteca Sileno, asking me if I was aware I was working the following night assisting with the Sicilian Association’s Wine Tasting event that would be taking place in the function room. I was not aware, however the manager said I would just need to help close the Retail section downstairs then head upstairs to give them a ‘hand’. To me, that infers pouring wine, or merely helping out in some small, mindless way.

How wrong could I be?!

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The Moscato d’Asti ferment – “Bubble bubble boil and trouble”

1 Mar
2011

Have you ever thought about the risk involved in making a joyful beverage like Moscato d’Asti? Surprisingly for such an easy-drinking wine, it is one with a fair amount of winemaking technique involved. Ladies and gentlemen, Moscato d’Asti is not your standard, sweet, fizzy drink. This is a more serious matter. The trouble only just begins with the bubbles…

La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti Bricco Quaglia

As a means of providing a brief introduction, Moscato d’Asti is a low-alcohol sweet white wine made from the Moscato grape (grown in the Asti province in Piedmont of northern Italy). The sweetness does not come from adding sugar. Instead, it is provided by the natural sugars remaining from halting the fermentation. I prefer not to get overly technical, so here is a short tale from the 2008 vintage when I worked in a small town called Castagnole delle Lanze at La Spinetta winery.

Castagnole delle Lanze – Photograph by La Donna del Vino 2008

It was the beginning of September and the Moscato vineyards were almost ready. La Spinetta has been making Moscato d’Asti since the late 1970’s, when Giorgio Rivetti took control of his father Pin’s grapes and purchased more from other vineyards to create what was to become one of Italy’s most celebrated Moscato d’Asti wines.

The first week patiently waiting passed by with ease with the team’s attendance at a party in Tuscany to celebrate the opening of their winery in the typically Italian named town of Casanova. Upon completion, we herded the team back to Piedmont where we began the harvest, or la vendemmia as the Italians call it.

The harvest – Photograph courtesy of La Spinetta

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Wine Reviews February

18 Feb
2011

TEUSNER Riebke Shiraz 2009

Barossa Valley, SA, Australia

The Riebke is such a sterling performer which makes the consumer thankful to the gang at Teusner for continuing to make it the little affordable quaffer year after year. It is really approachable being mouthwateringly juicy, packed full of flavour and perfectly balanced from acidity through to the firm finish. Winemaker Kym Teusner has a pretty good handle on these vines and has certainly done the Riebke Brothers proud.

DI LENARDO Pinot Grigio IGT 2009

DOC Grave & DOC Aquileia, Friuli, Italy

 

Massimo Di Lenardo is a man of unique character…Aren’t all Italian men for that matter? :-S Regardless, his wines are consistently beautiful, harvested by hand and lovingly made. His winery is located in the Friuli region in the north-east of Italy, in vineyards renowned for producing world-class Pinot Grigio. The palate is juicy with plenty of pear, a twist of lemon and a hint of cashew and a bouquet of Acacia florals, whilst the finish is dry, the acid streamlined and an elegant lingering flavour reminiscent of pear syrup and quince peel. Sure, this is a wine made for an export market, but it accurately targets and pleases Pinot Grigio lovers of a more textural and pear-fruited style.

TYRRELL’S Vat 1 Semillon 2000

Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia


I can’t rave enough about this wine. After doing a vertical tasting of Vat 1 Semillons at my work, I was rapped to find out that patience had paid off. The 2000 has gallantly ridden out of its adolescent maturation phase and now boasts gorgeous toasty notes, cashew and hints of beeswax with a still beautifully textured and restrained palate. The finish is long with sumptuous honeydew notes and leaves you asking your host, “Please sir, I want some more!”

Cheese Match: Try this wine with a soft Brie, perhaps combined in a gorgeous roasted pear, brie and rocket salad

Battista Rinaldi – “Barolo is a wine worth devoting yourself to”

8 Feb
2011

Allow me to present Giuseppe Rinaldi and his wines of Barolo in Piemonte, Italy.

To his friends, he is simply known as Beppe.

Giuseppe (Beppe) Rinaldi – Photograph by Gio’ Martorana

“I could tell you a whole lot of things, since I belong to a complex generation that lived through a historical period of great ideals and upheavals which cast doubt on everything, including the ways of interpreting the countryside and agriculture. A generation which with great effort carried the burden of older generations on its shoulders. I still recall the greyness and destitution of the postwar years…

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Passion for Red Runs in the Blood – Jane Faulkner

1 Feb
2011

Giuseppe Vajra’s new venture in Barolo

(click article to view larger/clearer)

Aldo Vajra – il pio bove

28 Jan
2011

The agronomist and enologist himself, Aldo Vajra – Photograph by Gio Martorana

“It may be because I’m Taurus, an earth sign, and perhaps in that starry sky of 1953 it was written that my character would be somewhat stubborn, pernickety, and I would like good food, slow and relaxing atmospheres and reading in front of an open fire. Lazy and robust but also as active and strong as the land I love to work.

