Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food n.150

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

On the hunt for herbs

The success of foraging, from the forest to the plate CENTENARY VINEYARDS. SICILY AND ETNA

REAL SOUL OF SAKE

year 23 - number 150 - september-october 2021 - gamberorosso.it

SOMMARIO WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

On the hunt for herbs

The success of foraging, from the forest to the plate CENTENARY VINEYARDS. SICILY AND ETNA

REAL SOUL OF SAKE

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Editorial

6

News

 12 

The Wine to Buy

 13 

Seasonal Cocktail

 18 

World Tour. London

 24 

From the forests to the table. The foraging rage traces back from primordial activity to modern day

 40 

Centenary vineyards in search of the lost wine. Sicily and Etna

 68 

Real Soul of Sake

 76 

Vini d’Italia 2022 guide preview

 90 

World Wines

100 

Tasting Notes

year 23 - number 150 - september-october 2021 - gamberorosso.it

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An ancient Tuscan estate where agriculture and hospitality are the center of it all

www.villasaletta.com

Italy in open air We recently published a new guide “Italy in open air,” which readers can also find on our Italian website, to explore the beauty of our parks and also experience the food and wine excellence of our country. Excellence that is often hidden and lesser-known but which is the fulcrum of our economy, our benchmark abroad and on which, with promotional and enhancement endeavour, we must focus on in order to strengthen and increasingly consolidate the Made in Italy brand. A unique biodiversity that obviously also includes mosses and lichens, berries and flowers: new elements that are entering the kitchens of the most appreciated chefs and that we are illustrating in this issue, going through the woods and undergrowth and discovering the use of the herbs that nature offers us, in the kitchen but also in herbal medicine and why not, also in the distillery. Think centuries-old vineyards, ungrafted pre-phylloxera vines, take us to Sicily to discover the Etna terroir. Grapes that we can adequately investigate thanks to the contribution of authoritative Attilio Scienza. Nature arrives in our cities and therefore on our tables thanks to the wholesale Farmstead food centres and farmer’s markets. Places of logistics and knowledge. We interviewed Massimo Pallottini, President of Italmercati, who underlined how much training and quality are fundamental to promote Made in Italy around the world. Gambero Rosso has always been a firm supporter of the need for adequate training of operators in the agricultural, agricultural food and dining sectors as an indispensable requirement for the economic and sustainable growth of our country. In fact, enrollments in both our professional courses and those recently launched in joint venture with Universitas Mercatorum by Gambero Rosso University are proceeding successfully. Knowledge in order to choose must not only be the prerogative of professionals but also of all us consumers. Also in this issue, as for over 20 years now, we pay attention to the best expressions of the products that are constantly on our tables. This month we focus on spices, with oregano and chilli.

- Paolo Cuccia

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

LE BREVI

GRAPPA. Exports are on the rise in 2020, but production is down.

AssoDistil: “Europe remains the largest consumer” Italian Grappa did well in the pandemic period. According to Istat data relating to 2020, AssoDistil reports that there was a 13% increase in exports. Over 83% of Italian distilleries produce Grappa, an Ig which in 2020 accounted for 69,000 heptanidros, a slight decrease of 4% compared to 2019. “Despite the pandemic,” writes the association that brings together over 62 industrial distilleries (equal to 95% of the national production of brandy and ethyl alcohol from farming raw materials) “Europe says yes to Grappa, confirming once again the largest importer of Made in Italy excellence with Germany as leader.” Cereal is confirmed as the main raw material used to produce ethyl alcohol, with almost 700,000 heptanhydro produced. The production of wine brandy and grappa, that is distillates produced with raw materials deriving from the wine sector, dropped by 2%. Overall, the production of ethyl alcohol and brandy increased by 3% in 2019. Under ethyl alcohol alone, Italian imports in 2020 were around 3,100,000 heptanidros, with + 65% in 2019 due to the strong demand in the first period of the epidemiological emergency. The export of ethyl alcohol “confirms, in principle, the volumes of the previous year,” at over 470,000 heptanidros, of which about 83% destined for EU countries. Globally, 2020 recorded 1,179 billion hectares of alcohol of farming origin produced, down 9% on 2019. The United States is the undisputed leader with over 544 million heptanhydro (46% of the quotas), while Europe constitutes 7% of world production with France, Germany and Hungary in the lead. Italy accounts for approximately 1.4% of European production, with over one million heptanhydro produced annually.

A Union of Historians is born: long life to the premises in business for over 70 years A trade union to protect the memory and prestige of Italian venues with more than 70 years of history behind them. This is the idea of ten companies brought together to found a first action group in defense of a heritage spread throughout Italy, which needs, now more than ever, to claim common goals.

The Historians union is a full-fledged labour organization born under the aegis of Fipe Confcommercio at the beginning of the summer. The association aims to convert as many as possible, and will bring together all the owners of bars and restaurants in business for over 70 years, who have kept - and exhibited within the locales - memorabilia, documents and testimonies of the time. The central objective will be to promote policies to enhance and support this type of business, which constitute a fragile collective heritage, exposed to the risks of the progressive decline of Italian historic centres, in the face of management costs for maintaining the “historic” trait that often weigh like a boulder on the overall budget of the business. Signing this first alliance are the Florentine Caffè Gilli and Paszkowski, the Marescotti pastry and liqueur shop in Genoa, the Palazzo del Freddo and Angelino ai Fori in Rome, the Harry’s Bar in Venice, Savini and Caffè Baratti in Milan, Caffè dei Costanti in Arezzo, and Umberto restaurant in Naples.

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Milano

Torino

Caffè Baratti & Milano

Savini 1867 - Milano Venezia

Harry’s Bar Firenze

Caffè Gilli Caffè Paszkowsky Arezzo

Caffè dei Costanti

Roma

Palazzo del Freddo Angelino ai Fori Napoli Genova

Pasticceria liquoreria Marescotti

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Umberto

LE BREVI

THE HOTEL GAZETTE

Made in Italy export: in 2021 the agriculture-food sector is about to break another record

by Clara Barra

ALTO ADIGE: VACATIONING IN THE MOUNTAINS IN AUTUMN. WHY NOT?

The Puntscher-Perathoner family has been lovingly tending to their creation since 1961: Granbaita Dolomites hotel, a 5-star hotel that has evolved and transformed over the years to become a veritable jewel of hospitality in Val Gardena, for this season also open in autumn. Contemporary and historical elements coexist in harmony, thanks to a careful study of materials and spaces. Each living space, room or suite, has been designed for the comfort and relaxation of vacationers, no detail has been overlooked in order to offer a stay tailored to each customer. There is also a magnificent garden (where yoga and pilates classes are held, among other things), the outdoor swimming pool, the Savinela wellness centre covering over 2,000 square metres, with various types of saunas, Turkish baths, whirlpools, hay spa and personalised treatments. The hotel also offers the opportunity of hiking or mountain biking. Don’t miss out on a dinner at the Granbaita Gourmet restaurant, with only 7 tables, which are also open to non-hotel guests. Here talented chef Andrea Moccia, also creates surprise menus and two tasting menus that satisfy sight and palate. Here are some menu highlights: risotto with chanterelles with Tokaji, yeast, figs and goat’s milk blue cheese; South Tyrol beef fillet, red onion, foie gras, potatoes, cabbage and Bearnaise sauce; cow, goat and sheep’s milk, wild strawberries, and sourdough starter, meringue and vanilla waffles. Suitable pairings are guaranteed by a cellar of 500 wines - between locals to the region, Italy and from across the border - preserved in the ancient stone cellar or in the modern in plain sight glass wine cellar.

Granbaita Dolomites Selva di Val Gardena/Wolkenstein in Gröden (BZ) strada Nives, 11

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Despite everything, Italy’s agricultural food exports are once again registering record numbers, resuming that more than consolidated and constant rise until the outbreak of the pandemic. The first quarter of 2021 saw an increase in exports close to 20%, giving Italy precedence over the performance of other G7 countries. And to confirm the excellent state of the sector, Istat data for May (awaiting further confirmation in the coming months) previews the achievement of a result never obtained before: 17 billion euros in value for the first five months of the year. Much of the credit goes to the cheese-making sector, which is driving the recovery of the Made in Italy food industry after the difficult period suffered during the application of US duties, now suspended. According to Assolatte, the month of April recorded a + 30% increase in sales volumes, mostly as a result of the excellent performance on the French and Spanish markets. In the United States, where at the beginning of the year there was a disheartening –76% in sales, however, the suspension of duties has given way to a strong recovery, which, according to estimates, should lead to a breakthrough in 2021 of 40,000 tons of exported cheese. It should also be emphasised that even in 2020, in full-fledged pandemic, the agri-food sector was the only positive item in the balance of Italian exports, continuing to grow albeit at a slower pace. This year, however, there are all the conditions for doing very well and breaking new records, also thanks to the driving force of the wine sector, which continues to lead the ranks of the most exported Made in Italy products.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

Sustainability as a true passion: Biancavigna’s philosophy from the vineyard to the bottle

BiancaVigna was founded by siblings Elena and Enrico Moschetta in 2004 but its roots date back to the early 20th century with their grandfather Genesio who farms the family’s vineyards and acquires more parcels, among which the cru San Gallo. Later on, in 1958 their father Luigi is one of the first business partners of the wine cooperative Colli di Soligo who instilled the passion for winemaking in Enrico, who later graduated from oenological training school in Conegliano and took up a successful career as winemaker in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene district. Elena studied economics and took a brilliant path in this field but, for the both of them, the greatest dream was to open a winery making wines that could be the expression of their terroir and using their estate’s grapes. Eventually, they joined their skills, invested in new vineyards and in a modern, highly efficient, state-of- the-art wine cellar nestled in the charming rolling hills of Ogliano di Conegliano, on the eastern side of the historical area of production of Conegliano Valdobbiadene DOCG. Their project is guided by the principle of a sustainable practice applied throughout the production chain. In the vineyards, they adopt the Sqnpi protocol (Integrated pest management) to limit the use of chemicals. They also take part in the research “Resistant Glera”, spearheaded by the Centre of Viticulture

Research in Conegliano, with the aim to select clones of glera grape variety that are more resistant to the most common diseases, and therefore able to drastically reduce the use of treatments. In addition, the best exposed parcels are organic certified.

"My brother and I wanted to build our wine cellar combining together the lowest possible impact for the environment and for those who live in these beautiful hills" The wine cellar is built according to the green protocol of Casa Clima Wine: “my brother and I wanted to build our wine cellar combining together the lowest possible impact for the environment and for those who live in these beautiful hills, as well as

having a modern facility to work with high quality standards while also paying attention to details. So, we used eco-friendly and recycled materials reducing the use of energy thanks to perfect insulation, the size of the glass windows and an efficient heating system that uses waste hot water from the refrigerated fermentation tanks and autoclaves. The building also has photovoltaic cells, minimizing the use of energy from fossil fuels and giving us 80% of energetic independency". BiancaVigna is guided by the principle of a sustainable practice applied throughout the production chain. Also, boxes are made with recycled cardboard as well as bottles that, not only are made with recycled glass, but are also lighter than those normally used for sparkling wines saving CO2 emissions during transportation. BiancaVigna brings together the legacy of the past with a great passion and knowledge of the land, and a deep sense of responsibility for today’s and future generations.

BIANCAVIGNA Via Montenero, 8/c Conegliano (TV) 0438788403 - www.biancavigna.it

GAMBERO ROSSO X TENUTA CASADEI

Casadei, an international project following the Biointegral philosophy Why Suvereto?

Our project was intended to be international in its nature, between international grape varieties, in a context in which “ethics” and “aesthetics” could coexist. After a long research we chose this place precisely because here the international varieties blend perfectly with the type of soil and the climate.

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Eco-sustainability, organic and biodynamic farming practices, Biointegral philosophy. Respect for the soil and biodiversity, always aiming for the health of soil, plants and insects. The wine project of Stefano Casadei and Fred Cline, hailing from Sonoma Valley, is founded on these foundations. Their lives intertwined in Suvereto in the early 2000s, in the Upper Maremma terroir that they have chosen as unique and ideal for planting international grape varieties capable of expressing all the character of the variety. This is how Tenuta Casadei was born. Today it’s a garden estate where Nature is at the centre and where harmony reigns in every aspect.

What are the main characteristics of this territory?

The plots of the Estate that we cultivate with biodynamic practices, being located in two different areas, offer distinct characteristics. Upstream, the grapevines grow in a bronze-coloured soil with purplish and bluish reflections, full of iron, manganese, magnesium and many other micro-elements. The Mediterranean climate, the sea air, the warmth of the sun and the harmony of the mineral substances create a unique Terroir, capable of giving life to savoury, fine, fruity wines. Here we planted Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot and Viognier. Further downstream, on the other hand, there are alluvial soils, more loose and therefore suitable for the production of refined Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.

What does Biointegral mean? What are the objectives?

Biointegral means following a philosophy of life and a new concept of ethical agriculture. In 2013, together with a technical committee and the University of Florence, we defined a decalogue with a programmatic plan, registering the “Biointegrale” brand. The essential requirement is returning farming to nature, protecting the biodiversity of life forms and making the well-being of nature the fulcrum of every agricultural and winemaking choice.

Three companies for a single family The Casadei family represents three different wine projects and three different realities, all of which are under the Biointegral regimen. In addition to Tenuta Casadei in Suvereto, where the focus is on international grape varieties and where Cabernet Franc is king, Castello del Trebbio in Chianti Rufina represents tradition and innovation, focusing its production and attention on Sangiovese. The fascinating Sardinian company, Olianas, dedicated to native grape varieties such as Cannonau, closes the circle. The three realities of the Casadei Family are united by terracotta amphorae, natural material par excellence used for the characterisation of wines in all the estates.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2O21

GAMBERO ROSSO X TENUTA CASADEI

1. Fred Cline and Stefano Casadei 2 . The telescope: the architectural work towards the vineyards of the estate 3. Work between the rows: to protect the soil, work is

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of playful nature, networking with all the actors of wine tourism in the area; and of a cultural nature, involving important sociologists, organizing concerts of different genres, showing a total openness to offer our spaces to contemporary artists. As for our wines, we can reveal that soon there will be the release of a 100% Viognier which will be added to our line Filari; in this case, to favour spontaneous fermentation, we added about 15% of the whole grape to the must. We are also working on the release of a new wine pending the new Suvereto DOCG denomination. Our focus and the development of all research, however, always has Cabernet Franc as the protagonist. We can proudly say that our Filare 18 is truly an excellent expression of Cabernet Franc in that territory. A very long-lived, powerful wine with great elegance.

What are the benefits of having an American partner?

First of all, I would start from the advantages that can be gained from having as a member a person who fully shares my own philosophy and Values. We share the same way of interpreting wine, the same respect for nature, the same pride for our families. Then I can add that Italians and Americans have always done great things together. We are aware that our cultural differences are the positive energy of this project.

Future projects?

Tenuta Casadei is conceived as a place where people can come visit whenever they want, to enjoy nature, to spend and share their time in serenity. It’s conceived as a convivial space. With these assumptions, in the hospitality part, we’re increasingly working in organising events both

 Tenuta Casadei - Suvereto (LI) – loc. San Rocco - 0565 1933605 - tenutacasadei.it

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NEWS

THE WINE TO BUY Franciacorta Extra Brut Animante BARONE PIZZINI Via S.Carlo, 14 Provaglio d’Iseo, Brescia, Lombardy baronepizzini.it/ Average retail price: 23 euros

At Silvano Brescianini they’re always thinking ahead. The winery was among the first in Italy to make environmental sustainability a key part of their production approach, developing it as a core value across all the group’s wineries. And it was they who produced the first organic Franciacorta of the appellation. Today the vineyards are managed according to biodynamic principles, and they’re increasingly focused on reviving historic grapes so as to withstand the challenges of climate change. Our Wine to Buy is the extremely fragrant and juicy Franciacorta Extra Brut Animante, freshly awarded with Tre Bicchieri in our Vini d’Italia 2022 guidebook. For the first time, sees a small percentage of Erbamat in its blend where Chardonnay is dominant. It reveals enticing, meaty aromas of apple, peach and licorice. The palate is creamy, rich, slightly smoky, with excellent length and balsamic expansion. The final touch is a sligthy spicy touch, which comes together with a savory vein. This Franciacorta shows such a refreshing and vibrant drinkability, pointing a new course for the future of the denomination. We highly recommend to pair it with salmon dishes, from sashimi to spicy versions, or a crispy fried chicken with a lemon twist.

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MAY-JUNE 2021

SPIRITS

SEASONAL SEASONAL COCKTAIL COCKTAIL byPaola Paola Mencarelli Mencarelli by

SPIRITO FELIX Natale Palmieri - Cinquanta Spirito Italiano, Pagani (Salerno) 4,5 cl Seven Hills 2,25 cl Corbarino tomato syrup 0,75 cl Limoncello Pallini 2,25 cl Lemon juice 0,75 cl Salty pisto infusion 0,5 cl Sugar syrup

Glass: Short tumbler Technique: Build

"S

pirito Felix'' is an all-day drink: a spicy, fresh and soft gin sour. Its roots are in what is still called Campania Felix, a region whose land is rich in culture and traditions, with a mild climate and fertile soil. Among the ingredients of the drink are lemons from the Amalfi Coast, Corbarino tomatoes - which in September, at the end of their maturation, reach an amicable sweetness - and pisto: a mix of cloves, cinnamon, pepper, coriander and star anise, widely used in the local Campania pastry art. The drink is garnished with a sage leaf, to balance the olfactory profile. "Spirito Felix" contains the story of Cinquanta Spirito Italiano: the "spirit" represents the team, a family ready to welcome anyone with a smile; "felix" is intended in its meaning of fortunate, but also positive, happy. Confucius would be proud of the boys of the Cinquanta team: they are lucky to do what they do and are happy doing it..

(photo by Andrea Di Lorenzo)

BARTENDER: Natale Palmieri, originally from the province of Salerno, born in 1986, soon started working in the kitchen, travelling between Italy and Europe. Back home, he began his entrepreneurial path by opening a tobacconist seller slash bar and thus approaching the world of mixology. Driven by the support of trainers like Dannis Zoppi and coming in contact with Planet One and the Jerry Thomas Speakeasy in Rome, he decided to pursue a career as a bartender; the victory of the “Quinta Essentiae Competition” introduced him as assistant to Salvatore Scamardella at Piazza Vanvitelli in Castellammare di Stabia. In 2019 he decided to join forces with Alfonso Califano, to give life to the concept “Cinquanta Spirito Italiano,” an Italian bar wishing to recover the spirit of aggregation typical of the neighbourhood bar, inspired by the 50s but with a modern and current style, a true “twist on classics.”

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JULY-AUGUST 2021

GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI MONTEFALCO

Montefalco, land for wine.

Other great red and white wines flourish White Montefalco, the kingdom of an ancient Umbria grape Spoletino, an authentic treasure that was just waiting to be unveiled (it is no coincidence that it has become the protagonist of Montefalco Bianco). Extremely original, with an out-of-scale acidity heritage at these latitudes, it is capable of giving wines that are also very different from each other, depending on the cultivation area and the style sought. In short, an eclectic and versatile cultivar, perfect for many interpretations but always able to amaze with aromatic intensity, expressive vivacity and exceptional aging capabilities.

It is not just a question of quantity and number of wines, of course. The feeling is that the Montefalco terroir is in exponential growth on all fronts, redefining the balance and opening doors to a multifaceted, joyful and fully mature future.

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Something new is happening in the wonderful hills around the “railing of Umbria,” straddling the municipalities of Montefalco, Bevagna, Gualdo Cattaneo and Castel Ritaldi. Here vineyards have always played an important role, historical evidence abounds with a variety above all that sinks its roots in tradition: Sagrantino. An ancient, native grape variety capable of making headlines in the last thirty years, especially thanks to the modern interpretation that has projected it among the great red wines of the world. However, in recent times, the territory seems to have found a greater consideration of all its potential, not only with regard to its main wine. Alongside Sagrantino, a whole series of equally rooted grapes and types bloom and blossom again, drawing an increasingly complex and seductive map. “Montefalco land for wine,” as they like to repeat in the area, to underline the extreme vocation of this territory on several fronts. Sagrantino is thus primus inter pares, a bulwark of identity and belonging, but with several other players who 

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI MONTEFALCO

beyond Sagrantino

1. A Sagrantino leaf kissed by the autumn sun 2. The typical landscape of the Sagrantino foliage in autumn and olive trees 3. The historic vines of Sagrantino within the historic centre of Montefalco 4. A withered bunch of Sagrantino grapes

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New wave Sagrantino Alongside the revival of many different wines that are showing a kaleidoscopic face of the Montefalco terroir, Sagrantino continues its growth in terms of identity, style and awareness. After the initial and dazzling success, this variety and the wines that derive from it seem to be in a mature phase, albeit still evolving. What does this mean?

A multiplicity of paradigms and declinations, the product of different sensitivities, expectations, tastes. In summary, today we also taste Sagrantinos that are very different from each other, as happens in the most important wine territories, but always in the wake of identity and respect for variety and territory. Beyond the differences and the levels, what appears evident is a remarkable growth of the wines, increasingly balanced, harmonious and elegant. The future is already here.

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI MONTEFALCO

White Montefalco, the kingdom of an ancient Umbria grape

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 aspire to starring roles, as it has always been. Not an

absolute novelty, therefore, but there is new awareness among producers of good things brewing. Beyond the interpreters, what emerges in the glass is a common trait and an innate attitude, of Montefalco and the surrounding lands, to embrace grapevine-growing and make it express at its best; with numerous indigenous varieties and denominations, as much linked to red wines as to whites, capable of drawing an ever more exciting and colourful map.

A few examples? First of all, Sangiovese. The cornerstone of some of the most important wines of central Italy, it takes on unrepeatable characteristics in this area. The soils and climate give it colour, structure and fullness, without losing the innate finesse, depth and freshness that the variety can boast. Sangiovese is the protagonist of Montefalco Rosso, certainly not a “second wine” but “another great wine” of the territory, capable of combining structure and elegance, complexity and drinkability, as well as infinite possibilities for pairing at the table.

GAMBERO ROSSO

Uniqueness of Spoletino Trebbiano Spoletino is a white grape that is as ancient as it is contemporary, at least according to the wines it’s capable of giving. Along the Spoleto valley, it is not hard to find large grapevines, often over a hundred years old and trained in pied franc, sometimes “married” to maple, elm and ash trees. The most recent plants are instead espalier, in the hills, both in the Spoleto area and in the Montefalco area. There are two souls for a single vine and, above all, for a great wine.

The DOC Spoleto, recently protected by the Montefalco Wine Consortium; and Montefalco Bianco that plays a leading role, including in numerous IGT wines of the area. A wealth that is revealing a territory that is not exclusively red, but also capable of giving life to great white wines, of marked originality.

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO TUTELA VINI MONTEFALCO

5 and 7. Suggestions of terroir: different arrangements of the rows and in the background a magical Umbria sunset 6. A bunch of Trebbiano Spoletino, a very ancient white grape which in many vineyards around Montefalco still survives in centenary pied franc trained grapevines © Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco

Denominations Montefalco Sagrantino Docg Symbolic wine of Montefalco and the neighboring hills, it is the essence of these lands, of those who tend to them and of their most ancient traditions.

Grape: 100% Sagrantino.

Montefalco Sagrantino Passito Docg The traditional passito is also obtained from the Sagrantino grape. The bunches are carefully selected and left to dry on racks for at least 2 months.

Grape: 100% Sagrantino Montefalco Doc White: Characterized by the expressive depth of Trebbiano Spoletino, a white grape of the most intimate local

tradition.

Grapes: Trebbiano Spoletino minimum 50%, other authorised grapes from 0% to 50%.

Red: The main grape is Sangiovese, which has always been the protagonist of the hills around Montefalco. Aging 18 months.i.

Riserva: Ages for at least 30 months, 12 of which in oak.

Grapes: Sangiovese from 60% to 80%; Sagrantino from 10% to 25%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 30% Montefalco Grechetto Doc Base Grechetto, one of the most cultivated native grape varieties in Umbria.

Grapes: Grechetto minimum 85%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 15% Spoleto Bianco Doc It includes Trebbiano Spoletino grapes

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for a minimum of 50% and other non-aromatic white grape varieties suitable for cultivation in the Umbria Region.

