Gambero Rosso Wine Travel Food n.133 by Gambero Rosso

year 22 - number 133 - october 2019 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

Behind the scenes. How is the world’s most famous wine guide compiled? Armenian wines Vine cultivation has a millennial past. Today a handful of vignerons has rediscovered it and looks to modernity

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TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS An online guide that puts together the best Italian food sports around the world. Here are the 2020 guide winners

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Big Chefs Pino Cuttaia: cuisine of memories. In 3 dishes recollections and emotions translated into current flavours and fragrances

SOMMARIO 4

year 22 - number 133 - october 2019 - gamberorosso.it

WINE

T R AV E L

FOOD

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Behind the scenes. How is the world’s most famous wine guide compiled? ArmeniAn wines Vine cultivation has a millennial past. Today a handful of vignerons has rediscovered it and looks to modernity

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS An online guide that puts together the best Italian food

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Editorial News Wine of the Month Design Top Italian Restaurants 2020: the best Italian food abroad How is Guida Vini d’Italia by Gambero Rosso compiled? Curators answer Armenia.In the young republic, millenary wine becomes an opportunity for development Pino Cuttaia. The cuisine of memory

Big Chefs Pino Cuttaia: cuisine of memories. In 3 dishes recollections emotions translated into current flavours and fragrances

 sports around the world. Here  and are the 2020 guide winners

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Discover the

Prosecco Doc DreamlanD

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The craft of tasting In these few lines I don’t want to try to understand if guidebooks are too many or if they are serious, let alone try to understand who they are useful to and for whom they are printed: we’ve already done that. I just want to express an act of love towards my work and towards all those who - whatever their role - do it with passion and dedication. Moreover, our work of tasting and analyzing wines and wineries can only come from a place of true passion for wine. Without this strong feeling, none of us would dream of starting a job that for the majority is useless and boring, more so if the need for it is not clear. The vast majority of colleagues who do this work and approached it are fueled by passion. Something that obviously does not apply to everyone. Some people ended in this line of work by chance, others leapt at a delicious opportunity to avoid unemployment. I do not envy the latter, because having to taste a hundred samples a day must be a deadly bore, especially for those who have no interest in doing so. But the motivation comes precisely from our interest and passion, that the desire to learn more and to continually update our knowledge. There is no recognized school in any country that gives out diplomas for wine tasters, considering there is no real need for it since it’s a job of very relative importance to society. There is not even a particular preparation except, like in many sports and occupations, a theoretical and mostly practical study: a good taster carefully tastes–blindly and not–a huge number of wines from every corner of the globe. In this sector, more than in others, practice refines the senses. Of course, every person with a palate and common sense can express an opinion on a wine: however, it will be a subjective judgment, devoid of historical-cultural references and above all devoid of any kind of comparison with other white and red wines tasted in the past. The taster who works for a wine guide, in addition to having to taste at least several hundred samples for each edition – but often more like a thousand – buys and consumes wines throughout the year. For a wine critic, drinking wine often becomes a professional tasting practice, doing so carefully, comparing with previously tasted wines of the same type. That is why, even if with no official title, the person who tastes for the guide has the authority to do so. — Gianni Fabrizio

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NEWS

MERCATO METROPOLITANO IN LONDON OPENS A SECOND BRANCH AT ST. MARK’S IN MAYFAIR. WE INTERVIEWED ANDREA RASCA by Antonella De Santis

AFTER THE FIRST OPENING AT ELEPHANT & CASTLE, MERCATO METROPOLITANO IN LONDON OPENS A SECOND BRANCH AT ST. MARK’S IN MAYFAIR. WE INTERVIEWED ANDREA RASCA

MERCATO METROPOLITANO. LOCATION A little over 3 years after the first London opening (Elephant & Castle, not far from Borough Market), is preparing to multiply spaces and projects. Starting from a new branch in Mayfair – 2600 square metres on three floors – which will open shortly, as soon as the City will give the go-ahead to the great MM machine (even in London institutions take their time). The choice of space is crucial: “it’s not necessary that it be beautiful or in the city centre, we don’t care that people fall into it: Elephant & Castle is in an area where there was no footfall, we had almost 4 million people in 3 years. We create the destination”. What is important, then? “That there be a story, a soul, an inner beauty behind it all. Without erecting new buildings, we rather prefer re-using existing ones”. Still sustainability, in construction this time.

It’s the paradox of the hornet applied to food companies: it should not be able to lift its weight, however it continues to fly. And it does so in a crescendo that has become a case history studied in universities. Mercato Metropolitano in London is an impossible enterprise according to traditional business canons. Sponsors, investment funds, banks and large companies are all banned: no big company enters the Mercato Metropolitano by Andrea Rasca not even by flattering millionaires – “we never compromise, ever” – everything is based on artisans and small businesses (Schumacher’s “Small is beautiful” is a sacred text for him) obliged to sharing Rasca’s Olivetti-like philosophy seeing the company as an element “immersed in a community (one of his key words, ed) from which one can take and to which one must

MERCATO METROPOLITANO. ST. MARK’S IN MAYFAIR This is the case of the church of St. Mark’s, deconsecrated in 1973, “a building of great historical importance, classified as a grade 1 listing building” to clarify, the same level as Buckingham Palace. A place that, between rent and taxes, is worth about 1.8 million pounds a year. “But we have an agreement with the property, Grosvenor, to whom we pay a percentage on sales.” How did you do it? “We now receive many requests – I am not exaggerating by saying hundreds – to open Mercato Metropolitano branches, so we can negotiate and get good conditions”. So it was Grosvenor who knocked on Rasca’s door: “they wanted something different from the other food halls, which are starting to struggle: traditional restaurants changing looks

return”. In practice, it means aligned pay (if not higher) to the London living wage, or the maximum recommended salary in London (£10.55 per hour, when the minimum is £7.30) for employees (they are one hundred today). Plus initiatives, courses and free meals for young people, the elderly and people living in difficult situations; obligation for restaurants to have dishes at affordable prices so as to be within everyone’s reach. The market wants to be inclusive, open to all, wants to create a community, and to expand the concept of sustainability: social, financial, and of course environmental: “in raw materials and food, as in the rest: we have completely eliminated disposable plastic two years ago, and if someone arrives with a plastic bottle, it is taken, numbered, stored and returned at the exit”.

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NEWS

is a ’90s experiment. The most astute entrepreneurs want something for millennials who are more attentive to authentic, good, healthy, accessible food.” In a welcoming environment, yes, but not luxurious, set up according to the criteria of recycling and reuse of spaces, furnishings and materials “expensive furnishings are something belonging to the ’80s,” he says with conviction and then adds, “if you invest too much to embellish the space then you won’t fit into a food business, on the other hand, if you focus on the content, you can do it. Today we focus on other values: we don’t think about how good looking the place is, but rather about eating well – healthy, sustainable foods, avoiding big industries – and doing it together”. MERCATO METROPOLITANO. COMMUNITY INCLUSION Thus Mercato Metropolitano poses itself as a place of social inclusion, giving back to St. Mark its original function, “It returns to being a place where community like church used to be”. Community inclusion is one of the key points of a manifesto that vendors here must sign. Because the prerequisite for joining Rasca’s group is to share his ideas. Now that the executive dreamer (as the former manager of Eataly is now called) no longer has to go looking for spaces and producers, he manages to impose strict rules on his partners. Many requests arrive, assessed on the basis of precise criteria: the ingredients used, participation in free events and activities, attention to sustainability. “Once they enter we support them with a team to help them develop their project, we are seen as an incubator for new businesses and small businesses.” How much does a market space cost? “We ask for a percentage of sales, not rent”. About

23% of sales to cover operating costs and various services. But not all the spaces are occupied by stores: under the roof of St. Mark’s are about 300 square meters available to the community to eat, read books, hold debates, take free music courses. In short, an area free from commercial activities, therefore a space that’s in the red, according to market logic: “We don’t want to maximize profit but rather the social impact”. MERCATO METROPOLITANO. THE VENDORS The turnaround of operators follows different rhythms: some are practically here from the beginning, others are passing through for a month or a couple of seasons, then there are the six-month support projects for female entrepreneurs or for refugees. A total of around seventy operators, in addition to the 48 currently present at Elephant & Castle and 21 in Mayfair. “The Mercato is Italian sat the heart but not in the offer”: there will be fresh pasta, bread, pizza, gelato (by Badiani, from Florence), a delicatessen but most of the corners will host international gastronomy – especially Middle Eastern – that meets the profile of this corner of the city. “We want to integrate into the space where we go and not colonize it, giving an adequate offer to the community. It’s one of the principles of the right to food: accessible, sufficient and compatible with local culture”. Lebanese, Turkish, Middle Eastern, Chinese bao dishes, sushi, Japanese grill, and then French pastries (by Nina Metayer, French award-winning pastry chef), cured meats and cheeses from around the world, unpasteurized self-brewed beer and a cocktail bar on the terrace, always using natural products. Then there

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will be 4 islands of small artisans – “a landscape that we will explore more and more” – with objects of various kinds, especially of local production. MERCATO METROPOLITANO: WHAT ABOUT BREXIT? What is the implication of Brexit for the Mercato? “We don’t use many imported products, there may be mozzarella for pizza, but it has relatively little influence. We make our bread, with obviously GMO-free flours and not from massive industrial agriculture, English flours, but also French and Italian flours like the ones milled by Sicilian Filippo Drago. But we haven’t seen such a big impact for now.” Have people’s habits changed, on the other hand? “We haven’t seen any downturns, we may even be registering a positive impact because people, in moments of insecurity, look for opportunities for recreation, genuine food, places to rest in their community. We are part of the social fabric”. MERCATO METROPOLITANO. FUTURE OPENINGS The third opening scheduled for the end of the year will be the MM Factory in Elephant Park in South London (where there will be a large bread production plant, starting from “live flours”) with a municipal sponsorship of 1.5 million pounds: “we received a request from the mayor’s office for the social impact that markets have; on social inclusion, nutrition education, the fight against obesity, sustainability”. The Ilford branch, on the other hand, has to wait a little longer, early next year. And then there will be other MMs: “Miami is already signed on, we are close to Brussels, Berlin, Japan, Boston and New York, we will know everything in the coming months”.

NEWS

WORLD CHEFS TOUR: THE GREAT CHEFS OF THE WORLD LIKE ROCKSTARS. NINE MONTHS OF EVENT DINNERS, ITALY RUNS WITH BOTTURA by Livia Montagnoli all nine chefs involved (but 10% of the amount collected, as the organizers specify, will be donated to charity in support of humanitarian causes each advocated by the individual chefs). The dinners will take place over the course of nine months, starting in January 2020, but online reservations were open as early as October 8, as announced by the countdown on the initiative’s website. Each of the protagonists selected by the creators of the event – Rocío Herrero Pidal, Nicolás Luca de Tena and Yago Cachafeiro – will remain in office for a week, travelling to Madrid to lead the World Chefs Tour restaurant. STARTING WITH MADRID, THE FIRST EDITION OF A KERMESSE DEDICATED TO GOURMANDS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WILLING TO SPEND HIGH AMOUNTS TO DISCOVER THE CUISINE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED INTERNATIONAL CHEFS. NINE CHEFS FOR NINE MONTHS IN POP-UP RESTAURANTS OF THE WORLD CHEFS TOUR 2020. IN A FEW DAYS BOOKINGS WILL BE OPEN.

