The Wines of Lucca & Montecarlo

For the last 8 years, I've been splitting my time between Italy and Vancouver.  In Italy I live in Lucca which is in Tuscany.  I got my sommelier training there.  When studying as a Som in Italy, you need to know everything about Italian wines.  The region that I live in has 2 DOC rated wines.  Colline Lucchesi DOC ( the Lucchese hills) and Montecarlo DOC.

Montecarlo has a long history of quality wines.   The latin name for the Montcarlo area was Vivinaria or Vivinaia which means the wine road.  This referenced the road that crossed the Montecarlo hills.  Montecarlo was most famous for its white wines.  Between the 1400 – 1500’s, Montecarlo white wines commanded the highest prices in the Florence markets.  In 1408, Pope Gregory XII wanted only Montecarlo whites on his table and personally came to Montecarlo to taste the wines.

Montecarlo has been a DOC region since 1994.  It was one of the first DOC ‘s to allow International (French) varietals.  Trebbiano Toscano, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Vermentino and Roussanne are all allowed in the white blend while the reds can be made up of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Colorino, Syrah, Malvasia, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

The reason why the French varietals are permitted is simply that they have been here for hundreds of years.  During the Napoleonic period, French soldiers were predominant in the area.  Napoleon has ties to Lucca via his sister Elisa.  She settled in Lucca and was the one who brought the Magnolia tree to the area.  One of Lucca’s main gates, Porte Elisa, is named for her.  The soldiers brought with them vine cuttings and planted their favorite varietals in the area.  So, after existing for hundreds of years, it seemed right to allow them in the DOC.

The Colline Lucchesi DOC is more traditional.  Established in 1998, its wines are made up of more classic Tuscan varietals.  The whites may contain Trebbiano Toscano, Greco, Grechetto, Vermentino, Malvasia,  Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.  While the reds are made up of Sangiovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo and up to 15% Merlot.

Trebbiano Toscano is the most common white varietal in Tuscany.  It is the same as Ugni Blanc which is used in Cognac production.  It isn’t the most noble varietal but it does produce a nice dry, crisp white wine.  Sangiovese is Tuscany’s most planted red.  Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Chianti’s and Morellino di Scansano are all Sangiovese based wines.

In general, the wines from Montecarlo and Colline Lucchesi are meant to be drank young, especially the whites.  You can hold on to the reds for a couple of years if you want.  The whites are crisp with a nice level of acidity.  Perfect on a hot summer day.  The reds work well throughout the meal, from antipasto to steak.  They have an excellent quality to price ratio too.  The chances of finding these wines abroad are slim so it’s best to enjoy them while you’re visiting.

There is no better pairing to local food than local wine.

Lambrusco - Emilia Romagna's Bubbles

The Emila-Romagna region of Italy is surrounded by Lombardy, The Veneto, Tuscany, Liguria & Piedmont. This region of Italy produces some of the foods we love the most. Parmigiano-Reggiano, Prosciuto di Parma, Balsamic Vinegar, Tortellini and Bolognese sauce. Emilia-Romagna’s Central area includes the towns of Modena, Parma & Bologna. A foodies dream. This area is also home to Lambrusco.

The Lambrusco vines have wild origins. In fact, Labrusca in latin means wild. ‘Proper’ Lambrusco is dry, frothy and strawberry-fruited with a bitter twist on the finish. It’s low in tannin and perfect with the fatty, pork-based diet of the Modena region. Local food, local wine is always the best match. This Lambrusco is nothing like the industrial screw cap versions such as Riunite.

Proper Lambrusco comes in cork-stopped bottles and is more expensive. It may also be difficult to find. These wines are not high in alcohol. They average 9.5% alc/vol.

The majority of Lambruscos are made in large batches in autoclaves however there is a new trend emerging: second fermentation in the bottle. These will be labeled metodo-tradizionale, metodo classico or even metodo-ancestrale. Most Lambruscos don’t declare years on the label and they are produced in Dry, Off-Dry, Sweetish or Sweet versions.

There are 5 Lambrusco DOCs in Emilia-Romagna.

