"A single glass of Champagne imports a feeling of exhilaration. The nerves are braced; the imagination is stirred; the wits become more nimble." Winston Churchill
It was now after noon and the smell of wine mixed with body odors permeated the halls of Vinitaly as we continued to slalom through the shoulder to shoulder crowds following Massimiliano from building to building searching for the best sparkling wines of Italy. At Vinitaly, there was no lunch break, no typical mid-day siestas. Zombies all, we moved along in a must-taste-wine trance. Although lunch beckoned, eager attendees continued to charge from booth to booth in search of the perfect wine, or as often seemed to be the case, the next drink. There were so many young people in the crowd it was difficult to believe that they were all actually in the wine business. Has Vinitaly just become a place to party and to taste as many wines as possible? Is it actually possible to conduct business among the confusion, noise, and chaos?
While I pondered these things, we approached the Franciacorta building. I was eager to try Franciacorta as it is advertised as Italy's champagne. I wondered if it was just good advertising or the real thing. As we approached the tasting area, however, we saw the line snaking around corners and down the stairs. Here, they tried to control the crowd by taking only a certain number of people at a time for the tastings, but that just seemed to create a longer queue. Knowing that we had limited time and there were other wines on our list, we decided to skip the Franciacorta tasting and move on to another region. Our hotel was in the Franciacorta area, and and I decided I would do some leisurely tasting back in the tranquility of Sirmione.
While I pondered these things, we approached the Franciacorta building. I was eager to try Franciacorta as it is advertised as Italy's champagne. I wondered if it was just good advertising or the real thing. As we approached the tasting area, however, we saw the line snaking around corners and down the stairs. Here, they tried to control the crowd by taking only a certain number of people at a time for the tastings, but that just seemed to create a longer queue. Knowing that we had limited time and there were other wines on our list, we decided to skip the Franciacorta tasting and move on to another region. Our hotel was in the Franciacorta area, and and I decided I would do some leisurely tasting back in the tranquility of Sirmione.
The crowds converging on the Franciacorta tasting area
Thus, with a this is not a problem attitude, we moved on to search for Ferrari. Not surprisingly, after the lines at Franciacorta, the lines at Ferrari were also prohibitive. And we marched on like good soldiers following our general, Massmiliano. Luca, too, kept up the pace as we darted through the ever growing crowd. But, we had to stop several times for folks to admire Luce or to take his picture. Not one to shy away from the paparazzi, Luca was very gracious about all of the attention and smiled politely for the cameras. While he is happy to shake hands, only rarely does he give autographs.
Luca smiling for his fans.
Eventually, with Luca in tow, we made our way back to the Veneto region and to the Cantina di Soave, a large and internationally known winery that has been producing wines since 1898. Cantina di Soave is a cooperative initiated by 10 grape growers who joined together to improve the quality of their wines. In the 1930's, with 51 partners, the organization formally became known as Cantina Sociale Cooperativa di Soave. Today, the cooperative has grown to include over 2,000 grape growers and boasts one of Italy's most diverse wine portfolios comprised of still wines from the Soave, Amarone, Valpollicella and Durello grapes and a wide selection of sparkling wines.
Cristina, Massimiliano and I tasting at the Cantina di Soave
Muller Thurgau grapes When we arrived at the bar at Cantina di Soave, they were offering tastes of their Perlit Brut, a methodo martinotti (or charmat) made from Muller Thurgau and Durello grapes. The wine is an easy drinking sparkling like Prosecco that combines the diverse characteristics of these two lesser known grape varieties. Muller Thurgau is a grape that has been historically associated with a number of not very good and rather sweet German wines, but it is also grown in the Veneto and Lombardy regions of Italy. Engineered in 1882, there has been much controversy about the parentage of Muller Thurgau. In 2000, genetic research confirmed that the grape is the result of crossing the Reisling and Madeleine Royale grapes. Muller Thurgau is an aromatic grape with the scent of apples, peaches, pears and white flowers. Durello, on the other hand is a highly acidic grape which makes it particularly good for sparkling wines. The origin of the variety can be traced back to 1252, but it was not recognized as an Italian DOC wine until 1987. The grape is known for its tough skin, and as the name implies, a hardness. In combination with Muller Thurgau it produces a dry and balanced sparkling wine with a nose of citrus and white flowers. A healthy perlage dances the twist in the glass but is soft in the mouth. Like Prosecco, this is an easy drinking wine.
From the Veneto, we headed further north to the region of Trentino Alto Adige to taste the wines of Cesarini Sforza, a cantina located in Trento, just south of the Dolomites. Cesarini Sforza, named for two historically prominent Italian families has been making sparkling wines for 40 years. We were able to taste two of their sparkling wines: the Tridentvm Dosaggio Zero and the Tridentvm Brut Rose, both methodo classico wines from the Trento DOC.
