The Prosecco Project: an Italian sparkling wine odyssey
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Birthday Greetings and More

10/23/2021

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To my dear friends near and far,

Hi, I am Dino, an American Eskimo dog, and today, I'm taking over my Mom's blog to make an important announcement.  Today is my birthday.  I am four years old, and this last year has been a very different year for me.  I suppose it has been a different year for all of us as we navigate the days of our lives during a pandemic.  It has meant that I have not had a very exciting year, so far.  Mom and Dad  have mostly led the life of shut-ins, but it is keeping us safe and hopefully keeping their son and his family safe as well.  Well, being shut-in, meant Mom had to find something to do with her time. 

It all started out with moving into our new California home, unpacking, and refinishing some furniture, but then what?  Well, she decided to write her book about Italy.  This should be no surprise to anyone as she has wanted to do this for some time.  But as she rethought her original story, it became my book about Italy because I'm the narrator.  So I'm very happy, on this my birthday, to report that earlier this week my book, Dog Days In Italy: How I Became An Expat Dog, went live on Amazon in both eBook and paperback book form.  Obviously, I'm quite excited about this and wanted to share the news with everyone. And more than sharing the news, I wanted to post a link to my book so you can check it out.  For you wine lovers, obviously, knowing my mom, there is a lot about wine and especially Prosecco in this story, not that I ever drink the stuff.


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This is my book pitch.  I hope it gets you all interested in my story. 

Meet Dino, one pazzo (crazy in Italian) California dog and journey with him across the Atlantic Ocean to Le Marche, Italy where this story unfolds. Join Dino as he narrates his humans' twenty-year love affair with Italy, their numerous Italian adventures, and their hunt for the perfect old stone farmhouse to call home. At times pure dog, but often so much more, Dino recounts the tale of his folks' trials and tribulations living in a land where their language skills were never adequate and their misconceptions about the country proved, at times, to be disastrous. On this madcap Italian pilgrimage, Dino is besieged by the Mom character who thinks she knows best, bewildered by the absurdities of the English language and human behavior, but totally secure in his often irreverent opinions about life and humankind. Dino's story is a laugh-out-loud romp through the country of pasta and pizza told with a dash of wit, a splash of sarcasm, and an overabundance of poetic license.


Well, what do you think, friends?  I sure hope it's a winner.  My second book: I Bark Therefore I Am: Dog Days In California will be out in early 2022.  Must keep the Mom character busy or she will go nuts.  Actually, I think she is already a little nuts, but I'm okay with that.  If she wasn't nuts, I probably wouldn't have my little sister, Mia.  Oh, many of you didn't know anything about that.  Well, Mia joined my family in late May.  She was so very tiny and curly.  You see she is half poodle and mixed with both Australian Shepherd and Yorkshire Terrier.  Mom think she has a lot of terrier traits, unfortunately.  But I do love to play with her which was the purpose of getting her anyway since I have not had one trip to the dog park.  I'm still rather confused about that because in my mind the whole purpose of moving back to California was to go to the dog park.  I'm still, obviously, confused by what motivates my people.  Mia is now seven-months old and she is a little terrorist.  Fortunately for me, that means I'm now the good dog in the family. 

Mom and Dad are rather disappointed that getting me a playmate didn't stop my barking.  Now they have two barking dogs who just sit there looking at each other and barking as loud as possible.  Mia has one of those very loud and sharp barks, so when she barks it is even worse than me.  I don't think my folks will ever be able to take her anywhere.  Well, if this pandemic ever goes away, we will see. 

I hope all of my friends are safe and well.  We miss all of you. 

Love from Dino, the Author and his humans




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Me and Mia on guard duty
31 Comments

To My Italian Farmhouse

5/1/2017

29 Comments

 
I have been back in the USA for over a year now, a year filled with many changes, challenges, and rewards.  Since returning here we have lived in three different locations, I have had two different jobs (well, actually they were both with the same company but one was as a consultant and now as an employee) and a third coming in the near future.  I have had a close encounter with the US health care system.  And, on the rewarding side, I have been able to spend time with my son and his family and to get to know my two young grandsons.  All, in all, my husband and I have made the decision that at this point in our lives, it is important to return to the US.

Of course, a decision to abandon our Italian life is filled with sadness and regrets.  We are sad to be leaving our very dear friends and the Italian life style.  I really miss Masimilliano's sparkling verdicchio as well as a number of other wines; Italian lessons with Cristina;  our young friends from Osimo; weekly dinners at Alessia's country house, Vittoria Il Graditempo in Rosora; and dinners at Graziella's.  I regret that we did not have the opportunity to do more traveling both within Italy and throughout Europe.  But that, I think, is my only regret.  Living five years in Italy was an amazing experience and one to be savored for a life time.  And there will always be vacations to return to friends and favorite places. 

Unfortunately, now that we have made the decision to return to the US as our primary place of residence, it is time to sell our beautiful old stone farmhouse in Le Marche.  It took us five years to find the house of our dreams.  Once we closed on the house, it took several months to restore it and furnish it to be just what we wanted.  Then there was planting the olive trees and fruit trees.  It was a labor of love.

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My beautifully restored stone farm house in Poggio San Marcello
The house is perched on a hill with panoramic views of hill towns, olive groves, vineyards, and the Apennini mountains.  It is in a very tranquil position but not isolated.   Francis Mayes said in one of her more recent books that if she were buying a home in Italy now, she would buy in Le Marche.  It is truly Italy in one region.  For me, it is one of the most beautiful parts of Italy.
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The view from the front of the house
Here is my tribute in photos to Casa Luca.  It is now on the market for $450,000 US dollars.  It is available fully furnished.  If you have any interest in a beautiful home in Le Marche near Jesi, you can get in touch with me by responding to my blog or by writing to me directly at mareechurch@gmail.com.
For now, I will just have to enjoy my Italian wine drinking in California.  Sigh! 
29 Comments

Seven Days and  Counting:  Arrivederci Le Marche

12/3/2015

7 Comments

 

"Adieu! I have too grieved a heart to take a tedious leave." ~William Shakespeare

At our home in Le Marche, it is a rather crazy time right now.  We are packing up some things, cleaning up the house, and getting ready for another adventure.  This time, the adventure brings us back to the US for a year.  We, of course, have very mixed emotions about returning to California for a year.  While we are very excited about spending a holiday season with our son and his family and having the opportunity to get to know our grandchildren, we are also already missing friends and so many other things about our Italian life.  I find I am looking out the windows more often at the hills, mountains, hill towns, and vineyards surrounding our home.  I pay more attention as we wind our way down the hill or pass the gates of our little hill town.  All of those things that I take for granted after five years of living in Italy, I am now beginning to notice again.  
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My stone farmhouse in the province of Ancona, Italy
So, here are a few of the things about my life in Le Marche that I will really miss:
1  Giuseppe and Graziella who have helped us with so many things as we learned about living in Italy.  And of course, Graziella's amazing cooking.
2.  Cristina and Massimiliano - Cristina has been so patient with us as we struggle to learn Italian, and Massimiliano has given us many opportunities to learn more about wines.  They are an amazing couple.
3.  Alessia, what would we do without her friendship and her wonderful restaurant at Vittoria il Graditempo where we dine weekly.

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Vittoria Il Graditempo, Bed and Breakfast and Restaurant, Rosora, Italy
4.  Our friends from Osimo - We have known many of them for more than 10 years now and are watching their children grow.  We will miss our annual holiday luncheon with them and spending Christmas eve with Olimpia and Gabriele and their families.
5.  The ability to take our dog, Luca, almost everywhere we go including hotels, restaurants, stores (except grocery stores) and trains.  This coming year will be hard on Luca as he will not be included as often as he is now.  For this reason, we will probably be entertaining at home a lot in the coming year.  Good thing Jim likes to cook.

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Luca in the Murano glass shop in Venice near Piazza San Marco on a rainy April day.
6.  Le Marche wines - It has been an adventure learning more about the wines of Le Marche.  We are still in love with the concept of going to a local winery with a 5 liter bottle and having it filled with sfuzo (loose wine) from the tanks for about $1.80 per liter.  And having the ability to go 15 minutes down the road to taste a number of wines without a fee for the glass or tastings is something that will never happen in the California wine regions.  Of course now, we are addicted to the Colonnara methodo classico spumante and their Cuvee which are not currently available in the US.  We hope they find an importer soon!!!  In the meantime, I guess we will be drinking lots of Prosecco again in the states.  
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Remembering the Sommelier vertical tasting of Ubaldo Rosi at Colonnara winery. One of my favorite Marche wines.
7.  My home and the views - From our old stone farmhouse perched on a hillside, we have the most incredible views of the Apennine mountains, hill towns, olive groves, vineyards.  This view is irreplaceable.  
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The view from my front yard. Spectacular.
8. Amazingly good and inexpensive restaurants - Going out to dinner, including wine, for under $30.00.  I am trying to prepare myself for sticker shock in California.
9.  All of the little local festas - Every little town seems to have something to celebrate - pasta, wine, mushrooms, polenta, wild boar, truffles, you name it and there is probably a little town somewhere in the Marche celebrating it at some time during the year.  These celebrations are mostly in the summer, but many spread into the fall and the Christmas season. We will be missing the Grande Maiolata celebration (the big pig) in our little town of Poggio San Marcello in January.


