Club Corner
Italian Wine Club April 2026 Lazio
Lazio, our destination this month, is located in west-central Italy, home to Rome, and so-named for the original inhabitants of the area, the “Latini.” The Latini language served as the basis for Latin, from which English derives so many words and concepts. One word I want to emphasize right now is palimpsest, which is defined as a document whose original text has been effaced, written over, or otherwise bullied by other text, but remains partially visible. Italy, as you might imagine, possesses a bunch of literal such records. (The Institutes of Gaius, the first textbook on Roman law, discovered in 1816 hiding underneath letters by St. Jerome and Gennadius in the Library of Verona Cathedral, for instance.) Apply the term’s broader, more metaphorical reverb to the country as a whole though, and you arrive at something that feels fundamental to the place, its history and, of course, the wine. Italy-as-palimpsest begins to make legible the Babel of furiously gesticulating narratives - recent, living memory, modern, old, ancient, mythic - jostling for your present attention across the breadth of the Boot. Our two wines this month, like everything else we sample in this club, are both products and participants in this argument, excavations of primeval tipples with multiple names, guises and fantastical origins to explore. Or ignore, as they both translate just fine without all the lore as well. Legend has it that after Aeneas escaped the fall of Troy, he sailed around the Apennine Peninsula and landed in modern-day Lazio. Here, he bore a line of descendents that would eventually lead to Romulus and Remus. These two brothers, the story goes, decided to found the allegedly Eternal City on April 23, 753 BC. The more likely and prosaic version is that the city grew from settlements on the Palatine Hill that had sprung up because the area at the base of the hill was ideal for pasture. Either way, Rome has dominated the area and much of the popular imagination; re: Italy ever since, but winemaking in the area actually predates its establishment. The Etruscans introduced the culture of the vines to the Romans, who were largely shepherds and warriors up to this point and more used to labor and conflict than convivial pleasures. Eventually the Romans assimilated not only the Etruscan’s land but also some of their customs and traditions, wine cultivation and appreciation very much among them. Roman viticulture wasn't built in a day, in other words, but developed over the millenia, primarily in the volcanic hills surrounding the city, an area known as Castelli Romani. Lazio’s overall geography is quite varied, with a wide coastline and sandy beaches extending from Tuscany in the north to Campania in the south, the Apennine mountain range providing protection from cold winds from the north, and several large lakes that constitute their own microclimates. Among Italy’s 20 wine-producing regions, Lazio ranks 8th for output, with 80% of total wine production being white. Two grapes, Malvasia di Candia and Trebbiano, account for 58% of the plantings for white wines; the most famous wine to come from Lazio is Frascati, made primarily from the former. Of course our white this month comes from none of these aforementioned varietals. Nor is it grown on continental Lazio. Instead, in what I think is a first for the club, this wine, which is 100% Biancolello (a white grape originating in Campania, just south of Lazio), comes from the island of Ponza, the largest member of the Pontine archipelago, a string of 6 islands in Tyrrean Sea, a little over 110 kms south of Rome. Ponza on its own boasts fascinating and eventful history, starting with its name, which was thought to be derived from Pontius Pilate (his family owned a grotto there), but the actual origins of which are now a matter of dispute. In any event, Ponza was first colonized by the Estrucian and is reputed to be the inspiration of the island of Aeaea, home of the sorceress Circe in The Odyssey. In most of the years since, it has functioned as a penal colony and exile destination for enemies of everyone from Caligula to Mussolini. (The latter was briefly a prisoner there himself after being overthrown and arrested in 1943.) Today it exists mostly as a tourist destination and picturesque backdrop for films (Fellini’s Satyricon, The Life Aquatic.) There are also 5 hectares of vines currently under cultivation, of which Casale del Gigio, our producer this month, farms 2. Named for the majestic lighthouse that towers over the vineyards, the