Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - May 2015

YEAR 20 N. 85 - MAY 2015

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD ®

www.gamberorosso.it

• SPECIAL EXPO • 20 YEARS OF LUCE • BASILICATA COAST TO COAST

CHINA

RED OBSESSION

a tavola

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COVER STORY 10 | Red Obsession: All you need to know about Chinese wine fever

WINE 38 | Vertical Tasting: 20 years of Luce Merlot and sangiovese express the sun and soil of Montalcino 52 | Best Buys: Basilicata coast to coast From a little-known region, top wines under 10â‚Ź

FOOD 57 | Chefs share their recipes. Iside & Romano’s La Parolina: in a word - Delicious Lazio and Tuscany blend their rustic-elegant flavors

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MAY 2015

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“One should always be drunk. That’s all that matters…But with what?

With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you chose.

But get drunk.”

Charles Baudelaire 28

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NEWS & MORE

64 | Oli d’Italia 2015: Tonda Iblea A traditional cultivar with an unmistakable tomato flavor

4 | Editorials 6 | News 12 | Events/Roadshows 16 | Wine&Design/ENO ELITE 18 | Street Food/Gansevoort Market 20 | Wine of the month 22 | Twitter dixit 23 | Italians abroad: Osteria del Tempo Perso 24 | 3Bicchieri3Forchette: Uliassi 26 | Pairing Lab/Pasta sauce 68 | Letter from Paris

TRAVEL 28 | Special Expo. Milano Expo 2015 Why this is a city and an event you don’t want to miss 46 | Travel. Matera taking off In the next Europe’s Capital of Culture for 2019, a 7,000-year-old spot is revealing its beauty

3 MAY 2015

EDITORIAL

THE TASTE OF OTHERS After two weeks of travel in China, I find myself in Beijing, conducting a seminar on Italian wines.

We begin with a muchlauded Alto Adige Pinot Bianco. I taste it and find it hard, bony, untenably acidic. I open a second bottle; it’s the same. In both cases, the cork is in perfect condition, the vintage year a good one.

After a few embarrassing moments I realize that the wine is in perfect shape. It’s my palate that doesn’t understand it.

After eating three meals a day of local specialties, my palate was set on another frequency. It had switched over to flavors and pairings that were unusual for us westerners. It had become accustomed to gelatinous textures ranging from sea cucumbers to shark fins, accepted starch as an underpinning element, learned to appreciate a pinch of sugar even in savory dishes. I discovered mouth-filling flavors, often aromatically peppery, dictated by an extraordinary heritage of products and centuries-old traditions. Chinese cooking doesn’t exist. There are 8 major Chinese cuisines along with a thousand more regional and sub-regional cuisines such

the Lu cuisine from Shangdong province, Hui cuisine from Anhui province, and the hot, spicy and stimulating Sechuan cuisine from Sichuan Province. Forget about spring rolls or bland chicken with almonds.

Aside from some very elegant restaurants, there’s little wine served. The beverage is tea, exceptional teas that go perfectly with this food, and rice liquors are drank in one shot. To go back to our seminar, we close with a Nero d’Avola. I had never understood it so fully, like now, and the journalists seated in front of me liked it as well. That sweet spiciness, meatiness and glycerin softness along with sweet and sour notes resembled many of the sauces we had tasted as we traveled.

A few days later, back in Rome, I visit my favorite pizzeria. The pizzaiolo must be madly in love, to judge from the amount of salt in the dough. Ditto the bread.

The tomato pulls out an acidic knife worthy of a 1996 Salon. Ever heard of palate-lag?

Lorenzo Ruggeri

4 MAY 2015

5 MAY 2015

NEWS

FRANCE THE NUMBER ONE WINE PRODUCER, FOLLOWED BY ITALY AND SPAIN. China becomes the second-largest vineyard in the world.

Other

6 MAY 2015

Spain

Italy

JAPAN HAS “COME OF AGE”. Consumption back to record levels of 1998

France

Ro m an ia Au str ali a M old ov a So ut h Afi ca

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“Come of age”. These are the words the Rabobank report uses to describe Japan’s wine market. Between 2006 and 2014, the country saw a constant increase in consumption (thanks to imports), which returned to 1998 levels (350 million liters), its boom year. Now the Japanese seem more open to new consumption occasions and to innovations. The wines of Chile benefitted the most from this trend, favored by an economic partnership with Japan to the disadvantage of French wines. Italy and Spain maintained their share compared to Chile, which grew enormously from 7.5% in 2007 to 25% in 2014. Wine is nothing new for the Japanese. There’s increasing familiarity with the beverage, thanks to the decreasing appeal of beer and sake, and to greater understanding of the possibilities of pairing with local dishes. Moreover, women are consuming more wine. White wines, in particular, high-quality spumanti, are popular, and are beginning to replace sake during celebrations. For Rabobank, the prospects for exporting countries are encouraging. Although the market is still polarized around two price points, the lower one (daily-standard between 500 and 1200 yen) and the highest one (fine wine: over 2,000 yen, above 15 euros), there is space in the so-called premium (intermediate) range, which is decidedly growing.

Ar ge nt in a Po rtu ga l

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Tu rk ey

Ita ly

Fr an ce

Ch in a

Sp ain

World-wide wine production and consumption are both down, while vineyard planting is on the rise. That is the picture of the wine planet presented by the Organizzazione Internazionale della Vite e del Vino (OIV) for 2014. After a record 2013 (291million hectoliters), 2014 showed a slight decrease, but the average was still good: 279 million hectoliters. In Europe, significant increases (+11%) occurred in France and Germany, respectively 46.7 ml/h and 9.3 ml/h, while Italy and Spain lost hectoliters.

Although Italy produced 54 million hectoliters in 2013, in 2014 it reached barely 44.7 ml/h (-17%). The result is that 2014 production shows France leading, followed by Italy and Spain. In terms of consumption, the numbers for 2014 are 240 ml/h: -2.4 ml/h compared to 2013. The major consumers are again the United States at 30.7 ml/h. And, as expected, Chinese consumption is down: 15.8 ml/h, - 1.2 ml/h compared to 2013. Positive news, however, for the development of world-wide vineyards. Although Europe and Australia continue to lose ground and hectares, Asia and South America powered a slight world increase: 7.5 million hectares (+8,000 hectares). The real surprise, though, is that China is now has the most vineyards planted in the world, with about 800,000 hectares, right after Spain, 1.02 million hectares. These two countries are followed by France (792,000 hectares) and Italy (690,000 hectares).

Chile

Wine imports drop in the USA. But Italy’s market share is up.

Americans bought less wine from abroad in the first two months of 2015, -24.7% in quantity (1.1 million hectoliters) and -7.9% in value ($510 million). According to data from the Italian Wine and Food Institute, compared to the same period last year, all the principal countries selling wine to the USA, including Italy, are seeing the decrease, although Italy maintains its leadership in the market. There is positive data: although Italy dropped from the 334,300 hectoliters for $180.8 million in the first two months of 2014 to 332,700 hectoliters worth $172.6 million in January-February 2015, its share of the market increased to 30.1% in quantity and 33.8% in value, when compared to its competitors, such as Australia and New Zealand. For spumanti, the picture is different. The United States imported 17.9% more in quantity and 11.9% more in value.

Italian sparkling wines continue to grow, with 58.8% of the market in terms of quantity and 22% in value, growing respectively 32.3% and 16.1%.

USA table-wine imports (January-February 2015)

Italy

Australia

New Zealand

Spain

WHAT DID THE ANCIENTS ACTUALLY EAT? On exhibit in Milano, carbonized food from Pompeii: figs, bread and onions.

South Africa

In 79 A.D, the terrifying eruption of Vesuvius abruptly ended the life of the prosperous town of Pompeii. It was turned to stone under a dense layer of ashes, lava and rock. Today, Pompeii is a unique archeological site and the research of archeologists, chemists and biologists into the life of the city provides continual surprises. From July 21 until January 10, 2016, a team from the Applied Research Laboratory of the Soprintendenza archeologica di Pompei will make its own contribution to the Expo. In Palazzo Reale, visitors can see what inhabitants of the Roman Empire ate. The Milanese exhibition space will show the carbonized organic remains, long buried in the mud, that have reached us in amazing condition and when analyzed by experts, reveal pomegranate skins, grains of wheat, figs, walnuts and bread. The remains will be part of the “MITO E NATURA dalla Grecia a Pompei” show. Among the most significant finds is a collection of breads from inside the oven of Modestus, in the region VII zone of the buried city. Other items are garlic cloves, onions and a range of fruits, including peaches and dates, walnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, as well as grapes, eaten either as raisins or transformed into wine. The Milano show will also include vases and ceramic items, Pompeian frescoes, jewelry and silver. And for the second time since its discovery in 1968, the Tomb of the Diver will leave the Paestum Archeological Museum, this time for Milano.

Natura, mito e paesaggio dalla Magna Grecia a Pompei | Palazzo Reale, piazza Duomo, Milano | from July 21, 2015 to January 10, 2016 www.artpalazzoreale.it

7 MAY 2015

Others

NEWS

The first Italian Trappist beer is produced in Rome: TRIPEL FROM THE ABBAZIA TRE FONTANE

The pages of Trappist beer history hail a new entry, the first Italian, produced by the monastic community of Tre Fontane in Rome. The term Trappist beer is correctly used only when the product is the result of a process that begins and ends within the abbey walls and depends on the knowledge of the Cistercian monks, the only ones who can participate in the various production phases. Moreover, the income from sales must be used for the sustenance of the monastic community, to finance charity, or to preserve the cultural and historical heritage of the abbey. After only a year since it began production, Tripel Tre Fontane, from the microbrewery of the Abbazia Tre Fontana in Rome, is entitled to use the ATP logo, official recognition that it is an Authentic Trappist Product. Four years ago the monastic community found in their basement an old recipe written by the French monks who had come from Trappes. They decided to take up brewing, launching the first Italian Trappist beer on the market, the eleventh in the world. The sales of this blond beer (8.5% alcohol) are destined to increase. The monks can brew 1000 hectoliters a year, just in time for the Jubilee proclaimed by Pope Frances to begin at the end of 2015.

A STELLAR CHIANTI: CHEESE EXPORTS RISE IN 2014 will the name be Export of Italian cheese and milk products hit a record high in 2014. given to an asteroid? More than 331,000 tons were shipped abroad (+33%), a value of 2.2 The International Astronomical Union is considering a proposal to assign the name “6851 Chianti” to asteroid 6851. The candidacy was promoted by the Osservatorio polifunzionale del Chianti thanks to two astronomers, the scientific coordinator of the Chianti observatory, Emanuele Pace and Mario Di Martino of the Osservatorio Astronomico di Torino. Fifteen professional astronomers, members of the International Astronomical Union Commission for the Naming of Astronomical Objects, will make the decision.