THE IDEA BEHIND THE WORLD CHEFS TOUR Nine is the key number for deciphering the simple operation of the World Chefs Tour project, a format that, as the name implies, involves a team of international chefs and takes them around the world, starting from Madrid (but the idea will replicate in the coming years in other big cities, like London, followed by New York, Dubai,

Milan and many other international destinations). Almost like rockstars, and with results not too distant from the triumphant tour of someone like Bruce Springsteen, or the like. Nine renowned chefs for a limited edition gastronomic experience, for exclusive use of a “fan” audience, having the opportunity to experience the cuisine of their heroes at dinners in which the chefs take the lead in an exclusive pop-up restaurant, set up for the first edition at the Hotel Villa Magna, in the Spanish capital. SUPER EXCLUSIVE POP UP, AT CRAZY PRICES The cost to participate in the event leaves no doubt about the level of the event, with prices ranging between 750 and 990 Euro per person to ensure one of the 80 spaces available to guests, and a 7,000 Euro subscription to take advantage of the complete package, thus enjoying the cuisine of

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OCTOBER 2019

THE CHEFS PARTICIPATING For Italy, from March 16 to 21, Massimo Bottura is expected; but in choosing the cooks involved in the tour, as the organizers said, the starting criterion was common. The objective? Guaranteeing to an inveterate gourmet audience (often willing to travel to visit the most celebrated restaurants around the world) the opportunity to discover the cuisine of great chefs without being subjected to the impossible waiting lists that are inevitable when the chef in question is Mauro Colagreco, Angel Leon or Massimo Bottura. And saving customers from covering distances of thousands of kilometres. In addition to Massimo Bottura, the first edition will involve Mauro Colagreco (Mirazur), Julien Royer (Odette), Masish Mehrotra (Indian Accent), Rodolfo Guzman (Boragò), Mitsuharu Tsumura (Maido), Jorge Vallejo (Quinto-

NEWS

WINE OF THE MONTH RIBOLLA GIALLA RISERVA 2016 PRIMOSIC

nil), Vladimir Mukhin (White Rabbit), Angel Leon (Aponiente). Everyone, with the exception of Leon chosen to represent Spain, was selected for the presence in the 50 Best Restaurants charts (continental or global). interesting space for breakfast, with both sweet and savory food, but also for coffee breaks or snacks. A simple, no-frills place (it’s the bar of a small 3-star hotel), with minimal decor and a huge offer: numerous single origins (once again of Le Piantagioni del Caffè) make up the coffee menu, as well as different types of loose tea. To try, when on offer is the Ethiopia washed in filter, and Yrgalem.

Località Madonnina di Oslavia, 3, 34170 Oslavia GO +39 0481 535153 www.primosic.com Average retail price: 35 euros Oslavia hill, a stalwart of Collio, enjoys a unique microclimate that’s particularly well-suited to time-honored techniques, like long maceration with skin contact (whites as well). Marko and Boris Primosic don’t stop here, offering a range of high-quality wines. Moreover they’ve launched a project aimed at identifying the best areas for each cultivar and the area where the grapes were cultivated are frequently a central feature of their wine labels.Once again the wines submitted performed at their usual level of excellence — and it’s no coincidence that the highest scoring among them are the traditional selections that made this corner of the region famous throughout the world. An excellent Pinot Grigio Skin ‘16 has the appearance and aroma of a red berry tea, but it’s the Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Ris. ‘16 that truly shines with its aromas of apricot preserves and walnut skin: a truly magnificent orange wine with a never-ending and vibrant finish. Try it with some pumpkin ravioli and you’re going to dream with open eye.

WORLD CHEFS TOUR: CALENDAR OF DINNER EVENTS JANUARY 28 TO 2 FEBRUARY: Mauro Colagreco (Mirazur – Menton, France) FROM FEBRUARY 17 TO 23: Julien Royer (Odette, Singapore) FROM MARCH 16 TO 21: Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana – Modena, Italy) FROM APRIL 20 TO 26: Manish Mehrotra (Indian Accent, New Delhi – India) FROM MAY 18 TO 24: Rodolfo Guzmán (Boragò – Santiago, Chile) FROM JUNE 15 TO 21: Mitsuharu Tsumura (Maido, Lima – Peru) FROM JULY 13 AL 19: Jorge Vallejo (Quintonil, Mexico City – Mexico) FROM SEPTEMBER 21 TO 27: Vladimir Mukhin (White Rabbit, Moscow – Russia) FROM OCTOBER 19 TO 25: Ángel León (Aponiente, El Puerto de Santa María – Spain) www.worldchefstour.com

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OCTOBER 2019

DESIGN

DESIGN by Sonia Massari

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OCTOBER 2019

DESIGN

MUSEUM-WORTHY MEASUREMENT SCALE

COOKING WITH AN EYE TO THE FUTURE

MoMA in New York every year selects objects that improve life and sells them in the museum gift shop. The Peters Pantry mini kitchen scale, winner of this year’s iF Design Awards 2019, is one of the best-selling items in the museum. An an intelligent kitchen scale with a minimalist design: it displays weight (in grams) and volume (in millilitres and fluid ounces) through a hidden display on the silicone strap. It’s very useful both for baking and for everyday preparations such as baby food, coffee, tea...

Peters Pantry Gyeonggi-Do (South Korea) peterspantry.org

CREATIVE PLACEMATS A multifunctional product directly projecting us towards a more correct and sustainable lifestyle. The recycled leather placemat designed by Preben Lind is handmade in Denmark by the Lind Dna company. The Table Mats are available in different shapes and colours and easily adapt to the various needs of the home: on the table or as vase coasters, centerpiece or trivet... they are beautiful and above all creative.

Lind Dna Aarhus (Denmark) linddna.com

Nikolatesla Libra is the new cooker hob with aspirator hood and integrated scale by Elica, created by designer Fabrizio Crisà. With this hob cooks can follow the steps of each recipe simply, as well as weigh directly in the pot by adding the ingredients one after the other during cooking. The interface is intuitive; and both cooking and air management are controlled with a single direct slider.

Elica - Fabriano (AN) - elica.com

2 ELEGANT AND REFINED COFFEE

HELP NOTRE-DAME DE PARIS

Shaze has launched a new collection of elegant bar items, designed by international design expert Seymour Powell. The Caffeinator is an elegant instrument with an attractive design, created to offer a stimulating experience from the very first cup. Designed with a concentric circle mechanism: just pour water into the tightly woven filter and extract the best flavour and aroma from every single coffee bean.

Silodesign has been creating innovative tableware lines, objects designed mostly for chefs and professional bartenders looking for the best aesthetic solutions since 2003. With this doublethickness cup, the Parisian design house wanted to send a strong message in favour of its city. Designer Romain Gauthrot in fact designed a lid with the Notre Dame rosette on it: for every cup sold a donation is made for the reconstruction of the the Cathedral destroyed during the recent fire.

Shaze Luxury Retail Mumbai (India) shaze.in

Silodesign Paris Clichy (France) silodesign.com

THE FUTURE OF SUSHI he hyper-futuristic sushi restaurant will open in 2020 in Tokyo by Open Meals and will revolutionize the way we think about Japanese food. The Japanese company maintains it will create custom sushi for each diner and print it in 3D. The restaurant will be called Sushi Singularity and will function in quite bizarre fashion. At the time of booking, customers will receive a kit for collecting samples for health tests (saliva, urine, and feces). With this data, the restaurant will be able to identify the perfect nutrients for each customer, which will then be added to the dinner, printed in 3D.

open-meals.com

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OCTOBER 2019

TOP ITALIAN RESTAURANTS 2020: THE BEST ITALIAN FOOD ABROAD An online guide that puts together the best italian food spots in the world: here is the new edition of Gambero Rossoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top Italian Restaurants. Here are the 2020 guide winners

words by Lorenzo Ruggeri - photos by Francesco Vignali

STORIES

he obsession with burrata, the truffle fever, the ubiquitous tiramisu. These are just some of the constant elements that have accompanied us during 12 intense months of travel and tastings. Top Italian Restaurants, the online guide that puts together the best Italian addresses abroad, celebrates three years with 600 stories of authentic Italian flavour on 5 continents.

Top Italian Restaurants: new entries Lots of new entries in the Guide, confirming a scene that is nothing short of dynamic and competitive. Among the openings there are also ones belonging to Massimo Botturaand Ciccio Sultano. Classic genres are losing ground, while wine shops go hand in hand with pizzerias, bistros praise fun dining, fresh pasta is increasingly protagonist on menus that, finally, are sharper and shorter.

Top Italian Restaurants guide: the awards Some of the most fascinating and successful expressions arrive from a wiser fusion of style. But let’s talk numbers. The Italian restaurants winning Tre Forchette in this edition are 25, the Tre Gamberi, that is the best bistros and trattorias, are 15, same as the pizzerias that hit the mark with the Tre Spicchiwinners; 20 Tre Bottiglie, amazing collections of Italian wine in the world. The most awarded cities? The front row poker hand is: Tokyo, Paris, New York and Copenhagen. But to meet the first special prize we need to travel to Russia.

Chef of The Year Emanuele Pollini (Moscow) Yes, the embargo can become a stimulus to push further. Climbing up to the second floor of the not exactly austere Lotte Hotel in Moscow to meet Emanuele Pollini, we find a talent made in Cesena. We were bewitched by his cuisine: creative, risky, instinctive, authorial in one of the most difficult contexts in the world for Italian cuisine. Cracco left him carte blanche and that trust was highly repaid: the menu has a creative touch and a very well articulated and delicious technical execution. Caviar becomes a way to beguile the customers, then the experience continues playing on flavours and memories of home.

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THE HIGHEST RATINGS BY CATEGORY

Tre Forchette

The best fine dining restaurants Acquarello – Monaco Acquerello – San Francisco Aromi – Prague Braci – Singapore Buona Terra – Singapore Cioppino’s – Vancouver Era Ora – Copenhagen Don Alfonso – Toronto Fiola – Washington Heinz Beck – Tokyo Il Ristorante Luca Fantin – Tokyo Il Ristorante Niko Romito – Dubai La Scala – Bangkok Le George – Paris Locanda Locatelli – London LuMi – Sydney Mancini – Stockholm Mio – Beijing Mosconi – Luxembourg Neto – Sao Paulo Ovo by Carlo Cracco – Moscow Pelago – Chicago Pastamara – Vienna 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Hong Kong 8 ½ Otto e Mezzo Bombana – Macau

GAMBERO ROSSO WORLD TOUR

Up-and-coming Restaurant of the Year Tèrra (Copenhagen) A very positive discovery in an off-beat area, the place is small and welcoming. The cuisine travels between innovation and fusion, halfway between Rome and Copenhagen. At the base there is a manic search for ingredients, sourced at super trusted organic producers, and the imaginative vein of Valerio Serino. Make a note of his name. Among the many tastings we appreciated the spaghetti with butter, anchovies and boreal roe, which made us jump out of our chairs, plus the sensitivity on the excellent homemade pasta is amazing. His partner Lucia De Luca has embroidered on the dishes a fresh and very original list of Italian wines. When Tèrra lowers the gate, Valerio and Lucia go to work in the Il Mattarello pasta workshop in the Torvehallerne market.

