Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - March 2016

YEAR 21 N. 94 - MARCH 2016

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD 速

t VERTICAL PATERNOSTER, AGLIANICO t TRAVEL & FOOD MAREMMA t EVENTS VINITALY 50 YEARS

Gaia Gaja BARBARESCO NATIVES

a tavola

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COVER STORY 24 | Gaia Gaja: Figuring out the Future New energy on the road to sustainability, biodynamic inspiration, broad horizons, analysis beyond the banal.

Gaia is leading Gaja into the future, together with her sister Rossana and brother Giovanni. She tells us about her passions and her formula for facing the international front

WINE

30 | Vinitaly Celebrates 50 years ?PMV \PM OI\M[ WN \PM >MZWVIÅMZM XI^QTQWV[ WXMV VM`\ April 10, Vinitaly will celebrate an anniversary that few W\PMZ NIQZ[ QV \PM _QVM [MK\WZ KIV UI\KP" ÅN\a aMIZ[ WN life. The history of the event parallels that of Italian wine. We look at it all with some of its star players 40 | Great Vertical Tastings Paternoster: Power and Elegance in a southern red ) [X]UIV\M M`XWZ\ML IZW]VL \PM _WZTL IVL IV important, powerful, elegant and concentrated red, an M`XZM[[QWV WN \PM ;W]\P · JW\P IZM )OTQIVQKW IVL JW\P are from Paternoster, a family of entrepreneurs who personify a typical Italian story. They also embody the history of the wines of the Vulture zone

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MARCH 2016

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«Wine? it’s the deep patriarchal river that flows through the history of the world» Jorge Luis Borges 1899-1986 61

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TRAVEL

66 | Olive oil pairing )XXZMKQI\QVO \PM ÅVM XWQV\[ WN OWWL M`\ZI ^QZOQV WTQ^M 49 | Maremma: The Tuscan land the volcano sculpted oil has become a trendy practice in recent years, above In the land created by the same volcano that formed ITT NWZ NWWL MV\P][QI[\[ JW\P -]ZWXMIV IVL VW\ 4ISM *WT[MVI _M ÅVL ^QVMaIZL[ XI[\]ZMTIVL IVL Beginners perfect their recognition of aromas and []TXP]ZW][ _I\MZ · NW]OP\ W^MZ Ja \PM -\Z][KIV[ IVL eventual defects on the nose, while the fearless approach Romans in ancient times tasting directly from the little glasses used by pros

FOOD 58 | Recipes from Great Chefs: Da Caino Valeria Piccini, alias Caina, and her husband Maurizio Menichetti, son of Caino, are themselves perfect M`IUXTM[ WN \PM I]\PMV\QK MIZ\Pa VI\]ZM WN \PMQZ PWUM territory, the Maremma. Caino was the nickname of Menichetti’s father, Carisio. In their restaurant, Da Caino, they interpret the myth of their wild and beautiful land in a modern and ironic key

NEWS & MORE 4 | Editorial 6 | News 10 | Events 16 | Italians abroad Francesco Mazzei 4WVLWV 18 | Wine of the month Brunello di Montalcino ’11 Tenuta di Sesta 19 | Twitter dixit 20 | Design Winecube Strato 22 | Pairing Lab Tuscany

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EDITORIAL

PASSING THE BATON ty-somethings in today’s wine world are much more sensitive to the environment than their parents. Climate change has hastened this process.

Gaja today is in the avantgarde – studying biodiversity in the vineyard and researching yeasts in bees, looking for their own best way forward.

Another generational question is that of taste, as you’ll read in the interview in this issue. Gaia loves classic, traditional wines, airy, fine, elegant, and with excellent acidic backbone. This taste model is becoming more and more firmly-rooted among the young. The idea that a great wine, and in particular, selections, has to play the concentration card to achieve complexity is being replaced by emphasis on greater precision and attention to detail. Gaia is not an enologist, but she knows that all this is a challenge, that she is facing a dangerous and unstable situation: the grapes harvested each year are riper than ever before. On February 5, it hadn’t rained in Barbaresco for 110 days, and the temperature outside was 16°C (about 60°F). To deal with these growing problems, Italy’s wine giants need to be ready to pass the baton to young, courageous producers .

In a relay race, passing the baton is the most delicate moment in the event. It is the instant in which the entire competition can fail, and it calls for perfect coordination, empathy between the two athletes, split-second timing. In the wine world, passing the baton is a slower and more gradual process, but equally crucial. Early in the morning of February 5, we drove north from Rome to visit a village with only 637 inhabitants, but world-famous: Barbaresco.

We spent the day with Gaia Gaja, the eldest daughter of Angelo Gaja, talking about the winery that has received more awards than any other in the 30 years of our Gambero Rosso guide, Vini d’Italia. Angelo, who has just become a grandfather, has no intention of stepping off stage, but Gaia and her sister Rossana, after many years behind the scenes, are playing more and more important roles.

The winery was founded in 1859, naturally evolving from a trattoria serving wine by the glass. It grew over the decades thanks to the intuitions of a series of personalities whose vision went well JMaWVL \PMQZ W_V UWUMV\ QV PQ[\WZa <PM ÅZ[\ [QOV WN \PM QVÆ]MVKM WN \PM \_W aW]VO _WUMV is an abrupt shift towards sustainability in the vineyard. It is a generational question: the thir-

Lorenzo Ruggeri

4 MARCH 2016

Vineyard for Vineyard.

Wine for Wine. www.kellerei-kurtatsch.it

WINE AND ECONOMY

THE TOUR DE FRANCE EMBRACES CHILE. French vignerons protested the choice of a South American sponsor

UK, SHOPPING ONLINE GROWING Wine Intelligence reported on online wine commerce in the UK. One fact stood out: 10-11% of the country’s overall sales are concluded online. (In the USA, for example, it’s only 4%), amounting to £800 million. That number is expected to rise to 14% over the next three years, sustained by youth’s interest in e-commerce and by wine enthusiasts in the highest income range. A quarter of all habitual British wine consumers shop on line. The simple convenience of ordering with a few clicks and having the products homedelivered is appealing, but even more is the great availability of special offers and discounts compared to other commercial channels. In fact, 81% of clients, Wine Intelligence found, used the internet sites of supermarket chains. These consumers are almost always habitual wine drinkers, 72% of whom drink wine at least twice a week. One in four belongs to the 25-34 age group, and 25% have an income of £50,000 or more annually. Internet is increasingly more the source of wine information. In fact, the number of habitual British wine consumers who use it regularly went from 13.4 million in 2010 to 17.2 million in 2015. However, the opinions of friends and relatives is still the determining factor in choice, as is the advice of wine shops and small producers.

A Tour de France sponsored by Chilean wines? The agreement between the organizers of the bicycle race and the Cono Sur winery (of the Concha y Toro group) was signed last year and will be valid until 2017.

The athletes are backed by the Chilean winery’s Bicicleta line. But the deal caused a violent reaction. The vignerons of Languedoc threatened to boycott and block the number 11 stretch of the Tour that crosses the region on July 13 (from Carcassone to Montpellier). The unwel-

come sponsor does not, however, advertise in France, but only outside its borders, in Spain, Andorra and Switzerland. In France, alcoholic products cannot be sponsors of sporting events. Recently, however, organizers reached an agreement with protesting producers that allows them to showcase their wines during the race. According to reports, Tour de France’s head, Christian Prudhomme, met with winemakers, a solution was found and a wine war averted.

MORE ONLINE SHOPPING IN CHINA. On-line retailer Jiuxian increases its red wine imports Jiuxian, a prominent Chinese online wine and liquor retailer, has announced that it is planning to strengthen its buying of wines from abroad, especially highquality red wines, the consumer favorite. Hao Hongfeng, company executive, aims to stimulate the development of red wine commerce in China. Founded in 2009, Jiuxian has millions of registered members. Its strength lies in its logistics, with 350,000 square meters of warehouse between Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and other cities. After a world-wide scouting campaign a few years ago, Jiuxian (which sold a million bottles of wine on line in 2013 on Valentine’s Day alone) made 6 MARCH 2016

agreements with various wineries in France, Italy, the United States and Australia. E-commerce in China, where giants like Alibaba and JD.com operate, accounts for 16% of all retail purchases, according to eMarketer data, and is destined to rise to 19.6% in 2016.

INVESTMENTS: THE ERA OF GOVERNMENT BONDS IS OVER. Italians trust wine DAZZLING DEBUT FOR SOTHEBY’S “ARCHIVIO STORICO” SALE OF ORNELLAIA. In New York, $1.9 million With its New York auction last February 27, Sotheby’s inaugurated the auction season dedicated to Ornellaia’s historic archive of bottles, with vintage years ranging from 1994 to 2000. Unusual vintages, 2004 and 2006 in various formats, and an Ornellaia white from 2013 added to the magic. The auction collected $1.9 million ($1.6 million had been predicted), and many buyers acted on line, with 26% of the lots bought at a distance. The story is not over, though.

Ornellaia’s Archivio Storico will star in a March 16 auction in London and one in Hong Kong on April 2.

RECORD YEAR FOR USA WINE EXPORTS: up 1.6 billion dollars The United States exported $1.6 billion of wine in 2015, 90% of it from California. That reflects an increase of 7.6% in value over 2014 and 4.1% in volume, amounting to 51.2 million cases.

Despite the strong dollar, underlines the Wine Institute, sales to Europe, the USA’s major market, were over $621 million (+20%) with 5.6% increase in volume.

The second market was Canada ($487 million), down 5.3% in value. Japan, Nigeria and Switzerland showed up well.

According to a study by Censis-Mediobanca-Liv-Ex, commissioned by the Ornellaia brand, wine would JM \PM ÅZ[\ KPWQKM WN 1\ITQIV[ _PMV thinking of investments: 30.6% answer that they would invest their savings in grape-growing enterprises or food businesses in general.

The only choice that is more popular is to invest in one’s own business (the option chosen by 42.5% of Italians). The desire to invest in information technology (19%), multinationals (9.8%), and traditional Made in Italy businesses (29%) is down. Government bonds are unpopular (down by 17.2 billion euros) and bank bonds even more so (-144.7 billion euros). Wine, however, seems safe, given its excellent performance over the last ten years during a serious economic crisis.

Wine has repositioned itself as an investment abroad, growing both in quantity (+23%) and above all, in value (+84.3%). But what does

it mean to invest in wine? AccordQVO \W \PM [\]La \PM UW[\ XZWÅ\IJTM way would be to purchase premium labels (with an eye on the Liv-ex index) or invest in the stock of producers offered on the world market.

According to Mediobanca, a euro invested in wine in 2001 is now worth 5.4 euros.

ITALIAN EXPORTS HIT 4.9 BILLION EUROS IN 11 MONTHS. USA and UK imports grow, Germany and Russia drop The United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Netherlands, Belgium, China: these are the countries where Italian wine imports grew most quickly in 2015. According to the Osservatorio del Vino, Italy’s year will close on 5.4 billion euros of exported wine, a new record. So far, the data from January through November are available, and show an overall increase of 5.1% in sales, 4.9 billion euros, thanks to the powerful effect of spumanti (Prosecco is up 30%) which reached 874 million euros (+15%), selling 2.5 million hec7 MARCH 2016

toliters. In terms of volume, however, Italy is at a standstill, at - 2% over all. The cooling comes from Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Russia, which alone imported 30% less in terms of volume and 31.7% considering just value.

Over the 11 months, Italy imported 2.6 million hectoliters (+3.7%) for over 300 million euros (+9.3%).

Most of that was bulk wine, 2.2 million hectoliters, that is +8% on an annual basis. Spain was one of the principal sellers (1.6 million hectoliters, up 10%).

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

REVIEWS AND MENUS IN REAL TIME. Barilla’s interactive screen in New York

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WEFOOD. In Denmark, the first supermarket set up to sell food past its sell-by date In France, the anti-waste law is in effect. In Denmark, the first supermarket that sells only food past its sell-by date opened this month. Copenhagen’s answer to waste, WeFood, was founded by a non-governmental local organization to keep food on the market that would ordinarily be discarded. The merchandise on WeFood shelves still respects the health criteria for being sold and consumed.

The advantage for clients in this unique store is also in pricing, from

30% to 50% less than elsewhere.

This translates into a boon for all, in a country that produces 700,000 tons of wasted food daily (the estimate is that 1.3 billion tons are wasted around the world every day), most of it at the end of its distribution cycle. Packaging errors and ugly fresh produce are also items that conventional supermarkets prefer to discard. This is merchandise that WeFood collects through its network of volunteers, and then sells in its outlets.

Many products, including bread, come from the largest supermarket chain in the country, Fotex, but there are also agreements with citrus fruit importers, a butcher and an organic fruit producer. The Danish government is supporting the initiative and constantly monitors waste in general and WeFood in particular. Over the last five years, Denmark has reduced its food waste by 25%, with evident economic and environmental advantages.

8 MARCH 2016

Pasta-maker Barilla has lately been turning its attention to the so-called fast-casual restaurant sector, a growing phenomenon in the world’s cities. Since 2013, the Parma-based company has opened three locations in Manhattan. The latest, in Herald Square (34th Street, Broadway and Sixth Avenue), is showcasing brand new promotional technology.

An intelligent screen, developed in collaboration with Microsoft and connected to the internet, can transmit comments and reviews published on TripAdvisor in real time. The strategy seems dedicated to transparency, but also calls on interactivity, with a sensor integrated into the digital screen that picks up the movements of passersby and projects menus and photos of the day’s dishes. Barilla is flying high, and after New York is aiming at the conquest of new American cities, likely Los Angeles next.

HOW COOKING CHANGED THEIR LIVES: the story of four Afghan women

BABYLONE. Beer from bread – another battle won against waste In Belgium, the anti-waste battle starts with its national drink, beer.

A group of Belgian brewers joined forces in the Brussels Beer Project. Together they perfected a beer based on unsold, day-old bread. The project is called Babylone and the product is “Bread Bitter”, inspired by a legendary beverage made from fermented bread produced millennia ago in the ancient city of Babylon. In Brussels, the microbrewery collaborates with Groot Eiland, an association that collects the unsold bread, which in the Belgian capital accounts for 20% of all the unsold food that is discarded at the end of the day. Developing the recipe was not simple. It required a year of work and the contributions of expert brewers to calibrate amounts and timing of fermentation in order to produce a predictable and delicious bread beer. Today, the drink made by the Brussels Beer Project has a slew of fans, starting with those who participated in the presentation of early attempts at the Milano Expo of 2015. Meanwhile, the young men who launched the project won the title of “Bruxellois of the year”.

.W]Z _WUMV _PW ÆML )NOPIVQ[\IV managed to reinvent their lives thanks to a UNHCR (UN Refugee Agency) project, in collaboration with ACCESS Development Services, an organization committed to promoting innovation and sustainable models for the livelihoods promotion of the poor. The enterprise founded by the four Afghan women is called Ilham, which in their Dari language means ‘positive’. “We wanted to create an income-generating activity for refugee women that recognized their skills, interest and capacities. When the idea of starting I KI\MZQVO TQVM _I[ ÆWI\ML \PMa IKcepted it with a spirit of alacrity,” says Aditi Sabharwal, project manager at ACCESS. “Never did we imagine that their food would be such a big hit.” Zameera, Naadirah, Zeenat and Sania had worked as domestic

9 MARCH 2016

servants, but the money they earned was not enough to support them and their families. After a short, intensive ACCESS course in cooking, which taught them basic techniques, they opened a simple food stand together.

In Dastkar 2015, a large-scale cultural fair in New Delhi, an exhibit of local artisans, the four new entrepreneurs served their home-style LQ[PM[ NWZ \PM ÅZ[\ \QUM )N\MZ \PM ÅZ[\ NIQZ \PM aW]VO _WUMV JMOIV \W get orders, even from embassies, and participated in many events, moving among the culinary markets of the city. Zeenat said, ““This catering business has worked wonders for us.

1\ VW\ WVTa PMTX[ ][ \W JM ÅVIVKQITTa independent but it also is therapeutic. Especially for people like us who escaped war. This venture is also acting as a stress-buster and is building our self-esteem.”