The asteroid’s definitive name will be published within a few months, in the official “Minor Planet Circulars”. But where does the name Chianti itself come from? According to one theory, the name of one of Italy’s premium zones for winegrowing comes from the Etruscan word clante, or water. Another theory links it to Latin clangor, i.e. noise, and certainly, there will be a lot of that if the name Chianti actually makes it to the stars.

billion euros, an increase of 4.8% over 2013. Offsetting the sharp drop in exports to Russia and the 5.7% drop in volume to the United States (due to a still-strong euro) was the rise of Eastern European markets such as Poland (+18%), Romania (+22%) and the Czech Republic (+9%). The ISMEA analysis of ISTAT data shows that countries whose markets are small, such as China (+41%), Korea (+26%), and the UAE (+28%) performed well. Principal buyers are still holding strong: France (+4.3%), Germany (+6.5%) and Great Britain (+1.9%). For Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano, the largest increase was noted for the United Kingdom (+9.1%), while Germany and France imported respectively 3.7% and 2.1% more than the year before.

8 MAY 2015

9 MAY 2015

EVENTS

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

CHINESE MARKET AT A CROSSROADS Young women see a future in wine “Wine consumption in China is at a crossroads. Think about my generation, from the 1980s. We’re building careers, we have money in our pockets, we’re independent and we are hungry for knowledge. We began with Bordeaux and now want to explore new territories,” sommelier Dechuan Luo tells us. After five years of events in China, the Gambero Rosso Roadshow made a stop in Beijing. Over 1,000 people showed up. Numbers aside, we saw crowds of young operators, educators and journalists, an impressive percentage of them women, many more than in Europe. After a drop in consumption and importation in 2013, dictated by specific political choices made by the government, numbers are beginning to confirm a market that had seemed like an eternal Godot. Consumption exceeds 17 million hectoliters – still

low – but, to underline the trend, in the first trimester of 2015, China’s wine imports grew by 17.6%, more than a million hectoliters (Ismea source) for the first time. Imports from Spain grew a record 50%. France and Chile dominate the scene, but Italy is making up for time lost.

“On the average, understanding of the subject is minimal, but there’s a growing sector of consumers who drink wine frequently, are looking for more complex labels, have begun to appreciate different styles, and are even trying whites and bubblies,” states Jiangjiang Yu from the DIVA distribution company. Last year China has overtaken France and Italy to become the world’s number one consumer of red wine. So although reds still dominate, as well explained in the film Red Obsession, co-directed and co-written by David Roach and Warwick Ross, there is space for the new. After the excesses of the past (more bottles of Château Lafite were sold in China than were produced at their origin) the market is going through a period of adjustment. “It’s a new phase. Before, they sold entire pallets at a time, perhaps with low quality wines at three times the fair price, exploiting their customers’ lack of experience. Today that cellar game is over. The market is also changing at the level of taste. Imagine, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is one of the best-selling wines in my restaurants,” says Gennaro Miele, owner of La Pizza in the Sanlitun quarter of Beijing, the after-dark zone where expats and locals hang out until late at night. Our seminars and tastings confirm the widespread preference for mature reds that work well with local specialties. “Primitivo is popular for its abundant alcohol and its soft, silky tannins. It’s a good introduction to negroamaro and nero di troia. It’s our calling card for Puglia,” comments Luigi Rubino, the owner of one of the Italian companies that has been doing well in China, applying different approaches in each zone. From the production point of view, China has rapidly made up for a technology gap.

The data on China’s vineyard surface are controversial, but for some observers, it is already the largest grape pro-

10 MAY 2015

ducer in the world. Let’s set aside, and we challenge you to do so, the tastings of the gigantic company Great Wall, but a series of wineries achieving interesting results are beginning to show up. The style is not all about wood and concentration. “Chinese wine still suffers from a bad image thanks to the production of low quality products.

But things are changing. We and other small wineries like us have worked well in order to produce quality bottles.

We’re in the Xinjiang province, next to the Tian Shan mountain and the desert that brings us dry air. We don’t need insecticides and pesticides. We’re at a high altitude, with amazing temperature excursions. To give credibility, we have worked hard on the traceability of information.

What’s on the label is what’s in the glass,” explains Randy Lee Svendsen, Grand Director of 1421Wines. The other heart of production, and the more celebrated one, is in the Ningxia province, also in China’s northwest. Over the next years, about 8,000 hectares of new vineyard will be planted annually: an impressive figure. But if the Chinese began to drink even one glass of wine per day, world production of wine would be drained dry. So it’s better to take precautions.

EVENTS

by Marco Sabellico

BETTING ON TAIWAN Wine’s golden moment Not yet a consolidated market, but one with great potential, Taiwan is one of those new areas where it’s an opportune moment to bet on and invest in wine. Italy is sending increasing amounts of products to this island 180 kilometers east of the Chinese coast. In 2014, the overall sales of wine and grape-must grew in value from 7 to 8.5 million euros, with quantities increasing by 19%. To respond to this swelling demand for Italian wines, the Gambero Rosso Top Italian Wines Roadshow visited the city of Taipei for the first time, choosing

the setting of the Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel.

The event was a momentous one for the country’s wine world. This is one of the richest economies in southeast Asia, but May 11th was the first time Italian wine was in the limelight here. France dominates the market here, accounting for about 40% of sales, followed by Spain (14%) and Chile (12%), although Italy is among the top five providers. Once known as Formosa (the island was a Portuguese and a Dutch colony in the 17th century), the market is expanding rapidly, with constant growth

12 MAY 2015

demonstrated over the last six years. Sales were over $250 million in 2014, and are expected to reach $300 million within 2017, according to the predictions made

by Vinexpo/Iwsr.

The Taiwanese population is educated and well-to-do.

The electronics industry includes some of the most important brands in computers (Asus and Acer) and cell phones (HTC). Younger people, born into the economic boom of the last thirty years, have often studied abroad and enjoy a sophisticated lifestyle influenced by the West.

Taxes on beverages are not based on price but on degree of alcohol, favoring the importation of premium wines.

From the point of view of alcohol consumption, the country is one of the largest consumers of high quality whisky in the world, second only to Japan, and produce their own good quality labels. But wine is beginning to find its own space, with consumption on the rise. Ninety percent of drinkers, according to a recent study by Vinexpo/Iwsr, prefer red wine. “Young people love wine,” Kim Lee, manager of Vinoza Import, tells us. “They take courses and enjoy choosing among labels from around the world. They have often lived abroad for years, love Italian cucina, as well as French and Japanese cuisine.

Taipei, with its three million inhabitants (Taiwan has 23 million overall) has a lively food and wine scene, with an incredible number of top-quality restaurants, where a wine list is a must.”

13 MAY 2015

EVENTS

by Marco Sabellico

HOUSTON, NO PROBLEM And the Gambero Rosso Roadshow goes into orbit With the April 21st event at Houston – the place known as Space City thanks to the NASA center – Gambero Rosso’s Italian Wine Roadshow definitely went into orbit. Over 60 top producers represented the Italian wine world during this extraordinary movable event (the 2014-2015 edition was the eighth).

After its visits to Osaka (October, 2014) and Istanbul last December, the Roadshow finally reached Texas, one of the most brilliant performers in the USA in recent years. For the occasion, an exceptional setting: Minute Maid Park, Downtown Houston’s baseball stadium and the home of the Houston Astros.

“It’s incredible to enter a stadium and see your photo on the central billboard of the field,” says Gregory Perrucci, owner of the Pugliese winery, Felline, amused. “The setting was perfect for our great wines, and it made a wonderful impression on our American friends.” Minute Maid Park is a beautiful structure in the center of Houston, and has been an attraction in the city since its inauguration, not only during sporting events. With 42,000 seats,

it hosts pop star concerts, too, such as when Madonna or Taylor Swift come to town. Over 400 professionals, distributors, agents, restaurateurs and sommeliers came to celebrate Italian wines, taste over 240 labels and meet their producers. “Texas is an important and mature market,” Benjamin Roberts of Republic National Distribution observed. “There are fine restaurateurs in Houston, as in Dallas and Austin, and they require information and presence, not just labels. They want to know the Italian wine world up close, and better understand the country’s wine and food culture, its history and diversity.” The two master classes held by this writer were very crowded, and its participants tasted thirty wines and asked many questions about Italy.

“Italy and its wines are the reign of complexity,” points out Elvira Bortolomiol from Valdobbiadene. “They need to be discussed and explained, taking into account that this is a market that demands quality and wants to understand the motivation for every choice.”

14 MAY 2015

MEXICO

THE MIDDLE CLASS LEADS CONSUMPTION OF ITALIAN WINES On April 23rd, the Top Italian Wines Roadshow returned to Mexico City. If we talked about a warm welcome for the great Italian wines and their producers on the part of Mexican enthusiasts last year, we have to look for more superlatives this year. The event took place in the renovated Four Seasons Hotel in the central Paseo de la Reforma.

Over 600 people visited the tasting tables where over 240 labels of the best of Italian wines were at hand.

“The ties between Italy and Mexico are more and more intense,” the Italian ambassador, Alessandro Busacca, said in his opening address. “Mexico is a dynamic country with a strong, growing economy. It is discovering Italian quality products, and among them is wine. This is the year of the Expo, and events like this are an extraordinary showcase for our country, and a wonderful invitation to visit.” Statistics (ISTAT) have shown a marked increase in Italian exports. In 2014, wine and grape must worth 23.4 million euros were shipped, an increase of 19.8% over the 19.5 million euros of the year before. In terms of quantity, 9 million liters were sent to Mexico, compared to the 7.7 million liters of 2013, an increase of 16.7%. Italy, along with Spain and Chile, is one of the principal suppliers of wine to this Central American country

(where the most popular drinks are beer and tequila) which imports two out of every three bottles consumed.

Consumption per capita amounts to an average of .6 liters, for a total of over 55 million liters of wine each year. According to Euromonitor predictions, that amount is destined to increase, above all thanks to new styles of consumption among the middle classes. Karla Senties, director of Sabor e Arte confirmed, “In our country, there’s an important sector of middle-high income people who are anxious to explore the European food and wine heritage.

Mexico has a Spanish imprint, but we recognize in Italy a central role in Mediterranean culture, and this fascinates us.”

11 MAY 2015

WINE & DESIGN

by Stefania Annese

ENO ELITE,

when wine is dĂŠcor Elite, TO BE is a way of conceiving of an object, of living a space and recognizing oneself in a dimension. It is a philosophy of life that led the De Re brothers, Franco and Carlo, to create unique and essential objects, with one goal: to fashion surroundings that arouse emotion.

