Got my fill of Barbera d'Asti and some other little treats!

Got my fill of Barbera d’Asti and some other nice treats, thank you Castagnole delle Lanze for such an wonderful wine and food festival. One thing that I love about living in Italy are the festivals. Every town has their specialty, weather it be foods, wine, or even antiques. Every weekend there is something to do here and people travel from all over to partake in the freshest ingredients.

Last weekend was the Castagnole delle Lanze Barbera d’Asti festival and there were about 23 different producers strategically placed around the historic part of the town. With every producer was live music and a different type of food to pair with your wine. Which means I got to taste a lot of wine, and here are the greatest ones that I have tasted.

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Barroero Barbera d’Asti 2013 Azzurra; Marco is the winemaker and makes about 600 bottles a year. Super small high quality production. This wine was wonderful showing fruits of blackberries, plum, iron kind of like raw meat (something very typical of Barbera) had a great acidity and a long finish.

Four friends who had a love for sparking wine during an ongoing dream in enology school had decided to try making a sparking from this area’s most prized grape Nebbiolo. They call them selves Erpacrife for (Eric, Paolo, Cristian, and Federico), and they make a wonderfully dry sparking wine. I have always said if you have fish and chips this would be the perfect wine. What they have been able to show here is the power of the Nebbiolo’s acidity. The 2011 Erpacrife Nebbiolo was wonderful, pink grapefruit, peaches, white flowers. The color they have been able to maintain from the Nebbiolo is the color of an onionskin pink. The vineyard where they collect the grapes is in the area of Alba Madonna di Como and here their vineyards are located in this amphitheater where the climate is a bit cooler, helping to mature the Nebbiolo slower and also maintaining sugar levels lower and acidity levels higher.

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Gianni Doglia had a few things to try at his stand, and so I did! First I tasted the Grignolino 2015 strawberry, floral, a bit of tannins showing very rich in the mouth. Everyone in this area seems to be very happy with the 2015 vintage, making bigger, fruit driven wine. The Barbera s’Asti 2015 was the bomb. Black fruits, plum, pleasant acidity (lot less meaty quality than the 2013’s).

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Dogliotti 1870 as you can imagine there are many generations of winemaking going on in this house. It all started in Castiglione Tinella and not to long after had decided to move their production area to Castagnole delle Lanze where the winery and family are currently today. Barbera d’Asti 2014, elegant, linear, red fruit, and floral respect some other vintages, has a nice clean acidity.

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This festival is always a good time, and I will plan to go again next year. I just hope it does not rain.

Tocca a te Silvia Altare di Cantina Elio Altare

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Elio Altare 2006 Barolo Classico and the Barolo 2009 Cerretta

Elio Altare is a radical. He woke up one day with an idea to change the name and idea of Barolo once and for all, and well, he did. Barolo used to be known well it used to be not so well known or not known at all in the 1950’s, 60’s, until the mid to late 70’s early 80’s. Elio understood that there was something special about the Nebbiolo grape and something could be wonderful coming out of the Barolo wines. He one day packed up his bags and headed off in his (what is today) vintage Fiat 500, that was not in the best condition at the time.   His direction was France, Burgundy. After a long trip Elio finally arrives at a winery that he was familiar with. Elio parks next to the bright red Porsche and proceeds to the door to ask to have a tasting. A gentleman answers with a suitcase in hand, “Can I help you?” He asks. Elio “I would like to know if I could come to have a tour of the winery?” The reply from the Burgundian winemaker was “we are closed, it’s Friday afternoon and I have my Porsche parked outside ready to go to Nice where I plan to spend the weekend on my boat. “ After hearing this Elio was devastated, but also made him think if this winemaker can have a Porsche and a boat why can’t I?

After this trip he headed home to clean things up a bit. His idea was to modernize the winery to use barrique barrels instead of large botti. To ferment in stainless steel instead of wooden fermenters. To have the winery be sterile and not a mix of a chicken coop, tractor garage and ageing room.  In the middle of the night he would head out to the vineyards where he would for the first time in this area begin to cut off certain bunches of grapes to ensure that the ones hanging would ripen better and have more concentration. This today is called green harvest and is practiced in almost every winery. He would talk about his ideas to his friends and classmates and from this started a gang of modernists called today the Barolo Boys.

Since the year 2000 Elio’s daughter Silvia has been looking after the winery. I think today she has gained full responsibility of the winery as he has a few other projects he has been looking after. I think that Silvia has some big shoes to fill, and I think that she is doing a great job. She is charming, charismatic, and full of passion and excitement for what she is producing. If you are in the area or if she is in your area you should really go to visit her and chat a bit.

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I recently had the chance to work beside Silvia at a tasting in Trieste. It is funny because working in a winery really the only time we get to see our neighbors is when we attend tasting events. So I tasted her line up, the 2011 Barolo I have to tell you a lot of the 11’s are drinking great now and this was one of them. Fresh, fruity, elegant, with soft ripe tannins, this bottle would not last long in my house.

The 2009 Barolo Cerretta, this is coming from a vineyard located in Serralunga d’Alba. An area known to make stronger wines, on this wine I got a lot of darker fruits, tobacco, and even truffles. The tannins were well intergraded and they had a bit more presence than the 2011. Which is good because I like a lot the tannins I have tasted in the 2009’s, they are a bit more nervous.

Lastly was the Barolo 2006 Classico, which is a blend of three communes in Barolo. This one rocked the house and could have been my overall favorite from the whole tasting! This 2006 showed very young for being 10 years, it had all the classic Nebbiolo nuances, the red cherries, dried rose pedals, leather, tar, and almond oil. The tannins are soft and elegant and displays great this important classic vintage.

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Bartolo Mascarello - The last of the Mohicans

Maria Teresa the steward of noble tradition, the one who bares the torch of the family crest and one who believes in continuing to make a wine the same way her father Bartolo made, the same way her grandfather Giulio made. 

