Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food - November 2015

YEAR 21 N. 90 - NOVEMBER 2015

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

www.gamberorosso.it

TAIWAN

THE ISLAND THAT EATS BY NIGHT • CAMPANIA’S GREAT BUYS • 50 YEARS OF BAROLO • PUGLIA OFF-SEASON

®

a tavola

COVER STORY 54 | Taiwan, the island that eats by night Floating in the Pacific, Taiwan thinks Chinese but lives in a western way. It was noted by Portuguese sailors in 1544. Enthralled by its beauty, they called it “Ilha Formosa.” In the 17th century, the Dutch arrived. The island’s high-altitude tea plantations alone make a visit worthwhile. As soon as the sun sets, nocturnal markets begin to buzz – colorful, noisy and brimming with life.

WINE 22 | The Vision of Vietti Fifty years of one of Italy’s most prestigious crus.

On a family farm in Piedmont, an intrepid winemaker saw that blending Barolo was not the only path to take. He made the first Rocche di Castiglione cru in 1961. We tasted ten of them. History in a bottle.

28 | Bere Bene: Best Buys Wines of the Sannio This little-known up-and-coming wine zone in Campania suffered catastrophic floods in October, 2015. As it struggles to find its way, we want to be sure to tell our readers about its excellent, affordable wines.

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“Age appears best in four things: old wood to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust and old authors to read.”

Francis Bacon 22

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FOOD

NEWS & MORE

47 | Chefs share their recipes Maria Cicorella and her son Antonello Magistà, bring a combination of heart, research and technical mastery to a southern town in Puglia. Pashà, in Conversano, attains a level of hospitality and sophistication that only comes from simplicity.

Four recipes and four wines to pair with them.

4 | Editorial 6 | News 12 | Italians abroad Francesco Gasbarro and Paulo Airau, La Bottega in Geneva 14 | Wine of the month Bandini Villa Pomona – Chianti Cl. ‘13 16 | Twitter dixit 18 | Food & Design/ Wine Glasses 20 | Pairing Lab Puglia 62 | Letter from Paris: Stop the Oak-bashing

TRAVEL 40 | Puglia off-season In the countryside between Bari and Brindisi, when the glamour of the summer is over, the region becomes more intimate, its trees laden with olives awaiting the first cold days before yielding their precious green and gold oil. This is the season to enjoy the flavors of traditional peasant dishes and cheeses.

3 NOVEMBER 2015

EDITORIAL

WINE AGAINST FEAR

I have met many lawyers, engineers and doctors who left their professions to dedicate themselves to the wine business. But I have never met a single winegrower or wine journalist who took the opposite path.

The world of wine is a one-way street. Working inside it is an authentic privilege. For us journalists, who live in the big cities and are always traveling to promote the wine and culture of our own countries, contact with those who work the soil, who know its rhythms, its pace, its fragility, is a precious part of the job.

In this issue, we tell you about the reactions of the producers of Campania, specifically from the Sannio zone. When, a few weeks ago, their exceptional vineyards were decimated by a flood, the entire sector banded together to help them. But working in the

wine world is a privilege above all for the people that know each other – no interesting conversation ever began with a salad – and wine brings together unusual people, most with a flaming passion for their work and a clear vision of what they are doing. They share thoughts that begin with the extraordinary knowledge they have of the territory where they live and produce. The Vietti family are a good example. Besides being extraordinary producers, they are marvelous, good people. Browse this issue to travel back 50 years to their first Barolo cru: Rocche di Castiglione. And thanks to wine we also travelled to Taiwan where a couple of brave guys have to fight monsoons to grow some grapes.

Lorenzo Ruggeri 4

NOVEMBER 2015

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NEWS

NEW WORLD WINE CHANGES THE MAP

NEW WORLD WINE REGION

The volume of wines produced in New Zealand, Chile and Australia exceed those of the three top European exporters: France, Spain and Italy. From January to August, according to Winemonitor Nomisma, the volume of wine exported from New Zealand grew 13%, that of Chile by 8%, Argentina by 4% and Australia by 2%, compared to a decrease of 3% in Italy and a drop of 2% in France. Spain was an exception, with a growth of 14%, thanks to an increase of 18% in bulk wine. “It seems like a turning point after the slowdown in 2014, when the principal six so-called New World exporters (Australia, Chile, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina and the United States) went down 6%,” says Winemonitor head, Denis Pantini. For the five year average, however, the picture is different. The southern hemisphere grew 1.2%, compared to the increase of 4% in Europe. New

Zealand was the exception, growing almost 9% between 2009 and 2014.

Why the new-found competitivity?

For Winemonitor, the 19% depreciation of the New Zealand dollar compared to the American one, and the 13% decline of the Australian, along with similar drops in value of the Chilean peso and the South African rand were decisive. “Factor in also the activism of governments towards free trade agreements,” added Pantini, “and the promotional efforts of companies.” Chafta, the agreement between Australia and China, progressively reduces tariffs on wines exported to China, eliminating them completely in 2019.

“The same favorable treatment benefits Chile today, while Italian wines pay 14% if bottled and 20% if in bulk.” This advantage is important, according to Winemonitor, since price matters deeply to the Chinese, in particular for everything not French.

6 NOVEMBER 2015

OLIVE OIL ITALIAN PRODUCTION UP 60% The first estimate from ISMEA (a public institution that furnishes analysis and information services for Italian agriculture) brings good news from the entire Italian olive-growing sector.After one of the worst years on record, 2014, production has taken off in 2015.

Olive oil production is estimated to be over 350,000 tons, compared to the 222,000 tons of 2014, but still under the levels of 2013, which reached 460,000 tons. Italian olive groves were in good health this year, after constant, damaging attacks by olive fruit flies in 2014. The health of the trees this year foretells high quality and yields. Growers were not negatively affected by recent rains in September and October, but excessive heat in July and prolonged drought kept the trees from vigorous growth, interfering with normal vegetative development and impeding full production.

GREAT BRITAIN GETS SERIOUS. PRODUCERS AND WINERIES INCREASE Great Britain is discovering it can produce as well as import wine. The HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) stated that in the last year it has received 65 requests from aspiring wine producers, an increase of 41% over the year before. Increased demand for local products, not only wine, has probably influenced this growth. Beer, for example, has also seen a spurt of 24% in the number of microbreweries, increasing from 291 to 361. Artisanal distilleries tripled in number in the last 12 months.”Great Britain has a strong international reputation for its beer, cider, gin and whisky,” said Gabriel Pietra, head of business development of The British Bottle Company, in an interview with The Drink magazine. “It’s great to see that the wine sector is growing quickly.” According to the English Wine Producers group, in England and Wales there are 135 wineries with an average vineyard size of 4 hectares. Annual production is about 4,450,000 bottles, with sparkling wines the most popular. The challenge now, with a more crowded internal marketplace, will be to export these wines. Competition abroad will be even fiercer.

THE TOP BEST 25 IN CHOCOLATE.

AMONG THEM, THE ITALIAN DOMORI Out of 550 brands of chocolate from over 70 countries in the world, renowned chocolate expert Georg Bernardini has rated the 25 most outstanding producers. The Top Best 25 is the list to which all chocolate-makers aspire. The Chocolate Tester, originally self-published in German, is available in English for the first time. The critic tasted 4,000 products, analyzing the chocolate market overall, and outlining its principal trends. He has provided chocolate enthusiasts and professionals alike with a crucial tool, an encyclopedia of flavor. Products were examined by categories, such as bittersweet bars, milk chocolate bars, white chocolate bars, pure and aromatized chocolate, filled, chocolate with hazelnuts, with almonds, and pralines. The top 25 are listed in alphabetical order, so Bellion, in the Netherlands, is first, followed by Bonnat (French) and Curley (English). To find the first Italian name, we have to wait until number five, Domori, but it has the highest point score, 98/100.

Click here for a list of all 25

Chocolate The Reference Standard Georg Bernardini 919 pages by

7 NOVEMBER 2015

NEWS

Wine is good for the health: especially if it's high quality.

At EXPO, science explains why With the discussion of the connection between red meat and cancer still echoing, an important conference about wine and health, organized by the Grandi Cru d’Italia committee, took place at EXPO in Milano (concluded on October 31, 2015). Five prestigious scientists listed the benefits for humans of the substances contained in wine, better if high quality. Ramon Estruch, from the University of Barcelona, showed that the polyphenols and moderate alcohol in wine, particularly red, help prevent cardiovascular problems and neurodegenerative illnesses such as Alzheimer’s. At the same time, the Mediterranean diet is associated with improved mental functioning.

Giovanni de Gaetano (Istituto Neurological Mediterraneo NEUROMED) reminded participants that consumption of 1.5 glasses of wine at meals helps heart-attack patients. Moreover, in type 2 diabetes, according to a recent study by the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel, moderate consumption of wine favors good cholesterol. De Gaetano pointed out that the first data from the Italian study Moli-sani, still in progress, indicated that a glass of red wine also reduces the occurrence of cerebral-vascular events, such as strokes. Wine has a role in wellness, as Kieran Tuohy showed (University of Reading and Fondazione Edmund Mach) as it positively affects the human gut microbiome, favoring, thanks to small phenolic acids, the activity of good microbes. Fulvio Ursini (Dipartimento di medicina molecolare dell’Università di Padova) concentrated on the capacity of alcohol to be both protective and toxic. Low doses are beneficial, higher ones, harmful. Wine is protective at higher doses than other alcoholic beverages. Like fruit and vegetables, wine furnishes large quantities of anti-oxidants that in turn generate small quantities of oxidants that activate the anti-inflammatory potential of the human body. A potential negative turns into a beneficial reaction.

8 NOVEMBER 2015

Airport wine shopping?