Born in Australia, they found their homeland in Friuli, a place to realize their dreams and create products for interior dĂŠcor with clean lines and exceptional functionality. They collected ideas and inspiration from around the world, studying the nature and form of materials in order to design collections for the home of truly amazing beauty. The ENO line is unique. Its heart is a modular bookcase for conserving premium wines. It adapts to walls of different sizes. Superior wood and lacquer finishes based on wine colors help create a convivial atmosphere. We met the brothers who designed this excellent Italian lifestyle product. For some time they have also been successful abroad.

Iduba (ENO Collection)

La Vit (ENO Collection)

16 MAY 2015

Libreria del Vino (ENO Collection)

Your line is a synthesis of experiences around the world that inspired you to create the Elite, TO BE project. How did it begin?

The idea of Elite, TO BE comes out of 25-30 years of work as an exporter, of seeking to blend East and Western materials, tastes and traditions in a single design. We aim to create furniture and design objects that, along with original, functional ideas, add beauty and warmth to environments when the décor on the market is too cold and minimalistic.

derful party. We pressed the grapes with our feet, and the old people told us it helped strengthen our leg muscles. The idea for our line came out of our gratitude to the grape vine.

We wanted to celebrate this wild bush that humans learned how to domesticate and then how to transform its fruit into wine. I observed that in the wine sector no collection of furnishings existed that was both functional, beautiful and varied. The materials we selected transmit the warmth of wine. That’s why we used an old bronze Corten finish and oak, the wood best suited to wine cellars.

In 2014, your brand appeared for the first time at the celebrated interior design show, Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milano. How has your way of thinking about design changed?

Design has to give proportion, has to make an object functional, simple but at the same time substantial, with its own content and logic. Design has to transmit emotion, amaze us with its intelligence, avoid banality. We have to innovate with conscience.

You are certainly at the top of interior space design here in Italy. Do you have distribution abroad?

Who are your major European customers?

We try to offer simple, concrete, innovative things that are functional and in line with today’s requirements, while paying a great deal of attention to the past. We aim a great deal at foreign markets, especially France. The French are very open and aware that it’s not enough to make good wine – many people know how to do that. They know that other things are required, such as culture and beauty, at which they are masters. We also manage to be competitive in South Africa, Australia, the Benelux countries, Germany China and the USA.

Among the company’s top lines is ENO. What moved you to create a line of décor exclusively dedicated to the world of wine?

Our father transmitted his respect for the earth to us. He always had a passion for honest wine and involved us in the harvests on our family estates. For us children, it was a won-

www.elitetobe.it 17

MAY 2015

STREET FOOD

Gansevoort Market

Italian classics in New York’s newest food court The Meatpacking District in New York reminds us of its past with its present-day name. Of about 250 slaughterhouses and packing plants a century ago, only 35 remained by 2003. Today, instead, the neighborhood is culturally one of the liveliest in the city, and recently inaugurated the remarkable Whitney Museum, designed by Italian architect, Renzo Piano. In front of the museum, entrepreneur Manny Del Castillo is betting on a formula that has proved successful elsewhere in the city. In October, 2014, at 52 Gansevoort Street, he restored

and opened Gansevoort Market, a food court set into the 700-square-meters of an old warehouse. Inspired by the atmosphere of the celebrated nearby Chelsea Market, and ones that Del Castillo visited in Brazil and Spain, the space has a relaxed, informal feel. Twenty-one stands from a variety of national sources ranging from Italian to fusion Asian, Greek, Brazilian and beyond offer a satisfying spectrum for every mood and taste. The Italian specialties are found at Salumeria Cappone, with products directly imported from Italy to promote 18 MAY 2015

that nation’s food culture. Fresh pasta from Il Conte and Neapolitan pizza from Luzzo’s – which has a woodburning oven – assure other quality Italian experiences. Italian butcher, Macelleria, provides not only fresh meat but also sandwiches filled with artisanal salami, porchetta and prosciutto while M’o serves gelato. Bangkok Bar’s Thai dishes include curry and Asian-inspired cocktails. French crepes are turned out by Crȇpe Sucre, French macarons by Dana’s Bakery, sushi by Dojo, the tradition of pintzos baschi is upheld by Donostia (bar de conservas). Feel Food features sophisticated smoothies and organic foods coming from as far away as the Amazon forest. For kilometer 0 products and organic eggs, there’s Heermance Farm. Columbian fusion food stars at Palenque, Greek-style goat yogurt from local milk can be found at Yiaorti and Mexican tacos at Tacombi.

The Gansevoort Market is open every day from 8 in the morning to 9 at night to offer New Yorkers and visitors food experiences from around the world, all under one roof, another example of a city-wide approach to lively, culturally-rich eating.

Gansevoort Market 52 Gansevoort St, New York NY 10014 | USA | www.gansmarket.com

19 MAY 2015

WINE OF THE MONTH

PIEDMONT'S BIO-DYNAMIC GEM Gavi Pisè '12 La Raia 80,000 bottles ex-cellar price: 10.60 euros Before we talk about the excellent quality of La Raia wines, we need to describe the sustainability project that the winery launched right from the start, in 2003, when Giorgio Rossi Cairo, along with his children, Caterina and Piero, bought the first hectares. Everything is cultivated according to biodynamic rules, certified by the Demeter organization – not only the vineyards but longestablished crops such as rye and small farro as well as the pastures for the Fassone breed cows.

A modern and innovative winemaking facility was built so as to completely respect the landscape and environmental equilibrium. Martin Rauch, an Austrian architect who has been devoted to constructing buildings from soil, made the walls from pisé, rammed earth, reusing the materials dug out from the hills and surrounding fields. Personality and terroir are the distinctive characteristics of La Raia production, a small collection of typically Piedmontese wines. One is Gavi Pisé, in which the cortese grape expresses itself with floral scents that shade into ripe fruit and honey. In the mouth, harmonious richness is well sustained by lively acidity and persistent savory sensations. Perfect for pairing with a delicate seafood risotto.

20 MAY 2015

WWW.FERRARITRENTO.IT

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THE ITALIAN ART OF MAY LIVING 2015

Venezia, Piazza San Marco ore 4:54

TWITTER dixit

Henry Tudor

@KngHnryVIII The real enemy is not enough wine.

Decanter

@Decanter It’s #EnglishWineWeek - check our infographic with the need to know facts about #Englishwine

The Economist

@EconBizFin Investors have been pouring money into fine wine, now thought to be a $5 billion-$10 billion market.

Eric Asimov

@EricAsimov “How Natural Wine Lost Its Hippie Reputation and Became a Wine-List Must-Have.” NY mag says so, so it must be true.

Julien Miquel #Wine

@JMiquelWine How long will that Wine Last after opening?

James Suckling

@JamesSuckling The Roero region produces more than just crisp white wine. Its nebbiolo is fragrant, fine & more lightly structured.

22 MAY 2015

ITALIANS AROUND THE WORLD

by Livia Montagnoli

From Casalvieri (pop. 2,700) to Scotland

OSTERIA DEL TEMPO PERSO After Edinburgh, on to Glasgow

The Iacobelli family, Sabrina and her two sons, Marco and Matteo, bring authentic Italian cucina to Scotland. How can they succeed in that world without losing their own sense of identity? The story has a happy ending, and after Edinburgh, they are expanding to Glasgow.

“In Scotland, they still have a lot to learn about the pleasure of sitting around the dinner table,” Marco Iacobelli tells us, as he explains the challenging moments he and his family have been facing – a journey that’s not yet over, but at least is well on its way.

Last year, Marco, Matteo and their mother Sabrina (the soul of the kitchen) opened Osteria del Tempo Perso in an elegant residential neighborhood in Edinburgh. Seating for forty-eight and the warmth of Italian hospitality set the stage for authentic recipes from their family’s traditions, southern Lazio dishes enriched by touches from Romagna (a grandmother). The tiny family group already had a restaurant in the village of Casalvieri (Frosinone) that won a Due Gamberi trattoria rating from Gambero Rosso as well as great reviews from clients and critics.

“The first months in Scotland were traumatic,” Marco remembers. “We had to deal with a mentality that expected a quick meal. They were used to flavors bathed in heavy cream and expected Italian stereotypes. Their culture was focused on alcohol consumption.” It was hard to convince the Scots that preparing a plate of pasta takes from 1215 minutes, and that once you’re seated at the table, time takes on a different rhythm. As a reminder, stopped clocks hang on the walls. It was also difficult to negotiate prices, since, thanks to the high quality of the ingredients used, lunch went over the usual Scottish budget of £10-15 for a complete meal (alcohol included). Dinner cost £25-35 without wine. But the Osteria finally won hearts by serving an affordable plate of pasta and a glass of wine at lunch.

After a year, they took a breath and saw the situation had changed, along with the mentality of their clients.

Their neighbors were returning with pleasure and curiosity, happy to find true family recipes (eggplant alla parmigiana without béchamel, spaghetti alla carbonara without cream, pasta with parsley pesto or with sausage and saffron sauce).

The Iacobelli’s second restaurant has opened in Glasgow, another Osteria del Tempo Perso. A new setting, new atmosphere and clients to attract, but the menu will stay the same. The three are now studying a tasting menu with simple and well-known names that offer an all-around experience of cucina italiana paired with Italian wines. They are perfecting their recipes with familiar products from Italy, but also sourcing the best local ingredients. And finally, they are developing clients’ awareness of quality wine drinking, suggesting an Italian wine for each dish on the menu.

23

MAY 2015

TRE BICCHIERI X TRE FORCHETTE

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

VERDICCHIO & CARBONARA DI MARE Ristorante Uliassi | Banchina di Levante, 6 | Senigallia | tel. 071 65463 | www.uliassi.it

There should be a shuttle bus, Milano-Senigallia. You could board at the principal entrance to the Expo, and get off on the waterfront, in front of the Velluto beach and Uliassi’s blue and white sign. Three and a half hours of travel to experience cucina that is daring and concrete: clear, perfectly balanced flavors. The building blocks are an array of savory and iodine flavors plus a precision in the cooking of them that reminds us of Japan. And it’s all designed for simple eating pleasure. Catia Uliassi and legendary sommelier Ivano Coppari have put together a wine list in sync with the menu, inspired by regional products. “When we opened twenty years ago, we only had three labels from Marche. We’ve grown a lot now. Foreign clientele want to drink local wines, and they’re delighted by the price/quality rapport,” Catia says. So her choices tend towards small producers, better yet if they work in direct contact with their vineyards. “Even for Champagne, there’s a strong demand for labels from small vignerons, such as Fallet Prevostat,” she explains. Their cellar selections, Ivan adds, have reached 800 labels and continues to grow. “For pairing, it’s important to follow the same rhythm as the kitchen, rising in crescendo, but also resetting, in order to take off again. Sparkling wines are perfect for

this.” To start, Catia suggests Agrapart and its Mineral ’06, which is even better poured alongside shrimps with citrus fruit and lake whitefish eggs: freshness, sapidity, aromatic harmony. Smoked spaghetti with clams, a classic at Uliassi, is partnered with Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Cl. Stefano Antonucci riserva ’09 (Tre Bicchieri). “The dish has smokiness in the broth. Then there’s the open, fresh, meaty clam.