Grapes: Trebbiano Spoletino minimum 50%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 50%.

Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino Doc Wine capable of representing the Spoleto tradition, given the use of at least 85% of the native grape variety of the area. It can also be produced in the “Superiore” version.

Grapes: Trebbiano Spoletino minimum 85%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 15%.

Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino Spumante Doc The acidity of Trebbiano Spoletino also makes the grape ideal as a sparkling base.

Grapes: Trebbiano Spoletino minimum 85%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 15%.

Spoleto Trebbiano Spoletino Passito The extraordinary aptitudes of Spoleto Trebbiano, including those of slowly maturing without losing acidity, make it a perfect grape also for making passito wines.

Grapes: Trebbiano Spoletino minimum 85%; other authorised grapes from 0% to 15%.

 Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco

Montefalco (PG) - p.zza del Comune, 16 0742379590 - consorziomontefalco.it

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EVENTS

London embraces the best Italian wineries Resolute restart for the Gambero world tour which, together with the best awarded Italian wines, celebrates virtuous Italian dining abroad

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

W

e’re hiring. Let’s start with the sign constantly standing out in front of London restaurants, from those with few seats to the more structured. We find the sign in bars, pizzerias, clothing stores. London has completely restarted. Actually, the impression is that it has never stopped.

Tourism is not yet at full speed, but the pandemic already seems a distant memory, with restaurants working at full capacity. Practically no masks are visible on the streets, nor are they required to enter most businesses. After a recce tour of the city, the key term we keep hearing is, ‘understaffed’ confirming a very clear difficulty in finding staff, even more clear than it already is in Italy. But all this does not stop the world of food and wine, with many new openings and important projects. Forty wineries were awarded in the Vini d’Italia 2021 guide and who joined London for the Gambe-

ro Rosso Tre Bicchieri event. The event was staged on Thursday, September 23rd at Hackney Town Hall, with participation exceeding all expectations, with over 500 registrations at the end of the day. In addition to the 120 wines for tasting, there were also two long indepth seminars led by journalist Lorenzo Ruggeri. “We are looking for traditional, authentic, true wines, which do not wink at the international market. And in Italy we always find all the answers,” commented Andy Husai, owner of the Barceloneta restaurant. “I very much appreciated the frank and direct approach of the seminars.

Wine needs an honest language capable of transmitting emotions. We were missing events like this,” said Tastes of Italy director William Goodacre. “After two years of absence, we found great enthusiasm at the event, a lot of positive energy in the operators. While importers are curious and attentive, in search of small businesses

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JULY-AUGUST 2021

and companies that are structured. There is great interest in Italy, much more than in the past” analyzed Arber Shabani, Sales Director of Ridolfi winery in Montalcino.

During the event, the best Italian restaurants in the city were awarded according to the evaluations of the Top Italian Restaurants guide, a digital publication dedicated to restaurants with an authentic Italian flavour around the world.

This edition’s biggest novelty is called Sartoria, restaurant in Mayfair by chef Francesco Mazzei which won the Tre Forchette recognition for the first time as well as the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List Award, thanks to the

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WORLDTOUR

SANTA MARGHERITA AND SARTORIA: AN ALL-ITALIAN PARTY IN THE STREET OF THE TAILORS A 360 degree dinner to celebrate Italian excellence in London. The event took place on Wednesday, September 22nd in the Mayfair district, one of the most elegant of the city, in the street of the city’s most famous tailors. The Winery of the Year for the Vini d’Italia 2021 guide, Santa Margherita Group, has married the cuisine of Francesco Mazzei. Sartoria is the best Italian restaurant in town according to the Top Italian Restaurants guide. An event that celebrates the resumption of in-person events in a city that seems to have already put the pandemic aside. The evening was presented by Lorenzo Ruggeri and Alberto Ugolini, Brand Ambassador of Santa Margherita. The occasion marked the 60th anniversary of Pinot Grigio, the first vintage was as a matter of fact put on the market in 1961, for a wine that is now exported to more than 90 countries worldwide. Among the dishes of the evening, a reinterpretation of vitello tonnato, the most popular starter in Italian restaurants abroad; and masterful tortelli stuffed with burrata and ‘nduja, and egregious use of spice for what has become chef Mazzei’s signature. In addition to Sartoria, the chef also curates both Fiume and Radici restaurants. The wine pairing of the evening was the succulent lamb of Wales with a ‘Singing in the glass’ Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Vigneto Campolungo 2015, a Sangiovese that best expresses the intensity and freshness of the best Sangiovese di Lamole.

precious work done by General Manager and Sommelier Enrico Bucci, author of a wine list that’s always in motion and well-articulated in terms of variety and depth. “We are now a team of six, we bite the bullet, but we are back to work and doing very well. We are very optimistic. The wine sells quickly, we have the opportunity to always try new and curious things,” added Enrico.

The elegant restaurant of Calabrian chef Mazzei is also the only restaurant in the city awarded with this recognition. Fol-

lowing suit with Due Forchette is Locatelli, who loses one compared to the previous edition; Theo Randhall at the InterContinental and Satyrio. Awarded Una Forchetta are Margot and Trullo, an absolute first for the venue led by Tiam Siadatan and Jordan Frieda, former creators of the successful Padella formula. As for bistros and trattorias, evaluated with Gamberi awards, Popolo Shoreditch, the restaurant of chef John Lowson, stands out for its signature and tasty cuisine along with an ar-

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tisan wine list of great character: Due Gamberi. Following is RC Macellaio Soho - Il Teatro della Carne, the latest opening of the Ligurian entrepreneur Roberto Costa, who has six branches in London, in addition to the Milan location. Winning Due Gamberi and the Surgiva Taste & Design award for attention to detail, from the scenic and functional Charcoa oven at the centre of the scene, to the huge Carrara marble hood, to attention to cooking methods - Piedmontese Fassona being the great protagonist - and a wine list of only high-level Italian wines. Among the novelties, Mia Mamma stands out, awarded with Un Gambero, the innovative project by Giuseppe Corsaro, which every three months alternates a team of ‘mothers’ in the kitchen, with a consequent change of regional focus, at this moment to be the protagonist are the flavours of Campania. Finally, 50 Kalò by Ciro Salvo is confirmed as the best pizzeria in London, the only one in the city awarded with Tre Spicchi, thanks to a perfect dough and masterful fried foods: the calzone and the pasta omelette have become a ritual even among Londoners.

The Gambero Rosso World Tour, despite all the difficulties related to travel, has restarted at full speed, thanks to a renewed enthusiasm from producers and more than comforting results regarding exports. At the end of June it was the turn of Berlin, while Moscow and St. Petersburg were the protagonists in July. The event will restart on October 27th from Stockholm, on October 29 in Copenhagen, and on November 2 it will move to Kiev. In the same month, Italian wineries will finally fly overseas, with stops in Canada and the United States, thanks to the end of the restrictions signed by the Biden administration. 

PHOTOGALLERY LONDON

EVENTS

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Worldtour Worldtour Worldtour

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GAMBERO ROSSO X VICCHIOMAGGIO

Castello Vicchiomaggio.

A family history in the heart of Chianti

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A castle, a residence de charme, a 140-hectare estate.

Vicchiomaggio is all this, but there is something more dominating within the property. The wine. Viticulture has always been the protagonist here and John and Paola Matta, with their four children, carry on a tradition born centuries ago. On the part of the Matta family, it all began with Federico, John’s father, who bought Castello Vicchiomaggio at the end of the 1960s. Originally from Asti, he lived for a long time in London, working on wine and spirits import, and establishing an important company in the import sector of some prestigious Italian beverage brands. After selling the company based in England, he concentrated on Vicchiomaggio, also thanks to the contribution of his son John, who in the meantime became an oenologist in Alba. From the 1970s onwards, the Chianti area has never stopped growing, not in quantitative terms, but in quality, research and above all sustainability.

The production has always focused on wines of great finesse and elegance, capable of aging very well, but above all true witnesses of the territory from which they are born: Greve in Chianti, with soils rich in clay and marl. The wines convey all the Mediterranean radiance, thanks also to the southern exposures and it is nice to perceive the vocation

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Hospitality in the castle dating back to 1100 It is the crenellated tower that constitutes the fulcrum of the Castle. Its origins take us back 1000 years, when the central structure was built. Around it there are the houses, perfectly preserved, so much so that the structure is recognised as a national monument. It is located in Val di Greve, 18 kilometers from Florence. Inside there are seven apartments that can accommodate from 2 to 6 people. Next to the Castle there is an outdoor swimming pool, guests can also take advantage of a visit to the production cellars. In the building adjacent to the Castle is the Canonica housing seven suites, all furnished in a classic and very elegant style. Within the compound is also our restaurant. Dining can be enjoyed both indoors or in the outside area, between centuries-old holm oaks and a view of the vineyards. Next to the Canonica there is the herb garden, where all the seasonal products found in the dishes grow.

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1. The Vicchiomaggio Castle stands out on the 140 hectares of the estate in the Val di Greve 2. The Matta family: Victoria, Federica, Paola, John, Sebastian and Delfina

The wines by Vicchiomaggio

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of certain soils both through the traditional grape varieties – primarily Sangiovese – but also through two great international grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. All varieties grown on the farm in the 34 hectares planted in vineyards: on the estate there is also an olive grove of 10 hectares, the rest is a park. “For me Vicchiomaggio is my job, but also and above all my family,’’ says Victoria Matta, one of the four children of John and Paola. I was the last to join the company, three years ago I quit my job and came back here. We are four siblings and we all work in the company; everyone has a different job, Sebastian takes care of the vineyard and cellar, my sisters Delfina and Federica support my mother in the hospitality aspect. I personally take care of wine marketing and general management. Vicchiomaggio, in addition to being a family for me, is also territory. The territory has always been fundamental for us and that is why we work towards safeguarding and applying sustainability to ensure that future generations

There are 13 wines in the Vicchiomaggio range. Reds prevail, plus two whites and a rosé. Under the name Ripa delle Mandorle we find a white and a red, while under the San Jacopo label we have a white, a rosé and a Chianti Classico vintage. Then there are several company Crus of Chianti Classico. Guado Alto (pure Sangiovese) and Agostino Petri (a Riserva obtained with a small percentage of Cabernet). There are two Grand Selections, also the result of the company Crus, La Prima and Le Bolle. Ripa delle More is instead a blend of Sangiovese (50%), Merlot and Cabernet. It’s Merlot in purity instead for FSM (Federico Secondo Matta) fruit of a small and steep vineyard: it represents the maximum expression of Merlot in Vicchiomaggio. Finally, two particular labels. Vicchiomaggio Vegan is a Chianti Classico with vegan certification (made from Sangiovese grapes), while Amphiarao is the latest born. As the name suggests, it is the fruit of Cabernet, Petit Verdot and balance of Sangiovese, aged in 500-liter terracotta amphorae for 12 months. The result? Charm to the rafter and guaranteed territoriality.

also enjoy certain places. We apply sustainability in the vineyard, in doing so we try to bring it into the bottle. We cannot think of making wine without supporting and enhancing the environment that that wine has given us.

The Castle also helps us in all this. In the 1980s it was my mother who focused on hospitality and now we manage several suites and apartments. But the wine remains the fulcrum of the whole company.”

 Vicchiomaggio - Greve In Chianti (FI) - via Vicchiomaggio, 4 - 055854079 - vicchiomaggio.it

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FROM THE FORESTS TO THE TABLE THE FORAGING RAGE TRACES BACK FROM PRIMORDIAL ACTIVITY TO MODERN DAY Earthly paradise for contemporary chefs, the forest is a world for foraging fanatics to (re) discover slowly, taking the time to observe and touch every herb that nature has to offer. Thus managing to recognize and use them at their best in the kitchen and also in the distillery.

words by Michela Becchi – art by Andrea Boatta

STORIES

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t's superfluous to reiterate that the forest's undergrowth has clearly entered the most research-forward kitchens by right. Yet, when searching the thickest vegetation looking for moss and lichens, berries and flowers to use in the kitchen, praising self-production and a model of food self-sufficiency that is gradually returning to the fore, there are still many rules to learn and to keep in mind.

FORAGING IN ITALY, BEFORE IT WAS TRENDY We enter the woods with due respect, "with the innocent eyes of children and animals," explains foraging veteran Noris, nee Eleonora Cunaccia, but for all she's "the lady of the woods." Her forests are in Val Rendena in the Dolomites in Spiazzo between which she moves cautiously and at a slow pace, letting herself be amazed by the gifts of nature, anxiously waiting for the moment when the forest decides to reveal itself. «Seasonality? It needs to be respected, of course: in September there are berries, carnelian, marmot grass... but then it happens that you venture out on a rainy day and nature decides to gift you with beautiful mosses.»

She talks about the mountains like an old friend, and in fact Noris has collected, catalogued and cooked many wild herbs over the years, already in unsuspected times, long before foraging became a fashion. «I certainly do not feel envious of newcomers, but I am worried: the rampant and reckless collection can be dangerous. After so many years I am still very strict with myself. Some species are poisonous, it's important to have a

Wild herbs have entered high-end and research kitchens, yet there are still many rules to learn and keep in mind when approaching a forest for foraging: the first is entering the forest with respect.

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deep knowledge of the material before starting to harvest.» And above all respect for the territory, where Noris sets out, «With the right intentions: only by approaching in this way can meadows and woods represent the greatest form of freedom for the human being». With modesty and patience: «The herbs will present themselves». The foraging veteran––who since 2003 has been carrying on her project, Primitivizia botanical workshop––is well aware of this, with which she collects and packs the gifts of the earth. Far from those who start or follow trends, Noris is keen to point out that her job is made of effort, silence. A lot of joy, yes, but also loneliness, back pain, sacrifice: «In summer I work at high altitude to collect mountain pine, which grows high up.

It is a journey that requires significant physical exertion». Working with and for nature also means giving it space, putting it first, knowing how to step away with discretion at the right time: «It may be that I have to leave the easier route, the simpler path and enter uncomfortable areas, precisely to allow that area to triumph, returning to the undisturbed life. Understanding the mountain is also this, understanding what the prevalence of each portion of the territory is, its needs and limits.» Books are not enough, we need to educate ourselves with courses: «We have to pick the plants by hand, observe them without haste, one at a time. Recognising nettle and dandelion is simple, but there are more complex herbs.» To be collected and used only when the season allows it, «the forest is not a pantry, we cannot think of taking what we like best, that's like stealing.»

This is also why Noris has recently opened a research and study centre on wild herbs, «that actually deals with the environment, nature and territory. Environmental education, this is what we need.» September is one of her favourite months. That's the time of for berries, cranberry, the martinsecca pear «an ancient variety of wild pear with compact pulp,» the cornelian «which I store in mulled wine during winter, more 

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HERBAL LIQUEURS, INCLUDING MEDICINAL AND BEVERAGES Various beverages are included in the “liqueurs” category, but to be precise these are products at whose base is aromas, drinkable alcohol or spirits, in the past ubiquitous in Italian homes, handcrafted with what the territory had to offer. In the beginning, however, it was the Benedictine abbeys that gave life to the first infusions made with roots and plants in alcohol bases. These were bitters to be administered as medicines to stimulate appetite, for example, or to facilitate digestion. There was the famous elixir, the drug par excellence, and then the many liqueurs to fight smallpox, malaria and other infections. Not beverages enjoyed for pleasure, therefore, but out of necessity. Only in the Renaissance

did herbalists and apothecaries begin to enhance the taste aspect as well, following the introduction of spices from India and South America. Initially these were elite products destined for the court of Catherine de Medici, then from the mid-19th century bitters and liqueurs became the symbolic drinks of aristocratic parlours. Among niche producers in Italy today standouts include Marco Sarandrea, an expert and lover of wild herbs: it's not surprising, therefore, that the distillery is in Collepardo, in the province of Frosinone, a medieval village in the heart of the Monti Ernici hills also called "the town of herbs:" «We are famous for our sambuca, one of the first on the market in Italy, well before the ad-

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vent of industrial brands.» It's a distillate of elderflower (Sambucus nigra) combined with an infusion of different species of anise, with alcohol, fresh water from the springs of the Ernici hills and sugar, «a mix that lends a unique aromatic bouquet, capable of enhancing all the plants used.» The selection of liqueurs is wide because Sarandrea self-produces all the extracts at the base of the beverages, «in this way we can continually create different blends.

Now, for example, in Italy bitters are being rediscovered, which in our country boast a very ancient history.

We have San Marco, a medicinal herb bitter born in the 1920s with the intention of highlighting the virtues of the local plants.»

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STORIES

FORAGING, NOW AND THEN In the current trend involving important young chefs around the world and various professional collectors, the term foraging indicates collection of wild herbs and fruits in the woods to be used in the kitchen. In this sense, it refers to a sort of return to the gatherer (and hunter) of ancestral eras before the actual farming model. Herb seekers, in Italy and beyond, formed the hard core of the food supply of towns and cities until the 1960s, when the post-war boom led to the birth of the agri-food industry and the first big chain grocery stores.

In ecology and ethology, foraging indicates the search for wild food resources and mainly concerns the study of animals and their ability to feed and reproduce in nature. The Foraging theory is a branch of behavioural ecology that studies the way animals collect food in response to the environment where they live, decisions that maximize energy per unit of time. The gastronomic trend foraging, on the other hand, is essentially based on Phytoalimurgia, a science that studies the use of wild plants that are not poisonous, and therefore edible, in times of famine..

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acidic than black cherry and very soft, perfect also to cleanse the palate between courses.»

And then the marmot grass, «an intense aromatic herb that grows above 2,000 meters,» wild cumin must be collected as high up as possible, «only in this way we will have a persistent aroma,» and also the lycopodium, «the licorice of woods, which for me is a kind of wild candy.»

WILD HERBS: AUTARCHY AND EDIBLE FOREST You don't need to be a great chef to properly use herbs in the kitchen. Sometimes, a little fine taste, but above all knowledge, is enough to feed on what the mountain decides to make available. This way vinegar can be prepared starting from violets; primrose and egg white become the base for tasty candies, not to mention the many other plant uses, such as herbal or cosmetics. If you look around carefully, you will

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WILD HERBS IN THE KITCHEN

realize that behind every natural element there is a small universe: this is the motto of Eleonora Matarrese - known by many as Cuoca Selvatica - and for whom foraging is an unconscious practice for a while before it took hold in Italy: «As a child in Puglia I'd go in our vegetable garden and put together a few things for a snack: tomatoes, herbs of all kinds... today the renewed eco-conscious awareness speaks to us of self-production, but it's actually about recovery of old practices with a new awareness.» Without aspiring to an unattainable model of self-sufficiency, but grasping the good things the forest can give us, to enhance it and spread the word on it. This is what Eleonora does with iSkogen! that is a series of monographic essays on botanical families, or with free sharing of botanical cards with all the secrets to grow them at home: «herbs have dyeing, phyto-therapeutic uses, they can also be used to produce homemade detergent!» Eleonora left her beloved Puglia some time ago, first taking refuge in the Brianza mountains and then in the province of Varese, on the border with Switzerland, where she continues her research on mosses, buds and inflorescences. And where she carries on the Pikniq project, one of the most complete in this microcosm made of roots and lichens, which includes both the sale of herbal products and the kitchen of the home restaurant: «Then there are the bed and breakfast and a health centre. The products can be ordered by phone or by email - soon also online - to receive the Wild Boxes directly at home.» Inside these contain herbs and salts, white chocolate bars with wild strawberries or porcini mushrooms, and Prosecco plus crackers, spruce shortbread biscuits and wild garlic powder. Fresh specialties without any preservatives, if not natural ones: «Ascorbic acid, for example, is almost always used in the food industry as a synthetic product made in a laboratory. I add spruce directly, which is pure ascorbic acid and I know that the product will be protected for longer.» In the meantime, Eleonora has created a 3.5 hectare farm, planting her garden in regenerative agri-

Seasonality is important when harvesting wild herbs and berries from the forest, but any time of year and every territory offers many different species for every season. It's important to know them and be aware of how to use them. culture and is dedicating herself to writing two books, «one for children and the other on the food forest, a concept that is now so popular and fashionable but not new at all: I call it, more simply the edible forest and it is nothing other than my childhood, my life. When I moved to Milan in 2015, I felt uncomfortable: the city was cramped, I had an urgent need to go back to nature. And then, with patience and sacrifice, my privileged relationship with the land has become a profession.»

CLASSIFYING AND USING HERBS Summer or winter, it doesn't matter: you can always cook with herbs. And quite a lot.

Pasta and main courses, but also desserts, appetizers, snacks for aperitifs. It happens, for example, at Erba Regina, a restaurant and farmhouse born in 2016 in Frascati, in the Castelli Romani area outside of Rome, by the will of Maria Regina Bortolato, a former manager originally from the Treviso area and born into a peasant family, who chose to go back to her roots and dedicating herself to working on wild herbs, which she considers «a feminine world,» reminiscent of «the survival cuisine of yesteryear, carried out by women.» A return to the past with feet firmly in the present, as the slogan says: "Knowing ancient flavours to build a new future." Without seeking an ideal and idealized bucolic world, «but rather by building a model capable of supporting itself and recovering the knowledge that has now disappeared.» She realised this a few years ago while attending a sommelier course, when she found herself having to search for aromas and fragrances of ingredients she had no recollection of, «such as cardamom, 

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STORIES

FORAGING IN ITALY: RULES NEEDED Precisely because of its long tradition, collecting herbs is an often underestimated activity, considered more a pastime than a full-fledged profession, also due to the lack of rules that properly regulate the world of foraging. As Eleonora Matarrese explains: «In Trentino Alto Adige you need a license but in the other regions there's still a long way to go. In Lombardy there is a list of protected species that cannot be collected or only in small percentages, other municipalities have drawn up lists independently, but we need a shared official law.» Like what happened for herbalists, «who are recognised and included in the Italian system.» It's time to restore value to those who collect, an activity that has always been carried out and seen mostly as a hobby, «in many small villages plants were always harvested, especially by older people. This is also why it's not easy to arrive at a single shared text.»

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coriander, chervil.» It was then that she decided to buy an old rustic farmhouse with 3 hectares of land to build a farm specialised in growing aromatic and medicinal herbs: «The boundary between medicinal and wild herbs is very blurry: chamomile and calendula belong to both categories, we obviously use them in the kitchen.» A mostly vegetable table, where the use of wild herbs is well calibrated: «You need to know how to dose them carefully, otherwise you risk ruining the dishes.» At her side, her friend, an Italian literature professor, who loves cooking and is a great connoisseur of herbs, «with whom I designed the menu,» which changes constantly according to the season. There are many recipes, constant experimentation: «We always joke between us saying that we have "herbite," a real mania for herbs. Once you get to know them and value them, it is difficult to stop.» In addition to the canonical classification, Maria

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WILD HERBS IN THE KITCHEN

Regina divides them into sweet, bitter, savoury, fatty and spicy; with the former she prepares one of her strong points, lasagna with sweet herbs: «generally with bran flour, amaranth, silene, mallow and piattello.» Then there are many risottos, «a tribute to my Venetian origins,» and a great use of edible flowers, «especially for aperitivo, for which we choose flowers with an intense flavour such as sage, spring onion or nasturtium.» But with herbs you can really do everything: salt, «like the organic one from Trapani,» jams, «pumpkin, for example, with a neutral flavour that we embellish with lavender, fennel and rosemary,» and lots of sweets, «starting from meringues.»

STUDYING BOTANY IS NECESSARY The theory is the same for everyone, but each expert then uses tailor-made tricks to simplify it and share it with beginners.

Like Roberto Vetromile, a freelancer specialised in foraging and phytoalimurgy - the knowledge of using plant species for food purposes - who organises courses, workshops and walks with his Discovering Wild Plants (discoveringwildplants.com), as well as providing advice for chefs, schools and private entities. «The basis - he is keen to point out - is always the study of botany, accompanied by experience in the field.» The hardest part? «Recognising herbs before they sprout fruits. Usually they are collected in the socalled "basal rosette" phase, when the stem with the flower has not yet developed, because it is the moment when the leaves are more tender and less bitter.» But let's get to the tastiest aspect: the dinner table.