EVENTS

by Lorenzo Ruggeri

photo by Messe Dusseldorf

dusseldorf

PROWEIN 2016: THE DAY AFTER

“Once again, Italy has the largest number of wineries attending ProWein” commented Michael Degen, director of Messe Düsseldorf. “And the Germans really don’t like that.” Fifteen hundred Italian wineries showed up, divided among two pavilions.

ProWein is the most international among the wine fairs in terms of the exhibitors (6,200 from 59 countries) and the global point of view of its visitors. It has an unmatched business-friendly apXZWIKP <PM ÅVIT LI\I IVVW]VKML [PW_ ^Q[Q\WZ[ ]X from 2015, coming from 123 countries. ProWein is a solid event, in its twenty-third edition, which, after years of growth seems to have found its real dimensions. The quality of its visitors stays high, although there are some criticisms. Stefano Papetti Ceroni, from the De Fermo winery in Abruzzo said,“For those who are used to big crowds like we see at Vinitaly or Fornovo, these pavilions seem empty. Perhaps there are fewer contacts, but they are good ones. Today I found an Irish importer who ordered 180 bottles. Not many, but for me it opened a market that I wouldn’t have been able to reach otherwise.” But there are also those who are riding a trend without understanding it well. Stefano contin]M[ ¹5IVa PI^M I[SML ][ NWZ TQ\MZ[ WN KMZ\QÅML WZ ,MUM\MZ organic wine, but at ridiculous prices.” We had a little trouble leaving behind his latest release, a spontaneous and delicious Montepulciano d’Abruzzo Concrete 2014.

photo by Messe Dusseldorf

ProWein Visitors Importers from northern Europe are the important players in this fair founded in 1994. They come from Germany but also from the countries of Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Switzerland, Belgium and more. The presence of Americans is growing, according to those we interviewed. The Canadian monopoly of Ontario chose 10 MARCH 2016

photo by Messe Dusseldorf

Visitors from around the world at Tre Bicchieri

photo by Messe Dusseldorf

to send its agents to ProWein this year, rather than Vinitaly.

This is the place to meet the world, rather than just German operators, who in any case, are more focused on exhibiting their own products.

For tasters, it’s a dreamscape. For producers, it’s a precious opportunity, even though the number of exhibitors seems to be growing more rapidly than the number of visitors. “In the years to come, we don’t intend to increase the number of wineries, but _M¼TT KWVKMV\ZI\M UWZM WV \PM XZWÅTM of international visitors. We already offer enough, and we don’t want to increase the distance between pavilions. We invest a great deal abroad, with presentations and meetings all year long,” Degen told us. The Italian presence has increased exponentially, both in numbers and in quality, as many top wineries appear here NWZ \PM ÅZ[\ \QUM 0W_M^MZ QV \PM two Italian pavilions, the number of visitors seemed small compared to the exhibitors, especially on the last day of the fair. We heard complaints about expensive hotels and transportation glitches, but nothing KWUXIZML \W \PM \ZINÅK RIU[ QV >Mrona. Nevertheless, the competitive IL^IV\IOM WN MNÅKQMVKa W^MZ W\PMZ fairs is fading. It’s the professional XZWÅTM WN 8ZW?MQV¼[ ^Q[Q\WZ[ \PI\ [\QTT makes a difference.

The Voice of the Exhibitors Producers from the New World were happy with the fair, especially the Chileans. “It’s the event of the year.

We met top people again this time,” [IQL )V\WVQI .MZM[ 0WXXM NZWU \PM Cono del Sur winery, one of the ÅZ[\ \W XZWL]KM :QM[TQVO QV +PQTM QV the Valle di San Antonio. Austrian _QVMUISMZ 6QSQ 5W[MZ IOZMML 0M was happy with the new space dedicated to his country. “It’s a serious fair, even if by now, we producers are traveling six months a year.

These events don’t have the same importance they once did when we received order after order,” commented Valerio Mossio. Silvano Brescianini, from Barone Pizzini and vice-president of the Franciacorta Consortium disagreed. “We IZM [I\Q[ÅML J]\ W^MZ \PM TI[\ \MV years I have seen Vinitaly grow, and ProWein worsen.” Michael ,MOIV UILM I ÅVIT WJ[MZ^I\QWV about Italian production: “Italy has achieved important levels of volume. Perhaps too much. Now it PI[ \W OZW_ QV \MZU[ WN ^IT]M º 0M has a point. The average price of exported Italian wine is two euros IVL ÅN\a \_W KMV\[

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.WZ \PM ÅN\P KWV[MK]\Q^M aMIZ \PM <ZM Bicchieri event kicked off the beginning of ProWein, on Saturday, May 12. The tasting grew alongside the presence of the best Italian wines at the fair. The participation of over 900 operators was overwhelming.

It was the most international Tre Bicchieri event ever, with countries ranging from Japan to Canada.

Awards went to 130 wineries. Leopardo Felici said, “It is a crucial event, along with the ones in New York and San Francisco. It strengthened my KTQMV\ TQ[\ º 0Q[ >MZLQKKPQW 1T +IVtico della Figura 2012 was one of the most popular wines in the room.

We heard comments like, “I never tasted a Verdicchio this good.”

Some people are looking for new importers. Others are taking notes for their own articles. “The wines from indigenous grapes are always UWZM LMÅVML IVL ]VQY]M <WLIa I particularly noticed Le Cinciole, Monte del Frà, Conte Emo CapWTQ[\I IVL =UIVQ :WVKPQ ºKWVÅLML Austrian journalist Christian Bauer.

The appeal of Lugana on the German market is amazing, a classic example of the potential of wine tourism. On Sunday, April 10, the show goes on stage again. Tre Bicchieri opens in Verona, in the Sala Argento of Vinitaly.

WORLDTOUR 2016 Vini d’Italia 2016

trebicchieri 2016 MARCH 03 LONDON 12 DÜSSELDORF 21 SYDNEY APRIL 04 16

SAO PAULO DUBAI

23-24 PALM SPRINGS

MAY 16 18 20 25

SINGAPORE BANGKOK MANILA HONG KONG

NOVEMBER 02 TOKYO TOKYO 04 BEIJING 07 SHANGHAI 09 HONG KONG 18 MOSCOW ABU DHABI

trebicchieri Special Edition trebicchieri trebicchieri

Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Wines Roadshow Special Edition Gambero Rosso & Vino Veritas Special edition

2017

Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Wines Roadshow Gambero Rosso Top Italian Wines & Spirits Special Edition for VinExpo

JUNE 02-04 MOSCA 06 TORONTO 06-07 TORONTO 10 VANCOUVER

Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience trebicchieri Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience trebicchieri

SEPTEMBER 27 WARSAW WARSAW

Vini d’Italia Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

OCTOBER 05-08 DUBAI 25 ZURICH

Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience Vini d’Italia

INFO: www.gamberorosso.it/international

trebicchieri Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

JANUARY 30 MUNICH

trebicchieri

FEBRUARY 07 CHICAGO 09 NEW YORK 11-13 LOS ANGELES 13 LOS ANGELES 15 SAN FRANCISCO

trebicchieri trebicchieri Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience trebicchieri trebicchieri

MARCH 18 DÜSSELDORF

trebicchieri

9 segreteria.estero@gamberorosso.it

CITTÀ DEL GUSTO

with the collaboration of William Pregentelli

A meeting of two ancient cultures, two traditions, took place in Gambero Rosso cooking theatres around the country. “Beyond the borders of taste,” an event that celebrated the Chinese New Year, enriched the culinary calendar in Rome, Milano, Naples and Torino.

CHINESE CUISINE, ITALIAN WINE 13 MARCH 2016

T

CITTÀ DEL GUSTO

he partnership between Gambero Rosso Academy and the Chinese Culinary Institute, the most authoritative center of culinary training in Hong Kong, supported in this initiative by the Confucius Institute, which promotes Chinese culture and language, and by the newly formed Youth Committee of the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, all came together in a series of events that found a wide audience of enthusiasts for this meeting of Chinese food and Italian wine. <PM ÅZ[\ M^MV\ \WWS XTIKM WV .MJZ]-

ary 23, 2016, at the Città del Gusto in Rome, which became a culinary IVL K]T\]ZIT _WZS[PWX L]ZQVO \PM M^Mning. The Chinese chef's recipes were accompanied by expert explanatory commentary by Professor Lucia Galasso. Parallel evenings were held in 5QTIVW QV \PM QV\QUI\M 3]SI 4WN\ 1V Naples, the elegant halls of the Palazzo Caracciolo, and in Torino, the Golden Palace Hotel were the locations for the occasion.

Two chefs of the Chinese Culinary Institute, both with decades of experience, were at the helm: Lueng Kin

Food&Wine It’s always fun to experiment with pairings. It’s even more interesting when one of the elements is a cuisine that is very different from ItalQIV K]KQVI IVL _PQKP QV^WT^M[ I U]T\QXTQKQ\a WN KWWSQVO \MKPVQY]M[ [XQKM[ QVOZMLQMV\[ IVL KWV[Q[\MVKQM[ +PQVM[M KWWSQVO WN\MV KZW[[M[ \PM barrier between salty and sweet, and just as often employs a spicy and peppery component. Here are some of the dishes prepared in the various Città del Gusto locations that hosted the events, paired with wines NZWU \_W JIKSMZ[ WN \PM XZWRMK\ \PM _QVMZa +I[ITM LMT /QOTQW IVL \PM producers’ association, Consorzio Tutela Vini dell'Oltrepò Pavese.

STEAMED MUSHROOM RAVIOLI Casale del Giglio | Antinoo 2014

One of the most successful pairings. A blend of viognier (two thirds) and chardonnay, with its typical progression – soft impact that then transforms into a mineral and savory mouthful – that emphasizes the KPIZIK\MZQ[\QK[ WN \PM LQ[P ZI^QWTQ UILM _Q\P I [_MM\Q[P LW]OP ÅTTML with mushrooms.

Ca' di Frara | Apogeo Riesling 2014

<PQ[ :QM[TQVO KWUM[ NZWU KITKIZMW][ KPITSa [WQT _PQKP OQ^M[ \PM _QVM a mineral structure. A slightly late harvest, however, pushes the aromas towards sweet yellow fruit, which go well with the softness of the ravioli.

14 MARCH 2016

Sum and Chan Chun Hung, both Senior Instructors at the Chinese Cuisine Training Institute. At their side for the practical part and to explain the ingredients – sometimes very unfamiliar to Italian food culture – was Gianni Catani, chef of Kaiyue, in Rome.

“Beyond the Taste Borders” is an event that embodies the soul of Gambero Rosso,” said president Paolo Cuccia. “Our role is not only to export the excellence of Italian cucina and wine, but to also understand, defend and respect the taste and traditions of others.” He went on to challenge the counterfeit foods present around the world. “Just as our products have to defend themselves against imitations and Italian-sounding products, so Chinese cuisine is troubled by at\MUX\[ I\ QUQ\I\QWV \PI\ ÆI\\MV IVL trivialize a culinary culture that is varied and millennia old. With this series of events, we tell the stories of differMV\ ÆI^WZ[ IVL \ZILQ\QWV[ \PZW]OP I dialogue between cultures, between Chinese food traditions and our wineUISQVO PQ[\WZa º

STEAMED DUMPLINGS FILLED WITH PORK AND MUSHROOMS I Doria di Montalto | O.P. Riesling Roncobianco 2007

Doria Di Montalto Riesling is not intimidated by the passage of time. <PQ[ ^MZ[QWV \WOM\PMZ _Q\P \PM KTI[[QK VW\M[ WN SMZW[MVM \PI\ ZQM[ling develops over the years, displays mineral nuances and freshness. It is \PQ[ TI\\MZ Y]ITQ\a \PI\ PMTX[ KTMIZ \PM UW]\P WN \PM NI\\QVM[[ WN \PM \I[\a L]UXTQVO Ă&#x2026;TTQVO

Casale del Giglio | Satrico 2015

Chardonnay, sauvignon and trebbiano giallo are the grapes in this wine. .ZIOZIVKM[ WN Ă&#x2020;W_MZ[ IVL _PQ\M NZ]Q\ IV IZWUI\QK JW]Y]M\ \PI\ TMIL[ QV\W I \I]\ IOQTM XITI\M KWV\ZI[\[ QV I JITIVKML _Ia _Q\P I Ă&#x2026;TTQVO UILM [_MM\MZ by shrimps and sugar.

FRIED GROUPER FILLETS AND PICKLES Conte Vistarino | CĂŠpage Brut

<PQ[ Q[ I LQ[P \PI\ OI^M ][ I TW\ \W \PQVS IJW]\ <PM XZWJTMU _I[ \PM [\ZWVO [_MM\ IVL [W]Z KWUXWVMV\ QV \PM [I]KM \PI\ KWUM[ ITWVO _Q\P \PM Ă&#x2026;[P *]\ QV this battle, the character of CĂŠpage emerged, a metodo classico spumante from pinot nero and chardonnay grapes with a small addition of riesling. Mature KWUXTM`Q\a \PIVS[ \W UWV\P[ WV Q\[ TMM[ I[ _MTT I[ \PM XMZ[WVITQ\a WN \PM ^IZQM\QM[ ][ML UIVIOML \W [\IVL ]X XMZNMK\Ta \W \PM I[[MZ\Q^M IVL KTMIZ Ă&#x2020;I^WZ[ of the dish.

Casale del Giglio | Viognier 2015

Viognier is a typical variety of the Rhone Valley, which also does well in warmer climates. Casale del Giglio harvests it in two different moments: one part when XMZNMK\Ta ZQXM IVL \PM W\PMZ _PMV [TQOP\Ta W^MZZQXM <PM Ă&#x2026;Z[\ ^QV\IOM XZM[MZ^M[ acidity and the varietal characteristics. The second confers richness, softness, roundness, all aspects that cross over and pair well with the essence of the dish.

FRIED CRAB CLAWS FILLED WITH SHRIMP Casale del Giglio | AlbĂŹola 2015

<PM \QUM WN \PM ]VJZMISIJTM IVL LWOUI\QK XIQZQVO WN Ă&#x2026;[P IVL _PQ\M _QVM PI[ JMMV behind us for a while. Therefore, our pairing of this Chinese dish with a rosato shouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be surprising. Syrah (85%) and sangiovese bring an explosion of sweet berry and rose petal aromas that pair with the softness of the shrimp. Acidic verve, character that is almost citrus as times cleans the mouth of any trace of fattiness.

Ballabio | Farfalla Brut

In the 2016 edition of the Vini dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia guide, we wrote the following about this _QVM" š1\ MIZV[ Q\[ <ZM *QKKPQMZQ I_IZL \PIVS[ \W \PM KZMIUQVM[[ ^MZ^M IVL ZQKPVM[[ OQ^MV Ja Q\[ TWVO [\Ia WV Q\[ TMM[ _PQKP PI[ VW\ UQVQUITTa INNMK\ML Q\[ JIKSJWVM Âş )TT these factors affect the pairing. The creaminess and richness suit the sweetness of the [PZQUX <PM ^MZ^M IVL IKQLQK JIKSJWVM \MUXMZ \PM NI\\QVM[[ WN \PM NZQML KWUXWVMV\

ITALIAN CHEFS ABROAD

with the collaboration of Stefania Annese

Francesco Mazzei LONDON LIKES 'NDUJA All of Calabria is expressed in Francesco Mazzei’s cucina. Each dish is worked out with the charm and precision that only one who loves his native soil can call on every day. “My family transmitted their love of the cucina and for homemade food to me. We still prepare everything ourselves, from pasta to bread, and that includes cheeses and cured meats. When you grow up with such deep culinary culture, it’s natural to be inspired by it,” Mazzei said.

Born in Cherchiana, in Calabria,

london

he is one of London’s best-loved chefs. He interned long and hard in \PM 1\ITQIV XZW^QVKM[ JMNWZM ÅVLQVO work in Rome. “I had a job at the Grand Hotel. The general manager gave me a chance to train at the Hotel Dorchester in London. I was supposed to stay a year, but I never went back,” Mazzei remembered. “The ÅZ[\ aMIZ[ QV 4WVLWV _MZM LQNÅK]T\ but very formative. I worked with a brigade of 120 cooks. It was hard because I still didn’t speak English well. The organization of the kitchen in a hotel of this caliber was, and still is, exceptional. I learned all about managing a kitchen. I wouldn’t be where I am now if it hadn’t been for that experience and the training I had to do.”