Verdicchio, with its slight touch of toast, converses marvelously with the pasta.” We carry on with the new Carbonara di mare, roasted baccalà tripe with turbot skin that provides the crunch of guanciale. “It calls for a wine of substance, fragrant and mouth-filling.” That identikit leads us to Selezione di Verdicchio Gioacchino Garofoli ’06 (Tre Bicchieri in spirit), among the best whites made in Italy. Wood pigeon with its innards and a crostino alla marchigiana – since woodcocks have disappeared by now – provides an occasion to taste a Pinot Nero from the Colli di Pesaro, Costa Riccio made by Fosso dei Ronchi. And finally, with strawberries, whipped cream and cardamom, a new dessert on the menu, we return to, and close with, Champagne. “Drappier’s Rosé is excellent. Those tones of raspberry and black currant are dizzyingly good,” explains Catia.

24 MAY 2015

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SPECIAL EXPO

by Maurizio Bertera

Over the last year, Italy’s fashion and finance capital has changed its look.

Fascination with (and concern about) food – the theme of the universal exposition opened in May – has modified the urban fabric and brought verve to life’s rhythms.

Here’s what’s new, explained by chef Andrea Berton.

Expo 2015 / © Daniele Mascolo

MILANO

28 MAY 2015

EXPO 2015

29 MAY 2015

erhaps it couldn’t have been any different, but Expo 2015 has made Milano even more the capital of Italian food. Since last summer, every week has seen the opening of two or three eating places of every type: creative, ethnic, vegetarian, street food, lounge bar and more. Designed to appeal to the Milanesi, they will also attract the tourists who will certainly invade the city during the six months of the Expo event. No one knows how many people will show up, but it’s clear that in a city with little available space, they will be everywhere. The 360° view of the theme is magnetic, as is the commitment to offering everything possible, exploiting the moment’s potential.

Many of the most important chefs of Italy are playing a part, not only to share in the year’s most exciting adventure but also to stake a more permanent claim to Milano terrain. It’s easy to forget that Carlo Cracco started here before becoming the most famous cook in Italy, that Davide Oldani launched his Pop philosophy here, that the great fashion names opened the doors to cucina d’autore here, that this was where hamburgers and finger food showed up on the Italian gourmet stage for the first time.

Milano saw the first ethnic restaurants demonstrate they could be a serious alternative to cucina italiana, so much so that one of them – Iyo – achieved a coveted Michelin star. And it’s important to remember that in a country as regionalist and conservative as Italy, the only true food revolution, that led by Gualtiero Marchesi – grew here and planted a magical tree that is still giving fruit. With 1,200, 000 inhabitants, not counting the constantly increasing flow of tourists and the growing number of foreign residents, Milano creates trends and always will. That’s its nature. That’s why it makes no sense to ask what will happen after Expo 2015. Meanwhile, underneath the city’s iconic Madonnina statue, the landscape for those who enjoy food is enviable, open and lively from dawn to the wee hours. Instead of being simply a service for those who come for fashion and design, the stalwarts of the city scene, food will become another element to promote Milano. Take note, purveyors, take note.

©Andrea Ruggeri

P

SPECIAL EXPO

30 MAY 2015

ANDREA A

BERTON

«The city and its great energy»

31 MAY 2015

ndrea Berton is not a Milanese by birth.

But there’s no question that he belongs to that Milano established in an edict by an archbishop 1,000 years ago when Aribert d’Intimiano wrote “Whoever comes to Milano and knows how to work, is a free man.” This announcement attracted the best artisans of Lombardy and northern Italy into the city, helping to create its wealth and power. Now if we substitute ’successful’ for ’free’ (and include women in the proposition), we can see that nothing has changed. Milano is still a hive of opportunity. Now instead of the Edict, we have the Expo, which has attracted the best from every sector.

Berton has been a free – and successful – chef for years. He was part of Marchesi’s crew in the golden years, in Bonvesin della Riva, arriving from his native Friuli at 19 years old. He returned to the city in 2005, leading Trussardi alla Scala to the heights. In 2011, after a tussle with owner Tomaso Trussardi, he left the restaurant. He could have found a place in any five-star hotel or made a move to Paris, London or Asia, accepting one of the many offers that came his way. But he stayed put and founded two very different and innovative restaurants near each other in Via Solf-

SPECIAL EXPO

erino, Pisacco and Dry, both brimming with new ideas and very Milanese in spirit. Each started a trend and both function well. Pisacco is a contemporary bistrot with both hamburgers and aperitifs. Dry has pizza along with a cocktail corner.

Then, in the winter of 2014, Berton returned to his original calling, alta cucina – haute cuisine, the world he learned about from Gualtiero Marchesi and Alain Ducasse, and from time spent in Enoteca Pinchiorri’s kitchen in Florence. New neighbourhoods were springing up in Milan, slowly and painfully, hampered by the economic crisis. But Andrea wasn’t fazed.

“Every day I passed in front of the construction going on at Porta Nuova and thought to myself that my next restaurant had to be there. Ten years ago I decided that Milano would be my city.

I believe in her and in her people. Could I stand back while Milan became the food capital?” The answer, of course, was no and now he runs a beautiful, modern place that bears his name and that doesn’t hide behind any clever formulas. This is alta cucina and Berton states this without fear of being labelled a reactionary. “There is space for this kind of offering, and there always will be in our world. But the difference between one eating

Berton’s rigatoni

place and another isn’t the price range. It’s always about quality. From a panino to a complete dining experience, quality has to be the key.” His restaurant is not a sanctuary, but invites natural elegance, inspires sitting properly at the table and using cutlery correctly.

“The atmosphere, reception and table service, the glasses, silverware and naturally, the menu, are intended to make clients feel good. There are no tablecloths because the tables were designed not to have them, not because we’re saving money. Milano is the ideal city for thinking about food.

People are so attentive and competent that you

Berton’s kitchen

32 MAY 2015

Expo Oldani & the other ambassadors of made in Italy Expo may have its shortcomings, but it didn’t take shortcuts in choosing its Ambassadors, that is, the spokespersons for the event’s message, a hundred personalities from a wide range of professions. On the food front, there are eight, each tied to a product: Carlo Cracco (eggs), Ugo Alciati (milk), Enrico Bartolini (eggplant), Cesare Battisti (rice), Ernst Knam (chocolate), Davide Oldani (saffron), Moreno Cedroni (extra-virgin olive oil) e Pietro Leeman (buckwheat flour). The last round – but there might be new arrivals, since the original idea was to name sixteen – included Massimo Bottura, Andrea Berton, Cristina Bowermann, Antonia Klugmann and Gualtiero Marchesi. Davide Oldani has been assigned a kiosk inside the fair where, using three ingredients that are symbols of local cooking (rice, saffron and panettone), he will propose three savory dishes and three sweet ones. The chef from Cornaredo explains: “I really wanted to interpret the Milanese spirit of rice. Former mayor Letizia Moratti and then present mayor Giuliano Pisapia welcomed my idea, which inspired my dish in homage to the Expo – saffron and rice alla Milanese D’O – then I concentrated on saffron, produced in Varedo. It’s my way of saying thank you to my city, my land, and to the farmers who work it.” But what about his six dishes? One is a sure thing (and brilliant): panettone, saffron and rice alla milanese D’O. The others will be surprises in perfect Oldanian style.

Davide Oldani

41 MAY 2015

understand immediately if the approach you’ve chosen works or not.

It’s continually stimulating.” From here, it was a logical leap to the menu Tutto Brodo, as well as a traditional menu and a tasting one. Tutto Brodo (brodo means ’broth’) has nine dishes in which the liquid, served separately and related to the dish, is sometimes drunk before, sometimes afterwards and other times with the food itself. “I developed this idea because of my own passion for broth, an element that completes a dish and enhances it. Since I wanted to move away from Italian tradition, I tried about twenty variations, including some cold ones for summer, and I rotate them in this menu. The public seems to like it.

About 60% of our clients choose it.” Now the clock is ticking. Expo is about to open its doors, and Berton is one of the most recently appointed Ambassadors. “It may seem obvious, but this is an extraordinary opportunity to have foreigners understand how much we have grown and tempt them to come back in the future. Whenever I travel, I find amazing interest in Italy and in our cucina, especially in Asia and the United States.”

Meanwhile, Milano is being invaded by cooks from other shores who are opening eating places of every type and level.

SPECIAL EXPO

Gong’s modern Chinese cuisine

Essenza. Risotto with ashes, salmon trout and its eggs

Events Savouring Milano. A city-wide festival One premise is obligatory when speaking about events connected to the Expo.

Partly because of general organizational delays and partly for the pleasure of surprise on the part of those in charge, the picture is not yet complete. Just think that the Expo in Città project, promoted by the city and the Milanese Chamber of Commerce, is handling about 17,000 events, many of which are related to food. As for the exposition area itself, the three focal points for foodies will be Eataly, Identità Golose Expo and the Mercati Ortofrutticoli (fruit and vegetable market). The 4,000 square meters of pavilions will host twenty regional eating places or osterie, with a rotating roster of chefs. There will also be local themes, such as bar-nutella, gelateria and so on. Right from the start, it was announced that there would be no waiters, but instead, an indoor garden with tables will be set up between two rows of stands – it will certainly be popular and busy. Gourmet food will be more the focus of Identità Golose, which will have space on two floors. Its activity will not only be culinary: 450 events open to the public are planned. Lunches and dinners will be curated by 26 chefs, one per week, who will cook for 120 people at a time. The cost for four dishes with matching wines should be under 75 euros. When the star chefs are not on stage, the lounge will function anyway, with a brigade led by Andrea Ribaldone. The Mercati Ortofrutticoli, now being revamped, will be devoted to culture, music and street food. The Consorzio di Tutela del Franciacorta is setting up a winebar outside both the Padiglione Vino Italia and the Padiglione Lombardia where visitors can drink Franciacorta labels, the official Expo Sparkling Wine, and taste dishes from the Brescia zone.