Following in her families foot steps Maria Teresa makes her Barolo coming from the same prized vineyards as did her father and grandfather; Cannubi, San Lorenzo, Ruè, and Rocche. Where once these vineyards were mentioned on their famous Barolo label, since the new laws placed in 2010 the vineyard names could no longer be mentioned anywhere on the label nor on any other information space. Luckily I can put them here for you. 

Maintaining her families traditions, Bartolo Mascarello winery works with only red varietals coming from the Langhe area. The grapes in which they work with are Dolcetto, Barbera, Freisa, and Nebbiolo. The Freisa grape is something special to the area as some might argue that it is origin is taken from Asti/Monferrato or Chieri, but it is gaining popularity also in the Langhe. 

With all of this talk about how Maria Teresa is keeping her father’s tradition, it is also to be said that she herself has her own mark in the wines she produces today. Yes she is continuing on with the families traditions and the same skills that were passed down to her, but like every winery when it is time to change hands you clearly see a woman’s touch in her wines. What was once big brooding Barolo of her fathers’ has now an elegance and curvature to it. 

Giuseppe Rinaldi - The heart of Barolo

I’m sure if you hear the name Rinaldi you think of Beppe “Citrico” the man who stuck to his guns and kept up with making a traditntal wine, like his father, like his grandfather. But, of course with a little bit of a “Beppe” twist. Typically Barolo was always a blend of vineyards, it was never, up until the 1960’s a single vineyard expression. The wine was as the famers would always hold many different plots of land and sometimes not in their commune but the surrounding ones, a blend of those vineyards. This would bring to the wine its complexity, as the soil structures are so diverse you could have a wine both with complexity and elegance. Beppe had his own way to show these traits, he decided keeping with tradition to blend vineyards but to choose which ones would be blended together, thus making two Barolo wines. One Brunate - Le Coste (Brunate) and the other Cannubi San Lorenzo - Ravera (Tre Tine). The names in parentheses are the new names given to these wines when they passed a law in 2010 stating that only one vineyard name could be placed on the label, and inside that wine must be 85% coming from that named vineyard. 

Just as his name “Citrico” means acidic, Beppe was one with quite a strong straight forward personality, kind of like his wines. Beppe states his philosophy this way: “I don’t want a wine that pleases easily ... when someone says I like it or I don’t like it and that’s it”, he told The Art of Eating’s Edward Behr in 2000. Beppe wants Barolo that is “austere, severe, that demands research. It takes time. You have to study, to think, to understand, like all of art. It isn’t simple but complex; it doesn’t please right away. It’s the opposite of a mass-produced product. It has angles, not curves. It’s not easy. A good Barolo ... is adapted to long aging.” 

Having had the pleasure to enjoy some dinners amongst the company of Beppe as well as other colleagues/friends, I can attest to his above quote. When it was time for him to open his wines at the dinner table, I can recall, it was a 1998 magnum of Barolo Brunate, the label was not their typical label you will find on the wine shop shelves, but a manilla paper hand written label, with a piece of string tied around the bottles neck. This bottle was coming from his private stash to share with us that evening. While I was filled with the “someone pinch me” sitting at a table with one of Barolo’s most sought after producers having a rare opportunity to enjoy a glass of their wines, I recall even today (years later) the intense aromas of dried rose, tea leaf, and tar and could have happily sat there all night pondering over this glass of wine. 

Today the winery is run by Beppe’s two daughters; Marta and Carlotta, who are continuing in the footsteps of their farther. Marta oversees most of the winemaking part while her sister Carlotta looks after the vineyards. 

The Harvest Report 2012 - Should I stay or should I go??

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Harvest work didn't scare me away as now it is my first official year here in Piedmont. I came in 2011 to work harvest but had arrived in the end of August. In 2012 I was here during the summer months and got to see the year build up. The vintage 2012 was a big year for me I got married, I moved out of the country, and I got my first foreign speaking job. Mind you I did not speak very good Italian but it was helpful when finding a job that my English is pretty good. I had in mind to work in a tasting room tasting and educating guests on Piedmont and even more on Barolo and Barbaresco. My first job-seeking stop was a hit, I drove up the steep driveway to Brezza knocked on the office door and luckily there was Enzo Brezza in the office, by himself, and not on the phone (nor did the phone ring during our meeting). In my super broken Italian I asked if he was looking for some help in the tasting room and he kindly invited me in to the office and then for a tour in the cellar. At the end of his explanations of the winery he asked me if I could start the day after. Of course I agreed. I went home super pumped, and so it began.

That summer as I remember it, in Neive it was super hot during the day the temperature was between 35-40, I remember like it was yesterday I was wearing my blue dress talking to my mom on the phone telling her that I have never been so hot in my life I was suffocating.   Then September came finally, and so did the rain. It hailed a few times in Barolo damaging a good amount of the fruit in some of our vineyards. But the rain never seemed to halt. I remember Enzo pacing back and forth in the office rubbing his head every time he walked toward the window and saw that it was still raining.   Finiamo questa vendemmia, mai. “We will never finish this harvest”, he would say in a worried tone to me. “We cannot harvest during the rain, we need to wait at least a day for the grapes to dry off before we can start to harvest, and if this rain does not stop and the sun does not come out we could also have problems with mold.” The sun did not come out, the rain did not stop, and every once in a while we would have a surprise of hail. In the end we did finish. We finished the harvest late.

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We fermented and kept separate our vineyards of Barolo and had aged them like we normally would. Enzo would come into the office every once in a while after tasting the barrels and would say “I don’t know if we are going to make cru Barolo for this vintage I might just blend the vineyards together and make a Classic Barolo.” So we waited until August 2015 when we decided to bottle. Normally before we bottle Enzo will set up numbered glasses for me to taste and give him my opinion. When I started to taste through the 2012 I was completely blown away by the elegance and the sweet Nebbiolo fruit that hit my tongue. At the end the Nebbiolo in this vintage turned out to be spectacular, power with elegance and a real great expression of the terrior, tasting the lineup today you really get a feeling of a classic vintage a bit more of the sensations of a cooler year. I see a great potential for these wines and I think that they will have the age ability of the 2010’s but will be able to be enjoyed younger, thanks to that great fruit.

