RESTAURANTS AND FOOD: Italy

Showing posts with label Italy. Show all posts

Sunday, September 6, 2020

A Red and White Wine Double from Italy's Heel.

A Red and White Wine Double

from Italy's Heel.

Antica Enotria Bianco Puglia (IGT) 2018, 12.5%

€14.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

This light-straw coloured blend of Falanghina and Fiano comes from the organic vineyards of Raffaele di Tuccio in Puglia in the south east of Italy (the “heel of the boot”). Aromas, floral and pear, are rather delicate. The fruit though is somewhat more assertive on the palate, a crisp and refreshing acidity also features as does a streak of minerality before a reasonably persistent finish. Quite a light and elegant blend, very acceptable as an aperitif and with garden salads and good with fish too. Highly Recommended. Chill it just a little but don’t overdo it.

So what kind of grapes are Falanghina and Fiano, you might well ask. They may not be well-known outside of Italy (mainly in Campania). But, believe it or not, Grapes and Wines say Falanghina “is now one of Italy’s new star white grapes” while Fiano is an “interesting, high-quality and very fashionable southern Italian grape responsible fro Campania’s aromatic Fiano di Avellino…”. Indeed, that particular Fiano is a DOCG wine, the top Italian designation. Sounds like a pair of grapes we need to keep in mind!

By the way, the Roman name for Campania (on the opposite side of Italy to Puglia) was Campania Felix, felix meaning happy. One of the reasons was that much of their favourite Falernian wine was produced here!

Le Caveau tell us that Raffaele di Tuccio bought this run-down farmhouse, dating back to the 1700’s, in 1985 and over the past 30 years has worked tirelessly with his wife, Antonia, and son, Luigi, to bring the property back to life. The vineyards are influenced by the cooling Tramontana wind from the north, and the warming Scirocco wind from the south, giving ideal conditions for their dedication to organic viticulture and lending crispness and depth to the wines.

Natalino del Prete “Il Pioniere” Salentino (IGP) 2017, 15%

€21.85, 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Negroamaro can be slightly “farmyardy” in flavour, according to Grapes and Wines. But they go on to say that it can be easier to appreciate if blended with a little of the far more scented, succulent Malvasia Nera (15%), as is the case here.

Colour is a solid dark red. The nose opens on clear and deep notes of overripe red and darker fruit. And that fruit is also found in the flavours on the palate, a warm welcoming wine with a persistent finish. A genuine wine of substance, pleasant with excellent drinkability. VHR

Le Caveau tells us Natalino Del Prete, organic since 1994, is a traditional grower of Southern Puglia. They also say: The Pioniere is fantastic: 70-80+ old vines of Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera,… a total bargain for the quality and the story behind. Super structured but super light to drink, full of sweet spices and charm.

The wine from the warm lands of Salentino is, as you might expect, particularly suitable to accompany typical dishes of the Mediterranean cuisine. Serve at 16/18 ° C with Aged cheeses, White meat main courses, Red meat main courses. The impurities located in the bottom of the bottle, and I did find a few “grains”, merely serve to confirm the genuineness of the product.

#drinkresponsibly

Wednesday, August 19, 2020

Two Very Highly Recommended Wines from the North of Italy

GD Vajra Nebbiolo Langhe (DOC) 2018, 14.5%, €29.99

Searsons Wine Merchants, Baggot Street Wines, The Corkscrew, Clontarf Wines, Sweeneys D3, Ely Wine Store Maynooth,

Mid ruby is the colour of this Langhe Nebbiolo. Vibrant aromas, fragrantly fruity and floral, invite you to explore further. The flavours are pristine, elegant dark and handsome fruit, cut with sweet spices and minerality, silky tannins, and there’s no shortage of acidity to make it a welcome guest at the table. The label promises elegance, pleasure and refinement; the contents deliver, in the most harmonious way. Very Highly Recommended.

They say: Whenever possible, we pick this fruit in the early hours of each day. Maceration is long and very gentle, so to retain lift and energy to this wine. Variety is 100% Nebbiolo from young estate vineyards, ranging from 7 to 25 years of age. Our Langhe DOC Nebbiolo ages for 8 to 14 months on average. It is a wide range, in order to respect the uniqueness of each vintage and patiently await for the optimal bottling time. Most of the ageing is carried in stainless-steel vats, with a minor fraction of the wine being in neutral oak only when needed.

