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Travel & Tasting notes from our journeys across Italy Below you'll find Amy's travel and tasting notes from recent tours across Italy. Please don't hesitate to contact Amy if you have any questions about her travels or the wines and foods listed. Travel & Tasting notes from Custom Northern Italy Wine Tour May 11-23, 2006 Amy’s notes:
Amy, Gondola ride in Venice Our 13 day Custom tour across northern Italy (and Slovenia) was incredible. The five of us feasted our way through 2 countries and 4 of Italy’s northern regions, tasting wonderful wines and fantastic local cuisine. We started light footed and ready to drink in the experience in Slovenia, ate our way through Friuli Venezia-Giulia (stopping to celebrate Noris’ wedding on the way), sailed into Venice, toasted with sparkling wines at lake Iseo, tasted rare Nebbiolos in Valtellina, sampled lake Como and finished in Piedmont Barolo wine country! Check out my notes (including bottle log - number of bottles consumed per day!) and some photos from the trip. Day 1 - May 11 Slovenia & Paradise
Cafè Longobardo in Cividale (Daily bottle log - 8) Our trip started off with a glass of Ramandolo (a dessert wine and Fiuli Venezia-Giulia's only d.o.c.g.) and a slice of Gubbana (traditional local dessert) sitting at this piazza cafè in Cividale. We then headed across the border into Slovenia. At this point we literally drove up to paradise to a breathtaking mountain resort overlooking the Soca river valley. After settling in with a tasting of local white wines at the resort, we moved on to our welcome to Italy/Slovenia dinner at one of my all time favorite restaurants comprised of a 5 course feast of flavours accompanied by Slovenian wines. We tasted 8 wines on that first day and honestly I can’t remember them all (especially those hard to remember/pronouce Slovenian ones!). to name just a few: Kante Spumante NV – (Carso, Friuli Venezia-Giulia) Interesting expression of a classical method sparkler from the Carso DOC (Noris’s home). All the minerality typical of Carso wines comes through combined with some nice yeasty aromas. Facinating. Villa Russiz Tocai Fiuliano 2004 – (Collio, Friuli Venezia-Giulia) www.villarussiz.it One of my favorite wineries of the region, Villa Russiz is actually a non profit organization benefiting children with special needs. Tocai Friuliano is the ultimate native grape of Friuli Venezia-Giulia and this is a beautiful expression. Crisp and fruity with that typical bitter almond aftertaste. our favorite wine of the evening by far was: Sutor Sauvignon Blanc 2000 (Vipava Valley, Slovenia) Wow! And this was just the first of 3 expressions of Primoz’s Sauvignon that we tasted over the next two days! The 2000 was luscious, sexy, tropical, vanillalicious!! It had reached perfect maturity, ripe and delicious!! More please!
Day 2 - May 12 Collio/Brda wine tour – borderlands of Italy & Slovenia
Slovenian mountain pasture cheeses & Sutor wines (Daily bottle log – at least 12 but I lost count, at least one was a Magnum…) This was our border crossing, cross section of the two wine producing regions of Collio (Italy) and Brda (Slovenia). By the way Collio and Brda both mean “hills” and that’s what they are – beautiful, green rolling hills covered with vineyards. On the Italian side we toured Castello di Spessa where Luisa arranged a wonderful private lunch for us in the castle’s ancient kitchen accompanied by La Boatina wines (namely the Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friuliano and Merlot). From here we pulled out our passports again and made our way to visit with Marjan Simcic, young Slovenian winemaker with so much passion for his land and wine that it literally explodes in the glass! Our day ended with one of the all time highlights of our trip: dinner with winemaker Primoz Lavrencic of Sutor winery (Vipava Valley of Slovenia). The private dinner of traditional Slovenian delicacies was paired with the full array of Sutor wines. And wow those Sauvignon Blancs again!! I want to say a special thank you to our good friend, collegue and “inside connection” Mateja Zidarich for coordinating this dinner and all the other fabulous food and wine experiences in Slovenia! Hvala Mateja! Just a few of our favorites from the day include: Simcic Teodor Belo Riserve 2003 (Brda, Slovenia) www.simcic.si Ribolla 60%, Pinot Grigio 20%, Tokai Friulano 20% This creamy white based on Rebula (Brda’s most traditional grape) is fabulous! The maceration on the skins and aging in french oak on the lees gives this wine the depth and character of a red. Simcic Chardonnay Riserve 2003 (Brda, Slovenia) Marjan’s expression of an international variety in Brda. This Chardonnay is beautiful, big bodied, packed with mineral and spice.