In Dubai, even a 15,000 euro bottle finds a buyer.

How many times, in the wait between planes, strolling among the shops in your terminal, have you casually bought a bottle of wine? At the Dubai International Airport, the experience can be more serious, especially if the duty-free shop you happen on is Les Clos, specialized in luxury brands of wine and spirits. Recently, an unnamed international collector purchased one of the rarest bottles in the world from this airport boutique, a Château Lafite 1895, for £11,000, more than 15,500 euros. In an interview with “the drinks business” magazine, “We are committed to offering customers a diverse range of the world’s best wines and spirits including some of the most sought-after products, such as the recent sale of Chateau Lafite 1895,” said the store’s general manager Ben Odgers.“The collectors’ market is still buoyant in Dubai, and we recently also sold classics such as a Château Lafite 1961, Cheval Blanc 1961 in magnum, The Macallan Fine & Rare 1946, and many others,” he added. In the Les Clos caveau at gate B8 in Emirates Terminal 3, the shop stores a thousand fine wines and 400 luxury spirits. If you happen to be in the neighborhood…

HOW EUROPEANS EAT AND DRINK

worldtour

2015/2016

The Spanish eat more than everyone.

Italy only at 15th place

A new app, “How European are you?” exploiting statistics, gives a general picture of eating habits in Italy and the principal European countries. Developed by Qlik, a leader in Visual Analytics based in Pennsylvania, free and easy to use, the app reveals interesting facts about the eating and drinking habits of Europeans. For example, who consumes the most food in a day?

The Spanish nibble all day long, with a per capita consumption of almost 4.5 kilos. Denmark and Germany come next, while Italy is only at 15th place, consuming little more than 2 kilos of food and drink per capita per day (the same as Slovenia and Estonia). Despite the alarms sounded in recent days, Europe isn’t giving up meat, which is the prima-

trebicchieri

19 november MOSCOW

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30 november ZURIGO

Vini d’Italia

Vini d’Italia

tour 2015/2016

19 january OSLO

25 january trebicchieri

2 december

february

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CHICAGO

2016

january

18 january

may

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4 april

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16 february

Roadshow

SAN FRANCISCO

Vini d’Italia

MUNICH

april

11 february

SPECIAL EVENT

SEATTLE

Vini d’Italia

Roadshow

PRESENTATION GUIDE

December WARSAW

ry food consumed and way ahead of seafood. Which country is most health-conscious at the table? Judging by their consumption of fruit and vegetables, Spain again is way ahead, with Poland coming in second, surprisingly. The drinkers are more predictable: the Czech Republic is the largest consumer of alcoholic beverages, especially beer, followed by the Irish, English and Danish. The most sober countries are Hungary, Lithuania and Slovenia. Going out for dinner in Denmark is expensive, on the average 70 euros for two, while in Poland, dinner for two averages 20 euros. The app compares the price of cappucino in different European countries: it varies from 1.50 euros in Italy to as much as 4.50 euros in Denmark.

march

SãO PAULO

Roadshow

VANCOUVER

18 may

june

SINGAPORE

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9 february

21march

Roadshow

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MANILA

STOCKHOLM Vini d’Italia

INFO: SEGRETERIA.ESTERO@GAMBEROROSSO.IT

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june

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SYDNEY

TOKYO

16 may

12 march

NEW YORK

may

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4 february

DüSSELDORF

BEIJING

BANGKOK

20 may Roadshow

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TORONTO trebicchieri june

MOSCOW

SPECIAL EVENT

PRESENTATION GUIDE

Vini d’Italia

SPECIAL EVENT

PRESENTATION GUIDE

Vini d’Italia

EVENTS

by Marco Sabellico

THE GAMBERO ROSSO TOUR OF ASIA WINDS UP, after stops in Seoul, Tokyo, Shanghai and Hong Kong The arrival of Gambero Rosso and the best Italian wines has become a prime event on the calendars of thousands of Asian wine lovers and key trade professionals. This year the first stop was in South Korea, with the ninth edition of the Top Italian Wines Roadshow opening in Seoul on October 28. The backdrop was the glamorous Raum Convention Center, a magnificent building in the heart of Gangnam-gu, the socalled “Beverly Hills of Seoul”, and headquarters of the most important Korean and international businesses of the capital city. From 11 in the morning to 6 in the evening, an uninterrupted flow of sector experts and enthusiasts made their way to the tasting workshops and the reception hall to meet important figures on the Italian wine scene. Over 60 wineries came with their best labels.

“Korea is particularly interested in Italian wines and Italian food in general,” said Tiziana Di Molfetta, Counsellor at the Italian Embassy, in her talk, “and our wines are proving themselves perfect for pairing with Korean cooking.”

Don’t believe it? Try delicious, tender grilled beef short ribs, galbi, with a Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, or a classic sujebi noodle soup with a Ribolla del Collio. You’ll be glad you did.

Tokyo is another time-honored appointment on the Gambero Rosso Asian tour calendar. Again this year, on October 30, over one thousand people participated in the Tre Bicchieri Grand Tasting. The setting was, as in previous years, the Grand Ballroom of the Ritz Carlton in the heart of the Japanese capital. “The 10 NOVEMBER 2015

Italian wine panorama is complex and fascinating. It offers interesting opportunities for pairing with Japanese cuisine, not only with Italian cucina, which is very popular in our country,” said Kazuo Kawate, sommelier and educator specialized in Italian wines, “but it calls for attentive and specialized understanding of the subject. The Gambero Rosso Vini d’Italia guide is a basic tool for us, and the only one available in Japanese. We couldn’t work without it.” To further promote Italian wine and food culture, Gambero Rosso has founded its first Academy in Tokyo, in cooperation with Japan Salt. It is on Kagurazaka, a street in the Shinjuku neighborhood famous for its many excellent restaurants. A year after its opening, hundreds have attended Academy courses in Italian cooking and wine tasting.

SHANGHAI AND HONG KONG, CELEBRATING ITALIAN STYLE On November 2, Gambero Rosso returned to Shanghai for the fifth time to present the new Chinese-language edition of Vini d’Italia, edited in collaboration with China Custom Press, an important state publisher that distributes all over the country. The book launch was held alongside the usual Tre Bicchieri tasting. In the art deco hall of the Fairmont Peace Hotel, trade professionals, wine enthusiasts and journalists crowded around the tasting tables of the 65 producers who participated in the Grand Tasting. “With almost a million hectoliters imported, we are the fifth country in terms of importance in the Chinese wine trade,” Elisabetta Merlino, deputy trade commissioner of ITA, the Italian Trade Agency, told us. “Traditionally, the French

are very strong here, but we compete above all with Australia, Chile and Spain.” Luigi Y. H. Hu, president of Belpaese Wines, with headquarters in Hangzou and offices in Italy, in Marghera, is of the same opinion.

“The situation is evolving. Before, everyone drank either tea, beer or spirits at meals. Now, wine lists are more common. Italian wines, red, white and sparkling, are more and more evident.”

The last city on the Grand Gala del Vino Italiano and Tre Bicchieri tour was Hong Kong, on November 4.

Our tasting has become a curtain raiser for the Hong Kong International Wine Fair, the most important wine event in all of Southeast Asia, opening this year on November 5.

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At the Harbour Grand Hotel, a large number of visitors took the opportunity to meet over seventy producers and taste their most prestigious wines. “Hong Kong is at the crossroads of Eastern Asia,” said Antonello De Riu, the Italian Consul in Hong Kong, “and the nerve center for our exports. We must be present on this marketplace if we want to reach other countries.” As a corollary to the Tre Bicchieri Grand Tasting in Hong Kong, Gambero Rosso introduced a new masterclass format, dedicated to the Special Awards in Vini d’Italia 2016. In a special conference room, 40 journalists and operators tasted labels from the nine wineries that won Special Awards, led by Marco Sabellico and Eleonora Guerini, curators of the Guide.

“It was an extraordinary opportunity to experience nine great wines and meet with those who had chosen them,” stated Mark Hammons, founder and editor of the prestigious magazine, Tasting-Kitchen. “It was a way to understand where the world of Italian wine is going, a world that is more and more popular on our food and wine scene.” The next international Gambero Rosso events will be the Tre Bicchieri tasting in Moscow on November 19 and the Vini d’Italia Tour, with two dates, Zurich on November 30 and Warsaw on December 2.

ITALIANS ABROAD

by Livia Montagnoli

LA BOTTEGA IN GENEVA A Michelin star for an Italian project - after only 5 months Francesco Gasbarro, Tuscan, and Paulo Airaudo, from Argentina, met in Italy, where they joined forces professionally. Before long, they made their mark, but abroad. The idea of La Bottega, which opened in May, 2015, was to create a restaurant that embodied authentic Italian traditions on an international stage, starting with the name, which simply means ‘shop’. The choice of location came after a careful study of their objectives.

“Geneva offered a guarantee of great possibilities for growth,” the two chefs told us. “Here the top-flight restaurants are connected to big hotels, and their clients are international, moneyed travelers.

When we studied the competition, we didn’t find any Italian places that were working in the same direction we planned.” What direction was that? “Casual fine dining, with good food and an Italian character,” Francesco Gasbarro explained. “Something completely different in terms of decor and menu, a break from local expectations.” In fact, despite the city’s positive reaction, the pair’s most faithful clients are those from the international community. “The ordinary citizen of Geneva has an idea of Italian food that is tied to the old-fashioned trattoria, but in the negative sense of the word dishes that are slapped together, abundant portions and crude recipes that have little to do with our country.”

