Tag: Holiday

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Antiqua Tours in Tbilisi, Georgia

[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Antiqua Tours in Tbilisi, Georgia”][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”By Taste Georgia”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2207″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Photo courtesy of Anthony Swift at Wine Pleasures”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”At the end of March, I will be speaking at the 6th Annual International Wine Tourism Conference which will be held in the beautiful city of Tbilisi, Georgia 29-30 March, 2014. I will be speaking about the culture of wine, wine as culture, and the people who make the wine integral to this very special culture. I hope to demonstrate to my audience how people in wine tourism can/should include the overall history and culture of a region as a selling point for their wine tours, especially in unknown or unfamiliar regions. Wine-loving clients have often already been to wineries and want to experience something unique. After a while something many of us experience is something I call, “barrel overload.” Yes, technical questions are important, but what makes a winery special is often its relevance in the culture or its history. Except for a few tweaks here and there, most wineries start to look and feel the same. So what can we do differently?I am going to discuss these points and hope to relay the information as a Socratic seminar rather than lecture about what I think people should do. I plan to talk specifically about the region I am passionate about: Lazio as a wine region. Lazio has a wealth of indigenous grape varieties, terroir, and an incredible number of traditions surrounding wine. My talk will integrate points about both the culture of wine and wine as culture with Lazio epitomizing a region overlooked for its incredible wine potential and wine heritage for the sake of a major city, Rome.I am also excited to meet colleagues and learn how I can improve our services for Antiqua Tours guests. After all, our guests are usually on holiday and at the end of the day, all they want is to experience fantastic wine, food, and culture. If you are attending the conference, please stop by my seminar. From the conference programme:”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Wine as CultureAn overview of the importance of local cultural heritage in visiting a wine region. Case Study of Lazio. We will discuss why the humanities and people of a region as important to experiencing a wine region as the vines and wines themselves. People as Terroir (wine makers, local farmers, visiting nearby towns) and as an example we will talk about the Lazio wine region and getting visitors beyond Rome for a well rounded cultural experience which includes people, wine, food and cultural heritage. Why wine is not enough in wine tours. Learn why cultural heritage can sometimes sell wine regions, especially in unknown regions. And most importantly: Be a cultural ambassador to your region! March 29, Session 1.4 at 16:00 in Queen Tamar”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]
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My Top 9 of 2013