Pizzeria of the Year Futura (Berlin) The pizzeria of the year has rhythm in its blood. The name is a tribute to Lucia Dalla’s song, a love story, divided by the wall. We are in East Berlin, in the heart of Friedrichshain, Futura is the new project of talented Neapolitan pizza maker Alessandro Leonardi, born in 1981, and the musician of Planet Funk, Alex Uhlmann. After clearing the culture of Neapolitan pizza from Standard in Kreuzberg, Alessandro decided to open his own place. All the ingredients are imported and carefully selected from Italy, all the pizzas pass through his hands. The dough is fabulous, particularly soft and airy, the opening montanare fried pizza bites are sensational. And the wine list is perfectly calibrated on the offer. Yes, today Berlin is one of the world’s pizza capitals.

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OCTOBER 2019

Tre Gamberi

Best bistros and trattorias Belotti Ristorante e Bottega – Oakland Carne SA – Cape Town Dilia – Paris Fico – Hobart Gianni – Bangkok Icaro – Tokyo Locanda dell’angelo – Hong Kong Osteria Angelini – Los Angeles Osteria del Pettirosso – Rio de Janeiro Passerini – Paris Pausa – San Mateo Pianeta Terra – Amsterdam Tentazioni – Bordeaux Tèrra – Copenhagen Torno Subito – Dubai

Tre Spicchi

The best pizzerie

50 Kalò di Ciro Salvo – London Al Taglio – Sydney Bijou – Paris Futura – Berlin Leggera Pizza Napoletana – Sao Paulo Luigia – Dubai/Geneva Kytaly- Ginevra/Hong Kong Montesacro – San Francisco

STORIES

Wine List of the Year Giando (Hong Kong) A blue Vespa at the entrance and a super incisive cellar in the skyscrapers of Hong Kong. The wine list of the year rewards the work of ebullient Gianni Caprioli, very active in promoting the best Italian products also through his trattoria Already, in addition to a network of niche product stores where gourmands can also find 5 varieties of Italian tomatoes. Emanuele Berselli, one of the greatest wine connoisseurs met during our travels, compiled the wine list. After the experience in La Ciau del Tornavento he returned to Giando. The filter is research and selection process that has few equals, great depth in the millesimes, also reaching the Fifties and, above all, brilliant and courageous choices unlike any other in Asia. The service is perfect, the cuisine is traditional and reassuring. A fine place indeed.

Best New Opening Feroce (New York)

For the opening of the year we travel to Chelsea, New York, with the signature of Francesco Panella. Feroce wins hands down thanks to an ambitious and very successful project ranging between classic-style dining and excellent ingredients. There is a nice Italian-style bar, the pizzeria with subtle and fragrant delicious pies, thanks to the hand of the Roscioli family, and an aesthetically pleasing restaurant, boasting vintage furnishings and a completely Italian team. The flavours are clear, authentic: a very Italian palate that’s otherwise very difficult to find in the Big Apple. The paccheri with tomato are perfect, as is the Milanese style schnitzel, done just right. A solid and fun format. And very successful.

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Napoli sta’cca -Tokyo nNea – Amsterdam O’Munaciello – Miami Pizza Bar on 38 – Tokyo Song ‘e Napule – New York Standard – Berlin Una Pizza Napoletana – New York

Tre Bottiglie

The best wine cellars

1889 Enoteca – Brisbane A 16 – San Francisco Altovino – San Francisco Avventura – Stockholm Bar Centrale Terroni -Toronto Bottega – Geneva Casa d’Angelo – Fort Lauderdale Del Posto – New York Enoteca Italiana – Bangkok Enoteca Mr. Brunello – Copenhagen Graziella – Montreal Gallo Nero – Hamburg Garibaldi Restaurant & Bar – Singapore Giando – Hong Kong Marea – New York Osteria del Becco – Mexico City Piccola Enoteca – Zhubei City Sartoria – London Sistina – New York Trattoria Popolare – Oslo

GAMBERO ROSSO WORLD TOUR

Guardian of Tradition Mancini (Stockholm) Pro approach and respect are the two concepts we associated with this family-run restaurant, active since 1978. In a scene of hundreds of noisy openings, and of sudden and silent closures, we believe that being constant is a primary value. Mancini wins the Guardian of Tradition award for the tireless work of valuing the best ingredients and attention in recipes. On the table, a fun ticket invites customers not to dip the vinegar in the olive oil. The cellar, perfectly managed by talented Giancarlo Clark, boasts 2,000 bottles, very deep on the vintages, among the most beautiful collections in Northern Europe. In the air only good things. Meals start with homemade sausages served in a pan (sopping up the sauce with bread is a must), or two fine slices of ham. The pastas are always well hand-stretched, when in season the truffles are authentic and served in classical fashion; excellent selection of olive oils and cheeses. Plus, Claudio Mancini is a fantastic host. Precious.

top italian restaurants

w.ga m

ts ran berorosso.it/restau

Restaurant of the Year Il Ristorante Luca Fantin (Tokyo) For a decade occupying the 10th floor of the Bvlgari Ginza Tower, Luca Fantin has built over time the most solid Italian creative cuisine in Asia, dosing exceptional local ingredients, following the rhythm of the seasons and applying the background matured over time in the greatest restaurants in Italy, Spain and Japan. Sensitivity and flavours mix and shine to perfection, the chef’s masterful hand on smoking, and the details make the difference: service temperatures, cooking precision, handling of the savoury and spicy elements. We’re still dreaming of the Felicetti single wheat variety spaghetti with sea urchins. For us this is the Restaurant of the Year and the highest experience of Italian authorial cuisine outside national borders.

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www.gamberorosso.it/restaurants/

HOW IS GUIDA VINI D’ITALIA BY GAMBERO ROSSO COMPILED? CURATORS ANSWER The Gambero Rosso guide Vini d’Italia has reached its thirty-third edition. An important milestone especially if we look at the incredible tasting, cataloguing and evaluation work done over the past three decades. More than 300 collaborators over the years have come and gone in this massive endeavour, evaluating in this time frame about half a million labels, tastings that constitute a very important heritage that trace an accurate history of contemporary Italian oenology.

Words by our curators – illustrations by Finnano Fenno

STORIES

Being present on the Gambero Rosso Guide, winning the Tre Bicchieri recognition, on the other hand, is now a universal benchmark, an obligatory reference that continues to favour the affirmation of Italian wine on the international scene. To this we must add that every year we’re present with over 50 events in the most important cities in the world, on established markets as well as on emerging ones, to talk about big and small Italian wines, their creators, to meet consumers, the press, sommeliers, importers, traders and distributors. The merit of this project, and of the team that promotes it, is having built a crucial work tool for a crucial sector of the Italian economy, which has earned an undisputed worldwide credibility and consensus. You know that in this publication we talk very little about ourselves. But this time we’re saying it out loud: we are really proud of ourselves; and in the following pages we’ll share with readers news directly from the backstage of these demanding and extraordinary months of work. 

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OCTOBER 2019

Gambero Rosso

2020

VINI d’Italia

2542 PRODUTTORI 22536 VINI

457 TRE BICCHIERI 121 TRE BICCHIERI VERDI

84 TRE BICCHIERI SOTTO I 15 EURO

PERIODICITÀ ANNUALE

his year - 33rd edition! - we evaluated something like 45,000 wines, but you’ll find about 22,000 on the Guide: what does a rigid selection mean? It means that being present in the publication is an important result, regardless of the grade. Then there’s another fact that’s worth underlining: in each region and in every district producers have by now become aware of the complexity of the relationship between viticulture and the environment; there’s an increasing number of organic and biodynamic wineries and there is a general attention paid to the environment – with us Gambero Rosso always promoting it – and that sees us in the forefront in the creation of an ever greener Italian wine scene, and above all ecologically, economically and socially sustainable. Thirty-three editions, for a Guide that’s translated every year into English, German, Chinese and Japanese, testifying that our work has a consensus in Italy and in the world that in all likelihood is unmatched.

Vini d’Italia 2020 by Gambero Rosso pages 981 price 30 euro www.gamberorosso.it

VINI D’ITALIA 2020

SPECIAL AWARDS 2020 Our worldview is condensed in 11 labels (and cellars) simultaneously sharing a summary of our one-year work.

Red Wine of the Year Carmignano Riserva ’16 - Piaggia A very elegant wine that for years has been maintaining constant levels of absolute excellence.

White Wine of the Year Colli di Luni Vermentino Etichetta Nera ’18 - Lunae Bosoni The fruit of the extraordinary choral work of a very close and passionate family.

Sparkler of the Year Conegliano Valdobbiadene Brut Nature Particella 232 ’18 - Sorelle Bronca Extremely elegant cuvée that’s the result of fine work done on the territory, that underlines the global success of the spumante trevigiano in the year in which the territory obtained the registration to the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Sweet Wine of the Year Vino Santo ’03 - Cantina di Toblino A small oenological jewel that represents the world of sweet and meditation wines, a world which is risking extinction.

Pink of the Year Cerasuolo d’Abruzzo Rosa-ae ’18 Torre dei Beati Made with authentic passion for the past twenty years by Adriana Galasso and Fausto Albanesi, this is a very high level wine as part of a typology that’s growing in terms of consumption and critical acclaim in Italy and the rest of the world. . 

THE GUIDE IN FIGURES

45,000 wines tasted 70 tasters 2,542 wineries 129 new entries 22,536 labels 457 Tre Bicchieri 84 Tre Bicchieri sotto i 15 euro 121 Tre Bicchieri Verdi 46 new Tre Bicchieri 1,875 Due Bicchieri Rossi 6,751 Due Bicchieri 3,010 Un Bicchiere

20% of the total

18,6%

THE ILLUSTRATOR’S TRAIT Creating the guide: I thought about the euphoria and the curiosity of exploring new worlds with precise instruments, supported by passion and wonder. I imagined surreal worlds with streams of wine, bottle telescopes and ancient stone sculptures: the search for balance, taste and the magical fruits that nature has to offer. – Finnano Fenno

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

than last year

CAMPAIGN FINANCED ACCORDING TO (EU) REGULATION NO. 1308/2013

Heart and Time, fundamental elements for writing a great story of life and wine

www.umanironchi.com

VINI D’ITALIA 2020

Winery of the Year Frescobaldi 

We are talking about a dynasty involved in viticulture for 700 years, which in the last five years was the protagonist of a further great quality growth in each of the estates it owns.

Best Value for Money Barbera d’Asti Lavignone ’18 - Pico Maccario 7

An excellent wine offered at truly honest prices and that well represents a great wine country.

Grower of the Year Leopardo Felici 8

Leonardo is an authentic vigneron able to interpret every nuance of his land, the Castelli di Jesi.

