"In victory you drink champagne. In defeat you need it." Napoleon Bonaparte
Each year in late March or early April, hordes of wine enthusiasts converge on Verona for Vinitaly, the world's most comprehensive exposition of Italian wines. I have been a victim of the allure of Vinitaly for more than a decade, ever since my husband Jim and I started an Italian wine importing business. Each year as spring approached my thoughts would turn to Vinitaly, but by that time, it was too late. Too late to get tickets and hotels, and too late for us to adequately plan the trip. As the years went by and we finally closed our wine importing business and moved to Italy, the call of Vinitaly grew more faint and eventually, it was no more than a memory of a desire. That is until I decided to finally pursue my passion for sparkling wines.
So this year, Jim and I packed up the little white Alfa, and along with our dog Luca, headed north to attend Vinitaly. We arrived in Sirmione, on the southern coast of Lake Garda on Sunday afternoon. We booked a hotel here, 20 minutes by train from Verona, in order to avoid the crush of the city. Sirmione, a very narrow peninsula, is a beautiful vacation destination, and we planned to enjoy it as well as the wine exposition.
So this year, Jim and I packed up the little white Alfa, and along with our dog Luca, headed north to attend Vinitaly. We arrived in Sirmione, on the southern coast of Lake Garda on Sunday afternoon. We booked a hotel here, 20 minutes by train from Verona, in order to avoid the crush of the city. Sirmione, a very narrow peninsula, is a beautiful vacation destination, and we planned to enjoy it as well as the wine exposition.
The castle, Sirmione, Italy
When Monday morning arrived, we took a taxi to the station in Desenzano di Garda where we would depart for Verona. Of course, the day had to begin with craziness. I forgot our tickets for Vinitaly, and as we approached the station, I had to ask the cab driver to turn around and go back to the hotel. Miraculously we arrived back at the train station with about 2 minutes until our train departed.
In Verona there was a free shuttle from the station to Verona Fiere where the exposition takes place. But, the masses were at least 6 abreast waiting for the next shuttle bus, and in typical Italian fashion, there was no rhyme or reason to the queuing process. So, we decided to go take a taxi. In hind sight, I do not know if this was any better as we waited in line for one hour for a taxi, but at least with Luca it was not as crowded as the bus would have been. The taxi dropped us off around the corner from the entrance, and we followed the crowds to the doors where there was more waiting and more lines and more people than I have ever seen in one place other than at a Bon Jovi concert. Finally, moving along with the crush of people, we made our way through the turnstiles and into the exposition area where about 15 large warehouse type buildings advertised the regions of Italy. (It only took us two and one half hours from the time we left our hotel to get this far.) To give you a feeling for the size of this event, here are a few statistics: there is about 970,000 square feet of exhibition space which was visited by nearly 38,000 people per day for each of the four days of the event. Estimates are that visitors arrived from 140 different countries, nearly 20% of these visitors were from the US and Canada.
In Verona there was a free shuttle from the station to Verona Fiere where the exposition takes place. But, the masses were at least 6 abreast waiting for the next shuttle bus, and in typical Italian fashion, there was no rhyme or reason to the queuing process. So, we decided to go take a taxi. In hind sight, I do not know if this was any better as we waited in line for one hour for a taxi, but at least with Luca it was not as crowded as the bus would have been. The taxi dropped us off around the corner from the entrance, and we followed the crowds to the doors where there was more waiting and more lines and more people than I have ever seen in one place other than at a Bon Jovi concert. Finally, moving along with the crush of people, we made our way through the turnstiles and into the exposition area where about 15 large warehouse type buildings advertised the regions of Italy. (It only took us two and one half hours from the time we left our hotel to get this far.) To give you a feeling for the size of this event, here are a few statistics: there is about 970,000 square feet of exhibition space which was visited by nearly 38,000 people per day for each of the four days of the event. Estimates are that visitors arrived from 140 different countries, nearly 20% of these visitors were from the US and Canada.
The masses arriving to taste the wines of Italy.
Once inside, we stopped to telephone Cristina. Cristina and her husband, Massimiliano, the President of the Colonnara winery in Le Marche, would be our guides to taste some unique sparkling wines. We met them at the Colonnara stand where they were busy introducing their wines to numerous potential buyers. While we awaited Massimiliano who was engaged with a client, we had our first taste of the event, Luigi Giuslieri, one of two methodo classico wines made by Colonnara. YUM! (Note: I have discussed this excellent wine in a previous post about the Colonnara winery.) Once Massimiliano was available, we were off on an adventure dodging through the maze of people to taste selections from various regions.
