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.

Sassicaia - For Love of Wine and Horses

Sassicaia is one of Italy’s most famous wines. It is the original Super Tuscan and responsible for bringing Italian wines into the modern era. Like all great Italian wines, this one also has a history.

The Incisa della Rocchetta family, the producers of Sassicaia, have a long history in Italy. The earliest records of the family date back to before the year 1000. But it is with the Marquis Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta where our story begins. Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta is the creator of Sassicaia and Leopoldo was his great-grandfather.

Leopoldo spent 28 years working as an administrator in the Imperial government of Lombardy-Veneto. In 1840, he was paralyzed by illness and had to retire. He was 48. Not wanting to be idle, he began studying viticulture. In a memoir from the mid-1800’s, he spoke about the successful results of the French varietals planted at the Piedmont estate. In 1862, he composed his first catalogue of the 175 varietals of vines that he had growing in pots. In 1869, he composed a second catalogue. In this one he had Cabernet Sauvignon listed at #93 and Cabernet Franc at #145. According to his writings, he figured them to be the most valuable of all the varietals that he had introduced. Leopoldo died in 1871. Unfortunately, his nursery did not survive for long after his death, but his catalogue did. It became an invaluable resource for his great-grandson Mario.

Mario Incisa della Rocchetta grew up in Piedmont then Rome. He fought in the first World War as part of the cavalry and afterwards he enrolled in the faculty of Agriculture in Pisa. He brought the horse he rode during the war with him. During this time, he became involved in the local equestrian community and it was through his love of thoroughbred horses that he met Clarice della Gherardesca. She was the daughter of Giuseppe della Gherardesca and the American Harriet Taylor.
Mario and Clarice married in 1930 in the old church in Bolgheri then settled in Rome and restored one of the properties owned by Mario’s mother. It was here that they began to raise thoroughbreds and the most famous Italian racehorse of all time, Ribot, came from their stable.

After World War II, Mario and Clarice decided to move back to Bolgheri where Clarice, along with her sister, had inherited Tenuta delle Capanne. Bolgheri is in the Livornese Maremma. It has one of the most diverse eco-systems of southern Europe. Mario decided to invest in his wife’s family property. Money wasn’t a problem thanks to Ribot’s earnings, both in prize-money and stud fees. Due to the war, much of the property was in a state of neglect and one of Mario’s first priorities was to re-organize the agricultural portion of Clarice’s inheritance. This was Tenuta di San Guido.

Mario had actually been working on his pet project since 1942, but it was on terraces hidden amongst holm oaks and the trees of Castiglioncello, that the adventure of Sassicaia began. Mario loved the French clarets he drank in his youth. In the early 1930’s he experimented with Pinots at his estate in Piedmont. After further study of French reds, he determined that Pinot was better suited to Northern Italy and Cabernet to the center. He actually preferred the bouquet and texture that came from Cabernet based wines. It was in 1942 that he began taking soil samples and examining sun, wind and sea exposures. The local wines being produced at this time lacked elegance and often had a ‘brackish’ character due to the proximity of the vines to the sea. Mario chose a piece of land 350 meters above sea level (1148 feet) with south-east exposure that was sheltered from the sea winds. He fermented his wine in open-topped wooden vats and right from the beginning, aged it in oak. At that time, it stayed in oak for 5-6 years.

This wine however, was not appreciated by the locals who were unaccustomed to the flavors of Cabernet. Plus, they wanted to drink the wine in the spring following the vintage like they did their local wines. Mario knew that Cabernet could not possibly be ready that soon. The grassy and tannic qualities that so disgusted the experts were in fact good qualities that just needed time to express themselves. Annoyed by all the negativity, Mario felt defeated and tried to forget all about his wine. 10 years later, in the early 1960’s, with the encouragement of his son Nicolò, they opened some bottles of the 1949 and 1950 vintages out of curiosity for a friend who was a wine and food connoisseur. The wine was enthusiastically received and Mario decided to try again.

