The Prosecco Project: an Italian sparkling wine odyssey
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Sboccatura Sunday

6/12/2015

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"Reality is an illusion that occurs due to a lack of wine".  Anonymous

It was May 31, and as is traditional in Le Marche, it was time for Cantine Aperte.  Cantina Aperte is an annual event held the last weekend in May to promote the wineries in the region.  A majority of wineries participate opening their doors for wine tasting, tours, food and entertainment.   

As we headed off to the Colonnara winery on that Sunday morning, I was reminded of the first year that we almost attended this event back in 2009.  It was during our three month stay in Italy before my husband, Jim, and I moved here permanently.  Our son and his  wife were visiting, and we had planned to take the four hour drive to Venice from Le Marche.  On our way to the autostrada, we stopped by the Colognola cantina to introduce our son to our friends at the winery and to taste their latest offerings.  If Lord Voldemort wanted to destroy this event, he could not have found a better way.  The day was a disaster.  Rain came down in buckets - well, almost literally.  The tented area set aside for the event was a mud pit, and everyone was running around like crazy trying to solve the problem.  A truck load of gravel was being put down, but it just could not keep up with the rain which washed it away almost as quickly as it hit the ground.  Needless to say, it was a very short visit for us.  And the thought of driving to Venice in the downpour was not too enticing either, but we kept to the plan and off we went.  Each year as Cantine Aperte approaches, I think about this day and wonder if this year the weather will be fair or foul. 

As Jim guided the Alfa over the windy roads and up the hill to Cupramontana and the Colonnara winery, I breathed a sigh of relief.  It was the perfect day - sunny, warm, but not too warm, with cotton candy clouds dotting the sky and a soft breeze that whispered, "summer is coming".   Of all the possible wineries open for visiting, we chose Colonnara because, today, they were featuring the sboccatura.  In Italian, sboccatura is the word used to describe the process of disgorging the yeast (lees) from a sparkling wine made in the classic champagne method( methodo classico in Italian).  As we were to learn, cleaning the yeast sediment from the wine without losing bubbles is more art than science.  It is a deceptively simple yet technical process that now can be done mechanically.  But today, Colonnara would be demonstrating the traditional process, done by hand, one bottle at a time.

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The hill town of Cupramontana
Arriving at the winery around 11:00 am, we bought our entrance tickets (5 euro for the commemorative glass and four tastes of wine) and joined the party.  Folks were already lined up, glass in hand,  seeking tastes of the proffered wines. 

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It was early, but folks were already lined up for tastes of the various Colonnara wines
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Cuvee Tradition, a sparkling wine made in the charmat method but with a lengthy aging process
We, of course, joined them at the bar where I looked to find a new Colonnara wine for tasting.  And there I found it, the Cuvee Tradition.  This is the first sparkling wine produced by Colonnara back in 1968, and it has been produced each year since.  A methodo martinotti (charmat), it is made from a selection of quality Verdicchio grapes and aged for a longer period of time than the typical brut or extra dry made by the charmat process.  The extra aging gives it a more refined nose and palate.  In the glass the Cuvee Tradition is straw yellow with a fine perlage.  It exudes scents of mimosa and stone fruits along with a hint of almond.  This brut is soft in the mouth with a fresh taste that finishes with the flavor of toasted almonds.  I was impressed by its more mature and distinctive palate.  This is definitely a wine for more than aperitif, and I know I will be enjoying it often. 

While we sipped the Cuvee, we walked around to see what was on offer at other tables set up outside of the cantina.  There were fresh baked torte, crostata and biscotti along with a number of other locally produced food items from the Marche region.  Signs for the luncheon peaked my interest, and we perused the menu.  Not surprisingly the luncheon was fish, a perfect pairing with wines made from the Verdicchio grape, and we decided to stay for lunch after observing the sboccatura.

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This year lunch was catered by a new restaurant in Ancona. The fish was excellent.
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Luigi Ghislieri, one of my favorite methodo classico wines.
As we waited for our friend, Massimiliano,  the President of Colonnara, who was still down in the cellar with a tour group, I decided to have my second taste of the day, the Luigi Ghislieri.  Okay, this wine was not new to me, as a matter of fact it rates highly among my favorite sparkling wines.  Named for a former Cooperative Chairman who in the 1970s restored the sparkling wine tradition in Cupramontana, Luigi Ghislieri is one of Colonnara's  top sparkling wines.  It is a methodo classico, bottle aged for a minimum of 30 months.  In the glass, the color is a warm straw yellow with a fine and dignified perlage.  The nose exudes scents of honey and almond.  And the taste is elegant and soft with a well balanced acidity.  This is a wine to be sipped slowly and savored, a more complex wine, a wine for moments of contemplation. 