Sutor Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Vipava Valley, Slovenia) The 2004 version of the Sauvignon we tried the night before. This one was awesome and different. Young and crisp with all the complexity of the 2000 along with bright acidity. Sutor Sauvignon Blanc Primus 2002 (Vipava Valley, Slovenia) This was a glorious Magnum of the ’02 Riserva version for a spectacular vintage. I think Primoz said he only made 150 Magnums of this and we took one out that night! It was so spectacular and spectacularly impossible to find that one may need to travel to the Vipava valley to get it!
Day 3 - May 13 Carso wine tour & NORIS’ WEDDING!! Auguri Noris & Josko!!!!
Josko & Noris in the wine cellar (Daily bottle log – oh who knows… it was a celebration) This day we checked out of the Slovenian paradise and headed back into Friuli Venezia-Giulia to celebrate Noris and Josko’s wedding at their winery in the Carso region. We stopped on the way to visit the winery of Mateja’s brother Benjamin Zidarich and enjoyed a tour of the cellars, which are literally a masterpiece in underground architecture, carved out of the Carso rock. We tasted Benjamin's Vitovska with some of the family's house cured salame and cheeses on a sunny terrace near the vineyards and then headed to the wedding. It was a big Italian gig with 200 or more people and a sit down lunch/dinner that lasted from 2-9pm! Live music & dancing were paired with traditional local cuisine and Josko’s estate wines to make for a fantastic festa! We did get a chance to duck down into Josko’s underground cellars, in this case serving extra as storage for the (I think 6) wedding cakes. Some of the wines we tasted include: Zidarich Vitosvka 2005 (Carso, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy) www.zidarich.it Nice crisp Vitosvka (native grape variety from the Carso region). Was the perfect pair for the cheese, cured meats and vegetables we had at Mateja’s winery. We all really enjoyed this one! Josko Colia Vitosvka, 2005 (Carso, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy) Ok, I have to admit that on first tasting this wine about 1 year ago, I was shocked by the minerality of it. The adjective that came to mind was “salty” and wow this is a tasty wine. As soon as I got over the initial surprise, I was hooked and now I can't get enough of this delicious, crisp, bright mineral packed white! Josko Colia Malvasia Istriana, 2005 (Carso, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy) Another native Carso variety followed the Vitosvka at lunch. This one has a little more friut and roundness to it as compared to the Vitovska.
Day 4 - May 14 Off to Venice!
Massimo on our boat tour & Canal Grande (Daily bottle log – 3 lonely bottles) In the morning Massimo (our awsome driver for days 1-4) whisked us off to Venice where we water taxied our way to our charming inn just of the Canal Grande. We headed straight out for our Cannaregio walk through the quiet Jewish Ghetto, stopping along the way for a light lunch of Cicchetti (traditional Venetian appetizers) and Soave wine. We then headed off for our Canal Grande Private boat cruise. The beautiful outing along the Canal Grande and spin through some smaller canals with final destination Piazza San Marco. Our local expert Sara Cossiga (art historian and gourmet extraordinaire of http://www.venicevenetogourmet.com) was with us on the tour so we got all the in depth historic info on the city. From San Marco we went straight to Harry’s bar to toast with a Venetian Bellini cocktail and then off to pizza and an Opera (Così Fan Tutte - Mozart) to finish the day. The wine worth mentioning from this day: Villa Russiz Pinot Grigio 2004 – (Collio, Friuli Venezia-Giulia) www.villarussiz.it We cracked this delicious white while we were cruising down the Canal Grande. Perhaps a bit penalized by the plasic stems but the backdrop more than made up for the lack of Riedel. Day 5 - May 15 Islands of Murano & Burano, Private Venetian palace dinner
Burano & Maria Grazia's fresh scallops (Daily bottle log – 6) We went all out in Venice! No corners cut, no Venetian experience left behind, we really spoiled ourselves here! The day started with a private boat cruise to the island of Murano where we did some shopping for famous Murano glassware before heading to the picture perfect island of Burano. We spent time looking through beautiful hand made Venetian lace and had a truly incredible lunch at Ristorante Riva Rosa along a tiny colorful canal. Our sunset Gondola ride through the Venetian canals made me feel like a movie star and to top it off our destination was a private gourmet wine paired dinner in a gorgeous Venetian palace just off the Canal Grande.The unforgettable dining experience prepared for us by Maria Grazia and Sara paired the meal perfectly to regional wines