He created a second vineyard 100 meters (328 feet) above sea level and ran the vines north-south so that both sides received the same amount of sun. With some help from his Antinori cousins and specifically their enologist Giacomo Tachis, more new vineyards were planted and the most promising, Sassicaia, gave it’s name to the first Incisa-Antinori label in 1968. (The name comes from the pebbly soil in the vineyard. Sasso is the Italian word for stone).

With Antinori’s involvement, the wine was no longer in Mario’s hands. It reached worldwide success and won many blind tastings against the best Cabernets of France, California & Australia. One journalist called it a ‘Super Tuscan’ and the term stuck. Philippe de Rothschild wrote Mario. “Dear Colleague, your wine is wild and savage but brilliant………” Mario was thrilled to be referred to as a colleague.

Mario did not set out to make a wine that would change the panorama of Italian winemaking. He just wanted a wine for himself, his family and a few friends. Sassicaia is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. This was what his great-grandfather, Leopoldo Incisa della Rocchetta recommended. Sassicaia was labeled as a table wine until 1994 when it was granted a DOC designation. A unique distinction for a wine produced only by one single winery.

Sassicaia made the Bolgheri area famous and without it there would be no DOC Bolgheri and no Etruscan Coast Wine Trail.

The Marquis Mario Incisa della Rocchetta died in 1983.

Prosecco - Italy's Favorite Aperitif

Many of you are already familiar with Prosecco. It is Italy’s favorite aperitif. Many restaurants will offer you a glass to enjoy while you study the menu. In the afternoons, many Italians will enjoy a glass before heading home for dinner. It is the correct wine to use in a Bellini.

What you may not know is that Prosecco isn’t just the name of the wine but also the grape from which the wine is made. The grape has its origins in the Veneto region of Italy and it excels in the area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. In 2009, Prosecco from Conegliano-Valdobbiadene was granted DOCG status and this year Prosecco from Colli Asolani was also granted DOCG status. There is still a Prosecco DOC which covers other areas. You can find Prosecco classified as Brut, Dry and Extra Dry. The latter is the most common and in some cases is the best expression of the grape and its territory. Meaning that the fragrance and acidity of the wine are in perfect balance. There is also a sub-zone of Valdobbiadene called Cartizze. It is in this area that Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze comes from. This Prosecco has great character and is most commonly found as Dry but the Brut version is finally finding its way and developing more personality. One of the newest classifications is Il Rive. This version is made with grapes that come from only one area of Conegliano-Valdobbiadene. These sub-categories allow the wines to show off their terroir.

Prosecco can be made in the traditional method (second fermentation in bottle), metodo classico in Italian, or by the Charmat method. Some Proseccos declare years meaning that minimum 85% of the grapes used to make the wine came from the stated year. If the wine was made in the traditional method, Metodo Classico will be shown on the bottle.

Prosecco is a dry sparkling wine with good acidity, not overly high in alcohol (typically around 11%), and with a slight creamy flavor. So besides being a great aperitif, it pairs nicely with seafood and all sorts of deep-fried snacks as the bubbles help cleanse the palate. Try it with an assortment of deep-fried seafood, prawns and calamari for example. In Italy we call it Fritto Misto which translates as mixed fry. Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze in its Dry version, is best paired with pastries due to its high level of residual sugar. When deciding on a Prosecco, keep in mind that Brut will be the driest followed by Extra Dry which has a softer finish then Dry. The Dry version is the least common. Some producers to look for include Adami, Bisol, Carpenè Malvolti and Bellenda. Mionetto is probably the most easily found brand name. They have a large variety of Proseccos on the market so read the label to verify that you’re getting the one you want.

I hope you go out and try some Prosecco or re-discover it if you’ve tried it in the past.

As we say in Italy…….. Salutè!

