The Inside Story from Italian Wine Merchants

Dolcetto, the Lovesick Grape

A little love for the Jan Brady of the grape world

Dolcetto: it’s a grape whose name translates to the seductive and delightful “little sweet one.” Therefore, it’s hard to understand why Dolcetto has long played the wallflower, doomed to cling to the corners rather than to dance in the glass of the US drinker.

It is, after all, the third child in Piemonte’s holy grape trinity. Dolcetto seems to stand in the shadow of the region’s champion grape Nebbiolo, the grape responsible for the noble Barolo, and Barbaresco, the populist queen to Barolo’s king. In a global market pockmarked with trends, there seems to be not enough room for Dolcetto to share in Piedmont’s glory. And yet, Dolcetto–a grape more acidic and thus more food-friendly than its name suggests–packs a dark purple punch of black cherries, black plums, black raspberries licorice and spice. It makes a special wine.

I’d like to help give Dolcetto a shot at its own fifteen minutes—and hopefully longer. I’m not alone. The recent Huffington Post piece “A Grape That Could Use Some Love: Dolcetto” suggests that people are beginning to dig this little gem from Piedmont. Even though non-Italians have overlooked Dolcetto’s potential, the best producers of Piedmont have not. Ruggeri Corsini makes an approachable and lovely rendition that can be enjoyed daily; Sandrone and Aldo Conterno both make world-class contemporary interpretations; and the classics style is upheld by greats like Bartolo Mascarello, who makes Dolcetto like it has always been made. And these Dolcettos are all great-tasting, food-happy, entry-level value wines, as well as coming from iconic producers.

Each style offers something new according to the typicity of its estate and the style of the producer, but this variety helps to underscore the range of options available to drinkers curious enough to explore. Open your minds, hearts, and glasses to this underappreciated sweetheart. Its subtle fruits will entertain your palate with new flavors that you never knew you loved.

Go-To-Wine Tuesday

San Giuliano Roero Arneis 2010

As a young woman living in a tiny apartment with two other young women, I rarely cook, but when I do, I make sure to indulge all of my friends.  Before moving to the city I would have friends over for elaborate dinner parties, creating a multitude of appetizers, a decadent entrée, and of course ending with a sweet desert.  However, given my confinements, I have had to alter my way of entertaining, but I believe it is only for the best.

Now when I have friends and family over I stick to appetizers and small plates.  This is not to say they are any less elaborate as any main course I would compose, but the result provides a more casual and less formal atmosphere in which we can enjoy each other’s company.  Still, no gathering of small plates and appetizers would be complete without a wonderful bottle of wine.

These summer months I have been making dishes that are lighter, such as fresh salsas, grilled shrimp, and other easy-going fare.  One wine I find goes beautifully with all of the dishes I’ve been serving is the San Giuliano Roero Arneis 2010. This light, crisp, elegant wine provides just the right acidity and flavor to complement the fresh ingredients of summer dishes. I always have a few bottles tucked away in case of last minute guests arriving because it can either stand alone or mold to a multitude of dishes.  I tend to enjoy this wine slightly chilled, for it can warm quickly while indulging in the small plates when lost in engaging conversation. It’s a lovely wine, in perfect tune with spur-of-the-moment gatherings and summer’s lighter meals.

A Look at Risotto

There are several types of risotto rice, but not all of them can be found in the US. Two of the most common are Arborio and Carnaroli.

One of the most misunderstood dishes, risotto is definitely one of my favorites. Some people think that risotto’s wonderful creamy texture comes from the addition of cream and butter, but really it’s just the natural composition of the rice itself. Starch, the main component of rice, is composed of amylopectin and amylose, and different kinds of rice have different percentages of these two starches. The rice used in risotto is short-grain rice and this type has a higher percentage of amylopectin, which is the sticky starch that results in the creamy texture. Medium-to-long grain rice, such as Jasmine and Basmati, has a higher percentage of amylase, which is why they seem to be fluffier. There are several types of risotto rice, but not all of them can be found in the US. Two of the most common are Arborio and Carnaroli.

Arborio rice gets its name after the town where it was originally grown in northern Italy’s Po Valley. Arborio is the easiest to find in the US because it’s now being grown in parts of California and Texas. It has a relatively low percentage of amylose for a risotto rice, which means it takes longer to cook because absorbs liquid less efficiently, and it will make a starchy and sticky risotto. Since it does not absorb liquid quickly, Arborio requires careful tending because it will go from undercooked to overdone very suddenly.  Anyone who has eaten mushy risotto will attest to its unpleasantness.

Carnaroli, known as the “king of rice,” is the most common type of Risotto used in Italy and originates from the Piemonte towns of Novara and Vercelli. Of all the risotto rice, Carnaroli has the highest percentage of amylose, which makes it absorb a lot of liquid and makes it less likely to overcook quickly and get mushy. Carnoli is usually designated “superfine” to indicate its high ratio of length to width, though it can also be labeled “semifinos” to show that the grain is rounder. Carnaroli is harder to find in the US, but you can locate it in most specialty stores.