of Veneto and Alto Adige..A super plush water taxi (this thing was like the Bently of small boats) accompanied us home at the end of the evening, completing my full immersion into the lifestyles of the rich and famous! Some of the wines we tasted were: Conti Attems Collio Sauvignon Blanc 2004 (Collio, Friuli Venezia-Giulia, Italy) www.frescobaldi.it We started with this wine at Riva Rosa for lunch and it was simply yummy. Crisp and delicious. Andrea put together the most incredible lunch menu for us and we agreed that the Polenta e Schie (traditional Venetian dish of soft white polenta and tiny lagoon shrimp) was one of the best dishes of the whole trip! Inami Soave Classico 2004 (Soave, Veneto) www.inanamiaziendaagricola.it This delicious Soave hooked us at first nose with luscious fruit. The palate was vibrant with acidity and nicely balanced. The pairing with Maria Grazia’s fresh scallops and asparagus cream was a masterpiece! San Michele Eppan Sauvignon Blanc Lahn 2004 (Alto Adige) Ok, I’d been telling them for days that sooner or later we would taste a Sauvignon with this characteristic nose of… tomato leaf/fig leaf/cat pee, however you prefer to call it! Well this Sauvignon from one of Alto Adige’s best producers was a perfect example and I thought it was awsome with a delightful aromatic quality. The wine was paired with Maria Grazia’s specialty - Pasticcio di Pesce, which is like a seafood lasagna layered with crepes and fresh fish with besciamel sauce. Need I say more? Maculan Dindarello 2004 (Veneto) This yummy dessert wine made from a native Moscato grape called “fior d’arancio” (orangeblossom) was wonderful. Intesly moscato aromatic nose with the lovely balance between sweetness and acidity.
Day 6 - May 16 Gourmet Venice
Canal Grande and Venice market (Daily bottle log - 2 + a couple liters of house wine!) We spent the whole morning with Sara exploring gourmet Venice and the markets. We started out by catching a wobbly Traghetto (public Gondola) across the Canal Grande to the famous Fish and vegetable market in Rialto. After learning all there is to know from Sara about Venice’s lagoon fish and local produce, we headed to Saint Mark’s where she gave us an art history spin through the Basilica. We finished off at a canal side "Cicchetteria" where we toasted with Prosecco and sampled some nice cured meats and cheeses. I was thrilled when Riccardo rolled in just in time to join us for dinner at Marisa's Trattoria. He spent the rest of the trip with us.
Day 7 - May 17 Franciacorta wine tour - Italian Sparkling wines
Guido Berlucchi wine tasting & Franciacorta vineyards (Daily bottle log - 10.. I think) What an amazing day we had in the Franciacorta wine producing region on lake Iseo! Our first stop was the awe inspiring Guido Berlucchi winery where we had a private tour of the underground cellars and a tasting of world class classical method sparklers. A special thanks to Marcello, Antonio and Enologist Arturo Ziliani for making us feel so welcome at the winery and giving us and incredible tour!! We were honored that Mr. Ziliani agreed to autograph a bottle of Cuvée Imperiale Millesimato 1999 for us and had such a great time at Guido Berlucchi that we were hopelessly late to lunch. Thankfully Alessio graciously forgave us and fed us an outragious lunch of fresh water lake fish accompanied by the wines from Cà del Bosco. The only down side of this day was that we missed our appointment with GianLuca at Cà del Bosco (due to our tardiness) that I'd been looking forward to for weeks... That evening we had a marvelous "Champagne dinner" overlooking lake Iseo with wines from the Bellavista estate. Here's are some highlights: Guido Berlucchi Cellarius Rosè (Franciacorta, Lombardia) www.berlucchi.it Luscious sparkling rosè with loads of berries and fruit and just a hint of bread crust. A wonderful palate with nice structure. There's something so decadent about drinking rosè sparklers, makes you want to eat a wagonful of strawberries and cream! Guido Berlucchi Cuvée Imperiale Millesimato 1999 (Franciacorta, Lombardia) Wow! This was a treat! And a 1999 vintage, again wow! Delicious notes of honey and toast, elegant and beautiful. Glad I still have that bottle of autographed millesimato in my cellar, though I have already made plans for when to drink it! Cà del Bosco Brut NV (Franciacorta, Lombardia) http://www.cadelbosco.it A glass of crisp Cà del Bosco Brut on a warm spring day, sitting on the terrace "Al Dossello" surrounded by Franciacorta vineyards... what more could you possible ask for? Bellavista Rosè (Franciacorta, Lombardia) http://www.bellavistasrl.it/ We tasted the full array of spectacular Bellavista's during our dinner but I must say that my favorite was the Rosè. 55% Pinot Nero, 45% Chardonnay. fragrant with notes of wild strawberries and golden apples.