The Valpolicella Family

Italy is a wine lovers dream. Within each region one can find gems. What makes Italian wines so special is the amount of native varietals found in the country. This is also what makes Italian wine so confusing.
In the Veneto region, near the town of Verona, is where you find the Valpolicella area. I’m sure many of you have drank Valpolicella or Amarone but could you tell me what grapes go into these wines? The simple answer is Corvina Veronese and Rondinella. More specifically 45-95% Corvina Veronese, 5-30% Rondinella with no more than 50% Corvinone. Italians crafted their wines using the varietals they had on hand as importing vine cuttings wasn’t common practice centuries ago. The first records of Corvina being grown in the Valpolicella area date back to the 1800’s. While Corvina may not be the noblest of grapes, in the right areas it can produce wines with nice floral and cherry notes and good levels of acidity. It is an ideal grape for drying as its small berries and thick skin help resist rot. Corvinone is its own varietal and not a sub-varietal of Corvina. It is similar but it has larger berries and imparts more color and tannin and can reach higher sugar levels. It is for these reasons that producers blend the two varietals together. Rondinella lacks the elegance and aroma of Corvina but it is disease-resistant so it makes it popular with growers. It also dries well but without the high sugar levels of Corvinone.

There are 4 wines in the Valpolicella family. Valpolicella, Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella Ripasso and Recioto della Valpolicella. All these wines are made with the varietals and percentages described above. So what distinguishes one from the other if they are all made with the same grapes? Valpolicella is a DOC wine with a minimum alcohol of 10%. It can be labeled Superiore if it’s aged for at least 1 year and has a minimum alcohol of 11%. Amarone della Valpolicella achieved DOCG status in 2010. The grapes are carefully selected at harvest and then laid out to dry. The wine is made no earlier than December 15 with these dried grapes. It’s a deeper ruby red color than Valpolicella and it has a fuller flavor. This wine ages for a minimum of 2 years and its minimum alcohol is 14%. This is due to the higher sugar content in the dried grapes. The higher the sugar content the greater the alcohol. The Riserva version is aged for a minimum of 4 years. Recioto della Valpolicella also achieved DOCG status in 2010 and is also made with grapes that have been subjected to drying and vinified no earlier than December 15. Recioto is a sweet wine with a minimum alcohol of 14%. It is also produced in a Spumante (sparkling) version. It is great with desserts and chocolate. The last member of the family is Valpolicella Ripasso. This is Valpolicella wine which is allowed to re-ferment on the leftover skins of Recioto and/or Amarone. These concentrated skins add a little extra to the Valpolicella resulting in a more complex Valpolicella. This wine is classified DOC. If you find any one of these wines with Classico on the label, that means it comes from the original and therefore oldest Valpolicella area. Valpantena on the label means it comes from the area of that name.

With the exception of Recioto, all these wines work well with red meats, game and strong cheeses. I recommend serving Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso between 62-66 °F (16-18 °C) and Amarone between 70-74 °F (20-22 °C) decanting first.

If you have never tried these wines before, I hope this has encouraged you to give them a try. And for those that have tried them in the past, may this lead to greater enjoyment in the future.

Salute.

Chianti vs Chianti Classico

I often get asked what is the difference between Chianti and Chianti Classico. The simple answer is geography but in reality it’s much more than that. There is history behind this iconic Tuscan wine.

As far back as the 13th Century, wine was being made in the ‘Chianti Mountains’ around Florence. The merchants in the towns of Castellina, Gaiole and Radda formed the ‘League of Chianti’ to promote their wines. By 1716, these three towns along with the town of Greve, were decreed by Cosimo III de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, as the only official recognized producers of Chianti. They had an official area but what was now needed was an official blend.

In 1872, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, whose family had been making wine in Tuscany since the 12th Century, developed what would become the official Chianti blend. His blend called for 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia Bianca (a white varietal). He determined that these 3 varietals worked well together and that those percentages brought out the best in each other making a very enjoyable wine. He later became Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Italy.

Over time, the blend changed to include another Tuscan white varietal, Trebbiano Toscano. In France, this varietal is known as Ugni Blanc and is used in the production of Cognac. After World War II, the market called for more inexpensive wines and the percentage of Trebbiano Toscano slowly increased diluting the quality of Chianti. Add to that increased plantings of a Sangiovese clone from Romagna, and Chianti lost a great deal of its original character.

In 1932, the Chianti region was re-drawn and divided into 7 areas. Classico, Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, and Rufina. Many of the villages that were now in the new Classico area, added ‘in Chianti’ to their name such as Greve in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti. Starting in 1967, with the granting of DOC status, these wines began their return to quality. They became DOCG’s in 1984.

