O! Verdicchio! Refreshing Vino Bianco from Sartarelli - Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi DOC

Sartarelli Verdicchio

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Le Marche was a visit to the Sartarelli winery. In general, this region does not get a lot of attention. Everyone seems to flock to Tuscany if they are interested in Central Italy. Le Marche is pannino'ed between the dramatic Appenine mountain range and the stunning Adriatic sea. There is plenty of hilly countryside between the two.

Sartarelli Vineyards

Verdicchio is a much maligned grape from a much maligned region. It used to be jug wine in bottles shaped like fish for goodness sake. Patrizio and Donatella Sartarelli had a huge mano in giving Verdicchio the respect it deserves. They only grow this grape and you an really experience Verdiccio at its best by tasting through their 4 wines.

Verdicchio grapes in Tralivio vineyard

Verdicchio in general is a crisp, refreshing white wine. There can be zesty citrus notes and also a blanched almond quality. Verdicchio is grown throughout Le Marche, but the undisputed champion of the wine is from the DOC Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi. This is located due west of coastal Ancona in the beautiful hills around Jesi (pronounced Yes-eeee - not Jessss-eee like I was referring to it as all week!). Legally you can blend in Malvasia and Trebbiano. As I mentioned, Le Marche is on the Adriatic and it's no accident that this wine is a perfect companion to mussels, oysters, and calimari... I could go on and on and on....

I was so excited to visit Le Marche and Sartarelli in particular. At the store, I've been putting bottles of Sartarelli into people's hands each day. Turning them on to something a little different than the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc or the Chablis that they came in for gives me great satisfaction. It's like the rush you get when you wean someone of White Zinfandel. I have converted dozens. I wanted to see where the magic happened. My friends Aubra and Rachel were travelling in Italy with me too. We made it to Sartarelli exactly an hour late thanks to our misleading GPS system who fought us the entire trip. The good news is that the detour gave us a better idea of the region. The countryside is undulating and there are beautiful hilltop towns (one detour was aptly named Montebellina). There are olive groves and vineyards and a slight taste of the sea in the air. We were there on a beautiful clear day and it made me fall in love with Italy all over again.

Enough of the romance! Donatella Sartarelli in her elegant raw silk dress greeted us with kisses and promptly passed us into the hands of her amazing husband and winemaker Patrizio. He took us around to the different vineyards and showed us the grapes. The picture of the Verdiccio grapes is from the Tralivio vineyards. They are trained in the Guyot style. This allows them to get the drying sea breezes that fends off mold and rot. Also you can see the bunches that are formed - they have "ears" on either side. That's typical for Verdicchio and apparently that's how you want them to look.

Here's me and Patrizio at the Travlio vineyards. Tralivio meaning tra gli olivetti --- among the olive trees. Not suprisingly, Sartarelli also produces some pretty fantastic olive oil.

He took us to the Tralivio vineyards and then over to the Balciana vineyards where the oldest vines are growing grapes for their highest level Verdicchio ($50 retail). Amazing! Patrizio drove us UP to that vineyard - no cars allowed! He did pause and rolled down the window, and urged us to pluck some blackberries off a nearby bush. I love Italy. Back at the ranch, we were given a tour of fermenting tanks and the stainless steel tanks. All of the wines are aged and fermented in stainless steel. Then the best part -- the tasting! It was such a treat to sit down and taste with the winemaker. I love the wines of course and have so much respect for this family - but to see the pride and love in Patrizio's face as he regarded each wine and tasted it. That was a fabulous experience.

Rachel and Patrizio at the winery overlooking his vines.

Patrizio in the Tralivio vineyard

Verdicchio Classico 2008 - vine age 4-20 years - stainless steel
color - pale straw with green tinge
nose - honey, almond, sweet herbs, lemon
palate - apricot, honey, meyer lemon, zesty, great acidity

Verdicchio Tralivio 2007

stainless steel
color - golden straw
nose - honey, lime zest, blanched almonds, citrus
palate - spice, honey, meyer lemon, great acidity, long bright finish

Verdicchio Balciana 2007- oldest vines, best vineyard site.
picture up at the top of the blog is the Balciana vineyard. Late harvest wine, but completley dry.
color - gold
nose - spun honey and spice
palate - cream honey, lemon curd, full bodied, rich luxurious mouth-feel