34 MAY 2015

Esco. Desserts in Francesco Passalaqua’s new place

Niko Romito, the chef who rules the new Spazio

Shrimp focaccia at Esco, Milano’s neo-bistrot

Some think it’s a flash in the pan, but Berton disagrees. “It’s a phenomenon that began four years ago and I find it very positive. As curiosity grows, more people make comparisons and go out more frequently. Now you can pretty much find good food everywhere and at every level. Only breakfasts in coffee bars seem below average. Maybe I have to think of a concept.” Berton has a few other thoughts about the future. “I know that Milano is much smaller than London or Paris. But it has great energy, a lot to do and see that is often undervalued. It’s important to spotlight and promote such features, 35 MAY 2015

but it’s certainly not the job of food people. We already managed, by investing ourselves, in creating interest that was unthinkable a few years ago.

It’s time for politicians and institutions to find the way to make Milano more attractive beyond the fashion and design shows. There are major projects that need to be completed and systems that need overhauling. If those things were done, we would have no reason to envy other European cities. We might even find that we’re better. I truly believe that.” Thus spake Andrea Berton, Milanese by adoption, a free man and a successful chef.

Ma. Be.

SPECIAL EXPO

Addresses. 20 places to savor in the 7

3

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9

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2

10

5 4 4

6

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MAY 2015

11

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8

9

new capital of Made in Italy food 1 Berton | v.le della Liberazione, 13 | www.ristoranteberton.com The new restaurant of the chef who best symbolizes the new Milano.

2

Essenza | via Marghera, 34 |

www.essenzaristorante.it

Now it’s more than just a promise: Eugenio Boer tells his story with touches of Europe and a solid Italian base in a Nordic style restaurant. His wine cellar is all biodynamic and some dishes are gourmet cult recipes, such as risotto alla cenere (ashes), char and its eggs, and raw venison fillet.

3

Mandarin | via Andegari, 9 |

www.mandarinoriental.com

The first, and long-awaited hotel in Italy from this chain has a restaurant and an elegant bistrot with stylish decor. In charge of the kitchen, and coming directly from the Pellicano, Antonio Guida and his exceptional brigade. The restaurant staff is managed by Alberto Tasinato, one of the best in Italy.

4

Tokuyoshi | via San Calocero, 3 | www.ristorantetokuyoshi.com Massimo Bottura’s right hand man has come to Milano with precise, pure, avant-garde ideas. He uses only Italian products for Japanese dishes requiring great skill. His radical cuisine has people talking, and everyone has an opinion.

Following his procedures seated at the counter is a privilege.

5

Marta | via Matteo Bandello, 14 | www.martabibendum.it From the United States, where she was chef to the stars, to Franceschetta 58 and now to Milano in a space designed by Rosanna Orlandi, Marta Pulini has recreated the homey atmosphere of her Emilia. Simple food, convivial, and the best tortellini in town.

6

Esco | via Tortona, 26 |

www.escobistromediterraneo.it

Francesco Passalacqua, an often undervalued talent, has launched a new venture with a Mediterranean bistro flavor, in a trendy zone. Pizza and focaccia play an important role.

The menu features both classics and new ideas. On two levels, the restaurant has a memorable cocktail bar.

11

Noi Due | c.so Matteotti, 4-6 |

www.milano.boscolohotels.com

7

The Stage | p.zza Gae Aulenti,4 | www.replaythestage.com You feel as if you’re on a cruise ship, but the restaurant is located inside a large Replay store on the piazza that most represents Nuova Milano. In the kitchen, Omar Allevi turns out Milanese specialties and trendy new dishes. A bridge leads to the spectacular Octavius Bar.

Two of the most talented newgeneration chefs join forces to make the Boscolo Hotel a place for a few exigent food fans. Close friends Piedmontese Christian Milone and Giuseppe Iannotti from Campania will alternate in preparing a single tasting menu of unusual plates and signature dishes.

New in 2014

8

Gong | c.so Concordia, 8 | www.gongmilano.it The Liu family, known for Iyo and Ba Asian Mood, now are trying their hand at elegant modern Chinese cooking, interwoven with Asian and Mediterranean influences.

The restaurant is spectacular and the wine cellar is managed by the famous Hayashi Mototsugu (“Moto”) once the sommelier at Dal Pescatore Santini and at Gualtiero Marchesi.

9

Filippo La Mantia | p.zza Risorgimento (angolo via Poerio) | www.filippolamantia.com The proprietor and cook (as he likes to call himself) took over the completely redone space of the ex-Gold restaurant. He won’t be bored: he opens at 8 a.m and closes at 2 a.m. Everything is in a Sicilian key, from the granita at breakfast to the classics at dinner.

10

Mercato del Duomo-Autogrill, designed by Michele De Lucchi, is Niko Romito’s new restaurant. The concept is the same as in Rome’s Eataly: creative cooking at 40 euros and a brigade of students in the kitchen. The challenge inside the challenge – convincing the Milanesi to eat in the heart of the center.

Spazio | p.zza Duomo |

www.autogrill.com

On the fourth floor of the grand

37 MAY 2015

1 Asola Asola | Brian & Batrry Building San Babila | via Durini 28| www.asolaristorante.it 2 via

3

Carlo e Camilla in segheria | Meda 24 | tel. 02 837 39 63 Ceresio 7 | via Ceresio, 7 |

www.ceresio7.com

4

Al fresco| via Savona 50 |

www.alfrescomilano.it

5

Larte | via Manzoni 5 |

opening.lartemilano.com

6

Taglio | via Vigevano 10|

www.taglio.me

7

Testina | via Abbadesse 19 |

www.testina.eu

8

Turbigo bar & restaurant| Alzaia Naviglio Grande 8 | www.turbigomilano.it

9

Zazà ramen | via Solferino 48|

www.zazaramen.it

VERTICAL TASTING

by Stefania Annese and Leonardo Romanelli

38 MAY 2015

20 YEARS OF LUCE in 20 tastings

Vertical tastings have the advantage of making evident both the good qualities and the shortcomings of a product. A tasting can also demonstrate longevity as well as the maintenance of a style that doesn’t rush to follow fashion (another accusation from the early days) but instead holds firm to its own personality – which the market may reward or not. But consumers, especially foreigners, have always been faithful to the production of Luce, stable today at 80,000 bottles, but which also at times reached 120,000 in order to respond to international demand.

Tenuta Luce della Vite | Loc. Castelgiocondo| Montalcino (SI)| www.lucedellavite.com/vini/luce-della-vite/

39 MAY 2015

VERTICAL TASTING

History The Italian wine press was not enthusiastic about Luce at the start. The wine emerged from a joint venture of the Frescobaldi and Mondavi families. The idea of bringing out a new Supertuscan in Montalcino, a sangiovese blended with merlot, seemed designed simply to satisfy the American taste for softer wines with long barriqueaging. Italian wine professionals didn’t even like the label on the bottle – renowned writer Luigi Veronelli defined it as more suitable for a detergent. It’s the same label today, an almost unique instance in Italy, where restyling has become a passion for producers.

After twenty vintage years, it is appropriate to think again about a wine that survived the end of the Mondavi winery and which, in 2004, came directly under the control of the Frescobaldi family, Lamberto above all. He was

the original force behind the project and today is president of the family business. Since 2002, Lamberto has had to face some complicated vintage years, but has handled those difficulties well, managing to surprise those who were waiting to criticize him. At his side is Niccolò d’Afflitto, the enologist who oversees various Frescobaldi estates and who has been following the Luce vineyards for some years. And so, a wine that speaks Tuscan, that tells the story of a territory well-suited to winegrowing, of difficult years and of technical abilities in the wine cellars, is back in the limelight. A merlot that became native despite its origin as a foreigner, that is, an international grape, is joined to a sangiovese that finds its own nature in the sun and soil of Montalcino. One thing is sure – the wine has changed, and for the better.

40 MAY 2015

Tasting 1993-2012 The tasting took place in Milano in the former church of San Carpoforo a Brera, in the Department of Visual Arts of the Accademia di Belle Arti. It was a more casual setting than usual: only magnums were opened, tasters were not seated, and they could return to re-taste every vintage year at will.

1993

1995

A fairly hot year affected the ripening process for both grape varieties. Although the merlot bunches were perfectly mature by mid-September, the harvest had to wait for the sangiovese to ripen. Right from the first tastings, the wine showed excellent aging ability. Clean red color, fresh nose, still almost grassy, with full, rich red fruit aromas, such as cherries. In the mouth, docile, tasty, full, elegant. Finishes on a positive crescendo. Fascinating.

Montalcino is an area characterized by warm summers, but 1995 was atypical. An inexpressive spring and a summer that was slow to show up conditioned the flowering of the vines. Fortunately, a sunny, temperate month of September assured the quality of the harvest. Color is a beautiful lively ruby-red. Nose is closed, non-evolved blackberry jam, hints of bitter cocoa and then dark spices, like cinnamon. The mouth is rich: firm, wellcontained tannins, a pleasantly delicate finish. Vivacious.

1994

1996

Rain and low temperatures slowed flowering and the development of grape bunches, but finally summer sun insured veraison in the first weeks of August. Although inexpressive when young, after eighteen years it shows a dark character. Simple ruby red, alcoholic notes on the nose, then ripe red fruit like raspberries and strawberries.

The palate is interesting, with light, docile freshness and a finish in crescendo. Correct.

Not a very good year for winegrowing. Little rain, which meant early development of the grapes, preventing the wine from revealing its fullness over time. Pale ruby red color, light and not incisive. Nose is evolved, with ripe notes of jam, even oxidation, and then camphor. The mouth is more radiant, but not very elegant. A small, alcoholic-warm finish, moderately prolonged. Introverted.

41 MAY 2015

VERTICAL TASTING

1997

nate the nose, then come the dried flowers of a pot-pourri.

Impact on the mouth is round, generous, creamy, fresh.

Long finish. Charming.

Despite the sudden freeze that struck southern Tuscany in April, the constant heat in August and part of September permitted both merlot and sangiovese to ripen uniformly. A clean, inviting ruby red color. Slightly ethereal on the nose, but then cherries and black currant aromas emerge. The palate is not very powerful, but rather relaxed and docile, with smooth tannins and a fine aftertaste. Convincing.

2001

A particularly cool growing season with an inopportune springtime freeze reduced the quantity of grapes sharply, but didn’t affect quality. In the glass, the wine appears dark and full. The nose displays clean, clear berries, ranging from blueberries to blackberries and raspberries. On the palate, its elegance translates into a contained and refreshing acidity that accompanies persistent tannins. The consistency is firm and juicy, the finish delicious. Inviting.

1998

Too much sun during the summer months affected grape ripening to the extent that the ’98 version is not convincing. The color is a full, dark red. Evolved on the nose, with aromas of cooked fruit such as plums. enamel, and miscellaneous red fruit. Tannins are strong in the mouth, powerful and not tight. Little acidity, average finish. Disappeared.