Faro della Gaurdia bottling is a singular white wine that faithfully reflects its coastal volcanic terroir and can age beautifully. The red comes from Casale del Giglio’s mainland vineyards, about 50 km south of Rome and is composed of Syrah and Petit Verdot. It is the estate’s flagship bottling, full-bodied, intense and layered - especially with a few years of age on it, as presented here. Salut! Alan Hicks - Wine Buyer, Noe Valley Casale del Giglio ‘Faro della Guardia’ Biancolella 2024 Region: Lazio, Italy About the Winery: The Santarelli family has been in the wine business since the beginning of the last century. Antonio’s father, Dino, bought an estate in the Agro Pontino in 1967 in what was once part of a large swamp that extended from lower Lazio up to Maremma in Tuscany, a land of mosquitos and malaria. In the 30’s that territory was reclaimed and became a fertile plateau. The property is located in Le Ferriere, in the province of Latina. In the 90’s Antonio took over the lead of the family business and hired a young and talented winemaker, Paolo Tiefenthaler. Through experimentation and new techniques he made Casale del Giglio one of the top players in the region. About the Winemaking: A native of Italy’s Campania region, the Biancolella grape was introduced to the Island of Ponza from the Island of Ischia (in the Bay of Naples) during the 18th century, when the city was ruled by the Bourbon monarchs. Cultivation of the grape in the Lazio region is authorized exclusively on the Island of Ponza where it grows at the base of a sheer sea cliff surmounted by the imposing lighthouse, ‘Il Faro della Guardia’. Built in 1886, the lighthouse rises 112 metres above sea level. Its rotating beam of white light has a range of 24 nautical miles and a mainly southerly sweep through 225 degrees. The deepest part of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the trench known as ‘La Fossa del Tirreno’, lies some eleven miles to the southwest of the lighthouse rock. This white wine is produced exclusively from Biancolella grapes, a typical variety from central Italy and the islands. The grapes undergo a Grape Varieties and Vinification Technique ‘traditional’ white wine vinification process starting with a soft pressing of the whole grapes and a subsequent spontaneous fermentation at 20°C on indigenous yeasts. It is then aged on the lees for about 7-8 months before bottling. Tasting Notes: Pale yellow with a greenish hue. An intense perfume of hawthorn blossom, ripe golden peach and fresh apricot. The palate is flinty and fresh, reminiscent of the ‘volcanic – calcareous’ vineyard soils and sea breezes that sustain the vine. A lingering fruitiness on the finish and a hint of citrus. Good body and firm fruit make the wine suitable for prolonged bottle aging. Winemaker: Paolo Tiefenthaler Price per bottle / per case $51.99 / $611.12 Suggested Food Pairing: Seafood dishes of all kinds, including Crab Linguine, fried calamari and shrimp, dover sole with butter-caper sauce, but also Pizza Romana topped with olives, garlic, anchovies and chili oil. Casa del Giglio ‘Mater Matuta’ IGP 2017 Region: Lazio, Italy About the Name: ‘Mater Matuta’ derives from that of the ancient Italic goddess of the dawn, protectress of fertility and birth. Her cult extended throughout central Italy and the famous temple of the ancient city of Satricum, situated close to Le Ferriere in the Province of Latina, was dedicated to her About the Winemaking: Composed of 85% Syrah, 15% Petit Verdot*. Both red grape varieties are harvested when fully ripe (the Syrah may even be slightly shrivelled) and vinified in different ways. The submerged cap technique is favoured for the Syrah which ferments on native yeasts for 18-20 days. During the first few days of this process the fermenting must is racked and returned (the process of délestage) several times. Punching down is the technique adopted for the Petit Verdot as this approach guarantees an optimal extraction of the grape’s tannins and polyphenolic compounds. It is the resulting full-bodied Petit Verdot which gives Mater Matuta its long aging potential while the Syrah gives it its complexity of character. Highlighted by smooth tannins and an intense aroma of black cherry and spice. As the new wines are carefully drawn off, each to its own first-fill barriques, the colour, tannins and aromas still present in the fermented skins are extracted in the soft presses to which they slide, aided by nothing more than natural gravity. After 22-24 months in oak the wines are blended and left undisturbed in the