16 MARCH 2016

Today chef Mazzei heads the Sartoria restaurant in Mayfair in London, where every day he turns out dishes like tortelli with ‘nduya, ricotta and balsamic vinegar, chopped beef with anchovies, delicious pastachina – the lasagna that Calabrian home cooks prepared with the leftovers from the week’s shopping. One simple and marvelous example of his cucina is baccalà with licorice. Among the favorite desserts of British clientele is certainly bergamot cream with chocolate sherbet, a great combination. Famous for having introduced hot and spicy Calabrian ‘nduja spreadable salami to the world, the chef loves to surprise guests with other ingredients from his home region, especially from the small producers who periodically supply his restaurant.

“London diners are by now very sophisticated and familiar with many typical Calabrian ingredients. ‘Nduja is well-known, and is more popular than its Spanish cousin, chorizo.”

Since 2007, Mazzei has frequently appeared on BBC television, in programs such as Saturday Kitchen and Masterchef, and thanks to his TV presence, interest in Italian cooking has grown, and along with it, the importing of Calabrian goods to Great Britain. His book Mezzogiorno: Francesco Mazzei Recipes from Southern Italy confirmed his success and solidified his career.

“Often we chefs are so taken up with our everyday rhythms and responsibilities that we forget to think about what we want to do next. I am very fortunate. I live in the present and enjoy every moment. But if we want to talk about my dreams for the future, I’d say I would like to go back to Italy with my family. Italy will always mean home to me”.

BACCALÀ WITH LICORICE

PASTACHINA

17 MARCH 2016

WINE OF THE MONTH

The vintage that smiled

Brunello di Montalcino ’11 Tenuta di Sesta 50,000 bottles ex-cellar price: 16.00 euros We went to Benvenuto Brunello, and in the next issue, we’ll tell you about all our tastings, with a 2011 vintage that was better than we expected. Our wine of the month expresses the character of the vintage year well: a sunny and already very enjoyable wine. Sesta is one of the few areas in Montalcino which truly deserves to be described as a cru, for its history and favorable conditions: an ideal meeting of soil and climate and expressive qualities between the terroirs of Sant’Angelo in Colle and Castelnuovo dell’Abate. Here in the southern part of the DOC is an enclave at altitudes between 200 and 400 meters with distinctive, generally lean soil, rich in limestone with tufaceous streaks. The Ciacci family have produced Brunellos here since 1966, even before the DOC was recognized, respecting their rangy, airy character with bare-bones cellarwork featuring lengthy maturation in medium-sized oak. The 2011 Brunello is a marvel. Generous and multifaceted, luminous in its details, it is sunny and inviting with its notes of Mediterranean brush and full, ripe red fruit. To the palate Q\ ZM^MIT[ [QTSa []J[\IV\QIT \IVVQV[ IVL ÅVM harmonious development. A notable balsamic tone is in crescendo, with notes of almond IVL XMIKP WV I ÅVQ[P \PI\ Q[ JW\P []NN][ML and very long. A great wine, already very expressive, at a friendly, accessible price. And the 2010 Riserva…

18 MARCH 2016

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19 MARCH 2016

DESIGN

with the collaborazione of Stefania Annese

WINECUBE STRATO 20 MARCH 2016

In a modern apartment, what is the ideal place to age premium bottles and to preserve the quality of wine?

The answer is Winecube.

A

lthough its properties are those of a wine cellar, Winecube is more like a sculpture in high-grade doussié (or Afzelia) wood. It can hold more than 800 bottles in a selfcontained space within an apartment. “As a wine enthusiast, I brought my designer and technician approach to the problem of producing modular storage space for wines – innovative and built with suitable materials.

The advantage of Winecube is that its owner can arrange precious bottles of wine in any way and have them ready for use, but also enjoy a beautifully designed and sensually pleasing object.” Marco Gorini, the project designer, architect and wine lover, founded Strato with Gianna Farina in 1990. Today the company is one of the leaders in the sector of high-quality kitchen and house furnishing design. Strato’s Winecube can be located in an underground space, or in a dark, airy pantry with a constant temperature. But for those who don’t have a space with these characteristics, the solution is another. Strato’s glass and steel temperature-controlled storage space surrounds the principal structure in wood. “It would be a shame to hide Winecube, so we created a transparent refrigerated showcase to keep the wine at an ideal temperature,” Gorini explained. It can be placed anywhere. Winecube is the ideal wine cellar for those who demand the most innovative solutions on the design front.

Strato will be at the off-site Fuorisalone of the international home décor and design fair, Salone del Mobile in Milano, from April 12-17, 2016. “We will be opening a new exhibition space in Via Maroncelli 5 in the heart of Milano,” concluded Gorini. “The project will be called Retrospective and besides sculpture-like kitchens and furniture, we will also have vintage lamps and objects for the home selected by Gianna Farina and Camilla Gorini. It will be a place for those who love design, purity and the quality of materials. Strato creations are characterized by the use of unique materials, as well as by our continual search for technical solutions and hand finishing.” Projects are designed to measure for each client, and can satisfy even the most demanding.

21 MARCH 2016

DO AS TUSCA

PAIRING

drawings by Chiara Buosi

Crostini toscani VERNACCIA DI SAN GIMIGNANO RIS.

Ribollita ROSSO DI MONTALCINO

Caciucco bistecca alla fiorentina

MAREMMA TOSCANA CILIEGIOLO 22 MARCH 2016

THE ANS DO Pappardelle al ragu di cinghiale MORELLINO DI SCANSANO

Fiorentina CHIANTI CLASSICO GRAN SELEZIONE

Cantucci

23 MARCH 2016

VIN SANTO

WINE NEW GENERATION

by Lorenzo Ruggeri photography by Andrea Ruggeri

New energy on the road to sustainability, biodynamic inspiration, broad horizons, analysis beyond the banal.

Gaia is leading Gaja into the future, together with her sister Rossana and brother Giovanni.

She tells us about her passions and her formula for facing the international front

GAIA GAJA

MY CHALLENGE: FIGURING OUT THE FUTURE

WINE NEW GENERATION

T

he story began with an inn, the Osteria del Vapore (vapore means steam). In the middle of the 19th KMV\]Za \PM <IVIZW ZQ^MZ _I[V¼\ \PM QV[QOVQÅKIV\ [\ZMIU Q\ Q[ \Wday, and Barbaresco had a port with a ferry that connected it with Alba. “Near the dock was our osteria, and our production of wine began there. Among the many visitors were drunks and gamblers, some who ended up betting their wives and their vineyards.” Gaia Gaja smiled. In 1859, Giovanni Gaja – from a family with ;XIVQ[P WZQOQV[ \PI\ KIUM \W \PM 4IVOPM zone in Piedmont in the mid-17th century – began to bottle wine. “When everyone was investing in Barolo, my great-grandfather Angelo and his wife, Clothilda Rey, invested in the best land in Barbaresco. At the time it was considered a minor wine, less structured, less potent, less long-lived than Barolo.” Gaia’s grandfather, Giovanni, was even more ambitions and added to the family land the crus that made the _QVMZa OZMI\" ;WZz <QTLQV ;IV 4WZMVbW Costa Russi. “And he transformed that LQNNMZMVKM QV\W ^IT]M º <PMa WVTa ^QVQÅML their own grapes.

In 1961 Angelo, Gaia’s father, began _WZSQVO QV \PM NIUQTa ÅZU IVL LMKQLML to vinify his vineyards separately and to tell the whole world about them. He was IUWVO \PM ÅZ[\ \W ][M JIZZQY]M[ IVL \PM wines were different – softer, silkier, more intense. His other big move was to enter the American market, which promptly exXTWLML <WLIa /IRI [\IVL[ NWZ \PM Y]QVtessence of Italian wine in the world. We have seen those labels, with their minimalist design in black and white, in the most surprising places around the globe, from a ZM[\I]ZIV\ QV I ^QTTIOM W]\[QLM <IQXMQ \W \PM alleyways of Jakarta to Italian restaurants QV \PM LIVOMZW][ W]\[SQZ\[ WN ;IW 8IWTW 1V !! IVL !! \PM ÅZU UILM \_W XMMZTM[[ X]ZKPI[M[ ÅZ[\ 8QM^M LQ ;IV\I Restituta in Montalcino, then Ca’ Marcanda in Bolgheri. We asked Gaia: And now? Will you go further south? “No, al\PW]OP 1 ÅVL 5IZKPM +IUXIVQI IVL ;QKily fascinating,” Gaia explained, who has a weakness for whites with longevity, “I’m

A VIEW OF BARBARESCO. BELOW, DURING TASTING, SAUVIGNON ALTENI DI BRASSICA 1986: IT PRESERVES CUTTING ACIDITY AND FINE AROMATIC SPICINESS. DELICIOUS

still convinced that Piedmont is a land for whites that can age a long time.”

What is the most important thing your father taught you, we wondered. Gaia IV[_MZML ¹3MMX I TW_ XZWÅTM º ;PM Q[ I[ determined as she is curious. How does she answer those who say that Gaja wines are too expensive? “I say they shouldn’t buy them. It’s not as if the doctor ordered them.” And what about sustainIJQTQ\a' ¹6I\]ZIT _QVM[ IZM QV KWVÆQK\ with conventional practices, just as the UWLMZV [\aTM _I[ QV KWVÆQK\ _Q\P 8QMLmont 40 years ago. Any break with the past brings with it extremes and errors.

It’s risky but also very useful, because it requires the conventional winemakers in each historical period to examine and go past their own limits. Wine and viticulture need good examples and innovation. ;WUM\QUM[ \PW]OP _Q\P VI\]ZIT _QVM[ the variety or the territory is not recognizIJTM · WVTa \PM [\aTM WN ^QVQÅKI\QWV <PW[M wines are all about method used, but don’t 26 MARCH 2016

M`XZM[[ _PW \PMa IZM º ;W _PI\ LWM[ /IRI do? “We work to protect the proliferation of the life in the soil, among the rows of vines, around the vineyards. Our objective is to favor the resilience of the vines to changes and to adversity that has become unpredictable. We move ahead through observation and constant experimentation with new practices such as different management of grass-growing and of the canopy, of how to time pruning, for example. <PM XPQTW[WXPQKIT QV[XQZI\QWV Q[ QV [WUM ways biodynamic, but we don’t follow any [XMKQÅK XZW\WKWT JMKI][M Q\ _W]TL JM TQUQ\ing. We look for the best path possible for \PM VMML[ WN W]Z ^QVMaIZL[ ;QVKM _M have been producing our own compost, an injection of life for the soil.”

While we were talking with Gaia – it was February 5 – the temperature outside was 15°C (59°F) and it hadn’t rained in BarJIZM[KW NWZ LIa[ <W KWUJI\ _MI\PMZ that is so warm and dry, growers must UIQV\IQV \PM P]UQLQ\a WN \PM [WQT ;WUM vineyards don’t get plowed and grass OZW_QVO Q[ KWV[\IV\ <PM OZIXM[ \PI\ KWUM into the winemaking facilities are riper

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS “AIM FOR EASTERN EUROPE AND ASIA” Eight Gaja wines out of ten are sold abroad. The United States leads the buying, then comes Germany and Switzerland. We ask, “How’s the world wine business?” “France has enjoyed two basic allies: its grand cuisine, which ruled everywhere in the world, and its eternal rival England, which promoted (for its own reasons) the culture of Bordeaux wines in the various countries of the ex-Empire. It’s embarrassing how Italian wine PI[ IT_Ia[ JMMV LQ[UQ[[ML J]\ \PQVO[ IZM ÅVITTa KPIVOQVO º *WZLMI]` VW_ Q[ QV LQNÅK]T\a IVL 1\ITQIV _QVM Q[ OIQVQVO OZW]VL “The Italian government has to invest in education, above all where there hasn’t been much emigration: Russia and China.

Italian restaurants have always been the best ambassadors of Italian food, wine and lifestyle.” In 2015, the average price of still French wines was about 5.60 euros per liter; that of Italian wine, 2.52 per liter. “A difference like this can be explained above all by the ability of the French to showcase, communicate and market their wines better than we do.” Italy rules in the production of wines to drink with food. “We need to be present also on the wine lists of ethnic restaurants,” Gaia points out, and she warns, “In terms of export, we are still underestimating Eastern Europe. We have to remember Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic.” And imports? “Pay attention to the quality of the wines of Ribeira Sacra in Spain.”

GAIA GAJA IN BARBARESCO

27 MARCH 2016

WINE NEW GENERATION

THE INSIDE COURTYARD OF THE BARBARESCO WINERY

and softer. (In the 1960s, the typical pH of *IZWTW _I[ <WLIa Q\ Q[ 7`aOMV free environments, such as cement, are gaining ground.

Gaia and her sister Rossana â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Giovanni is the youngest, just graduated from university and ready to leave for the United ;\I\M[ NWZ I UI[\MZÂź[ LMOZMM ¡ PI^M UILM a strong push towards healthy viticulture.

Climate change is the challenge today and tomorrow, and they have convinced their father to invest in collaboration with botanists, entomologists and various universities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every monoculture (like vines in this part of the world) impoverishes the soil. ?M _MV\ \W )T\I 4IVOI \W [MTMK\ Ă&#x2020;W_MZ[ and plants that we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have anymore. We planted this mix in our vineyards,â&#x20AC;? Gaia \WTL ][ <PM TI\M[\ M`XMZQUMV\ Q[ _Q\P JMM[ which have precious yeasts inside their JWLQM[ š<PMa IZM W]Z _IZVQVO TQOP\ NWZ the health of the vineyard,â&#x20AC;? added Rossana. â&#x20AC;&#x153;As defense against insects and disease we use plant extracts: propolis, cinnamon,

mint, seaweed extracts, rosemary.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have precise roles in our family, or bosses. Everyone sticks his or her nose into everything,â&#x20AC;? Gaia commented.

Consistent quality has always been a fea\]ZM WN \PM NIUQTaÂź[ _QVM[" <ZM *QKKPQMZQ QV ! MLQ\QWV[ WN >QVQ LÂź1\ITQI UWZM ZMKWOnition than anyone else. Rigorous, we said.

In 1946, the estateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire production was [WTL QV J]TS WZ I[ I JI[QK _QVM <PM [IUM \PQVO PIXXMVML QV ! ! !! IVL <PMZM _MZM VW KZ][ XZWL]KML QV \PM ^QV\IOM aMIZ J]\ _Q\P IVL the conversation changed. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In the past, they would have been considered minor aMIZ[ 6W_ \PMa IZM OZMI\ WVM[ <PM is a vintage that I adore, a year of great Ă&#x2026;VM[[M IVL LZQVSIJQTQ\a _Q\P IV M\PMZMIT fragrant nose. Perfect grapes with sweet tannins â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a vintage that brought out the character of each single vineyard. While QV Q\ ZIQVML U]KP TM[[ QV *IZJIZM[KW than in Barolo, the wines are more acidic IVL UQVMZIT <PMZM _QTT JM []ZXZQ[M[ Âş 28 MARCH 2016

THE BARBARESCO BARREL CELLAR

ROSSANA AND GAIA GAJA

VINTAGE EMOTION «THAT 1989, WITH THE FRAGRANCES OF THE BARBARESCO BREEZE!» We open a Barbaresco 2001. Gaia has a talent both for tasting and story-telling. She loves subtle wines and traditional styles, such as those of Bruno Giacosa, Giacomo Conterno, Giuseppe Mascarello. We ask which are her favorite years. “I love 2001,1999,1989 and I’m particularly fond of a wine I drank in San Francisco in 2004, in a noisy, crowded restaurant. A large group of collectors were pouring exceptional wines, too many, without even paying serious attention to them. The atmosphere was rowdy.