2002

A year of drama. The responsibility for the winery passes totally into the hands of Lamberto Frescobaldi. He finds himself facing a heavy hail storm in mid-August that damaged much of the vineyards. This unfortunate event affected the success of the wine and production in general, which was much reduced. It is striking for the darkness of its color, decidedly dense. The nose expresses a blend of fresh fruits, such as cherry and blueberry, then delicate spices, like nutmeg. The palate is very round, atypical, delicate. The finish is average. Misunderstood.

1999

Amazing vintage year, with favorable weather in all the phases of the vineyards’ vegetative cycle. Garnet red, on the nose it has all the tasty fruit of the merlot, with notes of blackberry and plum, then blueberry and raspberry, hints of incense, aromatic herbs such as myrtle, and overall spiciness. The juicy mouth is a pleasure – taut and fresh with the finish in crescendo. Amusing.

2003

2000

The Luce vineyards, which in this period were subject to constant, strong sunlight, ripened early as compared to the years before. The hot weather resulted in an in-

Unstable weather in 2000 with numerous rainstorms in spring, followed by a warm, sunny period until August. Assertive ruby color, rich and intense. Aromatic herbs domi-

42 MAY 2015

tense, fruity wine with a beautiful, clean, limpid purple color. On the nose - fruit, hints of undergrowth, earth and leaves, then tobacco. The mouth is juicy, sweet, elegant, the finish flavorful and pleasant, with light tannins. Compressed.

spices. Entrance on the palate is elegant, full, creamy in consistency, the finish is prolonged. Balanced.

2007

Along with the 2006 version, a period of great splendor for the characteristics of Luce. Winter rains created a water reserve that helped nourish the plants in the hot and sunny days of the season. Excellent in the glass, a lively red. Good impression on the nose – fresh, pleasant, herbaceous, balsamic, with clear fruit. On the palate, light at first, with delicate fruit, a mouth-filling, pleasant aftertaste and a very long finish. Exciting.

2004

A generous year, both in terms of production and the weather. Numerous temperature swings in May and June assured the right phenolic maturation and a perfect degree of sugar. In the glass, a beautiful purple color. The nose has good complexity, with fruity aromas of cherry and plum, then aromatic herbs such as bay leaf. Light and pleasant, subtle palate, flavorful, docile, with proper power. The finish is fresh and light. Relaxing.

2008

Less appeal than its preceding older brothers, but great body and potential for longevity. Potential problems in the vineyard due to abundant springtime rain were resolved by warm, sunny days at the end of August, beginning of September. In the glass, a dark, assertive red. On the nose, powerful, bloody scents, with hints of earth and tobacco, then leather and tones of ripe fruit. The mouth is correct, composed, firm, elegant, pleasant. Average length finish. Reserved.

2005

It wasn’t the rains, but the cool temperatures that shaped the 2005 harvest and the gradual ripening of merlot and sangiovese grapes. The color is clean and orderly. Full on the nose, ripe, with berry jam aromas, such as black currants, then hints of cloves. Decisive in the mouth, firm and tasty. A little coarse, with a robust finish. Rustic.

2006

2009

An excellent vintage year, the most complete in terms of both production and quality. A wine of the greatest concentration and amazing persistence. Beautiful color, a full purple shade. The nose has impact, displaying fresh balsamic sensations, and then mineral ones with well-judged

Again this year, spring was characterized by frequent rains that made the growers worry about the health of their vineyards. Nevertheless, hard work brought results, so that 2009 displays more ripe fruit than vegetal notes. Beautiful, full, luminous purple color. Intense, full nose, with elegant

43 MAY 2015

VERTICAL TASTING

An essential boM

More than 60 expert

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More than 6

notes of ripe fruit such as plum and apple, then mixed spices, with vanilla emerging. Firm and tasty impact in the mouth, with average length on the finish. Alluring.

Lamberto Frescobaldi and Tim Mondavi

2010

A capricious harvest season, but nevertheless, all the grapes came into the winemaking cellars at an excellent stage of ripeness. Dark and full red in the glass. Pleasantly fruity with black cherry, ripe plum and black currant aromas on the nose. Scents of alcohol-preserved cherries, then notes of animal, earth and undergrowth.

Meaty in the mouth, firm and straightforward. Finish in crescendo. Young.

2011

The warm sun of August gave power and concentration to the phenolic baggage of the grapes. Beautiful, full very dark red color. On the nose, assertive fruity notes of berries, like blueberries and black currants, then whiffs of paint. On the palate, assertive, firm, powerful and meaty. Aftertaste of vanilla. Average finish. Contorted, but still young.

AutGuideFreePress.in

2012

Constant rains in spring gave way to strong summer heat that helped the vineyards reach full maturity. Clean ruby color. The nose expresses itself well already: fresh, herbaceous, almost balsamic. Mouth is juicy, freshly acidic, tannins very fine. Tasty finish. Enjoyable. To forget in the cellar.

AutGuideFreePress.indd 6

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German

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TRAVEL

by Stefania Annese

Matera taking European Capital of Culture 2019

46 MAY 2015

off

Matera is a magnetic city.

It’s hard to take your eyes off the view of the oldest part of the city, the Sassi, with its mysterious entrances to subterranean labyrinths and meandering caverns. The historic center is so unusual that in 1993 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site.

47 MAY 2015

TRAVEL

The Sassi zone has been used as the backdrop in many famous films, guaranteeing it world-wide renown. In 1949, Carlo Lizzani made a documentary on the disappearing peasant world that had been described by Carlo Levi in his book, Christ Stopped at Eboli. In Alberto Lattuada’s film Lupa, the Sassi stood in for a poor Sicilian town.

After The Gospel According to St. Matthew (Pasolini, 1964), the Sassi came to represent ancient Jerusalem, and so was the setting for King David (Bruce Beresford, 1985), The Passion of the Christ (Gibson, 2004) and The Nativity Story (Hardwicke, 2006). From Neolithic times to the present day, for about 7,000 years, humans have lived here, so the story of Matera is not a simple one. Each one of the thousands of generations here has left its traces. The ancient city grew in caves formed in a karst cliff called Gravina di Matera. Today traces of the prehistoric villages of

48 MAY 2015

ŠMassimiliano Rella

Murgia Timone and Murgecchia are still visible. The caverns were used as habitats, but the period in which the rocky grottoes became most functional was at the beginning of the 7th century A.D. when monastic communities, Benedictine and Greek Byzantine, settled in. The second group, in particular, came from Cappadocia, Anatolia and Armenia, where living in grottoes was part of the culture. In Matera the migrants found a population that was expert in the excavation of tufo. They carved out chapels, churches, rock basilicas, convents and homes. In 1663, Matera became part of the Province of Basilicata, and was its capoluogo, or government seat until 1806.

After that first decade of the 19th century until 1952, the city lived a long phase of decadence, due to both recurrent agricultural-economic crises and the loss of its role as a political-administrative center.

ŠMassimiliano Rella

49 MAY 2015

TRAVEL

Craco

©Nico Colucci

The urban decay was so total, the poorest people used the grottoes not only for their animals, but to house themselves. Finally, in 1953, Prime Minister Alcide De Gasperi signed a special law for Matera, and 15,000 people were moved out of the Sassi into new, more hygienic housing. The cliff dwellings were abandoned until 1986, when restoration began. Today Matera’s unique geography makes it one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations.

But our trip doesn’t end here. Driving along desolate, twisting roads up a clayey hillside, we reach Craco, once called Monte dell’Oro. The reason for the old name is not clear, but probably the village contributed very actively to the maintenance funds instituted by Frederick II in the 12th century and continued by the Angevin rulers. The entire territory of Craco was always subject to landslides due to its complex clay composition – red, green and lead grey clay made it subject to hydrogeological instability. History books tell us of many landslides: 1600, 1805, 1857, 1870 and 1993. The event that led to the abandonment of the town was in 1963.

Starting in that year, little by little, Craco lost its popu-

Where to eat from Ristoranti d’Italia 2015 Baccanti | via Sant’Angelo, 58 75100 Matera | Tel. 0835/333704 | www.baccantiristorante.com Trattoria Lucana | via Lucana, 48 75100 Matera | Tel. 0835/336117 | www.trattorialucana.it Osteria Pico | via Fiorentini, 42 75100 Matera| Tel. 0835/240424| www.osteriapico.it

from Street Food 2015 Bar Sottozero | via XX Settembre, 51 75100 Matera| Tel. 0835/333652 from Pizzerie d’Italia 2015 Da Mario| via XX Settembre, 14 75100 Matera | Tel. 0835/336491| www.ristorantepizzeriadamario.it from Pasticceri & Pasticcerie 2015 Schiuma | via T. Stigliani, 92 75100 Matera| Tel. 0835/334283 Sottozero

lation. Added to the likelihood of landslides was the difficulty in finding work. Many were forced to emigrate to northern Italy or move abroad. Today Craco is almost uninhabited. A shepherd and his sheep are the custodians of the Monastery of Saint Peter from 1630, a convent, a Renaissance palazzo that was once the town hall, and the single dwellings. To walk around this phantom town is to imagine the simple life of the peasants of long ago.

Children’s notebooks, old kitchen stoves and furniture, cramped rooms – time stood still here.

Visiting these two towns and seeing them testify to the lives of those just a generation or two away from us helps us understand our own day better.

Senise sweet peppers

51 MAY 2015

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

Basilicata coast to coast 52 MAY 2015

Basilicata is enjoying media attention it has never known before. The most recent event is the recognition of Matera as the European Capital of Culture inw 2019. Set between Puglia, Campania and Calabria, and bathed by both the Ionian and Tyrrhenian seas, Basilicata offers tempting wines for every purse.

Although it’s still true that the image of this region in the world is firmly tied to its great red, Aglianico del Vulture, there are new faces appearing on the stage in the Matera province. The wine world of Basilicata has grown in both quality and quantity in recent years. New denominations have been established, such as Grottino di Roccanova and Terre dell’Alta Val d’Agri. The countryside is very beautiful, and vineyards have been part of life here for millennia. Visit and savor the region patiently, from the enchanting Sassi zone of Matera to the ghostly, fascinating town of Craco.

53 MAY 2015

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

Aglianico del Vulture Pipoli Zero ’12,

their estate in Montescaglioso, in the Matera province, along the valley of the Bradano River, not far from the Ionian sea. Among their most interesting wines is Matera Moro, a DOC based on cabernet, merlot and primitivo: wonderfully full-flavored, it is one of the best of the denomination. Cellerario ’10 has structure, fruit, softness and a good array of aromas. Tannins are smooth, shading away on an elegant note of spices.