Enjoy!

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Giuseppe Cortese - Elegance in Rabajà

Giuseppe Cortese Rabajà

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Giusepps Cortese as far as I can remember has always had a good name.  It has been recently that I have been taking more notice to the exceptional quality and dangerous drinkability of these wines. On several occasions both the judging panel and I have been completely wowed by how amazing these wines are showing.

The story goes that from the mid 1800’s the Cortese family has been farming the land in the vineyard Rabajà growing grapes to sell off to other wine producers. During that time they did not have the means to make wine themselves. It was in 1971 when Giuseppe decided to produce wine himself from his high quality grapes. The winery is run today by Giuseppe’s children Pier Carlo, Tiziana, and the gentleman I see quite often Gabriele, but it turns out you sometimes will still find Giuseppe working in the vineyards.

The vineyard Rabajà is located right in the heart of Barbaresco, with it’s calcareous soil and south western exposure is a great place for the difficult Nebbiolo grape too grow. There are a few key producers who have holdings in this wonderful vineyard and we will talk about those later on.

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The most recent wine that I have tasted was the Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà 2008.  Their reserva’s go above and beyond the minimal ageing requirements for Barbaresco Riserva. They age their reserva’s for 3 years and 3 months in barrel and then another 3 years minimum in bottle. So when the wine is released it is almost ready to be consumed. Nebbiolo likes about 3 to 5 years in bottle before consumption. This 2008 was showing amazingly, I really enjoy the friendliness of the 2008 vintage. It has a sweet tannin and great fruit, fresh red berries, sweet tobacco, and some candied orange peel. The finish was long and the tannins were just lovely. When a Nebbiolo wine shows like this for me it is my favorite, it’s like heaven.

A few months before now I went to have an aperitivo with a good friend and we just so happened to see a bottle of their 2004 Barbaresco Riserva Rabajà and we said, why not? I can tell you that bottle between the two of us did not last too long. I might be sounding a bit like a lush but when a wine is really good even for the people who don’t like to drink too much, it drinks quite quickly. It was a complete painting of how the 2004 vintage turned out. How the vineyards basked in the perfect weather conditions the slight breeze on a foggy morning in the autum, all of this was present in the glass. Sweet tobacco, violets, and autumn undergrowth.

Malvira’ Roero 2004 Superiore Trinita’

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Thanks to the great reputation Malvira’ has given to the Roero region. Today we are going to talk a little bit about a region not so well known. Roero is the region located on the left side of the river Tanaro where the Langhe is on the right. As history has it the Roero used to be more famous for it’s fruit and nut production than its wines. Here the soil is much younger than the Langhe and as a matter of fact when the Langhe was under water about 10 million years ago Roero was its sandy beach. Today things have changed and tasting some of the Malvira’ wines you understand the importance Roero plays not only for the white grape Arneis but also for the Nebbiolo grape.

Malvira’ is a 3 generation family run winery located in Canale the heart of Roero. The two brothers Massimo and Roberto are the main force behind the Malvira’ winery and are doing a fantastic job. They have the winery, a restaurant, and a hotel all nestled in their vineyards. Their vineyards Trinita’ is composed of 14 hectare facing south southwest, of which they grown several different grape varietals. The vineyard name has derived from a small church located on the property SS. Trinita’.

The vintage 2004 for many critics, enthusiasts, and journalists was a life-changing vintage. Very “classic” a wine that is best to be aged. However after talking with Massimo about the vintage he had mentioned that in the Roero a lot of their vineyards were struck by hail all except the Trinita’. And a relief at that, this wine was wonderful, it had a lot of elegance to it the tannins from this wine remained soft and subtle. There were the classic notes of Nebbiolo fresh red cherries, licorice, and mint. This wine for me was showing wonderful but also said that it could age another 10 years easily. If you have not had the chance to taste a Nebbiolo from Roero I highly recommend doing so. Also a note: that the Roero wines you can drink a bit younger because that sandy soils help to make more elegant right from the start. Enjoy!

Sometimes you just need a cocktail

Living in the Langhe can sometimes make you all wined out. And trust me after a long day of tasting wine sometimes you need a drink.

Here are some of my favorite cocktail bars and what to drink.

Manhattan:

Coming from the homeland of the perfect Manhattan, I find a lot of Italian bars just don’t know how to do it right. Could be the resources I mean here we don’t get a choice of 50 different small batch Bourbons and if you ask for a Rye Whiskey be prepared for a funny look.

Cocktail and Dreams: Castagnole delle Lanze (AT) - Via Roma 9

Tel: +39 338/7485745

The owner of this bar won an international cocktail competition and can shake up some wonderful things other than just a Manhatten.

Moscow Mule:

In summertime this drink is my all time favorite, it’s cold refreshing and uplifting. When I first arrived to Piemonte 5 years ago no one had heard of it, and let me tell you it was very difficult time for me. I mean, I had to drive over an hour to find ginger beer. Today there are a few key places that make this libation and the results are how I remember them back home.

Aromatario: Neive (CN) - Piazza Negro 4

Tel: +39 0173/677206

The bartender here worked for a hot minute some of the top bar/restaurants in London and has brought back to Italy a few tricks.

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Negroni:

This Italian classic is not always easy to find. A well balanced one that is.

The bar that I am going to talk about is my hands down favorite bar in this area. They are located in Santo Stefano Belbo and really you cannot go wrong with what you order, from the beer to the wine to the cocktails. Everything they have on their list is just wonderful and the brothers who own it are a riot!

 Bar Roma: Santo Stefano Belbo (CN) - Via Roma 16

Tel: +39 0141/844252

                        p.s. ask them about their Moscow Mule it’s also fantastic

Gin Tonic:

The English love Italian wine and the Italians love English Gin. The Italians love Gin period. Many of them today are making it a passion to collect as many different Gins they can find. Sometimes they even ask their friends to bring some bottles back for them from their travels.