[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2179″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Well, another year has passed and it seems fitting to list some of my top wine, craft beer and food moments of 2013. Studies and the success of sites like BuzzFeed show that people respond positively to lists, so I have decided to end 2013 with a new feature on my blog, and that is The Top 9. Why 9 and not some other arbitrary number? The obvious reason is my love of cats and the fact that they have 9 lives, so 9 it is.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2185″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”A tasting of fortified wines during a WSET class”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”9. Discovering I actually love dry Sherries like Fino and Manzanilla. Actually considering my love of rotten, fermented food and my passion for Kombucha brewing, lacto-fermentation and yeast in general, it is no wonder I have a newfound appreciation for FLOR, which infuses wonderful nutty notes to these often salty wines that are perfect with olives (another lacto-fermented food I make).”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2186″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”GianMarco and his lovely dirt”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”8. Visiting one of my favorite Laziale wine producer’s for Katie Parla’s birthday. Gianmarco Antonuzi of Le Coste gave us an in-depth tour of his vineyards, showing us the health and life of the soil, the young bush trained vines and then taking us to the cellar where we tasted many different wines from the barrel for about two hours. Gianmarco can easily be described as a wine anarchist and a hardcore naturalist. No compromising, ever. Lazio is a region of incredible potential, and Gianmarco is the poster child of natural wine making in Lazio if not all of Italy. A true visionary.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2202″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Umbria wine Master class with Patrick Farrell, MD, MW”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”7. Participating in the first #winelover anniversary wine weekend over Valentine’s weekend in Umbria. We tasted some interesting wines and I met a great group of people that share a passion for wine. Cool wine friends are always welcome!”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2191″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Picking grapes, 2013″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”6. Participating in my third grape harvest and helping make Roèt. Since Roèt is essentially a field blend it is difficult to say how much of each variety is in the wine. This year, as I picked grapes, I got to know each grape and was able to identify them. This still doesn’t help me with my next-to-zero math skills.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2182″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Flora and my favorite beer”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”5. Finally getting over my hatred of hipsters in San Diego and embracing the craft beer scene thanks to my best friend Hanna. We enjoyed amazing raw, unfiltered sour beer from all over the West Coast. My favorites came from California wine making region the Russian River Valley and Oregon. Another thing I discovered- in beer- Brettanomyces is delicious. My favorite beer on sour beer night was the Logston Seizoen Brett Farmhouse Ale from Oregon. I could drink this beer for days.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2195″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”TRD at DWCC”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”4. Launching The Rome Digest in March with Gina, Irene, Katie and Hande. It has been an extremely positive experience and feedback from the community has been great. Along with launching TRD, we spoke on blog collaboration at the Digital Wine CommunicationsConference in Spain, which was, of course, a huge honor.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2196″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Soul mates?”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”3. Meeting and bonding with Dora and Patrizia of Poderi Sanguineto I and II. Not only do they make wonderful, earthy Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, they are real salt-of-the.earth people. They make honest, traditional Tuscan wines which are a rarity amoung today’s overly-polished wines of the region. They also have dozens of cats and Patrizia and I bonded over our great love of cats. She offered me a cat and introduced me to her favorite queen, a very”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2188″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”old and noble lady. I fell in love with these endearing women. Kopke’s 1940 Colheita Tawny Port2. Port wine. We were chosen to participate in a press trip host by Greengrape through the Douro Valley in October pre dwccwith some fellow delegates. What can I say? I fell in love. Vinho Verde, Port Wine, Douro Doc are all fantastic. The Douro Valley is a place of extreme beauty, ancient history, gorgeous wine and unique terrior. I had the opportunity to taste many different types of port from Vintage to Ruby to LBV to Tawny to the benchmark 2011. The look like jewels in a glass. The most incredible wine I tasted during our trip in Portugal was Kopke’s 1940 Colheita Tawny Port. (An entire post will be dedicated to this trip) This is a special edition wine to celebrate 375 years of the oldest Port Wine House. Only 375 bottles were produced. It was an ethereal and delicious moment.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2184″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”My love…”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”18″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”1. And last but not least, it should be no surprise for those who have joined the cult of Fiorano. My number one wine, food or beer moment of 2013 was at my birthday dinner. Ettore and I shared a 1975 Fiorano Semillon Vino da Tavola. These wines are the world’s greatest wines and fairly unknown except to a few crazy cultish people. Another great example of the incredible potential of Lazio as a wine making region. Let’s get beyond cheap Frascati in 2014!”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”35″]
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On Grapes and Grandfathers

[nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2170″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Damiano Ciolli in his element”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”I have not been a particularly active blogger in the past few months despite attending many interesting tastings, several visits to wineries throughout central Italy, participating in a press trip to Port and the Douro Valley and falling in love with the wines and people of Portugal (especially port wine!) attending and speaking on a panel at the Digital Wine Communications Conference in Logroño, Spain. What can I say? Paid work and real life have made time precious and stories and ideas fade. But there are themes. A lot of them have to do with the importance of wine grapes, biodiversity and people are important themes right now and many important and talented wine writers and bloggers have dedicated hours of research and time to them. At the dwcc I was fortunately enough to be able to attend the Native Iberian Varieties Grand Tasting led by Julia Harding MW and grape geneticist Dr. Jose Vouillamoz, co-authors-along with Jancis Robinson-of the wine tome, Wine Grapes.Like nearly any field on earth, the trade includes a lot of networking. I find this part of wine very tedious when not in the field or with wine makers. There are lot of people with a lot to say, but I think these old producers in out-of-the-way locations have the most to say, even if they don’t say a lot. Recently I attending a natural wine dinner with the rest of my colleagues at The Rome Digest and we ran into wine maker Damiano Ciolli. He is such a nice salt-of-the-earth guy and has the heaviest ciociaria accent I have ever heard. He makes two different types of wines, both made from Lazio’s autochthonousgrape Cesanese. To be honest, he looked kind of bored and a little bit like a fish out of water. I have seen this a lot lately. We take clients to small wineries, or I join a group of wine professionals and visit wineries or go to tastings and people are making a big fuss over the wine makers. Of course they merit a fuss. They make our beloved beverage. But I often see the confusion in their eyes. Eyes that say, “It’s just wine.” But perhaps they don’t understand how we can admire a person who didn’t rip out his grandfather’s vineyard of mixed local varieties to plant Merlot. I meet old farmers all the time who have no idea what is growing in their vineyard. They are just doing what has always been done in old communities. On our way out of the natural wine dinner, we ran into Damiano who seemed to be hiding outside despite the cold. I think he said one of the wisest things I have heard anyone say in the past few months:”][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”I am just doing what my grandfather did.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Indeed. More to come on that in the near future.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2152″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text_align=”center” nd_options_text=”Local Laziale Wine Grape Cesanese”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]
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Best Destinations