bottle for a further 10-12 months. Tasting Notes: A deep, dense, ruby-red wine which displays outstanding personality both on the nose and on the palate with its aroma of coffee beans, violets, ripe black cherry, coriander, nutmeg and cinnamon. Silky and seductive, but perfectly supported by fine tannins and a pleasing astringency, Mater Matuta delivers a long, lush finish. Winemaker: Paolo Tiefenthaler Price per bottle / per case $29.99 / $353.03 Suggested Food Pairing: A wide swath of Roman cuisine, from spaghetti carbonara to medium aged cheeses like Provola di Bufali to meat dishes like bucatini all’Amatriciana (see recipe) to saltimbocca alla romana (veal and prosciutto in white wine sauce) Bucatini all’Amatriciana This is a classic Lazio recipe that originated in Amatrice, a town in the northeastern part of the region. Ingredients (serves 4) • 400g bucatini pasta • 250g guanciale • 500g whole peeled tomatoes • 150g pecorino cheese grated • 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil • 1 crushed chili pepper • 2 tbsp. rock salt Instructions Crush the tomatoes either with your hands or using a knife Slice the guanciale (pork jowl) in long thin slices Heat the oil in a saucepan Add the guanciale and let cook until golden (make sure it doesn’t burn!) Add the chili pepper Lower the flame and add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce gets a nice orange/red color Put a pot of cold water on the burner and bring it to boil, add the salt, then the bucatini When the pasta is done, drain, and pour into the saucepan and sauté for a couple of minutes until the sauce has coated all the bucatini Sprinkle the pecorino cheese on top and serve.
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Italian Wine Club October '22: Valle D'Aosta
Valle D’Aosta Tiny, alpine, and semi-autonomous, the Valle d’Aosta is Italy's smallest and least populous region. A speck squeezed into the country’s northwestern corner, it is dwarfed on all sides by more imposing neighbors. Piedmont, 8 times as large, surrounds the valley to the east and south, while its western and northern boundaries are shaded by a pair of Europe's most majestic peaks: Mont Blanc, which marks the border with France, and the Matterhorn, where you can stare up at Switzerland. It is, as you might imagine, a stunningly beautiful place, composed of stream and waterfall stippled mountain frescoes, and hosts world-class ski resorts, medieval castles, and the well-preserved ruins of its various historical inhabitants. Though the Celts came first, the most important of these for our purposes are the Romans and the French. The latter founded the capital city of Aosta after conquering the territory from the Celtic Salassi tribe in 25 BCE and, though there is limited evidence of winemaking that predates their arrival, it was likely the Romans that established meaningful viticulture in the area. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Valle D’Aosta came under the control of the Frankish Burgundy, and while never officially part of France, it retains a significant Gallic accent to this day, starting with the fact that it is officially bilingual. (In fact, it adopted French as its official language in 1536 - three years before France itself!) Though the Francophone influence runs through the region's culinary and viticultural traditions as well, the Valle D’Aosta ultimately seems like a world unto itself - or several in fact. For while it finishes dead last in most Italo-vino metrics - acreage under vine, volume produced per annum, # of DOCs (there is one to cover the whole region) - you could argue it leads the field in the kind of categories most likely to yield interesting wine. Take topography: starting from 345 meters above sea level at the border with Piedmont in the southeast, the Valley climbs steadily upward towards the west, cresting, wine-wise, with Europe's highest commercial vineyards, Morgex et de la Salle, at 1300 meters. This is the birthplace of our white selection this month, the indigenous varietal Prie Blanc, made from the rare ungrafted continental vines grown on their own rootstock, since even phylloxera struggles to breathe at this altitude. It's only a slightly different story lower in the valley, where the bulk of the wine, most of it red, is produced. Prior to phylloxera, the valley had around 3000 hectares under vine, supporting a surfeit of different varietals. Unfortunately the notorious pestilence that swept through Europe in the 1860s felled most of these, wiping out much of the area’s wine heritage. Starting