Verdicchio Passito 2007- sweet wine. grapes are hand picked usually at the end of October and dry on straw mats for 5 weeks.
color: gold
nose: delicate honey, bitter almonds
palate: light pineapple syrup, cane sugar, honey, almond, sweet spice.
This is not a cloying passito, it is intensely flavored and balanced, it is defined by its flavor not its sweetness.

www.sartarelli.it

Solera Style Grappa ---- Northern Italian Trendetter -Segnana Solera Grappa

I am trying to become more familiar with Grappa. As a full-time Italophile; it is my duty. Maybe like some of you I have only had the cheap stuff that tastes like rocket fuel or rubbing alcohol. My horizons were broadened and my palate updated when I tried the Mauro chamomile Grappa and the Nonino Chardonnay Grappa. These are smooth and elegant distilled drinks. I had no idea that Grappa could be so sophisticated. When I was in Italy a few years ago, my boyfriend and I saw this Segnana Solera Grappa in the duty free of Milan. We were going to give it to my father who has a penchant for scotch, but we had to open it to sample... and then we decided to keep it for ourselves! Sorry Dad!

This Grappa is from the region of Trentino in the North of Italy. It's an area famous for Pinot Nero, Gewurtztraminer, Pinot Grigio and Pinot Bianco in terms of wine. made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. Regionally speaking, it is the home of the craggy Dolomites, outdoor sport, Speck, and German speaking Italians. About 35% of the people in this region (officially Trentino/Alto-Adige) speak German and 60% speak Italian. The missing 5%? Ladin; a romance language - spoken in this area and is similar to some of the other mountain languages of Switzerland and Fruili.

GRAPPA 101 - The facts
(1) Produced in Italy
(2) Produced from pomace
(3) The fermentation and distillation must occur on the pomace. No water can be added

Grappa is from the word"grape stalk", most Grappa is made by distilling pomace and grape residue. This is mainly the skins, but also stems and seeds left over after pressing for wine. It was originally made to prevent waste by using leftovers at the end of the wine season. All Grappa is not created equal - and just like wine, different grapes are used. The flavor and style of grappa depends on the type and quality of the grape used as well as the specifics of the distillation process. Grappa was also said to have first been made in Trentino/ Alto-Adige.

What makes this grappa from Segnana different is that the employ a sort of Solera method. I know we've been learning a lot in this entry - distillation, grappa regulations, new regions... The Solera system is from Jerez in Spain where they make sherry. Basically is a system that takes from several different barrels at several stages of aging. It's a little complicated, but what it ensures is that you will always have some older more matured wine or liquid with some younger wines and then the barrels are always being replenished. It makes for an excellent flow chart. Segnana ages the Grappa made from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in oak casks and then they use this Solera system to blend the Grappa and give it a certain depth and maturity.

copper still for Grappa production

color: amber, medium caramel

nose: sea salt caramel, vanilla, oak

palate: full bodied, spice, delicate

Bordeaux Blend in Italy - Altrovino DueMani Cabernet Franc e Merlot

I wasn't just drawn to the wine because its label matches my background so perfectly. No - I am a huge Cabernet Franc lover and lover of Merlot (I'm not afraid to say it!). I also think that this importer/distributor Acid Inc. always has amazing varietal specific wines with great acidity (go figure, eh!).

This is a small producer in Tuscany produces 3 wines - one Cab. Franc/Merlot blend which we are talking about, one Cab. Franc and the third wine is Syrah. They only make about 1000 cases of the DueMani Cab. Franc/ Merlot. Their vineyard overlooks the Tuscan coastline. Maybe it's just the power of suggestion - but I thought that I could detect a salty freshness on the palate. Their highest vineyard sites are set aside for Cab. Franc, then as you go down a little lower the rows evolve into Merlot vines and then even further; Syrah. All of their grapes are certified organic and biodynamic by Demeter.

So let's get the the wine! This is technically their entry-level wine, but I didn't think that there was anything entry-level about it. First of all, it's a $35 wine - and it's a serious contender with a lot of Super Tuscans that I have tasted. I would love to try their other two wines. There is power and balance and great acidity - as I would expect from anything that Acid Inc represents. There is also a delicate balance between the fruit and the minerality and the tannin that I found really compelling. It is bright and fresh and I would like to revisit it in a few years - I'm sure that it will be even better then.