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Barbecuing the bistecca fiorentina at the Grande Bisteccata in August in Poggio San Marcello, Italy
10.  Italian drivers - okay, they can drive you crazy sliding through stop signs, double parking on curves or anywhere else for that matter, tailgating, passing in no passing zones, acting like street racer, but in general, we have seen Italian drivers do many things that an American driver would never be able to do with such assurance and finesse.
11.  Our Alfa Mito - it is little and handles as well as the BMWs I once drove.  I wish the car was available in the US.
12.  The grocery shopping experience - Well, I am actually putting this here for my husband, Jim, who does most of the shopping  - first the grocery store, then the bakery, then the butcher, then the fruit and vegetable store.  Food tastes different here, so flavorful.
13.  Sunday lunch - In Italy, Sunday lunch is a major event when friends and families get together to share a leisurely multi-course luncheon sometimes lasting 4 or 5 hours.  We hope to keep this tradition alive in the US.
14.  The ability to hop on a train and be in Rome in 3 hours.  We will miss our annual Christmas trip to Rome to do some shopping this year.
15.  The language - While we do not speak it very well, it is going to be very strange to hear English everywhere we go.  In Le Marche dialect is a prevalent language and you do not hear English often.
16.  Those little things that you only can find in Le Marche like Visciola, a wine made from a small cherry that grows wild in Le Marche, and Varnelli, a licorice liqueur. 

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The visciola cherry makes an excellent wine, perfect for an after dinner drink.
Of course, if I think a little longer, the list could go on and on.  But there is still more packing to do, so for now, I say, " Adieu to Le Marche".  But I will return.  Nothing could keep me away forever.
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Gavi and Truffles:  Remembering a Trip to Piedmont

10/21/2015

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“Wine makes every meal an occasion, every table more elegant, every day more civilized.”  Andre Simon

Hunting season has begun in Italy.  But not all of the hunters walking down our street carry rifles.  Some wander through the forests surrounding our home with their dogs in search of truffles.  Yes, the fragrant, flavorsome tuber grows right in our back yard, practically.  And each year at this time, I am reminded of my trip to the Alba white truffle festival in the northern Italian province of Piedmont.  It has been a number of years since my husband, Jim, and I visited the truffle festival in the hopes of finding some products to import to California, but I still have many memories (some fond and others not) of that journey.  
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Alba white truffles
Let me preface my comments by saying that this was our craziest trip to Italy ever.  In my eagerness to find foods and wines to import and also visit friends, I crammed so many locations into 2 weeks that it was like taking one of those horrid package tours where you visit 12 cities in 12 days.  In 14 days we took 11 different train rides crisscrossing the peninsula in a frenzied haze.  But it was not just the overly ambitious schedule that made this trip so memorable, it is the many vignettes that played out along the way. 

At the train station in Santa Margarita Maggiore, on our way to Alba,  a young woman tried to steal my husband's wallet from his back pocket.   Two days later, I lost a crown while eating the truffle fondue in an Alba restaurant. Little did I know as I secured the crown in my purse, that yet another surprise awaited me in this same establishment.  Entering the ladies' room, I did a double-take.  I asked myself, "Did I enter the wrong restroom"?  A little embarrassed, I exited and looked again at the sign on the door, and looked again at the sign on the other restroom door.  No, I am sure this little figure is wearing a dress and that signora means woman.  But is this door a time portal to the past or have I entered some parallel universe where they don't really get the concept of toilet? There before me was merely a hole in the floor with marks on either side to place your feet.  I panicked.  How am I supposed to use this facility?  Okay, honestly, if I hadn't been desperate, I would never have tried. 

It was in the town of Alba also that we first encountered what has now become routine for us - out of work immigrants playing parking lot attendants in public parking lots in order to make a living.  However, after receiving a small payment for directing us to an open parking space, this particular guy kept haranguing Jim about buying some socks.  Jim, of course, refused the socks, but the guy kept following us through the parking lot, socks in hand, insisting that Jim buy them.  Finally, frustrated and a bit irritated due to the persistence of this person, Jim emphatically said, "NO, GRAZIE," and we continued walking.   We still wonder whether the elderly Italian gentleman who was yelling at us as we crossed the parking lot was chastising us or supporting our stance.  But, having lived in Italy for 5 years now, we know that this is just the way things work.  But we still say no to the socks.

My final striking memory of Alba was the cold reception we received in the bed and breakfast.  The owner just plain refused to try to talk with us.  When asked a question, she just shook her head no and said, "Wait until my daughter is here", and walked away.  We finally concluded that the daughter was imaginary as we never did see her.  Well, it is true that there was a language barrier, but everywhere else we had been in Italy, people at least tried to communicate with us even if our Italian was elementary.  

As I write about my memories of that trip, part of me is not surprised that we have not returned to Piedmont even though it is now only a five hour drive from our Le Marche home and, more importantly, Giorgio Rivetti personally invited us to his winery, La Spinetta.  But along with these memories, the smell of truffles still fills my senses and the taste of Gavi lingers on my lips.  And these memories overpower all others calling to me as the leaves turn, the grape harvest commences, and the truffle hunters arrive.  And in my memory I return to a cool, sunny day in Alba, with a glass of Gavi and a dish of pasta with white truffles.  


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The Cortese Grape
For many years, Gavi di Gavi has been one of my favorite Italian wines.  One of Italy's premier white wines, Gavi, is made from the Cortese grape grown on the hills of 13 communes in the Piedmont province of Alessandria. It is known for being a dry, crisp wine with a good acidity which reflects the mineral rich soils of the area.  The story of how the wine came to be named for the city of Gavi in the center of the DOCG area has been handed down for generations.  And like all good stories, it begins "Once upon a time. . ."
 
Once upon a time, there lived a beautiful, princess named Gavia. She was the daughter of Clodimir, King of the Franks.  And it came to pass that Gavia fell in love with a lowly soldier in the King's guard.  But, of course, a King cannot permit his daughter to marry a lowly soldier, so one night Gavia and her beloved fled the kingdom taking up residence in a small town on the other side of the Alps in Italy.  For a while, they lived happily eluding the King's troops.  And as time went by, Gavia and her husband, became more secure in their safety and even a little careless.  One night, while enjoying a bit too much vino in the local bar, Gavia's husband told the inn keeper their story.  You got it.  The inn keeper was a stool pigeon and spilled the beans to the King in exchange for a reward.  A few days later, the King's men showed up to escort Gavia and her recalcitrant husband back to King Clodimir.
 
Well, the King had been grieving over the loss of his daughter, for years now.  So when she was finally returned to him, he had a change of heart.  Overcome  with happiness and the wonderful wine that she brought with her to soften him up (smart girl), he forgave her and blessed her marriage.   As a wedding gift, he gave Gavia and her husband the small town in Italy to which they had fled, naming it and it's magic wine Gavi.  To this day, locals will tell you that the romance of Gavia and her soldier lives on in every glass of Gavi di Gavi.   Well, I cannot attest to whether it is due to the romance, but I do believe it is a magic wine especially when it has bubbles.   

Here are two of my favorite Gavi producers making sparkling wines. 

The first Gavi that I ever drank was a Principessa Gavi di Gavi from Banfi.  Banfi, an American company started in 1919 by John Mariani, Sr., is best known for their Castello di Banfi estate in Tuscany.  But they have also owned a historic estate near Novi Ligure in Piedmont since the late 1970s. It is here that they produce a variety of white, red and sparkling wines bearing the prestigious appellations of the Piedmont region. My favorites from this portfolio are their Principessa Gavia di Gavi and the sparkling wine Principessa Gavia Perlante. 

