Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food n. 152 by Gambero Rosso

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

Italian Classic Method Stage 2 A memorable Franciacorta Vertical Tasting

CIRÒ REVOLUTION

WHEN IN VENICE

year 24 - number 152 - january-february 2022 - gamberorosso.it

WORLD TOUR

SOMMARIO WINE

T R AV E L

Italian Classic Method Stage 2 A memorable Franciacorta Vertical Tasting

CIRÒ REVOLUTION

3

Editorial

4

News

 10 

The Wine to Buy

 11 

Seasonal Cocktail

 12 

Design

 16 

World Tour. US and Canada

 25 

Web Show in Japan, Prosecco DOC Rosé on the spotlight

 28 

Berlucchi Vertical Tasting

 36 

Cirò wine

 52 

Venice markets

 68 

Recipes: Osteria Ophis

FOOD

WHEN IN VENICE

year 24 - number 152 - january-february 2022 - gamberorosso.it

WORLD TOUR

11 52

It’s time to look at Italian bubbles with a new gaze We wanted to dedicate this issue to Guido Berlucchi, winner of the Winery of the Year award in our Vini d’Italia 2022 guide and above all to its founder Franco Ziliani, who passed away on December 26th at the age of 90. We owe to him the invention of Franciacorta as a great territory for sparkling wine, it was he, in fact, in 1961 who experimented with Guido Berlucchi the first 3,000 bottles of the Classic Method. And we remember it with the story of a beautiful Franciacorta vertical tasting that we organised with 10 international journalists invited to Rome. We remember very well the silence during the 2001 magnum of the Riserva di Famiglia of Guido Berlucchi, and then the comment of our journalist colleague from the Czech Republic, Michael Setka, a very fine taster: “This cuvée plays openly with all the world excellences, including French. Perhaps you Italians have not yet understood the potential you have in your hands.” As a matter of fact, 60 years after the first bottles of Franciacorta, the Lombardy district has reached quality peaks that are still unknown even at home. There is still a certain scepticism in the Italian trade press, despite the retail success of Franciacorta which reached 20 million bottles sold in 2021. Yours truly has done a blind tasting of the entire production of Franciacorta, about 450 cuvées: the average scores are impressive. It is very difficult to find a single cuvée with a minimum defect, the average level is very high. Year after year, not only for aromatic definition, but for character and incisiveness as well, both greatly increasing, with new labels and dosages that are increasingly contained, if not absent; there were 110 Franciacortas up for tasting this year, until a few years ago they used to be only a handful. And the other sparkling wine district of Lombardy, Oltrepò Pavese deserves much more attention too, as the different sibling of Franciacorta. In this case we find Blanc de Noirs made from pinot noir grapes that are still little known even in Rome or Milan, but which are punctually placed at the top of our tastings, with particular attention also to the Rosé version, the most difficult and treacherous terrain of sparkling wine. And the Trento Doc? Also greatly popular among young winemakers and the certainties of the giant Ferrari, which continues to offer cuvées that among other things are capable of incredible evolutions over time. In short, the impressive numbers of Prosecco hide another truth: the Italian Classic Method has made a category leap. And it’s time to broaden the horizons in the world of Italian bubbles, getting lost even among the monumentals that are re-fermented in the bottle according to the ancestral method, think characters like Paltrinieri, Bergianti, Camillo Donati or Pasquale Mitrano in Campania. And speaking of artisans, let’s close toasting the memory of another great producer who left us, again at the age of 90 like Franco Ziliani, Lino Maga, the father of Barbacarlo: flat cap on his head, lit cigarette in his right hand and a wine that continues to dream of all those who seek unpredictability and the taste of surprise in the glass. He kept repeating it over and over: “Wine is a serious thing.” Lorenzo Ruggeri

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

LE BREVI

BRUNELLO. Back to surpassing 11 million bottles: never so high since 2010. And the Consortium is planning a special event on Rosso di Montalcino Turning the hands of the clock back a decade for Brunello di Montalcino but in a decidedly positive sense, since 11.4 million bottles had not been reached since 2010. The protection Consortium sees the end of a golden two-year period, which recorded increases of 12% and 27% respectively. While, compared to the three-year period, the 2021 vintage for the Tuscan DOCG marks a +37%, with over one million Reserves, which are more than doubled compared to 2020 (+108%). The 214 producer members can also consider themselves satisfied with the average price of bulk wine, which grew by 28%, compared with stocks of bottled wine at historic lows which, in December 2021, marked –38% on the previous year. And it also went well for Rosso di Montalcino, which gained 10 percentage points on the 2020 vintage, at 4.6 million bottles. A success linked above all to the two great vintages of Brunello on the market, such as 2015 and 2016. In detail, between 2020 and 2021 almost 10.2 million State labels relating to the 2015 vintage were delivered and, pending the performance of the Riserva at its debut this year, over 9.4 million labels for the 2016 vintage (Valoritalia data). The 2017 vintage, according to the Consortium, already has 3.1 million bottles ready for the market. “The goal,” explained President Fabrizio Bindocci, “is to cement the positioning we have achieved.” At the end of February, the appointment is in New York for a US edition of Benvenuto Brunello. And the novelty is that “a new special event dedicated to Rosso di Montalcino is being planned, a product that increasingly confirms its own identity and important potential.”

Even the tsars loved chocolate: the oldest praline in the world was discovered at the Hermitage The oldest chocolate praline in the world is 118 years old. The finding is the result of a casual discovery, in an unexpected place, among the precious clothes kept at the Hermitage Department of the History of Russian Culture. The dress in question, studded with stones and refined embroidery, was worn by Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna, sister of Tsar Nicholas II, on the occasion of a grand court ball organized in February of 1903, in the halls of the Winter Palace. And the reconstruction of history, although partially fictional, helps to isolate a curious moment in the past of one of the most powerful dynasties in the world: the hypothesis of the scholars who found the chocolate - perfectly preserved - in the sleeve of the royal dress, in fact , traces the presence of the praline to a fleeting gesture of the Grand Duchess, who after taking a bite, led back to the whirlwind of the party, hastened to hide it in a stitching in her dress, perhaps hoping to enjoy it more calmly at a later time. The more than onehundred-year-old chocolate, therefore, will become part of the collection of relics of the Russian tsars, exhibited in a display case next to the dress that preserved it from the passage of time.

Tuscan Maremma. The Doc touches a record of 51,000 hectolitres bottled With over 51,000 hectoliters bottled (a record figure), almost 7 million bottles and a growth of 16%, the 2021 vintage of the Maremma Toscana Doc is a year to remember. Driven by Vermentino, which today accounts for almost 30% of total volumes, the appellation grew more than the average of the regional ones (+10%). According to the Consortium, the market has rewarded the quality work done by the producers. Among the types, we note the strong growth of the Rosso which, thanks also to the introduction of the Riserva, records a +33% and represents about 1/3 of the denomination. The other 30% comes from Vermentino (numerically the most important variety) and there is an interesting increase (+22%) in the native ciliegiolo, in fourth place among the most bottled types. “Alongside the Rosso Doc Maremma Toscana” notes President Francesco Mazzei, “we are increasingly establishing ourselves as a land of great white wines thanks to Vermentino, which is receiving ever greater appreciation from the markets.” The 2021 harvest, according to the Consortium, which brings together 317 wineries, turned out to be qualitatively very interesting even if with lower yields due to climatic events: “Wines with excellent potential will go to national and international markets.” Finally, looking at this 2022, there are several scheduled events. The third edition of Vermentino grand prix is scheduled for spring and there will also be Anteprime di Toscana (postponed to March), where the DOC Maremma Toscana is the leader for the “L’Altra Toscana” event, which involves 10 consortia.

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

IN SHORT

Video. Voci di Barbaresco: 34 winemakers for 34 memories After the permanent exhibition I Volti di Barbaresco, now comes the video The Voices of Barbaresco: memories of harvests and great wines in a collection of 34 testimonies, where each producer reveals his own vintage of the heart. There are Federico Ceretto who “cheers” for 1996, Alberto di Grésy who remembers 1978 and the help received back then by Gino Veronelli, or Carlo Giacosa who returns with his memories to 1970 when with a timely treatment in the vineyard he managed to prevent downy mildew. And again Franco Bianco remembered 1982, the year of his first production of Barbaresco, of his marriage to a “competitor” of Barolo, but also of Italy’s glorious victory at the World Cup. The memories and experiences of the winemakers of the small town in the Langhe, which can already be viewed by wine tourists on a touch screen inside the Cavazza Museum, in the Torre di Barbaresco, are now also online on the youtube channel.

100 years of Antica Pesa in Rome. A century of authentic Roman cuisine 1922-2022. A century of history and four generations of chefs and restaurateurs passing the baton to honour a restaurant that from the Rome district of Trastevere has been appreciated all over the world. One hundred candles for Antica Pesa, celebrating with a book that acknowledges Roman cuisine and its recipes in tandem with the evolution of the restaurant, which has accompanied the changes of an era. TIMELINE 1922 Antica Pesa was born thanks to Anita Pasquetti, who inherited the an old wine shop with kitchen, not far from Porta Settimiana The years of the Dolce Vita The golden age of Cinecittà brings very special clients to the table: Fellini and his wife Giulietta Masina, Vittorio De Sica and Alberto Sordi, but also Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn during the filming of Roman Holiday, Charlton Heston at the time of Ben Hur, Alfred Hitchcock, Walt Disney, and more… Late 1960s Frequented by many intellectuals and artists of the time, Antica Pesa transformed into a cultural hotspot. In the kitchen, the turning point was focusing heavily on the ingredients The Nineties The fourth generation of the family takes the helm, brothers Simone, Francesco and Lorenzo Panella 2012 Antica Pesa opens in Brooklyn, in the Williamsburg district, confirming itself as a favourite destination for celebrities of the US star system 2018 Efforts doubled in the city with a new place called Feroce, an elegant restaurant in the Chelsea district

PACKAGING by Michela Becchi

HARD SELTZER FOR SUMMER DREAMING They’re called Hard Seltzers: sparkling alcoholic drinks, enriched with spices, fruit and other aromas that make them gentle and pleasant. Light and lively, just like the summer season: this is the inspiration for the line of High Water cans created by Midday agency, with pastel-coloured backgrounds, linear and minimalist design and small symbols reminiscent of the beach, from umbrellas to boats. Narrow and tall fully recyclable cans contain vegan and gluten free drinks. After all, it’s never too early to dream of summer...

Learn more: gamberorosso.it

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

Worldtour Worldtour Worldtour Worldtour

CALENDAR CALENDAR CALENDAR 2021/2022 2021/2022 2021/2022 2022 2021

2021 2021

DECEMBER DECEMBER DECEMBER JUNE

NOVEMBER NOVEMBER NOVEMBER FEBRUARY

trebicchieri Experiencetrebicchieri - WStrebicchieri Ukraine Experience Experience - WS Ukraine - WS Ukraine 02 SAN DIEGO 02 - USA SAN 02 SAN DIEGO DIEGO - USA -Top USA Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 02 KYIV Ukraine 02- KYIV 02 KYIV - Ukraine - Ukraine 15- PARIS France trebicchieri Experience - Vinexpo trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION 07 ST. PETERSBURG - Russia Experiencetrebicchieri trebicchieri Experience Experience 14 TOKYO - Japan 14 TOKYO 14 -TOKYO - Japan - Japan 22 TORONTO 22 - Canada TORONTO 22 TORONTO -trebicchieri Canada trebicchieritrebicchieri 2021 trebicchieri trebicchieri 2021 2021 16 LOS ANGELES - USA- Canada SUMMER EDITION 09 MOSCOW Russia trebicchieri 2022 Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 13 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 13 13 24 CALGARY 24 Canada CALGARY 24 CALGARY Canada - Top Canada 15 WASHINGTON DC - USA 18 SAN-FRANCISCO --USA trebicchieri 2022

Vini d'Italia Experience

30 MIAMI - USA30 MIAMI 30- MIAMI - USA - USATop Italiantrebicchieri Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 17 SEATTLE - USA 23 CHICAGO USA 2022

Vini d'Italia Experience

25 NEW YORK - USA

trebicchieri 2022

28 BOSTON - USA

Vini d'Italia Experience - ITA

2022

20 VANCOUVER - Canada

2022 2022 23-24 TORONTO - Canada 27 MONTREAL - Canada

trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION

MAY MAY MAY 04 AUCKLAND 04- New AUCKLAND 04 AUCKLAND Zealand- New - New Zealand Zealand OCTOBER

JANUARY JANUARY JANUARY MARCH 31 BASEL - Switzerland 31 BASEL 31 BASEL - Switzerland - Switzerland

Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14

Vini d'Italia ExperienceVini d'Italia Vini d'Italia Experience Experience

26 LONDON - U.K. FEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY

trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION

trebicchieri 2022

09 MELBOURNE 09 -MELBOURNE 09 Australia MELBOURNE - Australia Australia Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 Top- Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines 15-16 ROME - Italy trebicchieri 2023 premiere Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 11 SYDNEY - Australia 11 SYDNEY 11 SYDNEY - Australia - Australia 16 SINGAPORE16 SINGAPORE 16 SINGAPORETop Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14

19 HO CHI MINH 19 HO -19 Vietnam CHI HO CHI MINH MINH - Vietnam Vietnam 01 ZURICH - Switzerland 01 ZURICH 01 ZURICH - Switzerland - Switzerland Top -Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 Vini d'Italia ExperienceVini d'Italia Vini d'Italia Experience Experience

APRIL

03 MUNICH - Germany 03 MUNICH 03 MUNICH - Germany - Germany trebicchieri 2022

trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 2022

NOVEMBER

trebicchieri Experiencetrebicchieri - Vinexpo trebicchieri Experience Experience - Vinexpo - Vinexpo 25 HONG KONG 25 -HONG 25 China HONG KONG KONG - China - China

trebicchieri SUMMER trebicchieri EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER SUMMER EDITION EDITION 30 STOCKHOLM 30 STOCKHOLM - 30 Sweden STOCKHOLM - Sweden - Sweden trebicchieri 2022 10-13 VERONA Vinitaly 15 PARIS - France 15 PARIS 15 -PARIS - France - France trebicchieri Experience trebicchieri - Vinexpo trebicchieri Experience Experience - Vinexpo - Vinexpo Top Italian Wines Roadshow 14 07 SEOUL - Korea Top2022 Italian Wines Roadshow HOUSTON - LOS USA ANGELES 16 LOS21ANGELES 16 LOS - 16 USA ANGELES - trebicchieri USA - USA trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 142022 10 TOKYO - Japan trebicchieri 2023 26FRANCISCO MEXICO CITY - Mexico Italian Wines Roadshow 14 18 SAN 18 SAN 18-SAN FRANCISCO USA FRANCISCO - USA -TopUSA trebicchieri 2022 trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 2022 22 SAO PAULO - Brazil Top Italian Wines Roadshow 14 trebicchieri SUMMER trebicchieri EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER SUMMER EDITION EDITION 01 OSLO 01 OSLO - Norway - Norway 23 CHICAGO -23 USA CHICAGO 23 CHICAGO - USA -trebicchieri USA 2022 trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 2022 01 OSLO - Norway

JUNE

25 NEW YORK 25 - USA NEW 25 NEW YORK YORK - USA -trebicchieri USA 2022

MAY

trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 2022

JUNE JUNE

SUMMER trebicchieri EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER SUMMER EDITION EDITION 03 COPENHAGEN 03 COPENHAGEN -03Denmark COPENHAGEN -trebicchieri Denmark - Denmark

trebicchieri trebicchieri EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER SUMMER EDITION EDITION 07 -ST. 07 ST. 07 PETERSBURG -ST. RUSSIA PETERSBURG - RUSSIA - SUMMER RUSSIA 28 BOSTON - USA 28 BOSTON 28 BOSTON - USA - USA Vini d'Italia ExperienceVini - ITA d'Italia Vini d'Italia Experience Experience - ITA ITA PETERSBURG

02 OSLO - Norway

04 STOCKHOLM - Sweden MARCH MARCH MARCH

trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION

DATES TO SHOW UP

trebicchieri SUMMER trebicchieri EDITION trebicchieri SUMMER SUMMER EDITION EDITION 09 MOSCOW- 09 RUSSIA MOSCOW09 MOSCOWRUSSIA RUSSIA