Lambrusco di Sorbara DOC is the most traditional, mineral and least colored & fruity. It is also one of the most interesting. This particular Lambrusco varietal has sterile pollen which results in considerable fruit loss. Hence the limited production. Often, Lambrusco Salamino vines will be planted in the same vineyard to facilitate pollination.
This Lambrusco is ruby to garnet in color with a pinkish froth. It’s fresh, fine scent has a hint of violets and it has a delicate taste that’s tangy, well-balanced, fruity with pleasant acidity.

Another DOC is Lambrusco di Grasparossa di Castelvetro. Grasparossa means red stalk. In Autumn, the leaves and stalk of this varietal turn red. These grapes are late ripening and due to their low vigour they are cultivated in smaller vineyards. This is the least produced of all the Lambruscos and also the richest & juiciest with natural balsamic notes. It’s deep ruby in color with a violet sheen & light froth and a fruity & fragrant bouquet. It has good body, well-balanced acidity and is slightly fruity with a bitter aftertaste. An opulent & tannic wine.

Lambrusco di Salamino di Santa Croce DOC gets its name because the bunches resemble salami. This wine is also deep ruby red in color and its froth is purple edged. Its delicate scent is fruity and is reminiscent of ripe grapes. The wine is slightly acidic making it refreshing in taste with adequate body.

The other two Lambusco DOCs are Lambrusco di Modena and Lambrusco di Reggiano. These wines are blends of many different Lambrusco varietals making them perhaps a bit richer than the others.

These wines are really very enjoyable and worth seeking out. In winter we tend to eat richer, heavier foods so this wine may be a nice surprise for you and your guests.

Nebbiolo - The King of the Piedmont

As winter approaches, our choice of foods tend to lean towards meals that are hearty. Pastas with rich meat sauces, stews and for some of you, perhaps even game. With these types of foods you need a wine that can hold its own. A red wine with substance. Wines made with the Nebbiolo grape are a good choice.

Piedmont, which means foot of the mountain, is located in Italy’s Northwest. The Alps divide it from France. The region is made up of many mountains and foothills with most of the land too steep or cold to grow vines. That said, the region is currently home to 16 DOCG and 43 DOC wines, the leader in Italy. Tuscany comes in second with 9 DOCG and 38 DOC wines. While wine is produced throughout the Piedmont, its best wines are produced in the warmer regions further south, especially the two southeastern hill ranges of the Langhe and Monferrato.

In the Langhe region, near the town of Alba (famous for its white truffles), you can find the tiny villages of Barolo and Barbaresco. Barolo and Barbaresco wines are both DOCG wines and as such have to follow specific guidelines. The most important of which is the area of production. Both of these wines are produced in specific areas of the Langhe and the province of Cuneo and are 100% Nebbiolo.

The Nebbiolo grape is a very difficult grape to grow. It is a late-ripening variety which often ends up being harvested very late in the season. Nebbia is the Italian word for fog and the Nebbiolo grape derives its name from the fog that settles over the area during harvest time. It is a grape that is very high in tannins which make the wines produced from this grape very difficult to drink young. Barbaresco has a mandatory aging of 26 months of which 9 are in the barrel. The Riserva has a 50 month mandatory aging (9 in barrel). Barolo is aged 38 months with 18 of those in the barrel. The Riserva is aged 62 months (18 in barrel).

Traditionally, large chestnut barrels were used but this wood imparted harsh tannins into the wine. This made the wine even more difficult to drink young. Today, French Oak barrels are more commonly used and coupled with modern vinification techniques, the wine is drinkable sooner. That being said, both Barolo and Barbaresco wines can be aged up to 20 years. Some even longer and the general rule of thumb is not to drink these wines until they are at least 10 years old.

There are many other wines from the Piedmont made with the Nebbiolo grape. Here are some others to look for. Please note that not all of these are 100% Nebbiolo, some are blended with other local varietals. Vespolina and Bonarda are the most popular.
DOCGs Gattinara, Ghemme and Roero
DOC’s Albugnano, Boca, Bramaterra, Canavese, Carema, Fara, Langhe, Monferrato and Nebbiolo d’Alba.

On some bottles you may find the names bricco or sori. In the Piedmontese dialect, bricco means the sun-catching crest of the hill and sori is the south-facing slope. Producer Ceretto has a Barolo called Bricco Rocche, which is from the vineyard of the same name and Angelo Gaja has a Barbaresco called Sori Tildin. Piedmont has much in common with France’s Burgundy region. They both focus on one main grape (Nebbiolo and Pinot Noir) and each producer tends to have small landholdings.

