Malvasia on the Island of Sicilia with Tasca d'Almerita

A few weeks ago I was invited to a tasting of the Dalla Terra portfolio where 9 families of Italian wine producers were visiting Boston.  I love opportunities like these, especially when they all Italian.  It was the perfect opportunity to take the day off of work and meet these folks.  I made it through 7 of the 9 so I have plenty of stories and wines to share with you in upcoming weeks.  Life is a little crazy right now with getting our house ready for sale while trying to find one never mind balancing two little ones under 2, but that's why we have wine right?!

Giuseppe Tasca

The wines I'm sharing with you today are made from the malvasia grape from Tasca d'Almerita on the island of Sicily.  This was my first stop of the day and I was greeted by co-owner of the winery and VP, Giuseppe Tasca.  Giuseppe, along with his brother Alberto and father Count Lucia Tasca, manage the operations of the winery today.  Giuseppe greeted me with such enthusiasm and was so proud to tell me the history of his family and the estates that they own.  He walked me through all his pictures and explained the differences between the 5 farms, known as tenuta, and how the expressions of the grape varieties differ from the variety of landscapes that they're grown on.  Those 5 estates include

• Tenuta Capofaro (Salina)
• Tenuta Tascante (Mt. Etna)
• Tenuta Whitaker (Mozia)
• Tenuta Regaleali (DOC Sclafani county)
• Sallier de la Tour (Palermo province)

Tenuta Capofaro

The malvasia wines I'm sharing come from the Tenuta Capofaro estate.  This particular estate is located on the Aeolian island Salina, a UNESCO World Heritage site, off the northeastern coast of Sicily.  At the estate they only grow malvasia, known there as malvasia della lipari, on their vineyards that consist of 6 hectares situated on ancient lava rock.  This area is known for malvasia typically produced as a sweet wine.  Tenuta Capofaro wanted to present it also in a different light and show it as a dry style wine with freshness and elegance, hence their Didyme wine I tasted below.

Giuseppe was showing me pictures of the resort that guests can stay at on their estate. Looked like heaven to me!  They purchased this estate back in 2002 and at the time majority of the hectares were already planted with malvasia, but they restructured some of the vineyard and kept the best quality vines.  

The 2 wines I tasted were the 2016 Tenuta Capofaro Malvasia Passito called "CapoFaro" and the 2017 Tenuta Capofaro Malvasia Didyme.  I hope you have an opportunity to taste these wines and to experience malvasia in its different styles.

2016 Tenuta Capofaro Malvasia Passito "CapoFaro" Salina IGT made of 100% malvasia.  These malvasia grapes are dehydrated indoors, concentrating the sugars in the grapes.  They're fermented in stainless steel and aged for 6 months.  The wine showed a beautiful balance of sweetness and acidity without the heavy viscosity of other dessert wines.  Beautiful notes of honey and peaches.  SRP $38 (wine-searcher)

2017 Tenuta Capofaro Malvasia Didime Salina IGT made also with 100% malvasia.  This wine is named after the old name of the island "Didyme".  A light-bodied dry wine that is crisp, elegant, showing nice minerality and acidity combined with some citrus, flowers and herb notes.  SRP $16 (wine-searcher)

Happy Memorial weekend to everyone!

*Pictures and information sourced from Jarvis Communications and Tasca d'Almerita.

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Vermentino of Toscana with Aia Vecchia

In the Boston area this past week we have experienced a blast of heat and definitely got me into the mood for some whites, which is the highlight of our Italian Food, Wine & Travel groups feature this month as we discuss the white grape of Italy, vermentino. 

Vermentino is a grape that can be found in a number of regions within Italy and as if it's not hard enough to learn about all the indigenous grapes of Italy, but in certain regions it is known under a different name.  This grape can be found in Tuscany, Piedmont where it's known as Favorita, Sardinia and Liguria where it's known as Pigato. 