Crowd surfing Vinitaly style
Erbaluce grapes While Piemonte (Piedmont) may be best known for its red wines Barolo, Barbara and Nebbiola, it is also home to a number of outstanding and often times very particular white grape varieties which are being made into distinctive sparkling wines. Erbaluce an ancient grape grown in the area of Caluso, about 20 miles from Turin, is an excellent example of one of Italy's lesser known grape varieties. First documented in the 1600s, Erbaluce was given a DOC designation in 1967 and a DOCG in 2010. The story of the Erbaluce grape variety, like many fairy tales, involves a beautiful girl, Albaluce. Albaluce, a nymph, is the daughter of the Dawn and the Sun, and thus her name which means dawn light. She was renowned for her beauty which inspired the local people to revere her as a goddess. And they paid tribute to her by giving her everything they had. As the people gave and gave, they eventually accidentally flooded their crops. Albaluce was so saddened by this event that she cried for the people; and where her tears hit the earth, the Erbaluce grape sprang forth. The name Erbaluce combines the Italian words for grass and light bringing together two distinct characteristics of the grape: the nose of herbs and the color of the grapes in the fall.
| The Orsolani family, one of the top producers of Erbaluce, has been making wines for four generations. Massmiliano directed us to their booth to taste their 2009 Cuvee Tradizione, a methodo classico brut from the Caluso Spumante DOC. The first fermentation of this wine is done part in steel tanks and part in barrels with a second fermentation in the bottle for 60 months. In the glass, the wine is a golden yellow color with an elegant perlage. The nose is strikingly unique. Rather than the typical scent of fruits or flowers or honey or nuts, this wine smells like the earth and herbs - sage and rosemary. It reminded me of farm land and grazing goats. The taste, however, was not as unusual as the nose. Here is the taste of honey, hazelnuts, and minerals. This is a very distinctive and interesting wine with an enjoyable depth of character. It can be served throughout the meal with pastas, fish, poultry or even pork dishes. For more information on the Orsolani winery visit their website at http://www.orsolani.com/en/ |  2009 Cuvee Tradizione |
Our next stop in the Piedmont area was a well established winery located in Monteu Roero, south of Turin. Azienda Agricola Negro Angelo and Figli is a family owned winery that has been growing grapes in this area since 1670. Of course, our first taste was a sparkling Roero Arneis. The Giovanni Negro Extra Brut Methodo Classico undergoes its first fermentation 50% in stainless steel tanks and 50% in barrique. The second fermentation is 60 months in the bottle. In the glass, Giovanni Negro is a golden yellow with an elegant perlage. The nose is somewhat floral and fruity with a hint of toasted bread. On the palate, the wine is creamy with a hint of pear. I have to admit that I was never one to like Roero Arneis, but this wine changed my mind. It is a soft wine with balanced acidity.
Giovanni Negro Extra Brut Methodo Classico
| After the Roero Arneis, we tasted a second distinctive wine from the Negro winery cellars, Negro Maria Elisa Rose'. A methodo classico made from the Nebbiolo grape, Maria Elisa Rose' undergoes a first fermentation for two months in barrique followed by a second fermentation in the bottle for at least 36 months. The wine is a deep rose color with the scent of roses and berries. It maintains many qualities of the Nebbiolo grape which provides a depth and balance and a rich flavor, but it is not overpowering. It is a more refined and structured than a majority of rose' wines which seem like fruit juice in comparison. This is not only a wine for aperitif. It can also be served with main dishes like pork or veal. Visit the Negro winery website at http://www.negroangelo.it/ing/vini.asp |  Maria Elisa Rose' |
The wine I especially wanted to taste in the Piedmont area was a sparkling Gavi. I have been a fan of the Gavi grape for years. It is actually one of my favorite still wines. It is a light wine with a good balance of acidity. In America, I had the opportunity to taste the Banfi sparkling Gavi, and I was very interested in tasting sparkling wines made by other Gavi wineries. Unfortunately, the only sparkling Gavi we saw was made by the charmat method and it was a disappointment. We had hoped to taste at the La Scolca booth as they make excellent Gavi still wines and also a number of sparkling wines. Unfortunately, we were unable to find their booth in the midst of all the chaos. So, now I am planning a trip to Gavi to visit La Scolca and other Gavi wineries this summer. Well, that is not such a bad outcome after all. And I will just have to rein in my impatience.
Check back for the sparkling wines of Soave and Trentino Alto Adige in Part 2 of the Vinitaly tour - as the madness continues.
Check back for the sparkling wines of Soave and Trentino Alto Adige in Part 2 of the Vinitaly tour - as the madness continues.
Vinitaly, 2015