after World War II however, strenuous efforts have been made to recover and extend that tradition. Today there are some 24 varietals growing in the Valle D’Aosta, 13 of them indigenous, planted on only 436 hectares. The region’s unique oenological endowment has been recognized in the form of the Institut Agricole Regional (IAR), an agricultural school, research center, and working farm that studies, preserves, and vinifies native varietals. The farming conditions remain quite difficult - grapes are grown on terraces, stair step-style levels cut or built into the sides of the slopes, with pergolas (overhead trellises) to support the vines, all of which must be harvested by hand - and the yields miniscule (there is no demand for bulk wine from the region). Winemaking in the Valle D’Aosta requires an extreme enough level of passion and dedication that it has become known as ‘heroic viticulture.’ The reward, certainly for the drinkers (and hopefully for the vignerons) is some of the most vivid juice you’re likely to encounter, each bottling a synecdoche for the cloudland from which it descends. Salut, Alan Hicks - Wine Buyer, Noe Valley Pavese Ermes Blanc de Morgex et de la Salle, Vallée d’Aoste 2020 D.O.P. Region: Blanc et Morgex, Vallee D’Aosta, Italy About the Winery: Ermes Pavese is a grower in the commune of La Ruine just outside of the town of Morgex in the high Alps minutes from the summit of Mont Blanc. Pavese works with the native grape known as Prié Blanc. This is the oldest varietal of the region, it was first mentioned in a document dated 1691. The name probably refers to the wine’s use in Sunday Mass by priests. Starting with barely two hectares of vineyards, situated at about 1200 meters (~4000 feet) a.s.l. Ermes has gradually expanded his holdings in this high altitude zone. To understand the difficulties and the hard labor required in making wine here we need only know that to plant a single vine the farmers have to remove all the rocks that cover the terrain to reach the soil, one by one, by hand. In 2017, nearly the entire crop was lost in a spring freeze; Pavese released 999 bottles labeled Unopercento (1 Percent)—his entire production. At that point, he considered giving up for good but his son Nathan, who studied enology and viticulture, was committed to joining the winery and convinced him to continue. This labor of love produces wines that are the pure expression of this terroir. Nervy, crisp, and racy with minerality that speaks of glacier and moraine rocks. About the Winemaking: Pavese Blanc de Morgex fruit is harvested between the end of September and the beginning of October. The clusters are softly pressed, vinified in stainless steel tanks, and then filtered and bottled. Tasting Notes: In the glass, this wine has a bright clear yellow straw color with golden reflections. The nose and tongue present a clean acidity with a reminder of aromatic herbs such as thyme and chamomile, floral notes of hawthorn, white fruit tones, Williams pear , and yellow plums. The finish is long with accents of white pepper. Winemaker: Ermes Pavese and Nathan Pavese Price per bottle / Price per case $37 $399.60 Suggested Food Pairing: Vegetables like bok choy, green peas, spinach, etc. Spicy Asian fish dishes; roasted pork loin; braised chicken. Traditional regional fare such as melted raclette cheese with cornichons, smoked ham terrine, or pan-fried white fish with lemon and capers. La Cantina di Cuneaz Nadir Les Grosses Rosso-Vallée d’Aoste Region: Valle D’Aosta About the Winemaker: Nadir Cuneaz, a young and enthusiastic wine maker, driven by a passion for his land, puts all his energies into the vineyards owned by his family for over a century. The Cuneaz family has a mere 0.5 hectares near the town of Gressan, in the southern part of the region, which yields a local mix of grape varieties, some of which were planted over 100 years ago. All of the work in the vineyards is done manually. The fruit is usually harvested at the end of October to give plenty of time to reach maturation. Grapes harvested earlier are left to dry for a couple of weeks until they achieve the right sugar concentration and then combined with the remainder of the harvest for vinification. The wine then spends one year in barrels, in the cellar of the family home. About the Winemaking: The only of Cuneaz’s wines not named for a local monster (another cuvee, Badebac, is titled after a mythical beast said to roam the forest above Gressan) “Les Gosses” derives from a French term for “little children” (monsters in their own right, perhaps, and the traditional target of the Badabec)—of which Nadir has three. Coincidentally, this wine contains three local varietals: Vien de Nus (which comprises the majority), Petit Rouge, and the little-seen Vuillermin—the father of Fumin. In contrast to the two other reds he makes, “Les Gosses” comes entirely from south-facing vineyards: “Badeun” in Chambave and “Creta Platta” (a newer acquisition for Nadir), both of which are more sun-blessed and lower on the slope than those sites which supply his other cuvees. The fruit is destemmed and fermented in stainless steel tanks where it ages for one year before bottling unfined and unfiltered. 