Until then, if you see this bottle, buy it! Cellar it or decant and drink with grilled meats or with the wild boar you just hunted. There are only few of these bottles out here in the US Market!

color: deep purple

nose: licorice, blackcurrant, blackberry, and spice

palate: fresh plum, more licorice and blackcurrant

Falanghina!!! Falanghina!!!! Falanghina!!!! Falanghina Terredora Irpinia 2008

The sun is finally shining in New York and heating up the streets. We know that makes wine wines taste even more delicious. Nobody knows more about heat than those Southern Italians, especially those from old Napoli. Not surprising, there are amazing indigenous varietals hailing from that region. Many of these were brought over by the ancient Greeks. They are certainly my kind of people, setting up vineyards and bread baking ovens wherever they went. You may be familiar with some of these grapes; Greco di Tufo (get a sense of the Greek origins?), Fiano di Avellino, Aglianico(red) and our star today - Falanghina.

This is a DOC Irpinia wine. Irpinia is located in the province of Avellino. It's important to remember how close to the Mediterranean Avellino is - just on the outskirts of Naples. Also there is an ashiness to the soil (thanks Vesuvius) that really contributes to the minerality of the wines produced in that area. Now back to this Falanghina...

As a grape, it is usually drunk relatively young. It is usually fermented in stainless steel and not aged in any oak. This Terredora Falanghina DOC Irpinia is no exception. It is crisp and fresh. It has a floral/mineral profile. I spoke about the proximity to sea a little while ago, and that is also important for what is paired successfully with this wine.... swordfish, mussels, buffalo mozzarella. Yum! I found this wine fresh and clean and bright with really delicate fruit aromas and smooth on the palate.

Here's what I thought:

color: pale straw

nose: quince, honey, orange blossom

palate: Meyer lemon, honey, kumquat

DELICIOUS!!

approx price $15.99

Calera Viognier

Calera Mt. Harlan Viognier

I've always been a huge fan of Viognier, and I always thought that it would take off more in the states. When I saw this little lovely on the shelf, I knew that I had to take it home right away. I had never heard of Calera and I thought that Mt. Harlan was another one of those Mountains around Napa, like Veeder or Howell. It was a little out of my comfort zone at $32 but I got it anyway.

Calera Wine Company is located about 140 miles SOUTH of Napa and Sonoma - closer to Santa Cruz. The winery was started by Josh Jenson back in 1975. They specialize in Pinot Noir and other Burgundy varietals (Chardonnay and Aligote). The Viognier looks like a small portion of what they produce. They have unique terroir over on Mt. Harlan because of the limstone in the soil - very similar to Burgundy. For all of you Spanish speakers, you'll know that 'calera' means limekiln... I did not! Their symbol on the label is reminiscent of the limekiln that is still on the property from 100 years earlier. Mt. Harlan is below.

The night I decided to crack open the famed bottle, I was having some problems opening the bottle... and I hadn't even been drinking yet! I finally realized that it was a glass enclosure and there wasn't a cork or a stelvin enclosure at all! That was the first glass enclosure that I've ever purchased. They are awesome!

The wine was a perfect expression of Viognier - floral, elegant, it was a little on the fuller bodied side, which I wasn't expecting. It was creamy and lush, and very very fragrant. It was a little too perfumed to drink by itself. I wish I had paired it with some spicy noodles or a chicken dish - I think I may have enjoyed it even more. It's a really beautiful wine and it's also a wine that I feel good about drinking because I know so much love and care must have gone into making that bottle.

color: pale straw

nose: elderflower, orange blossom, apricot, peach, jasmine

palate: creamy lemon, blossom, mineral, peach

price - $26-$32

Navan- Vanilla Cognac

Sweet Golden Vanilla!

Those of you who know me know that I am a sucker for anything sweet - Navan has become no exception. I use it as our "secret ingredient" in sidecars. Soooo delicious. I wanted to do a little research about this cognac and do an actual tasting when it is no co-mingled with orange liqueur and lemon juice.

I have to say that I have always hated the bottle. I think it looks cheap (even though it's $$) and uninteresting. All of the sites that I visited to read about Navan mentioned how cool they thought bottle was. Many mentioned it's "art deco" style. Obviously, they're wrong.

At any rate, Navan is brought to us by our Lapostolle friends of Grand Marnier. You might also recognize their name in the Chile section of your local wine store under the name of Casa Lapostolle. I've not tried a lot of their wines, but Grand Marnier sure is tasty. These people know what they are doing and they have the means to put out a great product - and they have.