GD Vajra have been farming organically since 1971 but they didn’t get off to the best of starts. Giuseppe, during an April online masterclass, said he was dragged away from his soccer games (he was playing too much of it - well he was just 15) to plant his first vineyard.

He and his current team are still youthful and he is proud of their work. “We hope we get wiser as we go on. We started organically and our first vintage in 1972 was not a good one, not worth ageing!” The whole extended family are at work here in this “multicultural team” near the village of Barolo. Perhaps, that first vintage was a disappointment but there have been many good ones since including this 2018.

As you know, Nebbiolo is the grape from which the famous Barolo is made and GD Vajra have some gems, quite a few available via Liberty Wines (who supply the stockists listed above). During the masterclass on the outstanding 2016 vintage, Giuseppe spoke eloquently.

Then a tough question: “Which is your best cru from 2016?” Very hard for Giuseppe to answer as they had invested so much hard work into each. He didn’t really want to pick one but, under gentle pressure, went for the Barolo Bricco delle Viole for “its flair and elegance”. So there’s a nice tip for you. And I’d safely say the 2016 vintage of our Nebbiolo Langhe would also be one to snap up if you come across it.

The Langhe is a hilly subregion in the province of Piemonte.

Pieropan Soave (DOC) Classico 2019, 12%, €16.99

Jus de Vine, Grapevine, James Redmond and Sons Ltd, Kelly`s Off Licence,

McHughs Off Licence - Kilbarrack Rd, Martins Off Licence, 64 Wine, C Morton & Son Ltd, Clontarf Wines, Ely Wine Store, Maynooth, The Corkscrew

In the 1960s, Soave wine came from the Classico region. But the economic boom of the 70s, saw Soave (like Chianti) expand beyond the original area. And it proved a disaster.

During a recent Liberty Wines organised online masterclass, Andrea Pieropan explained: “The DO expanded into the flat area where the yields were higher, the season shorter and there was less personality in the wines.” He explained that no area in Italy has such a difference between the Classico and the surrounds.

So, quantity reigned and quality was hard to find. Soave became something of a dirty word. Many avoided the wine but, according to Vino Italiano, that meant “missing out on the elegant floral whites of Leonildo Pieropan whose Soaves show off the plump mouth-filling character of ripe Garganega.”

Today’s Soave is usually fresh and expressive and that is certainly the case with this Classico, the freshest youngest wine in the Pieropan family range. It is 85% Garganega with Trebbiano contributing the balance.

The nose is delicate and elegant, with pleasant floral notes. Plump and mouth-filling certainly, terrific depth of fruit and a lively acidity, persistent finish. Excellent and Very Highly Recommended.

Suggested pairings include soups, starters, especially vegetable based such as asparagus, peas, courgette, egg-based dishes or seafood and fresh water fish dishes. It is an excellent aperitif, especially when served with simple canapés. Serve at 12°C.

Soave is perhaps the most famous Italian white wine DOC. You'll find it in the Veneto wine region of northeastern Italy.

Thursday, June 25, 2020

A Trio Of Interesting Whites To Enjoy. Sancerre. Sauve. Pay D'Oc.

A Trio Of Interesting Whites To Enjoy

Jacques-Frelin Sancerre (AOP) 2018, 12.5%, €26.60 Mary Pawle Wines

Sancerre is a small wine district in the Loire Valley, famous for its crisp, aromatic white wines made from Sauvignon Blanc. This one has a light gold colour with a tint of green. The pleasant aromas of this organic wine are both floral and mineral with gooseberry. A bracing acidity makes the taste buds sit up and take notice and what they notice is the apple and pear and citrus flavours, nothing over the top, all’s in balance.

As it happens, there is a famous goats cheese (Chavignol) in the Loire Valley, a perfect match for the wine, which will also go well with fish and seafood. I’m certain the likes of Ardsallagh and St Tola would also pair well with it. Very Highly Recommended. Serving temperature is 10-12 degrees.

For over thirty years now, Jacques Frelin has been at the forefront of the organic wine movement in France. While organic is often associated with small, this is not the case with Frelin who has vineyards all over the country, in the Languedoc (where he is headquartered), in Gascony, in the Rhone and the Loire.

