One
of the reasons why I started this blog and the Italian Food, Wine &
Travel group was not only to educate about Italian wines, but open eyes
to the wide variety of what Italy has to offer. I live for trying the
lesser known varieties from some of the obscure regions. These native
grapes are just not always that easy to find. Hopefully this month’s
theme on exploring lesser known wine regions will allow you to think
twice about purchasing what you’re comfortable with and get you to try
something outside the box. You may just be surprised!
I was planning on featuring the tintilia
grape of Molise, but in staying true to what I believe in I won’t share
wines that I do not personally enjoy. Plus, I think the wine I tried
was just off. It doesn’t happen that often and I dislike missing out on
an opportunity to educate, but I have featured other wines from tintiliathat you can read up on.
Instead, we’re traveling to Le Marche wine region featuring sangiovese. Even though sangiovese
is quite the popular grape of Italy I don’t think the wines of Le
Marche get enough attention that they deserve. I’ve always enjoyed the verdicchio white wines of Le Marche, but don’t drink the reds enough. Le Marche is almost balanced between red and white wine production leaning heavier towards the reds.
The Winery ~ Agricola La Canosa
At
a recent tasting I tried some wines from Agricola La Canosa and enjoyed
their 2015 Nullius Marche IGT. I couldn’t find the exact establishment
of this winery, but I believe it’s relatively newer within the last 15
years. It was founded by Riccardo Reina. The winery is situated in the
small town of Rotella with the Ascoli Piceno province in southern
Marche. Located right within the National Park of the Sibillini
Mountains. It’s named after one of the four castles, Poggio Canoso, of the area.
The Wine
2015 La Canosa Nullius Marche IGT – This wine is made of 100% sangiovese. It’s aged for 1 year partially in tonneaux and partially in barriques (1st and 2nd
passage). It then spends another 6-8 months in the bottle. The grapes
are sourced from the highest altitude vineyards on the property. Per
La Canosa’s website, the name of the wine, nullius, stems from the “latin expression “Nullius Diocesis”,
used for indicating the religious autonomy of a town, literally “not
belonging to any diocese”. To have religious autonomy at the time of the
Pontifical State, which our region was part of, was synonymous of great
character, strength, obstinacy and pride for the townspeople.” They
believe this sangiovese
represents the strength of the townspeople and for me that was
prevalent in the firm tannins. Medium to fuller-bodied rich in spice
and red fruits. ABV 13.5% SRP $30
Posts from Fellow Italian Food, Wine and Travel Lovers Take a look below at all the great ideas for exploring Italy from the comfort of your own home. If you see this soon enough, please join our chat on Twitter at #ItalianFWT on Saturday, December 7th at 11:00am EST. We will be taking you all over Italy. We hope you can join.
I
can’t believe it is that time of year already. How fast the holidays
have come upon us. With Thanksgiving fast approaching which wine to
pair with your Thanksgiving meal is probably top of your list along with
what dishes to prepare or will be served. Other than the Thanksgiving
feast wine is always a key component to the meal. There are so many
options when it comes to wines to pair with a Thanksgiving meal because
there is so much variety amongst the dishes on every Thanksgiving
table. Our Italian Food, Wine & Travel group is featuring some
suggested Italian wines to pair for your Thanksgiving meal.
I’ve
recommended all sorts of wines over the years for pairings at
Thanksgiving. With my recent trip to Sicily last month I have Sicilian
wines on the brain. I recently tried a new winery to me, Vino Lauria,
from Alcamo Sicily about 30 miles west of Palermo. Vito Lauria decided
to re-establish his grandfather’s winery started in 1958, but closed in
1993 due to hardships. After going to enology school in Friuli and
working under a number of wineries upon his graduation he released his
first vintage in 2010. Vino Lauria produces certified organic wines
that are also vegan friendly. I’m suggesting the 2016 Vino Lauria ScoglittiFrappato Terre Siciliane IGT made of 100% frappato grapes grown on sandy soils close to the beaches of Scoglitti
near Ragusa. Pale red in the glass. Aromas of juicy berries with
slight herbal notes. Vibrant acidity allowing it to pair with a number
of dishes. Dominated by red fruits with a hint of orange and white
pepper. ABV 13% SRP $22
I
have to be honest – Our holiday tradition is adventure. Or, better yet,
our traditions are non-traditional. Case in point: I never serve turkey
for Thanksgiving. Well, I don't serve turkey ever. But I definitely
don't roast one on Thanksgiving. Instead, I've served everything from
beef brisket to pheasant. So, when Jen of Vino Travels asked the #ItalianFWT bloggers for any Italian wine pairing recommendations for the Thanksgiving table, I looked to my 2019 menu which was inspired by Crystal King’s The Chef’s Secret.