Then I put my nose into a glass of our 1989 Barbaresco. It was like a sudden awakening. That wine had exactly the fragrance of a Barbaresco breeze, of certain corners of the town, of the stairs that go down into the wine cellar. It was a wine that shouted out!”

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Discover the new Bortolomiol Tradizionali collection.

VINITALY SPECIAL

rs a e y 05 photographs Ennevi/ Verona Fiere

The Verona fair prepares for its fiftieth anniversary.

We review its history together with some of its star players, and look to the future

AUGURI VINITALY

31 MARCH 2016

VINITALY SPECIAL 50 YEARS

Pedron. Italian wine found its groove in Verona When the gates of the Veronafiere pavilions open next April 10, Vinitaly will celebrate an anniversary that few other fairs in the wine sector can match: fifty years of life. The history of the event parallels that of Italian wine. We look at it all with one of its star players, Emilio Pedron, today the CEO of Bertani Domains.

F

I KIVLN\a KIVLTM[ Å^M LMKILM[ <PM city of Verona has been hosting one of Italian wine’s most important international events for half a century.

In 1967, in the Palazzo della Gran Guardia, in front of the Arena, the Roman amphitheatre that symbolizes the city, “The Days of Italian Wine” ("Le Giornate del Vino Italiano") festival was held for \PM ÅZ[\ \QUM ) NM_ aMIZ[ TI\MZ QV ! the name became Vinitaly, the one we know today. ¹5a ÅZ[\ KWV\IK\ _Q\P \PM NIQZ _I[ QV 1969, when the company I worked for,

Nino Negri in Sondrio, Lombardy, decided not to participate any longer in the Milano fair and to go instead to Vinitaly.

We were one of the 130 wineries present that year.” Emilio Pedron, CEO of Bertani Domains and one of the most important personalities in the Italian wine world, began his story.

He told us quickly some of the steps in his career, which began with a diploma as enologist from the prestigious Istituto Agrario di San Michele Appiano. He spent some years as technical director and then general manager of the Gruppo Italian Vini, until, in 1996 he became CEO. Under his direction, the GIV became the most important winegrowing group in Italy, with 1,100 hectares of vineyard property located in all the country’s most favorable grapegrowing zones, over 300 million euros of sales (73% exported to 73 countries), and 80 million bottles produced annually. Today, after having held the position of President of the Consorzio dei Vini della Valpolicella, Pedron leads Bertani Domains, part of the Tenimenti Angelini group.

Pedron went on, “Since the beginning of the 70s, I have been at every edition of Vinitaly - with Nino Negri, Winefood, /1> +I^ / * *MZ\IVQ IVL ÅVITTa *MZtani Domains. I remember well the exciting years of Vinitaly’s growth and the prestige of the recognition it won over time with international operators”. It was 32 MARCH 2016

1967

2015

“Vinexpo in Bordeaux, London Wine Fair and Prowein in Dussedorf all came later.

For many years, Vinitaly was the only great showcase for the wineries and producers of our country.”

1978, in fact, that the Italian wine fair truly became international, opening its doors to producers from other countries.

“In those years, the fair was an essential place to start important deals. Vinexpo in Bordeaux, London Wine Fair and Prowein in Dussedorf all came later. For many years, Vinitaly was the only great showcase for the wineries and producers of our country.”

In the slow but inexorable climb of Italian wine towards success, 1986 marked a powerful negative moment. Just before the 20th anniversary, the methanol (wood alcohol) scandal broke, with serious consequences for the world of Italian wine.

“No one will forget the 1986 edition,” commented Pedron. “We were right in the middle of the scandal, and with every hour that passed, the number of winer33 MARCH 2016

ies involved grew. I remember well the discomfort of the foreign operators that handled the wine of companies that found themselves being investigated. But we know now that the scandal marked a turning point for Italian wine. Everyone understood that quantity at low prices was not the way. Italian wine had to build the perception of quality and greater credibility, offering security in production and certainty in declared origin.” In other words, the path that led to the excellent results that Italian winegrowing now enjoys internationally began with the 1986 catastrophe.

The last edition of Vinitaly broke attendance records when over 150,000 visitors from more than 140 countries came. The numbers underline the great success the fair has with the general public, often not specialists. “For many years, Vinitaly has seen competition with other important international events, a new way to do fairs, powerfully aimed at the consumer market, with accreditation only for trade operators and sector professionals. A style very different from Verona’s, but,” Pedron concluded, “there’s no doubt that Vinitaly represented and continues to represent an extraordinary tool for the evolution of the wine sector of Italy, contriJ]\QVO \W \PM INÅZUI\QWV IVL XMZKMX\QWV of distinct and diverse Italian quality.”

William Pregentelli collaborated

VINITALY SPECIAL 50 YEARS

Mantovani.

«Quality/Price and Sustainability: that’s how Italy maintains its leadership» Maintain leadership with the best quality/price rapport, protect the environment and promote sustainability, pay more attention to low-alcohol wines.

Giovanni Mantovani, General Director of Veronafiere, outlines possible future paths for the sector, considering emerging regions, outsiders, and typologies that could open new markets for Italy. But beyond its borders, Italy needs more cohesion.

E

co-compatible companies that offer the best quality/price rapport, powerfully internationalized, technologically sophisticated, aware of new trends in global consumption and able to showcase the unique terroirs of Italy, exploiting fully their diversity: this is how \PM ,QZMK\WZ /MVMZIT WN >MZWVIÅMZM Giovanni Mantovani imagines the wineries of the future. He concentrates his attention on the necessity for the Italian wine system to improve its cohesion abroad on the commercial front, in order not to lose the great game of competition.

Mr. Mantovani, before we speak of the future, let’s look at the past.

What principal developments have changed the world of wine?

I think that internationalization and quality have been the key words of the last decades. In a relatively short time, we saw enormous growth in international involvement. Some was due to the advance of new wine-producing nations. Some was necessary to deal with the demands of a rapidly developing world market made up of consumers, in a number of countries, who were more and more sophisticated, and in others, consumers who were curious about a product

future will always be characterized by a holistic view of viticulture. Care for the environment, understood as climate, territory, landscape and local communities is becoming an intrinsic, essential value in the ethical expectations of society. Producers are an integral part of this. Much has been done at an experimental level, and much will be done above all to introduce technological innovations that will reduce impact on the environment to a minimum, while lowering cost. The objective will be to have an eco-compatible activity that is competitive at the same time, to keep wine within everyone’s reach. that was new to them. On this world scene, small and large Italian wineries became internationalized, managing to excel in exports and raise the quality of their products in order to become the country that offers the best level of wine offerings and the best price/quality rapport.

0W_ LW aW] [MM \PM [MK\WZ ÅNty years from now? Climate change, new markets, technologies and emerging countries?

Selling, obviously, will continue to be the focus of those who produce wine. But beyond that, I think the 34 MARCH 2016

The wine world of Italy has improved over the years, but has also committed errors. Which are those to avoid?

Wine, with its patrimony of varietals and territories, embodies Italian history. It is extraordinarily rich, but not cohesive, with a system and a number of DOPs that are incomprehensible to consumers in other countries. Too often the Italian wine world has lost the opportunity to present a cohesive commercial front abroad and at European political tables. Just as frequently, resources have been used for fragmented ini-

tiatives that were consequently inefÅKQMV\ IVL ]V[]KKM[[N]T ?M IZM \PM world leader, but our competitors are better equipped than we are in this regard. The Padiglione Vino – A Taste of Italy during the Milano -`XW _I[ I ÅVM M`IUXTM WN ]VQÅML effort. We have to continue like that.

Let’s talk about consumption.

Many countries in the Southern Hemisphere are increasing their exports. Various reports about world trends show more attention paid to health aspects and a growth in the number of consumers who look for low-alcohol wines. Is this the new frontier?

The relationship between alcohol and health has been debated for years, and involves wine as well, above all in those countries where it is consumed like any other alcoholic beverage. To change this attitude, we have to export the Italian model for meals, which gives an important role to wine, but paired with food and in moderate amounts. As far as lowalcohol wines are concerned, I think they answer a health-related demand as well as addressing the evolution of consumer tastes which tend to prefer fresher, lighter wines for every day drinking. Many studies are underway to improve production techniques, but for now, although they show sizable percentage growths, low-alcohol wines still represent small numbers and don’t seem to be able to emerge from the niche category.

«The future? Light, easily drinkable wines. Perhaps rosati wines will be the next stars of the show.”»

Prosecco, Brunello, Amarone, Barolo, Lambrusco, Chianti... will they always be the favorites?

What would you like to see by their side? What zones promise well in terms of export?

Those are certainly the best known wines, or, in the case of Prosecco, the ones that are enjoying the greatest success. But the record of 5.4 billion euros of wine exported in 2015 is a result achieved thanks also to all the other Italian wines. Some are mentioned less frequently, but are very present on the market. To become known, create a positive image and export more takes work, and there IZM ZMOQWV[ \PI\ PI^M LWVM ÅVM _WZS over the years and are getting good results, like Abruzzo and Friuli. In the recent past, Sicily and Puglia have made great strides in achieving international recognition. Among regions that still have to express themselves fully, I think of Campania and Sardinia. To say which are the most promising and which are the outsider wine zones is a little difÅK]T\ JMKI][M _M IZM QV I \ZIV[Q\QWV phase in consumer tastes. As I said before, large numbers are moving towards light, easily drinkable wines.

2014

Perhaps the outsiders will be rosati labels.

What future role to you see for events such as Vinitaly and for trade fairs in general?

Vinitaly has always maintained its mission of being a system of services to aid the internationalization of Italian enterprises. This has allowed us to evolve without losing sight of our objective. If we continue to ask ourselves what our businesses need to be able to sell more, we can’t go _ZWVO <PM XZWWN Q[ W]Z ÅN\a aMIZ[ of history. By changing strategies and approaches, we have been able to both bring our enterprises abroad and attract tens of thousands of buyers to Verona. The energy for projects and the commitment in terms of investment always have to be at the maximum, but wine fairs, if they are focused on business, are still crucial events. For small and medium Italian enterprises, trade fairs today are the only promotional tool for doing business abroad. They are able to generate, as AEFI (Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association) research showed, 50% of the nation’s exports.

Gianluca Atzeni collaborated

VINITALY SPECIAL 50 YEARS

Donatella Cinelli Colombini.

The role of women in Verona When the Giornate del Vino (Wine Days) were organized in 1967, which later developed into Vinitaly, a group entirely composed of men approached the wine world for the first time with the aim of promoting Italian excellence abroad. Women were present sporadically in those first years. It took time, but today, women are numerous and attentive participants, equal to, if not exceeding, the number of men. Donatella Cinelli Colombini, the president of Donne del Vino, is one of the witnesses of the many changes that have taken place in the Veronafiere pavilions. She tells us about her Vinitaly experience, as a woman.

«I 1977

LWV¼\ ZMUMUJMZ _PQKP _I[ Ua ÅZ[\ year at Vinitaly, it must have been in 1978 or immediately afterwards.

The event was organized in a few pavilions with no connections between them.

Since it rained much more than it does now, moving from one to the other zone meant getting drenched. I remember Giacomo Bo-

logna always surrounded by a public of passionate devotees. He was a real star. There weren’t as many operators as today and so during the fair the producers had the time to go to conferences, hear about new things, meet colleagues and friends from other regions.” Donatella Cinelli Colombini is one of the most important witnesses of the

DONNE DEL VINO. FROM LEFT VIOLANTE GARDINI, DONATELLA CINELLI COLOMBINI, VALERIE LAVIGNE, ANTONELLA POLIGHEDDU, ALESSIA BIANCHI, DEBORA TIEZZI, BARBARA MAGNANI, MARGHERITA DAVITT

36 MARCH 2016

,

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1967

1978

2015

changes in Vinitaly over the years.

She has known how to organize, how to sustain women and their work, and created, in her own business, a completely female staff. “When I left my family’s business and obtained the two properties of Fattoria del Colle in Trequanda and Casato Prime Donne in Montalcino, I needed a cellar manager. At the School of Enology in Siena, they told me that the best students were reserved years ahead.

When I asked for a woman cellar manager, the answer was different.

They had many excellent candidates.

For me it was like shining a light on discrimination that was so old, commonplace and normal that it had become invisible.” Colombini is an entrepreneur who has left a powerful mark on the world of wine. In 1993 she founded “Movimento Turismo

del Vino”, “Cantine Aperte” and “Trekking Urbano”, associations to promote wine tourism. In 2003, she won the Rome Association of Italian Sommeliers-Bibenda award as best Italian producer, and in 2012 the Vinitaly International Prize. “I grew up with wine. The heroic years of Brunello were those of my childPWWL 1 ZMUMUJMZ \PM ÅZ[\ )UMZQcan importer who liked our wine very much, but then said ‘this is a French wine price.’ I remember my grandfather telephoning and saying without a hint of emotion ‘The Queen of the Netherlands came today’, or when I went to Burgundy at 18 years old, and the difference between our 10 barrels and their castles with vineyards seemed immense.

‘We’ll never be able to do that,’ was my reaction. Then, little by little, we

37 MARCH 2016

did.” Since January 14, 2016, Donatella Cinelli Colombini has been the president of the Associazione Donne del Vino, a group recognized as one of the most interesting and active expressions of female entrepreneurship in Italy. On the occasion of Vinitaly’s 50th anniversary, the association will hold a series of events to spotlight the importance of women in the wine production cycle. “I am convinced that the next edition will be a success and even more business will take place,” Colombini concluded. “We are working with Vinitaly to organize I \I[\QVO \W KMTMJZI\M Q\[ ÅN\QM\P IVVQversary with 10 wines from 1967. It will be an important event and will show the strong ties between Vinitaly and Donne del vino».

Stefania Annese collaborated

VINITALY SPECIAL 50 YEARS

GAMBERO ROSSO AT THE FAIR TRE BICCHIERI 2016 APRIL 10 | OR 11.30/16.30 | FIERA DI VERONA | SALA ARGENTO | ENTRANCE A2 | PALAEXPO | FLOOR - 1 The wines receiving awards in the 29th edition of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Vini d'Italiaâ&#x20AC;? in a tasting at Vinitaly.

VERONA VINITALY 10-13, 2016 9.30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 18.00 DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS THESE: international

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Among the initiatives promoted by the collaboration between Gambero Rosso and Verona Fiere, again this year in Vinitaly, will be a tasting of the labels winning Tre Bicchieri in the Vini d'Italia 2016 guide. The 29th edition evaluates the production of 2,400 wineries and reviews, one by one, over 20,000 wines. Among these, 421 won Tre Bicchieri prizes, the guideâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s maximum recognition. Among the winning wines in the 2016 edition, 111 Tre Bicchieri had wine shop prices under 15 M]ZW[ IVL _MZM I_IZLML <ZM *QKKPQMZQ >MZLQ KMZ\QĂ&#x2026;ML as organic or biodynamic).

VINO... EX-PRESS Gambero Rosso, editor di Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food, also hosts a tasting for the foreign press APRIL 12 | 11.00 | SALA ORCHIDEA | PALAEXPO | ENTRANCE A1 | FLOOR - 1 The nine protagonists of the year Nine personalities, nine special wines. The philosophy of the Gambero Rosso guide explained through the labels and the producers who won special awards in the 2016 edition. The curators of Vini dâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Italia lead the tasting: Gianni Fabrizio, Eleonora Guerini, Marco Sabellico.

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VINI INTERNATIONAL | AREA I Hall dedicated to international production. Besides the exhibiting companies, a tasting area is dedicated to buyers and a space for business meetings is available.

TASTE & BUY | PAD. 11 International Buyers' Lounge: an area reserved for international operators for purchasing and for comparing different producers VINITALYBIO | PAD. 8 8I^QTQWV LMLQKI\ML \W KMZ\QĂ&#x2026;ML WZOIVQK _QVM XZWL]KML QV Italy and abroad. In collaboration with Federbio.

VIVIT VIGNE VIGNAIOLI TERROIR | PAD. 8 ViViT brings together producers who want their wines to express themselves with transparency, authenticity and individuality. The pavilion is carried out in collaboration with the Vite association VINITALY AND THE CITY The Off-site events of Vinitaly: evening events in the heart of Verona for all wine lovers.