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Degusto: Neive (CN) - Via Cocito 7

Tel: +39 0173/67380

Really if you come to Neive you don’t have to leave there is plenty of wonderful things to do here.

Soda: Alba (CN) - Corso Italia 6

Tel: 346/5938838

This is a vegetarian restaurant where the owner worked and lived for a few years in Santa Monica California and has taken his knowledge of interesting foods and passion for Gin here to the Langhe.

Wine Stories: Again in Castagnole delle Lanze (AT) - Via Ener Bettica 2

Tel: +39 0141/1766381

The owner of this restaurant is half Italian from Castagnole Lanze and half English. He grew up in London and has worked at some of the top restaurants in the city. This quaint little place has a wonderful patio where you can sit and enjoy your beverage.

La Caudrina and the return of Asti Spumante

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La Selvatica Asti Spumante

I possibly cannot stress as to how important the grape Moscato is. I mean in Italy is one of the oldest varietals, in Piedmont alone has been growing since the 1300’s, and also they have discovered some of its mutations include Chardonnay and Chasselas. Pretty cool huh? They have also found that the molecules in Moscato are responsible for the aromas and flavors that you will also find in Pineapple, honey, and sage.

On to taste some Moscato, come on don’t make that face. Living in Piemonte where it is very important to finish a meal with Moscato, I now have really come to appreciate this wine/grape. It is amazing how the aromatics of Moscato when you eat the grape and taste then the semi sweet sparking wines from Asti (Moscato d’Asti or Asti Spumante) you understand exactly how wonderful this grape varietal really is. Even the grappa made from Moscato is much more enjoyable thanks to these aromatics.

The Dogliotti family two generations of wine making but have been Moscato farmers for many more generations, are the kindest, most generous, and loudest people that I know. They are real Piedmontiés. And the wines that they make and the grapes that the family harvests are an important piece of Piedmont history and culture. I have been tasting a lot of Asti Spumante and Moscato d’Asti around these parts and I cannot say enough that hands down my favorite wines are from La Caudrina. Every year they have such a wonderful expression of the fruit, the acidity is bright and the wine is dangerously gulpable. Good thing it only has a max of 7% alcohol!

La Selvatica is taking it’s name from “the wild” would be it’s direct translation. They came up with this name for the wine because there once was an abandond cascina where their winery is today. This cascina had “wild” moscato growing all around it. By wild could be that it looked like it was a jungle because it was coming from a vineyard that had been abandoned. The woman on the label is one of Romano Levi's drawings (La donna selvatica).  I will talk about him and his importance another day.

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Here I come Fratelli Alessandria

Fratelli Alessandria Verduno Pelaverga “Speziale” 2014

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I have driven by this winery many times. It is located in the heart of the town Verduno, but I have never stopped by. This year it will be on my “to do” list. After having done a little bit of research on this winery it seems as thought they have been making wine since the 19th century and have been making it well, so well that they have received two medals one from King Carlo Alberto and the other from Count Camillo Benso from Cavour. This says a lot because one: the King Carlo Alberto loved his Nebbiolo and Barolo but most of what he drank as the story goes, was wine from the town Barolo given to him from the Marchesa (a female Nobile Giulia Falletti di Barolo who was very passionate about her Nebbiolo so much so that she gave the name Barolo to this wine). So the fact that Carlo Alberto was also enjoying Barolo from Verduno is also pretty good. Another thing is that the King every once in a while enjoyed a glass of Pelaverga.

Pelaverga has two different varietals one which is believed to be the original varietal grown in the north around Torino (Saluzzo) is called Pelaverga Grosso. As you can imagine the berries of this varietal are larger with respect to the better-known Pelaverga Piccolo (small). And story has it that the Pelaverga Piccolo was brought to Verduno in the 18th century by Sebastiano Valfre’.   A genetic study has shown that actually these two varietals are not related in any way. I’m thinking because both varietals have similar characteristics in the glass and act the same in the vineyards that they were thought to be related.

The Fratelli Alessandria has given to their Pelavera the name Speziale. This in Italian is a play on words it has double meaning bother spices and special or “especially spicy”. This wine took a while to really open up to its full potential but I blame that a bit of the vintage, 2014 was not the easiest year to produce wine. Once it did open up, this wine then showed all the signature characteristics of a Verduno Pelavera. Strawberry fruits, fragrant flowers, and that hint of peppery spice. I am very excited to taste their 2015 once it has been released and get a chance to visit their winery and meet the family.

The Queen of Barolo Chiara Boschis

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Girl Power!!! Chiara was a woman before her time, and she has not stopped being a pioneer for the Barolo area. Chiara was born to a great wine making family in the heart of Barolo, Borgogno. As she was the only daughter amongst her brothers, being in charge of the family winery unfortunately was not in her destiny. Growing up amongst the boys, one thing is for sure that Chiara did not miss out on was the courage to take action at a young age. While convincing her father to help her acquire the winery E. Pira right down the cobble stone road from the family winery in Barolo. The late owners of whom were all women, was a place meant for Chiara. Chiara was grated the possibility to purchase the winery E. Pira under one condition, that she kept the family name and their crest on her labels so their legacy still can live on. So she did and she also added her name Chiara Boschis to let people know it was her who was making the wine. 

Chiara alongside Elio Altare and Domenico Clerico were some of the first people to change how the world looks at Barolo. She was part of a group of youngsters who were “shaking up” the Barolo area. Brining in clean winemaking methods, as well as using techniques new to the area. From this they were then called the “Barolo Boys” as it was a group of young men and Chiara. 

If you are lucky enough to bump into Chiara, to have the opportunity to sit and chat with her, the stories and her understanding of the vineyard and also the life of the wine are incredible. She is a wealth of knowledge and also is one of the first people in the area of Barolo to start to believe and work in an organic way. She believes in the future and to do so you must take care of what you have now in order to give something to the next generation. Chiara Boschis is an inspiration to women in the area as well as being a forward thinker to the evolution of the area. 