DATES TO DATES DATES SHOW TOTO UP SHOW SHOW UPUP

trebicchieri 2022 MUNICH - Germany trebicchieri SUMMER EDITION 06 COPENHAGEN - Denmark ZURICH - Switzerland Vini d'Italia Experience 14 SALZBURG 14 - Austria SALZBURG 14 SALZBURG - Austria -trebicchieri Austria trebicchieri 2022 2022 2022 trebicchieri 2022 trebicchieri 14 DUSSELDORF - Germany ROME - Italy ROME ROME - Italy - Italy trebicchieri 2023 premiere trebicchieri trebicchieri 2023 premiere 2023 premiere HONG KONG - China trebicchieri 2023 16 PRAGUE - Czech 16 PRAGUE 16Republic PRAGUE - Czech - Czech Republic Republic Vini d'Italia Experience d'Italia Vini d'Italia Experience Experience Top Italian Vini Wines Roadshow 14 19 SINGAPORE SEOUL - KoreaSEOUL SEOUL - Korea - Korea Top Italian Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 trebicchieri 2023 BEIJING - China 18 WARSAW - Poland 18 WARSAW 18 WARSAW - Poland - Poland Italian Vini Wines Roadshow 14 Vini d'ItaliaTop Experience d'Italia Vini d'Italia Experience Experience 23 SYDNEY - Australia TOKYO - Japan TOKYO TOKYO - Japan - Japantrebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri 26 DUSSELDORF 26 DUSSELDORF - 26 Germany DUSSELDORF - Germany - Germany 2022 14 2022 trebicchieri 2022 trebicchieri 2023 Top Italian trebicchieri Wines trebicchieri Roadshow SHANGHAI - China 25 MELBOURNE - Australia BEIJING - China BEIJING BEIJING - China - China trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri Italian Top Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines 14 Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 30 HOUSTON 30 - USA HOUSTON 30 HOUSTON USA -TopUSA Italian Wines Roadshow 30 AUCKLAND - New -Zealand SHANGHAI - China SHANGHAI SHANGHAI - China - China trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri

YOUR PASSION IS OUR Top ItalianINSPIRATION Wines Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 SAO PAULO - SAO Brazil SAO PAULO PAULO - Brazil - Brazil

APRIL APRIL APRIL Top -Italian Wines 01 MEXICO CITY 01 -MEXICO Mexico 01 MEXICO CITYCITY - Mexico Mexico trebicchieri 2022 10-13 VERONA10-13 - Vinitaly 10-13 VERONA VERONA - Vinitaly - Vinitaly

www.gamberorossointernational.com YOUR PASSION YOUR YOUR ISPASSION OUR PASSION INSPIRATION IS OUR IS OUR INSPIRATION INSPIRATION GamberoRossoInternational

Roadshow Top Italian Top 14 Italian Wines Wines Roadshow Roadshow 14 14 trebicchieri trebicchieri 2022 2022

www.gamberorossointernational.com www.gamberorossointernational.com www.gamberorossointernational.com GamberoRossoInternational GamberoRossoInternational GamberoRossoInternational

IN SHORT

THE HOTEL GAZETTE

Does food delivery pollute? The Comieco investigation

by Clara Barra

Can food delivery and environmental sustainability really get along? The demand for the service has grown exponentially during the pandemic, resulting in a surplus of boxes, packaging, parcels designed to preserve the quality and temperature of the food intended for home delivery. But what is the sensitivity of Italian restaurateurs about the importance of providing environmentally friendly containers? A Comieco research, conducted with the University of Pollenzo and the editorial staff of Il Gusto, investigated the topic, interviewing 40 restaurants in Italy. Result of the survey? Even the quality of the packaging today guides the choice of consumers. For their part, restaurateurs are increasingly using cellulosic packaging (paper and cardboard) that combine performance, safety and sustainability. A good sign, considering that Italy has reached an 87% recycling rate for cellulosic packaging, exceeding European targets 10 years in advance.

BOLOGNA. LUXURY AND HAUTE PRÊT À PORTER CUISINE IN THE SHADOW OF THE DUE TORRI

The Grand Hotel Majestic, belonging to the Duetorrihotels Spa Group, is the only 5-star luxury hotel in the city. Striking, from the first approach, is the atmosphere of openness and inclusion that only a true class hotel can offer. Dated 1912 and therefore with 110 years of business behind it, located in an 18th century building in front of the Cathedral, over the years it has been chosen by many famous people. Its fascinating environment, embellished with antiques and valuable pieces of furniture, has always welcomed the locals too. 106 rooms, of various types (the suites are splendid), which combine refined comfort with modern technology. For a relaxing break, brunch, lunch or an aperitif, the Café Marinetti offers an environment with an original retro flair, the Enoteca Morandi instead, dedicated to the well-known painter of the 20th century, in addition to offering hundreds of labels is available for ad hoc tastings (upon reservation). Of great impact are the panoramic terraces and the turn of the century common areas where fantastic breakfasts are served. At the I Carracci restaurant, housed in a splendid frescoed room and also open to non-hotel customers, has a new chef, Guglielmo Araldi, born in 1993, who has taken up residence a few months ago, with important experiences to his credit. His cuisine moves on the tradition/ seasonality track, ranging from the sumptuous Sunday trolley with boiled meats to dishes such as Tortello stuffed with lobster, bergamot, turnip greens and smoked scamorza, all supported by an adequate wine cellar and professional service.

Grand Hotel Majestic - Bologna via dell’Indipendenza, 8 - +39 051225445 grandhotelmajestic.duetorrihotels.com

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

GAMBERO ROSSO X COPPI

Coppi Winery, the cave and the glass half full Gioia del Colle, when Primitivo plays the elegance card

1 2

The Gioia del Colle winery in Puglia, launches a Primitivo Riserva aged in a grotto and a collective promotion plan with companies in the area The Coppi family’s winery, now led by Lisia, Miriam and Doni, has been one of Puglia’s most interesting producers for several years now. Located in the Gioia del Colle appellation, a Docc area which sits atop the Murge Plateau, about 350 meters above sea level, in the province of Bari. “In the Gioia del Colle area we are 20 producers, we need to create a united team to bring this wonderful territory to the top. There is a new awareness: alone you can go fast, but only together can you go far,” commented Doni Coppi. A collective tour is planned shortly together with Gambero Rosso in the USA “illustrating a historically wellknown territory, more talked about in history books and less about the market. This is the land that gave birth to the Primitivo, which was born in Gioia del Colle. A bride brought it as her dowry to the Manduria area where it was easier to cultivate because the soils are much more extensive and clayey, in Gioia del Colle we have much more stone and limestone instead.”

GAMBERO ROSSO

Thanks to the altitude and soil composition, the Primitivo wines f rom Gioia del Colle have a marked drinkability, with very low sugar residues compared to the average Primitivo. There are several projects in the pipeline even in difficult and uncertain times such as the ones we are experiencing: “We are making the most of modern technologies, tastings via zoom and web, but we really miss the contact and exchange that is the core of the world of wine. We have to resume work with the necessary precautions: I always see the glass as half full.” And here it is, the new project: Riserva del Senatore, a very limited production of Primitivo. The first vintage is the 2021 harvest, a particularly happy year in the area. “We are in a karst area, we have decided to refine the wine in the caves, a distinctive element of this area. We carried out a study and made arrangements with the director of the famous Putignano caves. There will be a few bottles that already come f rom stone-rich vineyards that will rest for a long time among those rocks.” The Riserva del Senatore 2021 will be commercially available starting f rom 2024.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2O22

GAMBERO ROSSO X COPPI

1. The Coppy family 2. Coppi rock undergound cellar 3. Overview of the Primitivo vineyard

Coppi and the ‘impossible’ pairings “Paired with moussaka, toasted bread topped with lardo and Parmigiano cheese; onion soup; chicken with soy sauce,” reads the back label of Primitivo Senatore. An excellent response to those generic indications that we’re usually given: “pair with pasta courses, meat or fish specialties, excellent with cheese.” In this case, Doni explained that they wanted to stimulate customers. “We chose to be specific because those who uncork our wines have tasted a lot, we also wanted to offer an international outlook.” On the Primitivo Don Antonio a poker of dishes is proposed: saffron risotto, baked lasagna, roast turkey, chicken curry. While on the Primitivo Siniscalco, which is certainly the most versatile for its fragrance of fruit and freshness - the wine matures only in steel - there are other delicacies: smoked Prague ham in a bread crust, meatballs with cream, game and the classic caciocavallo cheese from Puglia, just right for never forgetting tradition.

Vini d’Italia 2022 Tasting Coppi produces a wide range of wines, exclusively from native grape varieties. The tastings carried out for the latest edition of the Vini d’Italia guide are the following. Tre Bicchieri for Gioia del Colle Primitivo Senatore ‘18, with its hints of red berries and aromatic herbs followed by a relaxed, fresh and fruity palate. The Don Antonio Primitivo ‘19 is excellent, with notes of plum, black olives and spices on the nose and a palate marked by nice fruit topped off by a taut, pleasant finish. The Aleatico Vinaccero ‘18 is also well made, supple and juicy in its notes of blackberry and black currant, as is the Primitivo Siniscalco ‘19, soft but with a nice, plucky finish.

 Coppi – Turi (BA) – Strada Provinciale 215 Turi – Gioia del Colle –+39 080 8915049– vinicoppi.it

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2O22

NEWS

THE WINE TO BUY TENUTA DI CARLEONE

Uno 2018 100% sangiovese Radda in Chianti (Siena) www.carleone.it retail price: 255 euros

The world of wine can be curious. Tenuta Carleone is owned by Austrians while their winemaker is British. After 25 years leading Riecine, Sean O’Callaghan has gone in a new direction with consulting and into producing his own wines in Carleone di Castiglioni. As a matter of fact, his wine is a personal, parallel project that’s channelled into his work in Chianti, in the prized subzone of Radda in Chianti. The winery has immediately learned to speak the language of Chianti Sangiovese, even with some ‘dialectal’ references. Active in the subzone of Radda in Chianti (which has a net influence on their wines), the producer has an artisan approach based on organic and biodynamic principles. In our opinion, it’s one of the most intriguing wineries in the territory thanks to a convincing stylistic direction characterised by graceful, fragrant nuances. The average quality of all the wines on offer is impressive, but today we talk warmly about his wine which for us represents the tip of a super battery: the Uno ‘18 is a great mono-varietal Sangiovese. Aromas of wild berries, shrubs and spices meet refreshing citrus accents, while the palate proves rich in contrast and is dynamic, topped off by a rising finish on flavourful tannins. It doses elegance and character, it is both airy and greatly incisive, the persistence is of an authentic champion. We are talking about one of the best Italian red wines, endowed with certain longevity, which fully justifies the proposed price. The Chianti Classico is also highly recommended, we recently tasted a preview of the 2019 version, beyond the classic tasting notes we remember a bottle that was completely emptied in a matter of minutes.

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

SPIRITS

SEASONAL SEASONAL COCKTAIL COCKTAIL byPaola Paola Mencarelli Mencarelli by

NEW YORK Dario Schiavoni, The Bvlgari Bar, Bvlgari Resort Dubai 3 cl Michter’s Bourbon 2 cl Galliano Vanilla 2 cl Illy Caffé 4 cl Passion Fruit juice 4 cl Lemon juice clarified with 2,5 cl Milk 2 cl Therra 2020, Podernuovo a Palazzone

Glass: Old Fashioned Technique: Build

his cocktail is inspired by the famous New York Sour, IBA’s official cocktail in the New Era Drinks category, whose alcoholic shoulder is given by Rye or Bourbon Whiskey supported by red wine. The interpretation proposed by Bvlgari Bar Dubai employs the clarification process - Milk Wash technique - which, through the coagulation of milk with citric acid, allows the discoloration of the drink. To give a touch of Italy is the addition of coffee, Galliano Vanilla and finally red wine, produced on Giovanni Bulgari’s estate in the Sienese countryside. Passion fruit, on the other hand, pays homage to the United Arab Emirates and makes the drink appreciated to Dubai customers. Due to the similarity of the aromatic notes, the drink is reminiscent of mulled wine, a traditional drink of the winter season in Italy.

THE BARMAN: Dario Schiavoni, born in 1990, is originally from Rome, where he took his first steps in the world of hospitality at La Pergola restaurant of the Hotel Rome Cavalieri under chef Heinz Beck. His passion then travelled around the world, passing through London and moving to Algarve, where he opened his own restaurant, of which he is the manager. The management of restaurants and bars was accompanied by a love for mixology, which took him to Asia at the beginning of 2017 for the opening of the Bvlgari Hotel Beijing as Director of the Niko Romito Restaurant and the Bvlgari Bar. After a year of dedication, passion and leadership, he was promoted as Food & Beverage Assistant Director, managing all the hotel outlets. The next stop was in the United Arab Emirates, where since 2020 he has successfully managed the Bvlgari Bar of the Bvlgari Resort Dubai as Bar Director. Curating the Bvlgari Symposia Mixology initiative, he organizes events in partnership with the 50 Best Bars in all Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts.

GAMBERO ROSSO

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

IN SHORT

DESIGN by Sonia Massari

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DESIGN

GESTURES THAT BECOME SHAPES

DISCARD: THE ART OF BEING SUSTAINABLE RiscArti Festival internazionale was born as an exhibition of creative recycling and demonstrates how discarded objects can be ennobled. Their creations document that “things” are victims of the very material they are made of: it’s necessary to rethink them in order to make them useful. RiscARTI, through various forms of arts (visual, entertainment and performance, workshops and experiences), promotes creative recycling also to educate for a more sustainable future.

Marlene Scalise riscarti.com @riscartifest

Vincenzo Sorrentino is a young food designer from Campania who often seeks inspiration in the shapes of his homeland. This time he has given structure to five terracotta tools that allow diners to interact directly with the ingredients of the dish. They are called Clay Food Play and are hybrid instruments (almost a cross between cutlery and plate) that aim to reduce the distance between man and his food.

recreation-food.com

IT TAKES AN EGG

FROM WASTE TO TASTE

German designer Basse Stittgen tackles the problem of food waste by proposing tableware made exclusively with eggs… that are expired. His project is called ‘How Do You Like Your Eggs?’ and it focuses on food. The designer collects leftover eggs from local bakeries, then breaks them and divides the egg white from the yolk and shell. The egg whites are dehydrated and ground into a powder, while the egg shells are crushed into small pieces. Yolks and shells are then mixed together and placed in an aluminum mould, which is then hot pressed at 200 degrees. Stittgen transforms discarded eggs into a series of gold-coloured bio-plastic egg cups and saucers, modelled with patches of broken egg shells.

Barbara Gollackner’s Salzburg design studio presented at the latest edition of the Vienna Design Week a collection of kitchen and home items made with industrial and domestic food waste. The studio collaborated with Austrian chef Martin Kilga to create Wasteware, a range of bowls, plates and cutlery made from leftover food. The waste is dried and mixed into a paste, then 3D printed.

bassestittgen.com

barbaragollackner.at

DISCOVERING THE HOME WORLD, THROUGH FOOD Casa Mondo was the first virtual exhibition of Maxxi in Rome, hosted on Instagram starting in June 2020. Casa Mondo: Food is the narrative essay by the famous food designer Marti Guixé that talks about what food is and what it represents in the 21st century, proposing a theory of the foodhome relationship and new means of use, also in light of the pandemic that has transformed our daily reality. Casa Mondo: Food is the first book in the new Unevaluated Essays series, edited by Martí Guixé himself.

corraini.com

CIRCULAR CHEWING GUM Design students Hugo Maupetit and Vivian Fischer developed a method for collecting discarded chewing gum and turning it into colourful skateboard wheels. The French students mounted special collection panels in urban areas in Nantes, France, where passersby could stick their used gum instead of discarding it on the ground. The collected gum was then shredded together with the collection panel itself, which is produced in PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate) a plastic material capable of stabilizing chewing gum during melting. A true virtuous example of circular economy: even the obtained wheels themselves are recyclable!