Up-and-Coming Winery Tenuta Santa Caterina

DIARY OF THE PROTAGONISTS Every last 10 days of June, and at least a week in July, I taste the wines of Sicily. Full time, morning and afternoon, ever since I was “enrolled” in the early Nineties. Yet the emotion, if not trepidation, is always the same: what will the vintage whites be like? and the reds, the current ones and the other structured ones of the most distant vintages? The pleasure of rubbing elbows with the colleagues with whom I have been tasting for a long time - many decades - dear friends and valiant workmates from whom I have learned so much (and I still learn), different from me and therefore more dear and precious. Certainly it’s demanding, the stress of the long hours in the beautiful tasting room in Marsala, but also a solid certainty: we are a cohesive group, very close-knit, clear-headed, present in the moment, very much applied to a job that requires maximum concentration and scruples. The reward born: 1951 is in the result: our island birthplace: Palermo wines are interpreted at qualification: degrees in their best, in an adequate Law and Political Sciences way, with due emotion. occupation: journalist role in the guide: Sicilian regional In the sole interest of encoordinator trepreneurs. residence: Palermo

Nino Aiello

Stefania Annese

La cantina debutta nel club dei Tre Bicchieri con uno strepitoso Grignolino d’Asti M ’13.

Award for Sustainable Viticulture Cantina Produttori di Manduria 10

In addition to producing excellent wines, for some years this cooperative has been engaged in an ambitious certified sustainability project.

Solidarity Award Centopassi 11

The prize this year goes to the wine branch of the Libera network of Don Ciotti, which brings together various cooperatives that manage lands and vineyards confiscated from the mafia.

born: 1981 birthplace: Avellino occupation: wine taster qualification: Degree in Classical Literature, Major in Archaeology role in the guide: special collaborator residence: Rome I have been accompanying this team of expert drinkers, crazy and brilliant unlike any other since 2012. And over the years there have been difficulties and satisfactions. We approach the tastings with remarkable enthusiasm, curious to know how the presented vintage will be, the quality of the wines, if there will be news in the presentations of the samples. We travel a lot, up and down Italy, we get to know territories and producers, we spend more time with our taster friends than with our family, there’s exchange of emotions, ideas and often we also have heated discussions, sharing opinions and tackling situations. And then comes the long Romen summer: August reminds us that we will have to work constantly to deliver the Guide to the printer on time, the city is empty and we’re the only people with whom we spend our long days with. William, the only one I would trust with my dog (and this is not a small thing); Lorenzo, who every morning shows off his countless hats; Giuseppe and his jokes; Giulia who informs us on everything from the editorial staff, and also Gianni, a great taster - a true privilege to taste with him - and Marco, who with his music and his stories manages to make everything less heavy. And then there’s me, the cook of the wine guide: this year too I ended up feeding them all throughout August!

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

STORIES

Antonio Boco

This was a special Guide for me: as the twentieth consecutive year, I can consider myself a veteran. Especially since the tastings are usually done in the company of Lorenzo Ruggeri and William Pregentelli, who – given their age – could be my children. Tasting with them is compelling and fun, and above all it was so this year, with one’s torments of the heart and the wedding preparations of the other as the backdrop. Ah, amour. Yes, but wine, say you? Quite right. When I tell people my work is tasting wine, interlocutors usually respond, “yes, but what’s your real job?”. A bit like what happens to musicians. Yes, I have tasted wines for twenty-five years, and I have not yet tired of living in this extraordinary and fascinating world, talking to the producers, walking the vineyards, to quote Luigi Veronelli, the inventor of this profession in Italy. In all these years I have seen unknown wineries blossom, grow and reach the highest international awards. On the other hand, I have also seen big glorious companies undertake irreversible descending parables. C’est la vie. Summing up, what matters most is the fire of passion: if it doesn’t burn within you, or if it goes out, it’s better to dedicate your attention to something else.

born: 1974 birthplace: Perugia occupation: wine taster qualification: Bachelor degree, Master in Marketing and Food and Wine Journalism role in the guide: special collaborator residence: Perugia

Compared to my early days, almost two decades ago, focus on wines has progressively expanded; at the beginning I remember an almost exclusive look “inside” the glass, now many insights are “outside”. After all, the variables increase just like the complexity of our work. Territoriality and sustainability, so to speak, are not such obvious concepts and change at warp speed. Our work now lasts all year, well beyond the “official” tastings, in the Consortia and in all the institutions that host us, to end with the Finals at Città del Gusto. From the first months I started touring wineries, especially in Tuscany, the region that now engages me the most, and in Romagna, another land that I am slowly discovering and falling in love with. Then I participated in the waltz of the various “previews”, precious appointments to note the pulse of the new vintages, and I participated in the various trade fairs. Thanks to all these tests it’s easier to construct a clear map and reach reliable final judgments, even in the fallacy of a mutable, complicated and hard-to-grasp matter like wine.

Francesco Beghi

born: 1961 birthplace: Milan occupation: freelance journalist qualification: Degree in Electronic Engineering role in the guide: regional coordinator for Lombardy ed Emilia residence: Montù Beccaria (PV)

Giuseppe Carrus

born: 1976 birthplace: Cagliari occupation: journalist qualification: Bachelor degree role in the guide: vice-curator residence: Cagliari

-- It’s like yesterday that we presented the 2019 Guide. - Carrus, I understand, but it’s been eight months since last October.

GAMBERO ROSSO

- Could be, but it seems to me that the timing of the wine guide marks the tempo of my life. This is how we arrive to June, a packed schedule of tastings, with an average of 100 wines a day, five different regions, I have always done the same 2 (Umbria and Sardinia), Tuscany (always great schooling, in the words of Sabellico... and doing Chianti Classico is one of the most entertaining things around) plus two new entries, Trentino (working alongside legendary Nereo Pederzolli) and Romagna, with my buddy Antonio Boco. Then the finals in Rome: same average of samples tasted, the best from each region, with a panel that goes beyond a mere percentage score but rather confronts, argues, reassesses, talks about styles, territories, coherence

OCTOBER 2019

VINI D’ITALIA 2020

I’m not superstitious, but I know that my collaboration number unlucky-17 at Gambero Rosso’s Vini d’Italia has a very specific meaning. Odd edition in odd year, apparently very similar to my very first in 2003. As with the different harvests, each guide also is a window into the climate in which it takes shape: there are “hot” and “cold” versions, a trained reader knows how to recognize these. This time, however, it was more challenging than usual. A timid spring welcomed us for the first session which took place in Montalcino in May, leaving room for blazing bubbles that accompanied the recon on the Asti area at the end of June and the Tre Bicchieri finals. It’s double the effort when it’s like this: taste, write, communicate effectively. And yet, wine teaches, the most contradictory vintages are often those that offer the least obvious suggestions. Let’s go back born: 1978 to number 17, which is above all a prime number. And it birthplace: Avellino comes naturally to me to think of a series of bottles that occupation: journalist you will not find on the lists of winners but that fully emqualification: degree in Scienze della Comunicazione body the “bipolar” character of an edition that ultimately role in the guide: degree in Communication Sciences only resembles itself. residence: Avellino

Paolo De Cristofaro

and drinkability. Yes, because wine is all this and cannot be reduced to a number on a centesimal scale... And that’s how we’re already in August. Many go on vacation, but Sabellico, Ruggeri, Annese, Pregentelli, yours truly (and Gianni, whom we thank, if not tasting) stay on in Rome. The wine glasses get stowed at the end of the working day, and hello tumblers for bloody Marys. We write, correct, edit and we export the Guide. First in pdf, then a blueprint. At that point the signature that declares OK FOR PRINT! comes mid-September, file transforms into Vini d’Italia 2020 and Carrus can finally go back to swimming at Poetto.

After a first feast of tastings – which are difficult to avoid if you want to keep yourself informed and well trained – now no longer confined between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, but spread out practically over the entire course of the year, it’s time: the moment of Vini d’Italia. After a first meeting with the various collaborators during Vinitaly, from the second week of May we are all ready to dive into this new adventure. For me that phase is always pleasant because the rhythms, at first, are always rather mild and the tasting days alternate usually with days dedicated to drafting reports or visiting new wineries. In those days I am always relaxed and calm and the deadlines are still far away. Often at the end of the day I still want to share some good bottles with friends and colleagues. The further ahead we go, the more time becomes frantic; the entertainment turns to fatigue, certainly not the physical kind, but the psychological one. Remaining focused for hours and hours – often more than eight hours, straight – with very few moments of rest that coincide with the time of the service, takes its toll at the end of the day. After a couple of weeks at this rate, putting in a few Saturdays plus tastings on Sunday – for over twenty years every year, between the beginning of May and the end of August, I have tasted more than 6,000 wines – I truly start craving something else besides wine. A few mornings, at about 9 o’clock, it happened that I had to score a heat of Barolos instead of coffee and brioche. This is a clear indicator that if I was no longer in love with my job, I would otherwise gi in to burn-out and exhaustion. Luckily I enjoy tasting, plus born: 1966 taking vabirthplace: Geneva cation in qualification: high school diploma, classical busy Austudies gust is craoccupation: wine taster zy: better in role in the guide: curator November! residence: Turin

GAMBERO ROSSO

Gianni Fabrizio

OCTOBER 2019

VINI D’ITALIA 2020

Nicola Frasson

Like I do every year I started working on the new edition of the Guide the day after having delivered the last report of the previous edition. I have a ritual, a superstitious one, that’s been going on for about ten years, and that consists in opening a new folder on my computer desktop, naming it, in this case, Guide 2021, where I keep all the notes over time and that can come in handy when I’ll need to sum up a year of work. Dealing with Calabria and Sicily, two regions that have experienced a strong growth over the last 15 years, novelty is always around the corner. For a guide like ours “losing sight” of these areas is not pleasant, especially for people like me who are on the territory and should always have the pulse of the situation. So sometimes we discover wines destined to become classics of oenology, one of these which I am particularly proud of is Moscato di Saracena, made by Luigi Viola. This year I am particularly pleased to have contributed to inserting a group of producers of a wine with a very ancient history, the Greco di Bianco, a name that is quickly returning to the glories of the past and that surely will give us so much more to write about in the years to come.

born: 1965 birthplace: Venice qualification: high school diploma, technical studies occupation: wine marketing and communication role in the guide: regional coordinator for Veneto and Alto Adige residence: Mira (VE) “My” Guide starts early, in the fall I visit many wineries to understand how they are working and what the trends of the denomination are, rather than a single reality. Starting at Vinitaly and onwards, time seems to precipitate, the first tastings begin, with producers who would like to bottle later and me wanting to always start tasting sooner. June and July are madness, the tastings follow one another and rightly so, Rome starts pressing to have the first reports. So if during the week one works, glass in hand, the weekend is symbolically dedicated to paper, pen and inkwell. Then come the final tastings, the surprises, the disappointments for the wines whose success I was sure of, but which did not make the cut, or the enormous satisfactions when the quality of a wine or of a winery I seemed to be the only fan of emerges... after so many years I should be used to this final spin cycle, but the tension and emotions always overlap like the first time. A few days off and we’re back at it, starting to think about the new year.

