Posts Tagged ‘Barbaresco’
Saturday, January 21st, 2012
 It’s no secret that I love Vietti wines. There………I said it. From the entry level, everyday Dolcetto with its juicy flavors to the small production single vineyard “cru” displaying the finest structure and balance you’ll ever taste in a Barolo, vintner and owner Luca Currado never takes his eyes off the vineyards and winery.
Blessed by grandfather Mario and father Alfredo, Luca has been infused with the best of tradition and innovation. He knows that the greatness of wine does lie with a single man or woman, but rather in the vineyard where terroir sets the stage. Once that foundation is set, the vintner can work with his or her inherent skills to guide and refine what nature has bestowed.
For those of you in Tucson or Phoenix, you have a rare opportunity to meet Luca at wine pairing dinners in both cities and trust me when I tell you that you won’t meet a more engaging, energetic and bright man. He’ll be in Tucson for one evening only on January 30th and in Scottsdale on the 31rst. You can read all the details about each event in our Local Wine Events column.
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, dolcetto, La Morra, Luca Currado, Serralunga, Vietti
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Saturday, January 21st, 2012
Greatness is rarely achieved without sacrifice, determination and an innovative vision of what could be. Fortunately for wine enthusiasts, Patriarch Mario Vietti, in the 19th century, embraced all three attributes and launched what today is one of finest estates in the Piedmont region.
While today, the Vietti estate is run by Mario’s great grandson, the always affable and dynamic Luca Currado, Luca well understands and identifies closely with the family heritage that laid the foundation for today’s successes. After returning to Piedmont from the US (Boston), Mario executed a business strategy that was viewed as shear lunacy! He began to trade hectares of land parcels for the best vineyard soil and terroir, travelling from village to village. So outrageous was this approach that it earned him the nickname the “crazy Americano.” Clearly, Mario was not only not crazy but on to a concept that would transform the estate into a world class winery.
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Brunate, Castiglione Falletto, dolcetto, La Morra, Lazzarito, Luca Currado, Monforte, Piedmont, Rocche, Serralunga, Vietti
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Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
I’ve been waiting patiently for several years to try a bottle of the second growth Bordeaux Leoville Poyferre, 2003. I wrote about other “Leovilles,” Barton and Las Cases, in one of Collector Columns, all three very worthy of your cellar. This is a wine that’s emerging from bottle aging and holds the promise to become one of the best ever produced. Why not “the” best? Because the ’09 and possibly the ’10 vintage may equal or even eclipse it. Of course, that’s up to the wine Gods. We’ll know better in about 8-10 years.
Leoville Poyferre St Julien, 2003:
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Tags: Barbaresco, Bordeaux, Brunello, Callaghan, Leoville Barton, Leoville Las Cases, Leoville Poyferre, Moccagatta, Nebbiolo, Poggio Antico
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Tuesday, September 27th, 2011
While I have been so impressed with the Nebbiolo based wines coming out of Piedmont for many years, that feeling was redoubled after our recent Piedmont voyage and visits with stories vintners such as Luca Currado of Vietti (www.vietti.com, Roberto Voerzio, and Paolo Scavino (www.paoloscavino.com).
First, a word or two about the word Nebbiolo. Buried within the word is the word “nebbia” which means fog. Usually during the harvest season, which historically has occurred in mid to even late October, a deep fog will settle into the vineyards. This year has witnessed one of the earliest harvests on record, some vintners already finished, all courtesy of a very warm season.
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Tags: Alba, Aldo Conterno, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Bruno Giacosa, dolcetto, Italy, Nebbiolo, paolo scavino, phylloxera, Piedmont, Pio Cesare, Roberto Voerzio, Vietti
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Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
I’m readying myself for our whirlwind voyage to Tuscany and Piedmont later this year so it’s a good time for me to do more Italian tasting. In that light, this edition of the Best of the Best includes three wines, each profiling a different Italian grape, namely Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera. The outlier, but certainly not taking a back seat is a local favorite of mine from Kief Manning. So, let’s taste…………..
Bruno Giacosa Barbera d’Alba, 2007:
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Brunello, Kief Joshua Vineyards, Malvasia Bianc, Nebbiolo, Piedmont, Sangiovese, Tuscany
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Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
During a rather sad New England Patriots loss to the Jets last week ( revenged by the Steelers on Sunday), we opened up a couple of bottles of one of my favorite Zin producers, Seghesio. We started with the 2008 Sonoma followed by the ’07 Old Vine. Paired with home made chili, both of these were just an outstanding match.
Seghesio Zinfandel Sonoma County Sonoma, 2008:
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Tags: Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Riesling, Seghesio, Zinfandel
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Monday, January 24th, 2011
My wife and I finally made a visit, with some friends to the North Oracle “ristorante Italiano” Guiseppe’s last weekend. The restaurant is run by three partners including Joseph Scordato. The Scordato family has been in the restaurant business in Tucson for decades with brother Daniel running the well known Vivace’s. It was heartening to see the restaurant buzzing with activity when we arrived, indoors as well as on the outdoor patio. We elected to sit outdoors under the heated roof augmented by individual heaters, feeling that with less noise we could actually hear one another.
