Monthly Archives: August 2023

August 31, 2023 · 2:03 am

San Teodoro-The Other Side of Campania

The International Volcanic Wine Conference was held at City Winery in NYC.  There were masterclasses and workshops of wines which were made all over the world “Under the Volcano,” which was the title of the event.  Most of the volcanoes are inactive today though the lava flows left behind very rich soil.   I attended the Grand Tasting which took place in the afternoon. Many of my favorite wineries were represented. I stopped by a winery from Campania which I did not know and tasted the wines of Azienda Agricola San Teodoro.

IMG_9717The wines were being poured by Ida Savoie from the winery’s export sales office. Ida said that they were looking for an importer for the US. I was very impressed with the wines.

IMG_9780 2Azienda Agricola San Teodoro-Vino Biologico

The San Teodoro winery was founded in 2004 by Giuseppe Santoro who asked his brother Pietro to help him convert some family land to cultivate grapes. In 2007 the first bottles of Falanghina and Aglianico were produced. In 2011 they converted to organic wine production. In 2018 Giuseppe’s oldest son Giovanni, after his agronomic studies, joined the winery.

The Santoro family vineyards cover an area of 30 hectares. The vineyards are located on the northwest side of the volcanic massif of Roccamonfina, in the village of Galluccio, which is in the northwestern part of the province of Caserta near the border with Lazio. The soils of the Galluccio hills are directly affected by the lava flows and the volcano eruptions of Monte S. Croce which took place between between 630,000 and 50,000 years ago.

The wines

IMG_9712Galluccio Bianco DOP “Consiglio Di Volpe” made from 100% Falangina from the Coraggio vineyard. The vineyard is at 300 meters and the training system is guyot. There are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest takes place the second week of September. Grapes are selected and destemmed followed by a delicate crushing without the cryomaceration process.  After a gentle pressing fermentation is in large diameter stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine remains in stainless steel for 6 months before it is bottled. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, orange blossom, and pineapple with mineral notes.

IMG_9713Roccamonfina IGP Falangina “Vantanara” made from 100% Falanghina from the Vantanara vineyard at 300 meters. The training system is guyot and there are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is from the second week of September to the first week of October. Grapes are selected and destemmed followed by a delicate crushing without the cryomaceration process.  After a gentle pressing fermentation is in large diameter stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine remains in stainless steel for 3 months and in the bottle for 3 months before release. The wine has hints of citrus fruit, lime, pear, apple and a touch of wild flowers.

IMG_9714Roccamonfina IGP Aglianico IGP “Vantanara” made from 100% Aglianico from the Vantanara vineyard. The vineyard is at 300 meters and the training system is guyot. There are 5,000 plants per hectare. Harvest takes place the second and third week of October. The bunches are carefully selected and de-stemmed, with subsequent delicate crushing. Maceration follows in large diameter stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 22-26ºC, with frequent pumping over, délestage and batonnage, in relation to the  ripeness of the year and total acidity. The wine is aged for 6 months in steel and released 12 months after the harvest. This is an easy drinking wine with hints of red berries, black cherry, plum, blueberry and a note of smoke.

IMG_9715Galluccio Rosso DOP Campapietro made from 100% Agliancio from the San Teodoro Vineyard. The vineyard is at 300 meters and the training system is guyot. There are 5,000 vines per hectare. Harvest is the second and third week of October.  The bunches are carefully selected and de-stemmed, with subsequent delicate crushing. Maceration follows in large diameter stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature of 22-26ºC, with frequent pumping over, délestage and batonnage, in relation to the ripeness of the year and total acidity. The wine is aged for 12 months in steel, six months in tonneaux and 6 months in bottle before release. This is a full bodied wine with hints  of blueberry, blackberry, a touch of cedar and a note of leather.

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August 24, 2023 · 1:40 am

The Fantastic Wines of Terre di Leone

I visited the Veneto with wine publicist Federica Schir who brought me to visit one of her clients in Valpolicella.  I was unfamiliar with the wine or the winery but Federica said that the wines were fantastic.  She added that the owners were devoted to making traditional classic wine.  She really got my interest!