E. Pira Chiara Boschis

Barolo 2002 Cuvee Chiara

This was a gift from Chiara, and a very good one at that!

I have to say it has been fun that we have been tasting some difficult vintages lately because it helps to show who can swim and who will sink. Chiara in 2002 was the wine of the night and as the judging panel had said that hands down from the Piedmont area the Cuvee Chiara 2002 was the best 2002 they have ever had. Now we are tasting this wine in 2016 giving it 14 years of age. This says a lot for a wine who had such a hard vintage, with all the rain and particularly hail in the Barolo area a lot of producers didn’t even think or have the courage to make a Barolo in that year.

Right from the start, this wine was fresh super fresh, black fruits, herbs, chocolate. In tasting the finish lingered on the pallet and the tannins were again right there, fresh, clean. WOW! As it continued to sit in the bottle the wine continued to get better. It was too bad that we didn’t wait another 5 years because this wine really had the potential to continue to age wonderfully.   And what a surprise that would have been. Thank you Chiara.

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Easy Breezy Brezza

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Brezza Giacomo e figli Barolo 2003 Cannubi

Not many people can say that they get to work by the side of an important wine maker. I can. I have been working with Enzo Brezza and his family for the past 4 years, and I can say that I have learned a LOT. It has been an honor to watch first hand the thought and detail that goes into every bottle, be able to taste frequently from the barrel, put in my opinion and help out whenever needed. It also has been wonderful to get all the secrets and hear the stories and unwritten history about Langhe. These stories I will fill you in on later posts.

Brezza is for sure arm wrestling with whom is the oldest winery in the town of Barolo. They might not be the first, but they are one that holds quite a bit of history for themselves. 

Enzo the 4th generation winemaker, tho he had hopes one day to become a pilot was brought back to the ground when he took over the family business from his father Oreste in the 1980’s. Oreste, Enzo’s farther is know far and wide for his wit and Cavalier mustache taken from the antique pictures you will see hanging on the walls in the castle of Barolo representing the time of the Savoy family. There is some fierce competition of who has the better stache. One of his famous quotes when asked how long you can age a Barolo for? The reply at 84 “I’ll let you know when I’m dead.” He still drinks two glasses a day and does not look a day over 62. 

Today Brezza holds some of Barolo’s most sought after crus and displays a great deal of the importance of terroir in their wines. You can sit down to a tasting and taste their 3 Barolo cru, all made in the same way and feel and get pick up the subtle nuances of each of the vineyards. This is where the Langhe soils get interesting, you have 3 vineyards right next to each other and you get 3 different wines. 

Cannubi is probably the most famous MGA (menzioni geografiche aggiuntive) in the Langhe. This is likely because it has the most history, it could actually be the first planted vineyard in Barolo. The name on paper dates back to a bottle of Nebbiolo coming from Cannubi (Cannubio) in 1752. This is 100 years before the name of Barolo (not the town but the wine). So that means that the farmers and locals knew that Cannubi was something special. Was it the positioning? Could be because Nebbiolo a very hard grape to grow due to it’s long ripening season ripened much better on this hill. It is the first one to bud and the last one to be picked, and back in those days the contadini (farmers) were harvesting their Nebbiolo in November. Today for example we harvest more in October. The soil in Cannubi is made up of Sant’Agata Fossil Marl and Diano Sandstone, these soil structures are very poor and thus making it wonderful for grape production.

The 2003 vintage was a record breaker of all sorts. It was one of the hottest vintages in all time. You ask why on earth would I be interested to taste a hot vintage wine one you would think is not meant for ageing and now being 15 years old? Because even in the toughest vintages great winemakers will stand out. It is a sink or swim vintage and I think that Brezza Cannubi 2003 is still fresh and lively. Never judge a wine by it’s vintage, and here on the nose it is like to walk into a pastry shop. The sweetness of powdered sugar and candied fruit are in the air. You still have the nuances of violets and rose. On the pallet the finish almost never ends. Tobacco, chocolate, and dried orange peel yet it is fresh, the acidity is vibrant and it does not seem tiered it still has the potential for another 10 years. Cannot wait to taste it then.

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Visiting Piedmont the Rough Guide

by: Amanda

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First things first! You must realize that there is so much to see and do in Piedmont that it could literally take a lifetime to see, eat, drink, and do it all. From the history, to the food, and the wine (I’m talking like hundreds if not thousands of wineries to visit and the amount of great restaurants is endless. I mean I have been here for 5 years and still have a list a mile long.) It can be daunting and if you are in a rush to see and do as much as humanly possible I would consider looking into hiring a private guide.

This is good, why?

1. Having a driver for the day who knows the area, this way you can relax, enjoy, and maybe eat and drink a little more than if you were driving.

2. Someone who will be able to give you an full day education of the history, the traditional foods and the culture

3. Someone who will can give you the breakdown between the beloved Barolo and Barbaresco regions

4. English is seldom spoken here so to have someone who speaks English and can communicate with the locals for you is a big help.

5. If you are planning to buy wine at the wineries and Enoteche your guide will be able to help you with shipping the wine back home for you.

If you are a wine lover and coming to explore the Nebbiolo grape I would consider spending at least one day to visit the region Barbaresco and at least one if not two days in Barolo. Make sure to do some homework and chose a few wineries beforehand to visit from a couple of the different towns. Keep in mind not to pack tight you schedule and to leave plenty of time in-between to take pictures, getting lost, and if you are really jiving with the winemaker that the tasting might take longer than anticipated. Like they might invite you to have lunch at their house. With that said normally a winery visit is about 1.5 hours or longer and no one is open during the sacred hours of lunch (noon till 2pm). One thing that is very important is to make sure that you make a reservation for your visit ahead of time. In Piedmont almost all of the wineries are small family run, and more often than not are located in their home. They want to have visitors and love when you come from all over the world to visit but respect and etiquette is important.  Some do’s and don’t: Do taste all the wines they would like to show you. Don’t say no I only want to taste this. You never know you might like more the wine you were going to pass on. Do ask if there is a tasting fee. A lot of wineries are starting to ask a fee to help with the costs of the bottles being opened. However a lot of places will wave that fee if wine is purchased, it’s a good excuse to bring home some bottles. If you like a wine and would like to retest a wine: Do ask for another taste. Don’t pick up the bottle and pour yourself.