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now we have to introduce a tasting menu, actually three. We are aiming for the second star!” The cost will continue to be fairly affordable, certainly for a city in which eating at an up-market restaurant, such as that in the Four Seasons hotel, Geneva’s most prestigious, can cost 130 Swiss francs. In comparison, at La Bottega, the tasting menus will offer a choice of 4, 6 and 9 dishes, priced at 65, 85 and 110 francs. “That was another thing that made our name in the city.

Our prices were average, but our quality was superior.” With the support of Italian investors who believe in the project, the two young chefs are ready to inaugurate a second location, again in the center of Geneva. “That will be a more traditional place, with the old favorites such as meatballs, soups, eggplant alla parmigiana.” The objective in this new setting is a wider target, to introduce the average Geneva customer to real Italian cucina, to authentic, traditional popular food.

The partners both have intense professional backgrounds. Francesco, a year ago, was working in the elegant atmosphere of Bottega del Buon Caffe’ in Florence, a Tuscan style bistro. Paulo, despite his youth, is a skilled, talented chef, and has experience in some of the greatest international kitchens from London to Paris to Italy. Together, they put together a staff that spoke Italian, from pastry chef to maitre d’, all young, enthusiastic and hardworking. And together, within five months, they had achieved a goal they never dreamed of, their first Michelin star. When we spoke to them, the 2016 edition of the famous red guide dedicated to Switzerland’s best restaurants had been out for a month. Now everything will change, except the style that made all the difference.

Gasbarro said, “We began with a short menu, although here the custom is mile-long menus with 40 options. We change it every week according to what’s available in the market. We won’t change that. But

WINE OF THE MONTH

From Castellina in Chianti, with love Chianti Cl. '13 Bandini Villa Pomona 9,000 bottles ex-cellar price: 11.60 euros In this issue, we decided to talk about a wine coming from one of the most well-known Italian wine regions: Tuscany. This estate in Castellina in Chianti is a good example of Italian artisanal winemaking that has indelibly influenced traditional production. The strongpoints of Villa Pomona wines are their classic style, starting with ageing in large wood, which leaves no room for convenient shortcuts in the cellar and relies, above all, on the work done in the organic vineyards. The result is wines that are always original and extremely enjoyable, able to express marked character and one of the strongest links to the terroir in the whole of Chianti. The Chianti Classico 2013 is undoubtedly one of the besttyped in the DOC. Very fresh aromas with a distinctive hint of clear-cut, vibrant cherry fruit; racy, well-organized and delicious on the palate. To pair with this month’s wine, we looked for something closely connected to its territory. Castellina in Chianti is one of the zones in which Pecorino Toscano DOP cheese is produced. We chose a mediumaged version, with a semi-hard consistency and a fragrant, soft, rather than sharp flavor.

Our Chianti, thanks to its agility and freshness, goes perfectly with these qualities of the Pecorino, renewing the pleasure of its flavor bite after bite.

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TWITTER dixit The Wine Wankers

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The love of wine!

Free your palate by discarding these popular myths about wine: enth.to/1bvX1mU

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Which wines did Fleming’s James Bond drink? And what did Goldfinger introduce him to? http://po.st/tzMaxO

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Pete Wells

“If the wine industry has become Parkerized, then the restaurant world might be said to have been Pellegrinoed” newyorker.com/magazine/2015/…

Mad As A March Hare

Someone on Pinterest explained how to make ice cubes out of leftover wine. I was confused.

What is leftover wine?

Bukowski Quotes

“I have been alone but seldom lonely. I have satisfied my thirst at the well of my self and that wine was good” - Bukowski

16 NOVEMBER 2015

DESIGN

GLASSES THAT MATTER

We drink from glasses today without giving it a thought, but a custom that is seamlessly engrained in our daily life hides a long history. The glass’ function has never changed, but few realize that humans for millennia drank from shells, bark and other natural products. The Egyptians, Persians and Italic tribes satisfied their thirst from carvedout horns. Containers in glass began to appear in the 4th century B.C., fashioned by artisans in Rhodes, Alexandria, Syria and Italy. By the end of the Hellenistic era, glass was a common material, but drinking glasses were produced on a large scale only in the 1st century A.D. It took the discovery of glass-blowing and molds to make massproducing the objects possible. The art was perfected in Venice in the 15th century, and the city’s transparent, colorless, strong glass was sought after all over Europe. What became known as ‘façon de Venise’ was destined to last for centuries. Germany soon made simple glasses, cylindrical, large, and brightly colored, such as the Römer, a costly green container, decorated with easy-grip melted beads of glass, that only aristocrats could afford to display during their banquets.

In the 18th century, as Venetian production was tapering off, English, German and Bohemian glass took center stage. In England, artisans made clear and resistant lead oxide-based glass, while in Germany and Bohemia, lime was added to the older

Riedel’s Sommeliers

Gravner

Vilca Caratteriali

Laura Fiaschi and Gabriele Pardi created Gumdesign: seven glasses for wine tasting produced by Colle Vilca, an artisanal workshop near Siena that carries on the celebrated art of crystal. The glasses are inspired by human personalities, sinuous, humorous, innovative shapes that nevertheless are practical to use. The altruist’s glass has a lip that allows easy pouring into a friend’s glass for sharing. A weirdly shaped glass is meant to reflect an ambiguous personality. There’s one for conservative types that has a cork stopper to keep in aromas and allow for drinking at different moments.

At the other end of the spectrum, Sven Milcent and Utopik Design Lab created Evolverre, a glass suited for every drink except beer.

by Stefania Annese

potash-based glass. The new material could be cut and decorated. A period of neoclassic design followed, with simple shapes and elegant decoration, while in 1830 the eccentric Biedermeier style became fashionable, calling for vessels engraved with hunting scenes, city views, portraits and more. Pressed glass was developed in the United States around 1820, making drinking glasses cheap enough for every household.

Today’s glasses, above all those used for wine, are fashioned in many different ways to enhance the inherent qualities of each beverage. Each wine has its own special glass. The champagne coupe is best for aromatic and sweet spumanti, while the long, narrow flute glass enhances delicate and fresh sensations, as well as showing off champagne’s rising bubbles. Claus J. Riedel is credited with discerning that the bouquet, flavor and balance of wine is influenced by the form of the glass from which it is sipped. In 1958, he launched his series “Sommeliers”, with each glass having a specific function that determined its form, in true Bauhaus spirit.

His crystal glasses, made in Austria, were worked manually and mouth-blown.

Joško Gravner, working with architects Ignazio Vok and Massimo Lunardon, created a glass for his famous Ribolla Anfora - a stemless glass with two indentations to increase the grip and the drinker’s sense of closeness to the wine.

19 NOVEMBER 2015

Evolverre

PUG LIFE

PAIRING

drawing by Chiara Buosi

SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

frappato

verdicchio

morellino

Spaghetti with sea urchins PUGLIA FIANO SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

Rice, potatoes and mussels

SALICE SALENTINO BIANCO SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

frappato

morellino

Pasta and chickpea soup

SALICE SALENTINO BIANCO

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verdicchio

frappato

LIA GUIDE

SCHIAVA

FIANO

Orecchiette with broccoli rabe CASTEL DEL MONTE ROSATO frappato

morellino

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Focaccia barese

VERDECA DI GRAVINA SCHIAVA

FIANO FSOAVE

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Pasticciotto leccese

PRIMITIVO DI MANDURIA DOLCE NATURALE 21 NOVEMBER 2015

GRANDI VERTICALI

Rocche di Castiglione

by Eleonora Guerini photography by Dario Bragaglia

The Vision of Vietti With the release of the 2011, the Vietti family’s Barolo Rocche di Castiglione celebrates its 50th year. An important achievement, it underlines the quality achieved by the Langa wine world since that first premium cru. Ten vintages, half a century of history

23 NOVEMBER 2015

GRANDI VERTICALI

A winery

founded in the 19th century Established as a farm in 1873, Vietti has been producing wine since 1912.

Over its long history, the Second World War was a particularly difficult period. Luca’s grandfather, a partisan, was obliged to sell all his vineyards to the church for two oxen. From that moment on, the family goal was to repurchase all the vineyards that had been lost. That mission was accomplished almost entirely, the only exception being Monprivato, which the Vietti family once owned, but never recovered.

Vietti | Castiglione Falletto (CN) | www.vietti.com Mario Cordero

W

ith the 2011 release, the Vietta family’s Barolo Rocche di Castiglione celebrated its fiftieth year. It is an important occasion, especially if we consider the stunning changes that have taken place over this half century not only in the Langhe in terms of climate, style, business, and landscape, but also the parallel revolution in the world of Italian wine in general. Above all, we must consider where we started from.

Fifty years ago, the Langhe existed in a sort of productive Middle Ages. But a few big bottlers and a few quality producers made the difference, and today we can rightfully call them the Pioneer Barolo Boys.

They were capable, determined,

passionate, and bonded by an extraordinary understanding of their own territory and a precise vision of what needed to be done.

Alfredo Currado, who was the first to vinify and separately bottle the grapes of this cru, had vision. “His decision was obstructed at every turn. I can’t even believe it when I think about it now,” Luciana Vietti says. “When my husband proposed the idea, they thought he was crazy.

Or worse. They tried to make him change his mind, saying Barolo was a blended wine, an assemblage, we would call it today. I think it was just that conviction, that obstinate certainty that convinced my husband to follow his own path.” So 1961 was an important vintage year in the Vietti-Currado household. It 24 NOVEMBER 2015

Luca Currado

was the first harvest Alfredo personally managed. “My father, and before him my father’s father, and so on since 1873, when it all began, always personally ran their own estate. My husband, who was an enologist and had already worked in some wineries in Canelli, began consulting here in 1958, two years after we were married. Actually, it was really because we were married, since even though the estate needed an enologist, my father didn’t want to spend any money.