To facilitate the distinction between the various wild herbs, Roberto divides them into three major macro-categories: spinach, salad and asparagus. The first includes all those herbs that are preferably enjoyed cooked, «perhaps in fresh stuffed pasta fillings, pizza or focaccia toppings. I leave it to the chefs to make the most cre- 

RECIPES BY ELEONORA MATARRESE @LACUOCASELVATICA

Wild elderberry soup

Autumn is when there is, as you'd say, a "second flowering:" new plants sprout, such as nettles and it's also the time to harvest, especially wild berries, as well as elderberries. This recipe combines these two worlds in a burst of energy that helps the immune system and at the same time is very tasty and very easy to prepare.

Ingredients for 4: 400 g wild nettles 400 g bran flour and/or amaranth natural red sauerkraut 200 g mature elderberries 1 shallot

2 leaves of garden hellera 800 ml vegetable broth 2 medium red batatas 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil salt

Wash the nettles, bran flour and amaranth, keeping the leaves and removing the stems (which can be dried and pulverized to use for many other recipes).

Cut the batatas into small cubes.

In a non-stick saucepan, bruise the elderberries with very little water and let them stew slightly over very low heat for a few minutes, mashing them gently with a fork. Add the red sauerkraut and set aside.

Clean the shallot and slice thinly. Place it in a pan with the olive oil and sauté until translucent. Add the cubed batatas, wild herbs and hellera leaves and let all soften slightly. Add the broth and when it reaches a boil, add salt to taste, cooking over low heat for 20 minutes.

Transfer the contents into the blender jug and puréè until the desired consistency is obtained.

Serve the soup by adding a spoonful of sauerkraut to the elderberries in the centre. It can be served with bars made with sesame and pistachios and garnished with lemon zest.

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STORIES

AROMATIC HERBS IN THE KITCHEN, FROM APICIUS TO CARÊME rated in the convents where the first herbal treaties were born. And in the kitchen? The first written testimony on the use of aromatic herbs dates back to the 4th century AD, in the "De re coquinaria" by Apicius, but it was then Guillaume Tirel, chef at the service of kings Charles V and Charles VI of France, who described the specific use of every herb in "Le Viandier" in 1330. Legend has it that Tirel was nicknamed "Taillevent" due to the size of his nose, which seemed created specifically to cut wind (tailler le vent): for this reason, the cook was able to intercept aromas better than anyone else. It was he who advised readers of the time to use herbs to cover bad smells of meat, which were difficult to store pre-refrigeration. After him, it was the turn of Marie Antoine Carême, French chef and writer, who was the first to realise the decorative function of herbs, and again Joseph Favre, a Swiss cook who made the healing properties of plants his trademark (famous phrase attributed to him "the best medicine for man is his diet").

Aromatic herbs, the basis of the Mediterranean diet, which founded its culinary tradition precisely in that amalgam of fragrances and perfumes, also fit between medicinal and wild herbs. Fragrances that awaken the collective olfactory memory, recalling memories of outdoor picnics and family lunches. To trace its origins, it is necessary to go back about 60,000 years to the first discovery of yarrow and hibiscus inside a tomb, archaeological remains that demonstrate the role that plants have played since ancient times. Already used by the Egyptians to embalm the bodies of their dead and preserve their carnal aspect in the afterlife, aromatic herbs were considered able to carry spiritual messages from humans to the gods, and above all to cure illnesses and wounds. Leaving aside legends, plants actually have different therapeutic properties, and the Romans knew this well, so they used to give parsley to the gladiators before the fight to help them be strong. It was always the Romans, later, who spread their botanical knowledge in the rest of Europe, which were then elabo-

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WILD HERBS IN THE KITCHEN

ative pairings, what I offer is just a basic advice so as to maintain the properties of the ingredient intanct.» Chenopodium, «in Italy commonly called farinello, and typically foraged in late summer,» can be defined as a wild spinach. As far as the salads, there is portulaca oleracea, in Italian porcacchia and purslane in English; or the stellaria aka «common centocchio.» On the other hand, all sprouts belong to the universe of asparagus, «delicious steamed, chopped in omelettes or baked,» from the classic wild asparagus to «hop sprouts or Canadian vine sprouts.»

DON’T CALL THEM WEEDS! To think that they were once considered "weeds," pests, even. Exactly those wild species that today are returning to the fore even in large kitchens, becoming the object of study and research. It's a term now in disuse «because we've finally understood not only the great potential of these elements, but above all their function for the ecosystem,» explains Professor Marco Sarandrea, phyto preparator, herbalist, Professor at the University of Tuscia in Viterbo and owner of the distillery that bears his name. He dedicated his life to those wild herbs useful to man: «we don't even know half of their use, that's what research is for, to identify every characteristic.»

And Italy on this front can boast one of the richest biodiversity in the world, «a heritage to be protected in order to preserve environmental well-being, an ethno-botanical resource that we must not take for granted.» Which is especially useful in the kitchen: «Let's take Origanum hirtum, a truth typical of Southern Italy, an intense and fragrant herbaceous medicinal product that has no equal, capable of enriching any dish.»

Then there is the whole sector of herbal teas and infusions, «think oregano, it can be infused in hot water and drunk to prevent intestinal tract unease.» And last but not least, the use in agriculture: «Plants have an extraordinary self-defense system, they 



Wild chocolate pralines

With the first colder temperatures of the fall season, wild herb harvest surplus can be used, pulverizing it to avoid waste and to use parts of the plant such as the stems that aren't normally cooked.

These chocolate pralines are special and can be prepared in many variations, your guests will be quite impressed!

Ingredients: Coconut flour Powdered wild grass of your choice (such as spruce or white fir needles, larch, pine) Dark chocolate

Add a spoonful of coconut flour and a spoonful of wild grass powder in the bowl of your food processor each praline (10 chocolate pralines = 10 tablespoons) and turn on at maximum speed, keeping careful watch to avoid it becoming "butter." Once soft but not creamy, shape the mixture into balls (roll in slightly moistened hands, using cold water). Arrange them on a tray lined with parchment paper and flatten them with the back of a spoon or with the bottom of a glass.

In a saucepan, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler. Use a silicone brush to cover the praline fillings; arrange on a wire rack and let the melted chocolate harden.

They keep for at least two weeks and can be stored in the fridge and eaten like ice cream. You can also add dried or crumbled dehydrated fruit to the chocolate covering.



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STORIES

exploit the same substances that humans use for curative purposes to combat infestations.»

Sarandrea is convinced of this: the vegetable kingdom is much more organised than the animal one: «This is clearly demonstrated by the fact that the former can survive without the latter, but not the other way around.

The balance of plants is based on a complex system, each element self-produces the substances it needs to defend itself and live well.»

But wild plants do not only counteract in-

Italy boasts some of the richest biodiversity in the world in terms of wild herbs: a heritage that begs to be protected in order to preserve environmental well-being. It's an ethnobotanical resource not to be taken for granted.

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festations: they are important «bio-indicators of the soil,» adds Giorgio Pace, creator of Piccola Bottega Merenda, a niche shop in Rome that has been gathering the best in Italian sustainable agriculture for years.

Herbs have always been present in the shop: «All the farmers in the field keep them out of necessity, which is why I want to sell them and consider them on a par with other products such as fruit and vegetables. It's fair to restore the value they deserve, demonstrating to customers that there is much more in the garden than they are used to thinking.» For those who work in synergistic, bio-intensive and more generally natural agriculture now have to manage wild herbs with care: «We are used to an agricultural system that aims only at productivity, but cultivating the land also implies maintenance. Spontaneously growing herbs cover part of the soil and this is the reason why they are often not present in conventional agricultural systems. What 

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WILD HERBS IN THE KITCHEN

ADDRESSES DEDICATED TO HERBS, AT THE TABLE AND BEYOND

Mattia Baroni Bad Schörgau

Noris, Eleonora Cunaccia Primitivizia

Paola Gavazzi Al Gambero

Campo Tures (BZ)

Sarentino (BZ)

Spiazzo (TN) - fraz. Borzago Calvisano (BS)

Helmuth e Anneres Ebenkofler Kräuterrestaurant Arcana - Moosmair Badia (BZ) - loc. San Cassiano

Cavalese (TN)

Monza - Parco di Monza

Valeria Margherita Mosca Wooding Lab

Norbert Niederkofler St. Hubertus

Alessandro Gilmozzi El Molin

Cortina d’Ampezzo (BL)

Moena (TN)

Riccardo Gaspari SanBrite

Paolo Donei Malga Panna

Cernobbio (CO)

Davide Caranchini Materia

Andrea Canton La Primula

Eleonora Matarrese Pikniq

Dolegna del Collio (GO) - loc. Vencò

Antonia Klugmann L'Argine a Vencò

San Fermo della Battaglia (CO)

Mirko Gatti Radici Restaurant

Cormòns (GO) - fraz. Subida

Alessandro Gavagna Al Cacciatore de La Subida

Alano di Piave (BL)

Ivrea (TO)

Denis Lovatel Pizzeria Da Ezio

Marco Rossi La Mugnaia Caluso (TO)

Asiago (VI)

Alessandro del Degan La Tana Gourmet

Montecosaro (MC)

Mariangela Susigan Gardenia

Michele Biagiola Signore te ne ringrazi

Frassino (CN)

Juri Chiotti Reis Luca Landi Lunasia

Fabrizia Meroi Laite

San Quirino (PN)

Brovello (VB) – fraz. Carpugnino

Viareggio (LU)

Sappada (UD)

Montemonaco (AP)

Enrico Mazzaroni Il Tiglio

Rivodutri (RI)

Maurizio e Sandro Serva La Trota dal 1963

Lucca

Castel di Sangro (AQ)

Cristiano Tomei L’Imbuto

Niko Romito Reale Martina Franca (TA)

Enrica Beduschi insegnante di foraging

Collepardo (FR)

Marco Sarandrea Sarandrea Liquori Acuto (FR) Frascati (RM)

Maria Regina Bertolato Erba Regina

Salvatore Tassa Colline Ciociare

Roma

Lecce

Alessandro Miocchi e Giuseppe Lo Iudice Retrobottega Giorgio Pace Piccola Bottega Merenda

Floriano Pellegrino, Isabella Potì Bros'

Santa Cristina d’Aspromonte (RC) Malfa (ME) - Isola di Salina

Martina Caruso Ristorante Hotel Signum

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Nino Rossi Qafiz

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

is forgotten, however, is that these plants help to regulate the soil, providing farmers with the right means to understand what to improve.»

Each wild herb, in fact, grows under certain conditions, «so the presence or absence of a certain herb almost always indicates any deficiencies or imbalances. For example, if there are too many spontaneous wild herbs, it means that the soil is acidic.» Furthermore, as if their great work as bio-indicators were not enough, herbs also attract pollinators: «Bees and other insects are essential not only for agri-food production, but above all for the well-being of ecosystems.

Insects are only attracted to an agricultural system that's well balanced, where there are flowers.

And these, most of the time, are spontaneous.»

Naturally, herbs must also be contained, «but in very precise percentages, in order to preserve the biodiversity of the soil and the balance of the soil.» Not only taste is involved, but the very future of our environment.

ENRICA BEDUSCHI, FROM BASSA ALLE MURGE ON THE HERB ROADS From spending vacations in search of herbs in fields and woods, Enrica Beduschi found herself a lady of the wild herbs who carved out a profession out of foraging (but better call it a lifestyle) after moving from Mantua to Martina Franca, in the southern Murge of Puglia, which she knew from having visited on vacation. "It was this land that first made me fall in love with foraging, and then showed me the right path. That's when I realised that wealth, here, was wild... A bit like me!" So, without the need to water, sow, wait for the garden to grow–which she was accustomed to, having also managed a farm inherited from her father–she decided to become a forager. So much so that now there are several chefs who turn to her for her herbs, from Fulvio Pierangelini to Antonio Zaccardi of Pasha in Conversano, up to the cooks of the Rome based restaurant Retrobottega.

And also passing through the friendship (born spontaneously like her herbs) with Martino Ruggeri, right arm of Yannick Alléno at Le Pavillon Ledoyen in Paris.

jacleroi | parma IT

at the heart

of emotions

Close your eyes and imagine: just one glass is enough to transport you among the hills of Montefalco, in Umbria.

Spicy and toasted notes, ripe red fruits, hints of cocoa...

Sagrantino DOCG is the highest expression of a territory that makes wine its vocation and its passion.

www.terredelacustodia.com

GAMBERO ROSSO X TERRE MARGARITELLI

All in for sustainability Terre Margaritelli restarts from Equalitas «Agriculture and wine production were my grandfather’s passions and we try to follow the path he traced in the best possible way.» This is how Dario Margaritelli, owner of the winery that bears the family name and which has been producing wine in Torgiano since 1950, sums up his work. Originally the production, commissioned

by Fernando Margaritelli, was only at the service of the house and was aimed at honouring the old passion for the family’s wine. The turning point came in 2000, with the replanting of the vineyards, the total conversion to organic farming and the first vinifications. This is how Terre Margaritelli was born, a company that immediately linked - also through its name - its work to the territory in which it resides. Now it is a reality that can count on 60 hectares with a single-body vineyard of 52 hectares located between Perugia and Assisi, in a beautiful hilly area known above all for the Doc Torgiano, one of the first denominations recognized in Italy which later became, for 2 1

the Riserva version, Docg in 1990. The grapevines grown here are traditional of central Italy and Umbria in particular, above all Trebbiano and Grechetto for the whites and Sangiovese and Canaiolo for the reds. To these are added other local grape varieties and some international varieties, which blend very well with each other.

Always attentive to issues related to the protection of the territory and the environment, just a few days ago the company reached a really important goal, the recognition of the Equalitas certification, the most important national standard for the certification of environmental, social and economic sustainability for wineries.

We talked about it with Dario Margaritelli.

Why did your company feel the need to obtain Equalitas certification?

Sustainability for the Margaritelli family represents a strong and essential element. All the companies in the group have a strong focus on the issue of sustainability, so much so that when the Terre Margaritelli project started we placed the concept of sustainability as a cornerstone. Since the early years we have invested in

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1. Dario Margaritelli 2. The driveway to the Umbrian estate, with the rows around the cellar 3. Dinner in the vineyard: one of the events organised by Terre Margaritelli in Torgiano, just outside Perugia

You decided to further develop winery visits and tastings for the public? How are these linked to sustainability?

Winery visits have always represented an essential element for us, an element of our modus vivendi: wine is sharing and sociability. We really like the phrase “wine is the synthesis of earth, sun and soul” and obviously the only way to convey the strength of these three elements is by visiting the vineyard. It’s very useful to personally know every admirer of our wines, so we can understand what the elements that make them appreciate our products are, and those that need to be improved. It’s also the best opportunity to underline everything that the project entails, including therefore all activities related to the sustainability of our project.

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this sense, starting from the transformation to organic management of the agricultural part but not only, the continuous search for suppliers of certified materials, the relationship with the territory and the various associations, the use of clean energy from renewable sources, just to mention a few practices. Equalitas certification is the natural fulfillment of this journey and is the element that was missing in order to make known to everyone what we do daily on the estate.

How are you restarting after the pandemic?

We’re starting from the basics, from the relationship with “our neighbours.” We are putting enormous efforts into forging even stronger relationships with those who live around us and this requires strong commitment. Since May we have been practically open seven days a week to try to start over, but it also means laying the foundations for the development of the company towards the goal we were talking about before, personally knowing all those who approach our products to create strong ties with our customers..

What about the future?

We will continue along this path in the way we like best, meet more and more people to make our story known, make our vision understood and then grow, from a structural, qualitative and personal point of view, one step at a time, but on a very solid base. All this while respecting sustainability so that through our work today we can transfer a business in tune with the world around it to our future generations.

What actions were taken to obtain the certification?

Precisely for what we said above, it was not necessary to deeply modify the procedures previously adopted. What we lacked was the bureaucratic and administrative part through which the activities concerning certification are described, formalized and kept under control. Thanks to the Equalitas certification we have come full circle.

 Terre Margaritelli - Torgiano (PG) - fraz. Chiusaccia - loc. Miralduolo

0757824668 - terremargaritelli.com

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CENTENARY VINEYARDS IN SEARCH OF THE LOST WINE. SICILY AND ETNA A journey through the vineyards that have more than a hundred year- old grapevines, not grafted on the characteristic pied franc training system of the 1900s to counter the onset of phylloxera which in the 19th century destroyed most of the European vineyards. Let's start from Sicily, from Etna in particular, where biodiversity is really wide and is part of the DNA of the farmers on the slopes of the Volcano.

words by Alessio Turazza – infographics by Alessandro Naldi

STORIES

V

ineyards that paint the gentle reliefs of the hills with sinuous geometries.

Harmonious landscapes shaped by the hand of man, who designed the territory with Cartesian rigor and precise distances between the rows and the individual plants. The grapevines are identical to each other. Carefully selected clones, recalling the pages of Philip K. Dick and the immortal sequences of Ridley Scott's Blade Runner. But without going "off the shoulder of Orion... or... at Tannhäuser Gate," as the unforgettable replicant played by Rutger Hauer, it is possible to see "things you people wouldn't believe." Not "attack ships on fire... or ...C-beams glitter in the dark," but centuries-old vineyards, which survived time, two World Wars and above all made it through phylloxera, a small aphid that devastated European vineyards at the end of the 19th century..

WORKS OF ART OUT IN THE OPEN Nude tree trunks, gnarled and twisted, grown free to follow capricious arabesques. Wooden sculptures modeled by a wild and indomitable nature. Ancient and majestic plants, which claim their uniqueness. Works of art out in the open, capable of surprising and enchanting with archaic forms, sometimes harmonious, sometimes threatening and disturbing. The order and rigor of the modern rows is contrasted by the anarchic disorder, casual and spontaneous, of rebel daughters of the earth.

Grapevines with an ancestral charm, marked by a time that has materialised in their forms. They made themselves wood, history and memory. Impassive witnesses of endless harvests, they accompany our lonely steps in the hieratic silence of their arcane and magnetic strength. One cannot be indifferent in front of centenary vineyards. Their value transcends immanence, to become the very symbol of the vine, a plant that

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has always been linked to myth, legend and divinity. Living icons, which represent a precious heritage that needs to be protected, to be preserved as a testimony of the very roots and origins of our culture.

SURVIVORS OF PHYLLOXERA In Italy there are many vineyards that have survived the phylloxera pest, still today they're able to produce grapes of excellent quality. They are grapevines that produce few clusters, with yields ranging from 15 to 30 quintals per hectare, on average. In the absence of certain documentation, it's often difficult to establish the exact age of a vineyard. The ancient custom of using the offshoot method to fill fallacies has often created vineyards with the presence of grapevines of different ages.

However, the expression pre-phylloxera is conventionally used to indicate grapevines with a prevalence of grapevines over hundred years of age. Without having the presumption of the completeness of an analytical census, we have followed a path of botanical archeology in the past of our nation.

Thus was born, as a tribute to the vine, the idea of embarking on a journey to discover the centuries-old vineyards and their wines. Real rarities, ghosts of the past. These are bottles produced in a few thousand examples, a small niche for enthusiasts eager to savour history through the pleasure of a glass of wine. For some years now, the labels bearing the word Pre-phylloxera have been increasing. We will try to understand if it's romantic nostalgia, an infatuation for the viticulture of the past, a tongue-in-cheek marketing choice, or if this rediscovery is the signal of a sincere and conscious sensitivity towards heritage of inestimable natural, cultural and anthropological value.

PRE-PHYLLOXERA VINEYARDS AND WINES/1

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MT ETNA AND SICILY Etna is a unique terroir in the world.

A mountain of over 3,300 meters that sinks deep into the blue heart of the Mediterranean. A vertical rock of violent contrasts, generated by primordial nature. Fiery lava flow, soft lapilli, clouds of ashes in the blue sky. Black soils made red-hot by the blinding light of the sun, which fall asleep in the cold of the night. Cold winds collide with mild sea breeze, in a restless and vibrant atmosphere. An unstable universe in ever-changing mutation, which merges and regenerates itself in its pulsating liquid core. Hostile, stony and arid landscape, of sharp rocks and soft sands, pierced by the stubborn roots of the grapevines. In this absolute and desolate scenario, there are some of the oldest vineyards of our

nation. Phylloxera arrived in Sicily towards the end of the 19th century, but was unable to completely devastate the vast Etna vineyard. In the soils of very thin sand, some parcels have managed to survive and today constitute the precious memory of the viticulture of the past.

Before exploring the old vineyards, let's talk about Etna with Salvo Foti, an oenologist and great lover of this area. «All in all, Etna's viticulture has benefited from phylloxera. The wine of the volcano, in the period immediately after the destruction of European vineyards by phylloxera, recorded a surge in wine exports, especially in France – the winemaker tells us – Here the texture of the soils played a fundamental role: the richer in sand, the more problematic the spread of phylloxera and therefore 

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PHYLLOXERA, “LA BÊTE” Phylloxera is a tiny aphid native to the American continent, which at the end of the 19th century wreaked havoc on the world of European wine. Most likely it arrived in the old continent in the mid19th century with the importation, by some English and French nurserymen, of American grapevines for their private collections. The first manifestations of the aphid in the vineyards of southern France occurred around 1865. American grapevines were accustomed to living with phylloxera for a long time, the European vitis vinifera, on the other hand, was defenseless and much more vulnerable.

Around 1870 phylloxera had invaded and brought about the destruction in most of the European vineyards. To combat "la bête," as it was called in France, various remedies were attempted but which proved useless. The problem was solved only starting in 1880, with the grafting of the European vine on a root system of the American vine. However, a few decades were enough to almost completely destroy the continent's vine heritage, with the irreparable loss of many varieties.

STORIES

ATTILIO SCIENZA: LONG LIVE THE ROOTSTOCK! Before setting out among the vineyards, we heard the opinion on the subject of Attilio Scienza, full professor at the University of Milan.

Phylloxera marked a rift in the history of viticulture, with what consequences?

Relocation of viticulture with the disappearance of entire wine-growing regions; loss of viticultural germ plasm; modifications in vine growing systems and reduction of mixed viticulture; emigration to the Americas; birth of viticulture schools; genetic improvement (new grapevines and rootstocks)...

What can pre-phylloxera grapevines tell us?

By now there are few and sparse traces of pre phylloxera grapevines, in sandy soils (anti-phylloxera sands), in Chile, in Cyprus. In Italy there are traces in the Aosta Valley in Morgex, in Vallagarina, in Trentino (Adige Valley), in Campania in the light soils of Vesuvius, in Sardinia in the granite sands of Sulcis, and in Pantelleria and Salina.

What do these old grapevines represent in terms of knowledge of the history of viticulture and biodiversity?

Having now reduced to a few hectares, this pre-phylloxera viticulture is only a media topic, to make some producers talk about who still have a few rows of pied franc grapevines, or some nostalgic negationist who hopes to return to growing grapevines without rootstock.

1. Palmento Costanzo: rows of centuries-old vines to which the Castiglione di Sicilia company has been dedicating an Etna Rosso label for some time 2. In the Solicchiata area, Pietradolce has an extraordinary heritage of centuries-old vineyards, with which it produces various labels 3. Winemaking in the Barbagalli vineyard owned

by Pietradolce At the opening, the centenary vineyards of Pietradolce immersed in a suggestive environmental scenario, among forests and centenary olive trees

What value do pre-phylloxera grapevines have today?

Only in the media and very modest for research because the genetic variability of these populations is much lower than that of post-phylloxera vineyards, which were created 70-80 years ago, without clone selection, which have therefore maintained a high biodiversity.

What are the advantages of a vine with a pied franc training system compared to one with an American system?

In practical terms, none, because it has a very low production, is very subject to climate change, does not tolerate drought like the best rootstocks. Vineyards can last longer because with a low production the grapevines are less exploited and because they have a lower incidence of virosis. Confirming these observations is the use of rootstock also in viticulture where phylloxera is not a problem, such as Australia and Chile.

Can a grapevine with a pied franc training system be a better and more direct "interpreter" of the character of a territory?

It is not possible to make this type of comparison because there is a lack of case studies of vineyards with and without rootstock, in order to produce wines to be evaluated from a sensorial point of view. With the correct use of rootstock (vigor, earliness in the phenological phases, drought tolerance, selectivity in the intake of mineral elements) you can have balanced grapevines with a good leaf/grape ratio, resilient to climatic conditions.