At the winery we were met by Chiara Turati, co-owner of the winery with her husband, Federico Pellizzari.

Chiara told me that when she first arrived in Valpolicella  she fell in love with the area and decided to live there. She also fell in love with Federico Pellizzari, a native of Marano, and they soon married. Federico’s grandfather, Leone, owned some land in the area and the couple decided that they wanted to make wine. They did not have any experience in winemaking so they began  learning everything they could about creating a winery and making wine. They decided to name the winery Leone in honor of Federico’s grandfather. The winery is built on different levels so the cellar would work on the principle of gravity. They began work in 1996 but did not complete the winery until 2005 when they produced their first wine.  It was released in 2009.

The winery is in Marano, part of the Valpolicella Classical zone not far from Verona. There are 7 hectares of vineyards. The soil is predominantly volcanic basalt with some chalky deposits and  terraced with dry-stone walls (marogne) typical of  Valpolicella. There is no artificial irrigation system.  Chiara said their training system is guyot which is unusual for Valpolicella where the pergola method rules. Because of the high altitude (430 meters) and the breeze that comes down the Valgatara Valley she feels they have a unique microclimate. The harvest is manual.

Re Pazzo (Crazy King) line

Valpolicella Classico 2022 made from 40% Corvina, 20% Corivinone 25% Rondinella, 10% Molinara and 5% Oseleta from vineyards located close to the villages of Marano di Valpolicella and Fumane within the Valpolicella Classico appellation. The vineyards are are at 430 meters on slopes and the exposure is south and southeasterly. The grapes are harvested late in the season manually and placed in plastic containers. The grapes are destemmed, not pressed. The must is left to macerate at a low temperature for 9 days before starting the fermentation process at a low temperature. The wine is aged in stainless steel vats for 5 months. After bottling the wine is aged in the cellar at a constant temperature for at least 2 months before release.  This is an easy to drink Valpolicella that reminds me of the traditional ones I drank long ago while visiting Lake Garda. $18

Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso 2020. The Ripasso method of making wine is particular to the Valpolicella region. It involves pouring the Valpolicella Classico Superior onto the grape skins of the Amarone which are left in the vinifier when the Amarone has been racked off. These skins already contain sugar.  Additional yeast is added to start a second fermentation which enriches the wine with structure and aromas. The wine is aged in 5 hl French tonneaux and 10hl French oak casks for about 12 months. After the wine is bottled it remains in the cellar at a constant temperature for at least 3 month before release. This is traditional Ripasso going back to the time before they added the “dried” grapes. $19

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico  2017 made from 40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 10% Oseleta. The grapes are harvested manually and placed in crates holding 5kg of fruit. The grapes are then stored in a fruit drying loft called a fruttaio for 110 days to dry the grapes (apassimento). This reduces the water content and increases the concentration of flavors and aromas.  The dried grapes are destemmed. Cold fermentation takes place in steel tanks for 7 to 9 days before temperature controlled fermentation begins. Then the grapes are delicately pressed. The wine is aged in 10hl and 25hl French oak casks for about 40 months and in bottle for 8 months before release. Very traditional Amarone that tastes like an Amarone and not like a Recioto.  $47

 

Terre di Leone line. This is a classic line of elegant balanced wines.

Valpolicella DOC Classico Superiore  2017. The grapes are harvested manually and placed in crates holding 5kg of fruit. The grapes are then stored in a fruit drying loft for 100 days to dry the grapes.  The dried grapes are destemmed, not pressed. They undergo cold fermentation in steel tanks for 12 days before temperature controlled fermentation. The wine is aged in 5 hl French oak tonneaux and 10 liter French oak casks for about 50 months. After the wine is bottled it remains in the cellar for at least 6 months before release. $38

Valpolicella Ripasso DOC Classico Superiore 2018 The wine is aged in 10hl French oak tonneaux for about 40 months and in bottle for another 6 months before release.  $33

Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG Classico Riserva 2012 made from 40% Corvina, 30% Corvinone, 20% Rondinella and 10% Oseleta. The grapes remain in the drying loft for 110 days to dry. The wine is aged 25hl French oak casks for about 96 months and a least  12 months in barrel before release. 7,444 bottles produced all individually numbered. $71. This may be the best Amarone I have ever tasted.