But when my father died, my husband could make the decisions he believed to be right. Like bottling the cru, or using the labels by Gianni Gallo, which were very controversial at first. Later, everyone adored them.”

Rocche di Castiglione is a long and narrow vineyard of about eight hectares that follows the AlbaDogliani provincial road. It faces southeast, has thin, loose soil layered with strata of tufo that can vary a great deal within the same plot of land. The Vietti family has about a hectare, 4,000 vines from which they can make 3,600 to 4,000 bottles annually. Vinification is traditional, above all as regards maceration. “We do what are considered long macerations,” says Luca Currado. He, his wife Elena and his brother-in-law Mario Cordero are presently in charge of the winery.

“After the 1960s, we went to macerations of about four weeks, which can extend as long as forty days, depending on the year. Our sys25 NOVEMBER 2015

tem is called submerged cap, that is with the cap (the solid part of the grapes that is naturally pushed up by the carbon dioxide developing during fermentation) immersed in the liquid.” Malolactic fermentation takes place in barriques that are used for about four weeks over seven to eight years. Then the wine is transferred to 33-hectoliter Slavonian oak barrels where it stays for over two and a half years. “Villero is our most important wine, but we are deeply committed to Rocche di Castiglione, not only because the cru gives extraordinary wines, but because it represents our first step towards the logic of cru that made the Langhe what we all see today, a territory that is complex and richly multi-faceted.”

GRANDI VERTICALI

BAROLO ROCCHE DI CASTIGLIONE The tasting was a marvelous occasion that reached back in time until it touched the first vintage year produced of this cru – 1961.

Unfortunately that bottle, like those of 1966 and of 1971, was corked. Nevertheless, we thank the Vietti family for opening these unique bottles for us.

2011 | 90

A floral and fruity nose, open and expressive, with notes of strawberries and medicinal herbs. Mouth-filling although still fresh and fine, it has a creamy and compact palate, sweetened by the presence of fruit but with good acidic thrust that bestows a long and juicy finish, rounded by the presence of alcohol.

2010 | 94

The nose is fascinating and well defined, with notes of red fruit – wonderful cherry stands out – enriched by delicate aromas of violets and roses along with a hint of tar. A marvelous palate follows: ethereal but solid, delicate yet flavorful. Tannin thrusts and struts, youth is evident, but in the future, this wine will reach great heights.

2004 | 92

A wine that opens without reticence, revealing all the complexity that a Barolo from Rocche can offer. The nose is initially fruity, immediately intense and fragrant. Notes of iodine and resin begin to emerge, until they suggest balsamic and hazelnut sensations.

Tannin states its case, without becoming excessive. Vibrant and still rigid, it proudly accompanies the verticality of acidity and the softness of alcohol.

1988 | 89

A decidedly dark and resistant nose, with balsamic and smoky sensations, tertiary notes of herbal infusions. The palate is more convincing, still sweet and welcoming, well-defined, but slightly slowed down on the close by a stubborn tannin that doesn’t want to give in.

1999 | 93

A decidedly complex nose, with sensations that appear and disappear as the minutes pass. First, cherry, still meaty and crisp, with intermittent balsamic and mineral sensations. Then comes a darker moment, with hints of humus, damp soil, smoke. And finally, dried flowers, ethereal, revolving. Extraordinary acidity helps the wine free itself from the grip of tannin that still wants to dominate – but doesn’t manage to. The acidic push carries it on high and makes it dance.

1979 | 93

1996 | 91

1978 | 90

A marvelous nose, intriguing and kaleidoscopic, a truly wonderful surprise. Notes of citrus fruit, candied mandarin oranges, yellow peach accompany more ethereal and delicate sensations of dried flowers, rosewater, spicy notes. The palate is vertical, sweet and taut, still tannic but not excessively so, with a long, satisfying finish, vibrant and decidedly dynamic.

Color is still amazingly concentrated. Very intense and balsamic nose with ripe red fruit aromas accompanying notes of blood oranges. The palate, still rigid, is surprising, and embodies the stubborn, unyielding character of this vintage year, which seems to never want to unbend, no matter what the cost.

Monolithic and static at the start, impeded by evident reduction odors, little by little, animal and country life sensations emerge – leaves, autumn woodlands, mushrooms, stone – that are almost wild and rebellious. The mouth, too, resists taming, with well-extracted tannin that is still decidedly rigid and severe. Very pleasing, almost smoky nuance on the finish along with the acidity that is typical of the vintage year.

1967 | 95

Marvelous wine, very clear color and delicate bouquet. Floral notes define it, with hints of dried violets and rosewater, accompanied by earthier tones of ginseng and roots, hints of pencil lead and smoke. A wonderful palate, complex and vertical, well-structured and rhythmic. A great wine that holds up very well in the glass.

1989 | 94

A nose that doesn’t easily display all its potential, but when it does, it is astonishing. A parade of sensations follow one another helter-skelter. Jammy fruit is followed by a hint of sachet, of dried flowers, tar, candied fruit and spices. Then it’s time for licorice and truffles. The mouth is harmonious and flavorful. Tannin shows up, but does so gracefully with polymerization already done, aided by the usual wonderful acidity. A deep and very long finish, with unforgettable flavor.

Participating in the tasting: Antonio Boco, Paolo De Cristofaro and Gianni Fabrizio.

26

NOVEMBER 2015

WWW.FERRARITRENTO.IT

THE ITALIAN ART OF LIVING

Venezia, Piazza San Marco ore 4:54

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

berebene

Sannio

28 NOVEMBER 2015

Benevento is still reeling from the tragic flood that struck the city and about 40 towns in its province along the river Calore. On October 15, 2015, the inhabitants of the zone woke to a world covered in mud and detritus that the river deposited as it overflowed its banks. The flood uprooted trees, gutted houses and swept away hundreds of businesses. The water destroyed Sannio DOC vineyards, along with many buildings used for seed and food storage. Eighty thousand bottles of Falanghina and Aglianico were buried in the mud inside the Cantina di Solopaca, the largest cooperative winery in the Benevento province. The foul weather and unexpected disaster hit large and small farmers and winegrowers indiscriminately. “About 10% of the wineries in the Benevento area were totally destroyed,” says Libero Rillo, owner of Fontanvecchia winery and president of the Consorzio Tutela Vini Samnium. “Hectares and hectares of vineyard were ripped up. The waters dumped stones and plastic trash on the land. The situation is truly tragic for the flood’s victims because the stress on the soil will keep it from being productive for

five or six years.” Volunteers, associations in the Sannio, the police and the fire departments saved dozens of people that clambered on their rooftops those nights to escape the violence of the currents. Help from the government itself is slow to arrive, though. “The wineries that belong to the Consorzio are trying to overcome the calamity by undertaking various projects and collaborating to lift the Sannio again,” Rillo continues. “The Cantina di Solopaca managed to sell its 80,000 bottles buried in the mud with the project # SporcheMaBuone, (#DirtyButGood), and brought in enough money to help resolve at least some of its problems. But much more help must come from the regional and national government. Given the gravity of the situation, it will be difficult for people to get back on their feet without assistance.” To the president of the Consortium, to the wineries and the people of the Sannio, and to those who lost their lives, we pay homage by presenting in the following pages the wineries that distinguished themselves for their production and continue to work devotedly towards a return to better times.

29 NOVEMBER 2015

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

CESCO DELL’EREMO ’13 Cantina del Taburno Sala, 16 Foglianise (BN) tel. 0824/871338 www.cantinadeltaburno.it via

9.70 euros Cantina del Taburno is a large-scale cooperative winery of about 300 members who cultivate 600 hectares of vineyard. The co-op has always focused on promoting indigenous varieties, spotlighting aglianico, piedirosso, coda di volpe and, obviously, falanghina. Cesco dell’Eremo ’13 is a wine of great expressive finesse: floral and white fruit aromas lead into a palate energized by a fresh, acidic backbone.

Berebene 2016 | Price 11.90 euros | On sale at newsstands, bookshops and on www.gamberorosso.it | in Italian only

ERBA BIANCA ’14 Cautiero

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO JANARE ’14 La Guardiense

c.da

Arbusti Frasso Telesino (BN) tel. 338/7640641 www.cautiero.it

c.da

Santa Lucia, 104/106 Guardia Sanframondi (BN) tel. 0824/864034 www.laguardiense.it

8.40 euros The winery’s four vineyards, located in the western part of the estate that borders on the Parco del Taburno, are managed strictly organically. Fulvio Cautiero uses only his own grapes to make wines with immediate impact and a truly friendly price, especially considering the high quality of the product.

We really enjoyed his version of fiano, Erba Bianca, with its intriguing hints of green tea and mild grapeskin tone, which lead into a full and incisive mouth-feel.

7.60 euros The numbers speak for themselves: 50 years of history, 1,000 members who cultivate 1,900 hectares of vineyard and produce 3,700,000 bottles. La Guardiense is one of the largest cooperative wineries in southern Italy. Under the leadership of Domizio Pigna, it manages to reconcile large numbers with good quality.

A concrete example is Falanghina Le Janare: generous bouquet that ranges from yellow fruit to aromatic herbs, then offers a savory, mineral and taut palate.

30 NOVEMBER 2015

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO TABURNO ’14 Fontanavecchia

FALANGHINA DEL SANNIO SVELATO ’14 Terre Stregate loc.

Fontanavecchia, 7 Torrecuso (BN) tel. 0824/876275 www.fontanavecchia.info

Santa Lucia Municipio, 105 Guardia Sanframondi (BN) tel. 0824/817857 www.terrestregate.it

via

via

9.70 euros On the slopes of Monte Taburno, on 16 hectares of vineyard, is Libero Rillo’s winery. He has worked for years, not only in his own firm, but also as the president of the Consorzio, to promote and spotlight the wines of the Sannio. His Falanghina from the 2014 vintage has a delicately floral nose, while in the mouth it displays good savory structure made more vibrant by acidic backbone that accompanies and sustains the long finish.