​Principessa Gavia Perlante is a single vineyard wine made from 100% Cortese grapes.  It's distinctive clear bottle showcases the beautiful pale straw color of the wine. As the name implies, this is a sparkling wine in the perlante style meaning slightly effervescent or what in Italy is generally called frizzante.  On the nose it has ample notes of apple, melon, pineapple.  And in the mouth it is crisp and gentle with a balanced acidity.  Wine Spectator has awarded it 88 points.  This wine pairs particularly well with antipasti especially cheeses like brie or havarti, but it also can be served with fish or poultry dishes.  
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Principessa Gavia Perlante
La Scolca, a major producer in the Gavi DOCG area, is the oldest company with continuous management by the same family.  In addition to a variety of still wines, La Scolca produces a half a dozen sparkling wines made from the Cortese grape (two of these add a small amount of pinot nero (3-5%) to make a rose).  These wines are made in both the charmat and classic methods.   Rugre, named for the forest surrounding the vineyard, is the youngest of the La Scolca sparkling wines enjoying a second fermentation of only 3 to 4 months on the yeast in the bottle.   This is a fresh and delicate wine with good mineral notes and a persistent perlage.  It is available in the US from a number of retailers at prices similar to Prosecco.  
But what is more exciting about La Scolca is the variety of their methodo classico spumante starting with the Soldati La Scolca Brut which has matured on the yeasts for 24 months to the millesimato wines (single vintage not a blend of various years) bottle aged for 6 to 10 years.  Their award winning Millesimato Riserva D'Antan is a testament to the aging ability of the Cortese grape.  Resting for 10 years in contact with the yeasts, the wine maintains a balance of freshness and harmony.  If you can find any of the La Scolca methodo classico wines, treat yourself to a glass and let me know if you like it.
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Rugre
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Millesimato Brut
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Millesimato Riserva D'Antan
Are you a Gavi drinker?   Which are your favorites?
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Le Marche Wine Tour - Sublime Spumante Off the Beaten Path

10/9/2015

8 Comments

 

"Good wine is a necessity of life for me."  Thomas Jefferson

I live in Le Marche, Italy, a lesser known region situated along the Adriatic coast east of Tuscany and Umbria.  Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun, said in a recent book that if she was buying a home in Italy today, she would buy in Le Marche.  For me, it is one of Italy's most beautiful regions framed by enchanting coastal towns and blue ribbon beaches on the eastern border and the Apennine mountains to the west.   Called Italy in one region, Le Marche is replete with medieval hill towns, olive groves, vineyards, fields of sunflowers and poppies.  It also boasts the world's second most visited pilgrimage site (the home of the Virgin Mary in Loreto), the Frassassi Caves (the largest cave system in Europe), and perhaps the largest crop of truffles in Italy.  (Acqualagna in Le Marche is responsible for about 2/3 of Italy's annual truffle production.)  
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The beautiful Marche, from my front yard
However, no discussion about the merits of Le Marche would be complete without talking about the exceptional wines.  It was the wine that first brought me to Le Marche nearly 15 years ago.  After I tasted my first Verdicchio at a Fancy Food Show in San Francisco, my husband, Jim, and I made a trip to the region, subsequently imported Le Marche wines to California, and eventually, bought and restored an old stone farmhouse amid the colline (little hills) in the heart of the Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi DOC.  Verdicchio, touted as one of the finest white wines of Italy, is said to date back to Roman times and has been grown in Le Marche since the 14th century.   While still relatively unknown in America, Verdicchio is recognized by wine critics as one of the best white wine varieties in Italy. Verdicchio wines are characterized by a balanced acidity with flavors of lemon and grapefruit and maybe even bitter almonds.  But aging of the sparkling Verdicchio by the classic champagne method creates a more mellow pallet, and the wines  generally exhibit flavors of honey and almonds and bread crust.  Verdicchio is a versatile grape whose rich acidity makes it particularly good for sparkling wine production.  
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The Verdicchio grape
When we first encountered Verdicchio, there were few wineries making sparkling wines.  But today, the making of sparkling Verdicchio is a growing phenomenon, and producers are expanding from making spumante by the charmat method to making the wines in the classic champagne method with a second fermentation in the bottle.  And the results, are awesome.  The third best sparkling wine made in Italy is a sparkling Verdicchio made by the Colonnara winery in Cupramontana.  Their Ubaldo Rosi is a methodo classico wine aged in the bottle for five years. 
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A vertical tasting of Ubaldo Rosi and a 1993 Luigi Ghislieri
If you are a wine enthusiast, and particularly a sparkling wine enthusiast, a trip to Le Marche is a must.  Here, unlike in the better known Italian wine regions, wine tasting is not a big business.  This means there are not tour buses lining the parking lot, huge crowds, and high prices for tastings and tours.  And no one is in a hurry to speed you through nor are they pushing a wine club.    The wine tasting is just a relaxed experience, often conducted by the winery owner or a family member. 

So, my advice for wine enthusiasts:  Pack your bags, board the plane, and come to Le Marche where you can still experience the real Italy and many wonderful wines.  Below are some of the principal wineries producing sparkling Verdicchio.  Make sure they are on your itinerary.  

1.  Colonnara
The Colonnara winery started as a cooperative of 19 growers in the small hill town of Cupramontana in 1959.  During its 50 plus years of wine making history,  Colonnara has grown to include nearly 200 producers spanning the length of the Marche region from the province of Pesaro/Urbino in the north to the southern province of Ascoli Piceno.  Today, Colonnara, one of the region's largest and most respected wineries, makes well over 1 million bottles of wine per year and 25% of their production is sparkling wines. Colonnara, one of the pioneers of sparkling wine making in the region, today makes spumante by the charmat method both Brut and Cuvee, a longer aged charmat; and two very special methodo classico wines:  Luigi Ghislieri aged  in the bottle for 24 to 30 months and Ubaldo Rosi, aged for 60 months. 
Visit the Colonnara winery at http://www.colonnara.it.  Contact by email:  info@colonnara.it


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The Colonnara wine cellar - lots of spumante resting on the racks
2.  Garofoli
Garofoli is a five generation family owned and operated winery whose origins date back to 1901.  Located in Loreto, Italy, the winery produces approximately 2 million bottles of wine per year, about 90,000 bottles of which are sparkling wines made in both the charmat and classic Champagne methods. Today, Garofoli offers 5 types of sparkling wine - one made by the charmat method and the other four made by the classic Champagne method.  Among their sparkling wine selections is a Grand Reserva bottle aged for 10 to 20 years and a brut rose made from the Montepulciano grape and bottle aged for at least 24 months.
Visit Garofoli at http://www.garofolivini.it/.  Contact them by email: mail@garofolivini.it


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The Garofoli winery in Loreto, Italy
3.  Vallerosa Bonci
For four generations, the Bonci family has been making wine in Cupramontana.  Today they make approximately 250,000 bottles of wine per year including a number of sparkling wines made in both the charmat and classic champagne methods.  If you stop by the cantina for a taste, you may be greeted by winery owner, Giuseppe Bonci,  as we were on a visit a little while back. 
Visit the Vallerosa Bonci website at: http://www.vallerosa-bonci.com/.  Contact them by email: info@vallerosa-bonci.com
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In the Bonci tasting room with Giuseppe Bonci
4.  Umani Ronchi
Umani Ronchi is a family run winery dating back to 1959.  Today the Bernetti family produces 20 varieties of wine with a total production of approximately 3 million bottles per year.  All of their vineyards are organically farmed.  They have only one sparkling wine in their portfolio, Umani Ronchi Extra Brut.  This wine entered the market in 2011.  It is a methodo classico wine bottle aged for 30 months.
Visit the Umani Ronchi website at: http://www.umanironchi.com/en.  Contact them by email: wine@umanironchi.it
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The Umani Ronchi winery, Osimo, Italy
5.  Moncaro
The Moncaro winery in Montecarotto was founded by a group of growers in 1964.  Today, the winery produces a broad assortment of wines, both white and red, including a charmat method sparkling wine made from 100% verdicchio grapes and a methodo classico made from Verdicchio and Montepulciano. 
Visit the Moncaro winery on line at http://www.moncaro.com/en/.  
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The Moncaro tasting room in Montecarotto, Italy
If you are visiting Le Marche,  you might be interested in these services
Le Marche wine tours (available in English):  
http://www.marcosway.it/
A beautiful country house and restaurant
set in the heart of Verdicchio country:   http://www.vittoria-ilgraditempo.it/
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Arrivederci Franciacorta

9/28/2015

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"The happiest people don't have the best of everything. . . They just drink wine."  Tanya Masse

After two days of endlessly driving through tunnels, hills, and vineyards in search of what sometimes seemed to be phantom wineries, I proposed a break from the wine search.  Instead of wine tasting, we went shopping.  Twenty minutes from the hotel was the Franciacorta Outlet Village.  Upon arrival, I thought I was back in California.  There before me was a shopper's paradise, 160 outlet stores featuring brands like Levis, Benetton, Calvin Klein, Guess, Stefanel, Sisley, Addidas, Sketchers, and so many others.  But it was not the plethora of stores that called to me, it was the architecture.  A beautiful place to spend an afternoon with lunch, and of course, a glass of Franciacorta. 
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The Village
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There was a McDonalds. Jim was fascinated by the McLobster.
Our shopping completed, we returned to the hotel late that afternoon renewed and ready for another special dinner.   Following a brief respite, we entered the hotel restaurant and were seated at a corner table, a perfect spot for Luca.  After perusing the menu, I requested the wine list.  Tonight I was a little trepidatious about the wine selection.  A scene from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade kept running through my mind.  You remember when the ancient Knight instructs the Nazi seeking the Grail, "Choose wisely"?    I was concerned that again I might choose a wine I did not want to drink, and at the cost of 30 plus euro per bottle, I wanted to like it.  As I scanned the wine list, nothing called to me.  Instead, as I read through the lengthy selection of Franciacorta, I was paralyzed by indecision.  