@hugo_maupetit @ vivian_fischer_ @lecolededesign @1_2_3_lune

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Valtidone. Fair and more sustainable wines. Precision viticulture is the future

Founded in 1966, this wine cellar has grown in numbers (from 16 to 220 members), in size, and it has developed, especially in recent years, the desire to do more and better, focusing on the selection of the best grapes to obtain traditional wines of great depth as part of the 50 Vendemmie line, by vines planted in the 1960s. The vineyards are continuously monitored by experts who study and recommend the most advanced cultivation techniques. After the harvest a great deal of attention continues to be concentrated on the equally delicate stages of winemaking and aging. The grapes all come from the hilly areas. «In 2016 Cantina Valti-

done celebrated its first 50 harvests in the sense that the first harvest dates back to 1966. For this reason and to commemorate the 50th anniversary, we created the new Line 50 Vendemmie obtained through the transformation of white and red grapes, coming from grapevines planted at least 50 years ago by the members. During half a century the winery has transformed, growing, and improving so much that it has become one of the top 100 Italian wineries, placing 80th in the recent Corriere della Sera ranking - says Gianpaolo Fornasari, President of the winery - We have made many investments to renovate our production site which is now equipped

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with very high technology and a large production capacity: we sell about 7 million bottles a year. A truly high number that represents about one third of the production of Piacenza DOC wines, which is about 21 million.» Cantina Valtidone has the organic certification, the members work their own vineyards (about 1,200 hectares in total) all located between 250 and 450 meters above sea level, on fresh clay soils. «In 2014 we created the Cantina Valtidone 2020 Project which we are very proud of: it was oriented to improve the economic and financial situation of the winery which today is solid and without financial problems. We have also

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Arvange Pas Dosè M. Cl

Arvange Pas Dosé is a great Classic Method that lends a complex nose and a sip of great elegance: for the second consecutive time it has awarded the Tre Bicchieri recognition. “The Tre Bicchieri is the most prestigious international and national award that places our winery at an excellent level of attention in regards to markets and consumers - proudly states Gianpaolo Fornasari - We are now aiming to enter the markets mainly in the USA and Europe and strengthen our already significant presence in Japan.»

succeeded in improving the liquidation price of the grapes, going from 39 euros per quintal of the 2013 harvest, to over 65/70 for the following harvests. The liquidation price of the grapes is very important as our goal is to remunerate our members at best so that they can take care of the territory and improve the income of their families - explains Gianpaolo Fornasari – our goal is to follow this path paying the utmost attention to the national PNRR on environmen-

tal transition concentrating on the environment and everything that is green. The project with Equalitas will allow us to achieve the new target of a circular economy with the production of energy from alternative sources. In this regard, we have planned new investments in solar panelling. In collaboration with Arpa Emilia-Romagna, we have installed a few control units for detecting environmental and climatic conditions in the vineyards, allowing us to cope

 Cantina Valtidone – Borgonovo Val Tidone (PC) – via Moretta, 58

0523846411 – cantinavaltidone.it

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with the climatic and meteorological events that are changing the approach to viticulture, focusing also on soil at higher altitudes for planting the vineyards. The control units, integrated into the regional network, are helping us and we cooperate with an agronomist, Sara Monaco, who closely follows the territory, the vineyards and the partners to support them in an increasingly difficult and specialized job.»

EVENTS

Canada: the first public wine tastings restart from Italy Despite a prolonged lockdown until September, Canadians increased their consumption of Italian wine by 12%. If Alberta is conf irmed as the state with the lowest alcohol taxation, there is important news also coming f rom Ontario. Here is the Gambero Rosso World Tour report

anada experienced one of the longest lockdowns in the world, with restaurant dining only restarting in September 2021. This is why there was so much anticipation in Toronto, but also some doubts for the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri event. Doubts were erased after a few minutes into the tasting. The first major public event in the city on wine was a true tribute to the wealth of the Italian vineyard, with 60 participating wineries and five seminars conducted by yours truly together with Marco Sabellico.

NEWS FOR RESTAURANTS AND MONOPOLIES On November 22nd at the Liberty Grand Complex we gathered extraordinary energy and the desire to start out again. “The worry lasted a few seconds, then I witnessed extraordinary enthusiasm, we needed to resume doing events like this. With the division into tiers, as we are experiencing with the monopoly, such events can easily be put into practice. The curiosity about Italian wine is getting stronger,” commented Stacee Roth, new director of LCBO, the monopoly on spirits in Ontario. And precisely on this front there are

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important innovations, in fact in 2021 the restaurants in the city were also able to sell wine directly, transformed into actual wine shops, strengthening the e-commerce front and expanding the variety of labels available on the market. All this in a context that continues to be very positive for Italian exports which from January to August 2021, according to ISTAT data, went from 215.3 million euros to 241.8 million euros with an increase of more than 12%. Considering volumes, the overall growth recorded in the period was 5.7%, from 49 to 51.8 million litres.

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WORLDTOUR

 THE BEST RESTAURANTS

IN TORONTO Despite the protracted closures, the restaurant business, also thanks to state aid, has held up and is relaunching strongly. There is no shortage of Italian openings in Toronto, some of which were awarded during the event. Osteria Giulia, by the duo Rob Rossi and David Minicucci, former masterminds of Giulietta restaurant, won Due Gamberi and the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List award thanks to an authorial menu, full of artisans and brilliant choices, together with one of the most solid cuisines in the city, where the average Italian dining certainly does not shine. Also noteworthy is the work of Roberto Marotta, who after Ardo opened Dova, a restaurant inspired by the Sicilian culinary tradition, awarded with Un Gambero. ALBERTA, THE STATE TO KEEP AN EYE ON The world premiere in Alberta started in Calgary, on November 24th the Top Italian Wines Roadshow tour reached about 1,000 metre elevation in the socalled Cowtown. “In 1993 the monopoly regime ended, Alberta is a precious market because the taxation on alcohol is very low, we can directly import even small

quantities and people are used to spending a lot for quality,” said Fabio Centini, who about 20 years ago opened Italian restaurant Centini, a pioneer of Italian cuisine in Calgary, awarded with Una Forchetta during the tasting event hosted at The Hudson. “Taxation is $3.7 per bottle, practically nil compared to how much the monopolies of individual states in Canada impose. This means that there is a great wealth and variety of styles, even on Italian wine. We needed an event like this, usually large groups think only of Toronto and Vancouver, not realising how many possibilities there are in a rich and dynamic state like Alberta,” added Dan Assaly, Director of Executive Wine & Spirits, during one of the three seminars conducted, divided between northern, central and southern Italy. The Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List award in the city went to Cardinale bistro, thanks to the wine list created by manager Graham Teare. “I am very happy with this recognition, at first they told me that I was crazy for having built a wine list with wines from unknown Italian territories, they told me that I would not sell, but it’s going quite differently. People are curious, they want to get out of Tuscany and Piemon-

FOCUS ON CERASUOLO D’ABRUZZO

Among the insights during the Toronto event, there was also a seminar entirely dedicated to Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo in collaboration with the Protection Consortium Vini d’Abruzzo, to enhance the gastronomic potential of one of the most exported Italian rosé wines, outside of the seasonality and other clichés related to the type. As a matter of fact, Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo has managed to carve out space at all times of year, thanks to a rare pairing versatility, which makes it one of the wines with the greatest gastronomic potential in Italy.

te, it’s a stimulating moment to live.”

MADE IN VICENZA Among the protagonists in the Toronto and Calgary events is also Made in Vicenza, a special company of the Chamber of Commerce of Vicenza, which aims to promote the province’s terroir through innovative services and connections. Made in Vicenza created a tasting point in Toronto and Calgary showcasing a wide range of flavours and products from the area. We are reminded that the province of Vicenza is located in the Veneto region in the northern part of Italy. The tasting ended with a state of the art espresso coffee and a slice of panettone crafted by artisans of the Vicenza province.

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PHOTOGALLERY TORONTO

EVENTS

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PHOTOGALLERY CALGARY

WORLDTOUR

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EVENTS

From Miami and San Diego: back in Usa The f irst reference market for Italian wine exports has left the “bitter year” behind and continues to grow, driven above all by bubbles. And for the f irst time, women have joined men for premium consumption levels. An exciting coast to coast return for Gambero Rosso by Marco Sabellico

“O

held by Lorenzo h well, oh well, I feel so good today We just touched ground on an international runway Ruggeri and myJet propelled back home, from overseas to the Usa” self. In the afternoon the event involved over 60 That’s what we wanted to sing, just like companies presenting their top wines. Chuck Berry, when our flight landed For the occasion, the 2022 edition of at Miami International Airport. GamVini d’Italia was presented in its Enbero Rosso on Tour has, after a forced glish translation, and the prizes of absence, once again touched down on the Top Italian Restaurant Guide were American soil. The Top Italian Wines awarded. Roadshow took place on November “An important event, which ends a long 30th at Ironside Event Space, and witabsence of Italian producers on this innessed the participation of over 300 creasingly strategic market,” said Alesguests including enthusiasts and opsandro Angelini, Vice President of erators who since the morning attendEthica Wines North America Asia & ed the three popular masterclasses Pacific which imports Italian wines to

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the US, “in a crucial moment of success for our productions.”

HALF OF PREMIUM CONSUMERS ARE WOMEN As confirmation of the lucky period, are the numbers recorded in the last eight months. In the period between January and August of 2021, Italy sent 276.3 million liters of wine to the US, compared to 224 million litres in the same period in 2020, achieving an increase of more than 23%. Among the types, the performance of sparkling wines is particularly good which (including Prosecco, Asti and other Dop

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WORLDTOUR

SANNIO WINES CONQUER FLORIDA The event started with a festive prologue on the evening of the 29th with Falanghina Sparkling Aperitif offered by Consorzio Tutela Vini Sannio at the Santorini by Georgios restaurant at the Hilton Bentley. The Consortium was also the guest of honour at the event with a tasting counter and numerous Sannio producers present, with a focus this time also on sparkling wines produced in the Sannio, growing protagonists both on the Italian and international markets..

products) rose from 193 to 269 million euros in value. Dop Sicilia wines also performed well, passing from 6 million to 11.1 million euros, with a turnover that almost doubled compared to the previous year. “Consumers are increasingly attracted to Italian wine, a symbol of uniqueness and of authenticity, with its thousand grape varieties,” said Marzia Rubcich, journalist, founder of ItaliaReportUsa.com, who created a video report on the event. “A charm towards which women are also very sensitive, now representing half the wine market.” Another interesting and trendy fact, highlighted by Iwsr, hails precisely from women and their relationship with premium wines. If it’s true that consumers of premium products have dropped in recent years (19.7 million in 2021 against 23.4 million in 2014), returning in 2021 to the levels of 2019, it is also true that the relevant demographic groups have changed. There’s been an increase in the elderly public, on the one hand, and women, on the other. As a matter of fact, since 2021, 49% of premium wine consumers in the US are women, compared to 36% in 2019: an element to keep in mind in order to understand where wine is going, not only in the US, but globally. 

BEST RESTAURANTS IN MIAMI

The Miami dining scene has never been so rich and vibrant. Florida has not known any real closures, the weather has certainly played a part, as a matter of fact, even the Italian scene is experiencing an extraordinary moment. For the first time the Tre Forchette land in the city thanks to Casa Tua, led by two brilliant young chefs such as Michele Esposito and Giovanni Gargiulo, while the new and very elegant Doma wins Due Forchette. Due Gambero go to an Italian institution in the city, Ferraro’s Kitchen of Igor Ferraro, one of the most popular restaurants in the local Italian community. The best pizza in town? Tre Spicchi go to O’Munaciello of Carmine Candito, which confirms its excellence, closely followed by Giovanni Gagliardi’s La Leggenda Pizzeria, Due Spicchi for the restaurant a few steps from the sand in South Miami Beach. Finally, the award for the wine list, the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List Award, goes to Macchialina, thanks to a fresh and lively selection, full of surprises and lesser-known labels that run in a very well structured and approachable glass.

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PHOTOGALLERY MIAMI

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WORLDTOUR

BEST RESTAURANTS IN SAN DIEGO Trattoria Pastificio Cori of Sicilian chef Accursio Lota is San Diego’s best Italian restaurant according to the Top Italian Restaurants guide. Tre Gamberi was awarded to a solid restaurant, which brings value to the recipes of southern Italy, in a context of extreme crispness of flavours and a wine list of native grape varieties. Due Gamberi instead went to Civico 1845, well managed by the Gallo family, which has just doubled the challenge with a new opening that also ranges between pizza and traditional recipes. Finally, Due Bottiglie and the Villa Sandi Best Contemporary Wine List Award go to Ambrogio15, the project of three young Milanese entrepreneurs, which today has three branches in the city, all united by a lively wine selection, constantly evolving to make people discover the immense variety of Italian viticulture, including brilliant proposals and low markups.

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SAN DIEGO, WHERE MADE IN ITALY IS TRENDY

”Back in the Usa For a small town serenade With fireworks on display Tonight, it’s a hero’s welcome home” Yes, we felt like heroes returning home when we walked through the gates of Liberty Station in San Diego on December 2nd for the second leg of the Roadshow in the USA. An iconic location that was once the United States Naval Training Centre from 1923 to 1997, and which is now a beautiful large residential complex perfectly restored in its Spanish Colonial Revival style. Here over 300 guests filled the halls of Building 177, while the three very popular masterclasses took place in the morning. The afternoon flew by with tastings, interviews with producers, awards for the best tables by Top Italian Restaurants in the World. “A strategic place for the growth of our exports” said Libero Rillo, President of the Sannio Consortium “where we want to continue promoting,” leading a dedicated corner entirely focused

on Sannio wines, including red and white wine tastings, with some Falanghinas proposed even 10 years after the harvest which positively surprised the experts. San Diego has a unique, welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, attentive to quality, with an emerging scene of Italian restaurateurs caring about high-end wine and quality. And Made in Italy, in this important city on the border with Mexico, is increasingly trendy. In short, this was also a beautiful event, long awaited by San Diego (Gambero Rosso had been missing for two years!), above all it served to erase the memory of the “bitter year” we left behind with Tre Bicchieri – again quoting Green Day and “their” Back in the USA. For us, America enthusiasts, for our friends at Consorzio di Tutela del Sannio, for the producers of the Roadshow it was really a very sweet return. See you soon, San Diego! See you very soon in the USA: see you in two months with the usual February tour.

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THE US MARKET IN A NUTSHELL The United States represents the largest market for wine consumption worldwide, with 33 million hectoliters, the first market by value, and the third largest wine importer by volume globally, behind the United Kingdom and Germany. In 2020, the United States imported 12.3 million/hl, compared to 11.5 million/hl in 2018. In the first four months of 2021 (Vinitaly-Nomisma data), Italy lead the ranking of the United States’ wine supplier countries, with 405 million litres, ahead of France (58.9 million), Australia (37.2 million), New Zealand (26.7 million) and Spain (20.1 million). Considering the values, out of a total import of 1.59 billion euros in the four months of 2021, Italy is first with 537.6 million euros, ahead of France (534), New Zealand (128.5), Spain ( 87.7) and Australia (74.6 million euros).

PHOTOGALLERY SAN DIEGO

EVENTS

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WORLDTOUR

Gambero Rosso Web Show in Japan, Prosecco DOC Rosé on the spotlight

n Tuesday December 14th, Gambero Rosso brought 25 wines awarded with our Tre Bicchieri recognition to the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tokyo. Thanks to the fundamental support of wine expert Isao Miyajima, the two masterclasses involved more than 60 professionals of the sector including importers, buyers, journalists and retailers. The interest for Italian wine in Japan keeps rising; the latest data, concerning exports in the first nine months of 2021, shows an increase in value of 7.1% compared to the same period in 2020. And so Italian wine that travels to the Rising Sun today reaches 121 million euros, a figure that marks a gradual but inexorable recovery to get back to pre-pandemic levels (in 2019 the total value of exports was 192 million euros). The Japanese public is increasingly prepared and attentive and also during these last two masterclasses has shown that famous “hungry” for in-

formation and wine stories. In addition to the masterclasses dedicated to Tre Bicchieri, in collaboration with the Prosecco DOC Consortium, we organized another seminar about one the most popular Itailan wines: Prosecco Rosé, that has been launched for the first time on the Italian market in October 2020. In 2021 around 70 millions of bottles of Prosecco Doc Rosé were sold in Italy and mostly abroad. The most common category is the Extra Dry which absorbs 73,6% of the total production, followed by the Brut dosage which counts for 26%. Normally, the second fermentation in tank takes about 30 days, while Prosecco DOC Rosé spends a minimum of 60 days in tank. The main market is the United States, but producers and the Consortium know that there are wide margins of growth in Asia as well. And it looks like Japan is ready to welcome it with open arms.as 5.7%, from 49 to 51.8 million litres.