Massimo Lanza

born: 1967 birthplace: Messina occupation: librarian role in the guide: regional coordinator for Calabria residence: Messina

A repetition that’s always different. As in, a sort of clock of existence, with a sensory movement charge, which marks the four quarters of the wine. Or like a shadow that passes relentlessly from my nose to my mouth, stopping in the tasting places, almost always, coinciding with those that built my life. I inaugurate the season with the tasting of Chianti Classico, which is becoming, for me, increasingly a metaphor. Here is where it all began: the passion, the disenchantment and the inevitable inebriation, coloured with the Siena district silk flags. The summer breaks in, the Maremma wines pressing on. Perhaps not the most suitable for those hot and tiring days, but you can always look at the sea. Glass after glass, the tre Bicchieri arrive and so does auborn: 1966 tumn. Rome, that is Rome Termini, is the end of the race. Between birthplace: Siena confirmations and surprises, the convoy stops to come apart. Already occupation: journalist the next previews look out from a heap of bottles. And then there are qualification: Bachelor’s degree the travelling companions, who are above all adventure companions, role in the guide: collaborator actually no, they are friends. real ones. residence: Siena

Franco Pallini

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

STORIES

Nereo Pederzolli

For twenty-one times my name has appeared among the authors of Vini D’Italia by Gambero Rosso. The first was for the 2000 edition. Everything was simpler back then: fewer producers, more homogeneous styles, fluctuating quality: there were those who knew how to make wine and those who didn’t. The Tre Bicchieri were identified with a certain ease and could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Today everything has changed. There is no change of calendar where there are no new wineries and growing number of wines: in the Marche, for some years now, we have not fallen below the thousand tastings mark. Identifying the excellence to reward with the highest recognition is now a difficult task. It’s often just a matter of nuances. The only way to make as few errors as possible in the evaluation is to practice a constant presence on the territory, to taste continuously and return to the old vintages. It’s said that our work begins with Vinitaly and ends in mid-August, once the last word of the guide is written. In reality it’s an exciting journey that never stops.

born: 1953 birthplace: Stravino di Cavedine (TN) qualification: Bachelor’s degree at Dams occupation: journalist role in the guide: regional coordinator for Trentino residence: Stravino di Cavedine (TN)

I taste with Vini d’Italia from its beginnings. I taste with passion, always. I love “my” Vino Santo: my grandmother Maria would give it to me as a snack when I was just 5 years old mixed with beaten egg and sugar. My grandfather Leone used to put his peasant wine in my barley coffee, before going to school: I was in primary school: think what you may, but I still consider it my favourite pairing. I love Dolomites reds, but not Marzemino: and to think that I made three documentary films on that wine! I continue to love my land and I continue to bet everything on young people: people will talk for a long time of the Teroldego Revolution group. Signals of this are already in this new edition of the guide. And I am happy that the wine of my soul, the Vino Santo, has won the prize for Best Sweet Wine of the Year: it’s made near my house, in the vineyards adjacent to those that my grandfather looked after. With the team of Gambero Rosso I think I have a role as a “tutor”, by age and because I – as Stefano Bonilli used to say – always was on the barricades. Pardon, barriques...

Pierpaolo Rastelli

born: 1971 birthplace: Montegranaro (FM) occupation: employee qualification: diploma role in the guide: Marche regional coordinator residence: Monsampietro Morico (FM)

Eating gnocco fritto and culatello with Beghi, steamed sea compost by Gianni Giacani with “Maestro” Rastelli, Maremma tortelli with Pallini, Trapizzino with Stefania, Lorenzo, Giuseppe and Marco, the Irpinia salami with Gianni: my sixth edition of the Guide (I am the last to join the team) is highlighted by gastronomic memories and the people with whom I shared them. I could have used this space to talk about how tasting with this team is a continuous stimulus and what I learned from all my fellow panelists; or the stress which we are subjected to in August, when we stay in the office to work until late; physical difficulties in tasting thousands of wines in less than three months, with unpleasant conseborn: 1984 quences for our blood birthplace: S.Benedetto del Tronto (AP) tests; moments of tension that dissolve with the occupation: Gambero Rosso columnist joking afterward. But the Guide is also much more. qualification: degree in Philology and Literatures And the best moments are those in the middle, beof Antiquity role in the guide: technical coordinator tween one stress and the other. Then this year I residence: Castignano (AP) and Rome also added marriage to the mix...

William Pregentelli

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

VINI D’ITALIA 2020

For the tenth consecutive year I am the youngest collaborator of the Guide. What a meagre victory, I think to myself. In the first editions everyone thought I was Sabellico’s son, today the wind has changed: young is cool, an unthinkable opening only a few harvests ago. Certainly, in terms of taste, the generational break is present, even if gradually less clear. The major discussions of this edition? On so-called basic wines, with corporate hierarchies often overturned by our blind tastings. “Delicious, light, expressive”, on the one hand, “Buonissimo, but this wine is small”, on the other. Certainly the comparison is good for the final product, the result of a very strong, mixed and close-knit team. Behind the big book, born: 1985 there are nights in the editorial office, like in high school, endbirthplace: Rome less tasting re-assessments, and a professional atmosphere qualification: Bachelor degree that is nothing short of precious. Some advice? I buy Piedin Communication; Master in Food and Wine Journalism irosso and sell Aglianico, in Campania; I stockpile Oltrepò Pioccupation: journalist not Nero Metodo Classico; I go hunting for the crisp harvest role in the guide: special collaborator of 2016. And I get lost in the Langa and Northern Piedmont. residence: Rome

Lorenzo Ruggeri

Marco Sabellico

born: 1961 birthplace: Rome qualification: High school diploma, classical studies occupation: journalist role in the guide: curator residence: Rome We have just closed the thirty-third edition of the guide... My thirtieth... I tasted over 40,000 wines... crazy! In mid-July we all usually meet in Rome, returning to homebase, our headquarters: the last effort awaits us, the last decisive 1,500 plus wines to select the Tre Bicchieri... two weeks of communal tastings, discussions - sometimes animated - full of endless reassessments and debates. It’s like when a rock band goes into the studio to record a new album. We record it live, and we all work together in a large room, at the same large table. There are no timetables, from the morning we often find ourselves at 2 am the following morning with a package of proofread papers in our hand without even noticing... We have our rituals, which I would never give up. One of these is the assembly of the hi-fi system at the beginning (yes, we work with music: from baroque to heavy metal, depending on the moment), the evening bloody mary or gin tonic at 7pm, the communal international cuisine lunches, the dinners together out when we finish early. The tests, the sounds, the adjustments we make to transform all the immense material produced (22,500 wines and more than 2,500 winery cards) into beautiful pages. Then post-production, fine tuning the details, lastminute second thoughts, corrections up to a minute before going to press, and finally the long-awaited release signature for printing... Then, when the album is finished, the presentation concert (the awarding of the Tre Bicchieri). And then the World Tour begins. Forty plus dates around the world every year. At the thirty-third edition I feel like saying: we are the biggest Rock Band in the world!

GAMBERO ROSSO

And another day has gone by... like the good Guccini sings. As far as I’m concerned, for someone who’s been doing this strange job for so many years, the days of “serial tastings” for the Guide are the least fun of the year. In the remaining part of the year we visit wineries to meet producers, to taste, of course, but also to eat and drink, usually very well. In my case, above all I hold tasting or teach courses at various masters organised (or held in collaboration with universities) by Gambero Rosso – and for me few things are more pleasant than talking about wine to interested people who want to know about it, thoroughly. In the days of serial tastings instead the debate is basically on the before and after. What will you take before you start? Do you need Maalox or just a little magnesium? And then? Magic herbal teas or a nice refreshing beer? (for me it’s always the latter). Yes, of course, during the day if some wine surprises us, then the discussion is heated and long, but after so many years of tasting it’s difficult for some unknown wine to really impress... During the tasting hours, also to keep the concentration alert, what we go through is mostly, “an ocean (of wine) of silence”.”

Paolo Zaccaria

born: 1961 birthplace: Udine occupation: food critic qualification: bachelor degree in philosophy role in the guide: special collaborator residence: Rome

OCTOBER 2019

ARMENIA. IN THE YOUNG REPUBLIC, MILLENARY WINE BECOMES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DEVELOPMENT Journey to Armenia, a people that's unbelievably close, despite the distance. Where the culture of wine and vines has begun to stimulate ideas and passions, animating a movement that looks far beyond cellars and vineyards. An amazing journey through unexpected flavours and amazing glasses. An Iranian farmer and an Italian winemaker showed us the way...

words by Lorenzo Ruggeri and Marco Sabellico infographics by Alessandro Naldi

STORIES

rmenia is certainly not nearby: it's almost 3,000 kilometres away from Italy, 4,000 separate the two countries by land. At the foot of the Caucasus today is a small state of about three million inhabitants, that is the cradle and refuge of a glorious and industrious people, which once dominated territories between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, and which reached the shores of the Mediterranean. On the border between Asia and Europe, not far from Mount Ararat – which is the symbol of the country (currently in Turkish territory) – and where legend has it that Noah's Ark came to land after the flood. It was precisely a nephew of Noah's, Haik, who according to the ancient legend settled at the foot of Ararat, defeated the Assyrian king Nimrod in battle and started the adventure

of this people. Hayastan, the land of Haik, is today the name of the country in Armenian language. Far away, as we said, but culturally very close to us. The country was the first state to become a Christian in 301. Armenia and the Armenians have always had strong and complex ties with the Western world. To reach Yerevan from Italy we went through Moscow airport, and landing a couple of hours later in the capital of this young State born in 1991 from the fragmentation of the Soviet empire. EAST AND WEST Our journey investigates viticulture, which has its birthplace here. The initial impact, however, is with the local cuisine: the flavour of the aubergine, the intensity of the lamb, the meatfilled pasta such as manti (a kind of tortellino, also found in Turkey) and goat cheeses. Ingredients are cen- 

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1. Ultra centuries-old alberello systems that give life to Yeraz wine 2. The works of art kept in the Cafesjian art museum and the Yerevan Waterfall in the background 3. The Genocide Memorial, on the hills of the country's capital In the opening, the vineyards above the village of Rind, in the Vayots Dzor province

STORIES

ARMENIAN HISTORY TIMELINE

6000 BCE – 4000 BCE: Shulaveri-Shomo civilization 4000 BCE – 2000 BCE: Kura-Araxes civilization, or ancient trans-Caucasian culture 1500 - 800 BCE – Hayasa-Azzi and Nairi confederations 800 BCE - 600 BCE – Kingdom of Urartu, first Armenian kingdom 782 BCE – Founding of the new capital Erebuni, the modern day Yerevan 600 BCE-200 BCE – Orontide dynasty

6000 BCE 4000 BCE tral in the local dishes, all of great intensity, the and presented without too many frills. With eyes closed one would think of being at the table in the Italian South even not clear as of where. There actually is a bit of Armenia everywhere, in the West and in Italy, the Armenian West. To realize it, all one has to do is go to Venice, which since the 12th century has been one of the great centres of Armenian culture, and where an island in the lagoon, San Lazzaro, has been run by Mechitarist monks for centuries and constitutes a very important cultural manifestation of this people. Rome, Naples and many other cities boast Armenian churches and communities, but the same can be said for other European countries, like the United States, Russia... And there is no artistic field, from music to cinema to figurative arts that this extraordinary people has not explored with 