And, really, I tend to kick off any celebratory feast with Italian
bubbles. But this year the Italian wine group did a deep dive into
Prosecco Superiore where I learned that Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze
DOCG is considered, by some, as the 'grand cru' of the Prosecco
hierarchy. So, I will be kicking off my Renaissance Italy Thanksgiving
menu with bottles of Le Colture Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze,
suggested retail around $30. This wine is soft with nuances of summer
stone fruit and subtle citrus. There are also hints of jasmine or
honeysuckle. It will pair nicely with my antipasti
of deviled eggs stuffed with raisins, pepper, cinnamon, orange juice,
and butter; slices of piquant Parmigiano Reggiano; and briny olives,
especially our favorite – Castelvetrano, a vibrant yet buttery green
Sicilian olive. And, if the diners are inclined, the wine will also
carry nicely to the next course of a silky leek and cauliflower soup. Cincin!
2017 MalibranCredamoraCol FondoValdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG (frizzante)Prosecco DOCG (Denominazione di OrigineControlla e Garantita) is produced exclusively by 15 municipalities in the hills of Conegliano Valdobbiadene
(Veneto, Italy). Steep slopes in this region demand hand harvesting,
and winemaking is scrupulously controlled. That means higher quality
wine at just a fraction of cost higher than Prosecco DOC.This gently effervescent 2017 MalibranCredamora was created col fondo (“with
its bottom,” literally, or on its yeasty sediment), rather than in a
tank. Citrus and apple aromas with a hint of sourdough bread dominate
the nose. On the palate, I'm reminded of lemon meringue pie, even though
the wine is “extra brut” (no residual sugar). This unusual col fondo is
not filtered or disgorged, and with native yeasts and no added sulfur,
it's as close to a natural Prosecco as you’re likely to find. The creamy
mouthfeel and yeasty/bready notes will pair beautifully with your
Thanksgiving bird and traditional sides — bread or corn stuffing, mashed
potatoes, and creamed corn or corn pudding. Suggest pouring this wine
gently into a carafe before serving to remove natural deposits.
Thanksgiving
is my favorite holiday of the year, in part because its focus is on
being grateful for so many blessings such as family, friends, food… and
wine! Earlier this year, while in Collio, located in the region of Friuli-Venezia-Guilia
in northeast Italy, I discovered beautiful white wines that exude
minerality and an uncanny ability to age. I also found a beautiful wine
that’s perfect with a variety of traditional Thanksgiving dishes… as
well as Nonna’s Italian specialties.
Marco FellugaCollio Bianco Molamatta 2015 ($26) is considered one of the most important wines in the Marco Felluga portfolio as it “represents the epitome of wines produced in the Collio territory.” The name “Molamatta” refers to the grape vineyard’s geographic location in the village of Farra d’Isonzo at 80 meters above sea level. A blend of Pinot Bianco, Tocai Friulano and RibollaGialla,
I discovered an intense bouquet of juicy oranges, lemon zest, and fresh
squeezed limes. On the palate, notes of ripe citrus, lemons, sage,
thyme and vanilla led to a fresh and lengthy finish. A lovely pairing
was an elegant, flavorful dish I tasted at dinner one night while in the
region, filetto di suinoleggermenteaffumicato con chutney di mele, riduzione di vino cotto e chips di tapioca, a pork filet with chutney and so much more.
Whether
in Canada or in the USA, Thanksgiving usually means food. Lots of food.
The flavours can be as diverse as the people cooking, from spicy to
bland, with plenty of sauces or without anything at all. It would be a
Herculean task to pick a single wine that could cover all the bases and
every contingency. And yet… there is a category of wine that can do just
that: bubbles! Chosen well, a young sparkling wine has the freshness to
cut through fatty foods, with good fruit and salty minerality to pair
with almost anything. Something with a low dosage will leave the palate refreshed and ready for the next course, and let’s not forget that a sparkler is the wine of choice for festive toasts. Italy has a bewildering number of sparklers, so I’m going to recommend a relative newcomer: DurelloLessini.
This is a relatively new DOC for sparkling wines found on the volcanic
soils near Vicenza in the Veneto, not far from the heartland of al things Prosecco. In the case of DurelloLessini, the grape is a native to the region called Durella – and it seems virtually designed for sparkling wines: high acidity when fully ripe, and it is a late-ripener
in the region, allowing it to develop delightful complexity. The grapes
take to oak fermentation, but don’t need it – and the wines can be
spectacular whether made in the “traditional” way (metodoclassico) or with the tank method (charmat).