Vigneti del Vulture

Acerenza (PZ) | www.vignetidelvulture.it | price 9.70 euros

Farnese Vini di Ortona recently bought the Acerenza cooperative, revamping and ramping up its structure, creating a productive and directional pole for the wines made from grapes purchased from the zone’s growers.

Among the best we tasted this year was Pipoli Zero ’12. Aged only in stainless steel and the result of long maceration, Zero is made without the use of added sulphites. It has a dark ruby color, intense aromas of cherry, sour Morello cherry and delicate tones of vanilla. On the palate it is savory, crisp and clean, rich in well-ripened tannins.

Aglianico del Vulture Gricos ’12, Grifalco della

Lucania

Venosa (PZ) | price 7.20 euros

Fabrizio and Cecilia Piccin moved to Basilicata in 2003 from Tuscany, where they produced wine in Montepulciano. Leaving sangiovese, the new challenge brought them to the slopes of the Vulture massif, where they grow their vineyards organically. They bought the best exposures around Ginestra, Maschito, Rapolla and Venosa, vineyards predominantly dedicated to aglianico. The Special Award goes again to Gricos, ’12 this year, an Aglianico of great richness and pleasantness, with a beautiful dark ruby red color, fragrant with blackberries and spices, savory, dense and juicy on the palate.

Malvasia Lucana '13, Casa Maschito Maschito (PZ) | www.casamaschito.it | price 6.60 eurosos

A premium zone like that of Maschito, a comune in the Vulture located at about 600 meters above sea level, has to have its own fine winery. Casa Maschito is a small winery that today produces 60,000 bottles yearly from grapes from its own vineyards. The range is complete and of high quality, with wines based on malvasia, moscato and, obviously, the noblest variety of this region, aglianico. The Special Award this year goes to the excellent Malvasia Lucana ’13, with its elegant notes of white fruit, especially melon.

On the palate it is savory, rich in fruit, and persistent.

Aglianico del Vulture Bel Poggio ’09, Martino Rionero in Vulture (PZ) | www. martinovini.com | price 8.40 euros

The Martino family are proud of a winemaking tradition that goes back to the end of the 19th century, but it was in the 1970s that Armando Martino made a crucial decision about the family brand.

Carolin Martino, after finishing her degree in Economics, joined her father in the firm. She is also president of the Consorzio di Tutela dell’Aglianico del Vulture.

Alongside the star wines of the house, Aglianico Oraziano and Pretoriano, we note a well-deserved Special Award to the selection Bel Poggio ’09, pulpy and savory, substantial and deep, with intense notes of black currants and coffee.

Matera Moro Il Cellerario ’10, Ditaranto Montescaglioso (MT) | www.ditarantovini.it | price 7.60 euros

The Ditaranto family has worked for three generations in the vineyards and winery of

54 MAY 2015

Aglianico del Vulture Vignali ’12, Cantina di Venosa

Venosa (PZ) | www.cantinadivenosa.it | price 7.60 euros

Very few cooperative wineries in the central-south of Italy have both the social and qualitative importance of this one. The range of wines includes a series of Aglianico labels made with different maturation periods and varying use of wood, as well as whites, rosés and an interesting Dry Muscat. The quality/price rapport is always excellent. Vignali ’12 – at a prizeworthy price – is a compact and rich Aglianico with good tones of fruit such blackberries and cherries. On the palate, round tannins and fruit that shades off elegantly and freshly on notes of hay and mountain herbs.

Dry Muscat Terre di Orazio ’13, Cantina di Venosa

Venosa (PZ) | www.cantinadivenosa.it | price 8.40 euros

Since twenty-seven growers founded the Venosa cooperative in 1957, the world around Basilicata has changed. The contributing members now number 500, and control a grand patrimony of vineyards situated in the comuni of Venosa, Ripacandida, Ginestra, and Maschito, extending over 900 hectares. In a land of great reds, there are few truly interesting whites, but the Dry Muscat made by the Cantina has been a benchmark for years. Intriguing aromas, great backbone, and freshness on the palate all make it interesting, but an affordable price helps, too.

Pioneers of organic farming in Franciacorta 55 MAY 2015

CAMPAGNA FINANZIATA AI SENSI DEL REGOLAMENTO CE N. 1308/13 CAMPAIGN FINANCED PURSUANT EEC REGULATION NUMBER 1308/13

RECIPES FROM TOP CHEFS

by Francesco Seccagno

Iside & Romano

IN A WORD - DELICIOUS At the border of Lazio and Tuscany, Iside and Romano showcase the history and richness of a sliver of seldom-visited land. They share with their guests their creativity and passion for the stories and products around them, discovering more every day‌

57 MAY 2015

RECIPES FROM TOP CHEFS La Parolina | Via Giovanni Pascoli, 19, 01021 loc. Trevinano | Acquapendente (VT) | tel. 0763 717130 | www.laparolina.it

LAZIO

After experiences with master chefs such as Gualtiero Marchesi in the Relais dell’Albereta in Franciacorta and Heinz Beck at La Pergola in Rome, the two young cooks met while working in the kitchen of Gianfranco Bolognesi’s La Frasca (before it became the Trattoria Bolognesi) in Castrocaro Terme. They joined their lives and ten years ago opened La Parolina in Trevinano, a town above Acquapendente and near Val d’Orcia, on the border of three regions, Lazio, Umbria and Tuscany. Iside De Cesare, 41 years old, from Rome; Romano Gordini, 34, from Forlì; both trained with the most renowned chefs of Italy.

Their cooking is both sophisticated and closely tied to their territory, influenced by their experiences in Rome, by nearby Tuscany and by the top level technical training they both lived through on their way here. What matters most is flavor, pleasure, and the richness of the experience. Then, there’s a pinch of amazement, never excessive, but always connected to a substantial ingredient, as for example in their antipasto called egg alla carbonara, where a single dish is emblematic of the culinary traditions of different Italian regions.

(See the recipe below, a complex combination of simple ingredients and classic cooking methods.) Dessert, a deconstructed cannolo, however, speaks Sicilian with a French accent.

The squab represents all these influences: the countryside with its noble poultry heritage, classic haute cuisine with foie gras, and the open fire tradition of skewered meat. Here the three strands join in Trevinano, with a bow to beloved France. The tagliolini, however, are totally Tuscan, with the typical regional irony seen in toppng the tagliolini with a tortelli filling, after swirling them in breadcrumbs to give that contrast of consistencies that Iside and Romano live with in everyday life. She has true grit and willfulness, he is sweet and shy. Both are admirably capable, even in their ability to weave their creativity and professional skills together. Iside, the firm’s front-man says “My cucina? It’s collaboration with my husband Romano in a continuous round of experimenting and tasting.”

58 MAY 2015

Eggs alla carbonara...

4 eggs flour breadcrumbs extra-virgin olive oil salt and pepper

250 g fresh cream pecorino, grated

60 g guanciale (cured pork cheek) for the pecorino sbrisolona:

500 g flour 20 g salt 250 g butter 150 g pecorino, grated

Prepare the pecorino cream: melt a handful of grated pecorino in abundant cream until you have a homogeneous and smooth sauce. Julienne the guanciale and sautĂŠ until crisp. Pour off and discard fat. Make the pastry dough with the ingredients listed for the sbrisolona. Allow to rest for a few hours, then shape into a circle and bake.

At this point, separate yolks from whites. Bread and fry each yolk in olive oil. Beat whites with a pinch of salt until they form peaks. Fill individual moulds with this ’meringue’, sprinkle with pecorino and cook in a steam oven.

Prepare each soup plate: first, the pecorino cream sauce, then the savory meringue, and on top the breaded, fried yolk. Garnish each with a crumble of baked sbrisolona, crisp guanciale and a grinding of black pepper.

3 whole eggs 3 yolks

59 MAY 2015

RECIPES FROM TOP CHEFS

Tagliolini in tortelli maremmani sauce For the tagliolini: 250 g remilled durum wheat flour

For the sauce: 750 g sheep’s milk ricotta

250 g 00 flour

1 kg spinach

2 eggs

Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated

12 egg yolks

butter onion salt pepper nutmeg extra-virgin olive oil

60 MAY 2015

Knead the eggs into the flour, allow to rest, then roll dough out into a sheet. Leave to dry, then cut into tagliolini. Meanwhile, prepare the tortelli sauce by cooking the spinach in butter and onion. Away from the heat, add smooth ricotta, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Blend all in a food-processor. Cook pasta in abundant salted water, toss it in olive oil and bread crumbs, then serve it on the tortelli maremmani sauce base.

Skewer of squab and foie gras Brown the squabs whole, on all sides, in a pan with a little olive oil. Roast for 8 minutes at 200°C. Remove from oven and let rest. Remove the legs and wrap with pancetta, then sautÊ in pan until pancetta is crisp.

Remove breasts from birds, cook the foie gras until pink. Alternate squab liver and breast on skewers. Serve skewers with legs and reduced squab broth. Sprinkle with salt aromatized with licorice powder.

4 squab, about 500 g each 4 slices foie gras 8 slices pancetta squab broth, reduced extra-virgin olive oil salt pepper powdered licorice

61 MAY 2015

RECIPES FROM TOP CHEFS

Open cannolo alla Siciliana For the gelato: 500 g sheep’s milk ricotta 300 g fresh cream 200 g sugar

orange zest coffee powder powdered cocoa seed oil for frying

For the cannolo dough: 430 g flour

candied orange peel

3 whole eggs

pistachio paste

raisins soaked in sweet wine

45 g sugar

cream

23 g seed oil

bittersweet chocolate shavings

23 g Marsala or red wine

powdered sugar

62 MAY 2015

Knead together all the ingredients for the dough, allow to rest, then roll out thin.

Cut into big isosceles triangles or diamond shapes to fry in deep oil. Using an immersion blender, emulsify the ricotta with the sugar and cream. Then freeze and puree in a Pacojet or a powerful mixer. Whip a little cream with the pistachio paste. In a soup dish, place the pistachio sauce on the bottom, then the ricotta, and decorate with triangles of fried cannolo. Garnish with orange zest, soaked raisins and chocolate shavings. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

PAIRINGS

Eggs alla carbonara...

Tagliolini in tortelli maremmani sauce

Ribolla Gialla 2008 | La Castellada | Gorizia - fraz. Oslavia | www.lacastellada.it

Paterno 2009 | Trappolini | Castiglione in Teverina (VT) | www.trappolini.com

A powerful wine that gains energy and elegance with time. This is characteristic of all the Bensa family wines, vinified without selected yeasts, aged one year in stainless steel and one in the bottle before release. An intense wine that sustains well the creamy fattiness of the eggs and the pecorino.