And just as I was beginning to contemplate the bottom of my now empty glass, Massimiliano appeared and escorted Jim and I I down into the wine cave to observe the sboccatura.  While we rode down on the super sized elevator, he apprised us that the bottles being disgorged today were Luigi Ghislieri.  Of course, that made this event all the more enticing for me because, after the disgorgement, tastes of the "zero dosage" wine (without the liqueur d'exposition) would be available. 

Down in the cellar, it was cool, dark, and quiet, but for me a sense of expectation filled the air along with the perfume of previously opened bottles of wine.  At this point in time, the nearly fully matured bottles of Luigi Ghislieri had been resting on wooden racks for more than 2 years.
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Bottles of Luigi Ghislieri ready to be disgorged.
Here they were turned a  quarter turn every day and tilted from a horizontal position to upside down to collect the yeast sediment in the neck of the bottle.  These mature bottles had been taken from the riddling racks and were now placed, neck down in a machine to freeze just the portion of the neck containing the settled yeast. 
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This is where the lees are frozen prior to disgorgement
We watched as the neck of one of these bottles was held over an open flame to ease passage of the yeast plug from the bottle. 
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Then the bottle cap style cap was removed, and the pressure expelled the frozen yeast plug from the bottle along with a small amount of the spumante.
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Removing the cap to expel the yeast.
The space in the bottle created by the expulsion of the yeast was then filled with the liqueur d'expedition (a secret mixture that adds sweetness and contributes to the distinctive flavor of each winemaker's methodo classico). 
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The jar on the right of the screen contains the liqueur d'expedition. It's contents are a trade secret.
Now, the bottle was corked and the metal cage applied.  This bottle will sit again for several months before being ready to consume.

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Putting the cork and the wire cage on the bottle.
While I watched the disgorgement process, I was struck by how much it is about experience and technique.  While superficially simple, there is definitely an art to doing it right.  My head began to fill with questions, as I watched the yeast plug expel from a second bottle and I thought about all of the possible things that could go wrong if you were inexperienced such as not freezing the plug for the right amount of time, not holding the bottle in the flame long enough or too long, not holding the bottle at the proper angle as you release the cap to expel the yeast and just the right amount of spumante.  I noted that releasing the right amount of spumante involved a little stylized twisting of the bottle to rid the wine of some  extra foam and make room for the liqueur d'expedition.  The wrist rotation looked like a severe carpal tunnel hazard, and I knew that I would not be sitting here at the keyboard and typing if I had to do this for just one hour. 

The process was both interesting and educational to observe, but the best part was yet to come - tasting the wine before the liqueur d'expedition was added.  As the wine entered the glass, I noted a citrus aroma.  It had a lighter color than the finished Luigi Ghislieri and a fine perlage.  I do not know what I was expecting, but the most surprising thing for me was how dry this wine was.    It had an appealing tartness on the palate similar to a granny smith apple.  While I could see the possibilities for this as a dosage zero (without the liqueur d'expedition), this really made me appreciate what the addition of the liqueur d'expedition does to enhance the depth and flavor of the sparkling wine and produce its distinctive palate.  I will be looking forward to tasting the finalized product in a few months. 


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Tasting the Luigi Ghislieri before the liqueur d'expedition is added and discussing it with Massimiliano
As we left the wine cave, lunch was calling me.  Of course, we had some fritto misto (deep fried calamari, shrimp, and julienne vegetables)  and, what else, a bottle of Luigi Ghislieri.  Now that is what I call a perfect Sunday. 

Thank you Massimiliano and Colonnara for continuing my education about the sparkling wine making process! 


For more information about the Colonnara winery visit their website at  www.colonnara.it 



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Tasting from the Tanks at the Zucchetto Winery

6/6/2015

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"Wine is sunlight held together by water."  Galileo Gallilei

There is a first time for everything.  But not all firsts are particularly memorable events.  The memorable ones we commemorate in song, some in diaries, some with tee shirts, photgraphs, etc.  But, there is one first that will always just remain a memory, and fortunately, while it was the first time, it was not the only time.  And that is the tasting of the fermenting wine from the stainless steel tanks at the Zucchetto winery in Valdobbiadene.  (Do not confuse this with what the Italians call Sfuso which literally translates as loose, but in wine speak is the inexpensive wine that is pumped directly into your 5 liter bottle from the tanks.  Sfuso is mature and ready to drink.)