Something different

Dedicatum Veronese IGT Rosso 2018 The blend changes from year to year and can include approximately 14 different grape varieties that are recommended and authorized by the current production regulations. The grapes are dried in the fruttaio for 80 days. The grapes are destemmed not pressed and undergo cold maceration in steel tanks for approximately 8 days before temperature controlled fermentation. Aging is in 10hl French oak for about 42 months. After bottling the wine is aged in the cellar for at least 12 months  before release. 3,400 individual numbered bottles were released. $33

 When I tasted the Re Pazzo line I was very impressed with the wines. When I tasted the Terre di Leone wines I was even more impressed. These wines may be the finest line of wines I have ever tasted from the Valpolicella Classico zone. I did not list the aromas and flavors of the wines because mere words would not do them justice.  Frederica used the word “fantastic” to describe them, and I couldn’t agree with her more!

They do not have an importer for New York and most of the U.S

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Tasting Collio Ribolla Gialla

My  visit to  the Collio region of Friuli Venezia Giulia on a  press trip sponsored by The Consorzio Di Tutela Vini Collio was very informative and interesting.

Among the events was a tasting of 10 Friulano (Tocai) DOC Collio wines and a tasting of 7 examples of Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio.

Ribolla Gialla may be the most ancient grape of Collio (1289).  It may have originated in the Collio/Goriska Brda region.  In the 14th Century, Giovanni Boccaccio wrote in his Decameron that drinking too much Ribolla was one of the sins of gluttony.  But by the late 1980’s, international grapes had pushed Ribolla into the background and very little was produced.  The turn of the century brought a renewed interest in the grape and it now plays a large role in the white wines of Collio.

The tasting of Ribolla Gialla was held at the Humar Winery and as with all the formal tastings, it was conducted by Richard Baudains, an English wine writer.

Nataša Humar was at the tasting and spoke about her wine and Ribolla Gialla in general.

The Wines

Humar Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022.  Made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The winery is in Valerisce di San Floriano in the heart of Collio. There are 12 hectares of vineyards. The training system is guyot and there are 4,800 plants per hectare. Manual harvest. Traditional white winemaking. Temperature controlled maceration for 24 hours, soft pressing of the grapes and fermentation at a controlled temperature in stainless steel vats where the juice remains until the following spring. The wine remains in the bottle for two months before release. It has hints of apple, peach and lemon with firm acidity. $15  Nataša said Humar is a family-run winery.

Gradis’Ciutta Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Galla from vineyards in Ruttars and Bukova in the southwest side of Mount Calario at 180 meters. The training system is guyot. Traditional white wine vinification. The grapes are cryo-macerated for 24 hours, then pressed and fermented at a controlled temperature. The wine is kept on the lees until it is bottled. The wine has ints of apple, citrus and creamy notes. Organic. $26

Livon Ribolla Gialla Roncato DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla in Ruttars in Dolegno del Collio. The soil is marl and clay. Manual harvest. Cold maceration takes place followed by a cleaning of the must. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled temperature for 8 months and the wine remains in the same container to age for another 8 months on the lees. The wine then remains in the bottle until release. Straw yellow color. Hints of peach, floral notes, citrus, with a hint of fennel and a note of white pepper.$15