PROSECCO ROSÉ MASTERCLASS: LE RUGHE - Prosecco Rosé Brut ‘20 ANTONIO FACCHIN E FIGLI - Prosecco di Treviso Rosé Brut ‘20 LA TORDERA - Prosecco Rosé Tor Sè Brut ‘20 VILLA SANDI - Prosecco Rosé Il Fresco Brut ‘20 BIANCAVIGNA - Prosecco Rosé Brut ‘20 TOSTI - Prosecco Rosé Brut ‘20 IL COLLE - Prosecco Rosé Extra Dry ‘20 CANTINA DI BEATO BARTOLOMEO DI BREGANZE - Prosecco Rosé Diamante Extra Dry ‘20 PERLINO - Prosecco Rosé Extra Dry ‘20 LA MARCA - Prosecco Rosé Extra Dry ‘20

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GAMBERO ROSSO X BERSANO

Bersano, faithful to vineyards and terroir The secret? Constant search for quality

If the Bersano brand has become one of the most important ever in the Piedmont wine scene, the reasons must be sought first of all in the work of agricultural research that has led the company to expand practically in all the main regional districts. The original nucleus is the one surrounding the farmhouses located between Monferrato and Langhe, gradually expanded with the acquisitions that allowed other important types to be added to the range, such as Cortese di Gavi. But the history of the company starts much earlier, from 1907 to be precise, the year in which the Bersano family founded their own winery. In 1935 things underwent a profound change: Arturo Bersano, the third generation of the family, joined the company, a lawyer for family pride and wine maker for passion. He brought an innovative vision for those times: when everyone was buying grapes, Arturo aimed at the acquisition of land and farms. With

his work, the territory and the vineyard - as the soul of the grapes and guarantee of the quality of the wine - quickly became the distinctive features of the cellar. In the Eighties came another turning point: at the helm of the winery came Ugo Massimelli, an entrepreneur with wine training, who in over thirty years consolidated the impressive wine heritage, over 230 hectares of vineyards. This made Bersano one of the most important private wineries of the country. «Our vineyards – said Federica Massimelli – extend in the most suitable areas of Piedmont wine with a large concentration in Monferrato and in the Langhe in Serralunga d’Alba. Different soils united by the common denominator of the sinuous hills and the microclimate that give the wines elegance and recognizability.» Right from the start, the favourite grape is Barbera to which the first acquisitions are dedicated. The prestigious vineyards of Cascina Cremosina in

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Nizza Monferrato, the heart of the Barbera d’Asti area, are followed by the most suitable estates located on the enchanting hills surrounding Nice: «Arturo - comments Federica - had always believed in this noble grape variety by acquiring the best vineyards and investing energy and resources in its rebirth. We have consolidated an impressive reality of farmhouses and vineyards of which over 75 hectares are dedicated to this grape of ancient history and surprising modernity.» Today Bersano is a brand present in 40 different markets, some recent, others in which the presence has been well established for over forty years. «We are a historic company but with a keen eye for innovation - concludes Federica Massimelli - today we produce 80% of our wines from our own grapes but the goal is to manage 300 hectares in order to guarantee being totally self-sufficient and to make Bersano the largest (private) farm in Piedmont!»

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GAMBERO ROSSO X BERSANO

1. Overview of the vineyard where Generala is born 2. A bottle of Nizza Generala Riserva 2016, awarded in the Vini d’Italia 2020 guide with Tre Bicchieri recognition

The cellar, Barbera and the Nizza Docg 2016. EXCELLENT VINTAGE FOR GENERALA. The Nizza Generala Ris. ‘16 conquers Tre Bicchieri. A terroir with unique and strongly characterising qualities, a skillful selection of the grapes and a 12-month aging in oak barrels (20% in large oak barrels, 80% in French tonneaux) and 12 in the bottle make it an elegant and balanced, complex and contemporary wine. “The 2016 version conquers with its multifaceted citrus and balsamic registers, prelude to a nervous, tasty and multidimensional mouth,” is the descriptor on Vini d’Italia 2020. 2018. CREMOSINA PASSES TO DOCG NIZZA. With the new vintage, the historic Barbera Cremosina leaves the Barbera d’Asti appellation to boast prestigious Nizza DOCG. The 12 wonderful hectares of the Cascina, which is said to have inspired the passion for the world of wine in “Avvocato” Arturo, are located on a hill of great beauty, the heart of the Nizza area. The optimal mix between the quality of the soil and exposure are the secret to the Barbera grapes, of marked typicality. The wines are complex, structured and long-lived. All characteristics that we find in the Nizza Cremosina with a characteristic and intense aroma and a full and persistent taste. Aging is traditional, in large oak barrels, to maintain the freshness and typicality of this grape owing to its ancient history and surprising modernity.

«At the debut of the new millennium, a dozen “enlightened” producers decided to make a spin-off from a very extensive denomination and therefore not very homogeneous from a qualitative point of view.» Ugo Massimelli is very proud when he tells us how the idea of creating the DOCG Nizza was born, strongly desired also by Bersano. «The identification of suitable vineyards in 18 small municipalities, the reduction of yields and continuous quality control are the first steps to take in order to make Nizza an iconic local wine. In a nutshell, we are focusing on what the future of our areas will be. After Barolo and Barbaresco, respectively king and queen of Piemonte 2 wines, we believe that Nizza can become our princess». 2014. THE NEW DOCG NIZZA IS OFFICIALLY BORN. Thanks to the vision and commitment of Bersano and the most important producers in the area, we are working to enhance a restricted area of Monferrato (18 municipalities) where quality standards are very high thanks to a unique and extremely suitable terroir. The story of this young DOCG began in 2000 when Nizza was recognized as a sub-area of Barbera d’Asti and culminated in 2014 with the recognition of the Nizza appellation. The disciplinary imposed strict rules for the selection of vineyards allowed, from exposure to very low yields, up to a minimum aging of 18 months.

 Bersano – Nizza Monferrato (Asti) – piazza Dante, 21 – 0141720211 – bersano.it

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WE PAY HOMAGE TO FRANCO ZILIANI WITH A UNIQUE VERTICAL FRANCIACORTA TASTING Berlucchi is synonymous with Franciacorta. The winery has given birth to the appelation with the Pinot di Franciacorta in 1961. We would therefore like to dedicate a marvellous Franciacorta vertical tasting to founder Franco Ziliani, who recently passed away at the age of 90. Together with 10 international journalists, we had the chance to taste 8 vintages with a focus on Riserva Palazzo Lana Brut Extrême. Berlucchi, Winery of the Year in the Vini d'Italia 2022 guide, exceeded expectations.

words by Marco Sabellico - photos by Francesco Vignali

STORIES

ranco Ziliani, oenologist and President of Guido Berlucchi & C., one of the most renowned Italian wineries, passed away at the age of 90 on December 26. With Arturo, Paolo and Cristina the future of the company is in good hands. To them and to the whole big family go Gambero Rosso's deepest condolences. We are sure that they will carry on with creativity and determination the dream of one of the great creators of the modern Italian wine scene. Sit tibi terra levis, Franco. We’re happy to pay homage to Franco with a memorable vertical tasting of Franciacorta that we had with 10 inernational journalists: Guido Berlucchi & C. has been freshly awarded as Winery of the Year in our Vini d’Italia 2022 guide. A prestigious goal, well deserved, to which the company founded by Franco Ziliani, Guido Berlucchi and Giorgio Lanciani arrived with years of hard work, commitment and investments, structured growth projects, with a strategic vision, Guido Ber- 

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BUBBLES SPANNING TWO MILLENNIA

1955 – Franco Ziliani meets Guido Berlucchi and suggests the idea of a spumante wine 1961 – The classic method Pinot di Franciacorta is born, the progenitor of modern Franciacorta 1962 – The first Berlucchi Rosé is born. It is the Max Rosé 1967 – The Doc Franciacorta is born

1955

1960

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BERLUCCHI: THE VERTICAL

1990 – The Franciacorta Consortium is born 2000 – The hectares of property are now 50. Guido Berlucchi passes away 1999 – The renewal of the vineyards begins according to the most advanced viticulture techniques 1996 – Arturo, Paolo and Cristina enter the company with specific powers 1995 –Franciacorta becomes Docg

1990

2011 – Berlucchi completes the passage of all Cuvées into Franciacorta Docg

2006 – The first 2001 – The cellar bottles of line 61 technology is completely are ready renewed 2004 – The path towards organic conversion and the commitment to sustainability begins. The Palazzo Lana line is born

2017 – Arturo, Paolo and Cristina acquire the ownership shares from Franco Ziliani

2016 – The Ziliani family acquires all of the Berlucchi shares

2000

2010

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2019 – On Vini d’Italia the Franciacorta Nature 61 ’11 wins Bubbles of the Year

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2021 – Guido Berlucchi & C. is Winery of the Year for Vini d'Italia 2022 guide 115 hectares owned - 4 million bottles - Franco Ziliani turns 90 and a special Cuvée is dedicated to him a few days before his death

2020

STORIES

Franciacorta Riserva Palazzo Lana Brut Extrême

lucchi, today, signifies 4 million bottles of Fran-

ciacorta a year obtained from 100 owned hectares of vineyards and from the 550 hectares belonging to wine growers. Everything began when Franco met Guido Berlucchi, owner of vineyards and of a historical winery, to whom he succeeded in transmitting the enthusiasm of his project. The first bottles, after some experiments, came out in 1961, they were just three thousand. The history of Guido Berlucchi is the history of Italian classic method sparkling wine and of Franciacorta. Those first 3,000 bottles of Pinot di Franciacorta in 1961 led to the discovery of an extraordinarily suited territory, which today is one of the cradles - numerically the most important - of the Italian classic method.

GAMBERO ROSSO

A masterpiece in vintages

2010

It has a deep straw yellow colour with brilliant coppery reflections; the nose is intense and captivating, with notes of red berries of great finesse; very elegant with the complexity brought by the notes of yeast. On the palate it is very fresh and creamy in the development of the bubbles, harmonious and full, progressive and soft in the development, without harshness, with a long and savoury finish, of great character and extraordinary harmony. 

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BERLUCCHI: THE VERTICAL

The invention of Franciacorta Berlucchi, the masters of the classic method Berlucchi is synonymous with Franciacorta: after having actually given life to the appellation with Pinot di Franciacorta 1961, for years due to the considerable sparkling wine production it was not included only to re-enter in style in the first decade of this century. The label of which we tasted the first 8 vintages, the Riserva Palazzo Lana Brut Extrême, is the spearhead of this reality that Vini d'Italia 2022 has elected as Winery of the Year and which is a particularly elegant, territorial and powerful version of Franciacorta. high-density sparkling wine clones: consider 10,000 plants per hectare. Here the grapes ripen more slowly, due to the northern exposure and the cold currents. The result is a base of great freshness, rich in aromas and finesse, just what we wanted. The results of the first 5,000 bottles of the 2004 vintage convinced us that we were on the right track. Then the vineyard of Quindicipiò was added, planted on the hill adjacent to the winery, on a slope, at 6,200 plants per hectare, which has a warmer exposure and gives bases of structure and fullness, ideal for completing the aromatic picture of the Brolo. They are light and pebbly morainic soils. Following suit is the Gaspa vineyard, planted in 2001 above the cellar. At full capacity today we do not exceed 12,000 bottles. The maturation times on the lees from 5 years of the beginning have gone to 10, and we are very happy with the result. We have titled this Riserva, dosed Extra Brut, after the place where it all began sixty years ago, Palazzo Lana Berlucchi in Borgonato Corte Franca, which is still the headquarters of the company today.» Guido Berlucchi today is run by Arturo - oenologist and managing director - with siblings Paolo and Cristina. Franco Ziliani, after having sold them his shares of the property, remained President. Today at the base of the success of the four million Berlucchi bottles (for 10 years the production has grown in quality, not in numbers...) there are 115 hectares of owned vineyards, to which are added the 550 hectares of the contributors, and a technologically state of art wine cellar. «The secret is in the choice of grapes and in the pressing, which must be very slow. We use Coquard presses, which allow optimal fractioning of the musts.» But the real winning weapon are the three passionate siblings, who carry on with determination the vision of that young winemaker who sixty years ago cultivated a dream that he managed to transfer to his friend Guido Berlucchi and with him to make it come true.

According to the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia guide, Guido Berlucchi & C. is the Winery of the Year for the 2022 edition. A prestigious, well-deserved recognition to which the company founded by Franco Ziliani, Guido Berlucchi and Giorgio Lanciani arrived with years of hard work, commitment and investments, of structured growth projects, with a strategic vision, which have seen it conquer the Italian market with the famous Cuvée Imperiale, the label that has taught Italians what a classic method sparkling wine was. After having actually given birth to Franciacorta with Pinot di Franciacorta 1961, Berlucchi for the needs of numbers and market had turned to other prestigious DOC and DOCG areas for the supply of grapes. Then, in the middle of the first decade of the new century, he made the decision to return in force to Franciacorta. Since then, all the bottles of Guido Berlucchi & C., from the Cuvée Imperiale to the prestigious 61 and Palazzo Lana selections are Franciacorta Docg. On the occasion of the presentation of the 2022 Guide we invited Arturo Ziliani to Rome for a vertical of the maison's most exclusive label, the Palazzo Lana Brut Extrême, which opened with the 2004 vintage. A prestigious project born from the passion for Blanc de Noir in the land of chardonnay and some vineyards of extraordinary vocation. «Palazzo Lana was born from cellar tests carried out over the years on a Pinot Noir cuvée. Some of the grapes are from the Brolo vineyard, planted in 1999 - says Arturo Ziliani - We never had high-level pinot noir grapes before with continuity, so we decided to plant this vineyard in a very suitable terroir. The Brolo vineyard is called like that because it is the name that in the Brescia area we give to the fields surrounded by dry stone walls, dedicated to the most valuable crops. So, having this vineyard exposed to the north, on medium-deep morainic soils, which had always given high-quality grapes, we decided to replant GAMBERO ROSSO

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STORIES

2009

Intense straw yellow, with brilliant antique gold reflections and a very minute and continuous perlage; the nose is intense and rich, with intense and very clear notes of currant, blueberry and yellow peach, furthermore very multifaceted with notes of bonbons that fade into candied citrus; the mouth is powerful in structure with length and fullness of fruit tones, enlivened by a fresh acidic vein. A wine of extraordinary, vital dynamism.

2008

It has a beautiful bright colour, intense straw yellow with pink gold nuances and very fine bubbles; the nose is intense and fresh with notes of aromatic herbs that usher a component of red berries and candied orange and spices. In short, a nose of great complexity and extraordinary finesse. The mouth is vertical, supported by important acidity and still opens austere with tones of ripe golden apple. Long finish on the fruit.

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2007

Visually it has a beautiful coppery and brilliant straw yellow colour with a very fine chain of perlage, continuous and minute; the nose opens up intense and progressive with clear dominant notes of candied citrus and red berries, but also yeast, vanilla and mountain hay. It is subtle and complex. The mouth is wide, offers structure and fattiness, balanced by a vital acidic vein, which results in a creamy and fine effervescence that caresses the palate and speaks of ripe yellow fruit. The finish is long, spicy, progressive, of great character and fades into tones of strawberry tree honey.

2006

Great vintage and great wine. Persuasive and captivating starting from the bright straw colour with the usual antique gold reflections, the nose opens up to complex notes of malt, barley candy and toffee, which fades to notes of alpine butter, licorice and citrus; on the palate it is fleshy, full, broad but also vertical, rich in sapid fruitiness, taut, fresh, one of the best of this label. A captivating ending that Gino Veronelli would have defined as "peacock tail"... The Vertical tasting took place in the presence of Arturo Ziliani (also on the right) on December 15, 2001 at Chorus, in Rome. Marco Sabellico, Gianni Fabrizio, Giuseppe Carrus and Lorenzo Ruggeri participated.