So here’s how it stands today. Chianti Classico is the wine produced in the original area decreed by Cosimo III de Medici. This area includes the towns of Greve in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti, San Casciano Val di Pesa, Barberino Val d’Elsa, Castelnuovo Berardenga and Poggibonsi. The wines that are labeled Chianti DOCG come from 7 areas. Colli Aretini, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colline Pisane, Montalbano, Montespertoli and Rufina.

Besides geographical differences, the two wines have different compositions. Chianti DOCG may be 70-100% Sangiovese with a max of 10% white varietals, max 10% Canaiolo and the balance red varietals grown in the area. The percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc may not exceed 15%. Chianti Classico DOCG is min 80% Sangiovese with the balance red varietals grown in the area. Since 2006, white varietals are no longer permitted in the blend.

Chianti Classico wines are often distinguished with a black rooster on the label. Gallo Nero. Many producers belong to the Consozio Chianti Classico which was established to promote the wines of the area and improve quality. They are no longer allowed to call themselves Gallo Nero after losing a lawsuit brought about by Ernest & Giulio Gallo. The Gallo brothers claimed that having an organization with the name Gallo Nero would confuse consumers and much to the disappointment of the Chianti Classico producers, the Gallo brothers won.

I hope that you all go out now and try a variety of Chianti Classico’s and Chianti’s. There are great values out there and they’re not the same wines that were once sold in the fiasco.

My Olympic Diary - Casa Italia - Part 1

On February 12, 2010, the Olympic Games will open in Vancouver. Several months ago I found out that Italy would have a venue called Casa Italia located in the Roundhouse which just happens to be located across the street from my apartment building in Downtown Vancouver. I decided to see what I could do to participate.

I started by sending an email to the Italian Sports Federation (CONI). I introduced myself and let them know that I would be available to assist them in anyway. As an Italian Sommelier, native English speaker and Vancouver native I thought how could they resist. After about a month, I got a reply from what I figured was the company that handled the email inquiries for their website. They asked for my resume and some contact info. I immediately replied, and waited.

After a few weeks of silence, I decided to send another email. Still no reply. Being as I was getting ready to leave for Vancouver, I needed to kick-start this project. So, I contacted the FISAR national secretary, Mario Del Debbio (who I also happen to know) and asked him to write me a letter of introduction. After explaining what I was trying to acheive he got to work. Now as it turns out, the organization responsible for the wine bar at Casa Italia, Enoteca Italiana, is located in Siena (Tuscany) and they had just announced that they would be involved and they had only just started working on the project. Mario put us in touch and a collaboration was born. The person I spoke with, Alessandro Mugnaioli, was thrilled to have not only a sommelier on board, but one with my unique abilities. I could hear the sigh of relief over the phone.

And so my Olympic journey begins. I arrive in Vancouver on Monday, February 1 and Alessandro arrives February 3. The wines follow on February 4. The wine list is extensive and each day different wines will be featured. February 6 -11 will be the 'soft opening' and then we start in full force on February 12.

I'm very excited to have this amazing opportunity. I will use this space in the next month to document my journey as well as talk about the featured wines of the day and summarize some of the most common questions asked.

So stay tuned.

Brunello di Montalcino - Modern vs Traditional

As I promised in my previous blog, I was going to continue with the Brunello theme. Last blog I gave you a bit of history regarding this wine and how it was produced. In order to have an even better understanding, it will help to visualize the area.

I realize this isn't the best map but it was the best I could do and it will help illustrate the various points I have to make. The map is in 9 quadrants. If we number them 1-9 starting with the upper left and then moving right, the middle quadrant will be quadrant 5. It is in the north-eastern corner of this quadrant where we find Biondi-Santi and Brunello's ground zero (Number 178 if you can read it).