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PRE-PHYLLOXERA VINEYARDS AND WINES/1

the destruction of the grapevines. Yes, because on Etna, now we can talk more of centenary grapevines than vineyards: we must consider an Etna vineyard as a town, a city, where a potentially very lethal pandemic has arrived. The particular terrain (volcanic sands), has managed to contain the mass mortality of the grapevines. The dead grapevines were instead replanted with other grafted young ones and the surviving ones were cultivated with care, managing to grow, in large part, up to the present day. So in these current vineyards, well cared for over time and transferred from one generation to another of winemakers, we find centenary ungrafted grapevines, also middle-aged grafted (but not always) ones, young grafted grapevines (almost always): that is to say, a population like we find in any city, where the different ages of individuals (grapevines), different cultural and social levels (grapevines planted by different winemakers) and beings of different territorial origins are represented, the great biodiversity present in the old vineyards of Etna. These are not only Nerello Mascalese, Nerello

Cappuccio or Carricante.» So what is the importance of these grapevines?

Are they just "beautiful" or do they have something deeper? «Firstly, this is a unique and unrepeatable biodiversity, a plant heritage to be preserved with commitment: the only guarantee we have for survival is biodiversity. It should not be forgotten that only about 10 years ago, especially on Etna, our agricultural policy encouraged those who uprooted old grapevines to replant them with new farming systems aimed at mechanisation, quantity and introduction of non-native grapevines (Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, Pinot , etc.) then called "improvement grapevines".» What is instead the value of these ancient vineyards and the wines that derive from them? «Wine is an agricultural product: it owes its quality not only to oenological techniques, but to other aspects that are territorial, cultural, anthropological, historical, environmental (I would also like to add ethical) and, last but not least, temporal. When a good wine satisfies us with its typical qualitative and cultural characteristics, then what

10 MUST TASTE LABELS ON ETNA

1 Etna Rosso Barbagalli Pietradolce

2 Etna Rosso Doc Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino Tenuta Terre Nere

3 Etna Rosso Vico Prephylloxera Tenute Bosco

4 Etna Rosso Prefillossera Palmento Costanzo

5 Etna Rosso Alberelli di Giodo Giodo

6 Etna Rosso N'Anticchia Caciorgna

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7 Etna Rosso Riserva Rovittello Particella No. 341 Benanti

8 Etna Rosso Musmeci Riserva Speciale Roberto Silva Tenuta di Fessina

9 Quota 1000 Contrada Barbabecchi Graci

10 Etna Rosso Riserva Signum Aetnae Firriato

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WINERIES WITH CENTURIES-OLD VINEYARDS IN SICILY

STORIES

 Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Randazzo (CT) – c.da Calderara tenutaterrenere.com  Tenute Bosco

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) s. da Provinciale 64, 8 – @tenutebosco  Pietradolce

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Solicchiata – c.da Rampante pietradolce.it  Benanti

Viagrande (CT) –via G. Garibaldi, 361 benanti.it  Palmento Costanzo

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Passopisciaro – c.da Santo Spirito palmentocostanzo.com  Graci

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Passopisciaro – c.da Arcurìa graci.eu  Firriato – Tenuta Cavanera

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) c.da Verzella – firriato.it  Caciorgna

Contrada Marchesa, Passo Cannone, Piano d'Aria e Santo Spirito (Castiglione di Sicilia – fraz. Passopisciaro), Bocca d'Orzo (Randazzo) - tenutepietrocaciorgna.com

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 Tenuta di Fessina

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) c.da Rovittello – via Nazionale S.S. 120, 22 tenutadifessina.com  Frank Cornellissen

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Passopisciaro via Canonico Zumbo, 1 frankcornelissen.it  Eudes

Trecastagni (CT) – s.da Vicinale Minnoliti eudes.it  Cantine di Nessuno

Trecastagni (CT) – cantinadinessuno.it  I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) c.da Moganazzi – icustodi.it  I Vigneri

Milo (CT) – Palmento Caselle via Abate, 3 – ivigneri.it  Theresa Eccher

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Solicchiata – c.da Pontale Palino s.da Provinciale 64 – theresaeccher.com  Alberelli di Giodo c.da

Rampante e c.da Pietrarizzo (Castiglione di Sicilia) – c.da Calderara Sottana (Randazzo) – giodo.it

gives it an added value and elevates it to something excellent is only one thing: time!

Its highest value depends on how long it is produced, how long the grapevines themselves produce it and how long the winegrower or wine culture itself produces it.»

Why? What are the characteristics of a wine made from centenary grapevines?

«Centenary grapevines are individuals who have lived in harmony in their territory for hundreds of years. There is a relationship between the winegrower and his old grapevines that can be defined as human: either because the two have aged together or because the young winegrower inherited them from his/her father and with them all the experience necessary to grow them.

The attention and care required for those old grapevines and grapes produced is such that this co-evolution of the two subjects

leads to a result of pleasantness, harmony and completeness in the wine, which can be defined as unique and timeless.»

Among the Etna wineries, Tenuta delle Terre Nere has always stood out for its particular attention to the enhancement of individual vineyards, with a classification inspired by Burgundy. The Etna Rosso Prephylloxera La Vigna di Don Peppino is made with grapes from a plot planted ungrafted at the end of the 19th century in the Calderara Sottana district, on soils of sand and ashes.

Since 2006, this precious one-hectare vineyard has been vinified separately.

The wine expresses elegant floral aromas, of soft spices and aromatic herbs, which embellish a dark and shady background of dark berries. Intense and

 Alta Mora – Cusumano

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) s.da Provinciale 7 altamora.it – cusumano.it

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  Santa Maria la Nave

STORIES

Catania – via S. Catania, 137 santamarialanave.com  Campione

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) – c.da Crasà campionevini.com

harmonious, it has a long and concentrated sip, with a notable gustatory persistence.

 Vini Franchetti

Castiglione di Sicilia (CT) fraz. Passopisciaro – c.da Guardiola vinifranchetti.com

Benanti is one of the historical names of Etna. In the range of its wines, two excellences stand out, made with grapes from over-one-hundred-year-old alberello training system plants of Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Cappuccio. Etna Rosso Riserva Rovittello Particella No. 341 is a wine with a refined, essential and austere profile, characterised by a fresh expressive tension. The delicate fruit, the subtle and finely chiseled aromas in the lava, are accompanied by an incisive tannic texture, which makes the sip vertical, limpid, savoury and stony.

The Etna Rosso Riserva Serra della Contessa Particella No. 587 was born in a warmer area, with a full and early ripening. It is an elegant and fragrant wine, in

 Feudo Cavaliere

Santa Maria di Licodia (CT) s.da Cavaliere Bosco – feudocavaliere.it  Gurrida

Randazzo (CT) – s.s. 120, km 181 – gurrida.it  Feudo Montoni

Cammarata (AG) – c.da Montoni Vecchi feudomontoni.it  Caravaglio

Malfa – Isola di Salina (ME) via Provinciale, 33 – caravaglio.it  Fedegraziani

Randazzo (CT) fraz. Montelagardia – c.da Mangani fedegraziani.it (vigna: Contrada Feudo di Mezzo, frazione di Passopisciaro, nel comune

which balance dominates. The fruit envelops the tannins, smoothing the texture and giving a harmonious and complex sip, which stretches towards a long and satisfying finish. We asked Salvino Benanti to tell us about these two vineyards, the estate's precious treasure.

In the two Reserva, you indicated the individual parcels on the label, was this a choice in the Burgundy lieu-dit style?

«The Etna Doc has always been divided into slopes, sub-areas, districts or – precisely – individual vineyards. The choice to indicate the parcels on the label underlines the well-defined origin of the grapes and finds its natural culmination at the moment of tasting, when the wines are manifested in all their evident diversity, despite the identical vinification. Yes, we can say that inspiration also came from Burgundy, a land that – together with the Langhe – represents a point of reference for all of us

WINERIES WITH CENTURIES-OLD VINEYARDS IN SICILY Alberelli di Giodo

Tenuta delle Terre Nere

Firriato – Tenuta Cavanera Castiglione di Sicilia

Randazzo

Caciorgna

Alberelli di Giodo

Vini Franchetti Fedegraziani

Gurrida

Alta Mora – Cusumano

Caciorgna Tenuta di Fessina

Palmento Costanzo Bronte

I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna Frank Cornellissen Pietradolce

Tenute Bosco Theresa Eccher Campione

Parco dell’Etna Graci

I Vigneri Feudo Montoni

Feudo Cavaliere Palermo Marsala

5 km

Salina Messina

Cantine di Nessuno

Biancavilla

Caravaglio

Eudes

Enna

Etna Catania

Agrigento Santa Maria la Nave

Benanti

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Etna folk.» But what do these centenary grapevines mean to you? «They are the history, the "monuments" that testify to the centuries-old tradition of Etna. They show the world that our land has a long history of winemaking, even if only in the last few decades has it translated into wines of excellence.»

In the Solicchiata area, Pietradolce has an extraordinary heritage of centuriesold vineyards, with which it produces various labels. The Etna Rosso Barbagalli and the Bianco Sant'Andrea are among the best expressions of the territory and give wines capable of combining refined elegance and complex expressive depth. We ask Michele Faro, owner of the estate, what are the characteristics, the particular characteristics of the wines that come from here. «I am convinced that the very small production generated by each single pre-phylloxera 5 plant of Nerello Mascalese and Carricante centenary ungrafted grapevines with is inversely proportional to the great qualthe Etna Rosso Prephylloxera label. ity of the wines: great concentration of It's an elegant and deep wine, which quality from a small quantity of fruit. Of expresses notes of medicinal herbs, arocourse, the high altitude, the minerality of mas of red currant and cherry. The delithe soil and the microclimate of the various cate fruit and lively tannins are crossed plots of Etna play their part. We produce by mineral sensations of graphite and wine from very small Clos, framed by lava flint, which lead to a fresh and balsamic stone walls and centuries-old olive trees, finish. «It is a journey that we have unwhich give truly unique wines.» dertaken a few years ago to understand the soils rich in minerals that tell the oenoIn the Santo Spirito district, at 700 melogical history of Etna and the relationship ters above sea level, Tenute Bosco owns that each wine has with the varied territoa splendid vineyard with over 100-yearry it belongs to,» Valeria Agosta Costanzo old ungrafted plants, cultivated on tertells us about the company strategy to races supported by dry lava stone walls. increasingly highlight the nuances of Etna Rosso Vico Prephylloxera is a the territory, with four bottles dedicated wine that reflects the character of the to Parcels 464, 466 and 468 which also territory very well, with aromas of small include the new Prephylloxera label. dark berry fruits, morello cherry, fragrances of orange peel and hints of wild Roberto Silva's Etna Rosso Riserva herbs. The sip, clear and complex, runs Speciale is the flagship label of Tenuta towards a pleasantly fresh and savoury di Fessina. It comes from a selection finish. Still in the Santo Spirito district, of centenary Nerello Mascalese alberPalmento Costanzo has recently decided to focus on exalting a parcel of ello grapevines grown in Rovittel- 

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4. La vigna Rovittello, indicata alla particella 341, della cantina Benanti 5. Una maestosa vite di Tenute Bosco 6. I filari secolari di Tenuta di Fessina a Castiglione di Sicilia 7. L'alberello censito come 1932 Rs, nelle vigne storiche di Tenuta di Fessina

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GLASSES TO GET TO KNOW A TERRITORY IN DEPTH Certainly, wines from centenary grape vines attract many wine lovers, but also lovers of our territory who aim to have a thorough knowledge of it, who want to discover even the less known and evident nuances, less of what's on the surface. We have several on the menu and I must say that they are very much appreciated. Especially from our foreign guests: they want to discover Sicily not only through the stone monuments and postcard landscapes that we also have in large amounts, but from the point of view of flavours and tastes, and that's why they seek and appreciate elegance and the complexity of Pre-phylloxera wines. It's by taking care of these guests that we offer the centenary labels: they are ideal for those who want to learn more and have contact with the most identity and authentic characteristics of the island. From my point of view, it's always very exciting to come across Pre-phylloxera vineyards that are real monuments of Italian viticulture from which wines are born that draw an "original" identity of the volcanic territory: more elegant wines, with hints of more marked minerality, more complex aromas and fine tannins. I believe that the best pairing for these labels is with elaborate, structured dishes, which are able to support the body of these glasses with a strong taste, such as red meats with their cooking juicesa.

– Roberta Cozzetto, sommelière at Sàpìo in Catania

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lo. The parcel is located at 700 meters above sea level, in an area with a cool microclimate and characterised by strong temperature variations. Silvia Maestrelli, owner of the winery, tells us about it. «The Riserva Speciale project was born in 2017 from the desire to pay homage to the memory of Roberto, my husband, who passed away two years ago by a tragic accident. Since its foundation, his sensitivity and fascination for this place have contributed to the growth of the estate and to create a style that is reflected in the passion, commitment and love for attention to detail. To make Roberto's bond with Fessina indissoluble, we decided to combine memory and the land, through the vineyard that Roberto had purchased from Ignazio Musmeci, enhancing its more complex nuances, selecting the oldest and sparse Nerello Mascalese alberellos plant by plant. It is a Cru produced only in the best vintages in numbered Magnums.» 

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Within the Cavanera Estate, in the Verzella district of Castiglione di Sicilia, Firriato has isolated a parcel of ultracentenary plants, located at 650 meters above sea level on fine-textured sandy soils. The very low yield per hectare guarantees grapes of extraordinary aromatic concentration. It is one of the few vineyards that can be dated with certainty. Thanks to the dendrochronological analysis of wood carried out by the Department of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences of the University of Palermo, the age of the plants has been estimated at 150 years. From these grapevines comes the red Etna Riserva Signum Aetnae, a complex and deep wine, with dense aromas of small red berries, dark sensations of undergrowth, nuances of aromatic herbs and delicate spices. The sip is long and persistent, with ripe tannins and a harmonious finish. «The label was born with a very specific goal: bringing into the bottle a wine capable of repre-

senting and enhancing the experience of a vineyard that has written and is writing, with its very existence, the history of Etna viticulture – tells us Federico Lombardo di Monte Iato, Operative Director of the Estate – The idea was to give the most demanding enthusiast also a "sample" of what a pre-phylloxera wine looks like, with ungrafted plants and grapevines with a very high average age.»

In the Barbabecchi contrada, at 1,000 meters above sea level, Graci cultivates a centenary vineyard with a pied franc training system which is home to Quota 1.000 Contrada Barbabecchi. It's a pure Nerello Mascalese with a thin and elegant appearance and a clear and austere character, with aromas of wild herbs, licorice root, plus balsamic hints, on a background carpet of currant, raspberry and citrus.

Tenuta Passopisciaro, by Andrea Franchetti, owns a park of ancient vine-

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yards in various districts of Etna. The plots that have the largest population of pre-phylloxera grapevines are those with which the labels are produced: Contrada Guardiola, Contrada Rampante and Contrada Chiappemacine.

The availability of Etna wines made with centenary grapevines is increasingly wide. Without the presumption of being exhaustive, we remember the Etna Rosso Monte Ilice of Cantine di niente, which was born on the southeast side of the volcano, in a spectacular vineyard with steep slopes, and which rises up to 900 meters above sea level; the Etna Rosso Magma by Frank Cornellissen; Etna Rosso Altero PrePhylloxera by Theresa Eccher; Etna Rosso Saeculare by I Custodi delle Vigne dell'Etna; Etna Rosso Vinupetra by I Vigneri; Etna Rosso N'Anticchia by Caciorgna; Etna Rosso Milleottocentoquaranta by Eudes; Etna Rosso Alberelli

by Giodo; Etna Rosso Guardiola di Alta Mora; Etna Rosso Calmarossa by Santa Maria La Nave; Profumo di Vulcano by Fedegraziani; Etna Rosso Sua Maestà

by Campione and the Etna Don Blasco Rosso of Feudo Cavaliere. The Gurrida estate owns an ultra centenary grenache vineyard planted at the beginning of the 19th century in the Bronte area.

The ancient vineyard was destroyed by phylloxera, but a small parcel located in a valley floor subject to annual flooding was saved, which kept it sheltered from the aphid. Until the 2008 vintage, the red Victory and the black Victory labels were produced. After an interruption of over a decade, in 2020 a new harvest was carried out and the wine will be released in 2022. Outside the Etna area, we point out Feudo Montoni's Nero d'Avola Vrucara Prephylloxera and the interesting Nero du Munti by Carvaglio, a pure corinto nero grown in Lipari, on the sandy soils of the old crater of Fossa del Monte.  (to be continued)

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2021

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO BARBERA D’ASTI E VINI DEL MONFERRATO

Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin

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millennia has therefore given rise to the creation of hills and valleys that make up the landscape we see today, at altitudes ranging on average from 150 to 450 meters, within a specification that provides for the possibility of cultivating Barbera grapes up to 650 meters above sea level. The soils created in this way are generally not very rich in organic matter and therefore have limited fertility, further reduced by decidedly scarce rainfall that often leads to droughts: conditions that are not easy, yet ideal for the concentration of sugars, minerals and aromatic substances in the grapes.

The Barbera grape variety, despite having showed considerable adaptability over time–just think of the crops present in Argentina and California, as well as in numerous Italian regions–is however inextricably linked to a territory, to a unique and fascinating geographical area that has not been fully told still, called Monferrato Astigiano. We are located in south-western Piedmont, in a hilly area between the Liguria Apennines, Langhe with the Cottian Alps on the horizon, and the Po Valley. This is a territory that emerged from marine waters between 2 and 3 million years ago. Here the work of rivers over the

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Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin

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IT ALL STARTED WITH THE ROMANS In this area the presence of vines dates back to the age of the ancient Romans, with testimonies and official documents relevant to the Middle Ages. The grape varieties historically used were essentially Cortese and Moscato for the whites; and Dolcetto, Freisa, Grignolino, red-berried Malvasias, Nebbiolo, Ruché and Barbera for the reds. Over the centuries, the attention of winemakers has constantly grown towards two main types, Moscato and Barbera, which today constitute the dominant part of the vineyard area. It’s precisely on these two vines, with a determination that has grown especially in recent years,

that soil research has increased in order to identify the most suitable places for their cultivation.

THE BARBERA ZONES As for Barbera, there are three areas in which the results were particularly prestigious for which the production disciplinary expressly saw the possibility of indicating on the label, for the Superiore type, the following geographical indications: Nizza (which later became autonomous Docg in 2014), Tinella and Colli Astiani (or Astiano). However, it’s an open process, as Barbera has amply demonstrated to give excellent results also in numerous other areas. 

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO BARBERA D’ASTI E VINI DEL MONFERRATO

1. Evocative image of the rows in autumn.

The Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines protection consortium has been active since 1946 2. Bunches during harvest 3. The hills that define the landscape

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REGULATION N. 1308/2013

Barbera d’Asti and Nizza, the two main denominations Coming to the present day, the Consortium for the protection of Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines has been active since 1946 (this is its current denomination, defined precisely to underline the importance of Barbera within the consortium activities, while at the origins it was called more generically Consortium for the protection of Asti and Monferrato wines), which deals precisely with the protection (origin and compliance with the production specification) and the promotion of the 4 Docg and 9 Doc present in the area: Albugnano Doc, Barbera d’Asti Docg, Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato Doc, Dolcetto d’Asti Doc, Freisa d’Asti Doc, Grignolino d’Asti Doc, Loazzolo Doc, Malvasia di Castelnuovo Don Bosco Doc, Monferrato Doc, Nizza Docg, Piemonte Doc, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato

Docg and Terre Alfieri Docg.

As mentioned, the most important denominations in terms of production are Barbera d’Asti and Nizza.

Barbera d’Asti, a wine that also includes the Superiore version and the possible indication of the Tinella and Colli Astiani (or Astiano) sub-areas, was born to new life and transformed from a simple daily product to a quality wine in the 1980s, after obtaining the Doc seal in 1970 and after - one cannot fail to underline it - the disastrous methanol scandal of 1986. It is around this sad date that many producers decided to invest with determination in quality production, among whom counted as a forerunner was Giacomo Bologna, who made his debut with his expensive Barbera d’Asti Bricco dell’Uccellone. It was among the

first to be refined in small French oak barrels in the 1982 harvest.

Alongside him there were already companies historically devoted to fine wine, but we can assume his figure as a historical symbol of the area’s rebirth.

Today the Nizza denomination was also born, which became autonomous from the sub-area it constituted. But from the 1980s to today there has been a flourishing of new wine cellars and renovations of many of the already active wineries, with results that can be clearly summarised in the following numbers: in the 2020 harvest grapes were harvested that will allow marketing (even if released in the next few years) 20 million bottles of Barbera d’Asti and 700,000 bottles of the newborn Nizza.

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Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin The other Monferrato grape varieties and open aromatic expression, while the mouth tends towards a more delicate profile.

CORTESE The white berried Cortese grape is mainly cultivated in the southern part of Monferrato and is used for the production of Cortese dell’Alto Monferrato Doc, with vineyards that can be planted in 35 municipalities in the province of Asti and 51 in the province of Alessandria. It’s certainly a native grape, devoid of kinship with the other white grapes of the region, with a presence testified by documents dating back to the 17th century. Local tradition employs it to complete the production range of the wineries, which remains focused on Barbera, and is therefore the classic white intended for the beginning of the meal, suitable for pairing with cured meats and vegetable omelettes. The wine is characterised by fresh and immediate aromas in which flowers and white fruits prevail, while the palate is endowed with an agile and consistent acidity, as well as a slightly almond finish, which guarantees easy drinkability. Annual production, with a downward trend in recent harvests, is between 700 and 900,000 bottles.

FREISA The Freisa d’Asti denomination covers the entire hilly area of the province by the same name, with the exception of two totally flat municipalities. It’s a grape variety that ripens almost at the same time as Barbera and lends wines of good colour, significant freshness and perceptible tannins, with a finish that often turns towards notes of almond or slightly bitter. The annual production of Freisa d’Asti Doc is on average about half a million bottles, to which are added smaller quantities of Monferrato Freisa Doc and Piemonte Freisa Doc. In the ancient peasant tradition it was common to consume a type of Freisa that was slightly sparkling, with moderate bubbles from refermentation in the bottle, while today there is a tendency to favour the still version, sometimes even with aging in oak. The current production regulations include, in addition to the non-sparkling Freisa d’Asti, also the Superiore, Spumante and Frizzante types.

GRIGNOLINO Written testimonies attest to its local presence at least from the 13th century, while the name derives from grignòle, a dialect term used to indicate grape seeds.

The resulting wine is rather light ruby in colour, with aromas of both red fruit and spices, often including white pepper. The palate is rather thin and never too alcoholic, also characterised by a perceptible tannic presence. The grapes grown in this area are used in the Grignolino d’Asti and Piemonte Grignolino Docs, with an annual production that in both cases is close to one million bottles. Despite being cultivated throughout the Monferrato, the soils most suited to the production of Grignolino d’Asti, within the 35 municipalities provided for by the specification, are located on the hills in the north-east area of the capital on rather sandy soils such as those, to mention some municipalities, of Migliandolo, Portacomaro, Refrancore and Scurzolengo: the area is known for its decidedly intense, rich

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RUCHÉ A grape that gives wines particularly rich in aromas, in which rose and wild strawberries stand out, while the mouth is always rather pleasantly contrasted, thanks to fine alcohol content and low acidity on the one hand, and a sensitive tannic nerve on the other. The success of Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato in recent years is fully clear by the constant increase in both the hectares of vineyards and the number of producing companies of this type, which we can easily define as “fashionable.” The production area is located northeast of the capital and includes the entire territory of the municipalities of Castagnole Monferrato, Grana, Montemagno, Portacomaro, Refrancore, Scurzolengo and Viarigi, all in the province of Asti. The bottles produced annually, constantly growing in recent years, are close to one million.

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4. A panoramic view embracing the area dedicated to the rows in Monferrato, in the province of Asti 5. A bunch of Barbera, symbolic grape variety of this terroir

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It should also be emphasized that the vineyard areas are exclusively hilly, with the express prohibition contained in the regulations on planting vineyards in the flat areas of the valley floor, for which processing requires a high number of man-hours per hectare, with the presence of plots in which, due to the steepness of the terrain, each action must be carried out manually.