2005

Excellent. The colour is a coppery straw yellow of great youthful brilliance, perlage is comme il faut. On the nose, this vital exuberance translates into vital and intense notes of small fruits, from raspberry to cherry, to currant and blueberry that dynamically turn to citrus peel and spices. The  GAMBERO ROSSO

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BERLUCCHI: THE VERTICAL

mouth is nothing short of majestic, dense and extraordinarily fresh and balanced in creaminess. Powerful, harmonious, progressive and long. Wonderful.

2004

The first vintage is still fresh, vital and clear in its brilliant coppery golden cloak. On the complex and evolved nose, it offers hints of yeast, honey, woody notes and mountain herbs, candied fruit and a touch of spiced bread. On the palate it is delicate, persuasive, soft and enveloping, with a fruit that is still dynamic and vital, a nice acidic backbone that lengthens the persuasive finish. Really surprising for its age... And still far from its sunset.

FRANCIACORTA RISERVA DI FAMIGLIA

2001

This is a cuvée of chardonnay and pinot noir, bottled in magnum, which Arturo set aside in 2001. It was a sort of dress rehearsal of the new course that began with the restructuring of the cellar and the new equipment, to test the effect of new technologies. This was never marketed. A very elegant and fragrant wine, clear in the tones of toasted bread and yeast, savoury, elegant, airy and complex at the same time. It has structure, elegance, fruit, freshness and complexity, and a very long and enveloping finish. Too bad it can't be purchased... What a grand finale!

— Guido Berlucchi & C. Corte Franca (BS) località Borgonato piazza Duranti, 4 030984381 berlucchi.it

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CIRÒ WINE IS BORN BETWEEN THE IONIAN SEA AND THE SILA MASSIF: MIRRORING THE CHARACTER OF CALABRIA Rugged character, gazing to the horizon, between the Ionian Sea and the Sila Massif. Located near Crotone, in the Cirò area, one of the most suitable wine areas in Calabria. For years the wines have been champions of the South, decisive and important, mineral, from grapes that are difficult to tame. The reds with Gaglioppo perform as dominus, of course, but also the rosés and whites. And there are passionate and farsighted winemakers. words by Emiliano Gucci - infographics by Alessandro Naldi

CIRÒ

you look ahead you see the sea, the Ionian Sea, with its placid cadence. If you look back you will find the Sila massif, with its majestic and reassuring profile. But you know that beyond you would find the sea again, this time the Tyrrhenian Sea, and that in the middle the landscape rises and softens, orchestrates rivers, lakes, forests, becomes hard and made of rock as well as of caressing meadows, communicates with the sun and the wind in one of the most beautiful views of Calabria and the whole of Italy. To the north the colony of Sibari, to the south Capo Colonna, to remind us that this is the Crotone of Magna Graecia: in the 8th century BC, settlers who landed in Punta Alice founded Krimisa, today's Cirò, probably borrowing its name from the colony Cremissa, where a temple

dedicated to Bacchus already existed. And this mild, fertile, hospitable area quickly became Enotria, the "land where vines are grown high from the ground," when a vineyard was worth six times a field of grains. It seems that Krimisa wine, the ancestor of the current Cirò, was the official sponsor of the Olympics, while Gaglioppo, the main black grape variety, is the distant mother of several noble European grape varieties. Cirò town is divided between the ancient village on a hill, 350 meters above sea level, and the Marina, with its long golden beaches. Now these are two municipalities in their own right, around which the sub-areas included in the Doc obtained in 1969 take shape, in which the hamlets of Crucoli and Melissa also participate. We speak mostly of structured red wines, scented of cherries and blackberries, from the sea, with 

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1. The spiral vineyard of Tenuta Rosaneti di Librandi (in the background the peaks of the hinterland) 2. The Librandi family, royalty of Calabrian wine 3. The Ceraudo family from Strongoli (KR) where, in addition to the cellar, the Dattilo restaurant also operates In the opening, the Pittaffo estate of the Librandi family (in the background is the sea)

STORIES

spicy and persuasive notes, colour and tannins that are the challenge of every winemaker. And we are also talking about the area with the largest winegrowing density in Calabria, the one with the oldest and most prestigious history, and with the highest number of makers dedicated to excellence, among other things growing in recent years. LIBRANDI, STANDARD BEARERS OF CIRÒ The modern history of Cirò is the history of the Librandi family, which is universally recognized as having believed in and invested in the typology even in less fortunate times. Contributing to its affirmation. The first bottling began in 1953 in a small cellar in Cirò Marina, and the purchase of Tenuta Ponta in 1955, from which

the famous Duca Sanfelice was born; in 1975 the rooms of the majestic cellar were inaugurated in Contrada San Gennaro, on Statale 106, from which today over two million bottles a year are born: the most important production in the region, even more admirable for the average quality expressed. «We started from Gaglioppo, from Greco Bianco, from the alberello training system of a tradition that is also made up of the agricultural culture of our winemakers; we still use Calabrian labour and we want to spread this heritage beyond all borders.» Nicodemo Librandi was and continues to be the standard bearer of Cirò wines, with his sons Paolo and Raffaele he takes care of the company's production as well as marketing, while his grandchildren Teresa and Francesco follow the financial/ administrative aspects as well as hos-

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pitality. «Research has always accompanied tradition, aware that it is the most suitable tool to enhance its value.» Science helps to understand potentials and to interpret them, to be ahead of the times when it comes to introducing new varieties or going back to the old. As it happened in 1998, «by starting an experimental vineyard with 200 native grapes from which clones of Magliocco, Castiglione and Pecorello reemerged,» just to mention those who then redesigned the proposal for the whole area. The Librandi grapes come from their own vineyards and from the Cirò winemakers, a network of suppliers «created with a view towards mutual growth.» And that Gaglioppo grape, considered so tannic, grumpy, and difficult to manage? «Of course you have to know how to educate it, first of all 

CIRÒ

CONTRADA DATTILO, CERAUDO'S CONCRETE DREAM Grafting in the field, grassing, containment of parasites with pheromone traps, care of the soils and of its more underground inhabitants; a land that returns to be alveolar, full of life, kissed by the sea and the sun, cared for by a work group experienced as a family. In the cellar, careful use of technology so as not to compromise the fruit. The IGT wines of Azienda Agricola Ceraudo are elegant, fresh, vibrant, Pecorello Grisara has charm and personality, Imyr is savoury and multifaceted, « among Pope John Paul II's favourites» while Petraro is a juicy blend in red that stimulates the sip. But Roberto's greatest pride are his three children working alongside him, starting with Susy, a graduate in business administration and dedicated to the company's administration, then Giuseppe, production manager «in a perpetual challenge with Gaglioppo,» as he himself says, «for which I see a rosy future in rosé,» of which Grayasusi is the present proof. Last but not least young Caterina, oenologist in Pisa and then chef under Niko Romito's teachings, today at the helm of the Dattilo restaurant with lots of prizes and awards: «Research and simplicity, loyalty to raw materials and centrality of ingredients» with the wine that becomes the «protagonist for the preparation of the dishes.» Her eyes, bright and passionate, her humble but determined gestures are nothing but the mirror of a family that becomes the mirror of a territory. As fascinating as it is shy, and therefore to be discovered.

A territory and a vision, a man, a dream, a winery that embodies its essence. Roberto Ceraudo grew up in the countryside, as a child he played «with hens and lizards, in a natural dimension that strengthens you inside.» When he rewinds the story that brought him this far, he identifies two crucial points above all others: «In 1973, after military service, I received a pat on the back by the bank manager who granted me credit to start the journey.» And in 1987 an accident in the vineyard, «The atomizer broke with consequent pesticide shower: I was hospitalized in intensive care, poisoned, and from there I decided that chemistry would no longer enter Dattilo di Strongoli.» Thus was born the ante litteram organic vocation of a reality honed on the farsightedness of its mentor, in the presence of millenary olive groves (with their trunks/ sculpture of an «open-air museum») and of viticultural systems that investigate the most varied potential of the territory. To fully enjoy this, also excellent hospitality and dining (the kitchen is led by talented Caterina Ceraudo, Roberto's daughter) go to assist the agricultural work in a secluded context, beautiful for the eyes and for the soul, where every element conveys the same message. «We cannot govern nature but only indulge it, and to do so we need to know it, love it. It is always the practice that breaks the grammar,» That is, the actual experience that shows the way.

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STORIES

5 DISHES FOR 5 LABELS, ACCORDING TO LA TAVERNETTA Pietro and Emanuele Lecce, Pietro and Emanuele Lecce, father and son, both cooks (and more) at La Tavernetta in Camigliatello Silano (in the province of Cosenza) guide us in pairing 5 Cirò wines with 5 of their dishes. The restaurant specializes in mushrooms and game and offers cuisine inspired by the surrounding territory.

1 Nascita: porcini, potatoes and truffles ’A Vita rosato ‘20 - ’A Vita Vignaioli a Cirò – Cirò Marina (KR) - avitavini.it From the Gaglioppo grapes of the Fego vineyard, near the sea, a savoury and fruity wine, elegant and structured at the same time, capable of enhancing a dish made up of the first births of autumn: the wild taste of freshly stewed mushrooms, roasting new potatoes; perfect to complement the scent of truffles.

2 Tartare of podolica beef fillet, beets and clotted cream Efeso ‘19 - Librandi - Cirò Marina (KR) - librandi.it Mantonico is grown in the Rosaneti Estate: from these soils rich in sandstone comes a complex, opulent and long-lasting white, animated by aromas of herbs and white fruit that perfectly marries the herbaceous of the Podolica meat and with its sweet notes, dances with lightness with the beetroot.

3 Pappardelle with ragout of venison and radishes Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup. ‘17 - Cataldo Calabretta Cirò Marina (KR) - cataldocalabretta.it After a short maceration on the skins, the Gaglioppo from the hilly vineyards trained as alberello, spontaneously refines in concrete tanks and gives life to a subtle wine, with a strong territorial character that's however complex and elegant: it goes well with the gamey flavour of venison enriched with wild herbs and supporting the acidity and spiciness of the radish well.

4 The undergrowth: porcini, chanterelles and rositi Grayasusi Et. Argento ‘20 - Ceraudo - Strongoli (KR) - ceraudo.it A rosé with a great structure, a wide, bewitching, intense, fragrant, fruity and fresh bouquet. Organic wine, just like the fabulous organic Sila mushrooms born in October. This Gaglioppo fermented in barrique creates a perfect harmony with the toasted cooking methods of the rositi (aka sanguinacci mushrooms), the sweet vapours of the porcini mushrooms, the light and fragrant notes of the chanterelles.

5 Venison and scampi, strawberries and rositi Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup. Ripe del Falco Ris. ‘12 - Ippolito 1845 Cirò Marina (KR) - ippolito1845.it Ripe del Falco is the expression of the long winemaking tradition of the Ippolito family. Ruby colour with garnet reflections due to skillful aging. It is an intense, warm, savoury wine, very fine tannins and a very persistent finish. Charm and austerity support a bold dish like venison cooked on hot embers that marries steamed prawns: here come the sweet notes of withered rose petals alongside grilled rositi mushrooms accompanied by late strawberries, hints of undergrowth and ripe fruit that surround the palate in a single embrace. GAMBERO ROSSO

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4. Workers involved on grafts in the vineyard of the Ippolito 1845 winery (the photo courtesy of the Ippolito Family Archive) 5. The rows of Santa Venere in Cirò (KR) 6. Bunches of Gaglioppo from the Santa Venere winery 7. An overview of the vineyards of the Ceraudo winery

CIRÒ

in the vineyard,» says Nicodemo, while in the cellar the use of barriques is decreasing, to return to brighter, more sincere wines, a mirror of local peculiarities. The aforementioned Duca Sanfelice is an icon of Cirò, a Riserva with an exuberant, rich nose, elegant and well-balanced sip, the older brother of Segno, which is more immediate and snappy. From the wide range we like to mention the Rosaneti, a classic method that precisely with Gaglioppo (sparkling wine in purity, made as rosé) is indicating a new way, fresh and fragrant as it is difficult to find at certain latitudes. IPPOLITO FAMILY SINCE 1845 A date and a surname - Ippolito 1845 - marks an indissoluble bond between a family and its land. With over 175 years of history, the oldest winery in Calabria operates in the centre of Cirò Marina,

drawing on more than 100 hectares of vineyards for an annual production of over one million bottles. Today the fifth generation is at the helm with Gianluca Ippolito, who tells us the story, his brother Vincenzo and his cousin Paolo, «the son of uncle Salvatore, who after the death of our father closed important contracts with large retailers, thanks to the historic moment. We therefore found a winery with a specific inclination, which we soon decided to subvert.» The restructuring took place starting from the vineyards, where a more precise and territorial identity was sought, giving more space for native grape varieties with investment in Pecorello, Calabrese, Greco Nero «which we make as rosé, in Pescanera.» Obviously without neglecting Gaglioppo, that «I find to be an extension of the Calabrian character: initially wary, when it relaxes and

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becomes a close friend.» It is therefore advisable to "sweeten" it in the vineyard, «with a moderate production and good maturation, enhancing its characteristics. We represent an anomaly in the oenological picture of the south, this has to be our strength.» Courage, foresight, knowledge and perception of the market: these are some of the concepts expressed by Gianluca, who has a keen eye to packaging and greatly appreciates «the dialogue between new generations who lead wineries, despite the sterile competitive attribute of the past.» From the vast production of Ippolito 1845 we can mention the 160 year-old Gaglioppo, an indomitable, savoury and balsamic thoroughbred, such as the Cirò Riserva Ripe del Falco, from the selection of the best grapes, or the Colli del Mancuso cru from the namesake suited estate. 

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SANTA VENERE, SPARKLING ORGANIC The Santa Venere estate extends for about 150 hectares with organic vineyards and olive groves surrounded by lush greenery, far from the swarm of humanity, lands that have belonged to the Scala family since 1600. Federico Scala «was president of the Cirovin social cooperative, from which many future Cirò producers later emerged.» He himself took over the helm of the family business in 1960 and marked the change of pace, naming it after the stream that crosses the property. Passed away in 2012, today his son Giuseppe Sala guides the business together with his brother Francesco, «in a growth that has never stopped,» once the cellar reno is over, the next project will be a fine hospitality project. The spasmodic search for quality is accompanied by organic products, primarily for Gaglioppo. A crucial decision was to rely on the experience of oenologist Riccardo Cotarel- 5 la, who was replaced in 2016 by his former collaborator Massimo Bartolini. «Initially it was not easy,» says Giuseppe Sala, «after all this is an anomalous grape variety and the choice of extreme organic was rather laboured. But once the way was identified, the satisfactions were not long in coming.» For Santa Venere there are five types deriving from Gaglioppo, the spearheads are Cirò Riserva Federico Scala, refined in its balsamic character, as well as the classic method SP1 sparkling wine, in what we see to be a new path (undertaken here since 2009) for the whole district. «You are as natural in the vineyard as you are equipped with technology in the cellar, in order to best interpret the fruit and offer it to the market.» Fortunately, the area «has undergone a redemption of notoriety: the days when in order to sell Cirò in the world you had to say 'Italy, Calabria, close to Puglia' are long gone.» 