There are many fine producers of both Barolo and Barbaresco. Some Barolo producers to look for include Aldo Conterno, Luigi Einaudi, Paolo Scavino, Fontanafredda, Batasiolo, Anselma and Pio Cesare. Barbaresco producers include Marchesi di Gresy, Moccagatta. The following produce both. Bruno Giacosa, Gaja, and Prunotto.

For your next dinner party, make it Piedmont themed. Cook some hearty dishes and have each guest bring a different Nebbiolo based wine. Have a different wine glass for each and taste them all with the meal and see how they compare. Pour the wines in order of age, from youngest to oldest. Set a price point for the wines just to make it fair.

Sounds like a great way to stay warm this winter.

Salute!

Marsala - Not Just For Cooking

Sicily has a wealth of fabulous wines.  Probably their most famous is also the one that is most disliked.  Marsala.  For many years it has mainly been used solely for cooking.  Veal Marsala anyone?  This truly is a shame because the wine deserves much more respect.

Marsala as we know it was created in 1770 by the Englishman John Woodhouse, an expert on Spanish and Portuguese wines.  While visiting the area, he was so taken with the local wine he purchased 20,000 litres (5,283 gallons) for shipment to England where wines such as Port, Sherry and Madeira were already extremely popular.  Marsala is a fortified wine.  It is similar to Port in its structure and vinification style but not in taste.  It also can be aged in a solera like Sherry.  Woodhouse gave the wine its name and in 1796 purchased property near the port and set up a winery.

Admiral Nelson was a fan of this wine as was another Englishman, Benjamin Ingham.  Ingham purchased land near that of Woodhouse and introduced it to the wine world exporting it as far away as Australia.  In 1832, a Calabrese named Vincenzo Florio started his company in Marsala.  His was the first Italian winery of an industrial size.  In 20 years, Florio became the leader in the marketing of Marsala and thus making Italian wine history.

Unfortunately, over time the quality of Marsala dropped partly due to excess production thus relegating it to a cooking wine.  In 1984, laws were put into place to help re-launch the wine by severely regulating its production.  Today we are seeing more and more quality Marsala being produced.

Marsala is made in 3 colors, Oro (golden), Ambra (amber) & Rubino (ruby).  Rubino is the least common type.  The grape varieties used in the making of Marsala are varietals that are indigenous to southern Italy.  Oro and Ambra are made with a combination of Grillo, Catarratto, Inzolia, Ansonica and Damaschino.  Rubino is made with Calabrese (aka Nero d’Avola), Perricone, Nerello Mascalese plus up to 30% white varietals.  There are 3 sweetness levels of Marsala.  Dry, Off-Dry and Sweet.  Dry versions have less than 40 g/l of residual sugar with sweet versions containing more than 100 g/l of residual sugar.  Off-Dry falls in between.

Marsala grapes are harvested in September and made into wine.  That wine is then fortified with a liqueur which is a blend of alcohol, wine and any number of flavors and aromas.  Much like the Champagne and Cognac houses, Marsala producers have their own secret recipes for the liqueur that is used to fortify their wines.  The addition of this liqueur to the wine increases the alcohol/volume.  Marsala is typically around 18%.

After vinification, the wine is then aged.  There are 5 ageing categories.

          Fine – min 1 year

          Superiore – min 2 years in wood

          Superiore Riserva – min 4 years in wood

          Vergine and/or Soleras – min 5 years in wood

          Vergine and/or Soleras Stravecchio (Extra Old) – min 10 years in wood

Fine Marsala is a nice accompaniment with cookies and dried fruit.  It can age 4-5 years.

Superiore & Superiore Riserva can accompany cheeses & desserts.  They can age 7-8 years and 10-12 years respectively.

Vergine & Stravecchio are best served with aged cheeses or as a meditation wine.  These wines can age 20-35 years and 50-70 years and are in the same class as some of the best tawny Ports and oloroso Sherries.