Roèt Vendemmia 2013

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Malvasia Puntinata is easily recognized by its lovely dots

Let me share with you how we roll in the Castelli Romani.  This is how the grapes get picked on a small farm to make a natural, organic wine for personal consumption.  We don’t have aprons.  And since we are organic, there are bees, wasps and mosquitoes who seem to be out with a vengeance. The sun burns the skin, we have to bend over backwards to make sure we do not miss one single precious grape.  And we get sticky.  It is gross.  Grape juice mixes with dirt and leaves to create a sort of sticky dirty film over the entire body.  Picking grapes is hard, back-breaking and sticky work.  Did I mention sticky?  Why anyone would volunteer to do this is beyond my comprehension.  I am picking this year because I will be paid in wine.  I feel so medieval, man.  Isn’t that, like, illegal?
We are picking now because the Malvasia Puntinata is ready.  It has good sugar levels and great acidity.  We are also picking Bellone and Trebbiano, but it is mostly a very juicy Malvasia Puntinata we are picking.  The sugar meter measures 18-19.  Not too bad for a homemade wine.  Due to cooler conditions this year the acidity is up, which is good for making a longer lasting wine.  But we don’t make a longer lasting wine, we make wine that we finish just when we are picking grapes again.
Tonight we are going to drink.  And we are going to drink a lot.  We have to drink the rest of last year’s wine to make way for the new.  And then we will rise early again tomorrow morning and do it all over again.  For the love of wine.

Buon Vendemmia a tutti!

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There are a lot of weeds in most of the organic vineyards in the Castelli Romani. This is because it was an extremely wet year and letting the grass and weeds grow helped the vines not get bogged down

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Malvasia Puntinata: Base grape of almost all Castelli Romani whites

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Roberto, the Ro of Roèt

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Destemming

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One of the oldest ways to make wine…

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A row of Bellone, it gives the Castelli wines softness.

p.s. Roèt is the combined efforts of ROberto and ETtore.  Made from Laziale grapes that are grown organicially and fermented with the skins with indigenous yeasts.  No sulphites added.  This is a traditional farmer’s wine, a pure natural wine made made with nature and hardwork.

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Back in a Few…

[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”p” nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Sorry folks about the lack of posts. I have had two computer meltdowns in the past month and I am trying to reorganize files plus work. The good news is that I recently bought myself a present: a new DSLR camera! So my photos should improve. Like this awesome photo I took while eating in a town called Olevano Romano:”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2126″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″]
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Beyond Rome: The Products of Lazio

[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”h3″ nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”BEYOND ROME: THE PRODUCTS OF LAZIO”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_image nd_options_align=”center” nd_options_image=”2056″ nd_options_width=”100%” nd_options_class=”adaptive_image_550″]

3/5 of a whole

Last week I joined Hande, Irene and Theo for a fun evening of wine and oil tasting hosted by AIS.  The theme for the evening was Lazio.  As a Lazio food and wine aficionado I was looking forward to trying products from producers I had never tried before.
Most of the wine producers I was already familiar with, but there were a few surprises.  I arrived late, so the event was already fueled by inebriated people.  I think we spent more time talking than tasting, but it was a good time, and I got to taste olive oil from 2000+ year old olive trees.