Some recommendations of places I have visited and have found to be very accommodating and interesting. In the village of Barbaresco a visit at the historical Produttori del Barbaresco. This winery is important because it is one of the oldest running cooperatives in this area.

In Neive the neighboring town to Barbaresco and the largest producing area in the DOC I would recommend to take a visit a Pier Busso located in the heart of the Albesani vineyard. Great people and even better wines!

If you have time for a visit to Treiso where in my opinion the views from this village on a clear day are the most spectacular, have a visit a Ca’ del Baio another slam-dunk with the wines.

Now when we start to talk about Barolo a whole lot of things have just got that much more complicated. I know right. Barolo the king of wines, the wine for kings this phrase originated from the king of Savoia Vittorio Emmanuele II who just loved his glass of Barolo. Now I recommend in order to get the most out of Barolo you need at least 2 days to explore the 11 villages that make up this magical place.

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If you just have time for the greatest hits, the must visit villages are Serralunga d’Alba, this range of hills makes up an era of soil structure dating back over 10 million years. What this means, it is the oldest soil structure that makes up the Barolo area. This soil structure makes the wines from this area very complex, more tannic, and better for aging. A winery I recommend to visit Pira Luigi typically how they start their tour is on their balcony overlooking their 3 main vineyards Vigna Marenca, Vign Arionda, and Vigna Margheria. This is good to be able to see the different exposures talk about the minor differences in the soil and the microclimates.

Monforte d’Alba a majority of the more famous wineries come from this little hill top village. Monforte is not the highest area in Barolo but it is the steepest incline. A must visit winery is Conterno Fantino located in the Ginestra vineyard, right on the top. The view from the tasting room is breath taking; also the winery is really something to see.

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In Barolo you are in the heart of the Barolo area and some of the wineries here are the oldest. Barolo is where you really want to visit one of the traditionalists and one that still today remains the last of the Mohicans is Bartolo Mascarello Maria Teresa is an absolutely passionate and respectful of her family traditions and the great wines that make Barolo what it is today. Here you will be able to really see the original side to Barolo.

Then there is La Morra the highest area in Barolo I highly recommend to visit this town last because if you go to the top of the village there is a view point and a map that shows all the towns you have visited in both Barolo, Barbaresco and some of Roero. The winery to visit would be Elio Altare. This visit with his daughter Silvia will be completely different to the traditional style Baroloistas. Elio is the mind behind the modernist movement here in the Langhe, and the story that his daughter Silvia tells is just captivating. Silvia has some pretty big shoes to fill but I think she is doing a great job, her energy and enthusiasm for what she is doing you can really see in the wines they are outstanding and the whole visit is just a great experience.

If you need any other pointers or help planning your trip please feel free to contact me.  Buon viaggio!

La Spinetta does it Again

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Barbaresco 2012 Valeirano

This was the other most talked about wine of the night Christmas Eve. La Spinetta as a winery has a very interesting history (more to come). Giorgio Rivetti was one of the founding fathers for the “modernist movement” here in the Langhe region. There was a gang of youngsters in Langhe who were thinking of bigger and better things to happen within these two regions Barolo and Barbaresco. They were young and restless, they traveled all over the world to learn the techniques from other wine regions to then bring back to the Langa and break the tradition of wine making and the way people look at Nebbiolo today.

I must say in my experience with La Spinetta their wines have always been strong, brooding, and powerful just like their label (the rhinoceros). A wine you would typically want to give some time. However I was surprised and yes I happily had another glass of the 2012. There was so much finesse, fruit, silky tanning that this wine was almost gulp able. And who doesn’t want a wine that good? I am very much looking forward to trying the other 2012 cru’s.

Valeirano for me and also almost all of the wine making team at La Spinetta is the favorite of the single vineyards. Located in Treiso (one of the 4 villages of Barbaresco) and not so well known, Treiso has the highest altitude in the area and the soil in Treiso can range from an iron rich red clay to calcareous soils, making for much more structure, body, and force.

Oddero made the night!

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Barolo 2007 Bussia Soprana Vigna Monoca

The holders of history. Within the walls of their 18th century farmhouse, you will find lots of treasures. From antique plates representing the fruits of the forests given as gifts to the happy customers at the end of their meal as a kind reminder from restaurants visited. To old silk weaving looms, to the heavy tools made out of wood for the winemaking processes. They even are in competition for who has the largest and oldest barrels in Barolo. 

The Oddero family history goes back to the 18th century, today the winery is run by Giacomo, Cristina, Isabella, and Pietro. This fantastic family holds some of Barolo’s most prized vineyards in many of its communes. It was thanks to their grandfather Giacomo who had the foresight of the quality of the land in Langhe, but it did not stop at just the wine, he recognized the quality in the cheese, hazelnuts, as well as the truffles that the sedimentary soils of the Langhe provided. To help protect these prized treasures he created a Center for Alba Truffle Studies.  Giacomo had the want and good intent to invest in vineyards every chance they could. From his decisions of quality and investment has brought a great reputation of quality to the Oddero family’s wines. 

If you are lucky enough to have the chance to visit at this beautiful Langhe country house you have the opportunity to taste Barolo from La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, Verduno, Monforte d’Alba, and Castiglione Falletto.

Always focusing on quality first you can feel the importance in all of their wines. 

Bussia Sporana is a vineyard located in the area of Monforte d’Alba, this vineyard name you will find on many labels but who is responsible for making it famous is Poderi Aldo Conterno. In Monforte they were not afraid to make some of their cru’s out of site gigantic so the sub classification of Soprana (meaning top) and Vigna Monoca helping to give it some place on the map.