Recently I have seen an increased interest in Sherry.  It would be nice if Marsala achieved the same popularity.  I recommend serving a quality Marsala with a cheese course after your next dinner party.  I know that not everyone is a fan of blue cheeses but you really can’t beat a Vergine Marsala with some gorgonzola.

I hope that you’ll be courageous and give it a try.

Wines of Washington State

This summer I decided to embark on a Washington State wine tour. I have travelled many wine regions but other than a trip to Chateau Ste Michelle in Woodinville, WA several years back, I have never explored the Washington State wine region.

I have studied the area of course and it is included in the Americas lesson that I teach in Italy but seeing any region first hand always reinforces everything you've read/memorized.

I decided that the best way to make the most of my few days touring was to find someone knowledgeable in the areas' wine. I was extremely lucky to find Kyle Reynolds at Pike & Western Wine Shop in Seattle www.pikeandwestern.com. Kyle loves wine as much as I do and it shows. Once I told him my basic itinerary, he indicated what he thought were some of the regions' best producers. So it was with that info that I began my adventure.

My first stop was the Yakima Valley and Cote Bonneville Wines www.cotebonneville.com. The Yakima Valley was Washington State's first designated viticultural area. The whole valley is incredibly rich in agriculture. As I was making my way to the winery I passed orchards, corn fields, mint, hops (for beer making) and dairy farms. I was beginning to wonder where the grapes were but they soon appeared.

Hugh and Kathy Shiels planted their vineyard in 1992. After years of selling grapes to other producers they decided in 2001 to start producing their own label. Riesling, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Syrah make up the plantings and their daughter Kerry is the wine maker. Kathy took me on a tour of the vineyard and explained the history of the land and the various soil types on the property. I gained great insight into the irrigation process used in the area as well as on their property. It was very dramatic to see the land above the irrigation line versus the vineyard just a few feet away. This area is a desert but it's very easy to forget that when you're surrounded by grapes and orchards.

After a tour of the property, it was back to the cellar where Hugh took over. He is an orthopedic surgeon and his cellar is as clean as any operating room. We tasted 3 wines. The Cabernet Franc Rose, the 2005 Cote Bonneville and the 2003 Carriage House. I could of sniffed and smelled these wines for hours there was so much complexity. Once I did sip, I couldn't get over the length of the finish. The wines are very well balanced and I'm just sad I couldn't have enjoyed more of them.

I don't know if we'll ever see these wines in Canada but if you are travelling State side, I highly recommend you give them a try.

Italy - How Sweet It Is.

Some countries are known for their dessert wines. Hungary with its Tokay, Germany with their Trockenbeerenausleses and Eisweins, not to mention France and its Sauternes. Even Canada is known for its Ice Wine. But when you think about sweet wines, Italy is not a country that typically comes to mind. A shame really considering sweet wines are produced throughout the country. The best part about Italian dessert wines is their balance of sweetness with acidity.

There are two techniques used in making dessert wines, Vendemmia Tardiva (late-harvest) or Appassimento (drying). Vendemmia Tardiva is just as it sounds. The grapes are left to hang on the vine until they are over-ripe. During this hang-time, the grapes’ sugars concentrate and if conditions are right, a mold occurs. This is called Botrytis Cinerea or Noble Rot. Normally, rot on grapes is a bad thing but this type of mold is a really good thing. This Noble Rot is what makes Sauternes so special giving the wines that hint of apricot. It can also be present in some Ice Wines.

Appassimento is the most common technique used in Italy to make sweet wines. Once harvested, the grapes are either laid out on bamboo mats in loft areas or on volcanic stones to dry in the sun. The latter technique is famous on the Sicilian island of Pantelleria. Once dried, the grapes are crushed and vinified. This doesn’t usually occur until January or February of the following year. During the drying process, 100 kilos (220 lbs) of grapes yields 60 kilos (132 lbs) of dried grapes.

In the Veneto region, the drying process is referred to as Recioto. Amarone wines use the late-harvest and drying techniques. The reason that those wines aren’t sweet is that they are fermented dry meaning that there is no residual sugar left in the wines. Recioto della Valpolicella is made with the same grapes as Amarone & Valpolicella (Corvina & Rondinella) but in this case the fermentation is halted leaving residual sugar. In older times, sweeter wines were more desireable than dry wines and Amarone was actually failed Recioto. Other notable Veneto dessert wines are Recioto di Soave and Recioto di Gambellara. Both of these use the Garganega grape.