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[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”h3″ nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Casale della Ioria is my favorite Cesanese del Piglio producer. Their Passerina is incredible”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]

I caught up with them by making the rounds of Frascati.  No surprises on that account.  Frascati is one of my favorite wines, but you know, been there done that.   I still haven’t had a better Frascati than what is made by the cantina Castel de Paolis.

[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”h3″ nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”THAT color. Nice.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]

While many people flocked to the Casale del Giglio table, we decided to concentrate our efforts on the Cesanese grape and there were some wonderful surprises.  Cesanese is a local grape that is native to Lazio.  Most famous in Cesanese del Piglio, it is a grape that has a lot of potential.  It does well in the volcanic soils of Lazio, has lovely dark fruit aromas and can be very expressive and complex.  Some of the producers really know how to handle this native grape, and others failed by using way too much wood.  I am not a fan of wines that have an offensive amount of oak.  I like to get a sense of the grape, the terroir and the winemaker’s skills.  I suppose you could say that overusing oak is an indication of lack of winemaking skills, but then again, many winemakers make a variety of products for different audiences.  The international palate likes big, jammy fruit bomb with lots of sweet and spicy aromas from oak.  New World style.  Me?  I like a wine with depth and layers.   Oak should be like makeup.  Minimal use to enhance beauty that is already there, not to cover up perceived flaws.

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[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”h3″ nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”Gorgeous Olevano Romano by Damiano Ciolli. Wonderful. They were very lively.”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]

The event wasn’t a serious tasting.  We had fun and had the opportunity to meet some producers that give me a sense of hope for the future of Lazio in the world of wine.  I even met a neighbor that lives less about 500m away from me and where they make easy to drink wines and lovely olive oil.  Funny that I walk by their property quite often and I’ve never said hello.  I volunteered myself to help with the harvest at my favorite wine producers of the evening, Damiano Ciolli.

[nd_options_text nd_options_text_tag=”h3″ nd_options_text_weight=”normal” nd_options_text=”A very special olive oil”][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″][nd_options_divider nd_options_align=”nd_options_text_align_left” nd_options_width=”30px” nd_options_height=”2px” nd_options_color=”#f1f1f1″][nd_options_spacer nd_options_height=”20″]

Though I have my disagreements with AIS and their method, I am happy that they host events like this.  Having so many producers in one place rather than having to go out and search for them myself is really useful.

Did I mention I tasted olive oil made from trees that are over 2000 years old?  Where am I?

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Our News

Future Wine Lovers

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Sometimes, only sometimes, we encounter young people that are extraordinary. These people give us old people hope for the future. In this case, my last group of wine students was so fantastic, smart and talented I wanted to cry when I said goodbye. As a group they were inquisitive about the overall culture of wine and its place in Italian culture in general. They studied, did awesome and creative projects and, in the end, I was the one learning from them. I’ve been a grumpy youth hater for far too long. I guess it is just disheartening that many college age students cannot put a sentence together, seem disinterested in the world around them, are plugged into their devices but tuned out of the world around them. Not so this group. They were articulate, funny, knowledgeable and open to new experiences. Their energy was infectious. These are the future wine lovers of America, and we as wine professionals need to embrace their curiosity, open ourselves to learning about innovative and new happenings in the wine world. They are coming out into the world with more wine knowledge than most 20-21 year olds; they’ve made the connection between wine and local culture, wine and health, wine and finance, and, their place in this world. My students met my colleagues and they were all impressed. As my friend Hande from Vino Roma said about one in particular, “That boy renowned my belief in the future – so good to know there are 21 yr. olds (well, at least one!) out there who are smart, athletic, artistically inclined & talented, well-behaved… and good looking 😉 The human kind shall persevere!” Indeed!In Frascati

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If you guys are reading this, bless you all.  You ALL have rehabilitated my faith in the future.

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Wonderful fruity aromas

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Tastes like Puglia

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Mr. Champagne with the ladies

Categories
Best Destinations

Wine Tasting in Rome

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A guest of Ettore’s just posted this photo on his Facebook page, so I thought I would share.  Not only do you learn about the fascinating world of Italian wine, you have fun while meeting fellow guests who share in an interest in wine.  When in Rome, join us for a great night and drink wine like the Roman’s do!