The first time we tasted the still developing wine from the tanks happened about a dozen years ago on our first trip to Valdobbiadene in search of a Prosecco to import to California.  As I have mentioned previously, a chance encounter at the hotel directed us to the Zucchetto winery, and the rest is history.  That was the day we first met Carlo Zucchetto.  And, when he took us into the cellar, he filled glass after glass with the immature wine from various tanks.  Jim still remembers this event with a smile and some nostalgia.  For, as he drank the proffered juice from the tank, he blissfully believed there was no alcohol in it.  So, he chugged down each glass full, first the Extra Dry, then the Puro Fol, then the Cartizze.  Unfortunately, as Carlo advised him after he drained the glasses, there is alcohol in the juice at this point in the process. 

Perhaps it is this misconception that made the first time so memorable for Jim.  For me, it was more about the significance of the event itself.  It was a confirmation that we were indeed wine importers and Prosecco would be the first wine we would import.   Today, we reside in Italy and no longer import wines to the US, but that fact did not preclude Jim from wanting to taste from the tank on our recent trip to Valdobbiadene.   And our friend, Carlo, needed no prompting to accommodate Jim's wish. 

We arrived at the Zucchetto cantina, greeted Carlo and his father, Paolo, and then followed Carlo straight to the cellar.  Jim's eyes lit up when Carlo pulled out a couple of glasses and started to pour the wine from the tanks. 
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Carlo taking the wine from the tanks for our tasting
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A glass of PuroFol from the tank
Tasting this very immature and unfiltered version of what will become Prosecco in a number of months is interesting, but also somewhat confusing.  In the glass the liquid is not clear, and it is not, at this point, sparkling.  It has a golden and greenish hue.  The scent is more alcohol than fruit and flowers, but there are hints of what the nose will be.  The taste is obviously not fruit juice; the alcohol is there, and some notes of citrus, but the structure is yet to develop.  It is still raw, unrefined. But it is a promise of great things to come.
And we were to learn that there will be more new things coming from the Zucchetto cantina, where Carlo continually strives for innovation.  After tasting from the tanks, Carlo led us to a new section of the cantina where new French oak barrels were arranged against the wall.  Here, Chardonnay is aging.  In another 6 months or so, some of this Chardonnay may be blended with glera and after further aging some will be bottled as a new Zucchetto Chardonnay.  After a taste from the barrels, I can say that this is going to be a California style Chardonnay, not the lighter fruity version usually produced in Italy. 
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French oak barrels filled with Chardonnay
Back in the cantina, the 2014 Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore D.O.C.G. Brut PuroFol and Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore di Cartizze D.O.C.G. awaited, and we were anxious to taste the current offering.  We knew that 2014 was a difficult wine year in Italy since the summer was so wet and less warm than normal.  And we have tasted the difference in our local Marche wines.  So I was curious to see if there was the same effect on the 2014 Prosecco.  There are predictions of a potential Prosecco shortage with production in some D.O.C. areas around Treviso reduced by nearly 50%.  However, in Valdobbiadene, the D.O.C.G. harvest yield was generally within normal parameters. 

We sat at the table in the cantina with Carlo, Paolo, and a local wine writer and waited as Carlo popped the cork on the PuroFol Brut. 
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In the cantina, a glass of PuroFol. (Carlo is in the background preparing local salumi and cheese to accompany the wine tasting.)
PuroFol has always been my favorite Prosecco.  Made from 100% glera grapes harvested in the Zucchetto vineyards in Follo, this is a very low sugar Prosecco, crisp and clean.  Generally there is a prominent taste of green apples and sometimes almond on the finish.  The PuroFol being served had just been bottled a few days before and would generally rest another month prior to sale.  And, when it was opened, it was a little agitated, with profuse bubbles.   The color was a very pale yellow.  The nose citrus, apples, and, interestingly, maybe a little bread crust.  On the palate, this year's PuroFol, was not as spare as a few in the past with a little added depth.  I think in another month, this will be another winning Prosecco, but at this point in time it needed the additional month to chill out.  Enjoy it with fish, vegetable dishes, or with appetizers.

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Newly bottled Prosecco which will rest for 1 more month prior to distribution
The Cartizze was everything I expected in the grand tradition of Zucchetto Cartizze.  Not as sweet as most Cartizze, this one is all about creamy and elegant.  Made from 100% glera grapes from the Zucchetto vineyards on the Cartizze alta hill, the color is luminous and the perlage is persistent and energetic.  The nose is peach, with a hint of apple.  The palate is smooth tasting of stone fruit with a finish of almond.  Cartizze is wonderful paired with desserts such as fruit tarts and even a rich chocolate torta.  However, Carlo's, with reduced sugar, is also an excellent aperitif. 