Another interesting dessert wine from the Veneto is Torcolato. Torcolato is made with the Vespaiolo grape. The grapes’ name comes from the Italian word Vespa meaning wasp (not the scooter) because the ripe grapes attract them. Torcolato means twisted. This refers to the way the grape bunches are tied for drying before being hung in special loft areas. This wine has raisin, orange, vanilla, green tea and roasted nut flavors. Maculan is the largest producer of Torcolato.


In Tuscany you find Vin Santo (Holy Wine). There are many theories as to why the wine has that name. Some will tell you that it was the wine used during the mass or that a visiting priest from Greece said that the wine reminded him of a wine from his hometown of Santos. In actual fact, it is most likely because the wine was usually vinified during Holy Week.

The most common Vin Santo is made with Trebbiano Toscano grapes which are dried after harvesting. After vinification, it is aged in small 100 litre (26 gallon) barrels called caratelli in a room known as a Vin Santaia. Usually wine is stored in cool cellars to age but the Vin Santaia is actually in a loft area that is not temperature controlled. The wine is dormant during the cool months and ferments throughout the warmer months. To avoid having the barrel’s bungs pop during fermentation, the bungs on the caratelli are covered over with cement with the year etched into it. This process usually goes on for 4-5 years. There is also a red Vin Santo made from Sangiovese grapes. It’s called Occhio di Pernice.

Sicily probably has the largest selection of dessert wines. Malvasia, Moscato & Zibibbo are the grapes used. Pantelleria is a volcanic island located between Sicily and Tunisia. Zibibbo aka Muscat of Alexandria is grown here and is the varietal used in both Moscato di Pantelleria and Passito di Pantelleria. These are probably the most famous dessert wines in Italy. Other Sicilian sweet wines include Moscato di Siracusa (which was almost extinct), Moscato di Noto and Malvasia delle Lipari. The latter is produced on the islands of Eolie and Lipari in the Tyrrhenian Sea. This is one of Sicily’s oldest wines and with minimal production, it’s not to be passed up if you get the opportunity.

Other wines worth mentioning include Sciacchetrà from Liguria and Picolit from Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. Sciacchetrà is made with the Ligurian varietals Bosco, Albarola and Vermentino. Picolit is from the grape variety of the same name. The grapes’ berries are very small and subject to a genetic mutation that causes them to spontaneously abort the flowers on newly formed clusters. As the flowers ultimately become grapes, less than half of Picolit’s flowers survive to become grapes. You can expect wildflowers, acacia, chestnut, honey and ripe apricots in this wine.

Try these wines with biscotti or strong cheeses like gorgonzola. They are also fabulous on their own as ‘meditation’ wines or as an accompaniment with a cigar.

At least that’s how we do it in Italy.

Tazzelenghe......Gesundheit

Italy has a ridiculous number of indigenous grape varietals. There are hundreds, if not thousands of them. It's no wonder that the land was known as Enotria (land of the vine) in ancient times. Earlier this year I developed an Italian Wine Appreciation course and during that process came across many of these autochthonous (indigenous) varietals. One that caught my attention was Tazzelenghe.

Tazzelenghe aka Tazzalenghe or Tazzalingua or even Tassalinghe is a varietal that originated in Friuli. Friuli is located in the North-East part of Italy and most commonly known as Friuli-Venezia-Giulia. The hills around Buttrio is ground zero for this varietal and to this day is it's epicentre. This varietal gets it's name from a combination of words in the local dialect meaning cut and tongue. Tazze from the Italian verb tagliare, to cut and Lenghe from the Italian lingua which means tongue. So, this wine cuts your tongue with it's high levels of tannins and acidity.

High tannin & acidity is not something most North American wine consumers go for. Not exactly a great selling feature. But in today's ever increasing generic wine market, why not try something new and interesting? These wines most definitely need to be aged to tame those characteristics but so do many wines. It would be interesting to see how this varietal would do in North America. It is a high vigor vine that prefers hillsides or sites at the foot of hills. I would love to see what some of our winemakers could do with the varietal.

Maybe a BC VQA Tazzelenghe could be in our future.