Vermentino is a dry, light-bodied aromatic white wine with refreshing acidity, floral and citrus notes and a finish at times that includes almonds.  Jancis Robinson calls vermentino a grape that is "racy, citrus, often mineral and sometimes marine character of refreshing dry wine, usually unoaked and moderate in alcohol".

I opened a 2015 Aia Vecchia Vermentino of Tuscany that I had on hand last week and days later happened to receive an invitation to meet one of the members of the Pelligrini family that produces the wine so it all happened at just the right time.

Elia Pelligrini

Aia Vecchia is located between Bolgheri and Castagneto Carducci and lies oalong the Tyrrhenian Sea.  The winery began in 1996 with their first vintage in 1998.  Their aim was to produce wines of high quality from small plots that were Super Tuscans.  Prior to producing their own wines most of their grapes were sold to other historic estates in the area. 

They have vineyards in both the Maremma and Bolgheri areas of southern Tuscany.  Of their 104 acres of vines planted, 74 of those are under the Bolgheri DOC.  Within Bolgheri you’ll find more international varieties like merlot and cabernet sauvignon vs. the more indigenous grapes of Italy. Aia Vecchia grows Bordeaux grapes including cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, merlot and petit verdot which are showcased in their wines "Sur Ugo and Lagone" that I tried at the event this week and will share in an upcoming article. 

Tuscan wine regions including Bolgheri and Maremma copyright of Wine Folly

The vermentino I’m sharing today grows on their estates known as Magiano in Toscana and Orbetello located in Grosseto.  There is a small percentage, 5%, of this wine that includes viognier for weight and florals.  The 2015 Aia Vecchia Vermentino Toscana IGT was straw colored with lemon and citrus notes in the glass.  A dry white light on the acidity and a round mouthfeel with some tropical notes and a hint of almond.  I enjoyed the 2016 that I had at the tasting more than the 2015 due to its salinity and citrus notes, but I personally feel with a lot of these white wines the fresher the better. SRP $14. 13% ABV.

Join the rest of our Italian crew this Saturday May 5th live on Twitter at 11am EST #ItalianFWT and learn all about vermentino around Italy.  Join in the fun! See you then for a taste of summer.

• Gwen from Wine Predator is sharing "You Need To Know Vermentino: Paired with Carbonara #ItalianFWT" 
• Lauren from The Swirling Dervish is writing "Vegetarian Plates and Pigato from A.A. Durin: Perfect for Your Summer Table" 
•  Jill from L'Occasion is adding "Vermentino from Maremma, Land of The Butteri Tuscan Cowboys" 
• Jane from Always Ravenous is penning "Which Vermentino to Pair With Shrimp & Fresh Herb Pilaf?"
• Lynn from Savor the Harvest is contributing "One Italian Island White Wine You Must Try" 
• Katarina from Grapevine Adventures is dishing on "Vermentino by Antonella Corda - An expression of Sardinia Terroir" 
• David from Cookingchat is giving us "Salmon with Lemon Olive Relish and a Vermentino" 
• Nicole Ruiz Hudson from Sommstable is bringing "Piero Mancini Vermentino and Salmon Two Ways" 
• Camilla Mann from Culinary Adventures with Cam is posting "From Sardegna to the Land Down Under: Vermentino + Pizza alle Vongole" 
• Wendy from A Day In The Life on The Farm gives us "A Successful Search for Vermentino". 
• Susannah at Avvinare is all about "Vermentino in its Varied Styles from Liguria to Sardegna."                   
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Pilgrimage to the Navarra with Bodega Inurrieta

It’s been some time since I joined my Wine Pairing Weekend friends so we’re venturing away from Italy and taking a short jaunt over to the Navarra in Spain.  If you’re not familiar with the Navarra it is located in northern Spain at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains.  It’s near Pamplona and part of the Camino de Santiago (the pilgrimage route of St. James), which was used amongst monks traveling to France and is partially why French grapes are part of vineyard life in the Navarra.