SOL&AGRIFOOD | AREA C The International Exhibition of Quality Agro-Foods promotes excellence in olive oil and agro-foods on a national and international scale.

THE TRE FOGLIE 2016 AT SOL GAMBERO ROSSO AND UNAPROL PRESENT AT THE SOL OF VERONA THE FIFTH EDITION OF THE OLI D'ITALIA 2016 GUIDE: REVIEWS AND RATINGS OF THE BEST EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OILS MADE IN ITALY (100% ITALIAN OLIVES).

ENOLITECH | AREA F International Exhibition of Wine-Growing and Cellar Techniques & Olive-Growing and Olive Oil Technologies

FOR MORE INFORMATION WWW.GAMBEROROSSO.IT WE HOPE TO SEE YOU AT OUR STAND, STAND GAMBERO ROSSO | PAD. 9 | TOSCANA | STAND C 16

38 MARCH 2016

39 MARCH 2016

GREAT VERTICAL TASTINGS

by Marco Sabellico with Stefania Annese

A spumante exported around the world and an important, powerful, elegant and concentrated red, an expression of the South â&#x20AC;&#x201C; both are Aglianico, and both are from Paternoster, a family of entrepreneurs who personify a typical Italian story. They also embody the history of the wines of the Vulture zone.

Power and Elegance in a Southern Red

Paternoster 41

MARCH 2016

GREAT VERTICAL TASTINGS

«I

n 1925, deciding to bottle one’s own wine and sell it labeled was not an obvious choice. In fact, if you weren’t in the Veneto or in Piedmont, but instead, in Italy’s deepest south, it was revolutionary.

My grandfather Anselmo – born in 1896 – was a man of character. He could read the signs of the time and look ahead.” Vito Paternoster told us the story of the estate that he heads today. “It wasn’t an easy period. My grandfather had just returned from the First World War, the Great War, we called it. Italy was going through I LQNÅK]T\ \QUM J]\ PM KW]TL [MM \PM possibilities. So he moved into town and built our original cellar. But above all, he had the idea of selling wine under his own name. He created a brand.” Anselmo began to select grapes from the best vineyards around Monte Vulture, the

extinct volcano that gives its name to the zone. In his cellar in Barile PM ^QVQÅML )OTQIVQKW J]\ IJW^M ITT with this grape, he produced successful spumanti, in both dry and semi-sweet (amabile) versions. “It’s strange for us today to think that the most popular wine of this territory was a red spumante,” Vito went on.

“But at that time, that’s how it was.

My grandfather spent years working hard and opening up markets way beyond just the local ones where he had been selling the wine from his own vineyards.” The period between the two wars was important for the Paternoster family. Anselmo’s son Giuseppe (known as Pino to everyone), born in 1919, went to study enology in Conegliano, a town in the north, in the Veneto. The winery grew and prospered. Paternoster wines and spumanti sold well in the northern regions of Italy, as well as in North

42 MARCH 2016

The Paternoster winery celebrates its 90th year.

Right, the corks from the various vintages opened during an exclusive vertical tasting at Gambero Rosso - an Aglianico that was the southern answer to Supertuscans. Left, Vito Paternoster. In the photo below, in the vineyard, from some years ago, he is with his father Giuseppe, who died in 2011. Below left, the barrel cellar.

On page 40 and 41, the tasting and old bottles of spumante that the winery exported to South America QV \PM ÅZ[\ PITN WN \PM 20th century. and South America (“Espumante de Vulture”, exclaimed a Venezuelan ad of the time), favored by massive Italian emigration to both continents. Even the Second World War didn’t halt Paternoster. The country was divided. Pino was a soldier in the north, Anselmo, who was always anti-Fascist and a socialist, was a partisan in the south. The family united after the war, and Pino, who had completed his studies, brought his technical knowledge to Barile. While he was in Conegliano he had seen that the path for Aglianico del Vulture led to a great age-worthy red.

Thanks to the oak barrels built for Pino by a friend from school, Giobatta Garbellotto, the family abandoned the traditional large chestnut casks, and Aglianico del Vulture entered a new phase. It was an imposing red, tannic and structured, but also elegant and very long-lived.

Aglianico became the principal wine of the estate, in two versions, annata, or vintage year, and Riserva. Prizes and recognition soon followed and 43 MARCH 2016

the market expanded. The family bought other vineyards until they reached the 20 hectares they own today, which in any case supply only a part of what is required. The Paternoster family have always been selectors, buyers, and they know their territory vineyard by vineyard. They have long-term relationships with growers, nurtured over the decades.

The grapes come mostly from two areas of Barile, the Valle del Titolo and Macarico, but also from other premium crus such as Gelosia, Pian di Carro and Maschito. In 1971, after efforts made by Pino Paternoster and a group of producers, the DOC )OTQIVQKW LMT >]T\]ZM _I[ ÅVITTa M[tablished. “In 1985, during the renaissance of Italian wine,” Vito said, “when my brothers and I had begun to take part in various ways in the business, we made Don Anselmo as a southern response to the Supertuscans. Today that label is 30 years old, but it is still 100% Aglianico, aged in large casks and barriques for over 20 months. The grapes are the result of

GREAT VERTICAL TASTINGS

a selection from a dozen old and very old vineyards which vary over the years. And if the harvest doesn’t measure up, we prefer not to produce that TIJMT <PI\ PI[ PIXXMVML Å^M \QUM[ in its lifetime.” In 1997, the labels underwent a restyling, and the Aglianico del Vulture at the heart of the production became Synthesis. The most ambitious project of the winery followed: Aglianico from a single cru, Rotondo. The vineyard of the same name is at the foot of Barile, in the Valle del Titolo. Aging is only in small barrels, at least a third of which are new, for at least a year and a half WV ÅVM TMM[ <PM ZM[]T\[ I[ NWZ ,WV Anselmo, are excellent. It is a wine of great concentration and extraordinary character. This, too, was a wine that both critics and consumers liked.

With the new century, after six years of work, a new, modern winemaking facility was inaugurated on the Villa

Rotondo property. It is surrounded by vineyards, while the original one in the town itself is still used for storage and aging. The fourth generation of Paternoster is entering the winery now. Fabio Mecca, an enologist, like his grandfather Pino, studied at the Scuola Enologica di Conegliano Veneto. The new DOCG labels will be out soon, and it will be the excellent 2012 vintage year that will be released during 2016. “We worked for the DOCG for years. We are sure it will mark a new phase for Paternoster and for the whole territory.” We asked what projects for the future were in the wings. “We will grow little by little with the market. We are structured to do that. And we’ve even begun preparations to celebrate our 100th anniversary. Meanwhile, we dedicate this event to those who came before us while we continue to work for the future.”

44 MARCH 2016

THE VERTICAL TASTING Ten years of Aglianico del Vulture, including the basic line, Don Anselmo and Rotondo, give us glassM[ \PI\ M`XZM[[ \PM []UX\]W][VM[[ IVL \PM XW_MZ WN I _QVM \PI\ ÅVL[ Q\[ QLMIT PIJQ\I\ QV \PM >]T\]ZM zone. In its oldest vintages, Aglianico expresses itself with great character and complexity, showing off its natural elegance.

AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE

AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE DON ANSELMO 2010 | 92

1990 | 93

The grapes chosen for Don Anselmo, the label dedicated to the memory of the winery’s founder, come from small, historic vineyards, about half a century old, located around the municipality of Barile.

The 2010 is a fairly intense ruby red color, framed by a pleasant fruitiVM[[ WN [W]Z KPMZZa IVL JT]MJMZZa NWTTW_ML Ja ÆWZIT [PILQVO[ [XQKa aromas of vanilla and an ethereal note enlivened by toasty coffee and chocolate. In the mouth, lively acidity leads to fruity and balsamic IZWUI[ \PMV TMI^M[ [XIKM NWZ UW]\P ÅTTQVO [QTSa \IVVQV[ IVL I _WVLMZN]TTa NZM[P ÅVQ[P <MV[QWV ZMVLMZ[ Q\ Y]Q\M aW]\PN]T

A wine that surprises us with its complexity and lively scents of ripe red fruit. Its olfactory profile is complex and elegant: dark cherry, dried plum, then delicate vegetal nuances arise in the glass. Sweet fruitiness is well balanced by acidity, rendering this red mobile and fresh, energetic and indelible on the palate. Structure is characterized by austerity and softness. Full flavor emerges with smooth tannins and warmth that fills the mouth and invites the next sip. And this is only the simplest wine of the house…

1985 | 88

2009 | 91

Garnet red and a nose halted a bit by reduction. The 1985 is a wine that on the first impact seems done, but little by little it opens onto more articulated sensations. Aromas become more intense, and scents of red fruit, such as cherries, alternate in a balanced way with notes of pepper and coffee. Great tasting sensations and acidic tension that is amazing despite its age. This was a particularly favorable year for Aglianico del Vulture. It’s no accident that it was also the first vintage year for Don Anselmo.

Dark, almost somber ruby red hue. Intense fragrances of blackberry and ripe marasca cherry then shade into aromas of spices, balsamic notes and tones of coffee that appear at the end. Soft mouth, blessed with the right freshness and an important savory vein. Tannins are well integrated and wood has been masterfully used. An assertive and rhythmic palate.

1997 | 95

A great vintage year for Aglianico that in this version amazes for the quality of the fruit and the harmony of each mouthful. Maturity has not diminished it, whereas assertiveness and depth are the foundation of this red. Floral hints are followed by shades of red fruit, carob and notes of black pepper. This juice-laden wine closes fresh and long with smooth tannins that give it extreme elegance.

AGLIANICO DEL VULTURE ROTONDO 2011 | 89

The name of the wine comes from the vineyards in Contrada Rotondo, in the municipality of Barile. The 2011 displays an intense and impenetrable ruby red. On the nose, scents of blackberry and black mulberry, along with aromas of aromatic herbs and the spiciness of black pepper. Dark notes of forest floor allow fruity character to appear also on the palate, where elegance translates into a long, savory trace and vibrant tannin of great finesse. Still behind in its evolution, but of notable typicity.

1990 | 92

Acidic tension is the common denominator in the various vintages of Paternoster’s Aglianico. They are all notable for their freshness and mineral character, for their volcanic energy and the concentration typical of wines from this land. Slightly veiled, a dark ruby red, \PM !! Q[ XIZ\ WN \PM ÅZ[\ ZMTMI[M WN V]UJMZML JW\\TM[ XZWL]KML Ja the winery. It is limpid, with ripe fruit that shows perfect evolution.

The palate is juicy and savory, wonderfully balanced and fresh. It closes on oaky and balsamic notes.

2000 | 90

Red ruby color still tightly woven and hints of black cherry, medicinal herbs and notes of carob on the nose. With time, toasted wood appears, with coffee, cinnamon, licorice and tobacco coming to the fore. Opulent and warm in the mouth, with ripe fruit dominating the palate. The wine is in a mature phase, but could still evolve. A savory, long-lasting finish.

1988 | 86

The ruby red color that characterizes younger vintages in this version is shading towards garnet red, with orange notes due to its age. The nose also shows signs of time passing. The oxidation perceived on ÅZ[\ QUXIK\ UW^M[ \W_IZL[ [MV[I\QWV[ WN LZQML NZ]Q\ PQV\[ WN \WI[\ \Wbacco and chocolate. Lively tannin loses some tone here, while good acidity sustains the mouthfeel.

1998 | 94

A memorable year for Paternoster. In 2002, the firm won a Tre Bicchieri award for Aglianico Rotondo. On the nose, an array of Mediterranean aromas and fragrances of plum and cherry jam.

It preserves its dark and lively ruby color. Time has not tempered its vitality but instead, lent it finesse, harmony, and a dense, silky tannic weave. A favorable vintage gave the wine freshness that is still active and exuberant. Great tasting profile and allure that calls for the next sip.

PATERNOSTER | C.DA VALLE DEL TITOLO | BARILE [PZ] | TEL. 0972 770 224 | WWW.PATERNOSTERVINI.IT | ANNUAL PRODUCTION: 150.000 BOTTLES | HECTARES OF VINEYARD: 20 | VITICULTURE: CERTIFIED ORGANIC

45 MARCH 2016

TOMMASI MAGNIFICA

TOMMASI EMBRACES ITALY

O

ver a century ago, in 1902, Giacomo Tommasi bought a miniscule vineyard in Pedemonte, in the heart of the historic Valpolicella Classica zone. The area was not only remarkable for its culture and history, but also for the potential of the terrain and the beauty of the landscape. After that investment by great-grandfather Giacomo, four generations of the family have committed themselves to viticulture. Today Tommasi is one of the best-known and most prestigious wineries in Italy. “Tommasi started as a small family property, from nonno Giacomo’s little vineyard. He had a great passion for wine. Finally, in the 1970s, the third generation transformed the winery into a modern business and began to export to Germany, Switzerland and the United States. It was the fourth generation, in 1997, that launched

the Tommasi Family Estates project.

Since that year, all investments have been aimed at the purchase of land with high potential for good winegrowing,” said Pierangelo Tommasi, head of commercial export and marketing. Today the family’s holdings extend over about 540 hectares of vineyard, all included in the TomUI[Q .IUQTa -[\I\M[ JZIVL ;XMKQÅcally, Tommasi Viticoltori is the historic family property founded in 1902

by Giacomo. Now it covers a total of 195 hectares in the province of Verona, of which 105 are in Valpolicella Classica, producing Amarone, Ripasso and Valpolicella Superiore.

The Maremma Tuscan winery is Poggio al Tufo, divided into two principal estates. One, in Pitigliano, was bought in 1997 and has a charming agriturismo. The other, where the winemaking facilities were built, is in Scansano. The complex of the Tenute di Poggio al Tufo cov46 MARCH 2016

POGGIO AL TUFO

MASSERIA SURANI

ers a total of 200 hectares of vineyard for the production of premium IGT wines.

Surani is the farm in Manduria in Puglia, covering 80 hectares. The Salento territory is renowned especially for the production of Primitivo. The zone is one where the cultivation of vines has a long history.

The idea behind the Masseria Surani project is to produce great wines from the indigenous grapes of the zone, and to fully express the enormous potential of varieties such as XZQUQ\Q^M VMOZWIUIZW IVL ÅIVW which are capable of great personality and character.

Caseo is the estate in the Oltrepò zone of Lombardy. Eighty hectares are set among the hills, a green area dedicated to the production of pinot nero and moscato grapes.

The latest acquisition is Casisano in Montalcino in 2015, and that purchase completed the ambitious Tommasi Family Estates project JMO]V QV !! <PM ÅZ[\ M`XIV[QWV was in Valpolicella with the addition of the best crus for producing Amarone. The next steps were across Italy’s best wine zones, and the perfect conclusion was Tuscany.

“Alongside our grapegrowing, I want to mention another important aspect of the Tommasi family heritage. That is hospitality, under the Tommasi Family Estates name,” Pierangelo Tommasi added. “Villa Quaranta is our Wine Resort and Spa in Valpolicella. It is a Veneto villa from the 17o century that has grown over the years. Today it has a restaurant, conference facilities and I UIOVQÅKMV\ _MTTVM[[ KMV\MZ 1V >Mrona, in Piazza dei Signori, we have the Albergo Mazzanti and a restaurant, Caffè Dante. In Maremma, at the heart of the Poggio al Tufo estate in Pitigliano, is an agriturismo.

We also offer hospitality at Surani,

TOMMASI FAMILY

Manduria and at Casisano in Montalcino. The concept is always to tie production to a 360-degree experience of the territory.”

The 2015 purchase of Casisano in the Montalcino zone was the crowning touch to the decades-long project. “Casisano is surrounded by vineyards and centuries-old woods.

The total surface is 53 hectares, of which 22 are Brunello and Rosso vineyards. Twelve are planted with olive trees. Casisano is on a splendid terrace among noble vineyards and ancient olive trees, facing the famous Abbey of Sant’Antimo.

The Brunello and Rosso wines of Montalcino can mature and age in the absolute stillness of the cellars, in large Slavonian oak barrels, a guarantee of tradition and of the classic style of this marvelous territory and also of the Tommasi family,” concluded Pierangelo. “A year after the purchase, we are very proud to present our Brunello 2011.