Bolzicco Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The winery is located in Cormòns at the foot of Mount Quern between Collio and Isonzo areas.  There are 8 hectare of vineyards. Vines were planted in 1987 and the training system is Cappuccino. Harvest takes place from the middle to the end of September. The grapes are pressed and there is a cold decantation for 12 hours. Fermentation is in stainless steel at a controlled  temperature for 12/18 days. The wine is then aged in steel for 10 to 12 months. Straw yellow with green reflections, fruity and floral with hints of apple, strawberry, citron, lime and a balsamic note. $16

Tenuta Stella Ribolla Gialla DOC 2020 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla. The exposure is south/east and the vineyard is at 270 meters. Fermentation at a controlled temperature with indigenous yeasts 90% in stainless steel and 10% maceration on the skins for 15 days in large vats made from French oak. The wine is aged for 10 months in 70% steel and 30% in second passage French oak. The wine has a golden yellow color with hints of apple, peach, spice with floral notes and a touch of vanilla.$20

Colmello Di Grotto Ribolla Gialla DOC Collio 2020 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla with an average age of 15 years in Far d’Isonzo (Gorizia). The soil is marl and sandstone of oceanic origin. The vineyards are at 110 meters and the training system is guyot. Manual harvest the second week of September. Fermentation is with selected yeasts for 7 to 12 days. Aging is in stainless steel and amphorae.  Straw yellow in color flowery, fruity  with a hint of tangerine and a note peach and a long finish. $18

Primosic Ribolla Gialla Riserva (Orange Wine) DOC Collio 2018 made from 100% Ribolla Gialla from vineyards in Oslavia that are 30-35 years old. The soil is ponca (marl and sandstone). Fermentation is in open vats with 30 days skin contact. Aging is on the lees in Slavonian oak for 2 years and then 1 year in bottle before release. This is a dry wine with hints of green tea, orange grind and dried apricots. Dark orange color. The producer said that the wine is “Born with Slavic soul, the Orange wines of Primosic are a tribute to the heritage and ancient winemaking practices.” $29. Ribolla Gialla is a grape with a thick skin so it is perfect for long skin maceration.

It  was very interesting to taste Fruliano (Tocai) and Ribolla Gialla, the two grape varieties I identify the most with Collio, on successive days. The wines are very different. Tocai can be more Sauvignon Blanc- like with herbal notes, hints of tomato leaf and fennel, while Ribolla is rounder, has more body and has notes of tangerine, peach, and strawberry and can even be creamy.

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August 14, 2023 · 1:19 am
August 7, 2023 · 1:12 am

Single Married Divorced Sparkling Wine

Irena Patar is the founder of a new line of sparkling wines called Single  Married  Divorced. It has been my pleasure to have know Irene for a number of years and to have had a glass or two of wine with her. Also I  have been to dinner at her home. She is wonderful hostess and accomplished cook.

Irena Patar

Irena told me that her first taste of alcohol was Champagne and she has always loved wine, especially sparking wine which represents celebration. Irene and her husband have traveled many times to France and Italy visiting winemakers and chefs and pairing food and wine.

Recently I was invited to her home for a weekend where I tasted Single  Married  Divorced  sparkling wine for the first time.

Single: Cheers to you and the freedom to be yourself

Irena said that her sparkling wine puts relationship status front and center and it is the perfect sparkling wine for everyone no matter what their relationship status might be.

Married:Toast to the love that brought you together

Too often we celebrate marriages (weddings, anniversaries, etc.) but shy away from “celebrating” other relationship statuses, specifically single and divorced. “That’s when the idea came to me,” she said.  “I thought, why not develop a sparkling wine brand that embraces them all.”

Divorced: Celebrate the new beginning and the brighter future ahead

Life should be a celebration regardless of what your relationship status is.

The Wine

Saumur AOC (Loire Valley) Brut. Made from 70% Chenin, 20% Chardonnay and 10% Grolleau ( a red grape variety grown mostly in the Loire Valley). It is a sparkling wine crafted in the Champagne method and aged for 15 to 18 months. The alcohol is 12%.

This is an elegant sparkling wine with hints of apricot, peach, citrus, and candied lemon with a touch of brioche and a note of hazelnut. There are small and long lasting bubbles.