Fasoli Gino “Borgoletto” Soave (DOC) 2018, 12.5%, €15.55 Mary Pawle Wines

Mary Pawle imports quite a few well-priced wines and this 100% organic Garganega is one of them. It has a light straw colour, a pleasant bouquet both floral and fruity. Fresh and fruity on the palate, quite full-bodied, no shortage of acidity, with a long and dry finish. Highly Recommended.

The producers are also obviously very happy as they say, on the label, that it is “an ode to the terroir”. It is indeed a lovely easy-drinking wine and Fasoli Gino produce more Borgoletto than any other wine in their range.

Their back label has most of the info you need, nicely and economically laid out: Vino Biologico. Hand picked 100% Garganega. Drink up to three years. And their social media addresses are also listed.

A dry, crisp, fruity white wine, Soave's naturally refreshing appeal led it to phenomenal popularity in the second half of the 20th century (pretty sure it was our wedding wine back in the day!). Wine-Searcher.com say it “is arguably the most famous white wine DOC in Italy”. But I think, most current Irish wine-drinkers would nominate Pinot Grigio as the most famous Italian white.

Domaine de Brau Chardonnay Pays d’Oc (IGT) 2018, 14%, €16.50 Mary Pawle

Colour is a lovely mid-gold. Fairly intense aromas of white fruit and a hint of honey. A pleasant burst of tropical fruit finds it way across the palate, rich and round, with an almost creamy mouthfeel it finishes well with increasing citrus notes. Lightly oaked and organic, this fresh and surprising Chardonnay is Very Highly Recommended. Well priced too and that’s a bonus!

This is made from 100% Chardonnay and fermented and matured in oak. A great food wine! Serve fresh at 10 - 12°C, with white meat, poultry and fish, grilled or in sauce.

Gabriel and Wenny Taris, of Chateau de Brau, are too close to the hard Languedoc ground to get carried way with romantic cliches - it is not sunshine all the way: "Not all vintages are exceptional. There are the weather conditions. And the weeds that we will never overcome. And the little beasts and larger animals who demand their share."

That they share with the little and large of the local animal world gives you the clue that the work here is more in cooperation with nature than against it.

Thursday, June 11, 2020

Top Co-ops Come Up With Little Beauties

Top Co-ops Come Up With Little Beauties

Once upon a time, the word cooperative was frowned on by wine importers. But, in recent decades, many coops have favoured quality over quantity. Importers, such as Kilkenny's Le Caveau, have long been among those who go off the beaten track in search out the good stuff. Below, we have two very good ones indeed.

Labastide “Terrane” Terres du Tarn (IGP) 2017, 12%,

€13.45 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Located in the heart of the historic Gaillac vineyards, the Cave de Labastide was founded in 1949. Today it is the oldest cellar of the Gaillac appellation. It is made up of about a hundred cooperative winegrowers with an area of around 1,000 hectares of vines.

Colour is mid to dark ruby. Lovely red fruit on nose and on the palate. It is hard to fault this one. Much smoother than expected, slight spice, well made everyday easy-drinking wine. I’d say many a lunch in the area has been polished off with a carafe of this one, obviously an excellent house wine (yet another one!) on the Le Caveau list. Highly Recommended.

You may be wondering about the little known grape varieties that have been used here: it is a blend of indigenous varieties Braucoul (Fer Servadou) and Duras. The former contributes perfumed blackcurrant fruit while the Duras is peppery and structured.

So, enjoy it with your lunch or dinner or just a simple honest baguette with some fresh cheese on the side. Should go well too with charcuterie. Also as an aperitif though perhaps chill it a little if the summer is good!

Madregale Terre di Chetti Bianco (IGP) 2018, 12% abv, €11.95 at NeighbourFood Cork

Also at 64 Wine Dublin, Bradley’s of Cork, Greenman Dublin, Le Caveau Kilkenny

Spritzer with Chambord

This white wine is obtained from a blend of Chardonnay (the dominant partner according to the label) and Trebbiano, the grapes cultivated within the municipality of Tollo in Chetti (a province of the Italian region of Abruzzo). I have long been a fan of this Le Caveau “house wine” and of its companion red. Watch out for it as restaurants reopen, along at the stockists above. Highly Recommended. And well-priced too!

Colour is a clear light gold. Moderately intense aromas with a citrus touch. Fresh and lively on the palate, with an unexpected smoothness. Good acidity too and that helps it match with the suggested light seafood or pasta dishes like spaghetti with clams. But it may also be appreciated as an aperitif.