BARBERA AND ITS EVOLUTION Probably confused for centuries in the more generic family of red vines called Grisa, Barbera acquired its own terminological autonomy and began to be clearly distinguished from other red varieties starting from the end of the 18th century. Its peculiar characteristics are: good productivity, consistent acidity and good alcohol content, along with a low presence of tannins and an enviable richness of fruity aromas. On the yield front, it should be noted that the high production per vine has contributed over the centuries to spread its wide use by farmers as it guaranteed a certain income to feed the family, as well as a good calorie content for daily require- 

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Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin

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ments. The situation has obviously changed: production regulations are now well aligned with the quantities provided for the highest quality grapes at national level, requiring not to exceed the threshold of 90 quintals per hectare in Barbera d’Asti and 70 quintals in Nizza. This is an element that has contributed substantially to transforming Barbera grape products from popular and everyday wines into wines of great quality. Acidity has been an element that has favoured its spread among the producers of the area, as it has contributed, together with the considerable alcoholic component, to guarantee proper conservation and good evolution over the years. The resulting freshness of taste was also a guarantee of excellent adaptability to food. Despite the production problems that have occurred in recent years, in particular due to the massive presence of golden flavescence, the Barbera grape certainly remains the one to which the entire community of winemakers of Asti and Monferrato is most closely linked, the most significant for the whole area. 

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6. Processing the grapes 7. An evocative landscape that encapsulates the soul of Southern Piedmont 8. A glass of Barbera d’Asti Docg 9. The headquarters of the Consortium inside the Costigliole Castle in the ancient hamlet

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Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin INTERVIEW Now Barbera has more value and many young folks are turning to the vineyard We talked to Filippo Mobrici, President of the Consortium for the protection of Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines, about how things are going for this important territory which plays an important role in the local wine trend and which is undergoing a significant change and at the same time conquering new markets...

How does the Consortium that you manage fit into Piedmontese viticulture?

The Consortium for the protection of Barbera d’Asti and Monferrato wines represents a large and varied territory which, with about 11,500 hectares of vineyards, covers almost a third of the regional DOC vineyard park, while the 57 million bottles sold in a year amount to more than one fourth of the total 250 million. So we are absolutely a conspicuous part of Piedmontese wine.

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How do you see the future for Monferrato Astigiano wine?

I see it not only as rosy but even more so red, like Barbera. Seriously, I think this territory is on the right path now. In particular, taking the following factors into account: the quality of the product has grown a lot, in fact there are no longer any defective wines, and the income for winemakers has increased with new farms being born.

Can you share what the particularly significant elements of this success are?

The central element is the market’s continuous increase in demand for Barbera d’Asti, both in Italy and abroad. In the first place, this has allowed a good increase in the price of grapes which has almost doubled in the last seven years. This, as an 

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10. Barbera being made 11. Steel vats for the storage of wine at controlled temperature 12. Harvest work amid the rows 13. Two glasses of Barbera d’Asti Docg

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THE CONSORTIUM IN NUMBERS

400 member wineries 66,023,512 bottles produced 13 Protected denominations 4 Docg: Barbera d’Asti, Nizza, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato and Terre Alfieri Barbera D’Asti Docg

4.142 11

hectares

20.031.693 bottles

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VERSATILITY AND DIFFERENT INTERPRETATIONS In the course of centuries of winemaking, one of the peculiar characteristics of this grape has clearly come to light, namely its versatility: a characteristic that allows different interpretations and versions of the wines deriving from it. In fact, there are both fresher and more immediate versions on the market - produced exclusively in stainless steel and played on agile fruity tones and invigorated by lashing acidity - and more articulated interpretations, where the aging in oak and the rest in the bottle attribute a complexity and a depth of drinkability that’s able to defy time. Thus a picture is outlined that makes Barbera d’Asti able to enter the world wine elite willingly. Based on these different types, it can therefore be said that Barbera wine has optimal qualities appreciated by the average consumer, that is, someone who determines the trend of the market, primarily as an ideal companion at the table. At the same time, however, there is a growing interest on the part of consumers who, alternatively, mostly appreciate its longevity and fullness of taste.

Summarizing, it can certainly be said that Barbera

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CONSORZIO BARBERA D’ASTI E VINI DEL MONFERRATO

Millennia of history and unique terroir Barbera d’Asti grows and sheds its skin 13

immediate impact, has improved the financial resources of the winemakers, who are therefore increasingly able to make investments both in their vineyards and in their cellars. This has also met a positive psychological and emotional moment in the inhabitants of the area, so much so that many young people – and among them the next generation of producers – are deciding to return to the world of wine. And I can add that the renewed interest in some types once considered minor, from Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato to Grignolino d’Asti to Albugnano, is stimulating many young people to return to work on the vineyard. The increase in the profitability of the vineyards has also attracted the interest of new investors, both from already active wineries in other areas and from external investors.

Aren’t these recent successes going a bit to your head? Are you imitating the road of Barolo?

No, we’re not pursuing any model. So much so that in the logo of our Consortium we wanted to include the image of a fingerprint, to indicate in the clearest way possible that we represent the identity of our territory. I am obviously pleased that Barbera d’Asti is being seen as a wine for aging and that it’s being recognized as a high quality product, but we mustn’t forget that our 5,500 hectares of Barbera vineyards cannot and must not be only of the Nizza type, having to continue to best represent the characteristics of freshness, immediacy and drinkability that have made this wine famous. Of course, we were able to leave behind the idea of Barbera as a generic house wine, but we want to continue to be a popular wine, therefore well known and not too expensive, suitable for continuous and loyal enjoyment over time.

 Consorzio Barbera d’Asti e Vini del Monferrato

Costigliole d’Asti (AT) - piazza Vittorio Emanuele II, 10 - 0141324368 - viniastimonferrato.it

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GAMBERO ROSSO X FRANTOIO MURAGLIA

Frantoio Muraglia. Experience in the oil mill for Puglia’s extra virgin process,» or a complete tasting of 8 labels, «including condiments with extra virgin olive oil base added with assorted fruits (lemon, ginger, basil, etc.) plus smoked olive oil» during which the experts explain to visitors how to recognize the aromatic scents in olive oil. The experience ends with a tasting of some dishes, «designed to emphasize the importance of the correct combination of olive oil and food.» Alternatively, guests can also tack on a tour in the countryside, to see the olive trees up close and understand something more about the olive transformation process. It’s furthermore possible to participate in the project “Adopt An Olive Tree” or a day trip to visit the terracotta artisans who produce the various jugs. «This is among our most popular options.» The price ranges from 5 to 25 euros per person and visits are also available in English and therefore open to an international clientèle.

Observe the creation of the iconic earthenware jugs of Frantoio Muraglia, visiting the Puglia potters, or choose a basic tasting together with the company’s professional team: these are just some of the new experiences made available by the olive oil producer located on the Murgia plateau. It’s a new project developed by Savino Muraglia to allow enthusiasts and the most curious consumers to discover more closely the world of extra virgin olive oil.

«The project is attracting a lot of interest – marketing manager Stefania Urso told us, and added – visits can be booked both through Airbnb and through the company’s website.»

There are several packages to choose from: there are tastings of 4 olive oils, «which we recommend while the mill is at work, in order to carefully observe the production

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GAMBERO ROSSO X FRANTOIO MURAGLIA

1. The ceramic bottle for pitted Coratina olive oil 2. The olives harvested as soon as they ripen before being pressed: early harvesting promotes the quality of extra virgin olive oil 3. A centenary olive tree in Puglia 4. Bottles decorated by Pierpaolo Gaballo 5. Experience at the Frantoio Muraglia oil mill

Packaging.

Back to (artistic) terracotta No wonder that the visit to the Puglia potters is one of the most popular: after all, packaging has long been one of the company’s greatest strengths. «Approximately 12 years ago we decided to opt for the handmade rainbow jug, thus combining two great traditions of the area: the one pertaining to olive oil and the artisan tradition.» An original idea that allowed Frantoio Muraglia to raise the level of the product, «which has gone from being a commodity to a more precious commodity, a perfect gift idea to take to dinners but also a party favor for special occasions that’s unique in its kind.» In April we launched a new collection resulting from the collaboration with artist Stella Tasca which has the typical Puglia rooster as its central theme.

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History and figures In the beginning, it was Savino Muraglia senior who bought the land, an expanse that today consists of 60 hectares of olive trees purchased in the name of his love for the countryside, despite everyone telling him that no luck is made with olives. For twelve years now, another Savino – the fifth generation – has held the reins of the company that continues to reap success both in Italy and abroad. Their olive oil is present in 54 countries and turnover will reach 6 million euros in 2021, «with a constant increase of 15-20% every year for some time now.» Medium fruity, intense, pitted, organic olive oil, flavoured products and even a cold smoked oil obtained with natural wood: these are the Muraglia specialties, available both in bottles with captivating designs and in hand-painted jugs with different shades and styles.

 Frantoio Muraglia - Andria (BT) - via San Candido, 83 - 08831950959 - frantoiomuraglia.it

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REAL SOUL OF SAKE

Naohiko Noguchi was born as third generation ‘toji’ (head sake brewer) family in 1932, and at tender age of 28, he was appointed as toji of Kikuhime brewery in Ishikawa prefecture. Some people call him as “God of sake”.

Words by Kyoko Nakayama photos: Naohiko Noguchi saketronomy

STORIES

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t is at 3am heavy snowing midnight, in Ishikawa prefecture, Japan. In the entire darkness, crack of light appears on the snowy ground.

A man opens a door of humble prefab hut. Outside is freezing cold, but 88 years old man is walking slowly to his work place next to his hut, to see the how his ‘babies’ are growing. This is how, the man, Naohiko Noguchi has been spending his winter for more than 70 years.

He was born as third generation ‘toji’ (head sake brewer) family in 1932, after the graduation of junior high school, he started helping toji to make sake, and at tender age of 28, he was appointed as toji of Kikuhime brewery in Ishikawa prefecture. Aside from the special honor, a Yellow Ribbon Medal

from the emperor, he has been awarded Gold Prize for 27 times at “Annual Japan Sake Awards” from Japan Sake and Shochu Makers Association. This is most respected sake award in Japan, and no one has ever accomplished such great achievements until now. Some people call him as “God of sake”. But, he says “I don’t like to be called as ‘god’. I’m still on the way and the perfection is far beyond, because every year, the condition of the rice is different”. He asks his staff to call him just a “toji”. After the retirement from Kikuhime brewery, where he worked for 37 years at age of 65, he was asked to lead several sake breweries as the toji. Now, he’s the toji of the sake brewery under his name, “Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute”, established in 2017 by the investor who has deeply impressed by his sake making.

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Well, the “babies”. They are koji rice, the starter of sake. Like the human babies, they need to be taken cared every three hours, even during the midnight.

To make the starter, he need to steam the rice and sprinkle koji mold and keep it warm between 31-43 degree Celsius depends on the conditions of the rice for 48 hours in the specially made clean room called “koji room”. If necessary, aerates the koji rice to control the temperature and moisture to let the koji mold to grow the roots deep inside of the grains. The condition he’s aiming is called “tsuki-haze”, the best koji to make the aromatic type of sake, called “ginjo-shu”. He led the ginjyo-shu movement in 1970’s, and it has been the mainstream of premium sake.

“Sake making is all about koji making.

This is most important part, and the pro-

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cedure I love most” he said. Every three hours he checks koji, he picks several grains and tastes them. Well made koji rice is sweet like sugar, because koji mold break rice starch into sugar. Accumulated koji tasting make him lost all of his teeth in his 40s, but he has been continuing. “This is the best way to know the condition of koji”, he says.

He is also known for the person who brought back traditional “yamahai” style, not adding ready-made lactic acid liquid for fast and safety brewing. After the invention of lactic acid liquid in 1910, most of sake makers shifted to fast method and the tradition was almost faded away. But with yamahai method, you could bring out more body, flavors and lasting aromas from the rice. So he learnt the method

from one of the last yamahai masters in 1960s. Like the ancestors, he generates lactic acid in natural procedure, which takes more time and demands technique. It is also very risky, since if you fail, not only one tank, all the tanks might be rotten.

He follows traditional method not from the nostalgy nor for the ‘story’.

Because it helps him to make better quality sake. His sake making is sensual, but at the same timing, very numerically-based. He has been taking the notes of all the procedure of every tank, moreover, even introduces new methods. Upon the opening of Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, together with the architect he designed the brewery carefully, especially, the heart of the brewery, “koji room”, where he

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makes koji rice. On its ceiling, there is a specially order-made sensor to check the carbonic acid gas. In recent study, carbonic acid plays important role to make “tsuki-haze” koji. Even the final decision is done by the feeling of his hand and the tasting, these machine gives him more information to understand koji from another direction. “If you’d like to make good sake, need to listen to what koji mold wants, and follow its silent voice. You can never be selfish”. He shares the principle of his sake making.

Even his entire life is the devotion to the sake making, surprisingly, he doesn’t have much of alcohol tolerance, so he only tastes slight amount of sake.

But because of that, he could purely pursue to make sake what the sake lovers want, without personal bias. He ››

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used to have the tasting team called “sasashukai” consist of true blue sake lovers, and every year he sent his bottles and asked for the feedback.

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Following that “tradition”, in Noguchi Naohiko Sake Institute, he would like to have the place to hear the voice of sake lovers. In the corner of the brewery, there is 12 seaters tasting room called “Touan”, means a room of toji, designed by local artists. Under current COVID-19 situation, it is temporary closed, but usually, the visitors could taste his sake poured in precious Kutani-yaki cup made by Minori Yoshita, the ceramic artist who has recognized as Living National Treasure by Japanese government, together with the snacks top chefs created.

The venue also has a gallery, and from October to March, the visitors could see the actual sake making through the grass wall.

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1. Entrance of Noguchi Naohiko Institute 2. Master “toji”(head sake maker), Naohiko Noguchi, 88.

3. “Yamahai” sake made by Naohiko Noguchi 4, 5. Kyoko Nakayama toast with Noguchi with sake he made in 2008 when he received “Medal with Yellow Ribbon” from the emperor of Japan.

6. Interior of “to-an” overlooks the rice field

7. “Kinjiso”jelly, “gasu” prawn from Ishikawa prefecture, sea urchin and caviar comes with non-filtered “Yamahai Miyamanishiki 2018 vintage” 8. “Hamo and local “Kagafuto” cucumber soup paired with “Noguchi Naohiko 88years Old Special Edition 2020 vintage Vol.1” 9. “Limited Edition Noguchi Naohiko 01 2017vintage” 10. “Caviar goes well with sake” Chef Takagi says 11. “Namera” fish sashimi, it is family of yellow grouper, caught in the morning at Ishikawa prefecture

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Not only that, to showcase the beauty of the region, there’s a series of top chefs’ pop up event, called “Komatsu Saketronomy”. Komatsu is the name of the area, and Saketronomy is the neologism, sake and gastronomy, aiming to showcase the beauty of the region rich in quality water and ingredients.

End of this May, Kazuo Takagi, the owner chef of two-Michelin starred Japanese kaiseki restaurant “Kyoryori Takagi”, also consulting chef of “Kinu

by Takagi” at Mandarin Oriental Bangkok was invited and made special course to pair with his sake.

For this two-nights only pairing experience, even the “marriage seasonings” had prepared. Ahead of the event, Noguchi sent Takagi his precious koji rice, and Takagi made seasoning out from it, like “tomato koji”, koji mixed with tomato juice and salt

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and fermented. It was used for local Noto-beef dish, Noto beef is premium black wagyu raised in Noto peninsula.

It is very difficult to find outside of the region, because of limited production. Takagi marinated this beef with tomato koji, then charcoal grilled. Koji gave umami layer to the dish, and also the koji enzyme tenderized the meat.

It was paired with refreshing non-filtered Junmai Daiginjo, at 15 degree Celsius. During the event, 11 types of sake Noguchi made was served at the temperature of 5-65 degree Celsius.

Even it is same label, the temperature changes the impression.

With the vast experience on the international gastronomy world, Takagi believes, “Caviar is great marriage to sake and Japanese cuisine, since it is salted fish roe, same as ikura (salmon roe) and karasumi (bottarga). Especially, Noguchi

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toji’s sake has rich in rice flavor”. 3 types of caviar from Sturia was used on that day, adding luxurious umami layer on the dishes.

In his institute, every year Noguchi selects young sake brewers to work with.

Nationality is not an obstacle. In the past, he hired an American who loves sake. “I want to hand over my knowledge and the skill to younger generations” he says. He also embraces a dream to build an auberge next to the brewery to welcome the international guests.

Overlooking the rice paddies covered with shiny green rice shoots, 88 years old sake brewer says, “I’d like to make sake which will be loved globally.

Not only brewing sake. I’m brewing the dreams together with young talents”.

Soon, the rice paddies will be filled with golden ears of rice. 

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GAMBERO ROSSO X CANTINA SAN MICHELE

The island of Marzemino (and beyond) San Michele, vineyards in a green oasis

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There is no more suitable term than “island” to define the image and reality of Monte Netto: solitary, in the middle of a plain, about ten kilometers south of Brescia, on a plateau that’s been a Regional Agricultural Park since 2007. Formed by clayey soils, it detaches completely from the surrounding plain both in a geological and climatic sense and has fully preserved its farming vocation.

This is the territory in which the San Michele Winery was born. The company is the brainchild of Mario Danesi, a graduate in business administration and Vice President of the Monte Netto Consortium. Adding passion to keen intuition, and starting from 2010, he has given a precise turning point to the family business, acknowledging the potential

of this territory and its unique traits.

With him, Elena Danesi, a graduate in psychology, won over from the beginning by the lucid and enthusiastic vision of her cousin. «Thanks to its peculiarities – explains Mario – the area of Monte Netto has escaped man’s intervention and industrialization, keeping intact its original agricultural vocation, followed by the forestry one. This resource is now defended by the establishment of the Regional Agricultural Park and enriched by the presence of a native grape variety, Marzemino, which expresses great personality here. The ensemble seems to openly suggest that what’s being witnessed here is the “island of Marzemino”, whose presence here has already been confirmed since the 16th century.»

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The company, completely organic, produces approximately 70,000 bottles from a vineyard that extends for 16 hectares with plants that are on average 25 years old, with the exception of a parcel where the vines reach 60 years of age. The production is destined for Italy by 70% and the remaining 30% destined abroad, with Germany and Switzerland representing the main foreign markets.

«Marzemino is the protagonist of our reds: we make versions of it in purity, but we also use it in blends.

For whites the reference is Trebbiano (or Turbiana) which, thanks to its versatility, is used for the Classic Method, but which also gives life to a still wine from botrytised grapes.»

The wines, divided into three lines,

GAMBERO ROSSO X CANTINA SAN MICHELE

1. The rows of San Michele that extend over the plateau declared a Regional Agricultural Park 2. Cousins Elena and Mario Danesi at the helm of the winery in the province of Brescia 3. The cellar surrounded by lush vegetation

The 3 wine ranges CLASSICS. Historic wines of Monte Netto, renown for their pleasantness  Carme: Capriano del Colle Rosso, made with 50% Marzemino, 40% Merlot and 10% Sangiovese  Netto: Capriano del Colle Bianco, 70% Trebbiano, 20% Pinot bianco and 10% Chardonnay SELECTIONS. Wines combining classic and innovation Marzemino: Capriano del Colle Marzemino, in purity, the fruit before anything else  Nubes: 100% Merlot. Muscular and delicate  Equilibrista: Rosé from a single 60-year-old vineyard, one of the oldest on Monte Netto. Sapid and pulpy 

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are immediately understandable and recognisable, and have freshness and elegance as their common denominator. An oenological style that can be found in every label, far from any kind of excess and which, while respecting the identity of the grapes, manages to approach and involve both the enthusiast and the neophyte. «We tried to communicate the passion and style of this adventure – explains Mario – so that from the name, the label, the bottle, the consumer immediately establishes an emotional contact with our project.»

EXCELLENCES. Research in the most extraordinary qualities that the Monte Netto territory can lend  Riserva 1884: Capriano del Colle Rosso Riserva, made with 50% Merlot, 40% Marzemino and 10% Sangiovese. Barrique and tonneau barrels, but without excess, to create fullness and drinkability  Belvedere Brut Blanc de Blancs: Trebbiano and Chardonnay, it re-ferments on the lees in the bottle for at least 24 months. From the 2018 harvest the grapes are harvested when fully ripe and in the refermentation and dosage phase no exogenous sugars are used, but only the basic wine must  M: A sweet red, 100% Marzemino. Initial drying in crates for four months, fermentation in steel tanks, refining in oak tonneau and barriques for six months and then a twelve-month rest in the bottle.

A wine for contemplation.  Otten: Trebbiano in purity, born thanks to particular climatic conditions that allowed the development of botrytis cinerea in the clusters, it releases an incredible complexity of aromas, floral and spicy, obtained without any passage in oak.

 San Michele – Capriano del Colle (BS) – via Parrocchia, 57 – 0309444091 – sanmichelevini.it

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CHARTS

VINI D’ITALIA 2022 GUIDE PREVIEWS. 51 LABELS TASTED IN 25 WINE BARS Gambero Rosso inaugurated the Vini d’Italia 2022 Guide Preview event in September, after a decidedly difficult year. The event, created to enhance the precious Italian wine heritage and bring the general public closer to quality drinking and wines tasted and selected by the commission of the Vini d’Italia Guide, started on September 13th in Milan, touching the main Italian cities and due to end on September 18th in Lucca. During the Wine Tasting, it was possible to discover a wide selection of new Italian labels by carrying out a free tasting journey among the tasting counters of the various Italian wine bars. 41 wineries involved and 51 wines representing the niche productions of each company

by Stefania Annese - illustrations by Gaia Niola

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PIEDMONT

ANTEPRIMA VINI D’ITALIA 2022

BATASIOLO La Morra (CN) fraz. Annunziata, 87 017350130 batasiolo.com

The impressive range of plots available to the Dogliani family counting on 120 hectares of vineyards and a rich heritage of crus among the most prestigious in the Langhe, in addition to the Boscareto Resort, which takes its name from the namesake cru in Serralunga d’Alba, with spectacular views of the vineyards. A place to experience the estate at 360 degrees, luxury and gourmet dishes included.

BARBERA SOVRANA ‘19 Ruby red wine with delicate purple reflections. It offers an intense and persistent olfactory expression with references to red fruits, alcohol-preserved cherries and ripe fruits. Pleasant spicy memories and delicate oak with floral sensations. It can pleasantly pair with appetizers, pasta and risotto, main courses of white and red meats.

BERSANO Nizza Monferrato (AT) p.zza Dante, 21 0141720211 bersano.it

The Bersano brand is a central nucleus in the Piedmontese production scene. The main farmhouses annexed to the property’s vineyards are distributed mainly between Monferrato and Langhe, but in the large company proposal there is space for many of the most important regional denominations, from Nizza to Barolo, from Barbaresco to Gavi, passing through Moscato d’Asti and Alta Langa.

NIZZA GENERALA RIS. ’17An intense red that’s enveloping and complex with hints of spices, vanilla, cacao, undergrowth and cherry. It’s rich and velvety, persistent and harmonious. The finish offers the intensity of the fruity tones. Try it with elaborate pasta courses, red meats, game and cheeses with strong flavours.

BONZANO VINI Rosignano Monferrato (AL) loc. Castello di Uviglie, 73 3371250397 bonzanovini.it

Company founded by the Bonzano family in the 1990s located a few kilometers from Casale Monferrato, in the province of Alessandria. It covers about twenty hectares and the vines planted are: barbera, grignolino, pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon. Eight labels in production.

MONFERRATO ROSSO HOSTERIA ‘19 Ruby red colour, the wine opens onto a floral and elegant baggage. On the palate it is harmonious and fresh. Suitable for the whole meal, it lends itself as a snack wine paired with cured meats and cheeses.

CANTINA SOCIALE DI NIZZA Nizza Monferrato (AT) s.da Alessandria, 57 0141721348 nizza.it

About 200 winegrowers make the Cantina Sociale di Nizza an essential point of reference in the supply chain of the Asti Monferrato. Created in 1955, it focuses its ampelographic base on the grapevines of the area (barbera, brachetto, dolcetto, freisa, cortese, moscato), with some concessions to international varieties such as chardonnay, composing a varied lineup of contemporary style.

BARBERA D’ASTI 50 VENDEMMIE SUP. ‘18 With notes of ripe black fruit, tobacco, Mediterranean scrub and spices, the wine is enveloping and owning good balance between alcohol and acidity, with a long savoury finish full of character. Pleasant with braised meats.