2000 BCE

THE RICH FLAVOUR OF OUR TABLE EXTINGUISHED BY THE GENOCIDE AND PRESERVED BY WOMEN The Armenian-American writer William Saroyan maintained that the secrets of life are three: breathe deeply, laugh loudly, enjoy the food you're eating. Good food is important for everyone and the Armenians also confirm the rule: in our language there is a term - kef - to indicate the moment of celebration, food and entertainment. It's the occasion in which wine and tamadà, the master of ceremonies, presents the honor of proposing toasts; and also carafes full of pomegranate juice, symbol of the Armenian people and queen of fruits, with its small royal crown on the top. Each cuisine is an am-

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OCTOBER 2019

bassador of memory, and connects to a variety of memories: the flavours of the past, family traditions, the feeling of nostalgia. The Armenian cuisine also includes these, with the difference that my people, from a certain moment in its long history, could no longer cook at home because of the Genocide perpetrated by the Turks on the Armenian population, between 1915 and 1922. With the people, the ingredients also were erased. We say that the Turks have extinguished the odjakhs of the Armenians, that is, they have extinguished our fires, dispersed the domestic hearths. It was up to the miraculously surviving migrant women to keep the flame alive: they cooked to feed

ARMENIA

189 BCE-12 d.C. – Artassid dynasty, Armenian Empire 54-428 d.C. – Arsacid dynasty, Roman protectorate

1917-1922 – Repubblica Democratica Armena

1918-1920 – Armenian-Turkish War, the Republic is divided between Turks and Russians

1915-1923 – Grande Genocidio Armeno

1922 – Armenia is incorporated into the Soviet Union

1894-1896 – Primo Genocidio Armeno 301 d.C. – conversion to Christianity by Gregory the Illuminator 1080 d.C.-1375 d.C. – Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, confederate of the Crusader states 405 d.C. – birth of the Armenian alphabet 1071 d.C. – Greater Armenia is conquered by the Muslims 1828-1829 – Russian-Turkish wars 591 d.C. – Armenia enters the Byzantine orbit 1514 d. C.-1915 – Ottoman domination

1000

their children in the new countries, maintaining tradition with simplicity, and thus keeping alive the memory of Armenian food in exile - also thanks to the absence of food taboos, characteristic of our culture. Nowhere like in the kitchen do those superimpositions and cultural exchanges give life to the modern melting pot (an expression that we have now accepted to signify a mixture of heterogeneous elements in a single container). But careful, however, not throwing food into the pot at random: the Armenian saying "epel tapel" resounds in all the kitchens as a warning to women who cook without criteria, meaning that cooking is not just putting

1991 – Birth of the independent Armenian Republic

1988 – terrible earthquake, 25,000 victims.

1992 – NagornoKarabakh war with Azera Socialist Republic 2007 – Discovery of the Areni1archaeological site 2018 – Velvet Revolution

2000

together ingredients. Meats of all kinds, garlic, onion, bulghur, rice, vegetables and fresh and dried fruit are the base of the Armenian diet in the diaspora and in the Republic of Armenia. With the appropriate variations, these cuisines are unified and are found with the basturmà, salted and dried beef fillet, covered with a mixture of crushed garlic, paprika and fenugreek. Plus, there are two formulas that cannot be overlooked at the table: "parì akhorjàg," for 'bon appetit', and "anùsh ellà," meaning 'may it be sweet to you', pronounced by the cook in front of the appreciation of her food. – Sonya Orfalian, artist, writer and translator

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

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ARMENIA

PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG REPUBLIC

INHABITANTS

2.974.693

CURRENCY DRAM

GDP 10.325 million $

(DRACMA)

(2013 - 133º in the world rankiale)

PER CAPITA 3.037 $

29.8

000

101,5 inhab./KM² ETHNIC GROUPS

(2013 - 124º in the world rank)

KM 2

YAZIDI

1,2%

98,1% ARMENIAN

LANGUAGE KURD, ASSYRIANS, OTHER 1%

RUSSI

0,4%

ARMENIAN RUSSIAN

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

excellent results: a name above all is Charles Aznavour (nee Aznavourian), extraordinary musician: actor, diplomat, but above all activist of the Armenian cause, who besides having written more than 1,000 songs, performed in seven languages, including Italian. Indeed, the Armenian cause. One of the must stops during the visit to Yerevan – a city that's young and very lively, dotted with works of art, cafes, restaurants and modern architecture that grow onto those of the early 20th century Soviet style – is the genocide mausoleum. Over the course of only a few months, between 1915 and 1916, more than 1.5 million Armenians were deported and exterminated by the Turkish regime in the first major ethnic cleansing operation of the 20th century. After the visit, we were unable to utter a word for the whole day. Tur- 

STORIES

ADDRESSES Wine bar  Wine Republic

YEREVAN In Vino

Yerevan - 2, Tamanyan St. +374(0)55001100

Wine Republic

 In Vino

Yerevan - 6, Martiros Saryan St. +374(0)10521931

Freedom square

Smoking Chef

The Wine House

 The Wine House

Yerevan - 7-3 Abovyan St. +374(0)41000066

Restaurants  Smoking Chef

Vostan Restaurant

Yerevan - 51, Pushkin St. +374(0)98670505

Dolmama - Armenia's Restaurant Republic square

 Dolmama – Armenia’s Restaurant

Circular park

Yerevan - 10, Pushkin St. +374(0)10561354 - dolmama.am English park

 Vostan Restaurant

Yerevan - 8, Abovyan St. +374(0)11480000

Food market

Restaurants

Gumi Shuka

Wine Bar

 Gumi Shuka

Yerevan - Khorenatsi Movses. str. 35 +374(0)10578441

Wineries

(Vayots Dzor province)

Market

WINERIES IN THE PROVINCE OF VAYOTS DZOR

 Zorah Wines

Rind - zorahwines.com

Alaverdi

 Koor-Highland Cellars

Aghavnadzor - highlandcellars.am  Keush

Khachik - keush.com

Gimuri

Where to go

Vanadzor

Artik

 Areni-1 Winery

Sevan

Areni  Monastero Noravank

Lago Sevan

Yeghegnadzor - 44, Spandaryan St.

YEREVAN

Verdenis

Ararat Zorah Wines Sisian

Aghavnadzor Rind

Areni-1 Winery

Areni

Koor-Highland Cellars

Noravank

Keush

GAMBERO ROSSO

Khachik

OCTOBER 2019

Monastero Noravank

Kapan

ARMENIA

HERE, DURING THE NEOLITHIC PERIOD, STARTED THE DRINKING REVOLUTION Armenian wine has a very important historical value, because it's one of the first signs of human forms of the ancient world. It has a profound meaning, it tells us many things about how man already knew how to interpret natural cycles and shape the landscape, how man formed religious visions and interpreted the idea of fertility, the tree of life, symbol of rebirth. Armenian wine has greatly influenced the formation of Christian values. From the point of view of human resources and social evolution strategies: the cultivation of vines and the adoption of alcoholic beverages is a crucial step in history. It meant the transition into the Neolithic Revolution or Drinking Revolution. This has created new agricultural lifestyles, scale economy, labour divisions and new social behaviours. Armenia was one of the first centres for the domestication of vines. Archaeological excavations have brought to light numerous artifacts that demonstrate its cultivation and production (containers for practical uses and rituals) together with iconographies that describe the primary phases and production development models. We found hundreds of buds, barks, stems, seeds, pressed fruits and pulp remains in the Areni-1 cave, along with the oldest known wine production plant. Certainly, there are many varieties of value among the ancient ones, which have adapted to local conditions, but they still remain unknown and little exploited. Most varieties have not yet been identified, but I strongly believe in modern study methods to lend value to our heritage, developing new strategies for conservation and sustainable development. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Boris Gasparyan, archeologist

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OCTOBER 2019

key has never recognized the massacre, the Denied Genocide. This explains the reason why the population in Armenia doesn't exceed 3 million, but there are over 8 million Armenians around the world. An international community that congregates in its churches in every country, has maintained culture, alphabet and music, symbolized by the national instrument, the duduk, a sort of clarinet that was recently entered into the list of intangible heritage of humanity protected by UNESCO. THE NATION TODAY Armenia today, as we said, is a young, vital, dynamic country, supported by Armenians from all over the world, who contribute 20% of the GDP. The electric vibe in the country's capital is contagious, there is enthusiasm, desire to do more and build, there is re- ď&#x201A;&#x201E;

ARMENIA

15 LABELS UNDER THE MAGNIFYING GLASS. COMPARING 9 VINTAGES AND 4 GRAPE VARIETIES The areni is a millennial variety, therefore an orphan. Its origins are so ancient that it's impossible to match them with parent varieties and genetic connections. Certainly, the seeds found in the 6,000-plus year jars in the Areni-1 archaeological site go back to this grape. According to American scholars, it could be an ancestor of the Pinot Noir, whose certain expressive lightness on the palate confirms this. At the same tine we also found a peppery and solar aspect, that's more typical of the syrah or the sangiovese. Leaving aside varietal comparisons, the areni has its own profile. Zorah employs it in two labels with distinct characteristics and personalities.

The reds 5

newed confidence. These are the effects of the Velvet Revolution, carried out without bloodshed in April 2018. The long protests of young people led to the resignation of the controversial government of Serz Sargsyan. The new course led by Nikol Pashinyan is bringing the country towards a long series of reforms, starting from the fight against corruption, an economic recovery plan and new foreign policy. The country borders on Iran, Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey but the borders are open only with the first two. What we gathered in Yerevan was the spirit of those who wish to reboot, as proven by the many new restaurants and wine bars, freshly opened venues and authentic excitement. We were here for the wine, but we immediately fell in love with the land and the culture. If you haven't read La Masseria delle Allodole by Italian 

4. Harvest at the end of October in the province of Vayots Dzor 5. Typical lavash, a thin flatbread that rolls up like fabric 6. A beautiful counter selling heaps of dried fruit and nuts inside the Gumi Shuka, the Yerevan food market

KARASÌ From the tem Karas, literally, amphora, in which the wine ferments and then matures in cement. The vineyards are at 1,400 meter elevation, the production is 30,00040,000 bottles per year. 100% areni noir.

2017

Generous and abundant harvest also in Armenia. Scents of sour cherries and mint, the mouth is fresh and progressive, with hints of roasted peppers, juicy fruit and a beautiful natural development.

2016

Riolet, almost deep purple reflections. The opening is vinous, then it shifts on tones of pepper and juniper combined with a greener vein, like broccolini. The mouth is articulated, light and tasty, with hints of pomegranate, even 

GAMBERO ROSSO

NOVEMBRE 2019

STORIES

so in the tannin grain, and a delicately toasted and incisive finish.