It was hardly out of the NeighbourFood delivery box when I was pressing it into use as part of a spritzer where its minor companions in the glass were Chambord (the black raspberry liquor from the Loire Valley), ice (lots of it) and soda water. Quite a pleasant opener to the evening and might well have been more appreciated had I presented it a few days earlier when the temperatures were about 50% higher than they are this breezy evening (June 6th, 2020).

Madregale is produced, using organic principles, by the award-winning Cantina Tollo, one of the biggest and best co-operative wineries in the Abruzzo region, covering 3,200 ha owned by 800 farmers.

Monday, June 8, 2020

Walter Massa: Rebel Without a Label! And a 3-handed Riesling venture.

Walter Massa: Rebel Without a Label! And a 3-handed Riesling venture.

Two very interesting wines indeed from a collaboration between Bradley's Off Licence (Cork) and Wine Masons. I got box #2 but there are a few others, probably just as interesting.

Walter Massa Terra Implicito 2018, 13%,

Rebel Without a Label!

There’s no putting a label, other than “Independent”, on the Piedmont winemaker Walter Massa. And, aside from Italy, you won’t see any statement of origin or whether it’s organic or biodynamic on the label of this bottle.

The Modern History of Italian Wine (Filiputti) lauds Massa as one of the influential Italian winemakers, especially in the 1980s. “To those who ask him why he does not make DOC wines, he answers that he prefers to make wines which require three ingredients: grapes, time and common sense.”

He is noted for his Barbera, called just by its place of origin Monleale, and also for recuperating Timorasso, a white grape that was on the way out in the 1980s.

Colour of this Rosso (100% Barbera) is mid to dark ruby. Inviting bouquet of small red fruit, including wild strawberry. All the fruits again and a touch of spice on a fresh and lively palate with a beautiful fresh acidity. Easy drinking and the concentrated flavours linger.

Grapes, time and common sense have certainly been brought together here in a pleasant and harmonious amalgam. A Highly Recommended (and Very Highly Recommended with the Cannelloni from the Cork restaurant Da Mirco). That Monleale must be really something special - must keep an eye out for it!

Breuer-Mehrlein-Lundén“Riesling Venture” Rheingau 2018, 12.0%.

Light straw colour, bright and clear. Citrus fruit, minerality and my unfavourite diesel in the aromas. It’s a merry dance of fruit and acidity on the palate, both in step, and the harmony continues all the way through to a super finish. Enjoy wherever, whenever, they say on the label. Right here, right now, I say. Highly Recommended.

Three names are listed on the bottle: Breuer, Mehrlein, Lundén. The first two are the names of the two collaborating wineries while the third is the name of the winemaker at Breuer.

They say: a Riesling Cuvée, standing for lightness, a fine sweet-acidity-match presenting the Rheingau in best shape. The modern label shows the river Rhine, who characterizes our region. Together we want to tease people and present an entrance in the world of Rheingau-Wines.The Cuvée is being bottled by Weingut Bernhard Mehrlein.

Looks to me as if they enjoyed making it. I’m sure you’ll enjoy drinking it. I did, even with that the note of diesel in the aromas!

The Label:

3 names, 3 characters, 3 styles.

floral, fruity, fresh.

100% pure Rhiengau Riesling.

enjoy wherever, whenever.

Bradley's Mixed Box #2 (is a collaboration with Wine Masons) consists of the Niepoort Rotulo DAO along with two other reds, a Horizon de Bichot Pinot Noir and this Walter Massa Barbera. The three whites are Rijckaert Arbois Chardonnay (Jura), a Casas Nonas Vinho Verde, and the Venture Riesling. Total cost is €125. Sorry, I don’t have individual prices.

Wednesday, May 20, 2020

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

Nino Pieropan fondly remembered in son Andrea’s Masterclass

Pieropan family, in Soave since 1880

In the 1960s, Soave wine came from the Classico region. But the economic boom of the 70s, saw Soave (like Chianti) expand beyond the original area. And it proved a disaster.

During Tuesday’s Liberty Wines organised online masterclass, Andrea Pieropan explained: “The DO expanded into the flat area where the yields were higher, the season shorter and there was less personality in the wines.” He explained that no area in Italy has such a difference between the classico and the surrounds.