10.00 euros This Falanghina Svelato ’14 is really very good and on its way to becoming a classic of not only this zone, but of the Campania region in general. A brilliant greenish strawyellow color, it has an intense, rich nose that summons up hints of roses, yellow fruit, spices and vanilla.

Generous and assertive on the palate, it has a long, fresh, vibrant finish with nuances of citrus fruit.

SANNIO AGLIANICO MANENT ’13 Terre Stregate loc.

SANNIO FALANGHINA ’14 Vigne Sannite

Santa Lucia Municipio, 105 Guardia Sanframondi (BN) tel. 0824/817857 www.terrestregate.it

loc.

Salella Castelvenere (BN) tel. 0824/941494 www.cesas.it

via

8.30 euros Vigne Sannite is the brand-name under which the wines of Cecas, the 50-year-old Centro Cooperativo Agricolo Sannita, are marketed. We particularly noticed Falanghina ’14, with its light touch of mint and anise. It has a delicate character, with barely delineated minerality and a finish that opens out well on sensations of toasted almonds. Its linear taste progression is admirable.

10.00 euros Guardia Sanframondi is a small town in the Benevento province where fertile limestone-clayey hills are home to the vineyards of the Terre Stregate winery. Manent ’13 is slender and energetic. Made from monovarietal aglianico vinified in stainless steel, it is pleasant and seductive thanks to a nose dominated by currant and cherry aromas that shade into herbaceous tones. A savory palate modulates the softness in the mouth well.

32 NOVEMBER 2015

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

SANNIO FALANGHINA ’14 Santiquaranta

SANNIO FALANGHINA FOIS ’14 Cautiero

8.70 euros Baselice is a small town on the border between the regions of Campania and Puglia. Luca Baldino and Enrico De Lucia work hard to bring out the best in Baselice’s moscato grape.

But at the same time, the winery also has a vineyard in Torrecuso, in the Sannio zone, where Aglianico and Falanghina are produced. The latter, in the 2014 version, has floral notes of chamomile and white peach.

It is fragrant, juicy, wonderfully drinkable, and has an excellent price/ quality rapport.

5.90 euros In the past, fiano and greco pushed falanghina into a secondary role on the vast stage of Campania’s wine scene. The credit goes to wineries such as Fulvio Cautiero’s if the variety is coming into its own now with more and more interesting wines.

One of the best expressions of Falanghina is this Fois ’14. It has an authentic character, with tones of fresh hay and mint and a savory, citrusy, well-modulated register.

SANNIO GRECO AEDO ’14 Vigne di Malies

SANNIO GUARDIA SANFRAMONDI FALANGHINA V. SUPREMA ’13 Aia dei Colombi

c.da

Torrepalazzo Torrecuso (BN) tel. 0824/876128 www.santiquaranta.it

c.da

Arbusti Frasso Telesino (BN) tel. 338/7640641 www.cautiero.it

v.le della

Vittoria, 58 Guardia Sanframondi (BN) tel. 0824/864165 www.vignedimalies.it

c.da

Sapenzie Guardia Sanframondi (BN) tel. 0824/817139 www.aiadeicolombi.it

7.60 euros Vigne di Malies, the winery in Guardia Sanframondi belonging to the Foschini family, comes to the fore with a convincing Greco of character and personality. Aedo ’14 offers aromas of pollen, hazelnut, and a slightly sulfurous tone.

The palate is juicy, and rhythm in the mouth displays saline tones and some distinct acidity. The finish, although not particularly long, is well-made.

10.00 euros Guardia Sanframondi observes an ancient rite at the end of August, a church procession that includes a number of penitents who renew the tradition of using a scourge to punish themselves. At the foot of the town, Marcello Pascale preserves his own wine culture: grapes from his vineyards are vinified in an ecologically respectful way, such as those in Vigna Suprema ’13.

Marked aromas of peach and candied citron lead into a savory, incisive palate with a finish that suggests toasted hazelnuts.

34 NOVEMBER 2015

G I U S T I

W I N E

The Noble taste of Tradition

G I U S T I

W I N E

SocietĂ Agricola Giusti Dal Col S.r.l.

Via Del Volante 4 - 31040 Nervesa Della Battaglia (TV) Tel +39 0422 720 198 | email:info@giustiwine.com | www.giustiwine.com

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

SANNIO PIEDIROSSO ’13 Vinicola del Titerno fraz.

SANNIO TABURNO AGLIANICO ’12 Lorenzo Nifo Sarrapochiello

Massa

Piana, 62 Ponte (BN) tel. 0824/876450 www.nifo.eu via

via Iacovelli

Faicchio (BN) tel. 0824/814380 www.lavinicoladeltiterno.it

10.00 euros Lorenzo Nifo Sarrapochiello was one of the first producers in the Sannio denomination to cultivate his vineyards organically. The grapes for Sannio Taburno Aglianico ’12 grow on his own 16 hectares of vineyard. A red, monovarietal aglianico, it is vinified in stainless steel to preserve floral and forest floor sensations. On the palate, crisp and savory fruit along with a particularly fresh tannic and acidic texture.

8.10 euros Among our regional tastings, we noticed this Piedirosso produced by Vinicola del Titerno, a winery founded in 1982, with its headquarters in Faicchio, province of Benevento. Its olfactory profile displays notes of iodine and delicate hints of sulfur, but also a touch of violet and aromatic herbs. It is an immediate and direct wine, fresh and long in the mouth, with a peppery tone that lends incisiveness to the finish.

SANNIO TABURNO FALANGHINA ’14 La Fortezza

SANNIO TABURNO FALANGHINA ’14 Torre del Pagus

loc.

Tora II, 20 Torrecuso (BN) tel. 0824/886155 www.lafortezzasrl.it

Cirasiello Paupisi (BN) tel. 0824/886084 www.torredelpagus.it via

8.90 euros Before he came to cultivate his vineyards, Enzo Rillo worked in many sectors, from textiles to construction to road safety. La Fortezza is in Torrecuso, with 30 hectares of proprietary vineyard and another 20 rented.

On the winery’s production list is a lively and well-structured Falanghina, with aromas that suggest straw and citrus zest. It is solid and compact, with acidity and fruit well balanced, and it displays a coherent and linear finish.

8.00 euros This Sannio winery in Paupisi has always been known for the attention paid to the environment, and its vineyards are certified organic.

Falanghina ’14 has an intensely herbaceous profile, with tones of aromatic herbs, bay leaf above all. The palate has good dynamics and a good tasting rhythm, with a finish that displays intriguing bitterish notes.

36 NOVEMBER 2015

A GUIDE TO THE LEADING 850 COMPANIES PRODUCING FOODSTUFFS IN ITALY

An indispensable tool for foodies but even more so for industry insiders promoting the best of Made-in-Italy worldwide

www.gamberorosso.it

TRAVEL

PUGLIA SPECIAL

IN THE COUNTRYSIDE BETWEEN BARI AND BRINDISI When the glamour of the summer is over, the region becomes more intimate.

We explore the countryside, from the simple nature of Parco delle Dune to the elegant flavors of Pasha’s recipes. Chef Maria Cicorella and her son Antonello Magistà offer territorybased cooking that is sophisticated and subtle

39 NOVEMBER 2015

TRAVEL

by Elisabetta De Blasi

PUGLIA AUTUMN AMONG THE 40 NOVEMBER 2015

From Ostuni to Ceglie, in the Parco delle Dune Costiere

OFF SEASON

OLIVE TREES 41 NOVEMBER 2015

Far from the slick resorts catering to Italian actors and politicians is a rustic, autumnal Puglia, its trees laden with olives awaiting the first cold days before yielding their precious green and gold oil.

This is the season to enjoy the flavors of traditional peasant dishes and cheeses

T

TRAVEL

he countryside of Puglia has many faces, and lies around the provinces of Brindisi, Bari and Taranto, unconcerned about administrative niceties.

A particularly fascinating strip of land is tucked between the two seas, the Adriatic in the east and the Ionian to the southeast, and preserves authentic agricultural memories. The Parco Regionale delle Dune Costiere, the Coastal Dune Park, encloses a humid zone, an olive grove, a river, and fossil dunes, as well as a well-marked bicycle path and five walking trails.

(See the park site for maps: www.parcodunecostiere.org). Beneath Ostuni, the Masseria Brancati is easy to find.

It’s clear that this is a protected zone: Parco Agricolo degli Ulivi Secolari (Agricultural Park of Centuries-old Olive Trees) lives up to its name and venerable trees stretch to the horizon. These are monumental olives, counted and carbon-14 dated, often supported with tufa blocks. They bear witness to the undaunted ability of this plant to thrive, twisting itself in unexpected directions. Corrado Rodio is in charge of protecting the memory and presence of an ancient olive mill with visible strata that help us understand the different methods of extracting oil through the ages, from the pre-Roman Messapic civilization up to the Renaissance. Rodio himself also produces a fascinating extra-virgin olive oil from the ancient trees of ogliarola salentina and a monocultivar of coratina from a more modern grove. He offers a mini oil-tasting course.

Further along, visitors can stop to eat in the courtyard of the Masseria Il Frantoio, with its white-washed walls, cascading flowers, and stone-paved floor. Here the proprietor, Armando, introduces his guests to the zone and its dishes, all based on his land’s produce: homemade pasta, vegetables from the house garden and fruit from the 17th- century citrus groves. Above all, he exploits his knowledge of the science of wild products by producing

Baked goods Biscotto cegliese the soul of ancient feast days

The traditional biscotto cegliese, today a product protected by Slow Food, is a sweet that interprets its specific home territory well.