800 bottles are produced annually. Tasting Notes: Made entirely in steel, this is a classic Vallée d’Aoste lip-smacker, stuffed with juicy black cherries and crunchy plums. With electrifying acidity and a complexity-contributing edge of woodsmoke, this is perhaps the most delicious and complete wine Nadir has ever made. You can serve it with a slight chill, but it will definitely benefit from a 30 minute decant. Winemaker: Nadir Cuneaz Price per bottle / Price per case $32 $345.60 Suggested Food Pairing: Charcuterie plate, any type of red meat preparation; aged savory cheeses; polenta with mushroom sauce. Aosta classics like Valdostana ribs, Risotto alla Valdostana, fondue. Seupa à la Vapelenentse (Valpellinense soup) Full Disclosure: This Is Elio’s recipe from IWC November 2020. I looked around for something else, but nothing seemed as good and this will go well with either wine. Simple, delicious, satisfying fare for the colder months. You can make it vegetarian by substituting vegetable stock for the meat broth. Ingredients (serves 4) 1 medium-sized cabbage, preferably Savoy 2 liters (8 cups) meat broth (brodo) 1/2 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 6 ounces Fontina cheese, sliced thin 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated 4 tablespoons butter 12 slices rustic heavy bread, rye or whole grain, lightly toasted Instructions Preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the cabbage in quarters, remove and discard the core. Cook the cabbage quarters in boiling water for about 5 minutes, then drain thoroughly; cut the leaves into 1⁄2 inch long strips. Bring the broth to a boil, add the cabbage and cook until tender but not mushy, about 10 minutes. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a sauté pan and over medium heat, add the onions; cook until translucent, then add the garlic and cook it until it becomes soft (not browned). Combine the onion garlic mixture with the cooked cabbage in broth. Line the bottom of a 3 quart ovenproof, oven to table baking dish, with a layer of bread slices. Remove the cabbage from the broth with a slotted spoon and cover the bread with half of the cabbage. Top the cabbage with half of the Fontina cheese and a good sprinkling of Parmigiano cheese. Repeat with a second layer of cabbage and Fontina. Pour the broth that the cabbage was cooking in over the layers of cabbage, bread, and cheese, adding enough to barely cover the top. Sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano and drizzle the top with the melted butter. ‘ Bake uncovered in the preheated oven for about one hour or until the zuppa is bubbling and golden crusted. Serve bubbling hot.
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September 2022 Italian Wine Club- Emilia Romagna
Emilia-Romagna Tuscany may draw more tourists, but Emilia-Romagna, its neighbor to the north, mounts a mosaic of Italian cultural splendor everywhere you look. Stretching across north-central Italy, from the southeastern tip of Piedmont to the Adriatic Sea, the nine provinces that make up the region flaunt apogees in everything from cars (Ducati, Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati, and Pagani all rev their engines here); to cinema (Antonioni, Bertolucci, Pasolini, and Fellini are native sons; the latter’s immortal Amacord was filmed in his childhood home of Rimini on the Adriatic); to music (composers Verdi and Toscanini hail from the small town of Busseto and the City of Parma, respecitively); to, of course, mosaics (the stunning early Christian art of one time Roman Empire capital Ravenna). It’s an amazing place to venerate the heights of human craft and creativity - and then go eat, because Emilia Romagana is also the food capital of Italy. Parma, the region’s second largest city is the birthplace of both Parmesan Reggiano and Prosciutto di Parma; Bologna, the actual capital and largest city - which also houses the world’s