My cousin Giancarlo, the family enologist, knew how to develop it perfectly.” For those who want to

47 MARCH 2016

taste Tommasi Wines at Vinitaly, the company will be at Pavilion 5, D 02. “The news for 2016 is the Brunello 2011 from Casisano, our premium wine. Terra dei Ciliegi is a fresh, easy-to-drink label from the Valpolicella. Now we have the jewel in the crown with Brunello Casisano and a more versatile every day wine in Terra dei Ciliegi. And let’s VW\ NWZOM\ W]Z ÆIO[PQX _QVM W]Z grand Amarone.”

CASISANO

for allAnwho love Italian wine essential book 60 experts spent months forMore all than who love Italian wine doing blind tastings More than 60 experts months in every regionspent of Italy doing blind tastings in every region of Italy

2400 producers 22000 wines 2400 producers 421 Tre Bicchieri 22000 wines 80421 TreTre Bicchieri verdi Bicchieri 80 Tre Bicchieri verdi

www.gamberorosso.it

TRAVEL

SPECIAL

MAREMMA

ART AND FLAVORS IN THE OTHER TUSCANY

Once, Tuscany and Lazio were ruled by separate powers. The border zone known as the Maremma was wild and natural. Today its grazing lands and vineyards produce fine products and great wine.

The Maremma still has its own personality, and Valeria Piccini 49 MARZO 2016

TRAVEL

by Antonella Cecconi photography by Marco De Felicis

The border territory between the regions of Tuscany and Lazio was fought over by the Etruscans and Romans in ancient times.

From the land created by the same volcano that formed Lake Bolsena, near Viterbo, we move towards Capalbio, Scansano and Saturnia, all in Tuscany: vineyards, pastureland, and sulphurous waters until Pitigliano and Sovana â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a Mediterranean Far West

MAREMMA

The Tuscan land the volcano sculpted

51 MARZO 2016

TRAVEL

T

he yellow tufa of volcanic origin marks the magic door to this wild land of woods, sulphurous springs and ancient Etruscan cities. The medieval town of Capalbio rises near the quirky park of The Tarot Garden, in Pescia Fiorentina, on a hillside covered with Mediterranean scrub, a countryside of wild boar, deer and hare. Our stroll in the historic center started from the piazza where a modern sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle dominates. The Fortress of Aldobrandeschi and the crenellated walls look over scrub-covered hillsides that lead to the sea. In the music room of the Palazzo Collacchioni, we saw the Conrad Graf fortepiano played by Puccini when he vacationed here. We looked in at the Antico Frantoio, the restored olive mill of the town that is now a bar, a boutique, a restaurant, a charming bookstore and a center led by Ma-

ria Concetta Monaci who organizes cultural events. Driving north, we reached Scansano, a village dedicated to winegrowing and agriculture, the home of Morellino (a DOCG wine since 2006) made with 85% sangiovese grapes. The historic center is studded with wine bars and shops where we tasted the many labels that interpret this rough, dry and lightly tannic varietal that goes so well with local dishes. At the Roccapesta winery we met the enthusiastic Alberto Tanzini, whose love for his territory and nature is contagious. His Calestaia Riserva (the oldest east-facing vineyard) won a Tre Bicchieri award three years in a row. As it evolves, this Morellino ZMÆMK\[ Q\[ XZWL]KMZ¼[ ZI\QWVIT IVL elegant philosophy of winemaking.

A few kilometers from Saturnia, on a hillside planted with olive trees, we came to miniature MontemMZIVW WVM WN 1\ITa¼[ UW[\ JMI]\Q-

PESCIA FIORENTINA, THE TAROT GARDEN OF NIKI DE SAINT PHALLE

SCANSANO ROCCAFESTA CELLARS

IL GIARDINO DEI TAROCCHI THE TAROT GARDEN FROM BOMARZO TO BARCELONA The artistic park founded by Niki de Saint Phalle – near Pescia Fiorentina, just outside Capalbio – is populated by twentytwo gigantic forms that emerge from the hill and depict the 22 Major Arcana of the Tarot cards. <PM KWTW[[IT ÅO]ZM[ LMZQ^M NZWU IV IZ\Q[\QK UW^MUMV\ \PI\ JMOQV[ with the Bomarzo garden near Viterbo and passes through the Parc Güell in Barcelona, a fantasy of architect Antoni Gaudi.

The artist, together with her husband, Jean Tinguely (the creator of Mécaniques, metal sculptures \PI\ KIV UW^M IVL W\PMZ [K]TXtors, took 17 years and spent millions to express her dream. The ÅO]ZM[ \PM IZKIVI IZM KW^MZML with mirrors, glass and colored KMZIUQK[ \PI\ UISM \PMU ^Q[ible from the nearby highway, the Via Aurelia. In this esoteric garden, man and nature meet, and a magical spark ignites. The Empress, in a sphinx shape, was for years the artists’ home. In the garden, we can spot a dragon, \PM LM^QT \PM PMZUQ\ IVL W\PMZ QKWVQK ÅO]ZM[ <PM UMUWZIJTM park is protected by a wall designed by sculptor Mario Botta.

ful villages. It has remained almost unchanged in its urban plan and its stone-faced building style. Piazza Castello is a jewel of human dimensions, a stage-setting from another age, with its aristocratic palazzo and \PM IVKQMV\ NWZ\QÅML \W_MZ WN +I[sero Senese. The town is renowned among food lovers. It is the home of Valeria Piccini and Maurizio Manichetti who own Da Caino, a ZM[\I]ZIV\ _PMZM \PM ÆI^WZ[ WN \PM Maremma are celebrated. Their MTMOIV\ IVL ZMÅVML K]KQVI Q[ ÅZUTa anchored in the territory and embraces a careful selection of local ingredients, such as meat from an organic farm on Monte Amiata.

A short drive away is Manciano, in the heart of the Maremma, where the view stretches from Monte Amiata to the Argentario peninsula on the coast and the islands beyond.

At La Filanda, Gianpaolo and chef Barbara cordially welcomed us.

We moved on to Pitigliano, another name connected to wine, and here _M [I_ \PM 8ITIbbW 7Z[QVQ ÆIVSML by an imposing 18th century aqueduct. In this town, Maremmana tradition fused with Jewish culture.

History is celebrated in a dessert called Sfratto dei Goyim, or the Eviction of the Gentiles, referring to Pope Cosimo II, in the 17th century, ordering the many Jews in the zone into a small ghetto in Pitigliano.

(None live there now.) The cake is a thin, crisp dough wrapped around a ZQKP ÅTTQVO WN PWVMa IVL LZQML NZ]Q\ cinnamon and oranges. Among the tufa stone buildings, narrow streets house little shops, such as the Ghetto Bakery in the Jewish quarter. Another inviting restaurant featuring typical dishes, such as Lamb Buglione (in tomato sauce), is Hostaria del Ceccottino. For a more creative cuisine in an informal setting, try nearby Corte del Ceccottino.

MONTEMERANO, DA CAINO, TRADITIONAL... PAPPARDELLE WITH HARE

53 MARCH 2016

TRAVEL

The village of Sovana stands on a tufa cliff between the Aldobrandini Rocca and the Cathedral of Saint Peter, linked by the Via di Mezzo.

It was an important Etruscan town which became the headquarters of a Lombard family, the Aldobrandini. Their Hildebrand of Sovana became Pope Gregorio VII in 1073.

Walking these brick-paved streets between medieval palazzi and artisanal workshops â&#x20AC;&#x201C; such as the one dedicated to handwoven goods â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was like traveling to the past. But the history of this territory is also told in its cheeses, cured meats and wines.

After a visit to the Romanesque Duomo, to the Etruscan tombs carved out of the tufa cliffs, and a walk between the high walls of the Vie Cave, Q\ _I[ \QUM \W [MM \PM bWVMÂź[ _QVMZQM[ La Biagiola (with its monovarietal sangiovese, Alideo) and Sassotondo, (with its monovarietal ciliegiolo,

TERME DI SATURNIA SPA & GOLF RESORT, RISTORANTE ALLâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ACQUACOTTA, RIGATONI WITH SOFT GOOSE AND BLACK TRUFFLE SAUCE

SATURNIA, THE MULINO WATERFALLS

SATURNIA AND SORANO SPAS & NATURE AMONG OLIVE GROVES, WOODS AND VINEYARDS The geography of the Maremma, with its large natural spaces and soft hills, is the ideal setting for increasingly popular open-air tourism in harUWVa _Q\P \PM MV^QZWVUMV\ []KP I[ PQSQVO IVL JQSQVO 7^MZ \PQZ\a LQNNMZMV\ Q\QVMZIZQM[ ]VZWTT NWZ P]VLZML[ WN SQTWUM\MZ[ \PZW]OP \PQ[ ^IZQML ^WTKIVQK \MZZQ\WZa" ^QVMaIZL[ WTQ^M OZW^M[ 5MLQ\MZZIVMIV [KZ]J \]NI ZWKS and warm water springs that emerge from the ground. Antico Casale di Scansano is a resort and bike hotel with its own six-kilometer path, bike rental and repair, menus designed for athletes, a biking academy and TW]VOM IVL UIVa XMZ[WVITQbML [MZ^QKM[ The spa zone near the town of Saturnia, off the ancient Via Clodia, is easily found thanks to the steam of sulphurous body-temperature water that rises from the ground. For a luxurious spa stay, Terme di Saturnia SPA /WTN :M[WZ\ Q[ QLMIT LM[QOVML \W ZMTI` IVL XIUXMZ ^Q[Q\WZ[ 1\ PI[ \_W restaurants, Allâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Acquacotta, which offers gourmet meals, and Acqualuce, headed by Alessandro Bocci, the resident chef who uses ingredients from PQ[ W_V ^MOM\IJTM OIZLMV \W XZMXIZM \ZILQ\QWVIT LQ[PM[ 7]\[QLM \PM KWUXTM` NWZ I [XI M`XMZQMVKM QUUMZ[ML QV VI\]ZM UIVa ^Q[Q\WZ[ WX\ NWZ \PM pools formed by the Gorello brook, which runs from the thermal baths \W \PM 5]TQVW _I\MZNITT[ 6MIZ \PM JWZLMZ _Q\P \PM XZW^QVKM WN >Q\MZJW 4IbQW Q[ ;WZIVW _PQKP XZW^QLM[ IVW\PMZ WXXWZ\]VQ\a \W MVRWa \PM JMVMĂ&#x2026;\[ WN \PQ[ VI\]ZIT PMITQVO _I\MZ .WZ IV WZOIVQK [][\IQVIJTM IVL MKW compatible experience, thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Santâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Egle, which offers lodgings, food and [PWXXQVO NWZ \PM MV^QZWVUMV\ KWV[KQW][

54 MARCH 2016

PITIGLIANO. THAT MAGICAL TOWN BETWEEN LAZIO AND TUSCANY Pitigliano is a romantic town where you can wander through narrow streets, fall under the spell of its ancient walls and monuments, feel the presence of history and pulsing life. But it’s also a wonderful place to eat and shop.

WHERE TO EAT OSTERIA IL TUFO ALLEGRO | V.LO DELLA COSTITUZIONE, 5 | TEL. (+39) 0564 616192 | WWW.ILTUFOALLEGRO.COM DOMENICO PICHINI LOVES HIS LAND, HIS HERITAGE, AND THE PRODUCTS OF HIS TERRITORY, BUT HE ALSO LOVES TO EXPERIMENT AND CREATE. TRY HIS GARLICKY PICI ALL’AGLIATA AND SPINACH GNUDI (DUMPLINGS) WITH TRUFFLES. HIS WARM BACCALÀ SALAD WITH PUREED CHICKPEAS, GAETA OLIVES AND TOMATOES IS SUBLIME, HIS ROAST SUCKLING PIG SOFT AND FLAVORFUL. PAN CACI UA | VIA CAVOUR, 32 | TEL. (+39) 0564 616002 AN INFORMAL PLACE, AN EX-CARPENTRY SHOP WHICH TODAY SERVES THE BEST PLATTERS OF CURED MEATS AND CHEESES THAT THE ZONE PRODUCES ALONG WITH EXCELLENT ARTISANAL AND LOCAL WINES.

ALSO ON THE MENU, A FEW WELL-

FOODSHOP PANIFICIO CELATA | VIA UNITÀ D’ITALIA, 48 | TEL. (+39) 0564 616468 | WWW.PANCELATA.IT NOT JUST A BAKERY. BESIDES MAKING EXCELLENT BREAD AND PIZZA BY THE SLICE, THIS SHOP TURNS OUT EXTRAORDINARY SWEETS, SUCH AS RICOTTAOR CHOCOLATE- FILLED ROLLED CAKES, BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS, AND DRY, SWEET BREAD SLICES (FETTE BISCOTTATE) MADE WITH KAMUT FLOUR, RESEMBLING RUSKS OR ZWIEBACK. PASTA FRESCA DI DINI M. & C. | VIA N. CIACCI, 222 | TEL. (+39) 0564 614166 | PASTAFRESCADINI.IT THE HOME OF THE TRUE TORTELLO TOSCANO, OR FILLED PASTA, HERE MADE WITH TASTY GORGONZOLA CHEESE, RICOTTA AND SPINACH, TRUFFLES, NETTLES, OR POTATOES.

HOMEMADE

PICI PASTA, BOTH FRESH AND DRIED, AS WELL AS

BROAD PAPPARDELLE, AND THE SAUCES THAT SUIT THEM: WILD BOAR, GARLIC, HARE.

FORNO DEL GHETTO | VIA ZUCCARELLI, 167 | TEL. (+39) 0564 615303 THIS BAKERY TRACES ITS HISTORY BACK TO THE FORNO DELLE AZZIME, OR MATZOHS, THE OVEN OF THE OLD JEWISH QUARTER. NOW, WITH FRANCESCA LADU AT ITS HEAD, THE SHOP MAKES BREAD AND ALL THE BAKED GOODS FROM

SOUP.

PITIGLIANO’S JEWISH PAST, BOLLO, SFRATTO, AND MATZOH, BUT ALSO TYPICAL TUSCAN ONES SUCH AS BISCOTTI WITH ALMONDS, NERETTI, AND THE DELICIOUSLY HOMELY BRUTTI BUONI.

DELIZIE DI ALE E HELGA | VIA ROMA, 130 | WWW.DELIZIEDIALEEHELGA.IT. SMALL WINE SHOP AND BAR WHERE, ALONG WITH YOUR BEVERAGE, YOU CAN EAT LOCAL FOODS PREPARED EVERY DAY

BY THE SHOP NEXT DOOR.

CURED MEATS, CHEESE ACCOMPANIED BY PRESERVES, OIL-PRESERVED VEGETABLES, PICI PASTA TOPPED WITH WILD BOAR, DUCK, OR HARE RAGOUT. FOR DESSERT, NOT-TOBE-MISSED ‘SFRATTO’, THE LOCAL DRIED FRUIT

RICOTTA AND NETTLES TORTELLI WITH TRUFFLE SHAVINGS

AND ABUNDANT STUFFINGS SUCH AS PEARS AND

MADE WARM DISHES SUCH AS BARLEY OR CHICKPEA

HOSTARIA DEL CECCOTTINO | P.ZZA SAN GREGORIO VII, 64 | TEL. 0564 614 273 WWW.CECCOTTINO.COM A GOOD PLACE TO TASTE MAREMMA’S CUCINA, INFLUENCED BY THE ANCIENT JEWISH TRADITIONS OF THE TOWN. TORTELLI, SOUPS, CURED MEATS AND CHEESES, MANY HALLOWED PRODUCTS THAT ARE SLOW FOOD PRESIDIA, IN DANGER OF DISAPPEARING.

HOSTARIA DEL CECCOTTINO,

WHERE TO SLEEP LOCANDA PANTANELLO | S.P. DEL PANTANO KM 6233 | TEL. 0564 616715 |WWW.PANTANELLO.IT AN OLD STONE FARMHOUSE IN THE HILLS FOR

PITIGLIANO, LOCANDA ILUNE, LIVING ROOM

A VACATION DEVOTED TO GOOD FOOD AND COMPLETE RELAXATION.