Finally, I decided to have a discussion with the waiter about my wine preferences and what I did not like about the wine we chose two nights before.  At this point, he recommended a Bellavista Alma Cuvee Brut Franciacorta.  I knew this was from a large, established winery that is often listed among those to visit, so I agreed to try the Bellavista.  As the waiter opened the bottle and poured a taste into the glass, I was anxious.  I watched the happy perlage and admired the beautiful pale straw yellow color.  And I hesitated before I picked the glass up to taste.  Did I choose wisely? 

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I inhaled the scent of  peaches and citrus.  The wine exuded a freshness with no hint of barrique in the nose.  I was enthused as I took the first sip.  And then I smiled and thanked the waiter for a perfect selection.  The Bellavista Alma Cuvee Brut was a beautiful, fresh wine.  On the palate it was delicate with a bright fruitiness, but this feature was well balanced with a good minerality and depth of character.  The wine derives its balance in part from a blending of at least thirty selections and the addition of some aged wine ensuring a consistency in the vintage from year to year.  It is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pino Bianco and Pinot Nero.  For those who trust such things, Robert Parker gave it 91 points and said "I loved it."  And Wine Enthusiast gave it 90 points and liked its "cheerful personality".  

The Bellavista Alma Cuvee Brut is available in the US for a very good price at wine.com.  Here is a link http://www.wine.com/v6/Bellavista-Franciacorta-Alma-Cuvee-Brut/wine/8662/Detail.aspx.  (FYI, I also noticed that wine.com has a Franciacorta from the Montenisa Winery which Jim and I  had tried to visit on a prior day, but the gates were closed.  This winery is owned by Antinori well known for their estate in Tuscany.  We had enjoyed their wine back in April on our trip to Lake Garda.)
 
I was so enthused about the Bellavista Franciacorta that the next morning as we were packing our suitcases in preparation for the journey back to the Marche, I searched the internet to find the location of the Bellavista Winery.  It was sort of on our way to the autostrada.  So, I suggested this little detour to Jim.  He readily agreed, and inserted the location into the GPS.  Now, checked out of the hotel, bags in the car, seat belts fastened, we headed out of the parking lot in search of Bellavista. 

Well, I want to say that we were foiled again by the GPS, but Jim assures me it was human error this time.  Sitting in the back with Luca, I am not really able to judge.  All I know is that we were heading through a tunnel.  Then we went through a second tunnel.  At this point in time Jim realized that the GPS was suggesting we turn around which was virtually impossible on the road with so many tunnels.  Finally we found an exit ramp and took it.  Interestingly, we seemed to be around the same area where we were lost on our arrival to Lake Iseo three days before.  Heading down the narrow and windy road, we finally found a spot wide enough, and with sufficient visibility, to turn around.  Then back up the road we went heading back to the tunnel road.  After a trip through the two tunnels again, we exited and found ourselves in the place where we had started.  So, once again, we traversed the round-about and somehow we were going through the same two tunnels again.  

As we made our way back to where we started (this is now our fourth trip through these same tunnels), I suggested that we forget going to the winery and just follow signs to Brescia where we could pick up the autostrada.  Pursuing this strategy, we quickly saw signs for a town that I knew was very close to the Bellavista.  And, the GPS, still set to take us to there, suggested that we exit.  After a moment's hesitation, Jim took the turn off.  20 minutes later, the GPS indicated that we were very close to the winery.  As we made a right turn from the main road, we found ourselves passing the entrance to Ca Del Bosco.  I was sure this could not be correct, but we continued driving up a narrow road that gave the appearance of going nowhere.  Eventually, Jim saw a sign for Bellavista, and we turned left.  Now, again, it was the lunch hour, so we had little faith that we would actually get to taste wines, but perhaps we could buy some to take home.  As the car finally reached a gate, obviously to a winery, Jim pulled in.  I am asking, "Jim, why are you stopping here?  This is not the winery?" He replied, "I know.  But at least we can stop here and taste some wine."

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The Solive winery
So, this is how we found ourselves at Solive, a winery owned by the Bariselli family who have been farmers in Franciacorta since 1898.  The family started out with a cattle ranch and in 1975 started restoring vineyards on their farms.  The construction of the current Solive winery commenced in 2002, and their Solive Franciacorta collection was launched in 2010.
While Jim gave Luca a little walk, I entered the cantina.  Greeted by a young man, I asked  if we could taste some wine.  His first response was that the winery was closing for lunch, and we could return at 2:30.  I told him we couldn't come back in the afternoon because we were on our way to the autostrada to return to Le Marche.  Just then, Jim and Luca arrived.  When the gentleman saw Luca, he looked again at his watch and decided that we had time for one taste.
 
We were seated at an outdoor table, where he apprised us of the wines being served.  I picked the Solive Pas Dosé, and Jim chose the Rosé because we wanted to try something different than the bruts we had been tasting.  A few minutes later, a platter of wonderful prosciutto and cheese arrived along with two glasses.  After pouring the wine, our host bent down and started fawning over Luca.  For me, this confirmed my earlier suspicion that we were permitted to stay and taste wines because Luca was with us.  He is very often a door opener and a conversation starter.  We were very happy that Luca was so welcome here, and after a false start, we too felt welcome.

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Pas Dose
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Rose
After tasting the pas dosé and rosé, I decided to push the envelope and asked if it would be possible to taste the brut also.  Another glass arrived, followed by a bottle of the brut.  Now, an overwhelming sense of contentment set in, a welcome change to the stress of trying to follow the GPS and the endless loop of tunnels.  I looked out over the vineyards and breathed a sigh of relief as I feasted on the best parmiggiano I have had in years along with exceptional taralli.  And I thought, now this is the way to taste wine.  

Following are my thoughts on the tasting of the three Solive wines.

My favorite was the Solive Franciacorta DOCG Pas Dosé, a wine made without the addition of the liqueur d'expedition.  This wine is made from 90% Chardonnay and 10% Pinot Nero.  It undergoes a second fermentation in the bottle for 30 months.  I was enthused from the moment I saw the wine enter the glass.  Its light straw color and lively perlage called to me as  I drank in the scent of fruits and pastry.  The palate is mature but still fresh with a well balanced acidity.  This wine holds up well with the strong taste of parmiggiano and would do well not only with poultry dishes but veal and pork dishes also. 

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The Franciacorta DOCG Rosé is made from 100% Pinot Nero which undergoes a 24 month second fermentation in the bottle.  In the glass it is a beautiful pastel color combining hues of peach and rose.  The color is achieved by leaving the skin in contact with the must for 12 to 24 hours.  Like the Pas Dose, the Rose has a lively perlage, but here the nose is intense with red fruits and bread crust.  The taste is robust combining the fruitiness and depth of the Pinot Nero with bread crusts, a change after all of the white grape wines we have been tasting.  For me, it was my least favorite of the three wines, probably because I am predominantly a white wine drinker with an occasional taste of rose.  But for Pinot Nero lovers, it is possibly a wine you will love. 
Our final taste was the Solive Franciacorta DOCG Brut, a wine made from 90% chardonnay and 10% Pinot Nero just like the Pas Dosé; however the brut has the addition of the liqueur d'exposition which changes the nature of the wine.  At the cantina, this was a beautiful wine with a light straw color and a persistent perlage.  The nose had a mild scent of bread crust coupled with a residual fruitiness.  But the liqueur d'expedition gave this wine a more structured nature and a more mature character.  The palate was dry and flavorful but not overwhelmed by yeastiness.  ( A post-tasting note is warranted about this wine.  When we opened a bottle of the wine at home a week later, it was a different wine.  The color was more golden yellow and the flavor reminiscent of the scent of new oak barriques.  This was a great disappointment.  I wonder if we just brought home the one odd bottle or if what we tasted in the cantina was not representative of the wine in general.  I guess I will never know, but this is definitely not the first time that I have had a wine in the cantina and when I open it at home it is a totally different wine.)
After purchasing some Pas Dose and Brut, we were on our way.  We still held out the hope that we could find Bellavista, but, today, it apparently was in hiding - at least it hid from us.  So while we never did find the Bellavista Cantina, we did find the autostrada with no problem.  I guess I have to be happy about the little things.  
As we entered the roadway, I was confident that I would return to Lombardy one day and taste more of the sparkling wines in Franciacorta.  But, for now, I bid, Arrivederci, Franciacorta. 