It is perfect as an aperitif, as a toast, to drink with a meal, or after with dessert.

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August 3, 2023 · 1:43 am

Tasting Collio Friulano DOC

While visiting the Collio region of Friuli Venezia Giulia on a  press trip sponsored by  The Consorzio Di Tutela Vini Collio, I tasted 10 examples of Friulano DOC Collio.

Tasting of Friulano DOC Collio

Mr. Salvini and Mr Baudains in the vineyard

The tasting was held at the Skok Winery. Sebastian Salvini, the export manager represented the winery and Richard Baudains, an English wine writer, conducted the tasting.

Mr. Salvini prepared some regional foods to have after the tasting.

Mr. Baudains explained that the wine known as Friuliano was once called Tocai. The name was changed because of a ruling by the European Union in 2007 which decided that due to the potential confusion with the Hungarian wine Tokaji, producers in Friuli can no longer call their wine Tocai.

The Wines

SKOK Friulano Zabura DOC Collio 2022. 100% Tocai Friulano from a single vineyard (cru). The soil is Ponce made of stratified marl and sandstone of Eocene origin. There are 5,500 plants per hectare. The harvest is by hand with a very careful selection of the grapes making sure all the grapes entering the winery are healthy. The grapes undergo a gentle pressing. Cold maceration at 12C degrees for one day. Static decantation to eliminate all the impurities. Fermentation is with inoculated yeasts in stainless steel at a controlled temperature. The wine remains on the lees for 6 months. Battonage takes place for the first period, then the wine remains at rest. A cold decantation separates the wine from the yeast. The wine is then bottled in the spring following ancient traditions with the Easter moon which takes place a little before and a little after the full moon. The wine then remains in bottle for one month before release.The wine has hints of herbs, tomato leaves, white flowers with a touch of lime and a hint of green tea. There is an almond finish that is characteristic of the grape. The name Zabura is taken from an ancient map from the 1700’s. $16

STURM Friulano DOC Collio 2022 made from 100% Friulano from 50 year old vines. The training system is cappuccio. Harvest is by hand in September. Grapes are destemmed and cold macerated. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine spends a few months on the lees and is then bottled. The wine is a brilliant and clear straw yellow with hints of acacia, pears, thyme and almonds. $24

FRUSCALZO Friulano DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Friulano from 30 to 60 year old vines.  The training system is guyot, cappuccio and casarsa. No herbicides are used, only natural fertilizers. Harvest is by hand in the middle of September. There is a soft pressing of the grapes and a must clarification process by filtration. Fermentation is in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature. The wine remains in the same tanks under frequent battonage  with autochthonous yeasts for about 8 months in contact with the fine sediments consisting of complex mineral salts, acids and inactive yeast which dissolve enhancing the structure and harmony of the wine. After the tangential flow filtration, bottling takes place according to the phases of the moon. Vivid straw color, with hints of  fruit, acacia, wild flowers, discreet acidity and a touch of almonds. $14

PASCOLO Friulano DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Friulano. The soil is marl and sandstone and the exposure is south/southeast. There are 5,000 plants per hectare and the training system is guyot. The vines were planted in 1989/1993. Harvest is manual. The grapes are destemmed and pressed. Fermentation is in stainless steel. The wine is aged on the lees for a number of months. The wine remains in the bottle for 3 months before release. Color is straw yellow with golden highlights and hints of apple, hay, chamomile, with a touch of pear and typical almond tasting finish. $15

TENUTA STELLA Friulano DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Tocai Friulano. The soil is marl and sandstone and the training system is Guyot. The vineyard is at 260 meters with a south/east exposure. Spontaneous fermentation takes place in stainless steel at a controlled temperature with wild yeast. Aging is in stainless steel 90% and 10% in second passage French tonneaux for 10 months. There is a long aging on the lees before bottling. The wine is golden in color with bright highlights and hints of dandelion, broom, peach and apricot, a touch of bay leaf and a vegetal note. $20