GAGLIOPPO AND CIRÒ, THE RIACE BRONZES OF CALABRIA WINE We cannot talk about Cirò and its wines without talking about Gaglioppo, a grape variety so intimately linked to its territory that it becomes one with it. Among the main qualities of Gaglioppo is great versatility: from its grapes, depending on how they are treated in the vineyard, it's possible to obtain wines of great quality capable of lasting over time. Its remarkable acidity means that it also lends itself to elegant classic method sparkling wines, or to fresh rosé wines… but it is also suitable for simpler wines, fresh and ready to drink. Gaglioppo has its strength in the generous organoleptic characteristics: in the great acidity, in the noble tannins and - as it ages - in the ability to amplify its already marked balsamic scents. This grape has such a strong, unique and recognizable personality that it has no need to marry others: it is enough to work well in the vineyard taking into account the weather of the vintage, behaving accordingly in the cellar, in the harshest and driest years, for example, it proved better to use larger oak barrels. Cirò and its range thanks to Gaglioppo have enormous potential: I am not thinking only of wine and its market, but also of wine tourism which, in this territory with a Mediterranean climate and an exceptional coastline, can set in motion a virtuous circle capable of growing the entire local economy. I believe that for its millenary and extraordinary history the Gaglioppo and therefore the Cirò must become, like the Riace Bronzes for art, the symbol of winemaking in Calabria. – Riccardo Cotarella, oenologist

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CIRÒ

THE CELLARS AND THE TABLES Cellars

CALABRIA

Tables Santa Venere

Crotone Villaggio Volvito Senatore Vini

Brigante Tenuta del Conte Vulcano Wine

Zito

Librandi Aquila d’Oro Cirò Ippolito dal 1845

Cataldo Calabretta Enotria

Max Trattoria

Cirò Marina Vigneti Vumbaca

‘A Vita Lagust A Casalura Sergio Arcuri Caparra & Siciliani

1 km

Aquarama

Le Monachelle Cirò

Cupone

Cirò Marina

Tenuta Iuzzolini

Torre Melissa

Dattilo La Tavernetta

Ceraudo Strongoli

Il Conte di Melissa

Marina di Strongoli Hyle

Russo & Longo

Caprara

Pian del Lago

Difisella Bocca di Piazza

Da Ercole

Roccabernarda Scandale La Taverna dei Briganti

Soveria Mannelli

Crotone

10 km

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STORIES

HISTORY AND AVANT-GARDE Among the historical realities of absolute importance we find Enotria, founded in 1974 by three local entrepreneurs and still at the centre of a renewal phase that does not disregard the company philosophy of «producing a democratic and accessible wine, a wine for the people.» Caparra & Siciliani, on the other hand, has seen the union of two families with a solid wine history since 1963; today the grapes from the vineyards owned by the partners, extended for over 200 hectares, are pressed in order to present authentic products proud of their tradition. Equally proud are the brothers of Senatore Vini, the fourth generation of winemakers, 40 hectares organically grown with very low yields for a range that, alongside the classics, 

6 7

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CIRÒ

MY LIFE IN THE VINEYARD WITH GAGLIOPPO I have never considered our small winery as a business, but as a life project that began with the love for the vineyard inherited from my father, together with a way of working it that has its roots in a family tradition of generations. I was practically born in the vineyard, I spent my life there. Gaglioppo and territory are an essential combination for me. Someone tells me that I am crazy because I carry out inter-row manually with the hoe, but it's very important to carefully remove the superficial root system without injuring the deeper one, as well as alternating green manure and manure to enrich the soil with plowing in order for it to oxygenate. The Gaglioppo doesn't need to be helped with other vines, for me Cirò is only Gaglioppo, with its many advantages and its defects, the lighter colour for example. I believe that the whole territory is growing and I see that the wines continue to improve year after year, also thanks to the different way of working of the young producers: it is good to try to remain as anchored as possible to tradition, but in well-equipped cellars and confronting themselves with the winemaker. I know how to be a good winemaker, but I also need to interact with someone who has a different experience than mine: this is the only way I can understand if I'm on the right track. Now, after my Zero Rosato 2020 was awarded as Rosé of the Year by Vini d'Italia of Gambero Rosso, I am thinking of a great white from indigenous grape varieties, but also of a white Cirò of Greco grapes only, using clones cultivated in the high hills. – Enzo Sestito, Brigante di Cirò winery

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does not disdain more experimental interpretations. Tenuta Iuzzolini interprets an equally wide range of wines, betraying the various souls of a territory whose versatility we have learned to appreciate. The company HQ also hosts a museum which aims to «safeguard and enhance the peasant cultural heritage.» The winemaking art of the Zito family has a long history, love and dedication in following each stage of the process, this is the recipe for the success of each wine. Last but not least, the Cirò wines by Beppe Vulcano are impressive for the excellent workmanship, of which the Bianco Capo a Frutto, fresh and deliciously savoury, as well as the wines of Brigante, and here mention goes to the Zero Gaglioppo Rosato IGT, Special Award for Best Rosé Wine in Vini d'Italia 2022: zero as the added sul- 

8 TABLES PICKED BY THE VIGNERONS

STORIES

1 La Tavernetta Camigliatello Silano (CS) Campo San Lorenzo, 14 3386177840 – sanlorenzosialberga.it «Emanuele Lecce is one of the most creative chefs in the region, he ranges a lot but at the base he keeps the excellence of the territory, such as Podolica beef and Sila potatoes». 2 Hyle San Giovanni in Fiore (CS) località Torre Garga strada statale 107 Silana-Crotonese 0984970722 – hyleristorante.it «Antonio Biafora works with ingredients from farmers, breeders and small local producers for a journey of excellence between the Ionian Sea and the Sila plateau». 3 Aquila d’Oro Cirò (KR) – s.da Provinciale, 7 3298739190 – 3805957153 «Climbing up to Cirò alta, a green and peaceful setting for tradition with a capital T: genuine vegetables and tasty meats, excellent and abundant appetizers».. 4 Aquarama Cirò Marina (KR) – via Torrenova, 51 3663697676 – aquaramabistrot.it «By the sea, pizza and bistro, kitchen led by young chef Andrea Librandi, who combines his talent honed around Europe with the local Cirò tradition». 5 A Casalura Cirò Marina (KR) – via Roma, 184 3408617774 – acasalura.it «Rely on the Pucci brothers in this delicatessen that serves tables and take-away from the counter. Rotisserie chicken and meatballs, menu on reservation only». 6 Il Conte di Melissa Torre Melissa (KR) strada statale 106 Jonica, km 270 3880581373 – @ ilcontedi.melissa «Products from the garden, fresh fish, meat from animals raised with natural food, splendid sea views and a large selection of wines. Make a reservation». 7 Lagust Cirò Marina (KR) – via C. Battisti, 68 3488441963 – lagust.it «A different place, fresh, welcoming, young, cared for like the dishes and the wide and multifaceted selection of wines. It also sells online». 8 La Taverna dei Briganti Cotronei (KR) – c.da Difisella 0962491979 – latavernadeibriganti.it «Agriturismo farm lodging and educational farm, refreshment point with black pork charcuterie and goat cheeses, homemade pasta courses and  grilled meats».

phites, the selected yeasts, performed filtrations. Fun but «intense like a stormy sea,» from generous lands immersed in Mediterranean scrub.

‘A VITA, A REFRESHING REVOLUTION «I ended up doing what I enjoyed most in life, I just didn't know what it was initially.» Jokes but not too much Francesco de Franco, alongside whom we are going to know a story that will also be collective. He had left the country to study in Florence, «a period of important experience, which I still carry inside,» he was working as an architect in San Marino when he commissioned his father to buy him his first rows in Cirò, «something that happens in every family: if we have two bucks left, we buy a vineyard.» So, once he understood what he wanted to do as a grown-up, he studied viticulture

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8. The vineyard of the Brigante winery that has created the best rosé for Vini d'Italia 2022 with Zero Gaglioppo Rosato '20 label 9. A cluster of Gaglioppo in the vineyards of Ippolito 1845 (photo courtesy of the Ippolito Family Archive)



CIRÒ

and oenology in Conegliano Veneto and then returned to confront Gaglioppo, «with its character, its structure, and its power». The first bottles of 'A Vita, winery run together with his Friulian wife Laura, were released in 2010, when the Cirò Rosso disciplinary still indicated a 5% prerogative of Greco Bianco and Trebbiano Toscano, which have always been present among the rows. «But ours has always been 100% Gaglioppo, to demonstrate that the problems on the market were not due to the grape variety but to a quantity-oriented model, without the right promotion of the varietal characteristics. With balanced vineyards and low yields we were able to offer wines with character, capable of being appreciated in the flattened scene of international taste.» The approach is organic for the eight cultivated hectares «favouring biodiversity with green manure, copper and sulfur to a minimum, spontaneous fermentations with the utmost respect for the vintage.» The start was excellent, then came the revision

OTHER ADDRESSES CHOSEN FROM RISTORANTI D’ITALIA BY GAMBERO ROSSO

of the specification that played hostile music to certain concepts: the use of varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet was introduced, also to compensate for that more subdued colour of Gaglioppo, «we on the other hand intended to respect the colour as well as its tannic, savoury vein,» i.e. the whole of its identity. This is how concerning the first success of 'A Vita, their good, true, juicy, fresh, territorial wines in the purified sense of the term, other small wineries began to be born or grow, evolve, sharing ideas and philosophy, perspectives, starting to «confront each other to obtain the best results, but also to counter this affront to our cultural identity.» These are the types that were then baptized Cirò Boys, then Cirò Revolution, nothing more than a handful of winemakers in love with their land, traditions, pure Gaglioppo with zero chemistry, «where being a farmer takes on social value.» And this group without statute, without a house if not the neighbour's vine- 

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Max Trattoria Cirò Marina (KR) – via Pola, 63 0962373009trattoriamax.it Offers good seafood cuisine based on daily catch. The proposal expands with pizzas, tasty and well stretched, baked in a wood-fired oven. Regional wine cellar and beyond. Da Ercole Crotone – viale A. Gramsci, 122 0962901425 – ristorantedaercole.com A beautiful landing on the seafront, where you can find unequivocally excellent fish cuisine by Ercole Villirillo, attentive service and a clean and welcoming environment. Everything, from the selection to the combination of ingredients up to the final dish, is studied in detail. Dattilo Strongoli (KR) località Marina c.da Dattilo 0962865613 – dattilo.it Thanks to the vocation and talent of Caterina Ceraudo, this restaurant is one of the most sought-after gourmet destinations in southern Italy. The menu reveals an approach towards the essential, supported by firstrate ingredients, many of which are homegrown. Well stocked cellar. Possibility to stay overnight.

STORIES

10. Francesco De Franco and his wife Laura, owners of the 'A Vita winery in Cirò Marina (KR) 11. Mariangela Parrilla, owner of the Tenuta del Conte in Cirò Marina (KR) 12. A grapevine among the rows of Vigneti Vumbaca, one of the youngest realities on the scene

yard, became an opportunity for the whole territory, a contagious rebirth that polarized attention, words, recognition, spurring new winemakers to take the path. The standard bearer in red of 'A Vita is the Cirò Classico Superiore Riserva, rough and vigorous, very tasty; while the surprise is the rosé of the Fego vineyard, close to the sea, savoury and vibrant beyond the pleasure of the fruit, because «the true revolution of Gaglioppo will be expressed in rosé, breaking down the latest prejudices of the market.» TENUTA DEL CONTE AND THE OTHER “REVOLUTIONARIES” In this lively and interesting scene, alongside Francesco De Franco Sergio Arcuri immediately followed in his steps, from 2009 to transform the

family business founded in 1880, a few hectares for organic wines, pure but precise, without tricks or compromises, made in concrete palmento millstones. Cataldo Calabretta had also taken the northern route before returning to lead the vineyards of his grandparents; on his labels stands the "arciglione," an ancient pruning tool that «more than anything else represents the centuries-old tradition of Cirò winemaking, a symbol of the great competence of local winemakers.» Know-how: another priceless wealth to safeguard. Mariangela Parrilla, on the other hand, is the leader of Tenuta del Conte, another family business, for which she found herself promoting wines that she discovered no longer represented her, «They no longer excited me.» It was 2011 when she obtained the consent from her parents leading her to over-

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turn everything, «learning on my own, making mistakes several times, growing together with my wines,» and returning to embrace tradition, faithful to the mantra of territorial expression. Fifteen hectares including the difficult challenge with Gaglioppo, «faced headon, without thinking too much about the consequences,» like her customers which needed to be reinvented. Continuous experimentation lead to ever new, joyful wines, faithful to the vintage, such as the red Dalla Terra that conveys all the power of Cirò, while the Mani Contadine rosé is a window between past and future, «Cirò as it was once made and how we must go back to making.» Among the younger realities we point out the excellent results of Vigneti Vumbaca, «Vineyards in our name because wine is made above all in the vineyard.» Christian, who had been in 

THE BEST LABELS ACCORDING TO VINI D’ITALIA 2022

CIRÒ

 Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup. ‘19 – Vumbaca

@VignetiVumbaca

 Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup.

Duca San Felice Ris. ‘19 – Librandi librandi.it

 Zero Gaglioppo Rosato ‘20

Brigante vinocirobrigante.it

 Grisara Pecorello ’20 – Ceraudo ceraudo.it

 Cirò Bianco Capo a Frutto ‘19

Vulcano Wine vulcanowine.com

 Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup.

Federico Scala Ris. ‘19 – Santa Venere santavenere.com

 Cirò Rosso Cl. Sup.

Ripe del Falco Ris. ‘13 – Ippolito 1845 ippolito1845.it

 Gravello ’19 – Librandi

librandi.it

 Ois Pecorello ’19 – Russo & Longo

russoelongo.it

Rome for many years to study and work in the legal field, would often return to Cirò «for the harvest and for the most important work to be done,» until in 2019 he gave up everything and returned for good to revolutionize the family business, «starting to make wine and bottle it following my passion.» Three Cirò labels, «brands in which I believe a lot,» including a red from old alberello vineyards for a well-ripened Gaglioppo fruit, worked «with white gloves» and tamed only in appearance: its character remains alive rustic, anarchic, yet soft and generous when defenses are lowered and souls come out into the open. After all, we understand it now, we are talking about a wine that is really the extension, if not the mirror, of the authentic and ineffable character of this 12 fascinating corner of Calabria. 

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THE LIFE OF VENICE LINKED TO ITS MARKETS FOOD STORIES AND CHARACTERS TO DISCOVER ON TIPTOE Venice is a strange world, a city suspended between sea and land. It seems that it is precisely the markets that act as a hinge to these two souls, marking an identity profile of a world that's difficult to synthesize and to define. Here work, fishermen, farmers, cooks, hosts... all protagonists of a great show that takes place around unique monuments of art and history and to the rhythm of the vital pulse of a magical place called Venice...

words by Chiara Spadaro – photos by Paolo Della Corte

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VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

“V

enezia è viva” i.e. Venice is alive. A white flag bearing black capital letters flies over the heads of citizens shopping at the Rialto fish market. If you stop for a moment and pay attention - among the cackle of seagulls, voices of fishmongers and customers, and the noise of the trolley wheels on the pavement - in the lower part of the white flag you can also read a smaller, handwritten note which adds: "And is asking for help." This is the appeal of this iconic place in the historic centre of Venice, the Rialto market - a space that has always been dedicated to trade and where we still find, every day, fish, fruit and vegetables -, to those who frequent it every day, to those who visit for a day and also to those who look at it from afar, in a postcard.

Liana Levi was among the first to welcome it: French publisher who knows Venice well, after observing the flag at the market, she decided to publish a book with the same title "Venice is alive. And is asking for help" (Editions Liana Levi, 2021, by Donatella Calabi), the proceeds of which are donated to the "Progetto Rialto" association. THE RIALTO FLAG «The Rialto market is in trouble, similar to other Italian and European markets,» observes President of the association, Donatella Calabi, former professor of "History of the city" at the University of Architecture in Venice (IUAV). «The reasons are not to be attributed only to the fact that Venice is losing its resident population, but to the changes in commercial habits and the competition posed by supermarkets now widespread in all the

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sestieri (the city's six districts, Ed).» "Progetto Rialto" is an association founded in 2019 which today has 130 members. «We have collected 5,000 signatures to safeguard the Rialto market which is still a lively market, with a good number of small active sellers, but which has too many empty stands.» For its relaunch, Progetto Rialto looks to other experiences of "virtuous" European markets - such as London, Paris, Antwerp, but also Bologna - with the aim of resuming the «multifunctional role of the market in Venice,» focusing on product quality and on a diversified proposal. «I am thinking of the possibility of eating or offering dishes for take-out, of cultural and workshop proposals, also aimed at the youngest who study in our university here - explains Calabi. But also to the revitalization of unused spaces, such as the second floor of the fish market, which 

STORIES

POEM FOR RIALTO I remember the Rialto Market thirty years ago immersed in the fog, that thick and white fog that today no longer covers Venice but which then was a thick blanket over all things: I remember that I sometimes met poet Mario Stefani, whom I did not know at the time, and he was enormously sympathetic and nostalgic. So, I associate with his face the Rialto market of that time, the expression of sympathy mixed with nostalgia, as if something was no longer there. And today Mario Stefani is no longer with us, but luckily there are his books to accompany us through the labyrinths of the city. I shop at the boat IN THE MARKETS OF VENICE of San Barnaba and in Campo Santa Margherita In the markets of Venice for fish, in Rialto, the zeon very early in the morning Km market in Santa Marta, while arranging stalls and sometimes the one in via sweeping the "masegni" you can see Garibaldi, the one in Githe first caregivers with shopping bags udecca too, I always go old ladies with trolley carts there coming back from attentive cooks the swimming pool; on voracious seagulls foot and with a trolley cart curious passersby and filled with empty bags, the here they are, here they are silhouettes return is often a bit on foot stealthy silhouettes and a bit by boat because with out of fashion clothes, of the weights. I present to are the ones who, when asked by you an unpublished poem St. Peter, they replied of mine dedicated to the Venice, I choose Venice. Venetian markets... – Anna Toscano, poet and Look closely, that white lock of hair docent at Ca’ Foscari it's Susan Sontag and the jacket, the checkered jacket is Brodsky the red wool scarf, worn windswept, on the other hand, is Mario Stefani: not even in death he wanted to leave here; and see, see that cloak peeking out from behind the column it's Mario Fortuny, gloomy and angry for the fate of his dwelling; Diego Valeri is the one with the notebook and newspaper under arm, he seems to be writing a city guide from beyond the tomb; and he, who walks almost hopping freed from years of helplessness, is Daniele Del Giudice. Here the story and the people come and stay, we keep it all together, close, with octopus tentacles.