A soft cookie, made with almond paste naturally flavored with citrus fruit, it is wrapped around a cherry jam center. In the rural past, it was the holiday sweet, meant to be served to guests.

Forno Allegrini | via Pisanelli, 14 | Ceglie Messapica (BR) | tel. 0831 383050 | www.allegrinitaly.com

A glimpse of Ceglie Messapica

42 NOVEMBER 2015

The vegetable garden The fiaschetto tomatoes of Torre

Ostuni

43 NOVEMBER 2015

Guaceto

Near the sea, thanks to the untiring labor of an entire agricultural community, this thinskinned tomato, pomodoro fiaschetto, with its natural sweetness and low acidity, flourishes. Mario Di Latte, on his Calemone farm in the heart of the natural reserve of Torre Guaceto, grows an excellent product that gives great satisfaction either fresh, dried, or transformed into a tasty bottled puree. You can purchase the tomatoes, both fresh and processed, directly at the farm.

Azienda Agricola Calemone | c.da Baccatani, 36 | fraz. Serranova | Carovigno (BR) | tel.0831.555807 – 333.4561929 | www.calemone.it

TRAVEL

an excellent liqueur based on herbs, berries and fruit.

In the lower part of Ostuni, a cooperative organic urban garden project is in full swing, I Giardini della Grata, and sells its kilometer zero, organic products. Towards Ceglie Messapica, between its white and red walls, stay at Dimora Antonella, a country bed and breakfast in a little citrus grove. Driving further, among dry walls and cultivated fields, you find Masseria Aia Antica, where owner Enza and her husband raise cows (pezzate rosse and bruna alpine breeds), goats and sheep, feeding them with the farm’s own hay. Every Friday, the couple produce ricotta from mixed cow’s and ewe’s milk suited for grating on a dish of orecchiette topped with fresh tomato sauce, as well as a aged cheese with aromas and flavors that suggest pine nuts.

A few kilometers away, Masseria Fragnite, besides making both fresh and aged cheeses, also prepares focaccia and onion calzone. Ceglie Messapica itself is a rural town, which Pamela Filomeno has interpreted lovingly in her Sant’Anna bed and breakfast. Its five rooms have been decorated to provide an experience in time travel. The building was an aristocratic home in the center of town until the last century. After being abandoned for a long time, it was restored intelligently, respecting spaces and sensations that tell a story through its objects. The name is in homage to the saint of birthing mothers, a reference to the one-time use of a large space designed for housing peasant mothers having their babies.

In Cisternino, stop and visit the bistrot of Giardini 36, where Catia and Davide prepare Pugliese tapas with products from their organic vegetable garden. Their countertop was built from old, recycled wood by a local architect, the table decorations are from prickly pears, and a collection of farmers’ tools are exhibited appreciatively in another room.

Cured meats In the name of capocollo… from Martina Franca It was the passion for capocollo, a product that is generally made at home in this area, that led three friends to found this up-market company. They built up the firm quickly, and today they make by hand, artisanally, all the typical cured meats of the zone. Capocollo, from pork neck and shoulder muscle, exploits the natural smoke from a fireplace, and is available in various degrees of aging. The one aged for six months has fragrances that suggest toasted walnuts and almonds. Larded fillet is made with meats from a cooperative farm that raises heritage black pigs, maiale nero, in Aspromonte. The color shades from an antique rose to ivory white, and the meat is juicy, soft and firm at the same time.

Salumi Martina Franca | s.da Tre Piantelle, 20 - Zona F | Martina Franca (TA) | tel. 080 4490533 | www.salumimartinafranca.it

A dish from ristorante Botrus

Addresses

Wine

where to sleep Dimora Antonella | c.da San Benedetto | Ostuni (BR) | tel. 393 561 0182 | www.dimoraantonella.it | double room with breakfast 60-100 euros B&B Sant'anna | via G.B. Caracciolo, 61 | Ceglie Messapica (BR) | tel. 333 397 8524 | www.bbsantannaceglie.it | double room with breakfast

Ristorante Cielo | Relais La Sommità | via S. Petrarolo, 7 | Ostuni(BR) | tel.0831 305925 |www.lasommita.it | average price 80 euros without wine

where to shop Masseria Aia Antica | c.da San Benedetto Piccolo | Ostuni (BR) |tel.0831.308293 – 333 3702506 | always open 70-130 euros

where to eat Botrus | via Muri, 26 | Ceglie Messapica (BR) | tel. 0831 377817 | www.botrus.it | average price 45 euros without wine Giardini 36 | via Giardini, 36 | Cisternino (BR) | tel. 080 2471829 | average price 20 euros without wine Masseria Il Frantoio | ss 16 km 874 | Ostuni (BR) | tel. 0831 330276 – 380 432 9301 | www.masseriailfrantoio.it | average price 50 euros without wine

Masseria Fragnite | via Ceglie-Ostuni, 102 | Ceglie Messapica (BR) | tel 0831 376365 |www.fragnite.it Azienda Apistica Alveus | via Castellana zona B/2 | Martina Franca (TA) | tel. 080.4324034 I giardini della Grata | coop. Bio Solequo | via Custoza, 20 | Ostuni (BR) | tel.0831 305303

Cantina Albea |

via Due Macelli, 8 | Alberobello (BA) | tel 080 4323548 | www.albeavini.com | guided visits – reserve ahead

Tenute Girolamo | Noci, 314 | Martina Franca (TA) | tel. 080 4402088 | www.tenutegirolamo.it | guided visits – reserve ahead via

Vini Classici Cardone | Martiri della Libertà, 32 | Locorotondo (BA) | tel. 080 4312561 | www.cardonevini.com via

Olive oil Olio Intini | Popoleto | Alberobello (BA) | tel. 080 4325983 | www.oliointini.it | c.da

guided visit and tasting

Profumi Di Castro | Lecce di Speziale - fraz. Speziale | Fasano (BR) | tel. 080. 4810989 | www.profumidicastro.it via

45 NOVEMBER 2015

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RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

by Francesco Seccagno

BEYOND FOLKLORE

Maria Cicorella and Antonello Magistà

Pashà When we talk about Puglia, it’s easy to fall into folklore, into culinary stereotypes. In the Pashà kitchen, in dishes made by Maria Cicorella, planned along with her son Antonello Magistà, creativity balances tradition and gives new verve to top-quality territorial cooking 47 NOVEMBER 2015

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Mother and son, Puglia in color The pantry, memory and heart. A man and a woman, mother and son, an unreasonable passion for the fascinating inspiration that Puglia provides, a culture of hospitality that expresses itself in words, memories and smiles, in emotions. Pashà, in Conversano since 1998, has been much more than one of Italy’s best restaurants. Antonello Magistà, a young dreamer, at 21 decided not to follow the traditional restaurant route, but to draw up one all his own. “I define myself as a gentleman restaurateur,” he says. “I brought to my place my attention to detail and love for luxury, the authentic kind – simplicity.” Maria Cicorella, his mother, has been the restaurant chef since 2000. Every day, with skill and lightness, she transforms their carefully chosen ingredients by means of delicate, spontaneous alchemy. “In our Casa Ristorante,” she explains, “nothing is left to chance. The uniqueness of a dish depends on the quality of its ingredients and the time required to make an excellent product. That’s why here, in a place we always want to make appealing, you don’t only feel our passion – you taste it.”

Their roots in the earth and the memory of their peasant origins is always present, but projected into the future through study and exhaustive research. Maria is one of the few creative chefs devoted to innovative cucina in Italy. “Stop, set the table, welcome,” points out Antonello, “These are the elements that go into the atmosphere of our little temple to hospitality. On the walls, our wines become works of art. The scarlet couches represent our idea of a welcome made up of warmth and care.”

Here, guests meet and talk, share and come together, all as they pass the salt.

Pashà | Conversano (BA) p . zza C astello , 5 | tel . 080 495 1079 | www . ristorantepasha . com 48 NOVEMBER 2015

|

Frisa 2.0 Ingredients for 4 servings 4 friselle with olives (twice-baked bread rounds) 100 g cow’s milk ricotta 100 g catalogna chicory (bitter greens) 100 g oregano pesto 1 bunch arugula 1 bunch basil 8 datterino tomatoes Camone tomato seeds San Marzano tomato water smoked white pepper extra-virgin

Frantoio D’Orazio olive oil

iodized salt from

Margherita di Savoia

arugula, basil and catalogna flowers.

Crumble the friselle and shape into a circle with the help of a mold. Season with green tomato seeds, olive oil and smoked white pepper. Roast datterino tomatoes in a hot oven (270°C/520° F) for 5 minutes and then arrange on friselle. Next drizzle friselle with some San Marzano tomato water and alternate layers of blanched catalogna chicory, ricotta, and oregano pesto. Garnish with arugula, basil and catalogna flowers.

49 NOVEMBER 2015

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Raviolo di burrata, zucchina alla poverella, datterino arrosto e tartufo nero Raviolo of burrata, zucchini, roast datterino tomatoes and black truffle Ingredients for 4 servings for the raviolo

300 g durum wheat flour 3 whole eggs 3 g salt 400 g burrata from Putignano 4 g cream 5 g xanthan gum for the topping

6 zucchini

½ clove garlic mint extra-virgin olive oil

150 g cream ½ tsp vinegar 500 g datterino tomatoes black truffle

Whisk the burrata at 60°C/140°F until it melts completely. Add cream, xanthan gum and thicken. Put aside until cool. Make ravi-

50 NOVEMBER 2015

oli with eggs and durum wheat flour and fill with burrata. Slice the zucchini 2 millimeters thick (as thin as a dime), fry lightly in olive oil, reserve a few of the darker slices for garnish, then blend the rest with garlic, cream, mint, vinegar, salt and oil. Pre-heat oven to 250°C/500°F and roast tomatoes for 5 minutes. Remove their skin and dress with Frantoio D’Orazio olive oil and Maldon salt. Cook ravioli in abundant salt water, drain and arrange on plates. Top with zucchini puree, 4 roasted tomatoes, zucchini chips and a shaving of black truffle.