Day 8 - May 18
San Fedele inn & Ar.Pe.Pe winery in Sondrio (Daily Bottle log - 11) Early morning voyage over the Aprica pass (see Giro d'Italia bike race) and into Valtellina, one of the most spectacular hidden gems in Italy and home to some of the world's best Nebbiolo wines (at a fraction of Barolo prices)! We started with a great tour of the historic Conti Sertoli Salis winery and tasting of Nebbiolos before heading to lunch at one of my favorite inns. This place is out of another world, perched on a hill top with amamzing views, you feel like you've stepped back in time to a place when the world was still "real". Signora Elena welcomed us into the dining room where the fireplace was lit and hundreds of red roses from her garden decorated the tables. Her warm hospitality and her son Domenico's food (p.s. he makes the best Pizzoccheri in the known universe!!!) made this one of the most amazing meals of our trip! To make a great day even better we moved on to tour the cellars of Arturo Pellizzati Perego (Ar.Pe.Pe) in Sondrio. Isabella took us up into the vineyard terraces and shared history and philosophy with us while we tasted their incredible wines, which are some of my all time favorites in Italy. The wines, respecting their father's life's work and philosophy, are strictly traditional style, long cask aged Nebbiolos. Fabulously sexy! Isabella & Emanuele's gracious hospitality make me wish that Valtellina were a little closer to Tuscany.... Highlights were: Conti Sertoli Salis Canua Sforzato (Valtellina, Lombardia) http://www.sertolisalis.com/ ahh Sforzato (or Sfursat if you prefer)... This fruit packed bomb is just what you would expect from your classic Amarone wines of the Veneto region and is made in much a similar fashion. Main difference is that Sforzato is made from 100% Nebbiolo grapes instead of Amarone's blend of Corvina/Rondinella/Molinara. Grapes are harvested and laid out to dry until February. Pressing and a slow fermentation transforms these sugar packed grapes into a rich, dry wine with 15-15.5% alcohol. The wine is then aged in oak (mostly Tonneaux and some Barrique) for 18 months and 12 months in the bottle. WOW! Nino Negri Valtellina Superiore Mazèr Inferno (Valtellina, Lombardia) http://www.gruppoitalianovini.com/ninonegri/ Nino Negri is Valtellina's largest winery. This Inferno Mazèr is what Domenico chose to accompany our Pizzoccheri and I've gotta say the pairing was so great that I can't forget it! The wine comes from the subzone of Inferno and is again 100% Nebbiolo (in Valtellina they call the grape Chiavennasca). It spends time both in large Slavonian oak casks and in barrique and is an explosion of fruit and spice with sweet notes of vanilla and nutmeg and all the elegance typical of Nebbiolo. Ar.Pe.Pe. Valtellina Superiore Riserva Rocce Rose 1998 (Valtellina, Lombardia) http://www.arpepe.com/ Ok, here I go.. saving my personal favorites for last... I admit that I have a special place in my heart for the Arturo Pelizzati Perego winery but it's more than that. This Rocce Rosse Riserva is an unforgettable expression of a traditional style, long barrel aged (3-4 years minimum in large chestnut barrels) Chiavennasca and I love it! I've often referred to it as the sexiest wine I've ever tasted, rich in aromas of tocacco and cloves, forest undergrowth and a little something I like to call "Clint Eastwood ". Ar.Pe.Pe. Ultimi Raggi (Valtellina, Lombardia) http://www.arpepe.com/ The Ulimi Raggi (means last rays of sunshine) is AR.Pe.Pe's expression of a modern Sfursat style wine but is not a Sfursat (they don't make one) but a late harvest Nebbiolo! Grapes from the Sassella sub-zone are left to over-ripen slightly on the vine and harvested in late November after the first snowfall. The wine ages for 6 months in French oak Tonneaux giving it some sweet spice to add to the fresh red fruity aromas.