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could be used to tell the story of Venice in international trade or to organize panels, book presentations, exhibitions and cooking courses.» And with a space also dedicated to crafts - for example in the Fabbriche Nuove del Sansovino, which line the curve of the Grand Canal - «for a market that knows how to combine culinary and cultural proposals, quality and unique food and artisan products.» To make the ideas known, the association created a video column "From the market stand to the table. Folk recipes of the Lagoon," born from an idea of Andrea Vio, who sells fish in Rialto. «We believe that the protection and relaunch of the market cannot ignore the relationship between the stands, with traditional local products, and the dishes we bring to our tables,» explains Vio who, starting from his experience and the skills transmitted by his fishmonger grandfather, in

VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

8 BEST BITES

1 Bigoli in salsa Aka pasta with sardines

2 Baccalà mantecato Traditionally served on a slice of bread or polenta

3 Sarde in saor Fried, with onions

4 Moeche Typical crabs of the Venetian coast

5 Bussolà Typical cookie from the island of Burano, donut-shaped

6 these videos tells his wife Daniela how to use the most common products of the Venetian estuary, from spaghetti with peoci (mussels) to risotto with caparossoli (clams) to boiled mantis shrimp, avoiding food waste and thus discovering a living and sustainable lagoon. An attention that the Serenissima also had, which at the entrance to the "retail fish market" of Rialto had once placed a marble plaque with "minimum lengths allowed for the sale of fish" that is still visible in the Campo de la Pescaria. THE FISH MARKET: LA PESCARIA The Vio brothers, originally from Burano - an island in the North Lagoon home to an important fishing community - have been running the market stand at Rialto for three generations: they opened the business in 1954.

«Before we were all fishermen, then we started in the fish trade,» says Samuele Vio between serving customers, the neon lights and fishing nets hanging above his head, his hands in the ice on the stand, choosing the best fish. In the morning the fish arrives here from the Tronchetto wholesale market (immediately beyond the Ponte della Libertà which connects Venice to the mainland), «where the catch of the Venice Lagoon, Caorle and a little from around the world is delivered, to according to season.» According to Samuele, the taste of consumers has changed over time: «Once local products were appreciated more, even small and whole; now we eat a lot of raw fish and consumers ask us for fish that's already sold filleted.» Erminio Zane, known as Nino, was also born in Burano and his family has had a market stand for 52 years. «I 

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Castraure The violet artichokes typical of the island of Sant’Erasmo

7 Castradina Mutton cooked in a cabbage soup, the traditional dish for the Feast of the Madonna della Salute, on November 21st

8 Cicchetti With one (or more) “ombre” (small glasses) of wine, typical bacaro fare

STORIES

THE CHIOGGIA FISH MARKET «In Chioggia we used to eat fish six days a week. And instead back then, whoever had money, ate meat.» With its nearly 50,000 inhabitants, Chioggia is the southernmost part of the Venice Lagoon. Chioggia also has its retail fish market: it can be recognized by the "portale a Prisca" sculpted by Amleto Sartori, located between the shoulders of Palazzo Granaio - one of the oldest Gothic buildings in the city - and canal Vena. The fish arrives at night at the wholesale market - an important market, inaugurated in 1960 on the island of Cantieri it is then purchased by fishmongers who sell it during the morning at the market along the Vena canal. About forty fishmonger stalls are open every day from early morning until lunchtime. The opening hours are not precise: «Rush hour is from 8.30 am, but we are there even earlier. Someone comes to get fish at 7, before going to work,» says Roberto Zennaro from his stand. He has been working as a fishmonger for 40 years, first as an employee and for 23 years with his own stall. Now that fishing has reopened, there are local products such as sole, cod, mackerel or mullet. «The majority are wild caught in the sea. There is also fishing in the lagoon, but it was once richer. And when there is no local fish, we buy it from abroad or frozen.»

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VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

used to fish, now I dedicate myself to the market sales,» he says and still emphasizes the importance of the seasonal nature of lagoon fish: autumn is the best season to find local fish, but «there used to be much more of it. Now it comes from outside, different fish that cost less, but of good quality.» In front of his stand there is another fish shop, owned by Paolo Zane who has been here since 2019 and before, for thirty years, he worked as a partner in another stand. «We work with some restaurants, such as Glam (owned by Enrico Bartolini, Ed) and Antiche Carampane, and with the locals - even if they are few. There are hardly any Venetians in Venice any more,» he sighs, adding that tourists often come here to do their shopping. Zane works with trusted fishermen who in season procure products from the Lagoon: «Cuttlefish, moeche (crabs

in the moult phase, Ed), acquadelle (silversides, Ed), go (gobies, Ed)... We'd feed “go” to cats when I was little. There were so many, but now they are hard to find and cost much more (18 euros per kilo, in August 2021, Ed.).» It is just a small example of the transformation of an entire ecosystem: «The fish are disappearing: we'd catch Lagoon shrimp with butterfly nets directly from the banks. As kids we used to catch them to fish for cuttlefish, now they are gone - he continues - Other fish weren't a thing, and now they've have arrived in recent years, such as blue crab: it is an Asian crab that probably arrived with freight ships. We sell it, it looks like a spider crab. But also bluefish or lissa (leccia, Ed): they were rare and are now often available». And with the changing of the fish in the Lagoon, the salesman's job is also changing. We find it hard to imagine a future, espe-

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cially due to the lack of intergenerational turnover. AGRICULTURAL VENICE: WHEN RESTAURATEURS GO TO THE VEGETABLE GARDEN It is perhaps in a more agricultural Venice that this change can be found, with new young people who in recent years have decided to start new businesses. Like Tommaso Scocco, who at 27 made headlines for having opened two fruit and vegetable stands at the Rialto market in spring 2021. Or Davide Tozzato, a thirty-five-year-old gardener and Slow Food citizen trustee. «Venice is not a gastronomic destination, but we believe that agriculture on the lagoon islands and biodiversity in the field can be enhanced by giving inhabitants and restaurants fresh vegetables, with just a few steps,» says Tozzato. He also collab- 

STORIES

orates with the Laguna nel Bicchiere association, which recovers abandoned vineyards on the islands, collects the grapes and transforms them into wine in the former Camaldolese monastery on the island of San Michele - since May 2021 he has been cultivating with Mario Saviolo, 21 years, a vegetable garden on the island of Sant'Erasmo on behalf of a network of Venetian restaurateurs: this is the Osti in Orto project. Twelve restaurants and a distributor (Rialto Frutta) have made a collective investment to start a production on land that until the early Nineties was a «circular business integrated into the community, with vineyards and orchards, where people went to get fresh milk,» as Cesare Benelli tells us, one of the promoters of the project and owner of the Al Covo restaurant, of the hospitality association Ristoranti della 

FLORAL MURANO AND THE GARDEN OF ANGELS Hidden among the popular vegetable gardens of the island of Murano, there is one that flourished during the pandemic. It is Orto degli Angeli i.e. the Garden of Angels, cultivated by two workers hailing from the cultural world, Chiara Picardi and Giovanni Pancino. He has been cultivating the garden for four years on land that was previously abandoned and Chiara began sowing flowers in autumn 2020, «when we set up a small greenhouse,» she says. In order to live with Giovanni's natural garden, which needs crop rotation, Chiara - who works at the Cini Foundation in Venice - has dedicated herself to planting cutting flowers (as well as aromatic herbs). «These are very different from a regular garden and very demanding: plants must be cut constantly, otherwise they go to seed». Among dandelions, Daucus carota dara, amaranths and Scabiose, Chiara smiles: «Before the pandemic I only had a houseplant, Pothos on a shelf in the house.» Of the non-perennials, she keeps the seeds to replant from year to year and thus collects flowers to give as gifts. «In this corner of land that until recently was uncultivated, today mothers pass by to teach their children the names of flowers.»

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VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

THE VEGETABLE GARDENS AND THE KITCHEN OF VENISSA Reached by boat immersed in silence and magical atmospheres. Here, at Venissa on the island of Mazzorbo, young chefs Chiara Pavan and Francesco Brutto create a cuisine that they themselves define as "environmental," which works on containing waste and aims to make the most of the soil's resources. There are so many ideas that we can say the cuisine verges on the edge of avant-garde. The dishes exhibit seasonal ingredients and proximity, with vegetables and herbs grown in the gardens by the local elders, fresh fish from the lagoon, exploration of fermentation and acidity. There is also an osteria, with traditional dishes, and excellent wines. Romantic rooms both on site and in Burano.

Venissa - Isola di Mazzorbo fondamenta Santa Caterina, 3 0415272281 - venissa.it

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Buona Accoglienza, founded in 1992 to enhance the Venetian gastronomic culture and the products of the lagoon. THE SPRING PROVIDED BY THE PANDEMIC The idea of "restaurateurs in the garden" came during the pandemic, at that time when «we imagined a different future for our city» as Benelli says standing in front of his small vegetable garden in Sant'Erasmo. The idea was immediately shared by a fine group of restaurateurs (in addition to Al Covo, in Venice: Da Rioba, Riviera, Testiere, Trattoria Vittoria da Aldo, Marciano and Marcianino, Vini da Gigio, Antiche Carampane, Trattoria Anzolo Raffaele, Covino, Trattoria da Ignazio; in Jesolo: Da Guido). In mid-May 2021 they signed the contract for the recovery of 3.5 hectares, and in this first phase

STORIES

of the project, approximately 6,000 square meters have already been put back into production, with the aim of achieving organic certification. «It's a start. Now we divide among ourselves a small amount of vegetables: about ten kilos twice a week. Last summer we had an extra production of cucumbers: cut and seasoned, they became new cicchetti that, accompanied by their history, excited those who tasted them.» A public road passes between the two sides of the garden, where large greenhouses have been erected. «People who were used to seeing only brambles here have noticed the change and stop to ask for information,» adds Davide Tozzato, working on transplants. Here there is sandy soil, good for artichokes - one of the island's specialties - «from next spring we will also have a chicken coop, in collaboration with the Uova di montagna

project» he says. The idea is to bring 250 Livorno laying hens to Sant'Erasmo together with thirty-something Giovanni Tava and Mattia Cristoforetti, of the company founded in 2016 in Mori (TN) «to produce the best possible eggs, thus guaranteeing the highest standards of well-being for the hens,» to then distribute the eggs to Venetian restaurateurs. Meanwhile, the boxes of "Osti in orto" produce are transported at night to the wholesale market in Tronchetto and from there the vegetables are divided among the members. But with a little luck you can also find some surplus at the Rialto market, in the Rialto Frutta stand in Campo Bella Vienna. SHORT SUPPLY CHAIN AND SOLIDARITY MARKETS «There is this idea that Venice has everything, but nothing grows here – observes

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Venetian writer Giovanni Montanaro – but it is not true. Historically, the islands have nourished Venice, which still retains this farming soul, always looking for a balance with her lagoon.» And for those who cannot go to the market, the vegetables of Sant'Erasmo – the island that has always been dedicated to agriculture - can also be received directly thanks to the delivery service of I sapori di Sant’Erasmo, of brothers Carlo and Claudio Finotello. By subscribing on the farm's website, you can order groceries, which are delivered on Wednesdays and Fridays in the historic centre of Venice and on the islands of Lido and Giudecca. In fact, since 2007, the company has specialized in direct sales to Venetian families. «Today we also deliver to many young people: in recent years we have seen a growing awareness of buying healthy products 

VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

with a short supply chain,» says Carlo Finotello, who is also President of the Consortium of the violet artichoke of Sant’Erasmo. «We consider ourselves producers and not sellers – he underlines – we give priority to sowing, transplanting and other work in the field. Therefore we produce vegetables only for direct sale and for a few restaurateurs. We only sell our products and a few other products from the island» such as the wines of the local companies Orto di Venezia and La vigna del mar. There are also those who come from the mainland to make deliveries in the lagoon: Federico Mantovan of the Donna Gnora di Noale (in the Venetian hinterland) delivers vegetables, grown naturally, rowing in the historic centre of Venice on Wednesdays, making also a stop on the Giudecca island. Transport, in Venice, is a crucial and very delicate issue: «Once I heard a lady complaining to a vegetable stand because the courgettes were a little stained. The

greengrocer replied very sincerely: 'I know, madam, it's winter and even if we treat them as if they were our sisters - putting on a blanket for the boat transport - the cold has this effect'», says activist Jane Da Mosto, of the We Are Here Venice association. And in a city where one moves only on foot or by boat, the expenses are usually smaller, daily. An exercise in relationships «built on serialized dialogue with salespeople, with which, one minute today and one tomorrow, at the end of the year we collect hours of conversation in which we talk about a little personal life and exchange ideas,» as told by Enrico Bettinello, curator and teacher at Ca' Foscari, music expert - who suggests accompanying the visit to the market with the notes of “Black Market” by Weather Report. On the way out you go to the market «on foot with a trolley cart filled with empty bags,» as the poetess and writer Anna Toscano tells us: she at the Rialto Market of «thirty years ago immersed in the 

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The photos by Paolo Della Corte were taken at the Rialto market, except those on page 114, taken at the Chioggia market; page 117, at the Orto degli Angeli of Chiara Picardi and Giovanni Pancino; and page 121, in the farm I sapori di Sant’Erasmo owned by the brothers Carlo and Claudio Finotello

VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

MY SERIALIZED DIALOGUES IN THE MARKETS I am fortunate to live a few minutes from the Rialto market and therefore for me entering that world is an almost daily activity, built on "serial" dialogue with the sellers, with whom, one minute today and one tomorrow, in the end of the year we collect hours of conversation in which we tell each other a bit of personal life and share a few ideas. Rialto is the market I frequent the most due to its proximity and variety. If I can, I tend to buy things day by day trying - as much as possible - to find seasonal and local produce. I hardly ever use the trolley in Rialto, at most a bag that I bring from home (when I remember), while I sometimes use the trolley to go shopping in Santa Marta, at the Farmers' Market on Mondays. The latter is a separate microcosm made up of ladies, students, young and old, mothers who form huddles to talk about their children's school, friends who tell each other about the weekend benders... The prices are a little more affordable than in Rialto and direct affection is created with one stand or the other. I suggest a piece of music to accompany the visit: Black Market by Weather Report, lively and out of date as befits the theme. – Enrico Bettinello, writer and docent at Ca’ Foscari

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fog, that thick and white fog that today no longer covers Venice» associates the face of the poet Mario Stefani, «which is no longer with us, but luckily there are his books to accompany us in the labyrinths of the city.» But in the labyrinths of the Venetian markets you can get lost beyond Rialto: in addition to the deliveries of fresh vegetables directly in the fields of the historic centre and the CSA buying groups active in the Lagoon (such as Veneziano Gas), the AEres association's market - Venezia per l'AltraEconomia is the right place for those looking for fair trade products. On Thursday morning, in Rio Terà dei Pensieri, in addition to natural products, including bread with made with sourdough starter, organic eggs and seasonal salads, in this market there is also a "street tailor" that carries 