Maialino, fieno, melanzana arrosto e ketchup di mango Suckling pig, hay, roast eggplant and mango ketchup Ingredients for 4 servings 800 g (pluma) loin of Iberico pork

Marinate the pork with beer, thyme and chamomile hay for 12 hours. Cook pork at 75째C/170째F for 18 hours. Peel eggplant, slice in 2 cm thick rounds and roast over low heat.

Season with a drop of vinegar, salt and olive oil, puree and strain. Cook mango for 5 minutes over low heat with sugar, star anise, cinnamon and 2 tablespoons vinegar until mango is completely soft. Blend and cool. Heat oven to 200째C/400째F. Roast the pork covered with chamomile hay for 5 minutes. Place a spoonful of eggplant puree on the side of the dish, three drops of mango ketchup in the center, and finally the pork, seasoned with smoked salt and fresh hay.

2 liters double malt red beer 1 medium eggplant 400 g mangoes 50 g light brown sugar chamomile hay white vinegar thyme ginger cinnamon stick

1 petal star anise extra-virgin olive oil

51 NOVEMBER 2015

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

Crema gelata di ricotta, frutta secca, nocino e valeriana Frozen cream of ricotta, nuts, nocino liqueur and valerian Ingredients for 4 servings 500 g sheep’s milk ricotta 250 g whole milk 20 g grape sugar (glucose) 150 g cream 200 g valerian leaves nuts: hazelnuts,

Bronte

pistachios, walnuts, almonds from

Toritto

nocino liqueur

Blend ricotta with milk, cream and grape sugar. Place in a ice cream maker and freeze to -20°C/-4°F. Toast the nuts in 190°C/375°F oven for 3 minutes. Separate and wash valerian leaves. Work the ricotta gelato twice in the ice cream maker until it reaches desired creaminess. Assemble dish with a tablespoon of mixed nuts, valerian salad, ricotta gelato and serve with cold nocino liqueur.

52 NOVEMBER 2015

Raviolo of burrata, zucchini,

Frisa 2.0

roast datterino tomatoes and black truffle

Tenuta Serranova 2014 | Agricole Vallone | Lecce (LE) | www.agricolevallone.it

Girofle 2014 | Severino Garofano | Copertino (LE) | loc. Tenuta Monaci | garofano.aziendamonaci.com

A monovarietal Fiano, intense and persistent, complex, with notes of white flowers, exotic fruit, pear. Citrus notes play against the tomato water, and the wine’s sapidity, sustained by strong aromatics, works well with the olives in the friselle.

Monovarietal negroamaro rosato. Its name, which means carnation, refers to the wine’s characteristic spicy aroma, which gives an extra lift to the dish, particularly to the burrata. The wine’s freshness goes well with the tomato and truffle.

Suckling pig, hay, roast eggplant

Frozen cream of ricotta, nuts,

and mango ketchup

nocino liqueur and valerian

Romanico 2011 | Cefalicchio | Canosa di Puglia (BT) | www.cefalicchio.it

Elixir | Padre Peppe | Altamura (BA) | www.liquorepadrepeppe.it

Another monovarietal, this red from nero di Troia grapes is aged in large barrels and vinified with indigenous yeasts and long contact of the must with the pressed and de-stemmed grapes. The winery practices biodynamic agriculture. On the nose, accentuated sensations of dried fruit and nuts, spices, licorice. Its character is both elegant and rustic, working well with a dish that is both strong and subtle.

The Striccoli family has produced this nocino artisanally since 1832. The base is green walnuts macerated in barrels with herbs, spice and alcohol. On the nose, a powerful aroma of walnut together with cinnamon and nutmeg. In the mouth, a balanced bitter tone and excellent freshness, well-suited to the ricotta and nuts in the dessert.

53

NOVEMBER 2015

TRAVEL

by Lorenzo Ruggeri photography by Andrea Ruggeri

Left, Keelung Temple Night Market. Above, Ningxia Night Market in Taipei

TAIWAN

the island that eats by night Floating in the Pacific, Taiwan thinks Chinese but lives in a western way. It was noted by Portuguese sailors in 1544. Enthralled by its beauty, they called it “Ilha Formosa.” In the 17th century, the Dutch arrived. The island’s high-altitude tea plantations alone make a visit worthwhile. As soon as the sun sets, nocturnal markets begin to buzz – colorful, noisy and brimming with life.

55 NOVEMBER 2015

TRAVEL

N

ight markets set the rhythm in Taiwan. Lights are intense, crowds orderly but lively. The atmosphere is hot and noisy from 6 pm to early morning. Food consistencies are confusing, just like combinations. The familiar European separation between sweet and savory dishes breaks down. Moving past the first bottleneck, we merge into the flow of markets brimming with life. The island has over 100.

The star attractions are the xiao chi, literally, little mouthfuls, local specialties cooked on the spot.

Skyscrapers with 101 floors are surrounded by food stands and miniature shops emitting aromas that contend with the image of an island obsessed by technology. Taiwan’s people love to be together, snacking at all hours, but the best time of all is when the sun goes down and the temperature, even if only slightly, relaxes its grip.

Milkfish

Beef noodles

Taipei and surrounding areas Food merchants have always gathered in public squares or near temples. That describes our first excursion, to Keelung Temple Night Market (40 kilometers north of Taipei). Once, people came here for divine guidance, using little painted wooden tablets tossed into the air, like dice, to ask the gods for help.

Keelung is a port city, and fish is the focus. We begin with shark fritters.

The flavor is somewhere between chicken and pork, and the snack is accompanied by a sweet and sour sauce that mitigates the cartilaginous consistency. Next we sample a Taiwan classic, oyster omelet. The oysters are quickly grilled, then blended with eggs, lettuce and sweet potato powder. Soy sauce and a red chili sauce with a touch of sweetness come along with it – a luscious mouthful, gone in a moment. Then, we tuck into a rice and eel soup.

PaoPao ice, a splendid sherbet, is 56 NOVEMBER 2015

our dessert. Prepared in front of us, it is based on red beans and sweet potato, and its creamy flavors hint at excellent coffee.

Flavors are intense, but never particularly salty. Notes of sweetness emerge even in savory dishes.

Sweets, rather than being sugary, bring out the floury textures of sweet potato (taro), chestnuts, beans and puddings. “Some Italian dishes are too salty for the local palate, and I had to adapt them,” chef Marco Priolo, from Marco Polo restaurant in Taipei, told us. There are few westerners on the island, but their numbers are growing. The demand for employees is constant and the cost of living is low. In the center of Taipei, we come across a mountain of papaya-flavored shaved ice at Ice Monster, an institution in the city. Then we move on to marvelous steamed shrimp dumplings (xiao long bao) at Din Tai Fung. The dough is so thin, it’s almost imper-

Oolong Champagne of teas In the world of tea, Oolong expresses unmatched lightness and aromatic complexity at the same time. It has the fragrance and elegance of green tea as well as the spicy quality of black. Along this subtle dualistic path is a world of shadings and types. Oolong accounts for barely 2% of the planet’s tea, but of this small quantity, 20% is produced in the central zone of Taiwan. Tea, just like wine, has many denominations or appellations, because here too, soil, exposure, water and altitude play fundamental roles. High Mountain Oolong is the type most sought after. It grows at an altitude of between 1,000 and 2,500 meters. The higher the source, the more fragrant and pure the aromas, and the more valuable the product. For some teas, for example Lishan oolong, 500 grams can cost 400 euros. For enthusiasts, these varieties are the ultimate in elegance. The work is all manual, the slopes are astonishingly steep, and yields are minimal. Harvesting is complex and the leaves must be processed immediately with slow and gradual drying. Oxidation is partial, from 20% to a maximum of 60% for full-bodied versions. Among these varieties, Oriental beauty, one of the fruitiest and most intense, has citrusy notes and hints of dried fruit and nuts. Like good wine, the best oolong tea benefits from aging. In the summer, slow, cold infusion brings out a new dimension in the tea-drinking experience.

Katie Yen

Aowanda, Central Taiwan. on her organic tea plantation at 1,400 meters above sea level

TRAVEL

ceptible, while a grilled version made with meat has perfectly contrasting crispiness. Din Tai Fung has opened restaurants all over the world, and soon, they say, one will come to Italy, to Milano. Taiwan, due to a massive Japanese influence – it was occupied from 1895 to 1945 – is probably the best place in the world to sample Japanese cooking outside its native kitchens. We liked the recently restored Taipei Fish Market, with a sea of tables set between the fish tanks as well as well-curated restaurants. We ate excellent sushi, standing up at the counter, of course. And then, we recommend Seen, an up-market izakaya, with one of those counters that is relaxing just to look at. It offers a curated choice of Sake and a parade of little bites of sophisticated, well-defined flavors.

We skipped the Shilin Night Market, Taipei’s largest but also most tourist-ridden and went to the cozier Ningxia Night Market. The chicken barbecue is renowned, and its popularity is confirmed by the line waiting for it. The pieces are first fried and then grilled with soy sauce and spices. The answer

Bubble tea

to our quest for more detail: “The recipe is a secret.” Other specialties are chicken wings with crab, rice with pig’s feet, and chives wrapped in bacon. Gao resemble Sicilian arancini, rice balls stuffed with oysters, egg and chili peppers. Then there are stuffed calamari, beef noodle soup, octopus dumplings or takoyaki. The scariest night market food is Stinky

Tofu. Long fermenting gives tofu a startling fatty, evolved character.