SERGIO GOZZELINO Costigliole d’Asti (AT) s.da Bricco Lù, 7 0141966134 gozzelinovini.com.

A centuries-old history links the Gozzelino family to the lands that once belonged to the Asinari marquises, on the hills of Costigliole d’Asti. Five generations of winemakers, regularly proposing straightforward and territorial Barbera and Moscato wines, like the last ones tasted..

BARBERA D’ASTI SUP. SERGIO ‘16 ery clear and garnet red. The nose is broad, intense, ethereal, vinous, with a scent of undergrowth. It bears full, austere, harmonious, frank, discreet sapidity. It pairs perfectly with semi-hard cheeses, cured meats, soups, boiled meats, white and red meats.

MOSCATO D’ASTI BRUNA ‘20 Deep straw yellow. With intense aromas, it recalls wisteria and acacia flowers, honey, sage. Ideal with panettone and almond paste desserts.

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ISOLABELLA DELLA CROCE Loazzolo (AT) loc. Saracchi Regione Caffi, 3 014487166 isolabella dellacroce.it

Located in the territory of the Loazzolo appellation, in the Langa of Asti, the company that the Isolabella della Croce family created in 2001 has its own vineyards located on calcareous marly soils at about 500 meters above sea level, in an area boasting a particularly cool climate, even for the important presence of forests. The main grape varieties grown here are Muscat, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

BRICCO DEL FALCO ‘16 On the nose we find fruity notes of cherry, blackberry, strawberry, accompanied by floral notes of rose and violet. A wine that’s also suitable for the most complex and structured dishes of white meat.

ORSOLANI

LOMBARDY

San Giorgio Canavese (TO) via Michele Chiesa, 12 012432386 orsolani.it

The Orsolani family’s adventure in the world of wine began in 1894, first with an inn and its renowned bottled wine retails, then with the construction of the cellar in San Giorgio Canavese.

The key moment came in the 1960s, when Gian Francesco chose with foresight to specialise the production on Erbaluce, declined in every possible version.

ERBALUCE DI CALUSO LA RUSTÌA ‘20 It has nuances of white flowers and wild herbs that precede a particularly rich, clean and pleasantly fresh mouth. Try it with preparations of noble fish or vegetables, linguine with seafood, risotto with porcini mushrooms, shellfish, baked branzino, white meats, slightly aged cheeses.

FERGHETTINA Adro (BS) via Saline, 11 0307451212 ferghettina.it

GIORGI Canneto Pavese (PV) fraz. Camponoce, 39a 0385262151 giorgi-wines.it

PERLA DEL GARDA Lonato (BS) loc. Lonato del Garda via Fenil Vecchio, 9 0309103109 perladelgarda.it

They only started in 1991, with a few thousand bottles, but today Roberto Gatti and his family can boast one of the jewel companies of Franciacorta.

FRANCIACORTA BRUT ERONERO ‘13 On the nose are wild strawberries, blackberry and raspberry. In the mouth it has a beautiful structure, wide and elegant. It loves to pair with important aperitifs and pasta courses of sea and land that are full of character; but its structure however allows it to be drunk throughout the meal.

FRANCIACORTA SATÈN ‘17 It expresses beautiful notes of grapefruit and pastry cream. In the mouth it’s fine, silky, delicate yet with great personality. Elegant and multifaceted, it closes on a trace of sugared almonds for a finish of excellent persistence. Also excellent as an aperitif.

The one owned by the Giorgi family is one of the largest private wineries in the Oltrepò, and has always devoted itself above all to bottled wine rather than bulk. Under the pressure of the ebullient Fabiano, Antonio’s son, assisted by his sister Eleonora and his wife Ileana, the company increasingly focuses on high-quality bottles, as can be seen from the results of our tastings.

OP PINOT NERO BRUT M. CL. 1870 ‘17 It has varied aromas ranging from flowers to pastries, from citrus to anise, a very fine and persistent bubble that gives creaminess to a full palate.

TOP ZERO PAS DOSÉ M. CL. It smells of white flowers, herbs, citrus fruits and a touch of pastries is also present. Optimal as an aperitif, excellent throughout the meal with seafood.

The Prandini brothers, Giovanna and Ettore, patiently working since 2000, have brought viticulture back to the family estate, on the morainic hills of the lower Garda. Since 2006 they use the grapes of the 30 hectares of property, mainly dedicated to the turbiana, and therefore to the Lugana. The modernly equipped company is particularly committed to a certified journey of sustainability and low environmental impact.

LUGANA SUP. MADONNA DELLA SCOPERTA ‘17 The nose is floral and spicy. In the mouth the wine stays fresh, mineral and pleasantly savoury, with a very fine effervescence. Ideally paired with any meal with fish-based cuisine.

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VENETO

ANTEPRIMA VINI D’ITALIA 2022

BORGOLUCE Susegana (TV) loc. Musile, 2 0438435287 borgoluce.it

The large Susegana company consists of lands that extend for hundreds of hectares from the foothills north of Treviso to the Adriatic coast. Only a small part of this property is destined for viticulture. In the new and beautiful cellar, built with low environmental impact, attention is paid to enhancing the wine that more than any other represents this territory, Prosecco.

VALDOBBIADENE RIVE DI COLLALTO EXTRA BRUT ‘20 A Prosecco that succeeds in the difficult task of combining the delicacy and simplicity characteristic of the type with the depth and finesse lent by the Collalto vineyards. Pair with raw seafood and crustaceans.

CONTE COLLALTO Susegana (TV) via XXIV Maggio, 1 0438435811 cantine-collalto.it

The history of the Susegana company goes back a long way, from a donation made by Berengario II even before the year 1000. Today, Isabella Collalto de Croÿ is at the helm, managing a large vineyard extension that develops on the slopes of the first Treviso hills. Maximum attention to glera, the undisputed queen grape of this portion of Veneto, even if there is no shortage of international varieties.

CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE EXTRA BRUT PONTE ROSSO The fruity sensations of green apple are clearly perceived on the nose, while the sip is energetic, taut and well supported by the acidic boost. Excellent paired with classic seafood and crustaceans.

MACULAN Breganze (VI) via Castelletto, 3 0445873733 maculan.net

Angela and Maria Vittoria Maculan joined their father Fausto in the management of the family business, the historical reality of Breganze that for over sixty years has been promoting and offering quality Italian wine around the world. The various estates lie on the hills that from the plain seem to almost lead to the plateau of the Sette Comuni, gentle slopes that host vineyards that alternate with cherry trees, olive trees and patches of forest.

FRATTA ‘17 The nose expresses notes of red berries, blueberry and raspberry, very particular notes of spice and hints of cacao and coffee. A balanced wine that’s rich in sweet tannins that blend to give remarkable structure and elegance to the wine. Perfect with grilled red meats and game skewers.

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CHARTS

MASOTTINA San Fior (TV) loc. Castello Roganzuolo via Bradolini, 54 0438400775 masottina.it

The Dal Bianco family story begins a long time ago, when in the immediate post-WWII period it gave birth to Masottina. Today the company has a very extensive vineyard park, which has its spearheads in the Ogliano area for the world of Prosecco and in Gorgo al Monticano for the still wines.

CONEGLIANO VALDOBBIADENE RIVE DI OGLIANO BRUT R.D.O Fresh and varied bouquet, where notes of bergamot, white mulberry, medlar, melon and acacia flowers are intense and clear. The palate offers fresh and delicate floral fragrances. Pleasant as an aperitif.

MONTEGRANDE Rovolon (PD) via Torre, 2 0495226276 vinimontegrande.it

Raffaele Cristofanon has been running the family business in the heart of the Euganean Hills for years. After a few years of activity in the wake of tradition, he has imposed a precise change of course. Viticulture that’s more devoted to quality, combined with important collaborations in the cellar, has led to an overall improvement of the entire range, but always interpreted in compliance with the characteristics of the grape varieties, vintage and vineyards.

COLLI EUGANEI MERLOT LUIGI CRISTOFANON RIS. ‘17 It offers the nose a deep and ample bouquet of black fruits and mentholated hints, fresh, with a juicy, wide, soft body. It pairs perfectly with red meats, stews, boiled meats, white meats.

PIETRO ZARDINI San Pietro in Cariano (VR) via Don P. Fantoni, 3 0456800989 pietrozardini.it

The Zardini family estate develops in the classic area of Valpolicella, a handful of hectares dedicated mostly to traditional grape varieties, reinterpreted according to the types produced. The great experience gained over the years of collaboration with other realities in the area allows for a proposal boasting a classic approach, made up of complexity and delicacy.

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA RIS. ‘15 Intense and characteristic in its hints of fruit, nuances of coffee, cacao, spices. Warm and harmoniously structured wine, with ripe fruit aftertaste and hints of fine wood. Try it with red meats, Fiorentina, venison, wild boar, aged cheeses. It’s a perfect meditation wine and as a “fireplace wine.”

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ANTEPRIMA VINI D’ITALIA 2022

SERAFINI & VIDOTTO Nervesa della Battaglia (TV) via L. Carrer, 8 0422 773281 serafinividotto.it

Francesco Serafini and Antonello Vidotto are among the most important interpreters of the Italian Bordeaux style. The adventure began in the late 1980s along the slopes of Montello. Today the Nervesa company manages more than twenty hectares of vineyards with meticulous respect for the environment.

MONTELLO E COLLI ASOLANI IL ROSSO DELL’ABAZIA ‘17 The nose reveals a beautiful complexity on which notes of dried red plums, black cherries and candied citrus fruit stand out, as well as aromatic herbs and almost balsamic hints. On the palate this wine is pleasantly enveloping.

MONTELLO E COLLI ASOLANI BIANCO PHIGAIA ‘19 It opens on fresh and fruity notes, round tannins and of great elegance; long spicy finish with notes of licorice. Ideal with red meats.

TENUTA SANT’ANTONIO Colognola ai Colli (VR) loc. San Zeno via Ceriani, 23 045 7650383 tenutasantantonio.it

VIGNETO DUE SANTI

FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA

Bassano del Grappa (VI) v.le Asiago, 174 0424502074 vignetoduesanti.it

ALESSIO KOMJANC San Floriano del Collio (GO) loc. Giasbana, 35 0481 391228 komjancalessio.com

LA TUNELLA Premariacco (UD) fraz. Ipplis via del Collio, 14 0432716030 tunella.it

The Castagnedi brothers’ company develops along the ridge that separates the valleys of Mezzane and Marcellise, with vineyards that also extend towards the east, towards the Illasi valley.

Wine production is increasingly oriented towards reducing the environmental impact and even in the cellar, productive protocols are being followed that limit the presence of chemistry.

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CAMPO DEI GIGLI ‘17 It smells of wild fruits, woodsy touches and mineral tones on aromas of licorice, black pepper, tobacco, spices and chocolate. The body is balanced, very intense, persistent and robust. Pair with grilled red meats, roast beef, braised meats, sliced beef or foal.

The Zonta family business is located on the north-western outskirts of Bassano, where the houses almost suddenly move away from each other and give way to vineyards that stretch out along the hills. The property is located almost at the mouth of the Valsugana and enjoys the fresh winds that come from the valley, allowing the vines to ripen healthy and rich grapes.

BREGANZE CABERNET DUE SANTI ‘18 An intense red with excellent structure, the scent highlights clear hints of red fruit accompanied by light notes of spice. The palate is enveloping and intense, with sweet tannins and a long and persistent finish of fruit, licorice and spices.

Pairs well with meat-based pasta courses.

The history of the Komjanc family in San Floriano del Collio is lost in the mists of time: it is known that Alessio’s great-grandparents already produced wine at the end of the 19th century, but the first label with the Alessio Komjanc brand dates back to 1973.

COLLIO SAUVIGNON ‘20 The characteristic and fruity aroma is reminiscent of tomato leaf, elderflower and peach. On the palate it is dry with citrus notes, great aromatic expression and remarkable structure. It pairs well with risotto with first fruits and substantial, elaborate and spicy pasta courses.

COLLIO PINOT BIANCO ‘20 The scent is typical and fruity. It is a lunch-friendly wine for hearty soups, light meat risottos, and boiled white meat.

Heirs of a centuries-old tradition in quality wine production, Massimo and Marco Zorzettig lead together with their mother Gabriella the splendid reality of the Friuli Colli Orientali appellation.

Three generations of winemakers have gained experience and marked a path that the brothers now feed with unaltered enthusiasm. La Tunella is in fact a modern and dynamic company, which employs a young and cohesive staff.

FCO PINOT GRIGIO RAMATO COL BAJÉ ‘19 Intense and fruity, with hints of pear, white flowers and delicate mineral nuances that blend perfectly with a savoury and enveloping sip. Ideal with crustaceans..

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FRIULI V. G.

ZORZETTIG

EMILIA ROMAGNA

CHARTS

UMBERTO CESARI

Cividale del Friuli (UD) fraz. Spessa s.da Sant’Anna, 37 0432716156 zorzettigvini.it

Castel San Pietro Terme (BO) via Stanzano, 2160 0511 6947811 umbertocesari.com

Annalisa Zorzettig is the classic example of successful female entrepreneurship, while her brother Alessandro loves the silence of the vineyards and contact with nature. Together they manage the company founded by their father Giuseppe, who in 1986 acquired an old farmhouse. He settled there with his family and in a short time transformed it into a modern and functional reality.

FCO BIANCO MYÒ I FIORI DI LEONIE ‘18 Perceived in the glass are hints of ripe golden apple, yellow peach and citrus and notes of white flowers. On the palate the wine is intense, creamy, savoury and pleasantly harmonious. Excellent pairing with seafood main courses.

Umberto Cesari is a great entrepreneur and, consequently, the name of a great Romagna wine company. The first bottles produced are labeled with the year 1965, since then the production and marketing of wine has not stopped, in Italy, but above all across borders. Gradually different targets have been conquered, as per Umberto’s dream and vision, and now the Cesari labels can be found in many areas of the world.

SOLO’18 This original wine is born from merlese (merlot and sangiovese), with sensations of cherry and berries, mixed with spicy tones, brought as dowry by the ancestor Merlot. Full-bodied, but able at the same time to show elegance, it is ideal with tagliatelle al ragù.

25 ENOTECAS STEP IN THE FOREFRONT FOR ITALIAN WINE Preview of the Vini d’Italia 2022 guide, an initiative promoted by Gambero Rosso to enhance the precious Italian wine heritage and bring the general public closer to quality drinking, involved 25 wine bars in the main Italian cities and ended on September 18th.

Here are the wine bars and cities that hosted the event: Wineria – Milan

Wine & More – Lecce

Enoteca della Foce – Genova

Enoteca Grado 12 – Trento

Cucina.eat – Cagliari

Taverna del Gusto – Piacenza

Lucantoni – Rome

Enoteca Buccone – Rome

Enoteca La Cantina – Asti

Enoclub – Milan

Vino Veritas – Palermo

Enoteca Italiana – Bologna

Enoteca Giò – Perugia

Trimani – Rome

Scagliola – Napoli

L’Enoteca di Giuli Pasquale – Porto S. Giorgio (FM)

Enoteca Anelli – Brindisi

Enoteca Vanni – Lucca

Enoteca Rabezzana – Turin Rossorubino – Turin Enoteca Continisio – Naples Enoteca Alessi dal 1952 – Florence Enoteca Vignoli – Florence Osterie Moderne – Campodarsego (PD) De Pascale – Avellino

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CANTINA VALTIDONE Borgonovo Val Tidone (PC) via Moretta, 58 0523 846411 cantinavaltidone.it

Founded in 1966, this winery has grown in numbers (from 16 to 220 members), in size and, especially in recent years, in the desire to do more and better, focusing on the selection of the best grapes to obtain traditional wines of solid depth, encapsulated in the 50 Vendemmie line, coming from grapevines planted in the 1960s.

C. P. MALVASIA 50 VENDEMMIE ‘20 Lively white foam, straw-yellow colour with golden hues, intense, fragrant scent of aromatic musk, sage, ripe plum and wild flowers; it’s sparkling, soft, pleasantly persistent. Best poured with delicate cured meats, light pasta courses, seafood and chilled white meats.

VENTIVENTI

TUSCANY

Medolla (MO) via della Saliceta, 15 3440330771 ventiventi.it

VentiVenti is the Razzaboni family’s dream come true. Vittorio, former owner of the Il Borghetto farm, with his sons Riccardo, Andrea and Tommaso has created a beautiful wine-growing reality. The name is dedicated to the year the winery was completed and the start of a project involving 18 hectares of vineyards (the company owns almost 50) and another 11 that will soon be planted.

MODENA LAMBRUSCO BRUT VENTIVENTI ROSÉ M. CL. On the nose there are very fresh notes of raspberries, wild strawberries, notes of old rose and pomegranate. The sip is intense, fresh, with elegant flavour. To be paired with gnocco fritto and Parma ham.

CAMIGLIANO Montalcino (SI) loc. Camigliano via d’Ingresso, 2 0577 844068 camigliano.it

An ancient village nestled on the western edge of the Montalcino area, Camigliano is literally immersed in Mediterranean scrub, in unspoiled nature, with splendid views of the Upper Maremma and the Metalliferous Hills. The Ghezzi family took it over in the late 1950s.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ‘16 A classy wine that promises an interesting and prolonged evolution over time. It pairs well with game dishes, beef and aged cheeses.

GAMAL VERMENTINO ‘20 A Vermentino of Tuscan lands, with a sunny and breezy Mediterranean climate, to obtain a fresh, aromatic, fruity, soft wine with a slightly bitter aftertaste. Ideal all year round as an aperitif.

CASTELLO ROMITORIO Montalcino (SI) loc. Romitorio, 279 0577847212 castello romitorio.com

In Montalcino, Castello Romitorio in the north-west quadrant of in Maremma, the Tenuta Ghiaccio Forte (in the south-west area of Scansano), without forgetting the parcels in the Chianti Senesi area: the Castello Romitorio brand is to say the least varied. Much more than a “whim,” in short, as the choice of the artist Sandro Chia has often been described, who acquired the company in the 1980s and then passed the baton to his son Filippo.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ‘16 Dense and pulpy, rich in tones of ripe red and black fruits, both on the nose and on the palate. Best paired with pasta in a wild boar sauce.

LA QUERCE Impruneta (FI) via Imprunetana per Tavarnuzze, 41 0552011380 laquerce.com

The company, owned by the Marchi family, is located on the hill overlooking Impruneta, a municipality adjacent to Florence. The vineyards have almost all been replanted in recent years, both with traditional local grape varieties such as sangiovese, canaiolo and colorino, and with merlot. Chemical interventions are greatly limited in order to achieve the best balance between soil and plant.

CHIANTI COLLI FIORENTINI SORRETTOLE ‘19 The nose is pleasantly fruity including a vibrant cherry; on the palate it is fresh, savoury and persistent. It can be a wine for the whole meal, since it pairs well with pasta with tomato sauce as well as with meat dishes.

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FATTORIA PETROLO Bucine (AR) fraz. Mercatale Valdarno via Petrolo, 30 0559911322 petrolo.it

The estate owned by Luca Sanjust extends over 272 hectares in Bucine, in the Val d’Arno di Sopra. In the last thirty years, much has been focused on the renewal of the vineyards and the modernization of the cellar to produce wines with character from Sangiovese, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Trebbiano grapes.

CAMPO LUSSO ‘19 Ruby red colour, floral notes and small red and black fruits, with mineral hints and a slight toasted note. On the palate hints of spices with young, consistent and soft tannins.

To be served with braised meats.

ROCCA DELLE MACÌE Castellina in Chianti (SI) loc. Le Macìe, 45 05777321 roccadellemacie.com

Rocca delle Macìe, founded in 1973 by the film producer Italo Zingarelli, is today a solid reality in the sub-area of Castellina in Chianti, with a production philosophy that’s all in the name of bringing value to Chianti Classico. The company has concentrated its efforts on the one hand on Sangiovese and on the gradual abandonment of small oaks in favour of larger ones and, on the other, on an overall stylistic overhaul of its labels.

CHIANTI CL. GRAN SELEZIONE RISERVA DI FIZZANO ‘18 It shows a very refined and intense bouquet reminiscent of red fruit, spices, coffee and cacao. On the palate it is elegant, enveloping and full-bodied. Perfect to pair with stewed red meat.

RIDOLFI Montalcino (SI) loc. Mercatali 05771698333 ridolfimontalcino.it Purchased in 2011 by the

Venetian industrialist Giuseppe Valter Peretti, this company, which in the past belonged to the noble Ridolfi family, is expertly managed by Gianni Maccari. Located in the Mercatali area, it winds around 300 meters above sea level on the north-east side of the hill that houses the village of Brunello.

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ‘16 Aromatic profile well marked with small red fruits, floral references and spicy hints. In the mouth, the impact is incisive, with an articulated tannic texture. A meditation red.

TENIMENTI LUIGI D’ALESSANDRO

UMBRIA

Cortona (AR) via Manzano, 15 0575618667 tenimenti dalessandro.it The story that began in 1967, with the purchase of

the estate by the D’Alessandro family, experienced a turning point in 2013. That’s when the Calabresi family, which became a partner in the project in 2007, took over the entire property.

CORTONA SYRAH IL BOSCO ‘18 Very intense, sharp; complex and earthy textures of Arabica coffee powder, cacao beans, like opening a box of Tuscan cigars, fresh mint; red fruits, flowers and herbs of the Mediterranean scrub. To be served with tasty meat and game dishes.

MIGLIARA ‘17 The nose expresses intense fruity and spicy notes, hints of river stones, white truffles, licorice. On the palate it is powerful, rich, opulent. It goes well with rich baked preparations..

TERRE MARGARITELLI Torgiano (PG) loc. Miralduolo 0757824668 terremargaritelli. com

The Margaritelli family is entrepreneurially engaged in the world of woodworking, as well as in quality wine production within the Torgiano district. Especially in recent years the wines have made a leap forward, highlighting more territorial character and pleasantness in the glass.

TORGIANO ROSSO FRECCIA DEGLI SCACCHI RIS. ‘17 Red fruit, spicy scents and notes reminiscent of leather and wild berries with a balsamic and slightly ethereal background. In the mouth it is full, long. Pairs well with roasted meat and game.

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LAZIO

ABRUZZO

ANTEPRIMA VINI D’ITALIA 2022

CIAVOLICH Loreto Aprutino (PE) c.da Salmacina, 11 0858289002 ciavolich.com

Work in the world of wine for the Ciavolich family began in 1853, and today the company is led by Chiara who takes care of a vineyard divided into two parcels: 24 hectares are in Loreto Aprutino, with plants dating back to the 1960s; the other six hectares instead fall on the municipal territory of Pianella with pergolas planted in 2000.

FOSSO CANCELLI PECORINO ‘18 A wine with delicate and long tones, round, soft and structured. Beautiful flavour and persistence. To be served with sole meunière, or with brown butter and sage preparations.

CASALE DEL GIGLIO Latina loc. Le Ferriere s.da CisternaNettuno km 13 0692902530 casaledelgiglio.it

If owner Antonio Santarelli and oenologist Paolo Tiefenthaler have built the well-deserved reputation of the company on a careful choice of grape varieties, especially international ones, now the focus has shifted to the pairing of native grape varieties / terroir and to the utmost respect for the latter, as demonstrated by the conversion to organic farming of important acreage.

ANTHIUM BELLONE ‘20 Sunny wine with hints of well-ripened exotic fruit, such as mango and papaya, contrasted with consistent acidity that makes this wine suitable for long aging in the bottle. In the mouth it is very broad, rich and persistent. Try it with Minestra di Sgavajone: a typical brothy soup of the fishermen of Anzio.

FALESCO – FAMIGLIA COTARELLA Montefiascone (VT) s.s. Cassia Nord km 94,155 07449556 falesco.it

The history of this company starts in the 1960s, when Antonio and Domenico Cotarella, winemakers in Monterubiaglio, built the first winery for their own wine production. It was then brothers Renzo and Riccardo who gave life to the Falesco company in 1979.

SODALE ‘18 The colour is intense red, with violet reflections; the nose reveals notes of red fruit and sweet spices that blend in perfect balance with the vanilla notes of the oak. To be served with rabbit cacciatore.

MARCILIANO ‘17 Complex and warm, it opens on balsamic aromas, fruity and spicy sensations. Try it with aged cheeses.