Day 9 - May 19 Valtellina Wine & Spa in Bormio
View of Bormio & hot springs (Daily bottle log - 3-4) On this day the ladies headed to the natural hot springs of Bormio. The incredible indoor-outdoor springs boasts (along with numerous other attractions) a roman pool with one of the most extraordinary views ever (check out photo above for pool-side view). Their motto actually states "health and wellness spa since the 1st century BC", not something you see everyday! The rest of us didn't want to miss a moment of Valtellina's world class wines and so we headed back down valley to tour the region's largest winery - Nino Negri. Paolo gave us a fantastic tour and we tasted a couple of great Valtellina Superiores as well as the Sforzato, wow! That evening for dinner we enjoyed a chef's menu of traditional Valtellina fare at a great restaurant in Bormio town center. We were feeling a bit of nostaligia for Tuscany so we drank a bottle of Ruffino's Modus which was excellent though a bit of an odd pair with the regional cuisine. Our favorite wines of the day: Nino Negri Sforzato 5 stelle (Valtellina, Lombardia) http://www.gruppoitalianovini.com/ninonegri/ This Nino Negri's top of the line Sfursat. 100% Nebbiolo from 3 different vineyards. Grapes are left to dry until Feb and then the long fermentation (about 30 days), before moving into new French oak barriques for a little over a year. The result is a luscious big body Sfursat packed with notes of ripe fruits, nuts and spices. yummy... Tenimenti Ruffino Modus (Tuscany, Italy) http://www.ruffino.it/ Well, a nice big Super Tuscan is always a pleasant way to dine and the Modus was great. It's a blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet and Merlot all vinified and aged seperately in French oak. Beautiful blend of the 3 varieties with big backbone and tannic structure, notes of black fruits, tobacco, chocolate and spice. Day 10 - May 20 Lake Como
Prosecco on the terrace & Villa Balbianello (Daily bottle log - 5) Ok, time to leave beautiful Valtellina and head south-west to Lake Como. On the way down valley we stopped at our last Valtellina winery - Aldo Rainoldi. The tour with Aldo was really wonderful! He brought out maps of the valley to help us all understand the complex sub zones of Valtellina and we tasted his full array of wines (which were all extraordinary)! He even autographed a couple of Magnums of his Sfursat Fruttaio Cà Rizzieri for us. After saying our farewells to Aldo and the Valtellina we went on to Como and checked into a historic 5 star hotel overlooking the lake. Prosecco and light lunch on the panoramic terrace to settle in. In the evening we went on a sunset private boat outing on the lake passing all the most famous sites including Bellagio and Villa Balbianello. Our destination was a fantastic restaurant where we had a chef's menu of traditional lake fare including sweet water fish and local veggies. Aldo Rainoldi Valtellina Superiore Riserva Inferno (Valtellina, Lombardia) www.rainoldi.com This delicious Valtellina Superiore comes from the subzone called Inferno (due to the warm, sunny microclimate of the area). Again 100% Nebbiolo grapes, spends time in new French oak barriques. The nose is elegant with notes of hazlenuts and spice. Big structure with tannins that need some time to settle down but become soft and velvety with age. Aldo Rainoldi Cà Rizzieri Sfurzat (Valtellina, Lombardia) www.rainoldi.com It was hard to pick just a couple of Aldo's wines to mention because they were all fantastic! He makes two Sfursats and Cà Rizzieri is his top of the line luscious over-ripe bomb. The wine takes its name from the fruit house (Cà Rizzieri) where they lay the grapes to raisin at 500m above sea level. 15 months in French oak barriques and 12 months in the bottle follow, creating an intense chocolatey, spicy wine with notes of coffee and over-ripe fruits. More please! Day 11 - May 21 Piedmont - Barbaresco & winemaker's dinner