To learn more about the Zucchetto winery, visit them at http://www.zucchetto.com.  Zucchetto Prosecco is available at http://www.chigazolamerchants.com/products/zucchetto-prosecco-cartizze-docg.

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Discussing the wine from the tanks and the 2014 harvest with Carlo in the cellar. Luca has had enough of wine talk.
An afterthought: 

For those of you wondering about the derivation of the name Zucchetto, the word has several meanings in Italian.  First it is a little pumpkin from the word, Zucca.  However, the more prevalent meaning of  zucchetto is the little skull cap worn by priests which is said to resemble half of a pumpkin.  I have no idea how this relates to Carlo, his family and the winery.  It is just some trivia.

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Exploring Valdobbiadene on the Magical Mystery Tour

6/3/2015

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"In a perfect world, everyone would have a glass of champagne every evening."  Willie Gluckstern

Ever since our first trip to Valdobbiadene over a decade ago, my husband, Jim, and I have had this persistent belief that there is magic in the Prosecco hills, and it is not just the vines.  One would think that after as many trips as we have made to the area, we would be able to find our way around by now.  Well, think again.  Jim postulates that the roads move and change.  I just think that things disappear and appear sporadically, with no warning.  If there was ever a place suited for habitation by the Potters and the Weasleys, this is the place.  And our recent trip just added more credence to this belief. 

On our way to visit Bisol (discussed in my prior post) we passed by Il Follo.  It was only about five city blocks away, on the same road. I was interested in tasting Il Follo as I had enjoyed one of their Proseccos in California a number of years ago.  We agreed that when we were finished at Bisol, our next stop would be Il Follo.   As we exited the Bisol winery, we believed we would be at Il Follo in about 3 minutes,but  that was not the case as apparently the road sprites of  Valdobbiadene were up to their old tricks.  We drove down the road looking for the entrance to Il Follo,  and we finally reached a crossroad.  At this point, it was obvious we had gone too far.  How we could have missed it when we were both so focused on finding the entrance I will never know.  But after driving back down the road with no luck, we resorted to the GPS.  Of course, the GPS was no better at finding it than we were. Just when we were ready to declare Il Follo no more than a hallucination, we saw a little sign with an arrow indicating that Il Follo was straight ahead.  We proceeded down the road, but it just was not to be found.  Il Follo had been swallowed up, hidden in a mist, or merely misplaced.  After so many false starts, driving up one road and down another and passing by Bisol another time or two, we finally gave up.  I was disappointed, but it was now time for the cantinas to close.   And so with regret, we  acknowledged that we would just have to wait until the next day to taste the products of more Prosecco makers. 

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The roads of Valdobbiadene, surrounded by the Cartizze hills
While the road sprites tormented us on that first day, the weather gods smiled on us the next morning as we headed off to taste at Silvano Follador.  Follador is a small family owned winery run by a brother and sister team.  Silvano and Alberta took over after the death of their grandfather in 1999.  Since that time, they have expanded their vineyard holdings and implemented a number of changes until today their wines are made by biodynamic farming methods.   They produce only Brut and Cartizze prosecco and a dosage zero made by the classic champagne method with a second fermentation in the bottle.  Apparently the street sprites were on vacation on this particular morning as we found Follador without  incident.   At the tasting room we were met by Alberta, who informed us that there was only one wine available for tasting, the Follador Brut 2014 which had just been bottled two days before.  Well, needless to say, I was disappointed that there was no methodo classico to taste, but, there was still Prosecco.  So, life was good. 

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At the Silvano Follador Cantina
Silvano Follador makes about 15,000 bottles a year of their Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Brut Nature.  As is typical of Prosecco, it is made by the charmat method (called methodo martinotti in Italy) with the second fermentation in pressurized stainless steel tanks.   However, at Follador the first fermentation begins in cement tanks.  When we tasted the brut Prosecco in the cantina just after the bottling, the perlage was very aggressive, so we took a few bottles home and let them sit for a couple of weeks.  One afternoon, following our Italian lesson, we opened a bottle to taste with our friend (and Italian teacher) Cristina who in the past has headed an Italian organization designed to promote Italian sparkling wines made in the classic method.  We were very pleasantly surprised by the change in the wine that now had had a little time to rest after the very disturbing process of bottling.  The perlage was energetic and persistent and consistent with my expectations for a fine Prosecco.  The nose was fruity with an overlay of almonds.  Follador produces this wine from an melding of four grape varieties.  Of course, the wine is predominantly Glera, (once called Prosecco), but it also contains a small percentage of Verdiso, Perera and Bianchetta.  This is an interesting grape mixture producing a wine with greater structure than many Proseccos.  The reduced sugar, a current trend in Prosecco making,  gives the wine a very crisp and clean palate making it an enjoyable accompaniment to fish dishes.   Of course, it is also a wonderful aperitif and accompaniment to appetizers. 