This bottle was going to be served at Christmas and I needed something special and it was one of the two top wines of the night (the other I will write later). With the help of Marta who convinced me that the 2007 was exactly the vintage and wine that would be best for such an occasion. I took the risk, typically I'm not a huge fan of 2007 vintage the wines tend to be a bit flabby and over ripe. However not in this case the wine was fresh, tannins were present but not overpowering, with hints of tobacco and chocolate. Made for the wine of the night and my guests seemed to be very pleased!!

Barolo and Barbaresco: what are the differences?

The Barolo and Barbaresco wines both take its names from the villages of Barolo and Barbaresco, where they are produced using Nebbiolo grapes. Nebbiolo is an Italian wine grape variety and its name derives from the word "nebbia" (fog), due to the intense fog in the Langhe region during the harvest. The history of the Barolo and Barbaresco wine is the first difference between those typical Langhe's wines: while Barbaresco requires a minimum of 2 years storage, the Barolo wine is released after 3 years of storage. The aging of the wine reduces the tannins in the wine and enriches the flavor, so the Barolo wine requires a longer aging process due to the higher level of tannins.

The chemical difference between Barolo and Barbaresco, despite the same grape variety used for the production, is due to the difference of the soil between the area of Barolo and the area of Barbaresco. While the lime contained in the soil of both Barolo and Barbaresco is alkaline (high pH), the soil in barbaresco has more nutrients and the wine produces less tannins and tastes differently on the mid-palate.

Named after the noblewoman "Marchesa di Barolo", the Barolo wine has been produced since the 1850's and both its color and taste changed a lot during the years, partly due to the changing of climate and also the technology in the wineries helping to make these products cleaner, and also more approachable at younger ages. The Barbaresco wine is 50 years younger (the first production is dated 1894).

Leave time for lunch.

by: Amanda

In many societies today I hear more and more people talking about how their jobs are so demanding that they only have time to quickly grab something from the kiosk parked right outside their office to bring back to their desk so they can eat while they are working. Fast paced life has people now eating and drinking on the go. Gigantic coffee mug in the car on the way to work, no good. The more convenient this world is becoming the time to escape from the everyday stress is become harder to separate from, great example smart phones. The most important thing people are quickly forgetting is the importance around the dinner table. When there is a meal to share this table will bring people together, this table entices conversations for people to take a few hours out of their day to interact with their friends and families. This table is like an Island away from the stress of everyday, and is quickly being forgotten. This table is something very important to Italian lifestyle and no matter how much the world is changing this Island will always bring people together to enjoy the time spent together, a glass of wine, and something wonderful to eat.

When you come to Piemonte one thing that must be respected is the time for lunch. Your body needs to be replenished, nourished and at lunchtime is the perfect time to do so. Piemonte has a culture of the locals stopping their workday around noon, sometimes a group from work will plan to go to have lunch together at the local Trattoria or Osteria and there they will sit and enjoy until they need to be back to work around 2pm. Typically this lunch will consist of a glass of wine, a starter followed by a plate of homemade pasta. Nothing fancy but just enough time to relax, socialize, and get away from some everyday stress.

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When you come to Piemonte here the home of Slow Food movement, the movement that has helped to preserve some of the food traditions that were in danger of going extinct. You come to a place that understands patience, has less stress, and knows how to enjoy the better things in life. I must admit here in Piedmont you eat very well. We actually say amongst each other that, it is hard to find a place to eat that is not good. With that said some of my favorite dishes from the area are: Vitello Tonnato thinly sliced roast beef with a mayo-tuna sauce. I know this combination sound weird but I swear once you try it you will be craving it when you return back home. Pepperoni ripieni con salsica di Bra, roasted peppers filled with sausage from Bra, the sausage from Bra is a specialty around this area. Made from 100% veal and specially seasoned with spices this sausage is typically eaten raw. Cipiola Ripiena this is a baked in salt whole onion that they take and hollow out add cheese and typically sausage to the onion, mash it all up then put it back into the onion skin. So good. Pasta Agnilotti del Plin a hand pinched small ravioli filled with a mixture of meats and green vegetables. The sauce for these ravioli typically are a butter and sage or the jus from the roasted meat. Tajarin, this is Piemontese for Tagliatele a hand cut pasta made with eggs. Typically for every kilo of flour you use you will need 40 egg yolks for this dough. The sauces for this pasta are either a sausage ragu or butter and freshly shaved white truffle. Yum! The beef here is a special breed called Fassone, that does not tend to get fatty. So you can easily eat it raw or when you sear a steak medium rare you can cut through it like butter.   Just some salt and oil and that’s it. Save room for dessert because when you get a fresh Panna Cotta there really is nothing like it.

While you are here you might as well tuck yourself in for a nice meal, some good company, and of course some excellent wines.  A short list of some of my favorite places to eat the foods I have mentioned earlier are:

Osteria I Rebbi - Monforte d’Alba

Osteria Veglio - La Morra

La Cantinetta – Barolo

Trattoria dei Bercau – Verduno

Osteria dell’Arco – Alba

Degusto – Neive

Ristorante Repubblica di Perno – Monforte d’Alba

Ristorante Casina Collavini – Costigliole d’Asti

You will probably find me at one of these places on my lunch break!

If you would like to make some of these traditional dishes at home you can look at Gianni's cooking blog at DoSomethingGood

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Typical Italian food: Insalata Russa

Insalata Russa

5-6 medium carrots, cut into dice

5-6 medium waxy potatoes, cut into dice

500g/16 oz frozen peas

100g/3.5 oz Tunna 

400-550g /14-16 oz mayonnaise

Steam carrots, potatoes and peas, each separately, until tender but still firm, usually about 5-8 minutes. Make sure to salt the water in the bottom of your steamer generously. Do not let the vegetables overcook. As each vegetable is done, put it in a colander to drain and cool. Taste the vegetables for seasoning and sprinkle with a bit of salt if you think they need it.