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CHARTS

MARISA CUOMO Furore (SA) via G. B. Lama, 16/18 089830348 marisacuomo.com

Marisa Cuomo was capable of exalting the Amalfi Coast in the world, producing wines with a Mediterranean and marine flavour. We are in Furore where the vineyards are positioned on soils rich in limestone rocks supported by dry stone walls that design the typical wine landscape of the Coast.

COSTA D’AMALFI FURORE BIANCO FIOR D’UVA ‘19 Ample white in hints of Mediterranean scrub, sunny in the soft and sharp aromas, with a perfectly juicy fruit, with a slightly spicy background. The finish is very long and very elegantly articulated. Perfect when paired with shellfish and seafood.

CANTINA DI SOLOPACA Solopaca (BN) via Bebiana, 44 0824977921 cantinasolopaca.it

What transpires in the wines of the Cantina Sociale di Solopaca is a journey of gradual growth. Behind this reality lies the work of 600 winegrowers and 1,300 hectares of vineyards between the municipalities of Solopaca and in the 16 neighbouring municipalities.

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO IDENTITAS ‘ 20 Fine, characteristic, with hints of lime and white flowers, it pairs well with crustaceans and seafood, salads and grilled seafood, fish dishes, sweet cheeses.

FONTANAVECCHIA Torrecuso (BN) via Fontanavecchia, 7 0824876275 fontanavecchia.info

Libero Rillo sta dando un prezioso contributo al distretto sannita sia come produttore sia sotto le vesti di Presidente del Consorzio. Ereditata l’azienda di papà Orazio nel 1990, insieme al fratello Giuseppe, cura la vinificazione di falanghina e aglianico accanto a piedirosso, greco e fiano.

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO ‘20 Profumata di foglie di tè verde e lime, mette in mostra un frutto pieno e succoso in un registro di grande freschezza e bevibilità, il finale è un lungo respiro di anice e mentuccia.

SANNIO FIANO ‘19 Possiede un bouquet olfattivo composto da ricordi di uva spina e di nespola, e da sfumature burrose e aromatiche. Accompagna alla perfezione la cucina a base di pesce.

TOMMASONE VINI

SARDINIA

Lacco Ameno (NA) via Provinciale Fango, 98 0813330330 tommasonevini.it

Antonio Monti è un ottimo interprete della viticoltura dell’isola di Ischia, che può vantare una tradizione secolare e un bagaglio unico di varietà autoctone e paesaggi dal fascino magmatico, impronte vulcaniche e acque cristalline per un mix davvero unico.

ISCHIA BIANCOLELLA TENUTA DEI PRETI ‘20 Al naso è intenso, ampio e fruttato con note che ricordano la dolcezza della polpa di pera e l’albicocca matura. Da accompagnare a piatti mediterranei.

ISCHIA BIANCOLELLA ‘20 Si snoda su note di pesca gialla, banana e fiori di ginestra. Al palato è intenso e pieno, con agile corpo rispecchiando la caratteristica varietale. Si abbina ad antipasti freddi con salse agrodolci, verdure, pesci delicati, fritture di pesce.

GIOVANNI MARIA CHERCHI Usini (SS) loc. Sa Pala e Sa Chessa 079380273 vinicolacherchi.it

Cherchi è una storica azienda del nord ovest dell’Isola, rinomata e apprezzata per aver saputo dare lustro alla viticoltura del comprensorio di Usini, attraverso la valorizzazione di due vitigni, vermentino e cagnulari. Quest’ultimo si trova solo in questo areale e il successo che oggi si intravede lo si deve senza dubbio a Giovanni Maria Cherchi, fondatore dell’azienda.

VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA TUVAOES ‘20 Si apre su sensazioni di frutta bianca ed erbe aromatiche per un sorso morbido, intenso e avvolgente, di ricca mineralità e freschezza. Perfetto da bere con pesce alla griglia.

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GAMBERO ROSSO X VINEA DOMINI – GOTTO D’ORO

Vinea Domini. New wines dedicated to Rome from the historic Castelli Cooperative

A new brand that’s come a long way and that is exclusively dedicated to the HoReCa sector, that is dining, hotels and catering. Vinea Domini is the project implemented by the historic Gotto d’Oro cooperative, born with the idea of enhancing the most suitable vineyards of the many winemakers who have always given their grapes to the cellar. The name is important, because the wines that for some time have made up an articulated range of whites and reds are important. The focus is on the great appellations of Lazio and the region’s native grape varieties, but also on some international varieties that are well acclimatized in the territories of the Castelli Romani, hilly area located in the south-east of Rome. Here the rolling

GAMBERO ROSSO

hills overlook the city and the sea: the soils are volcanic and the vineyards cover most of the surface areas. Alternating the rows there are wooded areas and olive groves that start from 300 meters above sea level, to reach almost a thousand meters, all dotted with 14 small villages.

The climate undergoes significant temperature changes, ideal for the perfect ripening of the grapes and the soils that are rich in potassium, and guarantee freshness and flavour to the wines. The first products were born with the 2017 harvest. Three reds inaugurated the project: Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Petit Verdot, with the aim of bottling the essence of Castelli through a careful selection of the grapes. Then the whites: Chardonnay, Sauvignon

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and Viognier, always three internationals who have found their ideal habitat here. But Vinea Domini needed something more. Thus, in 2019 the line expanded with four symbolic wines of the Region: Frascati Superiore Docg, Cesanese del Piglio Docg, but above all Roma Doc Bianco and Roma Doc Rosso, two expressions of a denomination created to enhance the vineyards surrounding the eternal city. In this case, only the natives are on the scene. The tribute to Rome, however, does not end here: in 2020 two other labels were released, taken from typical expressions of Roman slang: Luccicore and Friccicore, respectively

a white - with intense aromatic sensations - and a rosé, fresh, vital and drinkable. Currently there are 13 labels: added to those already mentioned, there are six more wines obtained from international vines, three whites and three reds. The range ends with a Vermentino Vendemmia Tardiva. A beautiful project, which gives value to the historic cooperative of Marino and its contributing grape growers. But above all it creates value around Rome, in the Castelli area, an area of great wine-growing vocation for many varieties, starting with traditional grapes that are the mirror of an entire territory..

Luccicore and Friccicore, fresh and easily drinkable The white, Friccicore, comes from Malvasia Puntinata cultivated on soils rich in potassium and microelements of volcanic origin, vines trained in espalier and pruned with spurred cordon. The nose recalls apple, rose, citrus and orange blossom; it pairs well with fresh fish and crustaceans and is ideal for an aperitif. The rosé, Luccicore, on the other hand, is generated from Syrah grapes grown on tuffaceous and volcanic soils and trained with spurred cordon. Its aromas are reminiscent of pomegranate, wild strawberries, rose, violet and give fresh citrus sensations. It pairs well with fish soups and broths and medium-aged cheeses and cured meats.

 Vinea Domini c/o Gotto d’Oro

Marino (RM) – via del Divino Amore, 347 0693022226 – vineadomini.it

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE N. 1308/2013 CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG N. 1308/2013

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CHARTS

WORLD WINES Foreign labels tasted, explained and evaluated by the Gambero Rosso wine tasters

by William Pregentelli, Lorenzo Ruggeri, Marco Sabellico

CHÂTEAU D’ESCLANS – Côte de Provence Rosé Garrus ‘19 Provence, France esclans.com distributed by Moët Hennessy Italia euro 120

Château d’Esclans is located in La-Motte-en-Provence, in the Varo area, a territory that originates the most prestigious Provençal rosés. Since 2006 the company, which can count on over 400 hectares of land, of which 140 are planted with vineyards, has been owned by Sache Lichine and since 2019 the LVMH luxury group has also joined the team. Garrus is the most important wine of the production and is one of the finest rosés in the world. It is made from grenache grapes that come from the hills of Draguignan (also from centenary plants) and from 10% of rollo (vermentino). The pale pink colour does not hide explosive and complex aromas of small red fruits, dehydrated citrus, spices and flowers, while the mouth is rich and very savoury, with acidity that sustains the sip. Very long finish.

CHÂTEAU D’ESCLANS – Côte de Provence Rosé Whispering Angel ‘20 Provence, France esclans.com distributed by Moët Hennessy Italia euro 25

One of the six Rosé wines produced by Chateau d’Esclans, also the fruit of its own vineyards that come from the Frèjus subregion and the hills of Draguignan. In addition to the grenache, which dominates the assembly, we find cinsault and rollo (vermentino). Bâtonnage in full Burgundian style happens twice a week; with fermentation and aging in steel for a highly drinkable wine, guaranteed by exemplary freshness and savour that gives depth and flavour. Everything is anticipated by a nose of great elegance, very clean and clear where wild strawberry and rose dominate everything.

DE SOUSA – Champagne Chemins des Terroirs Champagne, France champagnedesousa. com distributed by Sarzi Amadè euro 49

Erik De Sousa excellently leads this small maison with 11 hectares of proprietary vineyards in the Côte des Blancs conducted according to biodynamic thought. The Chemins des Terroirs cuvée is the result of a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier that rest on the lees in the bottle for about 30 months. In the glass we have a particularly intense and evolved yellow, with intense aromas of ripe apple, licorice and beeswax. The mouth is pulpy and juicy to say the least, with a toasty touch and an out-of-the-ordinary savoury tension. Gluttonous.

DOMAINE PHILIPPE CHARLOPIN-PARIZOT – Gevrey-Chambertin Terres Blanches ‘17 Borgogna, Francia domaine-charlopinparizot.com distributed

by Balan euro 70

A little more than one hectare until the end of the 1970s; about 25 hectares today. This is the viticultural heritage that Philippe Charlopin can count on, who year after year has managed to acquire vineyards in the Côte de Nuits, in the Côte de Beaune, up to the Chablis. His wines are traditional Burgundy wines, as also emerges from this Terres Blanches ‘17: austere at the beginning, it opens quickly to fine red fruits and flowers, with an intriguing slightly spicy note of pepper and paprika. The whispered tannin gives the tone of an elegant, staid mouth, continuous in flavour, relaxed and very long.

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WORLD WINES

DOM PÉRIGNON – Champagne Brut Vintage ’12 Champagne, France domperignon.com distributed by Moët Hennessy Italia euro 170

Everything has been said about the famous Dom Pérignon maison. The news that we report, while tasting the Vintage 2012, presented a few weeks ago, is that at the same time the company has also placed on the market the Plenitude 2 of the 2003 vintage. 2012 fully represents the harmony of the assembly and the balance between the various plots (from Chouilly to Mesnil, from Hautvillers to Mailly via Ay and Bouzy). Where chardonnay gives olfactory elegance and a palate of acid and vibrant freshness; the pinot noir gives volume, aromas of small fruits and an incredible enveloping characteristic, accentuated by a superfine bubble. Contrasts, chiaroscuro, continuous changes in pace for a Vintage that we will remember for a long time.

DOM PÉRIGNON – Champagne Brut Plenitude 2 Vintage ’03 Champagne, Francia domperignon.com distributed by Moët Hennessy Italia euro 390

Dom Pérignon never ceases to amaze and surprise. Seventeen years after the harvest, here comes Plenitude 2. The vintage is the incredible 2003, hard to forget due to the sultry heat that forced the grape harvest to be carried out early, to say the least, as had not happened since 1822. A provocation? Certainly not; here great wines are produced, no provocation and the value of time is emphasized. The grapes begin to be harvested on August 21st, preferring pinot noir and something comparable to ‘47, ‘59, and 1976 is created. Concentration, the soul of a great wine, volume and thickness, never heavy, never tiring, always facilitated by a masterful freshness and a sapidity that cleans perfectly.

FRANÇOISE BEDEL – Champagne Brut Dis, Vin Secret Champagne, Francia champagne-bedel.fr distributed by Sarzi Amadè euro 65

The cuvées of this winery managed by the Bedel family for three generations always leave their mark. Today we find Vincent Desaubeau at the helm of the maison that has long embraced biodynamic philosophy. From pinot meunier grapes in purity, Dis, Vin Secret offers a very mature and complex profile, with notes of medicinal herbs and black pepper protagonists in the aromas. The mouth is very broad and rich, with a very creamy carbonation and a savoury vein to revive an articulated and incisive finish.

FRANÇOISE BEDEL – Champagne Extra Brut Entre Ciel & Terre Champagne, Francia champagne-bedel.fr distributed

by Sarzi Amadè euro 65

Here is the genius of the greatest Champagne cuvées. It’s a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier that matures for six years on the lees in the bottle.

Its extraordinary trait is masterfully combining aromatic richness, concentration of flavour together with vivid freshness. The aromas bring us back to raspberries, apricots, and fine mountain butter. The taste is silky from a tactile point of view and has an excellent citrus and spicy verve. The savoury plunge is of great character, the finish releases energy and a very long trail of flavour. Gourmand.

GRAHAM BECK – Brut Méthode Classique Western Cape, Sudafrica grahambeck.com distributed

by Première euro 29

We’re in Robertson, South Africa with this cuvée made from an equal part blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes. The company was founded by Graham Beck in 1983, and located in the Western Cape area. The aromas are reminiscent of white peach and vanilla, with a well-defined citrus background. When tasted, the wine is linear and progressive, with slightly pronounced spicy notes and a fragrant and balanced sip.

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GUFFENS-HEYNEN – Pouilly-Fuissé C.C. ‘17 Borgogna, Francia distributed

by Balan 85 euro

Jean-Marie Guffens-Heynen is not French: he moved from Flanders to Pierreclos, in Mâconnais, in the late 1970s. The winery currently counts on a vineyard of just under six hectares: it goes without saying that the few thousand bottles produced are the result of painstaking and finely chiseled work. Like the aromatic bouquet of C.C. ‘17, a chardonnay that blends the fragrance of yellow fruits with intriguing sensations of rosemary and flint. This mineral trace is equally present on a rather tapered mouth, which in the finish leaves the helm to a pleasant caloric sensation.

JOSEPH GRUSS et FILS – Alsace Riesling Vieilles Vignes ‘19 Alsazia, Francia distributed

by Meregalli euro 18

In 2001 the management of the winery passed into the hands of Andrè Gruss, oenologist, who decided to invest, making the family business more modern and even more competitive. This happened without upsetting tradition: the harvest is carried out strictly by hand and winemaking is respectful of the terroir and the grape varieties. The Riesling Vieilles Vignes ‘19 is very good: intact in the aromatic profile ranging from white peach to the typical sensation of hydrocarbons; taut and snappy on the palate thanks to a precise and clear acidic trace.

MARC BRÉDIF – Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie Royal Oyster ‘19 Loira, Francia distributed

by Sagna euro 16

The banks of the Loire are home to the vineyards of the maison founded by Monsieur Brédif in the now distant 1893. Taken over in 1980 by Baron Patrick Ladoucette, producing the classic wines of the area with Chinon and Muscadet appellation. Melon de Bourgogne is the protagonist of the label we tasted: Royal Oyster ‘19, a white that smells of cinnamon apple and brackish and iodized breeze. The mouth is thin and crisp, very savoury, all played on tension and pleasant citrus nuances reminiscent of lime and grapefruit.

PIERRE LEGRAS – Champagne Grand Cru Brut Monographie ‘12 Champagne, Francia champagne-pierrelegras.com distibuito

by Première euro 66

Refined and measured in aromatic expression this Blanc de Blancs is the product of two parcels in the municipality of Chouilly. The aromas are soft and inviting, the flakiness of a good croissant, the peel of a ripe lemon, plus hazelnut. The mouth is particularly fine thanks to a subtle and continuous carbonation, with flavours of pear and white peach in a register of great harmony and balance. The finish is played more on the details than on the acidic shock, with delicate citrus returns for a graceful and gentle finish.

QUINTA DO CASTELINHO – Douro Argentea ‘08 Douro, Portogallo distributed

by Proposta Vini euro 23

Quinta do Castelinho is one of the largest producers in Porto, in recent years it’s been increasingly active also in the field of red wines. Douro Argentea is the result of a blend of touriga nacional, touriga franca and tinta roriz grapes. The colour is very intense, with an almost purplish hue, while the aromas are intense and ripe: coffee, sour cherry and hazelnut. On the palate it’s warm and assertive due to a powerful structure supported by a generous and tasty fruity pulp. The finish offers flavours of cinnamon and sun-drenched tomatoes, for a taste that leaves its mark.

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CHARTS

SYLVAIN GAUDRON – Vouvray Les Vaux Louis ‘17 Loira, Francia vouvray-gaudron.fr distributed

by Visconti 43 euro 21

This Vouvray made with Chenin Blanc grapes from plants over 30 years old harvested when fully ripe is striking with its beautiful sense of wildflower honey and golden apple. The mouth is particularly creamy, rich and juicy, with memories of apple and pear that are well punctuated by measured and continuous minerality.

The finish once again lends floral sensations, with malicious pink tones and a ripe fruit that fills the mouth well.a.

SYLVAIN GAUDRON – Vouvray Moelleux Les Clos Francs ‘16 Loira, Francia vouvray-gaudron.fr distributed

by Visconti 43 euro 32

In his cellars carved into rock, Gilles Gaudron houses only bottles obtained from Chenin blanc. The Le Clos Francs selection welcomes grapes from the oldest vines of this virtuous cellar in the Loire Valley. The nose offers elegant hints of white truffle, hazelnut and peach. But it is the mouth that surprises with its perfectly dosed sweetness and acidity in a captivating, dynamic and very long and layered game of flavours. To be paired with a well-seasoned blue cheese.

VIÑA PEDROSA – Ribera del Duero Cepa Gavilan Crianza ‘17 Ribera del Duero, Spagna perezpascuas.com distributed by Ghilardi Selezione euro 19

The Ribera del Duero appellation is located in the north of Spain, in the regions of Castile and Leòn. Here the Pérez Pascuas family, over the years, has formed its winemaking nucleus in which tempranillo is the absolute protagonist. Equally protagonist in the Cepa Gavilan Crianza ‘17, an explosive wine with an aromatic baggage of ripe black fruits - plum, blackberry and blueberry - characterised in the sip by powerful tannins and a warm sensation of sweet spices.i.

WEINGUT BRÜNDLMAYER – Kamptal Langenloiser Alte Reben Grüner Veltliner ‘18 Kamptal, Austria distributed da Vino & Design bruendlmayer.at euro 47

The Kamp is an Austrian river tributary of the Danube that forms an intensely vineyard-planted valley, just north of Vienna. On the mostly terraced vineyards of the area, one of the most cultivated varieties is undoubtedly the Grüner Veltliner. We tasted Willi Bründlmayer’s, which is not just any Grüner Veltliner: in fact, Alte Reben is made up of the oldest vines of the company, with an age ranging from 40 to 45 years. In the glass, the golden yellow colour anticipates a bouquet that already turns on elegant sensations of hydrocarbons and chalk, complemented by aromatic herbs, white flowers and plum.

The creamy opening is immediately revitalised by a great acid tension, for a mouth of thickness and elegant completeness.

WEINGUT JOSEF FRITZ – Wagramterrassen Roter Veltliner ‘18 Wagram, Austria weingut-fritz.at distributed da Proposta Vini euro 20

We can consider Josef Fritz as a sort of specialist in the Roter Veltliner, a vine typical of the Wagram area, characterised by pink-amber coloured berries when perfectly ripe. Josef has dedicated a third of his vineyard––which covers about 15 hectares––to this variety. The 2018 version we tasted has a very particular aromatic profile characterised by herbs and stone, smoky nuances, laurel and peach.

On the palate it shows body and structure in the opening, with herbaceous sensations that return in the finish on a linear and solid sip.

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RISERVA WINES FROM SICILY

Making good wine is easy, hold in a bottle the story, the culture and tradition of my island is a different thing.

www.carusoeminini.it Contact us on instagram @carusoeminini

GAMBERO ROSSO X MASCHIO DEI CAVALIERI

Top bubbles from the Prosecco Hills From the Glera grape comes the best of a terroir Valdobbiadene Rive di Colbertaldo Brut Maschio dei Cavalieri One of the leading labels of the Venetian winery which represents the best of the territory and the mastery of the winemakers. We are on the Rive di Colbertaldo, a sub-area of the Valdobbiadene Docg, on the Treviso hills. The grapes are harvested strictly by hand to safeguard the characteristics of the fruit, which will be enhanced by the long charmat method, This provides for a longer stay of the sparkling wine on the lees to ensure a complex, elegant and silky sensory profile on the palate. “The grapes for Brut Rive di Colbertaldo come from the most beautiful vineyards in the Colbertaldo area. The fine perlage anticipates aromas of apple and wisteria flowers, which we find in a dry palate with good tension,” underlines the review in Vini d’Italia 2021 by Gambero Rosso.

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Maschio dei Cavalieri is a brand that has forged the history of Venetian winemaking. The winery was founded in 1973 by Bonaventura Maschio who annexed to the centuries-old family distillery a state-of-the-art winery in terms of technology and production processing. In the last year, about 3.5 million bottles with the Maschio dei Cavalieri brand were produced, 70% of which destined for the domestic market, and the rest headed instead to the United States, Russia, Australia and various European countries. With Francesca Benini, Sales & Marketing Director, we took stock of the situation and the latest news of the company.

Who is the Maschio dei Cavalieri brand intended for?

Maschio dei Cavalieri is the spearhead of our range of white sparkling wines intended for quality restaurant dining. The winery’s oenological research engages grapes from the native vines of the Veneto, especially those of the eastern area, thus enhancing the true heart of this extraordinary and rich land. Here we find the Glera grape, from which Prosecco Doc and Docg are born, as well as the great sparkling wines also obtained from international grape varieties such as Pinot Grigio, Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero.

To these are added the two varieties of Incrocio Manzoni, which in our cellars become wines of great elegance.

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From which areas do the grapes come and what are the characteristics of the wines?

The grapes come from eastern Veneto, a vast area that almost touches the sea in the stony and gravelly area of the Venetian province and that then rises north through the flat area of the Treviso Doc and continues up to the splendid hills of Prosecco Docg, between Conegliano and Valdobbiadene. A variety of soils and microclimates that influence and characterise our wines. We have different soils and climates that from gravel and sand become compact and rich, from fogs to areas perennially softened by breezes with different exposures to the sun depending

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GAMBERO ROSSO X MASCHIO DEI CAVALIERI

1. Francesca Benini, Sales & Marketing Director of Cantine Riunite & Civ 2. A view of the Rive: steep terrain where the Glera grape grows, typical of the Prosecco Hills, UNESCO World Heritage

Prosecco Rosé e and the New Collection Maschio dei Cavalieri has undergone a makeover: an elegant and refined line of Proseccos will continue to satisfy lovers of Venetian bubbles with a new style. As a matter of fact, 2021 was the year of the presentation to the HoReCa market, in Italy and worldwide, of the restyling already anticipated with the debut of the Prosecco Doc Rosé Millesimato Essentiality, harmony and a balanced colour combination are the stylistic features of the new packaging that perfectly interprets the new product, as well as the brand’s “classics,” from Prosecco Doc Treviso to Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore Docg in the brut and Extra Dry versions.

Prosecco Doc Rosé Millesimato is a refined sparkling wine, pale pink in colour with characteristic coppery reflections, white and creamy froth and rich and elegant perlage. In the opening we find on the nose a delicate floral scent of acacia, typical of the Glera grape, followed by intense intervals of violet and fruity notes of raspberry, typical of Pinot Noir. On the palate we discover a wine of fine structure, with an aftertaste of small red berries and forest floor fruits.

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on the direction of development of the hills and banks. All this offers an incredible variety of flavours, aromas and sensations that our oenologists are able to bring together and exalt in unique products.

How was the new Prosecco Rosé received by the market?

The company has focused strongly on the Prosecco Rosé project, so much that we were among the first producers to launch it in the market, in the autumn 2020 (a difficult period, as we all know), with two different versions:

one for retail market, the other for the HoReCa circuit. We firmly believe that the Italian market, in the wave of the success of rosé sparkling wines in international markets, is ready to ride the trend of rosé bubbles with very interesting development opportunities. There is curiosity and attention paid among lovers of this type of wine. Now we must aim to broaden the knowledge of this product and thus grow the pool of enthusiasts. Absolutely positive confirmations arrive from our customers and international partners who work in more mature

and attentive markets towards rosé, certainly also driven by the effects of the Prosecco phenomenon.