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Silvano Follador Prosecco Brut Nature with Alberta in the background
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Silvano Follador Brut Nature
For more information about the Silvano Follador winery, visit their website at  http://www.silvanofollador.com.   Their prosecco is available in the US at Artisan Wine Depot.  http://www.artisanwinedepot.com/Silvano_Follador_Valdobbiadene_Superiore_Brut_DOC_p/silvanofolladorvaldobbiade12-w.htm

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At the Silvano Follador winery
We had a second tasting appointment scheduled this morning, so we bid farewell to Silvano Follador, started up the Alfa, and headed off toward Valdobbiadene.   When what to my wondering eyes should appear but, no not a miniature sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer, but the ever elusive Il Follo winery.  Okay, this is just another Valdobbiadene magical moment.  Without a second thought, we pulled into the parking area and headed to the door of the cantina. 

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The Il Follo cantina
The Il Follo winery, founded in 1960, is today managed by the father and son team of Vittorio and Luca Follador.  (Notice the surname is the same as the Silvano Follador winery.  This surname, Follador, has a long history in the area, and, like so many Italian surnames, is associated with the type of work a person does.  In the dialect of the Veneto region " follare l'uve" means to press the grapes and produce wine.)  As we entered the cantina, we were met by Attilo, Vittorio's father who once managed the vineyards.  And, thus, our conversation turned to the changing nature of Prosecco and the vineyards of Valdobbiadene and Treviso. 

Prosecco, today the number one selling sparkling wine in the world, is undergoing a transformation.  Large quantities of less expensive and generally lower quality Prosecco are produced in Treviso (now classified as DOC wines) where the terroir, coupled with the fact that these vines are relatively young, creates a very different wine.  In Valdobbiadene, also, there has been an explosion of new vines producing subtle changes to the Prosecco.  There are still wonderful Proseccos out there, but there are also many new comers to the marketplace producing less expensive and often inferior products.  Even an established, large producer like Il Follo, now makes their Extra Dry Prosecco from grapes grown in the Treviso doc area. 

The Il Follo Extra Dry was the first wine we tasted.  Unfortunately, it was not the wine we tasted more than five years ago.  While the wine had a beautiful pale hue and a persistent perlage, with the scent of almonds and citrus, the flavor was unusual for a Prosecco.  Both Jim and I agreed that there was the subtle flavor of bubble gum.  And every taste I took reminded me of Bazooka Bubble gum, each piece wrapped in paper with a little comic inside. 


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In the Il Follo cantina, a line up of Il Follo wines of today and yesterday
Our second taste was the Il Follo Millesimato Villa Luigia Brut made from 100% glera grapes from Valdobbiadene.  This wine was a classic prosecco with all of the traits I look for.  In the glass the Villa Luigia has a soft golden color with a enthusiastic perlage.  The nose was typical of prosecco with citrus fruits and flowers but also with a hint of herb and yeast.  While in the mouth the perlage was lively, it was more subtle than many and the taste was citrus and almonds.  This Prosecco had some depth to it making it suitable for more than just an aperitif.  It could easily accompany fish dishes and even pastas with a light sauce or vegetable dishes. 
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The third wine we tasted was one that prompted my desire to taste at Il Follo on this trip.  It was a rose Prosecco, Il Follo Cuvee Rose Brut.  While my experience with rose Prosecco has been mixed, when you find a good one, it is very, very good.  Unfortunately, at times the red grape variety and the glera grape seem to be dancing to a different tune.  So, it was with anticipation and uncertainty that I tasted the Il Follo Cuvee Rose Brut.  It is an interesting wine with a nose of wild berries and a little yeast.  In the glass, the color is a beautiful pink making it very appealing. The perlage is quite lively and persistent.  On the palate, there is an initial flavor of cherries, however, behind this flavor is again a subtle flavor of bubble gum.  As I drank, I could not help feeling that the marriage of the two grape varieties ( glera and in this case cabernet sauvignon) was not a love match. 
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For more information about the Il Follo winery visit http://www.ilfollo.it.
At this point in time we were running late to meet Carlo at the Zucchetto winery, so we thanked Attilo and departed Il Follo.  As we exited the parking lot, I crossed my fingers and hoped that the road sprites had been appeased and we would find the Zucchetto winery without a problem. 

Coming up next, tasting from the tanks at Zucchetto. 
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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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