Add all the vegetables to a large mixing bowl. Add the mayonnaise and fold it into the vegetables until each bit is well covered. Add more mayonnaise if it seems a bit dry, but take care not to ‘drown’ them.

Line a mold just large enough to contain your salad with clear plastic wrap (cling film) and then add the salad, pressing it down into the mold so as not to leave any holes. Close up the top with any wrap hanging from the rim of the mold. Place the mold in the fridge for a couple of hours (or  more) to firm up. (This will allow the salad to hold its shape.)

Typical Italian Food Arancini - simply the best Sicilian street food

by: Amanda

Because you can never have too many, this recipe makes 18 or 20 bite sized

Having an Italian around the house is always helpful when having to whip up pasta or make risotto. So here is Gianni’s tips and tricks to making the best Italian rice.

For the rice:

1 kg or 2 pounds Italian Rice (arborio, carnaroli, roma, risotto di vialone nano)

2 liter or 8 cups vegetable broth

Saffron (optional)

For the filling you will need:

2 cups Ragù or my Bolognese 

1/2 cup provola cheese chopped into small pieces if you cannot find provola, provolone or mozzarella is fine too

if you would like some peas like a half a cup mixed into the ragù 

For the egg wash

4 - 6 eggs

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cup bread crumbs

For the Frying

2 liters or 8 cups of sunflower oil

Prepare the rice - you can make this the day before

In a pot add the broth, saffron if you are adding it, and salt. Let boil, then add the rice, cover and adjust the heat to low. Allow to cook for 10-15 minutes until the liquid has absorbed and the rice is cooked to al dente.  Set aside.

Prepare the Ragù or Bolognese:

For Gianni’s Ragù you will need, 1 small onion chopped, 1 carrot chopped, 1 celery stalk chopped, 2 bay leafs, 1/2 LB ground beef, 1/2 LB ground pork, 1/2 cup white wine, 2 tablespoons tomato concentrate, 1/2 cup peas (optional), salt and pepper to taste

In a small saucepan add one tablespoon EVOO and cook onion until translucent, then add the chopped carrots and celery and mix until tender. Then you will add the bay leaf, ground beef and pork and cook until the juices evaporate. After add the white wine, tomato concentrate, peas, salt and pepper and cook until wine evaporates. You can let simmer for an additional half hour or you can use right away after the wine evaporates. 

Now for the tricky part, how to form your arancini!

Wet your hands in water and in the palm of you hand take a spoonful of rice, pat it down to make like a bowl then add some ragù and sprinkle in some cheese pieces. Cover with rice and mold together with both hands until a cone form. Making sure that the filling is not coming out or showing, that you have a good rice wall to keep inside all these yummy ingredients. Set the arancini aside on a plate until the next step.

Once you have made all your arancini you will then want to give them the egg bath. Beat together your eggs if you would like to use less eggs you can use 4 and add a 1/4 cup of water. 

Take and dip you arancini in flour, then the egg mixture, then the breadcrumbs.

Place on a plate aside until you have done this step to all your arancini. 

After they are ready to be deep fried. We recommend sunflower oil as it is light and leaves no oil flavor. 

Place your oil in a deep pan and wait until the temperature reads 190°C or 375°F, then one at a time add your arancini to the oil making sure all sides cook evenly. Place on an oven proof dish covered in paper towel to absorb any extra oil. 

If you are not eating them immediately you can place in the oven at a low heat of 100°C or 215°F until you are ready to serve, but not for too long as you don’t want them to dry out. 

Want to have a one of a kind authentic Sicilian experience, eating and drinking along the whole way? Well now you can, check out here my exclusive Sicilian experiences. Take me to Sicily My Love

Cascina Castlèt - History Tradition Innovation

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In the small town of Costignole Asti in the Asti Monfferato hills following along a winding street surrounded by vineyards you will find the farmhouse of Cascina Castlèt.   A family that holds records dating back to the XII century. What once was the house that the family Borio called home they have now transformed it into a fully operating cellar.  Cascina Castlèt has managed to balance very nicely tradition with modern, both in the style of the cellar and expressions of their wines.

Mariuccia was and still is ahead of her time, when the winery was handed down to her by her farther in 1970 she was young and determined. Working with Giacomo Bersanetti she recreated her first modern label for the wine Passum in 1983, a Barbera that is treated kind of like an Amarone. Once the grapes are harvested they are placed into small shallow baskets and left to dry. The first part of this drying process takes place in a room with dehumidifiers and after a few weeks the wine is then moved to the attic where the heat from the sun and the dryness of the air will complete this process.

With other innovations and a will to keep tradition alive at Cascina Castlèt has something very special and very rare amongst them. A grape varietal that was commonly found in the Asti and Canelli areas, today Cascina Castlèt is the only remaining producer of this varietal. How they make this wine is also quite interesting because this varietal is very close to Nebbiolo it is the last varietal to come in the cellar and usually they have to harvest it before it is ready. They had mentioned that if they waited for full ripeness it could be as late as end of November/December. So what they do is the same process of the Passum wine they dry the grapes so that way it gives the skins and stems time to mature. This wine is not sweet and also it is not high in alcohol. When I tasted this wine vintage 2011 I got on the nose strawberry fruit, pink peppercorns, and some tobacco leaves. In the pallet this wine is assertive, a bit dusty feeling, the tannins are pretty rustic, I did have the same flavors in the pallet as the nose and the finish was long. This wine for me would be great on a cold day with a nice stew or braised meat.

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Now for my little guilty pleasure, I love sparkling Barbera! If I had a t-shirt that said it I would wear it. It is our wine that reminds me a bit of Lambrusco. Goj is the name of the wine and it is coming from the Piemonteìs dialect meaning a joyful moment, and this is exactly what it does for me. Light, fresh, and refreshing, this wine is better off with a few hours in the fridge before serving and goes excellent with BBQ, or even pizza. If you can get your hands on a bottle I recommend giving it a try.