Over the past twenty years I’ve always sought the role of a simple craftsman of wine, oriented toward the continuous search for a profitable collaboration with nature who is the true artist, the only one capable of creating unique, unrepeatable wines that are different from one year to the next. It’s an ongoing research that I still haven’t concluded, with moments of joy and moments of consternation, especially when there is adverse weather that I can do nothing about.

Now and then I pause to look at my land and I observe the vineyards which, like me, have changed: today I see them differently, just as my approach to nature is different. But what haven’t changed for me in these years are certain needs for interior clarity, authenticity and transparency that I carry within me. Maybe the need to look at the world with placid and peaceful eyes, no longer those of an impetuous “bull” but, in Carducci’s words, of a patient pio bove (pious ox) silently ruminating on the lush grass and enjoying the tranquil moments that life brings.”

ALDO VAJRA – “Piemonte…noblewoman of wine” by Andrea Zanfi 2005

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Serendipity with the venerable Vajra

24 Jan
2011

Dolcetto, Coste e Fossati Dolcetto, Langhe Nebbiolo, Freisa and Bricco delle Viole Barolo

Today being Monday, the restaurant was closed and I assumed it would be quite the quiet and lonely day without my friends in black next door. Alas, things turned out to get somewhat better when I found a box of opened G.D. Vajra wines in the cheese room!

Score!

Mind you, not every day brings me such serendipitous offerings!

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DAY ONE: L’Erudito – The Lorenzo Galli Wine Scholarship 2011

17 Jan
2011

Who says it’s too early to drink wine before 9am?

Clearly if you want to be involved in this Galli Scholarship you better get your act together!

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Prince Wine Store Tasting: Tre Bicchieri Winners & A Few Favourites!

4 Jan
2011

Well it has taken me an awful long time to get around to this but finally I can rave about a tasting I went to in December 2010 with Michael McNamara at the Prince Wine Store in Bank St, South Melbourne. All the wines are available there. After the free oyster and French Chablis tasting in the store, you could pay $35 and go into the Pod to try Italian goodies! You’d be silly not to, right?

Apparently only six other older gentlemen agreed with my logic.

One lady…many men

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Tenute Cisa Asinari Dei Marchesi di Gresy & Alberto

30 Dec
2010

I consider myself very lucky because life gave me, almost for fun, the chance to live an uncommon ‘agricultural’ experience.” – Alberto Cisa Asinari di Gresy, in Piemonte…noblewoman of wine by Andrea Zanfi

Alberto Cisa Asinari di Gresy by his very lovely Porsche

Photograph by Gio’ Martorana, Piemonte…noblewoman of wine

Today I recalled a beautiful moment after bottling some La Spinetta Ca di Pian 2006 at work one day in 2008, when the cellarmaster Stefano took me to see Martinenga vineyard at the Marchesi di Gresy winery in Barbaresco as we knew Alberto the proprietor would be there to show us around. Stefano used to work there for a great number of years before moving to La Spinetta so it’s not like he needed to be ‘shown around’, but hey, it had been more for my sake anyway. Continue reading

Jealous much?

23 Dec
2010

How’s this. A few days ago my mamma Italiana: Ornella Bonifacio from Alba, Piemonte, sent me an email. Within it, she merely wished me a merry christmas, asked when I am next visiting her in Alba, then sent me these photos immediately after…

Spigola with tartufi
Tortelli with tartufi bianchi

Why would she be so cruel? Tis the season of the truffle…and she felt the need to use something…any sort of enticement to get me back!

PDB Langhe Nebbiolo 2008

8 Dec
2010

May be a young wine still, but it drank a beauty last night. Mature fruit, less savoury but still Italianate because of the style, and really, really approachable tannins. Drank with Matt Harrop and wife Tamara once the kids had gone to bed. The 2008 is now sold out and the 2009 is out in store. Ha ha I got to drink the last one!

Produttori del Barbaresco Langhe Nebbiolo 2008

Available from Enoteca Sileno, 920 Lygon Street, North Carlton

The Plight of Cannubi

4 Dec
2010

by David Berry Green

http://bbrblog.com/2010/12/03/caspita-cannubi/#more-3697