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Discovering Franciacorta - Day 2

9/20/2015

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"Wine gives one ideas whereas Champagne gives one strategies." Roman Payne

After a walk with my dog, Luca, through the beautiful park at I Due Roccoli and a breakfast overlooking the lake, it was off to taste more Franciacorta.  On this our second day of tasting, I wanted to start with the Barone Pizzini winery.  Founded in 1870, Barone Pizzini is one of the oldest wineries in the Franciacorta DOGC area, and it was the first to produce Franciacorta from organically grown grapes.  I first became aware of this winery during a visit to their cantina in Le Marche where we tasted an excellent sparkling verdicchio, also an organic wine. 

After finding the address for the winery on Google, Jim entered it into the GPS, and we were off.  Our experience with GPS in Italy has not been very reliable.  I vividly remember one night several years ago when the GPS suddenly morphed into HAL from 2001 a Space Odyssey.  It was after a beautiful dinner in the hill town of Cingoli in Le Marche, and we were heading back to the little country house we were renting.  Once outside of the Cingoli city limits, the GPS became overbearing, demanding in a sultry female voice, "turn left, turn left, turn left".  I wanted to turn off the obviously demented machine, but Jim kept following until we reached a precipice and were directed to drive off the cliff.  Generally, after this experience, I am our navigator directing each turn with map in hand and an eye on the road signs.  Unfortunately, we had no detailed maps of the area around Lake Iseo, and Jim, being more comfortable in general with technology than I am, wanted to try our new GPS.  After all, this newer model was theoretically, at least, more reliable than the one we had nearly 10 years ago. 
With some trepidation, we headed off to find Barone Pizzini.  We made our way through two of the multitude of tunnels surrounding the lake, and skirted through a few small villages until we arrived at a two lane road through the vineyards.  Amazingly, we actually arrived at the winery with no problem.  And by the time we had parked our Alfa in the winery parking lot, the sun, hidden by clouds for most of the morning, suddenly appeared.
The Barone Pizzini Crest greets you upon arrival
A little bit of history, as you enter the cantina
The winery building is like an iceberg, 2/3 is below ground
Across the road, the vineyards
As we entered the cantina with Luca in tow, we were greeted by one of the employees.  I was prepared to be told that our dog was not welcome in the cantina, but surprisingly, there was not a comment uttered about our furry companion.  (It should be noted, however, that not all wineries in this area are dog friendly.) We were ushered to the bar and asked which wines we wanted to taste.  I, of course, said the sparkling wines.  On this day, they were offering three of their sparkling wines to taste:  Animante which is a Brut, Saten which is a blanc de blanc, and Bagnadore, a Dosage Zero Riserva. 

In the tasting room - photos of the Baron in the background
The Baron, of course
The interior of the large facility
Mementos of days gone by
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The first pour was the Barone Pizzini Animante Franciacorta Brut, crafted from 78% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot nero, and 4% Pinot bianco.  The grapes for this wine come from 25 of the Pizzini organic vineyards in the DOCG area.  This particular brut spends 6 months in stainless steel tanks followed by 20 to 30 months fermenting in the bottle.   As our hostess poured the wine into the glass, I admired the very pale yellow color and the energetic perlage evincing exuberance at being suddenly released from the bottle.  The nose was fresh with citrus and a subtle hint of flowers.  In the mouth there was a good balance of mineralness accompanied by honey and citrus.  Being a huge fan of fresh tasting wines absent the overpowering states of barrique, I truly appreciated this wine and bought a few bottles to serve to friends in Le Marche

Next on our tasting roster was the 2011 Saten Franciacorta, a blanc di blanc, made of 100% Chardonnay.  This is a more refined, longer aged wine spending 6 months in stainless steel with a portion in barrique followed by 30 to 40 months in the bottle.  The perlage of the Saten was more mellow, as is typical of this style of Franciacorta.  The bit of oak aging added more character and a smoothness to the wine while not inhibiting a balanced minerality and notes of citrus.  This is a wine to accompany pastas with white sauces, risotto, fish, and poultry.
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Our final tasting was the Bagnadore Non Dosato Riserva, 2008, a wine made in small quantities and only in select years.  In 2008, Barone Pizzini made only 1,326 cases of the Bagnadore.  This wine, is made from an interesting combination of grapes with 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Nero. It is aged for six months in stainless steel and barrique followed by 60 to 70 months in the bottle on the yeasts.  This is a single vineyard wine which does not incorporate a liqueur d' expedition after the disgorgement.  In the glass, Bagnadore was straw yellow with a refined perlage.  The nose was pastry and ripe stone fruits.  In the mouth, the wine was soft, well rounded, with a complexity of flavor most notably apple, baked bread and a bit of lemon.  I imagine serving this to friends with baked salmon or a white fish, fettuccini alfredo, or even an involtini of chicken. Wine Enthusiast has awarded this wine 93 points. 

We made our purchases, said good bye to the staff and the group of elderly women who had finished a tour and were giving Luca lots of attention, and returned to our car for a second winery visit.  We had put the address for the Montenisa winery into the GPS before leaving the hotel, and now, more confident in the machine, we headed out.  I wanted to visit this winery because I had enjoyed one of their wines in a hotel near Lake Garda back in April.  As we drove the narrow road through vineyards and small villages, we eventually spotted a small sign next to a gate.  Unfortunately, the gate was closed.  As the GPS did not say we were there yet, we continued down the road looking for an entrance.  But we never found another sign or gate to the winery.  I was disappointed as we turned around, but since there are so many wineries around, I was confident we would find another one on our way back toward Iseo. 

By  now, the noon hour was approaching, and I was getting desperate to find another cantina.  Finally, I spotted a beautiful gate up on the hill, and I knew we had found a major winery.  At the next round about (these circles are very convenient for the perpetually lost) we turned around and made the turn leading to Ca del Bosco.  Ca del Bosco is on every list of must visit wineries in Franciacorta.  It had also made it to my list. I had tried to contact them a week before our trip to arrange a time for a tasting, but I never had a response.  So, now, unannounced we took the turn off, entered the imposing gates, drove up the very long driveway, and found ourselves in the parking lot for Ca del Bosco.  Walking around the side of the building, we were greeted by a beautiful, park-like setting replete with rolling grassland, statuary, and wooden bridges spanning a large pond. 
Luca was immediately happy and decided it was time to rest in the grass.  Jim and I were busy taking photos of the impressive cantina and setting.  Finally, we convinced Luca that it was time to enter the building, and he reluctantly followed us through the doors. 
The winery welcomes you
The big giant head overlooks a hillside in the park like grounds
Luca enjoying a spot in the shade
The wooden bridge spanning the pond
Inside the facility, a receptionist greeted us.  When I asked if we could taste the wine, he said that it is only possible to taste the wine if you book a tour in advance - the cost of which is 30 or more euro, and dogs are not allowed on the tour.  So, obviously, this was a problem for us.  He assured us, however, that we were welcome to enjoy the grounds and visit the shop to buy some wine.  Well, needless to say, I immediately equated this encounter with the commercialization of the wine business in Napa California, but this was not the norm in Italy.  Being summarily dismissed, I was obviously beyond frustrated when we exited the Ca del Bosco winery.  But,  I decided to overcome my indignation and taste a bottle of their wine at dinner. 

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That evening, in a little restaurant in Iseo, we ordered the Ca del Bosco Brut Cuvee Prestige.  Ca del Bosco first made this Franciacorta in 2007, and today they make approximately 20,000 bottles per year.  It is a blend of 75% Chardonnay, 10% Pinot Bianco, and 15% Pinot Nero.  The wine initially is fermented in stainless steel tanks and an additional  20 to 30% of a reserve wine is added prior to the second fermentation to give the wine a distinctive character.  The second fermentation in the bottle generally  averages 25 months.  As our waitress poured the wine into the glass, I noticed that it was a somewhat richer golden color than most of the Franciacorta we had sampled.  The perlage was fine and energetic.  The scent was of bread crust and almond with a more subtle underlying scent of citrus fruits.  On the palate, the wine was complex with notes of pastry, apple, honey and almond.  I found the wine to be more yeasty than many of the other Franciacorta we had tasted reminiscent of many Champagnes - which is of course what the area is striving for.   Wine Enthusiast has given this wine 90 points and Robert Parker has bestowed 91 points.   For me, the wine was good, but definitely not my favorite Franciacorta of the trip.  Hum, is my opinion colored by my experience at the winery?

For more information about the Barone Pizzini winery, visit their website at http://www.baronepizzini.it/en/

For more information about Ca del Bosco, visit them at http://www.cadelbosco.com/en/

Check back next week for the final day of the Franciacorta Tour: Bellavista and Solive.