The biochemical composition of the rice helps explain the ineffable connection between risotto’s raw ingredients and the fragrant, gleaming pool of risotto lounging on the plate in front of you. With this knowledge, you may understand risotto a little better—and appreciate this mysterious, beautiful and delicious dish even more.

Diving into Passion: Part 3

Eccentric and exciting masters of wine

The story of Passion on the Vine continues when Sergio decides to leave the restaurant business and begins to fully cultivate his vision and passion for Italian wine (please see part 1 and part 2 and of this series).  In his vision, the store would be a high-end boutique of wine with each bottle displayed with its own placard, like its own work of art.  The company would educate clients on Italian wine and culture as well as provide security for those who wanted to invest and make collecting high-end Italian wines a reality. By a twist of fate, Sergio runs into an acquaintance, Joseph Bastianich, who then owned a wine bar/restaurant called Becco and a high-end Italian restaurant called Babbo with Mario Batali.  Sergio makes the quick decision to become partners with these two men who had a much better understanding of his goals and ambitions, and in October of 1999, Italian Wine Merchants opened its doors to the public.

Of course, opening a wine store in New York City is no easy feat, and this task was made especially difficult due to Sergio’s commitment to stocking the store full of wines that weren’t the mainstream.  It was a very stressful period marked by Sergio’s flying back and forth to Italy fifteen times a year to continue scoping out the best possible producers to showcase in his store.  The narrative of the memoir now takes the opportunity to highlight some of the greatest producers of Italian wine that Sergio knows as friends, compatriots and, occasionally, adversaries.   In reading this portion of his journey, we are all able to experience and begin to understand some very eccentric and exciting masters of wine. I’m going to showcase a few of my favorite moments and producers below:

Paolo Scavino, whose estate is currently run by his son Enrico Scavino, is a pioneer in Piemonte for going against the grain and making Barolo into a modern, technological masterpiece.  He was one the first in the region to institute temperature-controlled winemaking and storage facilities, and has led the way with the use of new rotary fermenters and small barrels.  He made the biggest leap in 1993, when he decided to switch from Slovenian oak aging to 100% barrique.  He is a prime example of what a modern producer has done to make Barolo more accessible and attractive to our current market and shows that Barolo is capable of expressing itself with vigorous vineyard care and less age.

Josko Gravner, however, shows an opposite side of the wine story.  He was one of the first producers to experiment with technological advancements and became a mentor to producers who wanted to be skilled in modern winemaking techniques.  He rigorously taught himself each new machine and method until one day he realized he was losing something in his wine.  He began exploring ancient wine-making techniques and in time transformed his entire philosophy.  He is currently a pioneer in the biodynamic movement and produces wine in 4,000-year-old clay amphorae, dug into the ground for natural temperature control.  Gravner’s philosophy is expressed in a nutshell: “Wine and food have to be natural products.  In flying a plane, one needs technology, but it’s absurd to think that man can ever improve what is natural.  Wine and food we put in our stomachs.  How could I continue to do my work if I have the knowledge that what I make was slowly poisoning my children?”When asked to describe his wines he said, “I don’t have the words for that, how can you describe a soul? I can tell you only that these wines have real spirit.” These quotes are enough to make anyone want to drink Gravner’s wine; the man is as spectacular as his products.

Movia’s Ales Kristancic is another top biodynamic wine producer from Friuli, though his vineyards border Friuli and Slovenia.  He is quite a character, and Kristancic has talents that seem to burst at the seams; he’s a whirlwind of energy who can’t help but inspire the people he encounters.  He has very strong ideas about wine and life, showcased in how he describes his vineyard and wines.  Sergio recalls a moment where Ales metaphorically compares a newly planted vine with a growing young woman.  He also describes the vine as our closest counterpart in the plant kingdom:  “You must understand this—if any plant in the entire plant world were to rise up into the animal kingdom and become a human being, it would be the vine.”

Kristancic continues, “It is the plant closest in character to man.  If it has this comfortable life and this undemanding land, it is never challenged.  It’s like a spoiled socialite: healthy, beautiful and vapid. It’s a machine, not a thing of natural beauty- just eating and producing fruits. And yes, absolutely, you can make something from this fruit. You can mix it up in a barrel and get drunk from it — but this thing you make is not wine.” Kristancic is close to his land and what he creates—his energy is infections and you can’t help but catch his enthusiasm.

Sergio then brings us back to Barolo to the estate of Maurizio Anselma, a young man who leads Famiglia Anselma, an estate that has the goal to produce traditional Barolo reminiscent of his history.  Maurizio first met Sergio at IWM as an inexperienced, but eager young, producer.  His family had an advantage, having been purchasing vineyards since the late seventies. Established in 1993, the Anselmas went forward to produce some of the best traditional Barolo of today.  Maurizio avers, “We will only make Barolo because this is the history of our land.” Reading this section, I felt I grew to understand the connection between Barolo and history even better, and to understand Barolo’s history seems tantamount to understanding Barolo.