COZY, WELCOMING

ROOMS, DELICIOUS BREAKFASTS, AND EVENINGS IN FRONT OF THE FIREPLACE MAKE FOR A PERFECT STAY IN THIS CORNER OF PARADISE.

LOCANDA ILUNE | S.DA PROV.LE DI SORANO 2920/A | TEL. 0564 617173 | WWW.ILUNE.IT COMFORTABLE AND WELCOMING ROOMS, RELAXING ATMOSPHERE IN A TRANQUIL INN. ARRANGEMENTS WITH SPAS, BICYCLES TO BORROW. Iona Sermoneta

CAKE THAT HERE IS ENRICHED WITH CINNAMON AND LEMON ZEST.

PITIGLIANO, NIGHTTIME VIEW

55 MARCH 2016

TRAVEL

ETRUSCAN TERRITORY THE TUFO CITIES FROM SOVANA TO SAN QUIRICO

SOVANA, SASSOTONDO, CELLAR CARVED IN TUFA

San Lorenzo) are part of Volcanic Wines, a brand that joins about 100 wineries with volcanic soil and indigenous varieties in common, ZIVOQVO NZWU -\VI¼[ VMZMTTW UI[KITM[M \W \PM 5IZMUUI¼[ KQTQMOQWTW Towards the basin of Lake Bolsena, we visited the Fortezza Orsini at the highest point of Sorano. This town is a perfect shopping destination for the purchase of many quality products, in particular legumes (for example, borlotto nano; cannellino di Sorano, white, with an elongated tubular shape, a local MKW\aXM _Q\P I \PQV ÅVM IVL LQgestible skin; the rare ciavattone di Sorano with its creamy pulp) and exceptional pecorino cheeses. The Riservo farm won third prize in the 2015 Pienza competition for fresh pecorino cheeses. The various types WN XMKWZQVW NZWU \PM +I[MQÅKQW LQ Sorano are worth sampling. Here, before continuing your journey, take advantage of the spas and their sulphurous, relaxing water.

The archeological park, Città del Tufo, includes – in the zones WN ;W^IVI ;WZIVW IVL >Q\WbbI ;IV 9]QZQKW · VMKZWXWTQ IVL -\Z][KIV ZWIL[ K]\ QV\W \PM \]NW ZWKS IVKQMV\ UMLQM^IT ZMmains, churches, castles and rock dwellings. The tombs, from \PM \P \W \PM VL KMV\]ZQM[ * + IZM IT[W L]O QV\W \PM ^WTKIVQK ZWKS IVL IZM WN LQNNMZMV\ \aXM[ ;WUM PI^M KWT]UV[ []KP I[ the imposing Ildebranda Tomb, the upper part of which imi\I\M[ I /ZMMS \MUXTM IVL Q[ J]QT\ IJW^M \PM J]ZQIT KPIUJMZ <PM ?QVOML ,MUWV <WUJ LQ[KW^MZML QV LQ[XTIa[ IJ]VLIV\ \ZIKM[ WN XIQV\ML LMKWZI\QWV WV Q\[ []ZNIKM[ IVL \_W ÅO]ZM[ QLMV\QÅML I[ \PM OWLLM[[ WN LMI\P IVL \PM NMZZQMZ <PM[M \_W IVL the Siren tomb are from the 3rd and 2nd century B.C.. The Via +I^I LQ 8WOOQW 8ZQ[KI VMIZ \PM 1TLMJZIVLI <WUJ Q[ I [PWZ\ MVKPIV\QVO Q\QVMZIZa JM\_MMV -\Z][KIV _ITT[ UM\MZ[ PQOP )T[W [XMK\IK]TIZ IZM \PM >QM +I^M LQ ;IV ;MJI[\QIVW WV \PM W\PMZ [QLM WN \PM ZWIL · LQ[Y]QM\QVO []ZZMIT KaKTWXMIV _ITT[ >QI +I^I LQ San Rocco, until 1936, was the only road connecting Sorano and ;W^IVI 7\PMZ [\ZQSQVO ZWIL[ IZM \PM >QI +I^I LQ ;IV /Q][MXXM IVL \PI\ WN .ZI\MV]\Q JW\P QV 8Q\QOTQIVW 6MIZ ;IV 9]QZQKW NWTTW_QVO I XI\P QV I ]VQY]M VI\]ZIT MV^QZWVUMV\ aW] KIV ZMIKP \PM UMLQM^IT ZWKS L_MTTQVO[ WN >Q\WbbI IJIVLWVML QV \PM \P KMV\]Za <PM IZMI PI[ W^MZ OZW\\WM[ \PI\ QV \PM 5QLLTM )OM[ were used as homes, warehouses, shops and animal shelters.

CAPALBIO, BAR RISTORANTE IL FRANTOIO

56 MARCH 2016

ADDRESSES WHERE TO SLEEP

*** SCILLA | P.ZZA DEL PRETORIO, 16 | SOVANA (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 614 329 | WWW.ALBERGOSCILLA.COM | DOUBLE FROM 80 EUROS BREAKFAST INCL.

****ANTICO CASALE DI SCANSANO | LOC. CASTAGNETA SCANSANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 507 219 | WWW.ANTICOCASALEDISCANSANO.IT | AGRITURISMO BIOLOGICO DOUBLE 130/190 EUROS SANT’EGLE | VIA DI CASE SPARSE BREAKFAST INCL SANT’EGLE, 18 | SORANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 348 888 4810 | ***** TERME DI SATURNIA SPA WWW.AGRITURISMOBIOLOGICO & GOLF RESORT | TOSCANA.IT | DOUBLE 112 EUROS SATURNIA (GR) | BREAKFAST INCL. TEL. (+39) 0564 600 111 | WWW.TERMEDISATURNIA.IT | WHERE TO EAT DOUBLE FROM 400 EUROS IL FRANTOIO | VIA R. FUCINI, 10 | BREAKFAST INCL. CAPALBIO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 896 484 | *** VILLA ACQUAVIVA | WWW.FRANTOIOCAPALBIO.COM | S.DA SCANSANESE | AVERAGE PRICE 55 EUROS LOC. MONTEMERANO | MANCIANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 602890 | WWW.VILLACQUAVIVA.IT | DOUBLE FROM 120 EUROS.

**** SOVANA HOTEL & RESORT | VIA DEL DUOMO, 66 | SOVANA (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 617 030 | WWW.SOVANAHOTEL.IT | DOUBLE FROM 120 EUROS BREAKFAST INCL.

SORANO, AS SEEN FROM THE TOWN OF SAN ROCCO

ALL’ACQUACOTTA | TERME DI SATURNIA SPA & GOLF RESORT | SATURNIA (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 600 111 | WWW.TERMEDISATURNIA.IT | AVERAGE PRICE 95/115 EUROS ACQUALUCE | TERME DI SATURNIA SPA & GOLF RESORT | SATURNIA (GR) | 45 EUROS

DA CAINO | 3| MONTEMERANO | MANCIANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 4602 817 | WWW.DACAINO.IT | AVERAGE PRICE 150 EUROS VIA CANONICA,

LA FILANDA | VIA MARSALA, 8/VIA TRIESTE, 4 | MANCIANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 625 156 | WWW.LAFILANDA.BIZ | 60 EUROS ENOTECA VINO AL VINO | VIA DEL DUOMO, 10 | SOVANA (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 617 108

WINERIES ROCCAPESTA | LOC. MACERETO, 9 SCANSANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 599252 | WWW.ROCCAPESTA.COM LA BIAGIOLA | LOC. PIANETTI | FRAZ. SOVANA | SORANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 614032 | WWW.LABIAGIOLA.IT

SASSOTONDO | PIAN DI CONATI, 52 | FRAZ. SOVANA | SORANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 614218 | WWW.SASSOTONDO.IT

FOODSHOPS FORNO DEL GHETTO | VIA ZUCCARELLI, 167 | PITIGLIANO (GR) | TEL. 0564 615303 RISERVO| LOC. SANT’ANGELO, 13| SORANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 619023 | WWW.RISERVO.IT CASEIFICIO DI SORANO | LOC. LA FRATTA, 54 | SORANO (GR) | TEL. (+39) 0564 633002 | WWW.CASEIFICIOSORANO.IT

USEFUL LINKS WWW.TERREDEGLIETRUSCHI.IT

WWW.GIARDINODEITAROCCHI.IT WWW.MAREMMABIKE.IT

WWW.LAPICCOLAGERUSALEMME.IT WWW.GUSME.IT/SEMPLICEMENTE WWW.LEVIECAVE.IT

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

photo by L. Tessaro

by Francesco Seccagno

Valeria Piccini, alias Caina, and her husband Maurizio Menichetti, son of Caino, are themselves perfect examples of the authentic, earthy nature of their home territory, the Maremma. Caino was the nickname of Menichettiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father, Carisio. In their restaurant, Da Caino, they interpret the myth of their wild and beautiful land in a modern and ironic key.

58 MARCH 2016

MODERN TUSCAN EARTHINESS

P

THE MAREMMA TODAY Valeria Piccini 59 MARZO 2016

erhaps her passion for pastrymaking emerged from her studies in chemistry, soon put aside when she joined her husband and his family in their restaurant kitchen. But the love for her territory seems bred in her bones. Valeria Piccini, self-taught, began cooking by her mother-in-law’s side in the trattoria named Caino, the nickname of Carisio, Maurizio Menichetti’s father.

The shop, which sold wine, opened in Montemerano in 1971. After a few years, the shop developed into an inn and trattoria. “I began cooking,” Piccini told us, “at the end of the 70s, with no other professional experience. My mother-in-law was a great help, and in 1987 left me in charge of the kitchen.” Valeria Piccini continued, “At the end, my work should be a true joy for all the senses, although flavor is fundamental. Aesthetics is important, but only in second place, even if it’s carefully tended to. Flavors have to satisfy the eyes, the palate, and the heart.” The other pilaster of Caino is Maurizio, who heads the wine cellar – a spectacular space dug out of the rock that goes underground for several meters, creating niches, rooms and subterranean corners for the restaurant’s 20,000 bottles. The collection is the result of an attentive and precise selection of the best Italian and foreign production, but with the emphasis on great reds from Piedmont, Tuscany and France. Along with these is A Carisio, the wine that Maurice produces himself from a vineyard where he grows an old variety of sangiovese and malvasia nera.

DA CAINO | VIA CANONICA, 3 | MONTEMERANO (GR) TEL. 0564 602817 | WWW.DACAINO.COM

|

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

THE FIFTH QUARTER INGREDIENTS FOR 4 2 WELL-CLEANED PIGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S EARS 1 PIGâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S TROTTER 2 BAY LEAVES LEMON ZEST COARSE SALT AND PEPPERCORNS TO GRIND

10 G PARTLY DEHYDRATED CHERRIES

400 G VEAL TROTTERS PEANUT OIL 300 G VEAL SWEETBREADS OLIVE OIL 200 G PLAIN YOGURT A SIPHON WITH TWO CARTRIDGES

8 SHEETS OF FILO PASTRY 50 G BUTTER 500 G RIPE CHERRIES ARUGULA AND BEET GREENS DE-PITTED CHERRIES AND WHITE JASMINE FLOWERS FOR DECORATION

PREPARATION Boil the pigâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ears and trotter with salt, pepper, lemon zest and bay leaves. When they are well-cooked, de-bone the trotter and hand-chop with a knife the trotter meat and ears.

Add salt, pepper, lemon and semi-dehydrated cherries, put aside to cool. Divide the mixture into four parts and form into patties about 2 cm high. Brown both sides of the patties in oil before arranging on dish. In the meantime, boil the veal trotter, cool, cut into thin strips and dry in the oven at 60°C (140°F).

Then fry the strips in peanut oil to crisp.

Purge the sweetbreads well in running water, boil them, cut into circles and brown well in olive oil. Add salt.

Place the yogurt in a siphon with two cartridges and keep warm. Centrifuge the cherries and reduce the liq]QL W^MZ TW_ PMI\ \W QV\MV[QNa Ă&#x2020;I^WZ IVL KWV[Q[\MVKa +]\ \PM Ă&#x2026;TW XI[\Za QV\W KQZKTM[ KU TIZOMZ \PIV the bottom of the dish in which the antipasto will be served. From the centers of each, remove another circle, leaving about 7 centimeters of pastry around the hole. You obtain doughnut shapes to brush with melted butter and cook in pairs, between two sheets

WN [QTXI\ QV I Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. W^MV NWZ ! UQV]\M[ 1V each plate, place a spoonful of centrifuged cherries, then the warm foam of yogurt and a crisp sweetbread.

8TIKM I KQZKTM WN Ă&#x2026;TW XI[\Za WV \PM XTI\M IZZIVOQVO \PM scallops of browned ears, sweetbreads and veal trotter, a few drops of cherry reduction, the de-pitted cherries QV XQMKM[ \PM TMI^M[ IVL \PM Ă&#x2020;W_MZ[

60 MARCH 2016

SPAGHETTI WITH ALMOND MILK, BROCCOLI PUREE AND HERRING POWDER INGREDIENTS FOR 4 320 G SPAGHETTONI 8-10 PANTELLERIA CAPERS, WELL-RINSED (CUT EACH CAPER INTO 6 PIECES) 10 DE-PITTED TAGGIASCHE OLIVES, COARSELY CHOPPED HERRING POWDER 12 ALMONDS WITH THEIR PEEL (TOASTED AND COARSELY CHOPPED) 400 G BLACK BROCCOLI SALT, PEPPER EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL 100 G PEELED ALMONDS 100 G TOASTED ALMONDS 300 G WATER COULIS OF RASPBERRIES FOR DECORATION

PREPARATION To make the broccoli puree: chop, wash and blanch the black broccoli. SautĂŠ in a pan with garlic and olive oil. Puree in blender, strain and keep warm after tasting for salt and pepper.

To make the almond milk: blend together 100 g peeled almonds, 100 g toasted ITUWVL[ _Q\P O _I\MZ ;\ZIQV _MTT \W WJ\IQV UQTS To make the herring powder: remove bones from herring and dry in a food dehydrator (or in oven at a very low temperature). Then crumble to make powder. +WWS \PM [XIOPM\\Q QV IJ]VLIV\ [IT\ML _I\MZ NWZ UQV]\M[ \PMV Ă&#x2026;VQ[P cooking in a pan with the almond milk and a pinch of herring powder. Stir in olive oil and blend well. To serve: spread broccoli puree on bottom of dish, on top arrange a nest of spaghetti (use tongs and leave a central hole to Ă&#x2026;TT _Q\P JZWKKWTQ X]ZMM ;XZQVSTM _Q\P PMZZQVO XW_LMZ IVL KPWXXML WTQ^M[ KIXMZ[ IVL ITUWVL[ /IZVQ[P _Q\P JZWKKWTQ Ă&#x2020;WZM\[ IVL ZI[XJMZZa KW]TQ[

RICETTE RECIPESDEI FROM GRANDI GREATCUOCHI CHEFS

LAMB, BUGLIONE SAUCE TODAY INGREDIENTS FOR 6 LAMB 400 G LAMB SHOULDER

GARLIC SAUCE 150 G PEELED GARLIC CLOVES

POTATOES 500 G RATTE POTATOES

1 TBSP TOMATO PASTE

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

WHITE WINE

SALT

GARLIC

½ CUP WATER

*TIVKP OIZTQK \QUM[ \PMV KWWS ]V\QT \MVder and puree in blender with oil.

Slice the potatoes into rounds about 1-2 cm thick. Blanch in water, then sautĂŠ in a pan with olive oil and seasonings.

SALT AND PEPPER ROSEMARY GARLIC

FRESH TOMATO SAUCE 400 G FRESH TOMATO PULP

1 BREAST OF LAMB (ABOUT 600 G: 12 BABY RIBS)

50 G EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

Shoulder: season the meat with salt, pepper, a little olive oil. Brown with garlic and rosemary, add white wine. When it has evaporated, add one tablespoon of tomato paste dissolved in water. Cook until tender, keep the meat warm and cut into even pieces. Strain and reserve sauce (this is the buglione sauce). *ZMI[\" [IT\ PMI\ QV NZaQVO XIV IVL Ă&#x2026;VQ[P KWWSQVO QV W^MV NWZ UQV]\M[ ;TQKM QV\W 12 ribs.