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Discovering Franciacorta - Day 1

9/14/2015

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"Wine is like the incarnation: it is both divine and human."  Paul Tillich

Franciacorta?  Today this sparkling wine is not a household name, but it should be.  To cognoscenti  Franciacorta is known as the Champagne of Italy.  Produced in an area around Lake Iseo about one hour from Milan, Franciacorta is a sparkling wine bottle aged in the classic method and made from a combination of grapes most significantly chardonnay usually combined with pinot bianco and maybe pinot nero depending on the style of Franciacorta produced.  Unlike champagne, however, which has a 300 year plus history, the first sparkling wine to be called Franciacorta was produced less than 60 years ago.  Today, the Franciacorta brand is designated DOCG and consists of approximately 5,400 acres of vines with 100 producers.  Compared to the Champagne region of France with approximately 19,000 producers and 80,000 acres of vines, it remains a boutique vintage.  But, it is one of Italy's premier sparkling wines, and any blog claiming to write about the sparkling wines of Italy would be remiss without a discussion of Franciacorta.  With this in mind, I had been planning a visit to the region for several months.  Finally, the day of the trip arrived, and on that Tuesday morning, my husband, Jim, and I commenced the 5 hour drive to Lake Iseo with one goal in mind -- to discover the wines of Franciacorta. 

If weather is an omen, then Bacchus was on our side as we began our journey beneath aquamarine skies dotted with hundreds of cotton candy clouds.  I sat in the back seat of our Alfa with our dog Luca, just watching the heavens roll by and imagining cherubs floating on those clouds just like in the painting by Michelangelo.  This thought triggered my memory of a Mark Twain quote, so apropos on a day like this, "The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo."

The miles passed by as we traversed the A 14 to the A 22 and finally the A4 toward Milan, and everything was going according to plan.  But then we encountered the second tunnel on the outskirts of Iseo.  That is where we missed our exit and ended up high  above the lake in a little village on a narrow, snakelike road with a sheer drop on the right hand side.  After five hours of driving, this was not the place Jim wanted to be, but he cautiously navigated the road through several additional villages down toward the lake.  And, eventually he found the road to our hotel, I Due Roccoli.  The hotel, positioned high up another road characterized by numerous switchbacks, was set in an idyllic spot on nearly 25 acres of land.  And after the drive, Jim and I both wanted nothing more than to sit around and enjoy the park like setting.

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I Due Roccoli, a spectacular setting. Luca loved it.
But we had work to do.  The week prior I had scheduled a tasting at the Luigi Massussi winery.  So after dropping our bags off in our room, and enjoying a complimentary glass of Franciacorta, we once again climbed into the car and set off down the windy road to taste Massussi Franciacorta.

 I had picked the Massussi winery as our first stop not because it is one of the better known wineries in the area, but solely because it was located on the same road as the hotel.  At the outset, I knew that Massussi was a very small producer offering only a brut and a saten, but my goal was to seek out a variety of producers not only the most well known and biggest. 

We arrived at the winery at 5:00 p.m.  just in time for our appointment and were met by Luigi Massussi's mother who informed us that her son was on his way having been detained in the vineyard.   While we waited, we took time to admire the panoramic view of Lake Iseo from high up on the hill where the cantina is located. 
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The view from the front of the Massussi cantina.
Then Mrs. Massussi showed us around to the back of the property to see the olive grove and some of their newly planted vines.  Today, she explained, the winery, which began operation in 1985, produces only about 6,000 bottles of wine per year.  It is the smallest of the Franciacorta consortium wineries, and also the one at the highest elevation at over 1,300 feet.  Massussi is in the process of converting its wine making operation to organic production methods and, over the next few years, will increase production to 20,000 bottles.

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Behind the cantina, the olive grove and new vines.
When Luigi arrived, he conducted the two minute tour of the petit Massussi cellar, and then led us to a small wood paneled room to begin the tasting.
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A corner of the Massussi cellar. There are more tanks than this, but it is small.
As he opened two bottles of Franciacorta, I asked Luigi about his wine making history.  He told me he learned to make wine from his father, and like many of this younger generation of Italian winemakers, his passion for wine and experience in the cellar began at a very young age. 

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Luigi Massussi discussing his wines during our tasting of the brut and saten.
We started the tasting with the Massussi 2010 DOCG Brut Cuvee Del Lago, a wine that has been awarded 90 points by the Varonelli wine guide.  (This is one of the oldest and best known of the wine guides in Italy.)  The 2010 Brut Cuvee Del Lago is a limited edition wine with only 5,000 bottles made, and each bottle is numbered. ( The bottles we brought home are numbered 2,074 and 2095.)  This Massussi Brut is made in the style of Millesimato in which all of the grapes are from the same harvest year.  Franciacorta producers generally use a different, but similar, combination of Chardonnay, Pinot Bianco, and Pinot Nero in their brut, with Chardonnay always predominant.  At Massussi, the wine is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Bianco and Pinot Nero.  It has been fermented in the bottle for at least 36 months.  As Luigi poured the wine into the glass, I noticed the pale yellow color, lighter than most champagnes, and the persistent and active perlage.  The nose had subtle hints of bread crusts, vanilla and citrus.  In the mouth, the wine is soft and dry with some mineral highlights, almonds, and citrus.  As I took my third sip of the wine, I looked at Jim with that look that says, "YUM, what a find". 
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Massussi Brut, Cuvee Del Lago 2010
Now it was time to move on to the Massussi Saten. Saten is a term used specifically to describe a blanc de blanc Franciacorta, a wine made with only white wine grapes and no pinot nero.  Quite often, Saten is made using only Chardonnay although up to 15% of Pinot Bianco is permitted.  The Massussi Saten was a younger wine than the Brut with the sboccatura, the disgorgement of the yeast from the bottle, in 2015.   It has spent a minimum of 24 months aging in the bottle.  As the wine slowly flowed into the glass, I noticed that the Saten had a similar color to the brut, very pale yellow.  But the perlage was noticeably less, a typical trait of Saten which is made with 4.5 bars of pressure rather than 6 resulting in a softer and creamier wine.  This wine had a balanced acidity, but was less complex and more fresh than the brut.  It seemed like an excellent summer aperitif or a good wine to accompany a fish dish or a risotto.  Its flavors were subtle of fruits and almonds. 
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Massussi Saten
While in both of the Massussi wines a small percentage of the grapes are aged in French barrique (15% in the brut), this adds to the roundness of the wine and does not overpower the nose or the flavor.  For me, this is a definite plus because after my California days of drinking very oak intense chardonnay, I am not interested in drinking wines that taste and smell of wood rather than the fruit. 

A few minutes later, we were saying good bye to Luigi.  Walking back to our car, I thought back on this tasting experience, and concluded that one day Massussi will be making everyone's list of great wineries in Franciacorta.  I turned to Jim and commented that I felt certain this visit would be one of my favorites since it was all about the family, their dedication to a passion, and a dream of making a superior sparkling wine.  And you can't beat a visit with an enthusiastic Italian Mama.  You can learn more about the Massussi winery on line at massussifranciacorta.it.

Back  at the hotel, we enjoyed a brief respite prior to dinner.  The food at I  Due Rocolli was so exquisitely presented that I just had to include a few photos below.  The only drawback to a beautiful meal was my poor choice of wine.  I selected a Cavalleri Blanc di Blanc.  Unfortunately, for my taste, it had too much barrique, and it tasted like a headache in a glass.  So, I requested a second glass of the house Franciacorta from Conti Ducco.  It was a beautiful wine with a good balance of acidity and it paired well with both the risotto and the Faraona.  
Millefoglie of potato, peach and cured meat
Faraona, a type of chicken
Warm sea bass salad
Home made tagliatele with shrimp, zucchini, and squid ink
Our adventures in Franciacorta were off to a great start.  The next day we headed back out on La Strada del Franciacorta in search of Barone Pizzini and Ca' del Bosco.  Check back next week for day 2 of Discovering Franciacorta.  

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Awe, Amazement, Amore

7/29/2015

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"Wine is the most civilized thing in the world."  Ernest Hemingway

After days of intense heat and cloudless skies, finally there was a break in the weather.  And it came just in time because on this pleasantly cool Friday evening, we would be having our aperitivo at the Colonnara winery along with representatives from the Slow Food movement, wine journalists, and a number of sommeliers .  The event, sponsored  by Slow Food, was a special tasting of select vintages of methodo classico sparkling wines from Colonnara.  When I read the lineup of wines, there was not a moment's hesitation, no contemplation, just an instantaneous desire to be there.  And that is how my husband, Jim, and I found ourselves navigating the windy road to Cupramontana to spend an evening at the winery.  Being a fan of the Colonnara methodo classico wines, I was sure that this evening would not disappoint, and, of course, it was beyond expectations, inspirational, educational, and for me quite challenging to the three relevant senses.