STORIES

ADDRESSES VENETO

Neighbourhood markets Daily markets Bacari Rialto Produce Market

Rialto Fish Market MURANO

Cantina Do Spade Cimitero di San Michele

CANNAREGIO

All’Arco

Ghetto Ebraico

Cantina do Mori

Bancogiro Al Pesador

SANTA CROCE Ponte di Rialto

SAN POLO

CASTELLO

DORSODURO

SAN MARCO Palazzo Grassi

Palazzo Ducale

Arsenale

I’ Bacaro de’ Bischeri Punta della Dogana Giardini della Biennale Rio Terà San Leonardo GIUDECCA

Rio Terà San Leonardo

Farmers’ Market Giudecca women's correctional facility market

Rio Terà San Leonardo Mercato dell’Altreconomia di AERes

LIDO

500 m

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VENICE AND ITS MARKETS

ADDRESSES Neighbourhood markets  Rialto Produce Market

San Polo, Casaria, Campo de la Pescheria (Mon-Sat)  Rialto Fish Market

San Polo, Campo de le Becarie (Mon-Sat)  Farmers’ Market

Santa Marta, Calle Longhi (Monday morning)  Mercato dell’Altreconomia

di AERes

Rio Terà dei Pensieri (Thursday morning)  Giudecca women's

correctional facility market Fondamenta delle Convertite, Giudecca 712 (Thursday morning)

Daily markets:  Rio Terà San Leonardo

via Garibaldi, Campo Santa Margherita, Sacca Fisola (Giudecca – Friday morning only)

out express repairs and fabric masks. From June 2021 the AEres market has also found space in Mestre, on Saturday morning, in the welcoming cloister of the Museo del '900 (M9), as part of the "InChiostro di relazioni" project, promoted by the Venice Foundation with AEres and HiVe-M9. The goal of this experience is «to promote solidarity efforts, critical consumption and a form of economy that is more attentive to the environment and people, but also to promote social regeneration through relationships - as Massimo Renno, president of AEres explains. We do it in a peripheral space, but with a high symbolic value, an important cultural reality for the Venetian mainland: the collaboration between local reali-

ties engaged in different areas is essential for the success of markets like this.» Here too it's possible to find organic food products, such as bread from "El forno a legno" in Mira (VE), organic cheese from "La casara dei boracia" (produced in Selva di Progno, in the Verona area) or vegetables from the farming cooperative "el Tamiso" in Padua, but also ethical and secondhand fashion garments, and - in synergy with the Municipality of Venice and Ulss3 Serenissima - workshops involving young people in situations of fragility and social disadvantage. For a market capable of connecting the lagoon and the mainland, agriculture and crafts, citizens and tourists - that welcomes everyone. 

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4 BACARI CONNECTED TO MARKETS If you haven't done your grocery shopping at the market and then gone into the kitchen, in Campo San Giacometto, in Rialto, there are several bacari where you can stop for a nibble with a "ombra de vin" (a glass of wine), or for a plate of food. Choose among these: Bancogiro (www. osteriabancogiro.it) and Al Pesador (www.alpesador.it) get their ingredients from the market. I’ Bacaro de' Bischeri (Ruga dei Oresi, 57) brings Tuscan flavours to Venice, with a range of stuffed flatbreads. Also in the area, you can get a sandwich at Cantina do Mori (Calle Do Mori, 429) or chicchetti at bar All’Arco (calle Arco, 436), and then stop for proper lunch at Cantina Do Spade (Calle Do Spade, 859).

RECIPES

OSTERIA OPHIS TERRITORY AT FULL THROTTLE WHERE Offida (AP) corso Serpente Aureo, 54b 0736889920 - osteriaophis.com POINTS IN THE 2022 GUIDE THE TEAM Daniele Citeroni Maurizi is at the helm of a team of eight people, all young, divided between the venue and the #labophis, that is the bakery where they prepare all the goodness derived from flour, equipped with some tables for enjoying aperitifs with the bread. Everyone is responsible for their own sector or their own line, all together towards a single direction, which has always been contemporary and quality restaurant dining. THE PRODUCTS Since the beginning, the Osteria has collaborated with producers in the area, today they are 28 to be exact, distributed between the province and the rest of the territory, with particular attention to vegetables that have a fundamental role in the kitchen, then moving on to extra virgin olive oil, flours for bread and fresh pasta, up to grass fed meats, protagonists of many traditional dishes from Piceno. Latest news, their own herb garden #leterrediscé. DISHES OF NOTE According to the season, croissants and cappuccino are served in savoury versions, "incaciati di Carnevale" ravioli, risotto with orange, olives and fennel salad; rabbit in porchetta with mixed salad, chicken "ngip ngiap" (Sunday dish), and the local "funghetto offidano", a sweet made with green anise from Castignano.

PASTA WITH OUR HARVEST INGREDIENTS FOR 6 SERVINGS 400 g “pennottine” pasta by Verrigni 300 g wild Swiss chard 100 g wild herbs (chicory, borage, caccialepri, mustard greens...) 60 g extra virgin olive oil 50 g assorted herbs and blooms (marjoram, oregano, thyme, honeysuckle flowers, cicerchia and wild garlic) 50 g spring onion Ginger root, grated Salt and pepper

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For the sauce, sauté the julienned onion and the coarsely chopped chard in a saucepan with a part of the olive oil, seasoning with salt and pepper, then remove from the heat, rest covered for 5 minutes, then proceed to make an extract, pour it into pan with the remaining oil and set aside. Put the water on the stove, when it boils, add salt and cook the pasta. In the meantime, prepare the aromatic mixture, flowers and wild herbs, preferring the smaller and more tender ones, wash them well, dry them and keep aside. Drain the pasta and whisk it in the chard extract with some of the pasta cooking water, add the grated fresh ginger, then mix again and serve, complete with a bunch of raw salad on top, so that each forkful will have one accent different from the other.

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2022

RECIPES – OSTERIA OPHIS

by Clara Barra - photos by Bianca Pasquini/Eatlab, Irislab

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CHARTS

WORLD WINES Foreign labels tasted, explained and evaluated by the Gambero Rosso wine tasters by Marco Sabellico, Gianni Fabrizio, Giuseppe Carrus, Lorenzo Ruggeri, William Pregentelli

AYALA – Champagne Brut Nature Champagne, France champagne-ayala.com euro 54.00 Distributed by Meregalli

The maison, which can count on very ancient history that has its roots in the mid19th century, today belongs to the Bollinger Group. We are in Aÿ, in the heart of Champagne; the more than 80 hectares of the maison supply the grapes used to create the house cuvées, without having to resort to external contributions. From here come the chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot meunier that give life to the Brut Nature we tasted: the nose shows ripe notes of hazelnut and apple, tinged with herbaceous sensations. The bubbles are thin and creamy, consistent with the olfactory profile.

CHÂTEAU DE LA TOUR DE L’ANGE – Beaujolais-Village 2018 Burgundy, France euro 12.00 Distributed by Premium Wine Selection

Located in Davayé, in the southern quadrant of Burgundy, where Sébastien Collonge leads his estate of about 40 hectares following the principles of eco-sustainable viticulture. The company vineyards insist on the communes of Charnay-Les-Macons, Vergisson, Chasselas, Leynes, Pruzilly and Juliénas. The vines are located on clayey-limestone soils for the white wines and granite for the reds. We tasted a delicious Beaujolais-Village of 2018, immediate in the aromas of small red fruits, clear, with a linear and simple mouth in which the fruity suggestions return; the pleasantness of the sip in the finish becomes intriguing thanks to a fine spicy and savoury sensation.

CHÂTEAU DE VILLENEUVE – Saumur Champigny 2018 Loire, France chateau-devilleneuve.com euro 20.00 Distributed by Sarzi Amadè

Owned by the Chevalier family since 1969, the company extends over 25 hectares of vineyards, cultivated under organic farming, in which the protagonists are chenin blanc and cabernet franc, the vines that give life to the Aoc Saumur Blanc and Saumur Champigny. The 2018 version of the latter represents the base of the qualitaty pyramid of the company reds: very varietal in the tones of freshly cut grass, sweet pepper and green pepper that surround the aromas of small black fruits. It has a linear palate, with subtle tannins, all played on smoothness.

DISZNÓKÖ – Tokaj Aszù 5 Puttonyos 2010 Tokaj-Hegyalja, Hungary euro 48.00 Distributed by Vino & Design

The company, with a centuries-old history, began a new course in 1992 when it was acquired by the Axa-Millésimes group, which renovated the vineyards and made investments for the modernisation of the structures. We were fascinated by the aromatic and gustatory persuasion of Tokaj Aszù 5 Puttonyos ‘10: honey, candied citron, dehydrated apricot, raisins, saffron, cumin, cinnamon all blend elegantly anticipating a mouth with calibrated sweetness, perfectly harmonized by a fresh citrus sensation reminiscent of orange blossom and mandarin. A definite must.

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WORLD WINES

DOMAINE AUX MOINES – Savennières Roche aux Moines 2016 Loira, France domaine-auxmoines.com Distributed by Vino&Design

The monks referred to in the name of the winery are those who in the Middle Ages were already doing their utmost to cultivate grapevines in the Savonnières area. In 1981 it was Monique Laroche who took up the inheritance while her daughter Tessa currently runs the company, which relies on an organic farming basis. Roche aux Moines ‘16 is a pure Chenin Blanc of extraordinary finesse; rocks and hints of hydrocarbons come together in an almost smoky suggestion that soon turns to candied citron, cardamom, green hazelnut, yellow flowers and pollen. Multifaceted in its aromas, it vibrates with acidity and freshness, on a mineral and chalky background.

DOMAINE BOUSQUET – Valle de Uco-Mendoza Gran-Malbec 2018 Mendoza, Argentina euro 25.00 Distributed by Pellegrini

As the name of the Domaine suggests, the company was founded by a French winegrower, Jean Bousquet, third generation of winemakers from Carcassonne, Languedoc, who in 1990 decided to start producing wine in Argentina. He located a plot in the Valle de Uco, in the Mendoza area and there he started his new adventure. Plum, aromatic herbs, laurel, rosemary and juniper berries draw the aromatic profile of Gran-Malbec 2018, characterised by a compact, intense mouth, with a good tannic, material grip.

DOMAINE DU CROS – Marcillac Lo Sang del Paÿs 2018 Occitania, France domaine-du-cros.com euro 15.00 Distributed by Les Caves de Pyrene

Beyond the usual French wine routes, there are some often unexplored territories, such as Aveyron, in Occitania, in south western France where Domaine du Cros is located. Aoc Marcillac is produced exclusively as the most cultivated grape with fer servadou, locally also called mansois, genetically related to carménère. Lo Sang del Paÿs ‘18 is very reminiscent of it, especially in the evident herbaceous nuance and vague blood sensations and black pepper. Vegetable veins also characterise the rustic palate, simple, with tannins and good grip, perfectly consistent with the aromatic profile.

DOMAINE GAUBY – Muntada 2018 Roussillon, France domainegauby.fr euro 105.00 Distributed by Teatro del Vino

Calce is a very small town close to the Eastern Pyrenees. Since the mid-1980s it’s the nerve centre of the winery founded by Gérard Gauby. The vineyard hectares are about 45, initially organic farming and currently following the indications of biodynamics. In the cellar the process does not use any type of external agent and fermentations are done exclusively with native yeasts. Muntada ‘18 is a blend of grenache and carignan with spicy and iodized features on the nose, at the same time also balsamic, intense and multifaceted: black fruits, rosemary and green pepper open the way to a mouth with dense but subtle tannins, sapid and soft mineral sensation, with a juicy finish of red fruits.

DOMAINE SAINT PATRICE – Côte du Rhône Vieilles Vignes 2016 Rhone, France saintpatrice.com euro 17.00 Distributed by Ghilardi

The Domaine has very ancient history and was already considered one of the best vineyards of Châteauneuf-du-Pape in documents from the mid-19th century. In 2009 it was purchased by the Julian family, in 2015 joined by Samuel Montgermont. In the hierarchy of company wines the Côte du Rhône Vieilles Vignes should represent the entry level wine. If this is the premise, we can’t wait to taste the other labels, too. 2016 opens to the nose with a fairly typical bouquet ranging from black cherry and blackberry to Mediterranean scrub, with counterpoints of sweet spices and aromatic herbs. In the mouth all these sensations return on a rhythmic palate thanks to tannins and Mediterranean imprint.

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CHARTS

FAMILLE BRÉCHET - CHÂTEAU DE VADIEU – Châteauneuf du Pape 2015 Rhone, France famillebrechet.com euro 45.00 Distributed by Visconti 43

Founded in 1767, the Château de Vaudieu can count on a vineyard of about seventy hectares. Today at the helm are Sylvette Bréchet and her children Laurent and Julien. Their Châteauneuf du Pape ‘15 is a blend of the two main grapes grown in the area, grenache (81%) and syra (19%). The nose shows a classic sensation of black olive, accompanied by the sweet spiciness given by the oak aging, namely licorice and cacao powder. The mouth is dry and clean, characterised by very dense tannins that don’t help the distension of the sip. The finish is warm and Mediterranean.

GUSTAVE LORENTZ – Alsace Riesling Réserve 2019 Alsace, France gustavelorentz.com euro 25.00 Distributed by Philarmonica

The Lorentz family has been dedicated to viticulture for over 250 years. Located in the village of Bergheim, on clayey-limestone soils, where the typical grapes of the area grow: gewürztraminer, pinot grigio and of course riesling. From the latter comes the Réserve ‘19 that we tasted, very typical on the nose reminiscent of orange blossom, lemon and sage, with the typical just hinted at sensations of hydrocarbon, and a linear and flowing mouth, simple and juicy.

KUENTZ-BAS – Alsace Gewürztraminer Trois Chateaux 2017 Alsace, France kuentz-bas.fr euro 30.00 Distributed by Bolis

The Kuentz family has been producing wine in Alsace since 1795; currently it can count on a vineyard of about twenty hectares, half of which are cultivated following the criteria of biodynamic agriculture. Trois Chateaux ‘17 is a rather typical Gewürztraminer, played more on floral aromatic notes of white rose than on fruity ones; a memory of honey and ginger introduces a soft and voluptuous mouth, which just lacks a little bit of acidic boost to be exceptional.

MARQUES DE MURRIETA – Rioja Reserva Finca Ygay 2016 Rioja, Spain marquesdemurrieta. com euro 25.00 Distributed by Sagna

It was the very distant 1852 when Luciano de Murrieta started working in wine trade and founded the company that still bears his name. The 300 hectares of the Ygay Estate are located in Rioja Alta and together with the historic industrial complex that houses the winery currently belong to the Count of Creixell Vicente Cebriàn-Sgarriga and his sister Cristina. Rioja Reserva Finca Ygay ‘16 is a classic blend of tempranillo (80%), graciano (12%), mazuelo (6%), and garnacha (2%) very typical in the notes of ripe black fruit, iron nuances, floral sensations, on the palate still characterised by an oakiness that’s harder to digest.

THIÉNOT – Champagne Brut Cuvée Alain Thiénot 2008 Champagne, France thienot.com euro 125.00 Distributed by Balan

The Maison founded by Alain Thiénot in 1985 in Taissy, not far from Reims, is now led by Stanislas and Garance who carry on the business. The label that bears the name of the founder is composed of a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir that shows off a bouquet reminiscent of white flowers, vanilla cream, spices in a multifaceted and fragrant profile. The mouth is subtly citrusy, with great balance and harmony, finely savoury and fresh.

tasted by Marco Sabellico, Lorenzo Ruggeri, William Pregentelli, Giuseppe Carrus

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GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina LAYOUT Chiara Buosi, Maria Victoria Santiago CONTRIBUTORS Clara Barra, Giuseppe Carrus, Gianni Fabrizio, Emiliano Gucci, Sonia Massari, Paola Mencarelli, William Pregentelli, Marco Sabellico, Loredana Sottile, Chiara Spadaro PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS (Cover) Marco & Chiara - www.viaggiascrittori.com, Bianca Pasquini/Eatlab, Irislab, Paolo Della Corte, Alessandro Naldi, Francesco Vignali GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia Advertising Class Pubblicità SpA Milano, Via Marco Burigozzo, 5 - tel. 02 58219522 For commercial enquiries: kanchieri@class.it Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it

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