Fine, fruity and fun, this is a wine for all occasions – and what
better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than with something as good for the
initial toast as it is for the rest of the meal! My recommendation?
Anything from Dal Maso!
While it's hard to choose one wine for Thanksgiving, I will concentrate on the main dishes and for that my pairing for Thanksgiving is with Garda Classico Groppello DOC made from Groppello. The producer I am recommending is Selva Capuzza and the wine is Groppello Classico San Biagio. It is made with 100% Groppello grapes which are indigenous to this part of Italy on Lake Garda. The grapes were hand picked and it ages in stainless steel. The first time I tasted Groppello was Luca Formentini, the owner of Selva Capuzza
at his restaurant. Blind it was a very close match to Gamay with small
red berry fruits, nice acidity, and light, fine tannins.
The glacial
soils that surround Lake Garda produce wines with pronounced minerality
and salinity that I favor in wine and that make them perfect for food. I
think it will be a great match with Thanksgiving's wide array of
flavors, with enough structure to match Turkey with stuffing and gravy
and not too much alcohol, a nice mid-weight wine of 12.5%. The kind that
leads easily from one glass to another but won't overwhelm you or your
palate. I also think it will be lovely with some of the side dishes that
grace our holiday table, sweet potatoes with pecans and vegetables with
almonds. Often
we also have a ham and it would be a good foil for this dish with its
acidity cutting through the savory flavors. We don't see as much Groppello
here as I would like but I am hopeful for the future and grateful to
know Luca and have been introduced to the wine. Luca's family is on
their 102nd vintage so they know something about the area and making
wine. They have been making this particular wine since 2009.
This Thanksgiving, I’m thinking ahead to the dessert. After gorging on turkey and all the trimmings, people may say that they’re too full for sweets, but somehow, they always get eaten. Afterall, who can resist the scent of home-baked goods?
The same goes for sweet wine. People may say they don’t want any, but one sip usually leads to the next and the next. One of my favorite Italian dessert wines is Vin Santo and I've had a bottle of 2003 Ambra Vin Santo di Carmignano in my wine closet for many years and now it's time to break it out.
This dessert wine comes from the Carmignano area of Tuscany, about ten miles northwest of Florence, and is made from mostly Trebbiano grapes, blended with 10% San Colombano. I love the flavors of hazelnut, honey, dried fig and apricot that are found in a good Vin Santo.
Sweet, but not cloying, Ambra's Vin Santo has a zingy acidity that makes it a perfect match with rich, fall desserts: apple crisp, pear tart, pumpkin and pecan pies, cheesecake, and chocolate desserts.
And if anyone’s serious about foregoing dessert, I hope they’ll at least treat themselves to a glass of this special Italian dessert wine.
Harvest feasts are and have been common way back in time in many countries all over the world, but it is mainly in the US and Canada that Thanksgiving is an important holiday. In Europe, Martinmas was, for example, an important celebration of the fall harvest in older rural times. It was also the time of year when the ‘work year’ came to an end and farmhands and laborers would seek new positions. At Martinmas, you eat goose and in Sweden, the ‘delicacy’ and the typical dish is still the black (goose-giblet) soup.
Let’s go back to Thanksgiving as you celebrate it in the US in just a couple of days. I wanted to suggest a festive wine that goes well as an aperitif as well as with many of the Thanksgiving dishes, namely a Franciacorta wine.
The vision is to make wines without any hurry, but rather have patience and wait for the right moment to release the wines to the market. Together with their oenologist, Pierangelo Bonomi, they are following this principle as far as possible having all their sparkling wines undergo long second fermentation phases on the lees (at least 36 months).
Alpine Pinot Bianco doesn’t get much more food friendly!
I’m an explorer at heart and that’s how I approach the Thanksgiving meal. I can’t remember the last time I served turkey. That exploration continues with the wine- what to pair with your meal that everyone will like? A common yet very different grape from Italy’s Alto Adige region is Pinot Bianco aka Weissburgunder. This area in the northern Alps is refreshing and lively just like Tiefenbrunner’s classic Pinot Bianco. With scents of apple, citrus and tropical notes, its crisp and mineral-driven but with a creamy texture. They age it on lees giving a richer mouth feel and greater depth of flavor. Sipping it before the meal with nibbles, yep! But it will and shine with most all Thanksgiving dishes including potatoes of any type, vegetables, white meats, and home-made cranberry sauce. That is one Thanksgiving dish always on my table!
Happy Thanksgiving to all and enjoy this time with your familiy and friends!
The Wine 