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Categories
Best Destinations

Bibenda Day 2012

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I haven’t had much time for wine tasting lately.  I am studying for the Rome Guide Exam and it is more or less taking over my life.  I’ve attended a few tastings with our ladies tasting group and, recently, Bibenda Day at the Hotel Cavalieri.  I’ve posted about other tastings and events hosted by AIS on this blog, so I’ll spare you the details on what they are about.  These tastings are a great way to taste a great amount of wine in one space and get to know the regions and producers you really like without having to travel 100s of kilometers.

This years 46th Bibenda Day was a 2 day celebration of the organization in Rome with 430 produces of wine and food from all over Italy.  They also had special conference with winemakers in Italy and abroad.  I signed up for two, but due to a transportation strike and a mistake on my part I could not attend the Valentini tasting.  I did have the pleasure of not only taste some of the wines of Josko Gravner, I was able to spend two hours listening to him speak about his life, his approach to wine and his dear father.  You can read in more detail here at Katie Parla’s blog

My favorites for the evening were Benanti from Etna in Sicily, Skerk from Friuli Venezia Giulia and Josko Gravne from Friuli Venezia Giulia.  There were other great wines but these are the produces that stood out because of their unique approach to winemaking.   Of the 8 wines wer tasted at the Gravner conference 6 were fermented in Amphora.  We tried Breg 1998 and 2005 and Ribolla from 2000-2005.
These wines were intense and full of character and differed great from each year.  Gravner spoke a lot about weather and conditions of each year, and since there is very little intervention on his part there is a lot of variation from each year.  So much mineality in all of them.  They were alive.
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The Tasting Room

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Some of the delicious food

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Benanti pour-beautiful wines with tons of mineality and very lively

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Benanti pour-beautiful wines with tons of mineality and very lively

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Josko Gravner

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Copper wines of great complexity and intensity

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Breg 2005 (blend of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio and Riesling)

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Why this color?  Even though they are made with “white” grapes he ferments with the skins which not only extracts color but tannins, which give these wines longevity.  Conventional wines differ because red wines are fermented with the skins of dark grapes white wines are white because they are fermented without skins.  The also extracts intense aromas and flavors.

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When you go to an AIS tasting,don’t forget your suit.

Categories
Travel Tips

The Elders

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A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to attend a very special and exclusive tasting at the Roman headquarters for AIS at the Hotel Cavalieri on Monte Mario. I signed up last minute so I could join sommeliers-in-training and local food and wine guides Gina Tringali and Irene de Vette for a vertical tasting of Borgogno, a cantina that has been making very special Barolo since 1761. Our tasting went back to 1961, and I felt each year we went back in time the wines became stronger and more expressive. Vertical tastings like these are a great opportunity to get to know a particular cantina, but also give individuals the oppurtunity to taste back vintages that we might not otherwise have the opportunity to taste.

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The lovely Gina Tringali and Irene de Vette

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Me with Andrea Farinetti-He is so cute!

After a brief introduction by Franco Ricci, the young and talented Andrea Farinetti took the microphone and gave us a great explanation of the slow process of wine making at Borgogno.  I couldn’t help but giggle.  He looked about 12 and I was sure he had braces on.  In my ageist attitude I was saying to myself, “What can this little chump possibly have to say of interest?”  A lot, it turns out.  We learned that Borgogno wines, with Andrea at the head, are Slow Wines.  Though from 1996-2011 they used more conventional methods in wine making, such as selected yeasts, Andrea has made the cantina take a turn for the better.  Starting with the 2012 vintage, they started to use only ambient yeast, they use concrete barrels, they are looking back to traditional Barolo wine making, and that is something I can get behind.  Andrea is a truly exceptional man, and I am happy there are young people out there in the world of wine who are passionate about tradition, sustainability, and want to care for their inheritance in a careful manner.