What are the company’s future plans?

Wine research never stops in the winery. We are ready to present to the market a new Prosecco Docg Extra Brut that will enhance the characteristics of the grape even more and will certainly be appreciated by connoisseurs of Italian bubbles.

 Cantine Maschio - Vazzola (TV) - loc- Visnà - via Cadore Mare, 2

0438794115 - maschiodeicavalieri.com

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GAMBERO ROSSO X FRATELLI CASOLARO

Casolaro, the art of mise en place table and kitchen design workshops

«Rem tene, verba sequentur: if you know the subject, the words will come by themselves. If you know what you want, I’ll help you make it happen.» A simple but intuitive idea of Paolo Casolaro, partner of the company F.lli Casolaro Hotellerie SpA specialized in supplies for restaurants starting with plates, porcelain, glassware, glasses, cutlery and everything needed for a perfectly set table. After more than a century of commercial activity, the company focuses on tailor-made consultancy for each client: «We have always dealt with restaurants, but we no longer want to limit ourselves to minimalistic or non-personalized supplies. A place also expresses itself through the details that we study together with the owners and create ad hoc for them.» Porcelain, glass and cutlery with new art and design, «whatever the customer desires. Of course, empathy is a necessary requirement: sometimes the ideas are unclear, so we try to define them together.» Meeting every need and always keeping the context in mind: «There are award-winning kitchens, high-ranking chefs, but also the simpler and more traditional places. Of course, newbies will need dif-

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ferent tools and equipment than long-time professionals: we must not take advantage of the inexperience of others, but try to build a path together.» An intellectual honesty «that’s perhaps a little out of date» is the result

Table setting like haute couture «It resembles the world of high fashion, of artisan tailoring: those who come to us know that making unique products takes time and patience, they rely on us completely. Together we try to understand tastes and needs but then our creative team takes care of the production.» A team of illustrators and graphic designers dedicated to the customization of each object, «they are part tailors, part psychologists: it’s not always easy to understand what the customer wants to prioritise.»

But above all artists, «There are no impossible projects.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, any object or any event. Let’s take a fresco, for example, or a beautiful painting: we capture its essence, colours, personality and thus create the leitmotif of the restaurant.»

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Shapes and materials dedicated to gastronomy Cutlery, glassware, porcelain: there are many products offered by the Campania-based company. There is pizza equipment – peels, oven brushes, plates, trays – and then kitchen equipment, «steel, copper, aluminum, it depends on the needs of the chefs,» without forgetting the accessories for the table, think menu holders to bread baskets or the inevitable wine coolers. On the plates and cutlery front, there is furthermore plenty of choice, while for jewelry lovers who want to give an original touch to their look it’s possible to buy design bracelets inspired by the world of food, with a shape that recalls a fork, with the possibility of customization, «soon rings will also be available.»

of the teachings of his predecessors Vittorio, Paolo, Rita and Sergio Casolaro, the entrepreneurs with whom it all began. The opening of Paolo’s great-grandfather’s glass factory in the centre of Naples dates back to 1868; in the 1950s, then the hotellerie changeover with his father Vittorio Casolaro, «at the time there weren’t the beautiful restaurants we are used to today... there were kiosks, cellars, it was necessary to provide a few functional pieces, no one lingered on aesthetics.»

With the growth and development of kitchens, the mise en place aspects was also perfected. With his siblings, Vittorio planted the company’s roots with a small shop behind Piazza Garibaldi to arrive in 1973 at the large Doganella store in Naples, and in 1986, at the CIS in Nola, the most important B2B commercial distribution sys-

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tem in Europe. «Today we have an 8,000 square meter showroom and the same amount of logistics. And the company, still family-run, has reached its fifth generation represented by our children.» If once a flat, deep and fruit plate were everything a restaurateur could wish for, today the requests are many and varied, «square, round, coloured, with original shapes, bright or pastel colours, with particular decorations or illustrations. Table setting is no longer just functional, which is why we offer advice that also includes assistance from interior designers who can align the furnishings with the style of the mise en place and with the philosophy of the venue.» Not only in Italy: «we are very satisfied with our presence on the foreign market, which we hope can be further expanded.»

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 F.lli Casolaro Hotellerie SpA – Nola (NA) – CIS, Isola 8 – 0815108631 – casolaro.it

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TASTING NOTES Tre Bicchieri and Due Bicchieri Rossi are the pride of Vini d’Italia. Small productions up against prestigious best sellers, in a review that involves the best labels tasted from our experts: we share them in this new column with our tasting notes

Borgoluce

Broccardo

black cherry to pepper, it has a silky and savoury tannic texture on the palate.

Castello di Cantone loc. Musile, 2 Susegana (TV) 0438435287 borgoluce.it In the space of a few decades, Borgoluce has become one of the most interesting companies in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene area, managing to exalt in many ways the enormous land assets it owns. There are many hectares available in the heart of the Susegana hills dedicated to viticulture, but ample space is also left for the forest, pastures and activities related to animal husbandry. In the new low environmental impact cellar all the processes are carried out for a production of great rigor and quality.

VALDOBBIADENE RIVE DI COLLALTO EXTRA BRUT ‘19 Austerity and quality are perfectly expressed in the Rive di Collalto Extra Brut ‘19, a Prosecco that succeeds in the difficult task of combining the delicacy and simplicity characteristic of the type, with the depth and finesse lent by the Collalto vineyards.

loc. Manzoni, 22 Monforte d’Alba (CN) 017378180 - broccardo.it The Broccardos, backed by a long experience of working in the vineyard, waited patiently for the moment deemed suitable to make the leap in quality: it was 2009 and bottling and confrontation with the market finally began. Filippo has shown that he knows how to interpret the classic red grapes of Langa, obviously with Nebbiolo in the forefront. Today labels of sure quality are born, spearheaded by four Barolo proposals to which, from next year, a fifth will also be added.

BAROLO BRICCO S. PIETRO ‘16 Shining among the Barolo proposals of 2016 is the Bricco San Pietro, which moves between rose and licorice and then reveals soft tannins and a long, pleasantly classic finish.

BAROLO PAIAGALLO ‘16 The Paiagallo ‘16 is harmonious and already very enjoyable: complex and fine in the aromatic spectrum ranging from

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loc. Rancate via Municipio, 56 Mendrisio, Canton Ticino +41916404434 castellodicantone.ch The company was founded around the 1990s, when Viviana Pasta and Dario Pistarà decided to put their oenology studies to good use, carried out between Milan and Bordeaux. The five hectares of vineyards at the foot of Monte Sangiorgio, a UNESCO heritage site, benefit from a particular microclimate, also thanks to the presence of Lake Ceresio, useful for mitigating winter temperatures and contributing to the extreme summer temperature ranges between night and day. All this provides the raw material for wines that are both territorial and possessing great taste accuracy.

TICINO ROSSO NEGROMANTE ‘17 Negromante ‘17 is proof of Viviana and Dario’s technical skills. It is a blend of cabernet franc, syrah and merlot, vinified in cement and aged in barriques (50% new, 50% second passage).

The result is a juicy red, with a noble tannin and a lot of freshness that lends vivacity.

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TASTING NOTES

Cleto Chiarli Tenute Agricole CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE. N. 1308/2013.

CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013.

via Belvedere, 8 Castelvetro di Modena (MO) 0593163311 - chiarli.it It’s impossible to ignore Cleto Chiarli if you want to tell the story of Lambrusco of the Modena area. It’s a story that begins in 1860, when the progenitor decided to produce and bottle wine, instead of serving it in bulk to the patrons of his Osteria dell’Artigliere. He refermented that wine in the bottle, which was usual before the advent of technology in the cellar and, specifically, of tanks. Today the production has been refined with the identification of the crus, from which they obtain the best grapes, Sorbara and Grasparossa in the first place, and the rediscovery of the ancestral method.

LAMBRUSCO DI SORBARA DEL FONDATORE ‘19 Lambrusco del Fondatore ‘19 is a very fruity Sorbara, more charged with colour than usual, but always at the highest levels. It is juicy, has a marked and captivating fruit right from the scent. Once tasted, strawberry and raspberry come out clearly, enriched with notes of red citrus fruits, savour and a solid acidic frame.

Fontanavecchia

via Fontanavecchia, 7 Torrecuso (BN) - 0824876275 fontanavecchia.info Libero Rillo has given great élan to the winery started by his father Orazio in 1990 at the foot of Mount Taburno. About twenty

hectares of cultivated vineyards, in which the starring role is played by Falanghina, also proposed several years after the harvest, well accompanied by Aglianico, Piedirosso, Fiano and Greco. The whites show excellent management of harvest times and are vinified in steel tanks, while the reds are characterised by well performed extractions, with the correct dosage of oak and good supporting acidic work.

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO TABURNO ‘19 Tre Bicchieri with Falanghina del Sannio Taburno ‘19 scented with green tea leaves and lime. It showcases a full and juicy fruit in a register of great freshness and drinkability, the finish is a long breath of anise and calamint.

Together with Riccardo Cotarella, who has been with the company since its inception, Silvia, during the last harvests, decided to expand the range; so today there are three company wines: Core Rosso, Aglianico, and Core Bianco, Fiano and Greco added to the line-up.

CORE BIANCO ‘19 Core Bianco wins our Tre Bicchieri for the first time. The 2019 vintage brings us back a wine 2019 with a fresh and fragrant fruit, articulated in its citrus and smoky tones, with a taut and tasty sip. The finish is precise and well balanced. imbottigliato da Montevetrano srl

Diego Morra

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO LIBERO ‘14 Falanghina Libero ‘14 once again demonstrates the good evolutionary potential of the variety; it alternates tones of ripe apple with an intriguing spicy background, with a good acidic shoulder and an articulated and deep finish.

Montevetrano CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE. N. 1308/2013.

CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013.

fraz. Campigliano via Montevetrano, 3 San Cipriano Picentino (SA) 089882285 montevetrano.it Combining an international perspective and setup with a solid territorial base: few winemakers have succeeded as well as Silvia Imparato, who in San Cipriano Picentino since 1991, blends Aglianico, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot to create one of the symbolic wines of the southern wine scene and beyond: Montevetrano.

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via Cascina Mosca, 37 Verduno (CN) 3284623209 - morrawines.com The three intertwined “M”s that make up the company logo derive from Morra (the family surname), Monvigliero (the most important cru, within which the winery is also located) and Mosca, which is the name of the farmhouse in which the winemaking process happens. The vineyard heritage is certainly important compared to the Langhe area, especially if we take into account that of the total 30 hectares, 16 are cultivated with Nebbiolo grapes from Barolo.

BAROLO MONVIGLIERO ‘16 Barolo Monvigliero ‘16 is spicy and tantalizing in its aromas of clear and ripe red fruit; the mouth has an essential structure, calibrated in the tannic extraction, with a nice grip and enveloping on the palate.

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Poggio Scalette

fraz. Ruffoli - via Barbiano, 7 Greve in Chianti (FI) 0558546108 - poggioscalette.it Owned by the Fiore family since 1991, Poggio Scalette is located on the Ruffoli hill in the sub-area of Greve in Chianti, a place historically suited to grapevine growing, and where the company has embarked on the path of sustainable agriculture with a very low environmental impact. The labels produced by this winery have marked the oenological history of the district, especially the one known as “Supertuscan.” A trace still well present that connotes the company’s style, despite the fact that today new scenarios are emerging.

CAPOGATTO ‘17 Capogatto, a blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and petit verdot, is a clear homage to the Bordeaux model. The 2017 version offers richly spicy and fruity aromas, which introduce a well-balanced gustatory progression, with a reactive and contrasted sip.

Cantina Sociale Roveré della Luna

ern cellar built in 2001, equipped with everything necessary to churn out great local wines based mainly on teroldego, lagrein, schiava and pinot noir, as regards the reds, and traminer, pinot grigio, chardonnay and müller thurgau for what concerns the white grapes.

TRENTINO PINOT NERO V. FELDI ‘17 The aromas of flowers and spices dominate the nose of Vigna Feldi, a veritable cru of pinot noir which, even in a hot year, shows the fabric of the great wine.

The mouth is wide and enveloping, the freshness plays the winning card in giving rhythm and vitality to the sip. Long finish, the spice and the note of cyclamen return to confirm great elegance.

BIANCOSESTO ‘18 The BiancoSesto ‘18 appears on the nose with fresh gusts of lime and bergamot followed by lemon balm, white peach and tropical fruit.

The palate is soft and the finish is exhilarating. Well-deserved Tre Bicchieri recognition.

Vite Colte

TRENTO EXTRA BRUT VERVÈ RIS. ‘13 More than eight years after the harvest, Vervè still has a lot to say. Blend of pinot noir (50%) and the remaining part divided between pinot bianco and chardonnay, refines 60 months on the lees before approaching the market.

Nose of great complexity, between notes of pastry and yellow fruit, it has a creamy and savoury mouth, full and with a very fresh finish.

Tunella CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE. N. 1308/2013.

CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013.

via IV Novembre, 19 Roveré della Luna (TN) 0461658530 - csrovere1919.it There were just 24 members who, in the now distant 1919, founded the Cantina Sociale Roverè della Luna. Today there are many more, 270, and each of them takes care of their own vineyard: the sum of all these parcels reaches an altitude of 420 hectares, distributed between Trentino and Alto Adige. The grapes arrive at the headquarters in via IV novembre, a mod-

generations of winemakers. They have always made use of the oenological skills of Luigino Zamparo, who grew up with them and contributed to the creation and enhancement of the Tunella brand.

The spacious wine cellar has advanced technologies and valuable architectural solutions.

via del Collio, 14 Premariacco (UD) 0432716030 - tunella.it Massimo and Marco Zorzettig, with their mother Gabriella, are the owners of this splendid reality, the pride of the Friuli Colli Orientali appellation. From a very young age, they took on the burden of business management, making use of the experience inherited from three previous

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via Bergesia, 6 - Barolo (CN) 0173564611 - vitecolte.it The Vite Colte project is increasingly defined, the highest production range of Terre da Vino, a winery founded in 1980.

At the base we find a fine shared agronomic protocol that brings together 180 members, for a total of 300 hectares of vineyards. From year to year, the wines are increasingly linked firmly to traditional characteristics, strong in some highly prized parcels that fall within the municipalities of Barolo and Serralunga d’Alba; the rich line-up embraces nebbiolo, barbera, dolcetto, arneis, cortese and moscato.

BARBERA D’ASTI SUP. LA LUNA E I FALÒ ‘18 An example of aromatic finesse, the Barbera d’Asti La Luna e i Falò ‘18 is complex and fragrant in its mentholated touch. It possesses harmony, silky tannins and a finish that’s full of inviting hints of earth and spices.

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TASTING NOTES

Armando Piazzo

Cavit

fraz. San Rocco di Seno d’Elvio, 31 Alba (CN) 0173286798 - piazzo.it The history of the winery began in the 1960s when Armando Piazzo and Gemma Veglia decided to put their peasant roots to good use and invest in a farm and mostly in Nebbiolo. As the years passed, Armando and Gemma expanded their vineyards; in the meantime, their daughter Gemma and her husband Franco, currently in turn helped by their sons Marco and Simone, joined in the management. Today the company can count on over 70 hectares of vineyards scattered over the municipalities of Mango, Neviglie, Guarene and Novello.

via del Ponte, 31 Trento 0461381711 cavit.it Cavit represents the perfect optimization of the concept of wine cooperation. We are talking about a constantly expanding wine giant, recently able to involve the La Vis Winery and the Cesarini Sforza sparkling wine company in its varied corporate dynamics. In this context, it’s possible to market huge volumes of wine and at the same time respect the micro winemaking realities managed by the suppliers (there are over 5,000 of them!) through the selection of authentic crus. The range of wines is truly heterogeneous, some lines are intended for international export, others for large Italian distribution.

BAROLO SOTTOCASTELLO DI NOVELLO RIS. ‘10

TRENTO BRUT ALTEMASI GRAAL RIS. ‘13

Great success in the brave challenge of the austere Barolo Riserva, which comes out 10 years after the harvest: notes of cinchona and licorice blend with floral sensations of rose; fine and harmonious, the wine projects towards a severe and austere mouth with a very long finish.

De Stefani

Poderoso il Graal Riserva ‘13 e allo stesso The Graal Riserva ‘13 is powerful, and by the same token, an example of elegance: concentration and finesse already on the nose that plays with peach, white flowers and hazelnuts, tones that slide lightly into the austerity of a soft sip.

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via Cadrona, 92 Fossalta di Piave (VE) 042167502 de-stefani.it The bond that the De Stefani family has with the world of winemaking dates back to the second half of the 1800s, but it’s with the addition of Tiziano into the company at the end of 1950 that the winery acquires the profile we are familiar with. At the helm today is his son Alessandro, who leads a reality that from the original vineyards of Refrontolo has moved the production centre of gravity to the plains of the Piave, to Fossalta and Monastier, where viticulture has been embraced with increasing respect of the environment. The wines have a clear style and are focused on the varietal expression of the grapes.

OLMERA ‘18 L’Olmera ‘18 is a blend of tai, slightly withered and aged in oak, and sauvignon, entirely made in steel. The result is a white that alternates the fresher notes with those of over-ripening, while in the mouth has a full impact and is well supported by the acid and savoury vein.

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VINI D’ITALIA GAMBERO ROSSO

Elena Fucci

c.da Solagna del Titolo Barile (PZ) 3204879945 elenafuccivini.com Elena Fucci, oenologist, is a protagonist of the modern Basilicata wine scene. After graduating, she gave great impetus to the activity started at artisan level by her grandfather Generoso in the Valle del Titolo di Barile in the 1960s. The company also collaborates with Elena’s husband, Andrea Manzani who also takes care of the commercial aspect, as well as her father Salvatore.

At the base we find a state-of-the-art cellar from a technical point of view, designed according to the dictates of bio-architecture, plus seven hectares of vineyards of high average age located in the highest part of the Solagna del Titolo district, at the foot of the Vulture.

AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE TITOLO ‘18 Titolo ‘18 has a beautiful intense and solid ruby red colour; on the nose it opens on ripe berries, cherries and plums, enlivened and made complex by elegant nuances of Mediterranean scrub, coffee and delicately balsamic hues. The mouth is rich, structured and progressive without being heavy.

Meran

via Cantina, 9 Marlengo (BZ) 0473447137 cantinamerano.it

The cooperative chaired by Kaspar Platzer embodies in its technical director Stefan Kapfinger and his staff the perfect interpreters of the Burgraviato area. It gathers nearly 400 members who cultivate small patches of land distributed from Lana to Val Venosta, from the valley floor up to an altitude of 1,000 meters. Contrary to what happens for most of the other cooperatives, the agricultural fabric refers almost exclusively to the area where the winery is located and is enhanced by a production that has its best examples in the schiava and pinot bianco.

A. A. PINOT BIANCO TYROL ‘18 In a line-up of absolute value, the class of Pinot Bianco Tyrol ‘18 stands out: with a wide and still very young aromatic spectrum, it conquers for the richness and harmony of a sip that never seems to end.

VERMENTINO DI SARDEGNA STELLATO ‘19 The 2019 version of the Vermentino di Sardegna Stellato surprises for its textbook olfactory complexity and for a long and progressive palate with the flavour contrasting well with the aromatic notes of the grape.

CANNONAU DI SARDEGNA RIS. ‘17 Aged in large barrels, the Cannonau di Sardegna Riserva di Pala is the result of a selection of grapes hailing from the oldest vineyards in the Serdiana area. The nose picks up tobacco, undergrowth and blackberry; the mouth is dense, enveloping and flowing at the same time, thanks to a very delicate tannin and a flavour that gives rhythm to the drink.

Paolo Manzone

Pala CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REG. UE. N. 1308/2013.

CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO EU REG. N. 1308/2013.

via Verdi, 7 Serdiana (SU) 070740284 pala.it Pala is a company of undoubted value that has contributed to the popularity and prestige of the Serdiana area.

The winery is led by Mario Pala and his family, with the precious help of Fabio Angius, commercial director and right-hand man of the property. The wines convey the territory that generates them very well and they all share a subtle, very charming and typical savoury vein. In addition to the Serdiana area, the winery makes use of some plots in the Terralbese area: here they cultivate bovale, still ungrafted by vineyards planted on sand.

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loc. Meriame, 1 Serralunga d’Alba (CN) 0173613113 barolomeriame.com The winery has been active since 1970, but it was only in 1999 that Paolo Manzone––also thanks to the vineyard heritage of his wife Luisella Corino––gave life to the current oenological structure. At its centre is the powerful Meriame cru, obviously used to make the Barolo by the same name, flanked by good vineyards in the adjacent municipality of Sinio, where mainly Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo grapes grow. The award-winning Riserva constantly produces a particularly velvety and elegant Barolo, while the Meriame is a little more energetic and tannic. The family agriturismo farm is enchanting.

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TASTING NOTES

Tenuta di Sesta BAROLO MERIAME ‘16 The olfactory base of Barolo Meriame ‘16 is supported by clear hints of blond tobacco and aromatic herbs, combined with a delicate background of well toasted oak; the soft presence of alcohol is not lacking in the mouth, but a perfect acid-tannic balance guarantees important and satisfying drinkability.

Réva

loc. Gallinotto, 128 La Morra (CN) 0173789269 revawinery.com A complex and yet welcoming structure, which adds the dining aspect to the elegance of the suites, the vineyards and the splendid wine cellar. The declared philosophy is peremptory: “We are free from the burden of tradition, we are inspired by influences of a different nature.” This could lead us to think of oenological upheavals of no small importance. In reality, the wines own a classic imprint, tasting them you can at most notice the attempt to make a Barolo of great finesse and free from tannic harshness, in which however the power and structure components of the Langhe are always in first place, in which violet and goudron are protagonists in the rich and clear aromatic range.

Fraz. Castelnuovo dell’Abate loc. Sesta Montalcino (SI) 0577835612 tenutadisesta.it Baptized by one of the most reputed historical toponyms in the southern sector of Montalcino, Tenuta di Sesta was born in the 1960s by the will of Giuseppe Ciacci. One of the few veteran realities of the district led today

by Andrea and Francesca with their father Giovanni, who have further illuminated the peculiar vocations of the family vineyards, located around 350 meters above sea level on calcareous soils, rich in clay and iron. It is here that unexpectedly subtractive and at the same time long-lived Brunellos are born, matured in medium-sized oak barrels..

BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO ‘15

Behind the youthful and almost jaunty attitude of Pietro Zardini lies a long and deep journey in the world of Valpolicella wines, first as a consultant and today as increasingly linked to the family business. The vineyards provide the grapes for a production that is closely linked to tradition: corvina, corvinone and rondinella make up almost entirely the harvest, vinified fresh, or alternatively dried, putting their character of refined aromas and snappy acid tension at centre stage.

AMARONE DELLA VALPOLICELLA CL. LEONE ZARDINI RIS. ‘13 The Amarone dedicated to grandfather Leone Zardini only comes out after a long aging in the cellar and the 2013 version unleashes an applause worthy performance. On the nose, the ripe fruit immediately conquers centre stage, gradually giving way to balsamic and mineral notes, with pepper peeping out. The sip expresses a perfect harmony between richness, alcohol and acidity, resulting in a long and fascinating finish.

Brunello ‘15 manages to put two usually opposite characteristics together in the same bottle: richness and freshness. The latter is found in the fruity aromas, while the former in the notes of tobacco and licorice. On the palate, the acid-tannic backbone contrasts perfectly with the sweet pulp of the fruit.

Zardini

BAROLO CANNUBI ‘16 The Barolo Cannubi ‘16 is still in the process of harmonisation, which in the next few years will proceed to smooth out the still somewhat invasive oaky note at the time of our tastings; the tannins are well present and the finish is remarkably persistent.

via Don P. Fantoni, 3 San Pietro in Cariano (VR) 0456800989 pietrozardini.it

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GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina LAYOUT Chiara Buosi, Maria Victoria Santiago CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Michela Becchi, Kyoko Nakayama, William Pregentelli, Marco Sabellico, Alessio Turazza PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Andrea Boatta, Alessandro Naldi, Gaia Nicola GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia Advertising Class Pubblicità SpA Milano, Via Marco Burigozzo, 5 - tel. 02 58219522 For commercial enquiries: kanchieri@class.it Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it

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