Some boring numbers. In 1966, when Brunello became a DOC, there were 76.53 hectares planted. In 1968 the number actually fell to 56.24 hectares and was up to 74.84 hectares in 1970. By 1971 the numbers reached 156.50 hectares. Let's put that into some numbers that make more sense. In 1975, 800,000 bottles were produced by 25 estates. In 1979, they were up to 1.5 million bottles produced by 40 estates and the 1995 vintage registered 3.5 million bottles produced by 120 estates. The last figures I have (2007) show 197 estates producing Brunello. I was unable to find the current bottle production stats or hectares under vine but I can tell you that Banfi alone produces 600,000 bottles a year of their basic Brunello. What these numbers show us is the incredible growth in this area in the last 30 years.

But at what cost?

Ferruccio Biondi-Santi's Brunello was aged 4 years in large Slovenian oak casks then 2 or 3 years in the bottle. With all these new producers starting up, they decided to change the aging requirements to help them out. So in 1980, when Brunello became the first DOCG in Italy, the aging requirements changed from 4 years in oak to 3 1/2. The bottle aging remained. Today's DOCG aging rules for Brunello are minimum 2 years (3 years for Riserva) in oak of any type or size, followed by a minimum 4 months (6 months for Riserva) of bottle aging. The wine cannot be sold until January 1st, 5 years following harvest (6 years for Riserva). So right now you can purchase 2004 Brunellos. You'll have to wait until January 2010 for the 2004 Riservas.

With the increasing amount of Brunello plantings, the growing area got progressively larger. The areas in quadrants 8 & 9 are much warmer areas than that of quadrant 5 and the wines produced there have little in common with the original. Wines from the southern areas typically have lower acidity and higher alcohol and colour concentration. This combination does not make for long aging potential. Also, the newer and larger estates use meccanized equipment for harvesting. However there are still many estates that still do everything by hand.

In the aging requirements I mentioned oak of any type and size. Traditionally Brunello was aged in large Slovenian oak (pictured left), not small French oak barriques. A barrique holds 225 litres or 300 bottles and is the most common used barrel in winemaking (below right). The reason for the large Slovenian oak cask is that Sangiovese doesn't need all the characteristics that the smaller barrique imparts into the wine. In fact, it can be a hinderance to the wine. That said however, in those warmer southern areas mentioned above, the barrique can be beneficial. It can help balance out what the grape is lacking naturally.

So what does all of this mean to you the wine consumer? When you go into a wine shop and ask for a Brunello, you may be asked if you prefer a traditional style or modern style wine. Traditional is aged in the large Slovenian oak and modern in barrique. Ultimately, both are quality wines it's just a matter of what you prefer. There is an unfortunate trend upon us right now to homogenize wines. What I mean by this is that many wines are starting to taste the same. It's becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between Old World and New World wines. The marketplace has a preference for easier drinking, fruit forward wines and that is what's being produced. Nothing wrong with it but I'm just scared that we will start losing individuality in wine. I want to taste the difference in my wines. I like that Sangiovese from Tuscany tastes different than something from California.

So what are some Brunello producers to look for. A quick check of the BC Liquor Store website shows many quality producers available. It just comes down to price. Altesino, Angelini Val Di Suga, Donatella Cinelli Colombini, Poggio Antico, Silvio Nardi are all good. Not to mention the Banfi, Antinori and Frescobaldi offerings. If you happen into a good wine shop such as Marquis Wine Cellar or Everything Wine in North Van, ask about Brunellos by Tiezzi, Sesti and Argiano. Tiezzi's vineyards are located right outside the walls of the town of Montalcino (number 50 on the map) and are made in a traditional style. Sesti and Argiano are further south (numbers 89 and 23 respectively, quadrant 7). Sesti is very small compared with Argiano which is owned by the same family that owns Campari. If you want to drink the wine wine now, I would buy the oldest vintage you can find. 1998, 1999, 2001 and 2003 were all excellent years but not as outstanding as 1995, 1997 and 2004. The better the vintage the higher the price. 2002 was considered fair and 2000 slightly better. Those vintages should cost considerably less.

If you want to try a wine from this area but don't want to spend the money on a Brunello, try a Rosso di Montalcino. Most Brunello producers make a Rosso which is the same grape varietal as Brunello but isn't aged as long. This DOC wine was created to help producers get a quicker return on their investments while waiting for their Brunellos to age. A really good value for the money.

Now go out and drink some Brunello and impress your friends will all your new-found knowledge.