There's a crescendo in viscosity and density. The aromas are reminiscent of dried tomatoes and nutmeg on a peppery background. The mouth is fleshy, full, warm and ripe, embellished with a hot spicy register, with spice notes that are gradually more intense and prolonged on the finish.

2014

Surely the most austere, dark in colour and in the sensations. Scents of roots, gentian, licorice and sour cherries turn to notes of toasted almond on the finish for a standout millesime, marked by decidedly more strong tannins.

2013

What a beautiful spice weave... The profile is airy and graceful. The mouth is expressive, fine and very well articulated: the flavour and sweetness of a tomato left in the sun and a fresh finish of blood orange and pomegranate. Snappy and tasty: what a sip!

2012

The smoky trace takes strength and intensity, tobacco and then musical juniper and laurel tones. The mouth has juice and pulp richness, a herbaceous vein for a character finish.

2011

We go back in time and the roasted sensations become more and more earthy, from undergrowth, humus, with a constant pepper livening up the aromatic portrait. The mouth is somewhat wild, it's energetic, with a balsamic vein that softens the tones of leather and hay.

novelist Antonia Arslan, do so. A beautiful novel, but also the true story of a people that culturally are very close to us Italians. Just like the cuisine, a unifying and identifying element, which unites the Armenians of the diaspora wherever they may have relocated. As Sonya Orfalian tells us (see sidebar), the memory and identity of a people can be preserved even by handing down a recipe, especially if the people are in constant migration and speak a language that does not resemble any other, historically travelers and merchants. We tuned into the heaps of dried fruits from the colourful Gurmi Shuka market, amid an incredible variety of pickles of Russian heritage, traditional Turkish desserts like baklava, a triumph of dates and giant pomegranates, many variations of dolma, typical rice-stuffed vine leaf rolls.

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

IN THE SHADOW OF MT ARARAT We left the capital and traversed a series of beautiful, rugged, unspoiled landscapes. The streets became bumpy, there were lovely Russian car models that looked like they were straight out of a museum. It was a real journey. The summit of Mt Ararat accompanied us for a good hour of driving, while we passed through buildings that confirmed the incompatibility between the Soviet Union and aesthetics. Nature became even more extreme, the light was very strong, we arrived in the province of Vayots Dzor, not far from the border with Azerbaijan. ÂŤThe whole world is Armenian, the lazy ones stayed here,Âť smiled Zorik Gharibian, founder of the Zorah winery, while he laid a generous plate of local goat cheese, hummus, basturma (Armenian version of bresaola) and the ubiq- ď&#x201A;&#x201E;

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02 LOS 02ANGELES LOS 02ANGELES LOS - USA ANGELES - USA - USA trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri WINE&SEA WINE&SEA - WINE&SEA II EDITION - II EDITION - II EDITION 19-26 19-26 19-26 02 LOS ANGELES - USA trebicchieri 19-26 WINE&SEA - II EDITION trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri MUNICH MUNICH - Germany MUNICH - Germany - Germany SAN -SAN USADIEGO - USAVini - d'Italia USA Vini d'ItaliaVini d'ItaliaVini d'Italia 04 SAN 04 DIEGO 04DIEGO 28 28 28 trebicchieri MUNICH - Germany 04 SAN DIEGO - USA 28 Vini d'Italia Vini d'ItaliaVini d'Italia BERLIN BERLIN - Germany BERLIN - Germany - Germany 30 30 30 05 SAN 05FRANCISCO SAN 05FRANCISCO SAN FRANCISCO - USA - USA -trebicchieri USA trebicchieritrebicchieri Vini d'Italia BERLIN - Germany 30 05 SAN FRANCISCO - USA trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri Special trebicchieri Edition Special Edition Special Edition 06 NAPA 06 NAPA 06 VALLEY VALLEY NAPA - USA VALLEY - USA - USA trebicchieri Special Edition 06 NAPA VALLEY - USA FEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY FEBRUARY trebicchieri trebicchieri PROWEIN trebicchieri PROWEIN Special PROWEIN Special Special 14 DUSSELDORF 14 DUSSELDORF 14 DUSSELDORF - Germany - Germany - Germany trebicchieri PROWEIN Special 14 DUSSELDORF - Germany - Sweden - Sweden - Sweden 03 STOCKHOLM 03 STOCKHOLM 03 STOCKHOLM trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri 03 STOCKHOLM - Sweden trebicchieri 30 SALZBURG 30 SALZBURG 30 - SALZBURG Austria - Austria - Austria trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri Vini d'Italia Vini d'ItaliaVini d'Italia 30 SALZBURG - Austria - Denmark - Denmark - Denmark 05 COPENHAGEN 05 COPENHAGEN 05 COPENHAGEN Vini d'Italia 05 COPENHAGEN - Denmark - France - France - France APRIL APRIL APRIL 11 PARIS 11 PARIS 11 PARIS trebicchieri trebicchieri Vinexpotrebicchieri Special Vinexpo Special Vinexpo Special APRIL 11 PARIS - France trebicchieri Vinexpo Special trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri Vini d'Italia Vini d'ItaliaVini d'Italia 13 LONDON 13 LONDON 13 - UK LONDON - UK - UK -01 Switzerland ZURICH - Switzerland - Switzerland 01 ZURICH 01 ZURICH trebicchieri Vini d'Italia 13 LONDON - UK 01 ZURICH - Switzerland Notte Italiana Notte- Best Italiana Notte of Italy - Best Italiana of Italy - Best of Italy - UAEDUBAI - UAE - UAE 21 MEXICO 21 MEXICO CITY 21 MEXICO -CITY Mexico -CITY Mexico - Mexico Italian Top Wines Italian Roadshow Wines Roadshow DUBAIDUBAI Top ItalianTop Wines Roadshow Notte Italiana - Best of Italy DUBAI - UAE 21 MEXICO CITY - Mexico Top Italian Wines Roadshow trebicchieri trebicchieri VINITALY trebicchieri Special VINITALY Special VINITALY Special 19 VERONA 19 VERONA 19 Italy VERONA Italy Italy 24 MIAMI 24 MIAMI - USA 24 MIAMI - USA - USA Top ItalianTop Wines Italian Roadshow Top Wines Italian Roadshow Wines Roadshow trebicchieri VINITALY Special 19 VERONA - Italy 24 MIAMI - USA Top Italian Wines Roadshow CHICAGO - USA - USA trebicchieri 26 CHICAGO 26 CHICAGO 26- USA trebicchieri trebicchieri MAY MAY MAY 26 CHICAGO - USA trebicchieri MAY 28 NEW 28 YORK NEW 28 YORK -NEW USA -YORK USA - USA trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri 28 NEW YORK - USA 04 MONTREAL 04 MONTREAL 04 -MONTREAL Canada - Canada - Canada trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri 04 MONTREAL - Canada trebicchieri 06 CALGARY 06 CALGARY 06- Canada CALGARY - Canada - Canada Top ItalianTop Wines Italian Roadshow Top Wines Italian Roadshow Wines Roadshow 06 CALGARY - Canada Top Italian Wines Roadshow 08 VANCOUVER 08 VANCOUVER 08 VANCOUVER - Canada - Canada - Canada Top ItalianTop Wines Italian Roadshow Top Wines Italian Roadshow Wines Roadshow 08 VANCOUVER - Canada Top Italian Wines Roadshow 22 HO22CHI HO MINH 22 CHI HO MINH - Vietnam CHI MINH - Vietnam - Vietnam Top ItalianTop Wines Italian Roadshow Top Wines Italian Roadshow Wines Roadshow 22 HO CHI MINH - Vietnam Top Italian Wines Roadshow trebicchieri trebicchieri VINEXPOtrebicchieri Special VINEXPO Special VINEXPO Special 27 HONG 27 HONG KONG 27 HONG KONG - China KONG - China- China trebicchieri VINEXPO Special 27 HONG KONG - China JUNE JUNE JUNE JUNE 01 BEIJING 01 BEIJING -01China BEIJING - China- China trebicchieri trebicchieri trebicchieri 01 BEIJING - China trebicchieri Sponsor Sponsor Sponsor

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ARMENIA

2010

The aromas start on the sly, the aromatic picture is apparently less clear and airy. It then opens in the glass on the sensation of embers, of meat on the fire, of roasted peppers. Change of pace in the mouth, where the flavour adds verve and depth.

YERAZ The flagship company label (literally, 'dream') is the result of very old and spectacular plots in the high areas of Vayots Dzor, up to 1,600 meter altitude. Maceration in cement and maturation first in amphora and then in non-toasted barrels. Areni Noir in prevalence.

2014

90 uitous lavash, the typical Armenian yeast-less bread. Zorik has also come a long way. Born in Tehran, he trained at the college of the Mechitarist monks in Venice, before reaching Milan, where he made his fortune in the fashion industry. In 1998 was his first trip to Armenia. «We only drank vodka, yet in every monastery there was wine, popular songs sang about wine. Only the diaspora Armenians drank it and the quality was questionable». But the call was very strong. In a few months he moved the production of his companies to Armenia and began to test the soil for the wine business. His attentions fell on the heritage of forgotten Armenian native grape varieties, as well as on the use of amphorae. «They thought I was crazy and I had great difficulty. Soviets always inculcated the concept that Armenia was not a wine territory, at best it was good only for the production of 

7. An ancient vineyard in the Vayots Dzor province 8. Zorik Gharibian, founder and owner of Zorah winery Wineries in the province of Vayots Dzor

Dark and concentrated on the nose, it calls to oxygen to release sensations of roasted coffee, then rosemary and thyme. The mouth has a biting grip, hints of pomegranate and raspberries, for a freshness that slowly increases. Two distinct profiles, which refer in a valuable way to a complex and suggestive red.

2013

Notes of coffee and pepper in evidence, for a wine that highlights toasted sensations, with red fruit in the background. The mouth is alive, with an acidity that is not entirely integrated into the structure of the wine. Long finish, that's still contracted.

2012

It has the pace of a great wine. The aromas recall summer truffle, red peppers, for a caressing and enveloping wine. It's a glove of black pepper and pomegranate, orange peel and light balsamic lashings. It has finesse and complexity, in an enchanting weave.

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

STORIES



The whites

VOSKÌ Equal blend of two native grape varieties: the voskèat (golden seeds) gives structure, the garandmak (fat tail) brings aroma and freshness. A total of 14,000 bottles per year.

2017

Aromas lead us to wild herbs: sage, basil, then green tomato. Rich mouth, very savoury and rhythmic, rather than acidic. Captivating fruity imprint of peach and lychee, for a very fresh finish in the anise notes.

2016

Helichrysum and lots of mint characterise the iridescent profile of this glorious millesime. The mouth is peppery, with sensations of ginger and anise to enliven a very original, full of character palate, which from spicy turns to tones of wild herbs. Slightly aromatic, very energetic, much flavour without heaviness.

2015

The maturity card is played here. From apricot to pineapple, it has a broad and sunny profile. The mouth is fatty, creamy, warm and welcoming. The mouth correspondes, however less incisive than the other vintages.

