Monday, March 24, 2008

‘Vino-Tourism’

 

A Day in San Diego with Italian Wine and Real Italians

By Steve Dryden

Life will never be the same for me after attending the Top Italian Wines Road Tour last week at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center. And it wasn’t just the stunning quality of the wine; rather it was an amazing combination of warm and passionate Italians, great food and wine education at the highest level.

 

The event was organized and directed by Gambero Rosso, “the Italian trademark for those who want to learn to travel, eat and drink joyfully and intelligently in Italy and the rest of the world.” Their creative and innovative educational and promotional programs include a monthly food, drink and travel magazine (since 1986), a publishing house for guides to wine, restaurants, hotels, cities and products, and a educational web site at www.gamberorosso.  In addition they have the Gambero Rosso Channel, the digital theme television “offering twenty-four hours a day of people, itineraries and discoveries.”

 

Although Italians are known for enjoying life to the fullest, they also have taken their passion for food, wine and travel to the ultimate level. This presentation was one of the most rewarding and informative wine events I’ve ever attended and was an inspiration for anyone who has ever been involved in wine promotions and exploring the elements of living the good life within the global wine culture.

 

Personally, as a wine, food and travel writer, I believe that one needs to expose your palate to as many wines as possible, travel to every wine region available, and to actually grow grapes and make wine to fully understand the vast dimensions and dynamics of the wine industry and culture. As a researcher and lover of all things good, living and working within the global wine culture has offered me an unlimited opportunity to explore the incredible world of fine wine, food, culture and people.

 

I don’t consider myself an expert, but I am certainly responsible enough to myself and my readers to present a positive, in-depth perspective into an amazing world by actually getting out there and living it. My connection to the Italian wine industry is the fact that I grow the famous Italian grape, Nebbiolo, in Mexico’s premier wine region of Guadalupe Valley, in northwestern Baja California. It always amazes me that wine brings so many people together in a peaceful way and seems to bring out the best in people, drink, food, travel – all in the celebration of the beauty and diversity of life.

 

Italy, Italians, wine, food, passion, expression, romance, palate sensations, entertainment, and the arts, all in one place at one time can be overwhelming and quite enjoyable! The whole theme of the event seemed to point out that you should already be living in Italy, be Italian or at least try to imitate their take on life. These expressive and articulate people have refined the meaning of “living the good life” – not to mention the natural beauty and charm of their women.

 

It was an easy sell, and later this year I plan to travel to Italy to indulge myself into their wonderful world of wine, food, passion and the endless desire to enjoy life to the fullest.  In the meantime, I’m going to practice my Italian by drinking their wine and matching it with their style of cooking and food preparation. Thankfully, this group of dedicated Italians exposed your truly and others to a elegant moment in time by sharing their passion for life through their ultimate expression of wine and food.

 

Hopefully you have discovered the amazing world of Italian wine by now for yourselves. We’re lucky here in Baja California to have the Italian family of L.A. Cetto that has been making some Italian style wines in the region for over eighty years. Their winemaker, Camillo Magoni, has a Ph.D. in Italian enology and was elected “top winemaker of the world” in 2004.

 

Years ago, Don Luis Cetto and Camillo introduced me to their special world of wine, food and art, with “world class” entertainment, and exposed my palate to Nebbiolo and Sangiovese.  Over the years I have grown to love Nebbiolo so much that I travelled back to Napa to get some cuttings for my vineyard in Tierra Santa.

 

In addition, I took a bottle of their 2003 Nebbiolo Reserva to the event to share with the Gambero Rosso group. Sharing wine, particularly a familiar regional varietal, often opens doors of communication and understanding. At this event it opened some amazing bottles from one of the greatest wine regions of the world, and introduced me to some of the most dynamic people involved with global wine promotion and education. Gambero Rosso puts on a wine road show that is so incredible that it would benefit other wine cultures to pay close attention to this world class production and educational experience.

 

I was stunned by the high quality of the Italian white wines from Valle d’Aosta and other regions. One of my favorites was Borgo Conventi Pinot Grigio from the region of Collio. This single estate wine from Ruffino’s Borgo Conventi property in northern Italy is aromatic, fresh, and elegant, with hints of wild flowers and ripe pears. They also produce two other white wines, Pinot Blanco and Chardonnay. Ruffino’s history goes back to 1877, expanding to seven properties today with over 600 hectares of premium grapes under cultivation. They produce about 15 million bottles of wine per year.

 

I discovered another amazing white wine from Ivini dei Feudi di San Gregorio. Their Privilegio Dei Feudi di San Gregorio is made from the Fiano grape in the Candida and Sordo Serpico region. It’s aged in medium toasted new oak barrels for 16 to 24 months, and full bodied with soft aromas of dried apricot, pineapple, and wild flowers. This silky and smooth white wine is fresh with a balanced finish providing hints of citrus, cinnamon and peaches.

 

They are located in the village of Sorbo Serpico, in Campaia’s Irpinia region. Established in 1986 with a focus on indigenous varietals like Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo and Aglianico, in the past ten years this region has transformed into one of the most innovative and successful regions in south Italy. Another great white wine discovery was 2007 Masciarelli, Trebbiano D’Abruzzo. This light white wine with hints of lemon rind and mineral character with a bit of orange bloom is delightful and refreshing. One factor making it stand out to my palate and consciousness is the fact that Gianni Masciarelli is a leader in biodynamic and organic farming in Italy. As a consumer who appreciates the finer things in life, I fully respect others who are protecting the earth and their consumers by providing natural and organic products. 