Monovarietal sangiovese, aged partly in large barrels and partly in small, second-use ones. It has great aromatic concentration and fine fruit. A classic of the zone between Lazio and Umbria, it works well with the assertive, spicy, fatty flavors of the dish without overwhelming them. A Due Bicchieri wine in Vini d’Italia 2012.

Skewer of squab and foie gras

Open cannolo alla Siciliana

Montiano 2005 | Falesco | Montecchio (TR) | www.falesco.it

Passito di Pantelleria Bukkuram 2005 | Marco De Bartoli | Marsala (TP) | www.marcodebartoli.com

The signature wine of the Cotarella brothers. Monovarietal Merlot, a Tre Bicchieri winner in Vini d’Italia 2008. A great classic – round, harmonious, elegant. A fine companion for squab, a pairing of equals that play off each other in round sweetness, foie gras included.

A passito (dried-grape) wine from zibibbo grapes, winner of Due Bicchieri Rossi in Vini d’Italia 2009, “one of the best ever expressions of this type of wine.” A rich and complete drink, deep, concentrated and slim at the same time, mineral. Excellent with the savory notes and long, full sweetness of the Sicilian cannolo.

63 MAY 2015

OLI D'ITALIA 2015

by Stefano Polacchi

TOND

Sicily’s tom

64 MAY 2015

DA IBLEA

Tonda Iblea is the reigning cultivar in the province of Ragusa and the territory immediately west of Siracusa, in Sicily. It is a particularly fascinating variety thanks to its typical, intense aroma of tomato. Here are some of the producers who are distinguished for the quality of their oil, many of whom are also well-known abroad.

matoey cultivar

LEGEND good

very good

excellent

PRICE RANGE PER LITER 1 • under 10 euros 2 • 11-20 euros 3 • 21-25 euros 4 • 26-30 euros 5 • over 30 euros

Valle dei Nebrodi

65 MAY 2015

Text: Nino Aiello, Indra Galbo

OLI D'ITALIA 2015

Rosso Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Villa Zottopera

Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Cinque Colli

c.da Roccazzo Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) tel. 335 6633052 www.villazottopera.it OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 4

via Monti Iblei, 88

Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) tel. 0932 921643 www.cinquecolli.it OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 3

Property. In this marvelous estate dating back to the end of the 18th century, surrounded by olive groves, five houses are intended for tourist use, and furnished with comfort in mind. But it’s not only the accommodations that are wonderful, but also the excellent extra-virgin olive oil the estate produces. This is one of the best firms in the zone, and distinguished for the reliable excellence of its oil, year after year.

Oil. Extraordinary performance for Rosso, with an aromatic texture that places it among the most complex versions tasted this year. Beefsteak tomato fragrances, green apple, followed by balsamic notes of nettles and aromatic herbs.

Extreme elegance on the palate, with bitter and peppery tones fully present and balanced on a vegetal and spicy finish that amazes every taster.

Pairings. Caprese salad.

Property. In 1998, dynamic Sebastiano Giaquinta decided to take the helm of his family estate, purchased in 1976, most of it dedicated to vineyards. He planted a specialized olive grove, at the same time buying a large adjoining property. Today the producer owns 45 hectares with over 5,000 olive trees of various ages.

Oil. A premium medium-fruity oil that offers an aromatic profile of striking cleanliness and complexity, with alternating elegant notes that remind us of tomato, cardoon, nettles, artichoke, oregano, thyme and sage. Wonderfully elegant on the palate, it is generous, mouth-filling and pleasant. It unfolds smoothly showing a strong personality, character and persistence.

Pairings. Veal tartare.

Le Case di Lavinia Dop Monti Iblei Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Vernera

TuttoTonda Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Miccione - La Tonda

93

92

via Umberto, 21/23 Buccheri (SR) tel. 338 3622868 www.lecasedilavinia.it OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 3

via Piave, 41/43 Buccheri (SR) tel. 335 5967704 www.tuttotonda.it OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 4

Property. Located in a splendid natural setting, near dense woods and immense pine forests, the estate is in the heart of the Iblei mountains between 500-700 meters above sea level. The Spanò family, Gaetano, Mariagrazia and Tania, are the fourth generation of a family that has combined professional lives with agriculture. They farm 70 hectares with 9,500 olive trees, almost all centuries old.

Oil. Delicious extra-virgin, medium-fruity and rich in fragrant, heady notes of tomato, apple, cardoon, oregano, thyme, wild greens and walnut skin. Tasting confirms exceptional elegance and pleasantness, which combine for a product with admirable personality. Bitter and peppery sensations perfectly balanced.

Pairings. Cold boiled beef salad.

Property. Located in a zone that has written the history of top quality olive cultivation in Italy, this firm was founded in 2011 by Daniele Miccione, an expert wine and food journalist.

He aimed only at producing for his own use.

The estate, at an altitude of over 600 meters, has over three hectares of land with 300 tonda iblea cultivar olive trees, all very old.

Oil. Stupendous monovarietal, medium fruity, tending towards intense. Marked notes of cardoon, artichoke, green tomato, nettles, medicinal herbs and hints of juniper and myrtle leaves. Fresh, fragrant, extraordinarily elegant, it fascinates the palate with its soft, smooth, mouth-filling quality. Vibrant, dynamic, very persistent.

Pairings. Lobster salad.

91

91

66 MAY 2015

Nettare Ibleo Dop Monti Iblei Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Bio Agrestis

Cherubino Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Bio Terraliva

c.da S. Andrea Buccheri (SR) tel. 0931 880062 www.terraliva.com OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 4

via Sabauda, 86a Buccheri (SR) tel. 0931 315353 www.agrestis.eu OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 4

Property. The estate owned by Tino Cavarra and Giuseppina Frontino covers ten hectares at 700 meters above sea level. Many of its 1,700 trees are centuries old, but all are of the tonda iblea cultivar. The landscape is remarkable: contorted tree trunks, shaped by time, seem sculpted by the hands of artists. The entire production is certified halal and kosher.

Oil. Cherubio Bio is an excellent extra-virgin with aromas of fresh grass, green olive, tomato, white pepper and cardoon. In the mouth, extraordinary elegance and good structure.

It is wonderful pleasant. On the finish, bitter and peppery notes play a duet in harmony.

Pairings. Salad with chickpeas and red onion.

Property. A dynamic cooperative, headed by Giuseppe Paparone, was formed in 2003 by a group of growers determined to produce top quality olive oil. Located at altitudes varying between 600 and 700 meters above sea level, the groves cover about 60 hectares and include about 12,000 olive trees, many of which are centuries old. About 30 hectares are certified as organic agriculture, and the rest are being converted.

Oil. An excellent medium-fruity oil characterized by elegant aromas that resemble green tomato, artichoke, cardoons and cut grass. Fine, persistent and vibrant in the mouth, with peppery and bitter sensations harmonious and balanced.

Pairings. Maccheroni with sausage and wild fennel.

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Erbesso Dop Monti Iblei Monocultivar Tonda Iblea Oleificio Gulino

Polifemo Dop Monti Iblei Monocultivar Tonda Iblea ViragĂŹ

c.da Mazzarronello Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) tel. 333 8617516 www.viragi.it OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 3

c.da Cicimia Chiaramonte Gulfi (RG) tel. 0932 921249 www.oleificiogulino.com OWN OLIVE GROVE: YES OWN OLIVE MILL: NO PRICE RANGE: 5

Property. A tradition in the olive-growing sector that has been renewed and developed since 2007 with enthusiasm, and up-dated ably by a closely-knit family. The territory has always been well-known for its superior olive oil production. The estate, located at over 450 meters above sea level, consists of 30 hectares and over 3,000 trees.

Oil. An olive oil with a marked personality and elegance, medium-intense fruity. A range of fresh and complex aromas that evoke tomato, bell pepper, green almonds, nettles, juniper berries, myrtle leaves, cardoons and ground white pepper. Powerful and elegant on the palate, it is seductive and satisfying, with vibrant, dynamic sensations of bitterness and pepper.

Pairings. Veal carpaccio with black pepper.

Property. Today owned by Eugenio and Luciano Presti, this estate’s history goes back to 1880 and the Gulino family, who decided to devote it to olive-growing. They soon built the first estate mill. Of its 15 hectares, 10 are certified as organic agriculture. Almost all its 1,250 olive trees are more than a century old.

Oil. Fine, delicate notes of freshly-cut grass, bell pepper, artichoke, mint, Peruvian bark, sage and oregano. On the palate, an elegant touch of ground white pepper characterizes a smooth and mouth-filling flavor with bitter and peppery notes evident and well-balanced.

Pairings. Raw shrimp.

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67 MAY 2015

LETTER FROM PARIS

THE SUPER

BORDEAUX The Bordeaux world is severely limited by classifications and hierarchies that have shaped the perception of its wines by consumers around the world. These concepts structure the wines’ marketing, starting from their presentation in preview tastings. We have to search outside official organizations to focus on a separate category, that is, the great wines that for different reasons, have escaped the passion for classification and sacred denominations. Make no mistake; these top-level wines are neither a re-edition of garage wines, nor improbable newbies emerging from nowhere. These are crus that grow in great terroirs, sometimes on the periphery, sometimes from denominations that are too ample or heterogeneous to be globally considered as premium wines.

Their proprietors have been carrying on extraordinary work for years, investing human and financial resources that often exceed those of much more famous wineries.

When we taste their labels with an open mind, we realize that they can compete with the region’s greatest – certainly, but not only, in preview tastings. Contrary to what most experts think, these wines that are so seductive when young, can, when their personal stories permit, be impressive even as the years pass. Over two evenings, we had the opportunity to blind taste, together with renowned la-

bels from the same era, two of these crus, one each in the vintage years 1998 and 2004, another from ...1947! Each time, these wines were in perfect shape and of impeccable quality. They could fearlessly rival the most celebrated names of Bordeaux and show off the high quality of their own terroir. Twenty-five years ago the discovery of what the American press called Supertuscans (Tuscan wines with great ambitions that came from unexpected territories) shook up an Italian vineyard world that was still mired in habit and that presented a too-traditional image to the outside. Inspired by this example, we will classify these celebrated unknowns as Super Bordeaux. Today they are a separate category, demanding and brilliant, and their role goes way beyond the mission of bringing the excitement of discovery or a pinch of originality to an immobile hierarchy. We believe that these wines can contribute to enlivening the global image of Bordeaux. They can awaken the desire of wine fans to look again at this region that, like it or not, produces a great number of the world’s most prestigious bottles, but doesn’t inspire longing in many of these wine lovers.

Super Bordeaux bring new glamour to the enchantment of Bordeaux. We’ll look into them together next month.

Michel Bettane & Thierry Desseauve

68 MAY 2015

GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it

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May 2015

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