The Wines

KURTIN Friulano DOC Collio. Made from 100%  Tocai Friulano. The training system is Guyot and the vines are 40 to 50 years old. The soil is called Ponca, a word in the local old Friulian language to indicate a type of soil characterized by marl and sandstone both of which are of oceanic origin. The manual harvest takes place at the last 15 days of September. The process starts with the soft pressure of grapes, then static clarification of the must. The must undergoes a along and slow alcoholic fermentation at a controlled temperature (18 °C), using selected yeasts in stainless steel tanks. The last refinement takes place in stainless steel tanks at a controlled temperature until spring. Color is straw yellow tending toward greenish. The wine has hints of wild flowers, citrus fruit, pear and apricots with the typical almond aftertaste.$18

TENUTA BORGO CONVENTI Friulano DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Friulano. Straw yellow color with a slight golden highlights. The soil is a mixture of marl and sandstone underlying stratified layers and clayey on the higher ground and fine grained at the foot of the hill slopes. There are 4,000/7,000 vines per hectare and the vines are 15/35 years old. The training system is guyot and Sylvoz. A small percentage of selected grapes undergoes cold fermentation before the pressing. There is a soft pressing of the grapes followed by temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 10 days. Once fermentation is complete the wine remains on the lees until spring when it is bottled. This is a fruit-driven wine with hints of alpine flowers, peach, apricot and a pleasant note of almonds. $19

LIVON Friulano Manditocai DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Friulano. The soil is marl and clay and there are 4,200 vines per hectare. The vines are cordon and guyot trained and are 40 years old. Harvest of select grapes is by hand using boxes and sent to the cellars where whole bunches are pressed. The must from the pressing, characterized by the absence of rotation of the press and by the slow, gradual increase in pressure, is put in a stainless steel tank for a light cold settling.  After 24 hours, 50% of the product is distributed in steel barrels and 50% in Hungarian oak barriques chosen for alcoholic fermentation. After 8 months of refinement in barriques, characterized by a very fine wood and by a very light toasting , the finished wine is bottled.   The wine is yellow in color with golden reflections, hints of peach, white flowers, a touch of nutmeg and an aftertaste of bitter almonds. $23

TERRE DEL FAET Friulano DOC Collio 2021 made from 100% Friulano. Manual harvest. There is a soft pressing of the whole grapes and the must is decanted in a cold environment. Fermentation is with selected and indigenous yeasts at a controlled temperature and the wines is kept on the lees until it is bottled. The wine remains in the bottle for 30 days before release. The wine is straw yellow in color with hints of peach and apple, a touch of pineapple and a slight almond finish. $29

DRAGA Friulano Miklus DOC Collio 2018 made from 100% Friulano. Production zone is San Fioriano del Colle. The vines are 65 years old at 230 meters. Training system is guyot. The soil is ponca (layers of marl and sandstone).  Harvest is by hand at the beginning of September. There is manual selection of the grapes and they are destemmed followed by a soft pressing. The wine remains on the skins for 12 days in cylinder shaped vats made of oak without temperature control. Fermentation starts with native yeast and the cap is pushed down 3 times a day.  The wine is aged for 24 months in French oak tonneaux. The wine is unfiltered. They believe in as little intervention as possible on the part of the wine maker and he winery is organic, biodynamic and  vegan. The wine has a very deep amber hue. The name of the wine is Jakot which is Tokaj (Tocai) spelled backward. This is a full bodied unique wine with hints of dry tea, peach, apricot, and plum with a note of marmalade and a touch of almond. $59

Depending on the winemaker, the methods used and the location of the vineyards in Collio, I found each of these wines to have distinctive flavors and characteristics.

When I first visited Friuli Venezia Giulia if you asked for a glass of white wine, you were given Tocai.  Whether it is called Tocai or Tocai Friulano or Friulano, it is still the wine that embodies the taste of Collio.

 

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