Piedmont vineyards (Daily bottle log - at least 11 but who knows...) Next morning we were off to Piedmont and our first stop was the hill-top village of Barbaresco where we went straight to Francesco's Enoteca (La Gibigianna) for a delicious lunch of traditional local products paired to 4 different varietal wines based on Piedmonts great grapes: Arneis, Dolcetto, Barbera & Nebbiolo. After our lunch we moved on for a fantastic tour with winery owner Renato Vacca at Cantina del Pino where we visited the Ovello vineyard and tasted some spectacular Barbarescos. Check-in to gorgeous accommodations in a beautifully restored castle near Barolo was followed by one of the highlights of our trip: the private Barolo winemaker's dinner with winemaker Paolo Manzone and his wife Luisella – the dinner included about 12 courses of the most fabulous Piedmont cuisine accompanied by all of Paolo’s incredible wines (Dolcetto, Barbera and Barolo). Perfect pairing of fantastic food, wine & company! Musso Arneis DOCG 2005 (Roero DOCG, Piedmont) This delicious white was the perfect way to start our tour of Piedmont. Crisp and tasty with beautiful aromas of fresh fruits, flowers and fresh herbs. Cantina del Pino Barbaresco Ovello 2001 (Piedmont) http://www.cantinadelpino.com/ The Ovello vineyard is one of Barbaresco's best Cru vineyards. This elegant and silky Barbaresco is a beautiful expression, it's the kind of wine that makes you want to sit down and spend serious time it, contemplating the complex aromas and luscious flavours! Paolo Manzone Barolo Meriame 1999 (Piedmont) http://www.barolomeriame.com/ This single vineyard Barolo is made from Paolo's best Nebbiolo grapes entirely from the sunny Meriame vineyard. This wonderful Barolo packed with fruit and hints of violets and rose was perfectly paired to our delicious wine dinner. Day 12 - May 22 Piedmont - Barolo wine tour
Cavalloto Barolos & Elio Grasso cellars (Daily bottle log – about 7...) We started our last day of touring with a fantastic private tour with legendary Luciano Sandrone at his winery near Barolo.This was my second incredible winery tour with Luciano and after the privilege and pleasure of getting to know him and his winery first hand, I must say that his hospitality is as wonderful as his wines! After a delicious lunch overlooking the vineyard covered hills of Barolo wine country we moved on to yet another private winery tour with 5th generation Barolo winemaker Olivio Cavallotto from the Cavallotto winery in Castigione Falletto . We viewed the extensive vineyards of Cavallotto including Crus San Giuseppe & Vignolo before visiting the cellars and tasting Barolos from various vintages. Our final winery tour and tasting was at the Elio Grasso winery above Monforte d'Alba. The views from the property are spectacular, overlooking the perfectly situated vineyards. Dinner was a lighter affair but we enjoyed a beautiful bottle of Paolo Scavino Barolo to wrap up our wonderful 13 day food and wine extravaganza!
Luciano Sandrone Barolo Cannubi Boschis 2001 (Piedmont) 2 incredible Cru Barolos come out of Luciano's brand new state of the art wine cellars. The Cannubi Boschis vineyard that produces this wonderful Barolo is a portion of the world famous Cannubi Cru, one of Barolo's most prized vineyards. Cavalletto Barolo Riserva Bricco Boschis vigneto San Giuseppe 1997 (Piedmont) This historic winery in the hills of Castiglione Falletto with 23 hectares of perfect vineyards including parts of the famous Bricco Boschis Cru produces 3 excellent Barolos. The top of the line is this San Giuseppe and we tasted this great vinatge which was an explosion of prune and liquorice with notes of tobacco. A delciously complex Barolo with luscious velvety tannins making you want - Another glass please!
Day 13 - May 23 Arrivederci! All good things must come to an end and so Riccardo whisked us to the Turin airport for an early morning farewell. I can't wait to see this group again for our next wine and food adventure!
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