“No barriques, no Berlusconi, no California,” is the motto of Bartolo Mascarello, a humble, yet iconic Barolo producer.  Considered by many to be the master of the trade, Mascarello embodies his values and belief in his work in everything that he does.  Sergio claims that Mascarello belongs to “a rare sub-species of human, the members of which are entirely uninfluenced by external sources of energy.  His emotional state persisted despite those around him, as though he were surrounded by a force field of resolution that insulated him from all external anxiety, desire and chaos.”  This could very likely be the reason why his wines are so revered.  He sticks to his guns, making Barolo the way he believes he should make it, in the time it takes to make it.  Nothing seems to be able to penetrate his stability and sense of tradition.  He is the supreme example of what a Barolo can express.

Currently run by Franco Santi, Biondi Santi represents the discovery and creation of Brunello di Montalcino.   Tancredi  Santi, Franco’s father, discovered a replanted clone of Sangiovese during the phylloxera epidemic, a serendipitous moment that lead to the creation of Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino.  Tancredi and Franco showed themselves to be expert entrepreneurs as well as wonderful winemakers, transforming a lonely, dusty spot in the road to one of the most important winemaking regions.  And the beauty that Sergio describes is trance-inducing.

If Biondi Santi founded Brunello di Montalcino, then Gianfranco Soldera mastered it.  Soldera was an industrial insurance broker from Milan before trying his hand at wine.  He appeared to be quite prescient; Sergio recalls that Soldera told his colleagues, “If I find a great piece of land in the next year, I’m making the best wine in the world.” Quite a statement for a former insurance broker! He bought the Case Basse estate in1972 and went on to fulfill his prophecy of becoming one of, if not the best, Brunello producers of today.

If  I had read Passion on the Vine a year ago, I would have been quite entertained by these unusual characters, but I might not have taken them very seriously.  For example, biodynamics in itself is a controversial idea, with many wine cognoscenti thinking it’s mystical and useless, and before my days at IWM, I probably would have agreed with these naysayers.  Now with my experience at IWM and the ability to taste wine every day, I think differently. I’ve enhanced my knowledge and palate, and I notice major differences between various styles and methods.  It’s like every single bottle has its own personality and character, with its own story to tell—and reading Passion on the Vine illustrates how that feeling came to be.  Each of these producers is a unique individual who makes his or her wines with private convictions and idiosyncratic philosophies. These bottles are like their children.

It’s what makes the wines of IWM so beautiful, and it’s what makes the book so good. We only have one more blog to finish this book club. I’m eager to know what you’ve been thinking. Who is your favorite producer? And why?

Getting the Skinny on Skin and Grape Skins

The Surface Appeal of Vinotherapy

My roommates and I all work in the hospitality industry, and it’s not unusual for us to talk shop. I’m eager to hear what is new and exciting in the spa world, just as my roommate is thrilled to hear from me all about wine. Even more exciting to both of us is when our worlds collide, as I learned they have in the current trend of vinotherapy that’s emerging in spas around the world.

When I say vinotherapy, I’m not referring to the medicinal glass of wine so many of us look forward to after a stressful day at the office. Rather, I’m talking about a genre of spa treatments and products that range from massages with grape marc (the seeds and skins of grapes), to hot tubs constructed out of oak barrels, to manicures employing grapes as nail buffers. Vinotherapy began in 1993 in France, where a young couple (one of whom is the daughter of owners of Chateau Smith Haute Lafitte) decided to explore the possibilities of the grape parts usually disposed of early in the winemaking stages. Caudalie, this couple’s brand, now has spas in or near three major winemaking regions: Bordeaux, Piedmont, and Rioja, as well as one in New York City. A major piece of their business is in the product line, many targeted at firming, anti-ageing and toning. These products flaunt the power of resveratrol and polyphenols, grape skin components thought to make wine not only good, but also good for you.

When I first started hearing about vinotherapy, I had my doubts. I can imagine it feels nice to have a bunch of grapes run along your back, but why would I opt for that over a normal massage? Do the grapes break and leave you with drips of sticky juice all over? Is forty minutes really long enough to even retain any of the benefits of the grape components? I am a proud skeptic—I like to think of myself as a realist—but I certainly needed more evidence to justify my dismissal of the trend.

Last weekend my roommate attended a spa conference in the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York at a spa that has its own vinotherapy treatments featuring grape seed oil in massages and facials. She said the massage was relaxing, though she isn’t yet ready to make any conclusion about the effects of the grape seed oil on the tone of her skin. But the most notable judgment she made about the experience is that vinotherapy worked at the August Moon Spa because it sits in an actual winemaking region. I have to say I agree—soaking in wine barrels in the middle of Manhattan cannot possibly feel as invigorating as soaking in wine barrels in Piemonte overlooking vineyards. And what would make that experience even more therapeutic would be sipping a glass of Barolo at the same time.

But then, as we can all agree, a glass of Barolo makes everything better. Or maybe I just like my wine better in me than on me.