I started out with their home made Minestrone soup and went on to a very tasty and hearty traditional Farfalle and Bolognese. This dish was all that it should be, flavored with pork, sausage, beef, prosciutto and accented with carrots, celery and onion in a spicy tomato sauce with a touch of cream added. My wife ordered the Shrimp Rosso, shrimp sautéed in a white wine demi-glace on a bed of capellini with a touch of tomato sauce while our friends tested the Eggplant Parmesan and the Penne and Sausage. Everyone applauded the flavorful dishes.
Next up was a wine to pair. It was heartening to see a wine list full of Italian styles from Chianti, Barbera, Barbaresco and Barolo with many served by the glass. In the end, we went for the 2006 Produttori del Barbaresco for $45. Made entirely from Nebbiolo grapes, the wine swirled with fragrances and flavors of black cherry, violets, spice and well structured tannins. The pairing worked in perfect tandem with all the dishes. How I love the concept of regionality when it comes to wine and food.
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Chianti, Guiseppe's
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Monday, January 3rd, 2011
Nestled into the northwest section of Italy, about an hour southwest of the fashion capital Milan, lies a series of hills that yield some the finest and long lived reds in all of Italy. From communes such as La Morra, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and Barolo emerge some of the most revered Barolo’s, all derived from the great black grape Nebbiolo. The region’s geography ranges from the plains in Novara and Vercelli to the hills of Asti and Monferrato to the steeper and picturesque hills of Langhe and Roero. As you might infer, the range of geography produces differing climes and microclimes, all impacting the style of wine.
With a history that indirectly dates back to 1AD, Pliny the Elder describes a wine from this region that fits the characteristics of the Nebbiolo grape. Documents from the castle of Rivoli dated 1235 refer to a description of the grape that fits Nebbiolo while more specific referrals were made in 1303 and 1304, referring to the grape as both “nebiolo” and “nubiola,” the later evoking a description of the wine as delightful and excellent. By the 15th century, the laws of La Morra were firm that the punishment for destroying a Nebbiolo vine could range from a severe fine to amputating the right hand and for repeat offenders, hanging.
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barolo, Nebbiolo, Piedmont
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
This is the time of the year when I pull out all of the wine “wish” lists that I have accumulated over the year and review them. Mind you, these are not nice organized lists but rather “wants” scribbled on sheets of paper of all sizes…..post it notes, legal sized yellow pads, a stray napkin, etc. My job, if I decide to accept it (paying homage to the original 1960’s Mission Impossible), is to consolidate this mish mash of paper into a readable 2010 list.
No surprise to those who know me are the Rhone Rangers, both south and north. While Southern Rhone has gotten the majority of publicity for its stellar vintages over the last several years, Northern Rhone has some world class wines as well. On my list I have Vieux Donjon 2007 ( the ‘03’s, ‘04’s and ‘05’s are excellent, as well), Vieux Telegraph (2005 & 2007), Chateau Beaucastel 2007, St. Prefert, Domaine Charvin, Domaine Janasse, Pierre Usseglio both ‘05’s and ‘07’s. These are wines that range from $60-$150 and beg for a bargain. The ’06 and ‘07 Tardieu-Laurent VV Gigondas and Vacqueyras, the ‘07 Domaine Les Aphillanthes Cotes du Rhone VV and the Domaine des Escaravailles Cotes du Rhone Sablieres are front and center for me with the latter running less than $20. I’ll also keep an eye out for more of the affordable Northern Rhones such as the ’06 Jean Louis Chaves’s St Joseph Offerus and Silene, both of which are great wines for the price. I would love to grab some of his Hermitage but it’s just too pricey right now.
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Tags: Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Cabernet Franc, Chianti, Loire, Malbec, Portugal, Rhone, Riesling, Spanish wine, Tempranillo
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Monday, April 13th, 2009
Today, wine is more accessible and abundant than ever before. Gone are the days when only the finest mom and pop spirit stores carried a select offering of wines, offering one on one personalized service. And to that, eliminate the aged belief that sommeliers or cellar managers were the only ones who could pair wines, the task too complex for the mortal man.
Wines of nearly any varietal, be it domestic or international and price category, can be located at local spirits establishments, at discount powerhouses such as Costco or Trader Joes or even through the internet. While easy access to domestic and international wine is a boon to buyers, it also presents a dizzying array of choices that borders on the overwhelming, leading some people to retreat to safe, simple and predictable wine and food pairings (a domestic Cabernet with a steak, for example).
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Tags: accents, Alsatian, Arizona, Barbaresco, Barbera, Barolo, Bordeaux, Brunello, Chianti, cooking style, Cotes du Rhone, Dolchetto, Garnacha, Gewurztraminer, Grenache, Janos, lamb, Malbec, Merlot, Nebbiolo, Nero d'Avola, Pinot Noir, primary dish, Priorat, regionality, Rhone, Rias Baixas, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Sangiovese, sauces, sausage, seasonings, Shiraz, Spanish wine, Syrah, Tempranillo, wine and food pairing, Zinfandel
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It’s no secret that I love Vietti wines. There………I said it. From the entry level, everyday Dolcetto with its juicy flavors to the small production single vineyard “cru” displaying the finest structure and balance you’ll ever taste in a Barolo, vintner and owner Luca Currado never takes his eyes off the vineyards and winery.
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