oldest university - gifts the world ragù (bolognese sauce) and tagliatelle. Modena, hometown of the tenor Pavoratti, is also responsible for balsamic vinaigrette in its most elevated form. Nor is the region simply coasting on its culinary past – Osteria Francescana in Modena, topped the ‘World 50 Best Restaurants’ list in 2016 and 2018 - and there are countless exceptional places to eat that are less famous and easier to get into. The wine is great too of course, though sometimes it gets eclipsed by all the blinding nearby excellence. Viticulture in Emilia-Romagna is quite regionally specific and has developed roughly along the bifurcation traced by its hyphen. Emilia, the western part, which consists of the provinces of Piacenza, Parma, Regio Emilia, Modena, and Ferrara, was settled by Barbarian populations, whose rich diet of butter and pork called for the palate cleansing properties of sparkling wine. Consequently, this is where Lambrusco, the frizzante red that is the region’s best known (and one of Italy’s oldest) wines, comes from. Romagna, made up of Ravenna, Forlì-Cesena, and Rimini in the east, was ruled by Romans and olive oil whose herb-y, oleaginous effect requires wine with more structure to balance the flavors in the mouth. Romagna is best known for the thick-skinned white grape Albana, whose roots in the region go back to antiquity (Albus = white in Latin) and is rarely seen outside it; and Sangiovese di Romagna, the local variation on the iconic red grape best known for Tuscan bottlings like Chianti and Brunello. Our white this month comes from Emila-Romanga’s ninth province, Bologna, which connects the two halves. The hills outside the capital city are home to the grape Pignoletto, which is frequently made into delicious still and sparkling wine. This unique bottling is what biodynamic winemaker Frederico Corsi refers to as his vino perpetuo – an ever evolving solera - style farrago of Pignoletto, Alizona, Albana, and Malvasia, from different vessels, with the most recently made wine added to 10 previous vintages in a tank and bottled every six weeks. (Frederico writes bottling dates on each batch.) Our red selection is a Sangiovese di Romagna from Tre Monti; a pioneering minimal intervention family winery in the Oriolo sub-region of the Ravenna province. ‘Thea’ is their flagship cuvee, named after the matriarch of the family. Anthony Bourdain visited the vineyards on an Emilia-Romagna set episode of No Reservations and rhapsodized this particular wine, the homemade tagliatelle that accompanied it, and the gorgeous surroundings, thusly: “To be sitting in a table like this, eating freshly made pasta, drinking wine this good and looking at this; This is what every sensible person in the world wants.” Salut, Alan Hicks - Wine Buyer - Noe Valley Orsi Bianco San Vito Posca Bianca NV Region: Vino Bianca, Emilia Romagna About the Winery: Federico Orsi was born in Bologna, but grew up in Brazil. After returning to Italy in his late teens to study business, he began working as a consultant while planning to earn his MBA. Though poised for corporate life, the sale of a local Bolognese winery would forever change the course of his life. In 2005, the Azienda Agricola San Vito was put up for sale. Having heard the news, Federico, who'd developed a passion for wine in his early 20's, jokingly proposed buying it to his family. Much to his surprise, they were overwhelmingly supportive! With no knowledge of viticulture or winemaking, Federico hit the books and eventually came across the philosophy of biodynamic farming. This holistic approach deeply inspired him, and with the knowledge acquired through numerous meetings with biodynamic farmers, the estate was converted from its very first year under new ownership. Minimal intervention winemaking soon followed, and by 2009 the wines were all vinified with native yeasts, un-fined, unfiltered and only lightly sulfured at bottling. About the Winemaking: The estate, located 30 minutes from Bologna in the town of Monteveglio, consists of 9.5 hectares of land, with an additional 5.5 hectares rented. The Posca project is a non-vintage wine that is drawn from a big old concrete vat which contains a blend of Pignoletto, Alionza, Albana, and Malvasia from different vineyards of various ages and from every vintage back to 2010. The wines are made in different ways, in a variety of vessels. The majority of the blend is made up of wine from the most recent vintage and the vat is constantly being topped up with young wine to prevent oxidation. A Posca was the daily ration of wine