The Tridentvm Dosaggio Zero is made from Pinot Nero grapes grown in the hills at more than 1,500 feet elevation. The Dosage Zero appellation refers to the fact that after the disgorgement there is no additional sugar added. This wine has a first fermentation in large barrels and a second fermentation in the bottle for 36 months. The nose has the spicy and floral notes typical of the Pinot Nero grape. The palate is crisp with white peach and cherry and an almond finish. Tridentvm Dosaggio Zero is a vigorous wine with a persistent and fine perlage. This is a wine to enjoy throughout the meal. For those who care about such things, it has been given 90 points by Wine Enthusiast.
Massimiliano, me and Cristina, pausing for a photo before tasting the Cesarini Sforza wines
The Tridentvm Brut Rose, is also another Wine Enthusiast selection at 89 points. Again, this is made from the Pinot Nero grape with a first fermentation in stainless steel tanks followed by a second fermentation of 48 months in the bottle. The wine has an intense nose of berries and bread crust and the palate is fruity with grapefruit and strawberries and a nutty finish. It is a perfect summer wine with antipasti or even with a light chicken or pasta dish.
There was no escaping the masses even in the restaurant where thecrowds and waiting continued
After our winery visits, the clock was striking 2:00 pm and my empty stomach was telling me that it needed food before any more wine could cross my lips. We thanked Massimiliano and Cristina for the tour of some unique, quality producers and headed off to one of the many restaurants for a light lunch, and what else, a glass of wine, of course. Two hours later, after more waiting than eating, we stopped by the Colonnara booth to say goodbye. It was time for us to head back to Sirmione where peace, quiet and Franciacorta waited. (See my next blog for my Franciacorta experience.)
My first visit to Vinitaly was definitely eye opening both in terms of the vast variety of sparkling wines coming out of Italy and also the experience. So, in case you plan to head to Verona next year for Vinitaly, here is what to expect:
1. It is not a place to actually relax, ask questions, and gather information about each wine you taste. The winery personnel just don't have the time to talk with you unless you are a serious buyer who has made an appointment.
2. Patience is critical, especially if you want to taste the well known wines. For the wines you and everyone else want to taste, there will be a long wait - just like the line for space mountain. Just getting to and from the venue are extremely time consuming. Our experience of 2 1/2 hours to get there from Sirmione taking a train and taxi (an experience which should have taken no more than 40 minutes) has been surpassed by our friends' stories about trying to find parking or trying to exit the parking garage. Cristina and Massimiliano left late on Monday night after working at the Colonnara booth, and they ended up sitting in gridlock on the 5th floor of the parking structure for over two hours.
3. You'll know how the rats feel trapped in the maze after a few hours here. If you have any bit of claustrophobia, this is not the place for you.
4. It is best to have a plan of what wineries you want to visit and to contact them in advance to make sure you will be able to see them. Some wineries were doing tasting by appointment only and others were impossible to approach.
5. It seems to be more party than business venue. Although the ticket buying process screens participants about their connection to the wine industry and many folks are actually there to find wineries and arrange purchases, I was totally surprised by the number of people who seemed to be hanging out and drinking. Our train ride back to Sirmione was filled with the inebriated party goers, still partying. So, if it's a party you are looking for, this could be the place. There is even musical entertainment.
Fair well Vinitaly. Will I return next year? This is a question I continue to ponder.
1. It is not a place to actually relax, ask questions, and gather information about each wine you taste. The winery personnel just don't have the time to talk with you unless you are a serious buyer who has made an appointment.
2. Patience is critical, especially if you want to taste the well known wines. For the wines you and everyone else want to taste, there will be a long wait - just like the line for space mountain. Just getting to and from the venue are extremely time consuming. Our experience of 2 1/2 hours to get there from Sirmione taking a train and taxi (an experience which should have taken no more than 40 minutes) has been surpassed by our friends' stories about trying to find parking or trying to exit the parking garage. Cristina and Massimiliano left late on Monday night after working at the Colonnara booth, and they ended up sitting in gridlock on the 5th floor of the parking structure for over two hours.
3. You'll know how the rats feel trapped in the maze after a few hours here. If you have any bit of claustrophobia, this is not the place for you.
4. It is best to have a plan of what wineries you want to visit and to contact them in advance to make sure you will be able to see them. Some wineries were doing tasting by appointment only and others were impossible to approach.
5. It seems to be more party than business venue. Although the ticket buying process screens participants about their connection to the wine industry and many folks are actually there to find wineries and arrange purchases, I was totally surprised by the number of people who seemed to be hanging out and drinking. Our train ride back to Sirmione was filled with the inebriated party goers, still partying. So, if it's a party you are looking for, this could be the place. There is even musical entertainment.
Fair well Vinitaly. Will I return next year? This is a question I continue to ponder.