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The room, all dressed up and awaiting the participants
As the 30 participants took their seats, I looked around and realized that I was suffering from a bout of  intimidation.  Here I was surrounded by a group of serious looking wine professionals ready to experience the wines. I had every intention of being just as serious, so I wiped the smile off of my face, got out the note pad to take down insights, and mentally walked myself through a little wine tasting 101 exercise - no physical activity required except bending the elbow.  And then, I waited expectantly for the first pour. 

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The sommeliers awaiting the first pour
There was no shot to signal the start, no popping of the cork with a sword, just that sudden quiet that periodically descends upon a crowd followed by the sound of the Colonnara Cuvee Tradition pouring into the glass.  This first wine was the only wine on the tasting line up produced by the charmat method.   It was kind of the amuse bouche to tempt the palate.  Cuvee Tradition is the first sparkling wine that Colonnara made back in 1970.  To call it a charmat (martinotti in Italian) does not do it justice, for it is a longer aged wine that takes on some of the characteristics of a methodo classico.  In the glass the color is straw yellow with an active and fine perlage.  When I inhale this wine I think of summer stone fruits and almonds, and I think about a spring day with the scent of acacia flowers.  In the mouth, the wine is delicate and fresh with a finish of almond.  I like to keep several bottles on hand to celebrate every occasion like dinner time, beautiful sunsets, or just because it's Tuesday. 

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The line up of things to come - 5 methodo classico wines
Next began the vertical tasting of Ubaldo Rosi Brut Methodo Classico Riserva vintages 2008, 2006, 2005, and 2002.  Ubaldo Rosi is Colonnara's award winning methodo classico made from the Verdicchio grape. It is aged on the lees for 60 months. Ubaldo Rosi has been named the third best sparkling wine in Italy and the best south of the Po river.  While it continues to garner accolades from the wine press, my friend Marty upon opening the bottle of 2008 that he took home to CA after his visit here summed up the experience clearly and succinctly, "It was excellent.  An incredible value."  Although I had tasted the 2008 vintage on several occasions, I was very curious to experience it in comparison to the same wine aged for longer periods of time.  So, here are my reflections upon these exceptional wines.

Ubaldo Rosi, 2008 is a wine for special occasions, such as today when we are celebrating the birth of our second grandson.  But, it is affordable and can be the star of any dinner.  I love the beautiful straw yellow color and the nose of caramelized sugar and almond with an underlying potential of bread crust.  The nose maintains a bit of freshness and perhaps a bit of the sweetness of fruit.  It has none of the woodiness of many champagnes.  In the glass the perlage is quite active and persistent, but in the mouth the wine is incredibly soft and smooth.  As I took a sip, I turned to Jim and asked, "So what do you taste?"  He replied, " something out of the ordinary.  I taste quality."  I remember once asking that question of our friend, Michele, a broker of wines from France and Italy,  when we were drinking a prosecco.  His reply, "sombrero".  I must admit that I was stunned by the answer and confused.  What did that mean?  Well, as I taste more wines and begin to see them as more than a party in a pretty glass with a stem, I am starting to understand this.  Think about those English classes where you learned about connotation.  With that context in mind, I thought about how I would sum up Ubaldo Rosi 2008 in one word.  My answer,  "Michelangelo" - artistry in a glass.  So, I wonder can any of the older wines top this experience?



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Winemaker, Agostino, setting the stage and introducing Ubaldo Rosi 2008
I am so enthralled with the 2008 that I am still sniffing and tasting as the Ubaldo Rosi 2006 is poured into the second glass.  I sit and watch it for a while as I continue to explore the nuance of the 2008.  What I notice is that the straw yellow color has taken on the slight greenish tint often associated with the verdicchio grape.  Finally, I pick up the glass and inhale.  There is more subtlety in the nose.  I try to discern what it is I am smelling and inhale again.  As I do this I hear someone say panettone, and I think, yes.  That is a good way to describe it.   On the palate, there is more complexity.  It is a somewhat more mature and refined wine than the 2008.  And while it has lost a little of the freshness of the 2008, that is not a bad thing because it makes up for it in depth of character.
The Ubaldo Rosi 2005 was a very interesting wine that probably created more comment at my table than any of the others.  In the glass it looked quite similar to the 2006 with a light straw yellow color with a slight green highlight.  As I sipped it, I heard comments that it had an unusual nose, not as open as the previous wines.   Quite a discussion ensued trying to discern that the unique element of the nose was, but, alas, there was never a resolution of this question.  For my part, I thought this vintage had more of the bread crust and almond scents, but the bouquet was much more subtle than the 2008.  On the palate it had a very well balanced acidity and smoothness.  By the end of the evening, it was clear that the 2005 had divided the participants.  Some thought this was the top of the Ubaldo Rosi selections; others rated it at or near the bottom.  For me, after tasting these three very similar wines, my senses were on overload, and it was getting very difficult to distinguish one from the other, particularly as the differences were becoming more subtle. 


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Discussing the 2005 Ubaldo Rosi with Emiliano, an executive of Colonnara
The final tasting of the Ubaldo Rosi vintages was the 2002.  This wine had taken on a more golden color than the prior vintages.  In the glass it looked more like a champagne. When I lifted the glass to breathe in the bouquet, I raised my eyebrows in surprise.  I sniffed again to make sure of what I was smelling.  And on my third inhale, I said cheese.  "But which cheese is it," asked the gentleman across the table?  At first I thought it might be a very, very subtle Gorgonzola scent.  But, he shook his head as he inhaled deeply.  And after a few minutes he looked up at me and said, "crusts of brie".  Now this was a person with a very refined nose, and I was impressed.  He identified the perfect descriptor.  While the nose was quite unusual, the palate was not.  It was more complex with a very lingering finish, but it still exhibited qualities of the verdicchio grape - almond, honey with an overlay of bread crust. 

While I asked others what was their favorite of the Ubaldo Rosi wines, I find it very difficult to pick one.  They were all similar and distinct at the same time.  I truly appreciated the freshness of the 2008 which emitted a more fruity nose than the other vintages.  But I also appreciated the increasingly greater complexity of the wines over time.  I would gladly call every one Michelangelo. 

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The Ubaldo Rosi vintages in the glass
Following the four Ubaldo Rosi vintages, it was time to taste a 1993 Luigi Ghislieri, a second methodo classico made by the Colonnara winery bottle aged for no less than 30 months.  This is the wine that I coveted as it was presented to the top of the class at the sommelier graduation (see my prior post of July 5, 2015).  Looking at the bottle, I am not certain that I have ever had a wine that is over twenty years old before.  So, now I am looking for a context to relate this wine to.  1993 was the year that my son turned 11, I was working on the 27th floor of an office building in Oakland, CA, we had 2 dogs, 4 cats, 28 rabbits, and boarded two horses who lived on our hillside.  And, I was just discovering Bon Jovi.  My drink of choice was some inexpensive California champagne.  As I think back to these events, I am more appreciative of how long this wine has been in the bottle.  And I wonder if I rub that bottle three times what magic will pour out.  Well, I was soon to learn that rubbing the bottle was not a prerequisite to unleashing the magic of this vintage.  In the glass, the color was as soft and straw yellow as the younger Ubaldo Rosi wines.  And, the perlage danced the tango as the fine bubbles rose in the glass.  The wine has maintained its very characteristic nose of almonds, fruits, and a freshness I was surprised to find  in a wine of this age.  On the palate it was soft, complex, and beautiful with some notes of licorice  on the finish.  I never expected a 20 year old wine to maintain so much of the character of a much younger wine while acquiring additional structure and balance.  This wine gave me a totally different view of older wines and a much greater appreciation for the effects of aging.  Oh, if we could all age with this much grace and elegance.  So, I asked myself, what one word would describe this wine.  Venice, I think, because after the first taste, I have the same feeling that I had on that first trip to Venice 15 years ago - awe, amazement, amore. 

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1993 Luigi Ghislieri, amazing!!
When the tasting concluded, I asked our friend, Giovanni, a delegate of FISAR, the Federation of Italian Hotel and Restaurant Sommeliers, what his favorite wines were.  Without hesitation, he told me the Ubaldo Rosi 2005 and the Luigi Ghislieri 1993.  I found his response interesting as the 2005 Ubaldo Rosi was the wine that sparked the most controversy.  So in spite of all of the attempts to provide structure and standardization to the rating of wines, there is no way to standardize taste.  The old saying, "that's why there is chocolate and vanilla" still applies. 