 

Fortunately, I was able to walk a few feet from these wine presentations and match both of these premium white wines with Grana Padano, the world’s first hard cheese. I’m still not sure what attracted me to the cheese display, but I am certain that the beautiful woman from Sicily had an impact and magnetic attraction that drew me towards the presentation. Having pretty women on site at any show always attracts men. It’s probably the second oldest profession in the world, but having Italian women present your products is always a bullet proof approach. I wonder if the Cistercian monks, in the year 1000 in Chiaravalle, ever gave thought of abandoning their cheese making for one of those fabulous local girls?

 

Luckily for the world, I suppose, those ambitious monks developed a formula for processing cow cheese, as well as aging and preserving it. The final product is a sweet and savory cheese from the Lombardy region of northern Italy. “To enjoy a chunk of Grana Padano is to enjoy the very best that nature provides, the product of grass, grain, cow’s milk and the skill and patience of Man.”

 

One popular dish throughout the world is Risotto with vegetables and Grana Pandano or Risotto con Verdure e Grana Padano. Here in Mexico I use Grana Padano in lobster salad with white truffle oil, radish sprouts and lemon. And, now I understand the necessity of matching it with an Italian wine.

 

The red wines of Italy, where do I start and how much time do I have?

 

Wow, I have to say that I was more than impressed with the new wines coming from this amazing culture. I’ll start with Sangiovese from ll Grico de San Felice, a Chianti Classico Riserva from vineyards on the Agricola San Felice Estates at 350 to 400 meters above sea level. Fermented on the skins for 18-20 days with malo-lactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, eighty percent aged in Slavonian oak barrels for twenty-four months and twenty percent aged in French oak casks, bottled aged for six months. The end result fully embodies the highest qualities of Sangiovese with classic elegance of ripe fruit, sweet, dense tannins with crisp acidity.

 

Petra Winery is located in Maremma Toscana in Suvereto, on the hills that rise from Val di Cornia towards the Colline Metallifere. I explored their EBO, Val di Cornia Suvereto red wine. It’s a rich blend of Sangiovese, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. With delicate hints of spice and balsamic notes, round and full fruit, smooth tannins, and a mild blueberry finish, it makes for a superb, high performance table wine. They also produce Zingari Toscano Petra, a pleasant fresh blend of Merlot, Syrah, Petit Verdot and Sangiovese. The wine follows in the spirit of the name, as Zingari means “wanderer or gypsy” in Italian, reflecting the respected qualities of the free and independent folks in their region.

 

Other phenomenal reds researched were: Valori, Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, a limited (6,000 bottle) production of superior quality. One delightful red was found in Caprai 2004 Sagrantino di Montefalco 25 Anni, with dark, beautiful Sargrantino fruit, vibrant and seductive, and firm tannins. Donnafugata, Mille e una Notte, is a wonderful blend of ninety percent Nero d’Avola and other regional grapes. This red table wine has sweet floral scents, rich complexity, with a trace of tobacco on the finish.

 

I was almost knocked off my feet by a Nebbiolo from Fontanafredda. Of course, it may have been due to tasting and drinking many other wines that day, but this one really stands alone. Their Barolo DDCG Riserva is just incredible. This property is where Barolo was born and is home to one of the largest producers of wines in Piedmont. Their Barbera is to die for, and the Treiso Dolcetto d’Alba DOC is worth a trip to Italy, just to taste it on site!

 

Il Molino di Grace winery and estate is worth noting. Their philosophy is “blending old world tradition with new world innovation.” This Tuscan winery is producing excellent wines.

 

And, one last delight was finding Anna at Marchesi di Barolo. First off, she fell in love with Camillo Magoni’s (L.A Cetto) 2003 Nebbiolo from Mexico, and then she presented her own version for Barolo in 2003. All of their Barolos are fantastic, partly due to the fact that Anna and her husband, Ernesto Abbona, spend a great deal of time in the vineyards and winery, deeply involved in the process, and working with winemaker Roberto Vezza.

 

All I can say is that I’m sorry I don’t have time and space to mention all the great wine, food and people I met that life/wine changing day in San Diego. It was really a wake-up call for me – discovering the new Italian wines, and I was completely enlightened to the reality of their great wine and culture.

 

Special thanks to David Abbott of Masciarelli Wine Company for his in-depth review of Italian wine; Nerina Di Nunzzio, marketing manager for Gambero Rosso; and to John at the San Diego Wine and Culinary Center for creating a grand stage for wine education and promotion in Downtown San Diego, on Harbor Drive.

 

Lastly, it is important to mention the awesome food presented by Crown Point Catering. Their presentation of fresh fruit and vegetables, salads and chicken cooked in asparagus sauce matched perfectly with the vino wonders from the Italian wine culture and industry.

 

One thing is certain – the global wine culture has the potential to bring world citizens together in a positive and healthy manner. If I hadn’t made a commitment to write and work here in Mexico, I would have run off to Sicily with the cheese maker’s daughter – and several cases of superb Italian wine!

 

For the first time I came to the realization that when you drink wine from a specific region, you’re really ingesting an entire culture, elements of their land, and you are experiencing their personal expression and passion for all things good.

 

Wine bottles hold treasures of delight in time capsules from past vintages that reflect seasons of diverse lands, holding that specific moment, frozen in time, as the wine fills the bottle. Before I die, I’m going to confession and will petition the Pope asking to be reincarnated as an Italian in my next life. In the meantime, I’m paying much more attention to the Italian culture and their elegant wines.

 

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Steve Dryden, a MexiData.info guest columnist, writes about wine, food, travel, Native Peoples, and history.  He lives in the Guadalupe Valley of Baja California, Mexico.