Navan is a vanilla infused cognac . I didn't know this but next to saffron (thank you Strega knowledge) vanilla is the second most expensive spice. I guess anything they sell in small tubes or tiny plastic bags is going to be costly. So the vanilla beans are from the vanilla orchid from Madagascar and then they are blended with cognac from the Cognac region in France. The vanilla orchid only blooms once a year... no wonder it's so expensive!

Cognac 411

Cognac is in Southwestern France near the Bordeaux region. I've inserted a little map below. It's made with high acid grapes that wouldn't be that tasty to drink but they are great for distilling. Some of these grapes are Ugni Blanc, Folle Blanche, and Colombard. Of course this is France, so there is serious terroir involved. Here it is chalky soil that makes this area so unique. Cognac must be double-distilled immediately after distillation and must be aged at least 3 years in Limousin oak barrels.

http://www1.american.edu/TED/cognac.htm

If I decide to break out of my Sidecar sipping, I would try this one. It was one of the many suggestions listed on the Navan website.
http://www.navanworld.com/

Navan Yellow Cab
1 Part Navan Natural Vanilla Liqueur
2 Parts Pineapple Juice
Squeeze of Lemon



The Verdict
color: light gold
nose: orange peel, vanilla creme, spice
palate: smooth, vanilla bean, spice
price: $39-$45

Crasto & Castro duke it out Portuguese valley style - Crasto Duoro Red 2006 and Alvaro Castro Dao DOC 2007

I've been wanting to learn more about Portugal and

Portuguese wines. Usually they are not really represented in wine stores save the Port section. Their wines are usually full bodied and deep and rich - because they use the same grapes that are found in their fortified compatriots.

It's interesting to take a look at these two representatives from the Northern DOC regions. Duoro DOC and Dao DOC border each other and they are fairly close to the Vinho Verde region which will supply me with inexpensive and tasty quaffie wine this summer. Portugal has had an interesting history with their winemaking and a lot of it has been influenced heavily by the Brits - Port and Madeira industry. They have received a ton of money from joining the EU that is going to modernize their winemaking industry.

The Dao

On one side we have Dao - the more northern of the two regions. This is a mountainous region located on the... you guessed it: Dao River! This particular wine is a blend of Alvaro Castro's two Quintas (wineries). One is from a hilltop location and the grapes used here are: 65% Tinta Roriz (tempranillo) and Jaen, 35% Touriga Nacional and Alfrocheiro. Legally, all Dao red wines must contain at least 20% of Touriga Nacional. Touriga Nacional is the highest quality grape in Portugal -- AND it's fun to say... go ahead and say it!

The Duoro

This is the Port producing center in Portugal. Also located on a river.. mmm hmmm... the Duoro (this becomes the Duero across the border in Spain) which has carved through the slatey soil of the valley over millions of years. This shows our vineyards in dramatic terraces overlooking the windy river. It is also very steep and so many quintas have no choice but to hand harvest. Quinta do Crasto is one such winery. They produce a consistently award winning Touriga wine and this is their everyday wine. It's made up of Tinta Roriz (the same as Tempranillo), Tinta Barroca, Touriga Franca, and Touriga Nacional. Apparently this region, much like the Dao has been looked down on in the past as an area that produces poor still wines, but it seems like that is changing.

• Tinta Roriz is powerful with lots of color and tannin.
  
• Tinta Barroca is feminine and charming


• Touriga Francesa is highly floral


• Tinto Cao is refined and delicate


• Tinta da Barca which is very spicy
  

I found the above when I was looking for information about the wines - I thought it was interesting. I think the art of blending is really fascinating and to strike that balance must be really challenging!
Here's what I thought:

Crasto:
deep ruby

nose: sweet cherry, raspberry vanilla,

palate: medium bodied, acidic, more raspberries on the palate balanced. Silky and velvety.

Dao

deep ruby towards purple

nose: sweet purple plums, boysenberry, blackberry, sweet black liquorice

palate: bright fruit, aggressive alcohol - a little too much alcohol to be balanced. It was beautiful to smell,but not as great to drink!

My thoughts -- If i had to choose, I'd pick the Crasto. The Dao was just a little to out of balance and the acidity and alcohol was a little out of whack. Plus I saw what the winemakers look like at Crasto....