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And here are the wines - four vintages of Ubaldo Rosi and Luigi Ghislieri 1993 (in the magnum).
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Sommeliers and Sparkling Wine Under the Stars

7/5/2015

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"All four elements were happening in equal measure - the cuisine, the wine, the service, and the overall ambiance. It taught me that dining could happen at a spiritual level." Charlie Trotter

I stepped outside and the rain started.  Not an auspicious beginning to a night promising fine food and wine under the stars, but even this unexpected change in the weather did not dampen my spirit.  Tonight we were headed off to a Sommelier dinner sponsored by FISAR (Federazioni Italiana Sommelier Albergatori e Ristorantori) the Italian Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Sommeliers.  Our destination was Villa Marchese del Grillo, a four star Relais hotel and restaurant sitting on a hill surrounded by the Apennine mountains.  The villa was built in the 18th century by the Marchese Onofrio del Grillo, whose life was remembered in an Italian film of the same name in the 1980s.  My  husband Jim and I had been invited to this event by our friends Cristina and Massmiliano.  The methodo classico, Luigi Ghislieri, from Massmiliano's cantina, Colonnara, would be one of the featured wines of the evening. 

I was excited about attending this event and saw it as an opportunity to discover the answer to one of life's great questions:  "What wines do sommeliers drink when they go out for dinner?"  Okay, it is not up there with the meaning of life, the universe and everything, but I was curious to see what wines would be served and how they would be paired with the foods. 

As we exited the super strada, the rain stopped and ahead of us, on a hill sat the villa Marchese del Grillo crowned by the sun's rays.  Walking from the parking lot, I could see the front of the villa graced by an expansive veranda.  There, on the veranda, the tables were set with four wine glasses at each place setting leaving no doubt that this was a dinner for wine lovers. 
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The crowd begins to gather on the veranda, and the tables wait expectantly
Across the veranda  champagne flutes and buckets of sparkling wine were arranged on a separate table.  Seeing this, I was immediately getting thirsty, and I hoped it would not be too long before the event commenced.
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All those glasses, all that wine, and not a drop to drink. . . yet!!
And when the event did commence, it started not with a bang but a POP!!   How else should a sommelier event begin but with the popping of a cork with a stroke of a short sword.  Well, actually I had never seen this done before and it was rather a surprise, but it had the desired effect giving an official beginning to the event and the pouring of the sparkling wine. 

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Popping the cork with a short sword. Warning, do not try this at home!!!
Below is a recounting of the food and wine pairings from the event with tasting notes.

Up first, hors d'ourves  and a Peruzzi Brut methodo classico, dosage zero.  The Peruzzi family has been producing sparkling wine in Le Marche from the Verdicchio grape since 1988, and biological wines since 2002.   The Peruzzi Brut is a limited production organic wine with approximately 5,000 bottles made per year.  It is bottle aged for a minimum of 3 years.  This wine is made without the liqueur d'exposition (the added sugar after the disgorgement).  In the glass, the color is a pale yellow and the perlage is happy.  This was an interesting organic wine that did not have the typical nose and palate of a verdicchio.  For me, it was lacking the almond and honey sweetness and was more dry with a more spare palate.    I have decided that one day soon I will go to visit the winery to try this again as I had mixed feelings about the wine. 


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Pouring the Peruzzi, the first of the five wines to be served during the course of the dinner
The second offering was a Tortino of Asparagus paired with one of my favorite sparkling wines, Colonnara's Luigi Ghislieri methodo classico Brut.  What can I say that I have not already said about this wine.  YUM!!!  (Read the posts below on the Sboccatura and the Visit to the Colonnara winery for more info.)

The primi was a beautiful pasta with a sauce of goose accompanied by Vallerosa-Bonci's  San Michele, 2012, a Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi, D.O.C. Superiore.  San Michele is a single vineyard wine from the San Michele area of the Jesi D.O.C.  which sits about 400 meters above sea level.  In the glass the wine had a deeper golden hue than many verdicchio wines.   I found this wine to be very interesting as it went through a transformation the longer it sat in the glass.  We think of red wines as needing to breathe, but this white wine from the verdicchio grape, only got better over time in the glass.  The nose started out very floral with the scent of acacia dominating other sweet aromas like peach and a little anise.  But after the wine sat for a while, the mineral notes came through more strongly and it smelled of the sea.  In the mouth the wine, was soft, but carried a depth atypical of many verdicchio wines.  It made me think of California wines but without the heavy oak flavor.

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The San Michele arrives. Notice the distinctive, tall bottle used for this Verdicchio Superiore.
Next, for the secondo, slices of veal with small dollops of pureed carrots and zucchini on the side  served with a Rosso Conero Riserva D.O.C.G., the Strologo Decebalo, 2008.  The Strologo winery is a small family run winery started by a farming family in the 1960s.  They make approximately 3,000 bottles of Decebalo per year.  This is a wine made from the Montepulciano grape that has been aged in new French barriques for 12 months followed by an additional 12 months in the bottle prior to release.  In the glass, the Decebalo was a deep red with purple hues.  The nose was intense and complex with cherry, vanilla, cinnamon, and a pale scent of liquorice.   In the mouth it is soft and warm and flavorful.  Normally, I am not a red wine drinker, but I did taste this one and thought it would be nice to drink red wine again. 

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Strologo Decebalo
And, finally, for the dessert lover in me, there was a fruit torta with orange and apricot cream served with the Moncaro's, Tordiruta, 2008.  Tordiruta is a passito made from 100% Verdicchio grapes, aged one year in barrique and one year in the bottle.  Tordiruta  is just what I expect from a passito.  It is amber in color with an intensely warm and mature bouquet  of candied fruits and spice.  In the mouth it is soft and mellow with just the right degree of sweetness.  Well, I had to have a second glass of this one. 

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Moncaro's award winning Passito, Tordiruta
Now that the dessert had been served, it was time to get down to the business of the evening.  I did not really know there was a business component; however, it made sense.  It was a sommelier dinner after all and it was time for the conferring of diplomas and the tastevin on the graduating class of 2015.  What is a tastevin?  You know, that shallow, faceted silver cup that sommeliers often wear around their necks and the graduates proudly display in the photo below.  The tastevin (French for taste wine) was not originally designed for sommeliers.  It was originally used by winemakers for tasting in candle-lit cellars because the tastevin could reflect whatever light was there making it easier to judge the color and clarity of a wine.  

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The graduates proudly display their tastevins.
As the photo so clearly demonstrates, the graduating class was a diverse group - young, old, men, women, all sharing one thing in common - a passion for wine.  Massmiliano, the President of the Colonnara winery, presented a magnum of Luigi Ghislieri 1993 to the top performer in the class.  Oh, the green goddess of envy raised her ugly head .  But, my curiosity about this 20 plus year old wine will have a chance to be sated next week at a Slow Foods tasting of a number of older vintage Colonnara methodo classico wines: Ubaldo Rossi and Luigi Ghislieri.  (More on this in an upcoming blog.)

Finally, the graduation ceremony, complete with a commencement speaker, concluded; photos were taken; and the class began to disperse.  (Of note, Jim says this was the best graduation ceremony he has ever attended.  I guess I would have to agree with him.  After all, it was the first I have ever attended where not only was wine served, but it was a focus of the event.) But before Jim and I depart, we have been invited to tour the Marchese del Grillo's renowned  wine cellar with Cristina and Massimiliano.  The beautiful vaulted cellar housed an amazing collection of wines some dating from the 19th century.  I tried to take some photos, but with the exception of the one below, they all look like they were taken by someone who had a little too much wine.  Hum, I can't imagine how that happened.

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A small corner of the wine cellar - there was a lot more space, but the camera did not cooperate
On the ride home, I looked back on the evening wishing that I had taken some photos of the beautiful food.  I guess it will just have to live on in memory until Jim and I return to the Marchese del Grillo.  Until then, I will remember this evening as one of the most memorable meals I have ever had in Italy- delicious, beautifully presented, and perfectly paired with wines. 

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Okay, I did get one photo of some of the older wines collecting dust in the cellar
For more information on the wineries whose wine was served at this dinner, you can visit their websites with the links below:

The Peruzzi Website:  http://www.spumantebio-peruzzi.it/

The Colonnara Website:  http://www.colonnara.it/en/

The Vallerosa Bonci Website:  http://www.vallerosa-bonci.com/

The Silvano Strologo website:  http://www.vinorossoconero.com/

The Moncaro website:  http://www.moncaro.com/en/

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    In Venice with my best friend, Luca

    About Me

    I am an American ex-pat who lived most of a decade in Le Marche, Italy.  A former Italian wine importer, I am an Italian wine enthusiast.  And sparkling wines are my passion.  Back in California, I continue my quest  to discover the wide variety of sparkling wines made in Italy and elsewhere.

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    Luca does Vinitaly - official canine representative, 2015
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    My book, Dog Days in Italy about my humans' 20 year love affair with Italy is available on Amazon.  www.amazon.com/Dog-Days-Italy-Became-Expat/dp/B09JYP2M27

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