So, quantity reined. Soave was everywhere, being sold abroad (primarily in North America) in 2-litre bottles. Soave became something of a dirty word. Many avoided the wine but, according to Vino Italiano, that meant “missing out on the elegant floral whites of Leonildo Pieropan whose Soaves show off the plump mouth-filling character of ripe Garganega.” “..taste Pieropan’s single-vineyard wines (..Calvarino … and La Rocca) and suddenly Soave is no longer a dirty word”.

Grown on dark volcanic soil

Such was the impact of Leonildo (popularly known as Nino) who took over from his father in 1970 and was the first producer to make a single-vineyard Soave, 'Calvarino', in 1971. This vineyard, owned by the Pieropan family since 1901, is on the classic volcanic basalt of Soave Classico. The other single vineyard 'La Rocca' was released for the first time in 1978, this vineyard is situated on the castle (“Rocca” in Italian) of Soave, on the only limestone outcrop in the zone.

Garganega (2019 vintage)

“My father was thinking single vineyard when no one else was,” said Andrea. And he was up against popular opinion as many thought you had to use the international grapes (Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc) to make a top class white. Liberty MD David Gleave confirmed that Nino had great courage and foresight in doing so and admires “the bravery of doing something like that in the 1970s, he trusted his own powers of deduction. He was a modest man but when you visit (as I have many times), you know you’re in a great vineyard.”

“He did not care about trendy,” said Andrea. ‘We have to show what we have and what we have you cannot find in many wines. We have a test: put bottle on table, bottle finished, good sign!”

April bud - Covid19 notwithstanding

“Urged by the great Luigi Veronelli to take the high road of quality, Nino started to prove, with that wine, that the best wines of Soave could age beautifully and could, in the right hands, be considered among Italy’s finest white wines,’ said Gleave.

The Pieropan family has been producing wines in Soave since the 1890s. Indeed, they were the first producer to bottle a wine with the name Soave on the label in the early 1930s. Calvarino (little calvary) has been owned by the Pieropan family since 1901, is on the classic volcanic basalt of Soave Classico. The other single vineyard 'La Rocca' was released for the first time in 1978, this vineyard is situated on the castle (“Rocca” in Italian) of Soave, on the only limestone outcrop in the zone.

Andrea recalled his father saying that Calvarino was the greatest expression of what Soave should be and important too is the use of cement tanks for aging. “The wine does much better in concrete… we use it always for Calvarino, even in the new winery.”

La Rocca, grown on limestone

They started with cement also at La Rocca but here the soil is “completely different” and they switched to large barrels/tonneau and the wine spends 12 months on oak before bottling and blending. Also, it is not released for another 12 months. All in all, it shows that Garganega “could make a great white wine to compare with International whites wines.”

In the interesting Q&A at the end, Andrea was asked about the use of amphorae. He acknowledged that amphorae were “beautifully shaped and trendy” but didn’t see “much difference”. “You can have cement in same shape. In terms of material, I don’t see a big difference, both are inert.”

Attention to detail, year after year, seems to be a family trait. The Modern History of Italian Wine lists Nino as one of the most important winemakers of the 70s. “With him, viticulture and the Soave grape changed their look. He was the first to adopt green pruning methods… the first to plant espaliered vineyards (1969)…. and, subsequently, to reduce the buds from 50 to 10 in the pergolas of Garganega. .. the first to use the horizontal Vaslin press..the first to restore the value of Recioto as a wine.. In 1970, with the blind tastings, his wines came to be considered extraordinary.” And the decade just got better with Calvarino and La Rocca

Brothers in wine: Dario (left) and Andrea

When Nino died two years ago, Andrea and brother Dario stepped up to the plate. Each is a winemaker. At present, Andrea oversees the vineyard while Dario takes care of the vivification.

The two sons could have rested on the their father’s laurels for decades. But, like Nino, neither is for standing still and there’s a string of projects on the go, a new one involving Valpolicella, and they recently completed a wonderful winery (underground in a mountain) in Soave itself; organic now, they are becoming more environmentally friendly; they are planting a vineyard on the winery roof to investigate the effects of copper and sulphur in the soil; and, for another label, have planted a vineyard at 500 metres. “We continue in the same line as father,” Andrea said. I reckon Nino would have been quietly pleased!