accorded to Roman soldiers. Spontaneous fermentations in various vessels (botti, cement, qvevri, stainless steel) with variable amount of skin contact. Whenever a batch is bottled, wine from each vessel is added to the perpetual tank, creating an ever-evolving, multi-vintage blend. S02 use depends highly on the sanitary state of the grapes. Some years none will be added, others a couple grams per hectoliter will be added on the harvest, other times at bottling. Grapes are indigenous varietals Pignoletto, Alionza, Malvasia, and Albana. Tasting Notes: Floral touches from Malvasia, fresh, zesty notes from the young Pignoletto, and savory, nutty tones from the Pignoletto that has had more time to mature in the tank, along with citrus, apricot, pear, and salt. Winemaker: Frederico Orsi Price per bottle / Price per case $26 $280.80 Suggested Food Pairing: Seafood or wild mushroom risotto, umami rich dishes like: Parmesan roasted cauliflower, mapo tofu Tre Monti “Thea” Sangiovese 2018 Region: Romagna DOC Sangiovese Riserva M.G.A. “Oriolo” About the Winery: This 30-hectare estate located in the hills of Imola overlooking the Romagna plain specializes in the three local varietals: Albana, Trebbiano, and Sangiovese. The viticulture here is currently sustainable, andthe estate is incorporating biodynamic principles more and more. Soil types are mainly sandy clay with small pebbles, which seem to be ideal for producing the crisp mineral white wines that this estate is known for. Cool nights and hot days are ideal for ripening both the Albana and Trebbiano vineyards. The winemaking operations are watched over painstakingly by the experienced and talented Vittorio Navacchia, and animated by a philosophy of minimal intervention. Every step is carried out with full respect not only for the integrity of the fruit, but above all for the unique character of each growing year, so that Vittorio can ensure that the final wines fully expresses all of the conditions that gave it “birth”. About Winemaking: Sandy soils of clay with abundant gravely texture and 50-year old vines. Harvested by hand in September, followed by 12-day maceration with malolactic fermentation and nine months in new medium Alllier barrels. Tasting Notes: Ruby red color, elegant and delicate nose with notes of fruit, red rose petals, black pepper, and sweet liquorice. Velvety and elegant on the palate, echoing the aromas of the nose with fine-grained tannins and leisurely development. Winemaker: Vittorio Navacchia. Price per bottle / Price per case $37 $248.40 Suggested Food Pairing: Polenta with game or mushrooms, grills and stews, roast lamb. Tagliatelle ragù (see recipe). Tagliatelle (al Ragù) Bolognese & Vegetarian Simple, but why mess with perfection? We couldn’t locate exact recipe for dish from No Reservations episode, but that required Tagliatelle made from scratch. Here are two easier versions, traditional ragu, and vegetarian: Ingredients: 1 lb. fresh egg tagliatelle; 3⁄4 lb. ground beef; 1⁄3 lb. pancetta; 1 1/4 cups puréed tomato passata; 3⁄4 cup beef broth; 2 carrots; 2 celery stalks; 1⁄2 small onion; 1⁄2 cup red (or dry white) wine; 1⁄2 cup milk; extra-virgin olive oil; salt – pepper Instructions: Chop the pancetta. Trim the celery, carrots, and onion, and mince them all into fine pieces. Heat a pan with a drizzle of oil, sauté the pancetta, add the vegetables and gently sweat until soft. Add the meat and sauté for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup wine and allow to completely evaporate. Add the tomato passata and stir for a few minutes. Add ½ cup milk and cover with the broth Cook the meat sauce for 2-3 hours, adding more broth every now and then while adjusting the seasoning. Cook the tagliatelle in salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes, drain and serve with generous amounts of sauce. Vegetarian Version Ingredients 1 oz. of egg tagliatelle; 2 zucchini; 1 red bell pepper; 1 carrot; 1 onion; tomato passata; 1 garlic clove; basil; parsley; olive oil; pepper; salt Instructions Clean and julienne the zucchini, carrot, and pepper. Finely chop 1 medium onion and 1 garlic clove together. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic in a saucepan with 3 Tbsp. oil. Add the julienned vegetables. Season with a handful of basil. Add 1 cup tomato passata and simmer for around 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pasta until al dente, strain and toss it in the pot with the vegetables. Finish with plenty of chopped parsley and 2 Tbsp. olive oil.
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