The more fermented and therefore intense it is, the better. Your nose will find it from 200 meters away, so it’s only for the brave. Tom Curry, a Canadian living in Taiwan and director of the Taiwan Wine Academy warned us: “How do you know when you’ve been in Taiwan too long? When you begin to like stinky tofu.”

Oolong tea

Tainan, a seafood breakfast We drove further south, where the climate is even more tropical and the welcome even warmer. Tainan, the culinary capital of the country was the first inhabited center on the island and magnificent Confucian temples are preserved despite the incessant traffic of motor scooters and people. The Dutch came here in 1620, and their influence is still evident. The epicenter is the fortress, Chihkan Tower. Fruit is triumphant here, with papaya and mango showing all their intensity and natural sweetness. We felt as if we were tasting them for the first time. Breakfast is the main meal of the day, but it’s not a matter of 58 NOVEMBER 2015

sweet rolls or pancakes. Milkfish is the morning food. It starts with a porridge of fish skin, then another filling and flavorful soup made from the fish fillets. Next come milkfish innards, fried and dusted with ginger, pepper and lemon. Milkfish is not a Mediterranean fish, but it is a constant in the northeastern Asian seas. It is large – about a meter long – and its flavor is rich and fatty, something like salmon, a substantial, nutritional way to start the day.

By the second day, we’re used to it and don’t ask for anything else.

Late at night though, we sample noodle and eel soup, and above all pork (gongwan) or swordfish dumplings in ginger and coriander broth. Instead of potato chips, we snack on fried fresh bamboo shoots to dip in mayonnaise. Fresh fruit drinks are available all day long, and we sipped bubble tea (pearl milk tea), a beverage that has spread around the world. Tea – green or black – with milk or cream and a handful of tapioca proves that even in tea, a gummy consistency is welcome.

We close with two unforgettable restaurants. Don’t leave Tainan without having tasted Danzai noodles, which originated here.

The right place to go is Tu Hsiao Yueh, the oldest restaurant in the city, founded in 1895 by the owner of a fleet of fishing boats. The dish requires a pork stew that has been cooked for nine hours, a delicate shrimp broth and hand-made noodles. A delicious pork meatball and a duck egg cooked in the sauce is added before serving. The first bite will make the world seem like a better place: this is authentic comfort food. Another restaurant institution, A-Sha, opened in 1940, is run by the talented chef and manager Wu Chien-hao. Don’t miss the crab dish or liver cooked with wine vinegar, ginger and crunchy cashews.

You’ll never forget them.

59 NOVEMBER 2015

Addresses taipei restaurants Din Tai Fung 110, Taiwan, Taipei City, Xinyi District, City Hall Rd, 45號台北101購物中心 Senn 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 1, Dunhua S Rd, 163號號 2 樓 Keelung Night Market Aisan Rd, Ren’ai District, Keelung, Taiwan 200 Taipei Fish Market No. 531, Wanda Rd, Wanhua District, Taipei , Taiwan 108 Ningxia Night Market Ningxia Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103

tainan restaurants Tu Hsiao Yueh 度小月 No. 16 Zhongzheng Rd. Tainan A-sha Lane 84, Section 2, Zhōngyì Road, Zhongxi District, Tainan Tea House Jioufen Teahouse No. 142, Jishan St, Ruifang District, New Taipei City, Taiwan 224

taiwan in a book The Ugly Chinaman, Bo Yang

taiwan in a film Kano, directed by Umin Boya

Taiwan and wine Taiwan has twelve wineries. In a tropical climate, production depends on resistant varieties that are crosses of European and American grapes. Domaine Shu-Heng, in the Taichung region, began to vinify its own product in 1999, when the state ended its monopoly on alcoholic beverages, which had included grapes beginning in the 1960s.

Among plantations of bananas and longan are grape varieties such as golden muscat and black queen, grown in vineyards using pergola or high-trained systems. “This vine is 54 years old. Usually we can do two harvests, one in mid-July and the other in mid-December, unless the monsoon gets in the way,” owner Chen told us. Wine quality must still improve, but interest in wine has exploded. That came clear during the Gambero Rosso Roadshow in Taipei, where we met very young trade operators with buying power and a thirst for knowledge.

Sommelier schools are flourishing. Many Taiwanese have studied in Europe and returned home to open a wine bar or shop. France dominates imports, with a 40% share, but Italian wine is catching up. In 2014, it grew 19% in value.

taiwan in proverbs “Fortune turns every ten years.”

“Some love liquor, others tofu. There are even those who like putrid salmon!”

“Where there’s smoke coming from a kitchen fireplace, there will be braised pork rice

(lurou fan).”

Chen, owner of Domaine Shu-Heng

60 NOVEMBER 2015

Taipei Tower 101

Tour 2015/2016

Participating wineries Agricole Gussalli Beretta

Colline San Biagio

Lunae Bosoni

Schiopetto

Allegrini

Còlpetrone

Marchesi di Barolo

Settesoli

Baglio di Pianetto

Cottanera

Masi

Tenuta di Arceno

Barone Pizzini

Cusumano

Medici Ermete & Figli

Tenuta San Guido

Bellavista

De Stefani

Nals Margreid

Tenuta Sant’Antonio

Bolla

Di Majo Norante

Nicosia

Tenute di Eméra

Bortolomiol

Falesco

Omina Romana

Tenute di Genagricola

Cà Maiol

Fattoria del Cerro

Ottella

Tenute Rubino

Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano

Felline

Petra

Terre Cortesi Moncaro

Firriato

Piandaccoli

Torrevento

Cantina Tollo

Gaja

Poggio al Tesoro

Velenosi

Cantine Due Palme

Gruppo La Vis

Primosic

Vigne Surrau

Casalfarneto

Jermann

San Felice

Villa Medoro

Castello di Cigognola

La Raia

San Patrignano

Villa Sandi

Castorani

Le Monde

San Salvatore

Zonin

Cavicchioli

Leone De Castris

Zorzettig

Colle Massari

Livon

Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo

2015

2016

LETTER FROM PARIS

SAY NO TO OAK BASHING! Wood has become the devil, “the enemy of wine”, and “the lethal weapon of the globalization of taste.” A minority of purists with noses fine enough to sense unfailingly and immediately the aroma of oak – while at the same time appreciating politically correct stable odors – never stop oak bashing.

They battle, often uselessly, against technical aspects of wine production.

We want to repeat the words of the great Belgian-Burgundian producer, Jean-Marie Guffens: “There are no wines that are too woody.

There are only wines that are not winey enough”. In other words, let’s not blame the container for the defects of the content. Eighty percent of wine has nothing to gain and everything to lose by spending weeks in barriques or in contact with wood shavings. These are the same wines that don’t benefit from a natural cork closure, something that would improve considerably the stoppers of other wine bottles – but that’s another story. The fact is that there are wines meant to be consumed young, while those that aim at quality, purity and cleanliness of fruit are incompatible with the imprecision of storage in wood that is too old or of an inferior grade. Nevertheless, there’s 20% that gives us a large enough amount of wine to guarantee the health of the barrel-producing sector.

Barriques are interesting for reasons that have to do with the microbiology of wine, observed empirically for many centuries and, for at least two generations, scientifically analyzed. But in their long history, barriques have never been used to lend aroma to wines and (except in industrial wines) should never be used for this purpose. Legitimate notes of wood are those

that, after a sufficient period of aging, seem to be an integral part of the wine. On the other hand, certain aromatic notes and certain tactile sensations that come from some red-wine tannins and from the richness or dry extracts in some whites that have never been in contact with wood, can easily be confused with the effects that using barriques would have produced.

Style is the form that we give to wine according to the idea we have of it, something that implies choices, decisions about the ripeness of the grapes, the principles of vinification, the length of aging and the interventions to carry out during that process, including the decision to not carry out any interventions at all. The origin of wood, the influence of its drying and toasting on the formation and evolution of flavor, is simply an integral part of the development of the wine, and it can’t be ignored or fought against.

The duty of the wine enthusiast and the critic is to find the right perspective and the correct distance.

It’s normal for a wine to have notes of wood one or two years after its bottling, which unfortunately is just when it will be judged and its commercial destiny decided. But it isn’t normal when the notes of wood it takes on at birth alter its texture, or shrink it or dry it, some fairly common defects. It’s just as serious as an aromatic imperfection from a lack of hygiene or sufficient care. It’s crucial to know how to make these distinctions.

Michel Bettane & Thierry Desseauve 62

NOVEMBER 2015

GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it

SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri

PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina

LAYOUT Chiara Buosi, Maria Victoria Santiago

CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Michel Bettane, Elisabetta De Blasi, Thierry Desseauve, Eleonora Guerini, Stefano Polacchi, William Pregentelli, Francesco Seccagno

PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Dario Bragaglia, Chiara Buosi, Clay McLachlan (cover), Andrea Ruggeri

GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia

Advertising GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. via Ottavio Gasparri 13/17, 00152 Roma tel +39 06 551121 - +39 06 55112206 fax +39 06 55112260

Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it

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All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher.

GR USA CORP is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury as to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork or any other unsolicited materials.

November 2015

Charlie Hebdo cover, November 17, 2014 They have weapons.

Screw them.

We have Champagne!

Gambero Rosso and are registered trademarks belonging to Gambero Rosso S.p.A.

www.gamberorosso.it

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international@gamberorosso.it Gambero Rosso USA 63 NOVEMBER 2015