2014

The first vintage. The beginning is shy, then it opens on tones of oregano and lime. On the palate it recalls sweet peppers, black pepper, with a very delicate herbaceous vein setting the pace. Still very young, both in colour and as far as taste.

brandy. And yet anywhere you dig in Armenia you'll find amphorae. This is not only home to the oldest cellar in the world, there are many other sites, and amphorae are under all the monasteries. We have always been producing wine but we have lost touch with our roots over the last century». So Zorik started to give new life to the amphorae found in the villages, cleaned up and set back into production. He called with him an expert oenologist like Alberto Antonini, and started from scratch. The first variety that he identified and selected is the areni noir, which takes its name from the homonymous village. Today there are 80 varieties genetically mapped by the University of Yerevan. There are still no productive disciplinaries but the foundations are being laid for a new course, also to limit that wild wine west that brought us for the first time, in addition to many international varieties, also phylloxera, which had never taken

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

root here. We climbed at high altitude arriving at 1,700 metres to closely study some of the Zorik parcels: they are small beautiful patches of land, among fig trees, brambles, along with other plants and fruits never seen before. Here we found sapling vines that were over 100 years old. In some ways this place looks like Etna, but more arid: the harvest in these parts always finishes at the end of October, the light is particularly strong, white, luckily for the grapes temperatures drop when the sun sets. In the cellar at Zorah we found underground amphorae, where the wine ferments, surrounded by other amphorae where the wine matures. A few kilometers away is the oldest winemaking centre discovered so far, Areni, which boasts more than 6,000 years of history. Modern Armenian oenology continues to make wine with the same millennial grapes. We explored it with Armenian archaeologist Bo- 

ARMENIA

TASTING – OR, HOW THE HISTORY OF MODERN ARMENIAN WINE WAS BORN The beginning was certainly uphill. I asked Zorik to prepare a tasting of all the Armenian wines he thought were the best. It was probably the worst tasting of my life, they had everything I didn't want to find in wine. I actually thought of leaving in that moment. Then I came to this special place at 1,400 meters, I saw the limestone soils, the vineyards. I realized that something was wrong, the minimum requirements for a quality product were missing but all it needed was working in simple fashion. So we started over from the native grape varieties, Armenia boasts over 200, as opposed to the many new projects that focused on merlot, cabernet and petit verdot, to pursue the market. We started with just one wine, Karasì, then the old vineyards at 1,600 meters led us to select the grapes for the yeraz. We started using the original materials that were once used, we reconstructed the history of the amphora. So we also started to work other white berry varieties like voskéat and garandmak. Biodiversity is incredible, there are vineyards grafted into complex places, you see so many things. These are arid zones, the climate is dry, but the excursions are notable. Above all there is a very important intensity, there's the possibility of farming natural crops, there are no diseases, the vines are very old, there is no need for chemicals. The hardest job was getting the Armenians to trust themselves. The last 100 years of history, the genocide, the 60 years of Soviet Union were devastating for them and hindered the development they deserved. Now things are changing, even though I hope a fabric of small producers that believe in themselves will start forming into a group. Among the varieties, the Areni has a character and texture in the mouth such that it resembles sangiovese, but also elegance, finesse and the spices of pinot noir. What struck me most was the spirituality of Armenia. You really feel that you are in a special place, there is something that immediately fascinated me, starting from the abandoned monasteries... the mountains and the hardness of the places generated strong emotions. The landscape is almost lunar, there is something magical in the air that is immediately perceived. – Alberto Antonini, Tuscan oenologist

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ris Gasparyan, who led explorations in 2007. «These lands were already inhabited 1.2 million years ago, we found remains of homo erectus. Already in the most ancient written sources there's talk of donations of vines to the monastery. In the past wine was one of the main businesses. Russia seriously damaged viticulture to produce brandy, even Gorbachev forbade the production of wine because people drank too much of it». We entered the last cave where perfectly preserved amphoras are stored next to tombs and skulls. «They drank wine with their hands and straws, found together with traces of grape seeds (areni variety, Ed.). Wine was used during sacrificial rituals, tests on ancient bones confirm that these were performed with cannibalism. Hence the expression full bodied wine». Boris jokes, an intellectual and ironic character to say the least. It got dark but we decided to visit the nearby monastery of

Noravank, at the end of a narrow gorge along the Amaghu river. The only lights are provided by candles, there are very few people and we witnessed a particularly suggestive atmosphere in this complex built in 1105 and completely sacked by the Mongols in the year 1238. A large terrace provides views on the surrounding mountains. Silence, magic and spirituality. WINE MAKING SCHOOL For dinner we stopped with Boris and Zorik, and the wine performed its magic of making us lose sense of time. «Wine here in Armenia is more than just a beverage, it represents our identity in the world. Our vision. It's the symbol of our culture in the middle of Islam,» repeated Boris. While Zorik has a farther-reaching outlook, starting with training. «Together with my wife we'll establish a

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

9. Buried amphorae in Zorik Gharibian's cellar. They were recovered from the villages surrounding the company and are used to age the wine: 80% in underground amphorae and the remaining 20% in external amphorae 10. A few of the Yeraz vintages (the top wine of Zorah) tasted and reviewed in this feature

ARMENIA

ARMENIAN CUISINE IN 8 DISHES

1 Mazdoun Yoghurt soup (mazdoum) and/or herb-flavoured chicken.

2 Manti The equivalent of our tortellini: small meat ravioli (usually filled with beef).

3 Tolma The "dolma" of the Turkish, Iranian and Central Asian tradition: vine leaf rolls stuffed with minced meat, rice, wheat berries, or different types of vegetables and spices.

4 Basturmà Salted and dried beef fillet, covered with a mixture of crushed garlic, paprika and fenugreek.

5 Khorovadz Grilled chicken or pork kebabs, also beef, chicken or lamb. The skewers are usually served with rice or fried potatoes.

6 Baklava The classic phyllo pastry, honey and nut pastries from Turkey.

7 Khach Typical Armenian cuisine dish made with boiled chicken feet. It's generally served in winter.

8 Ghapama A sort of pumpkin sauce that can often be found in traditional Armenian cuisine. It's normally served during the holidays.

school to teach the art of creating amphorae, in collaboration with Giovanni Manetti of Fontodi. We will bring over from abroad masters to train young people to work with clay and to revive the art of amphorae. Armenia must return to being a central hub for amphorae». MOVEMENT IN THE NAME OF WINE Together with the school, a production centre will also be set up, with an export project throughout the world. And, again, he is working on the construction of a museum of Armenian viticulture through amphorae, covering 6,000 years of history. The Zorah Heritage project was also launched in January to apply the study on native grape varieties. Monovarietal wines will be gradually introduce to present the world with the richness of the

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

Armenian vineyard. Zorik was an example, the movement is now growing. Today there are already 30 wineries in production, steel and barrels are giving way to amphorae, young people drink more wine and less vodka. Before leaving, we stopped at Wine Republic, a well-equipped wine bar in the heart of Yerevan. A super passionate girl recommended the 2013 Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut from the Keush winery, Metodo Classico produced at over 1,800 metre elevation in the province of Vayots Dzorm from native grape varieties like voskeat and khatouni. It's delicately aromatic and rather fragrant. From the same area, the even more convincing was the Koor 2016, a delightful Areni produced by the Highland Cellars winery, with subtle and shrewd hints of pomegranate and pepper. We continued to talk about wine and almost missed our flight.

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ITINERARIO - 8 giorni / 7 notti

Genova - Civitavecchia - Palermo Valletta - Barcellona - Marsiglia - Genova

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PORTRAIT OF A CHEF IN THREE DISHES

PINO CUTTAIA THE CUISINE OF MEMORY «I consider my cooking a "cuisine of memory": every dish comes from a memory of the past». Pino Cuttaia, chef and artisan, describes himself this way. He uses ingredients and recipes of his childhood for his dishes, which allow him to cook and reinvent, remembering past moments. With his dishes he narrates and brings to life a piece of Sicilian history, but he also manages to awaken personal memories in those who taste them. His imaginative and evocative creations are always made with great attention to seasonality and local ingredients. WHERE LA MADIA Licata (AG) corso Filippo Re Capriata, 22 0922771443 - ristorantelamadia.it POINTS IN THE 2020 GUIDE Cuisine 46 Wine Cellar 17 Service 27 Total 90 OPENED IN 2000

by Stefano Polacchi - photos by Davide Dutto

GAMBERO ROSSO

OTTOBRE 2019

RECIPES

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ANCHOVY FRAMEWORK «The sea in Licata for me is the place of long walks and solitary reflections. From the memories linked to the sea, dishes are born that evoke the aromas, but also the landscapes and stories. An example is the anchovy framework: the story of a night fishing expedition during which a fisherman particularly fascinated me. The dish recalls the moment when, hoisting the fishing net in the moonlight, the shimmer of the fish scales merged with the sea water».

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

PORTRATIT OF A CHEF IN THREE DISHES

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

RECIPES

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

PORTRATIT OF A CHEF IN THREE DISHES

“

CALAMARI RAVIOLI FILLED WITH “TINNIRUMA DI CUCUZZA”, WITH ANCHOVY SAUCE «This is a dish that among its ingredients also includes illusion: like many other Sicilian cuisine preparations, originally designed to bring something to the table that was actually not there. Cooks would deceive the sense of smell or sight by imitating foods the one could not afford. Here I wanted to elevate simple peasant ingredients like zucchini leaves for the stuffing of my ravioli. Furthermore, since calamari are not always of equal size, in order to enhance their natural irregularity, I decided to create a ravioli where the calamari substitute the pasta outer shell, and not the filling».

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

RECIPES

“

CORNUCOPIA «This deesert is born from the most classic, ancient and famous dessert of Sicilian pastry: cannoli filled with ricotta. I modified my favorite part, the candied orange peel, into a delicate cone-shaped shell, easier to eat and to enhance aesthetically. For the filling I chose pistachios and candied marmalade, thus obtaining a true cornucopia both in form and substance: a dessert that celebrates the richness and abundance of Sicilian Sunday tables».

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

PORTRATIT OF A CHEF IN THREE DISHES

GAMBERO ROSSO

OCTOBER 2019

GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri PHOTO EDITOR Rossella Fantina LAYOUT Maria Victoria Santiago CONTRIBUTORS Sonia Massari, Livia Montagnoli, Stefano Polacchi, Marco Sabellico, Antonella De Sanctis PHOTOGRAPHS AND DRAWINGS Davide Dutto, Finanno Fenno, Alessandro Naldi, Francesco Vignali GR USA CORP PUBLISHER & PRESIDENT Paolo Cuccia Advertising Class PubblicitĂ SpA Milano, Via Marco Burigozzo, 8 - tel. 02 58219522 For commercial enquiries: mprestileo@class.it Advertising director Paola Persi email: ufficio.pubblicita@gamberorosso.it Gambero Rosso and are registered trademarks belonging to Gambero Rosso S.p.A. GAMBERO ROSSO is a Registered Trademark used under license by GR USA CORP Copyright by GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. 2019. All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. GR USA CORP is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury as to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork or any other unsolicited materials. October 2019

a www.gamberorosso.it/en & international@gamberorosso.it f GamberoRossoInternational