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BorgognoBaroloRiserva 1982DOCG

Once Andrea was done, the mic(s) were handed over to master sommeliers Armando Castagno and Paolo Lauciani.  I have a wine crush on Paolo Lauciani.  The man is sexy, and has the most incredible and demure voice.  Plus, he is a tasting genius.  That man can could decipher that type of herbs a cow ate just by smelling the cow’s manure.  Virtuoso!
I won’t make this post a long post on my tasting notes, but I would like to remark on the two wines of the evening that were my personal favorites, the 1982 and the 1961.  We tasted wines from 1996, 1988, 1982, 1978, 1967 and 1961.  Despite being up to 51 years old, all of these wines had beautiful orange garnet hues and remained fresh and had well integrated tannins.

Musky, chocolate, something green, forest aromas, mature red fruits, complex sweet aromas and spices like nutmeg, citrus, smokiness, pink roses, tobacco, chestnuts, cacao, candied fruits, over all a complex array of aromas ranging from fruits to spices.  Its taste was ethereal.  Dry and dynamic, bursting with flavor, still very fresh but mature, very well balanced, bitter citrus, long and smooth silky tannins, well integrated tannins, never ending fruity finish with a touch of salinity.  Remarkable smooth but robust tannins.  In the words of Paolo, “A Symphony.”

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Borgogno Barolo Riserva 1961DOCG

A lovely brick red.  Very evolved aromas of cherries and prunes, floral notes, salinity, tertiary aromas of menthol and balsamic notes, mint, camphor, juniper.  Very delicate, like a pinot noir.  No wood, fresh, honey aromas, almonds, dry red berries, something barnyard, like horse sweat (my favorite) It has surprisingly robust tannins, still very tactile and fresh, saline, warm and fruity.  Excellent evolution for a wine that is over 50 years old.  Wonderful.
www.antiquatours.com

Categories
Travel Tips

Great Books on Wine

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In the interests of keeping this blog going after a brief taco eating hiatus, I just wanted to share some of my favorite wine books that I think offer a lot for both the novice and expert

 Let me say, however, that I think the only way to ever really get to know wine is to actually drink it.  That being said, reading about wine from another’s perspective can really teach us a lot about what we do not already know and affirm what we do.

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The Wine Bible by Karen MacNeil is the book I most often use for research or to look something up. It is kind of like an encyclopedia except it is divided into regions. The introduction is essential reading for the beginners as it has tons of information on everything from history to winemaking to wine culture itself. I find myself coming back to the introduction over and over again. This book has been particularly helpful for me when I am researching non Italian winemaking regions. Anyone who studies wine knows that Burgundy is the greatest and most difficult wine area to understand, and this book has made that journey slightly less difficult. This book is more for reference than a page turner. Useful for any wine library.

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Great book for wine tasting basics

When I studied wine I studied in italiano so not only did I have to translate what I was learning into English, I had to study everything twice;  once in Italian and once in English to make sure everything sunk in.  I accumulated a million books on wine and tasting during my studies, and I would say at least 1/3 of them are on tasting.  Tasting seems pretty simple, right?  Look, smell and taste, wine tasting in a nutshell, right?  Wrong.  Wine tasting is complex and one has to acquire the skills for it and also a wine vocabulary to be able to articulate what one is experiencing while tasting.  How to Taste:  A Guide to Enjoying Wine by Jancis Robinson makes complexity much more inviting.  She has wonderful exercises to help anyone become a better tasting and to aid those who find finding the right words daunting when trying to articulate what exactly is that wonderful aroma?  This book is broken down into wine tasting basics with exercises not based on region but by major grape varietal.  I highly recommend.  
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I do not even know where to begin with this book.  It changed my life.  It threw me a wine curveball.  Alice Feiring faces the greatest enemy known to the world of wine and that is the industrialization/globalization and Parkerization of the world palate.  This globalization in wine has made winemakers make Bordeaux style wines in places that they were never made before.  She writes about authentic wines by weaving her own life experiences into a wonderful tale of mystery and intrigue.  This is not a reference book but an experience.  After I read this book I started doing my own research in wines.  I knew what wines I enjoyed and which I didn’t, and I began to question what was actually in my wines and how they were made.  This goes beyond the new fashion of organic grapes and biodynamic farming practices.  Authentic wines are wines that are the definition of terroir driven wines.  Wines I like.  I want to know the winemaker, the land, and I want the wine to tell a story.  Only, I wish I could tell a story as well as Ms. Feiring in The Battle for Wine and Love or How I Saved the World from Parkerization