1 CLOVE GARLIC

5 G SALT 70 G STALE BREAD Place all ingredients in a vacuum-cooking bag and leave to marinate for at least 6 hours. Open the bag, remove the garlic and puree tomatoes, together with bread and oil.

62 MARCH 2016

BREAD Cut 2-cm cubes from day-old unsalted (Tuscan) bread. Toast in oven with a little olive oil.

Assembling the dish: Place garlic sauce and tomato sauce in center of dish. Place ribs on top. Next to buglione sauce, place the toasted bread, dipped in heated sauce and add the cooked shoulder. On the side, arrange the potatoes in an orderly way.

D IVERSAMENTE CAFFĂ&#x2C6; COFFEE DIVERSITY CRUMBLE 65 G FLOUR

RICOTTA SANDWICH 375 G HEAVY CREAM

COFFEE WAFERS 75 G ALMOND FLOUR

35 G TPT (50% SUGAR, 50% ALMOND FLOUR)

10 G UNFLAVORED GELATIN

200 G SUGAR

75 G SUGAR

75 G SOFT BUTTER

6 G FINELY GROUND COFFEE

90 G SOFT CHEESE

8 G FINELY GROUND COFFEE

15 G SOFT BROWN SUGAR

300 G RICOTTA

70 G LIQUID COFFEE

40 G BUTTER

25 G COFFEE EXTRACT Whip half the cream with sugar and soft cheese. Heat the rest of the cream, dissolve the gelatin in it and pour into the planetary mixer.

Beat ricotta with coffee extract and combine the two mixtures. Pour into a pan 2cm high IVL TMI^M \W KWWT QV ZMNZQOMZI\WZ NWZ I\ TMI[\ hours. Cut sable cookies to the same height to form the walls of the sandwich.

5Q` [WN\ J]\\MZ _Q\P []OIZ IVL ITUWVL Ă&#x2020;W]Z add ground coffee and lastly, liquid coffee.

Chill in refrigerator. Form small spheres, a TQ\\TM TIZOMZ \PIV I PIbMTV]\ IVL Ă&#x2020;I\\MV 8TIKM WV [PMM\[ WN [QTQKWV IVL JISM QV Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;.

W^MV NWZ UQV]\M[ ?Q\P I ZW]VL KWWSQM WZ XI[\I K]\\MZ KU QV LQIUM\MZ K]\ KQZKTM[ JMfore the dough cools. The wafer later rests on the crème chiboust.

SABLĂ&#x2030; AL CAFFĂ&#x2C6; 300 G BUTTER

CRĂ&#x2C6;ME CHIBOUST AL CAFFĂ&#x2C6; 200 G LIQUID COFFEE

500 G FLOUR

225 G HEAVY CREAM

5 G SALT

175 G EGG YOLKS

90 G EGG YOLKS

75 G SUGAR

200 G CONFECTIONERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SUGAR

40 G WHEAT STARCH

6 G FINELY GROUND COFFEE

8 G GELATIN

60 G PEANUT BUTTER In a food processor, work together soft butter, peanut butter and sugar. Then add all other ingredients. Shape into a cylinder and freeze.

Grate onto a silpat (silicone sheet) and bake in W^MV I\ Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. NWZ UQV]\M[ COFFEE GELATIN 400 G LIQUID COFFEE 4 G AGAR AGAR Boil 200 g coffee with agar agar, cool and beat with an immersion blender. Add the remaining coffee, cool. Pour a few drops on the coffee crumble.

?WZS \WOM\PMZ J]\\MZ IVL Ă&#x2020;W]Z ILL OZW]VL coffee, egg yolks and confectionerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sugar.

8]\ I[QLM \W ZM[\ :WTT W]\ \W I \PQKSVM[[ WN mm and cut with a cookie cutter or mold into [Y]IZM[ KU XMZ [QLM *ISM I\ Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;.

NWZ UQV]\M[ <PQ[ Q[ \PM M`\MZVIT XIZ\ WN \PM ricotta sandwich.

63 MARCH 2016

250 G ITALIAN MERINGUES 5ISM \PM 1\ITQIV UMZQVO]M[" O _I\MZ O []OIZ O MOO _PQ\M[ 0MI\ _I\MZ IVL []OIZ \W Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. \W UISM [aZ]X 8W]Z \PM [aZup on the egg whites and beat into peaks. Take O \W UQ` _Q\P \PM KZvUM KPQJW][\ XI[\Za cream): beat the yolks with the sugar, add the starch, mix, add the liquids and cook in a bainUIZQM \W Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. <PMV ILL OMTI\QV IVL the meringue. Keep the chiboust in the refrigerator in a sac-a-poche, or pastry bag.

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS MERINGHETTE AL CAFFĂ&#x2C6; E LIQUIRIZIA 300 G SUGAR 120 G EGG WHITES LICORICE POWDER Beat all together for 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and form small meringues. Dust with ground coffee and licorice XW_LMZ *ISM QV Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. W^MV NWZ PW]Z[ GELATO AL CAFFĂ&#x2C6; 400 G MILK 240 G HEAVY CREAM

Warm 60 ml of water and dissolve the gelatin (previously soaked and squeezed out in cold water). Transfer to an electric beater. Make a syrup with the sugars and remaining water, PMI\ \W Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6; . IVL XW]Z [TW_Ta W^MZ the gelatin. Beat for a long time, raising the velocity gradually for 10 minutes. Spread the UQ`\]ZM WV I Ă&#x2020;I\ XIV IVL KPQTT QV ZMNZQOMZI\WZ NWZ PW]Z[ +]\ QV\W ZMK\IVOTM[ ` KU K]\ QV half and insert 1 or 2 salted peanuts and a mint leaf in the middle, stick onto a toothpick. At the moment of plating, burn the outside with a gas torch used for caramelizing.

110 G ESPRESSO COFFEE 70 G POWDERED MILK

MACARON

130 G OF VERY FINE ALMOND POWDER

40 G GLUCOSE

225 G POWDERED SUGAR

Dissolve the sugar and the powdered milk in the milk, heat, add coffee and heavy cream.

Then blend in the ice-cream machine.

115 G EGG WHITES

MARSHMALLOW 4 GELATIN LEAVES 60 + 40 ML WATER 285 G ISOMALT 110 G GLUCOSE

60 G SUGAR Sift the almond powder and powdered sugar together. Whip the egg whites and sugar into peaks and mix gently with sifted powders.

Using a pastry bag, make macarons on ovenproof paper. Leave to rest for 20 minutes beNWZM JISQVO \PMU QV I Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. W^MV NWZ 14 minutes. Splash them with a mixture of spirits and red coloring. Fill with pastry cream (see recipe below).

64 MARCH 2016

CREMOSO AL CAFFĂ&#x2C6; <PQ[ KZMIU Q[ \PM Ă&#x2026;TTQVO NWZ \PM UIKIZWV[ COFFEE INFUSION: 635 G HEAVY CREAM, 60 G COFFEE BEANS

CRUSH THE COFFEE BEANS AND ADD THEM TO SIMMERING CREAM FOR ABOUT 30 MINUTES. STRAIN. CREAM: 550 G COFFEE INFUSION, 150 G EGG YOLKS, 110 G SUGAR, 110 G COCOA BUTTER, 8 G GELATIN Dissolve previously soaked gelatin in a little coffee infusion. Beat the yolks with sugar, add the OMTI\QV IVL \PM QVN][QWV KWWS \W Â&#x2C6;+ Â&#x2C6;. and cool. At room temperature add cocoa butter. Beat and transfer to a pastry bag.

Arrange all these preparations on the coffee KZ]UJTM /IZVQ[P _Q\P JWZIOM Ă&#x2020;W_MZ[

PAIRINGS

SPAGHETTI, ALMOND MILK, BROCCOLI PUREE

THE FIFTH QUARTER

AND HERRING POWDER

A CARISIO BIANCO 2013 | AZ. AGRICOLA MENICHETTI MAURIZIO | FRAZ. MONTEMERANO | MANCIANO (GR) | WWW.DACAINO.COM

PIANO PIANO POCO POCO 2013 | CASAVYC | SCANSANO (GR) | WWW.CASAVYC.IT

<PM Q[ I _QVM NZWU XZWKIVQKW IV[WVQKI IVL [I]^QOVWV JTIVK grapes. It displays a vast variety of aromatic notes that embody the Maremma. A perfect pairing with the Fifth Quarter, an unusual wine, but imbued with the territoryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s traditions, just as this dish is.

This Tuscan Sauvignon made by Casavyc presents the typical notes of the varietal, offering tomato leaf scents to the nose. The variety is grown in Maremma on stony soil, and the wine is fresh and complex.

It goes well with the broccoli purĂŠe of this spaghetti dish.

LAMB. BUGLIONE SAUCE TODAY

COFFEE DIVERSITY

A CARISIO ROSSO 2013 | AZ. AGRICOLA MENICHETTI MAURIZIO | FRAZ. MONTEMERANO | MANCIANO (GR) | WWW.DACAINO.COM

SANTA ANA PEDRO XIMENES 1861 | EMILIO HIDALGO | JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA | SPAGNA | WWW.HIDALGO.COM

*]OTQWVM Q[ I LQ[P _Q\P QVKQ[Q^M Ă&#x2020;I^WZ[ <PM _QVM UW[\Ta [IVOQWvese, also has evident notes of malvasia. It combines acidity and freshness, cleaning the palate well. Here too, interesting varietal notes are very present on the nose. They echo the bouquet of the Maremma itself.

It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t easy to pair coffee with wine. Unlike other Ximenes labels, _PQKP KTW[M WV [_MM\ VW\M[ \PM PI[ NZM[PMZ VW\M[ _Q\P IZWmas that directly suggest coffee. The echoes of those tones play MTMOIV\Ta _Q\P Ă&#x2026;VM[[M IVL TMI^M \PM UW]\P XTMI[IV\Ta KTMIV

65 MARCH 2016

OLI D’ITALIA 2016

by Indra Galbo

OLIVE OIL

PAIRING

Learning about and appreciating the fine points of good extra-virgin olive oil has become a trendy practice in recent years, above all for food enthusiasts, both European and not. Beginners perfect their recognition of aromas and eventual defects on the nose, while the fearless approach tasting directly from the little glasses used by pros.

Something that is still undervalued, however, is the method (if it is a method) or technique of good food/olive oil pairing.

-`\ZI ^QZOQV WQT WN\MV _WZS[ I[ I ÆI^WZ enhancer, thanks to different types of intensity and the oil’s many aromatic facets. Some oils express themselves on notes of tomato, others with balsamic tones, and yet others display herbaceous or almondy sensations. *]\ [XMKQÅKITTa PW_ LW _M XIQZ M`\ZI virgin olive oil?

4M\¼[ \Za \W M[\IJTQ[P Å^M O]QLMTQVM[ \W help avoid errors in the kitchen.

66 MARCH 2016

3. Intensely fruity oils go well with savory and structured dishes.

A bean soup, such as pasta with chickpeas, or grilled red meat, will overwhelm a light olive oil. From an aromatic point of view, the oil will simply provide a fatty element, its fragrances disappearing under the impact of forceful ingredients.

4. Olive oil and chocolate.

1. Extra-virgin can be paired for ‘assonance’.

If we have an oil that gives us fragrances of tomato (e.g. DOP Monti Iblei or DOP Colline Pontine) we will pair it with dishes based on tomato (pizza Margherita, Tuscan panzanella, gazpacho, spaghetti with tomato sauce). If, instead, we have a very bitter oil (e.g the moraiolo or coratina cultivars) we use it with bitter foods such as radicchio, arugula, or regional dishes where the vegetable and herbaceous component stands out (e.g. ribollita Toscana, a soup based on Tuscan kale and beans).

2. Raw meat or fish calls for light or medium fruity oils.

The risk of using an oil that is too intense on steak tartare or Å[P KIZXIKKQW Q[ \PI\ Q\ _QTT UI[S \PM ÆI^WZ WN \PM SMa QVOZMLQMV\ 1N \PM UMI\ WZ Å[P Q[ \WX Y]ITQ\a Q\ _QTT be penalized by an excessively intense extra-virgin oil.

Even if it seems a strange association, the pairing of these two prod]K\[ Q[ VW\ I[ WLL I[ Q\ TWWS[ I\ ÅZ[\ Chocolate, above all the dark kind with at least 60% cacao content, goes well with medium and intense extra-virgin olive oils with strong herbaceous tones and an almondy ÅVQ[P -`IUXTM[ _W]TL JM NZIV\WQW toscano and moraiolo.

5. If they live together, they go well together.

This famous phrase of Jamie Oliver’s from his television programs doesn’t offer the solution to every problem, but it can be helpful in matching food and olive oil.

The oil produced in a particular zone very often goes well with recipes typical of that area.

LETTER

FORAGING special occasions. But what occasion is ever special enough for my 1985 Sassicaia or my 1990 Hermitage? photo by Colin Hampden-White

Ah, the pleasures of having one’s own wine cellar! Instead of racing around liquor stores when you should be basting the roast or mounting the mousse, you can enjoy contemplating in advance exactly which sequence of bottles from your own collection will best complement the meal and then producing some suitably dust-covered bottles that will amaze your dinner guests.

As a result, we have the perfect illustration of Gresham’s Law. He said that bad money drives good money out of circulation. In my cellar, vin ordinaire drives grand cru out of circulation. Nebbiolo d’Alba, Tocai Friulano, and Côtes-du:PWVM Æa ]X[\IQZ[ IVL OM\ ZMXTIKML with dizzying regularity. But Barolo Monfortino and Bonnes Mares, Pergole Torte and Scharzhofberger Eiswein, upon which I invested so much money and hope, persist forever in their immobile, mute, 55° untouchability.

That’s one way of looking at it, anyway. But lately I’ve had some trouble with this utopian vision.

I’ve begun to fear that the wine cellar is more about collecting than it is about tasting. And that is bad news.

I’m sure it’s a wonderful thing to collect stamps, or Mickey Mouse memorabilia, or vintage automobiles. I can imagine that collectors of these things give themselves great pleasure by contemplating them over and over. But the most important word in that sentence is “themselves.”

I’ve been taken through such collections, and I can only say, it wasn’t as much fun for me as it was for the collector.

The answer is to forget about hoarding and think about pleasure. Spaghetti with tomato sauce not enough of a special occasion? Tignanello will make it into one. Fishand-chips a little plebeian? Open a Puligny Montrachet, and you’ll notice that you have joined the aristocracy.

Pizza night? Try Amarone. Hamburgers? Can I recommend some Chateau Trontanoy? In the process, you will discover new taste combinations, you will drink great wines before they’re too old, you will earn the right to invest in some new masterpieces, and you will be sharing love around the dinner table in a way that really does amaze your friends.

Which is where wine comes in. The wine cellar is not a museum of bottles, it is a medium of joy to be shared with one’s friends. True, once you open the bottle, you don’t have that wine any more, and your collection is diminished by 75 centileters of happiness. But you have been generous and affectionate, you have spread the wealth, and you now have a space in a rack to buy something new.

Now, I just have to practice what I preach. Tonight, the crowd is coming over for pork and beans. I’m eyeing that magnum of Barbaresco.

;\QTT Q\ Q[ LQNÅK]T\ \W OM\ W^MZ I [MV[M \PI\ \PM JM\\MZ \PM wine, the less likely it is that you should drink it. My own cellar is divided between wines for everyday use and those exceptional, high-priced bottles which are being saved for

Leonard Barkan From 2006 Foraging series 68

MARCH 2016

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CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Gianluca Atzeni, Michael Bettane, Antonella Cecconi, Thierry Desseauve, Indra Galbo, William Pregentelli, Marco Sabellico, Francesco Seccagno

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March 2016

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international@gamberorosso.it Gambero Rosso USA 69 MARCH 2016