Wine region of the Navarra sourced from Navarrawine.us

Today I'm sharing the wines of Bodega Inurrieta.  They are situated in 1 of the 5 sub zones known as the Ribera Alta district of Navarra.  This is considered the heart of the Navarra and home to the Navarra D.O. headquarters.  This D.O. is one of the oldest in the country created in 1933 and consists of about 90 wineries and 2,500 growers.  The red grapes dominate the landscapes by about 90% over whites.  The Ribera Alta is a warmer section of the Navarra with the Rio Elga flowing through the land.

The winery is named after the land where the ancestors grew vines over 100 years ago.  The vines of today were planted back in 1999 with the first bottle release in 2003.  As the President Juan Maria Antonana states “Inurrieta is a young winery but our family has a long tradition in the world of wine.” The wineries altitude ranges from 300-480 and consists of 3 different soil types so they are able to produce 6 different grape varietals including sauvignon blanc, merlot, cabernet sauvignon, syrah, graciano and garnacha.

I tried both their sauvignon blanc known as Orchidea and their Crianza blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon known as Cuatrocientos.  Check out the pairings!

2017 Inurrieta Orchidea Sauvignon Blanc

Brilliant, crystal pale yellow in color with a tinge of green.  On the nose the aromatics are jumping out of the glass with waves of tropical fruits (pineapples and grapefruits). A light to medium bodied wine rich in tropical fruit with vegetal undertones.  Well balanced.

Pairing: I paired this wine with a pintxo appetizer topped with salted ham, roasted peppers and goat cheese drizzled with some delicious extra virgin olive oil I received from Azienda Agricola Pernigo.  I was a big fan of this pairing as the acidity and tropical notes of the wine integrated well with the savory ham along with the peppers and goat cheese.

Inurrieta Cuatrocientos Crianza Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon

This wine is a blend of 60% merlot and 40% cabernet sauvignon.  Crianza in the Navarra has a requirement of 24 months aging with a minimum of 9 months in barrel.  Bodega Inurrieta uses both French and American oak.  This wine is deep, dark ruby in color.  Sweet smelling on the nose and rich in blackberries and raspberries as well as on the palatte.  A full bodied, meaty wine with vanilla notes from the barrel aging.

Pairing: I paired with this stuffed peppers filled with turkey, black beans, diced red peppers and corn.     

If you catch this in time join us live on Twitter Saturday April 14th at #WinePW as we chat all about the food and wine of the Navarra wine region in Spain.
Jill Barth of L'Occasion: "Eat and Drink like Hemingway in Spain’s Navarra Region"

Nancy Brazil of Pull That Cork: "Wines of Navarra and a Meal to Match" 
David Crowley of Cooking Chat: "Steak with Manchego Mushroom Sauce with Red Wine from Navarra" 
Jade Helm of Tasting Pour: "Lamb Sofrito Nachos Night of Navarra Wines" 
Nicole Ruiz Hudson of Somm's Table: "Cooking to the Wine: Senorio de Otazu and Broiled Skirt Steak with Romesco Sauce" 
Wendy Klik of A Day in The Life on the Farm: "A taste of Navarra Spain" 
Camilla M. Mann of Culinary Adventures with Camilla: "Pacific Rock Crab Claws + 2016 Otazu Merlot Rosado " 
Jane Niemeyer of Always Ravenous: "What Foods to Pair with Wines from Navarra Spain" 

Sarah Ozimek of Curious Cuisiniere: "Basic Spanish Flan and Navarra Wine" 
Cindy Rynning of Grape Experiences: "¡Salud! to Tapas Night and the Wines of Navarra" 

Julie Santiago of Wine N Friends: "Taste of Pintxos and Navarra Wines" 
Rupal Desai Shankar The Syrah Queen: "Navarra - Spain’s Hidden Gem" 
Lauren Walsh The Swirling Dervish: "Sipping and Cooking with Patxaran: a Taste of Ancient Navarra" 
Host Gwendolyn Alley The Wine Predator: "Along the Way with Wine and Food from Navarra Spain."    

 

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Wines were received as samples, but opinions are always my own.  Information sourced from Bodega Inurrieta and NavarraWine.us.