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Visionaries
Lorenzo Ruggeri
Vision, thought and knowledge. These are the main gifts of a craftsman, think of a winemaker like Gravner or an unconventional confectioner like Assenza. From the rows of Ribolla at Oslavia, in the Gorizia Collio that feels Slovenia, we trace a red thread that leads us to the Baroque of Noto, in Sicily, amidst scents of almonds and mulberries. In a delicate phase for the world of wine, which is questioning its identity, the strength of Josko’s thinking, his consistency, his clear-cutness, are precious models. Gravner showed a way, for years he was called a madman, or worse. Today from Sydney and New York he is universally recognised as the spiritual father of orange wines: the amphora whisperer. For him, wine is the tea of the earth, a slow and patient infusion between skins and must to bring back to the glass the flavour of the earth, its essence. He gave us the cue to think about the meaning of maceration on white wines, we retraced the steps of pioneers such as Primosic, questioning the current movement created by emulation. We chase the market without a clear direction, with clay and months on the skins used mostly as marketing tools. So let us go back to talking about the vocation of the place - over the years it has been planted everywhere and now we are running for cover - the DNA of the vine, specific agricultural knowledge. Human intuition is central, Josko’s decision to switch to the Georgian amphora back in 1997, like the vision of Giacomo Tachis and Piero Antinori, who exactly 50 years ago baptised Tignanello as a table wine. They grasped the change in advance, hurling themselves against the rules of time and gradually introduced international varieties and barriques, opening the glorious season of Supertuscans: the renaissance of Italian wine worldwide. Sometimes the intuition comes from a reinterpretation of the past, as in the case of the Pre-British movement that we tell you about in Sicily, where a small group of winemakers in order to save Marsala reintroduce the perpetual method: a dry, unfortified, table version. They rip out a page of history - the experience of the English merchant Woodhouse - and build another direction. Just like Maestro Assenza who, tired of searching for ingredients for his coffee, puts on the shoes of a farmer; between a cannolo and a granita he reminds us that tradition can also be a negation of cultural background. Before closing, a word of thanks to Marco Mensurati: who has led Gambero Rosso over the past year with tenacity and critical spirit. We take it from here.
“An amphora
Josko Gravner, the spiritual father of orange wines
His macerations in the Gorizia Collio have influenced half the wine world
by Sonia Ricci
photos by Alvise Barsanti
is not enough”
Every now and then, during the day, Josko Gravner disappears. He is in the cellar. A cellar where the light streams in dimly through a single window and in the absence of everything it is perpetually half-empty, not even the terracotta amphorae can be seen, you can only amuse yourself by counting the number of circular holes protruding to the surface, wedged under tons of Friulian soil. With his usual slowness he opens the heavy lids and looks inside. There the wine has been resting for months. The oldest amphorae, those buried in the late 1990s, are still there, but they have been moved to the garden side by side to form a small wall. «The amphora has 5,000 years of history, I am convinced that it is the most suitable vessel for wine,» he says in his Italian, contaminated by the border line with Slovenia that passes by his house in Lenzuolo Bianco, not far from the Oslavia shrine. The Georgian container is the point of arrival for Gravner, rightly considered one of Italy’s greatest producers, who has made wine history since the end of the 1970s and who, twenty years later, had the courage to change everything: he uprooted all the international vines to begin vinifying only Ribolla, the Collio grape. Seventy-two years old, 60 vintages behind him, his wines are born of time after six months of maceration on the skins and seven years in amphora. Gravner has added nothing, he has merely removed the superfluous. He went by subtraction. «I couldn’t drink my own wine anymore,» he confesses. Today, together with Mateja (his daughter) and Gregor (his grandson), he produces some of the best Italian white wines, or rather orange wines of which he was a visionary and forerunner. And like many other winegrowers he experiences the uncertainties of the moment, more
difficult harvests due to bad weather, rising prices and falling consumption.
Gravner, young people drink less and less wine, consumption is plummeting. They are right in drinking less.
But as a producer aren’t you worried? That’s not the point, there are some wines that are very difficult to drink.
What do you mean?
They are so perfect, so loaded, so impeccable in terms of analysis that paradoxically people don’t like them. They don’t go down well.
Explain yourself.
They are wines that are more or less constructed in the cellar. The alcohol content is low, synonymous with great production and early harvesting. Those who want to make a serious wine, with a high alcohol content because they have harvested ripe grapes, are punished. These wines are often sold at lower prices than beer or mineral water; the price also reflects the quality, so let us not be surprised if young people no longer drink. They do well not to.
The consumer, however, seems to be looking for fresher, lighter, more drinkable wines. But wine should not be drunk to quench one’s thirst. In France, unlike in the past, some winegrowers produce Chardonnays that are like spritz, and they are all the same. They are “modern” wines but only for five years, after which another fashion will come along.
But what is driving the crisis? There is definitely too much production.
The climate, however, has an impact. Because of the heatwaves we tend to harvest earlier, the grapes ripen earlier, the risk is that the alcohol content at the end of fermentation is too high.
It is not the alcohol content that makes the wine ‘heavy’. There are other things, such as filtration and added yeast. This is also the reason why the wine is drunk less. My wines, the more alcohol content they have, the better they taste, because there is a low yield per hectare and the harvest is late. Only in this way can a winemaker improve the quality of his wines.
Are you noticing the climate changes in the vineyard? Absolutely, something is not working.
Have you changed anything in the way you produce? I work more. And for the first time I have had to bring the harvest forward, instead of October, which has always been my wish, I have to start around 20 September. Not to have wine with less sugar structure,
Josko Gravner’s cellar with the buried qvevri amphorae
but not to lose half the production, we have had a lot of rain in the last 5-6 years., negli ultimi 5-6 anni abbiamo avuto molte piogge.
So some crops were lost?
Sure, I had some losses, but there is no quality without risk, right? It’s not certain that you can even get a quality wine, but we want to go on like this. We don’t want to make battery wines all the same, like there are around from north to south, not in Italy, but in the world. We should not be surprised if people then get tired of drinking wine.
Extirpating vineyards: Italy is thinking about it, there is too much wine to dispose of. What is your opinion? It is paradoxical. While in France, in Bordeaux, they start grubbing up vineyards, here in Friuli every year hectares and hectares are planted everywhere, even on the plain. It was also done thanks to state subsidies. Now there is a debate on whether to grub up vineyards in Italy as well, and the state could provide subsidies for this as well. It is clear that we have a viticulture model that no longer works, mistakes have been made upstream.
Meaning?
Vineyards were planted in areas not suitable for wine. For years planting rights were granted to everyone and it still happens. Vines are also grown in marshes, in reclaimed areas. In the plains, corn, fruit, wheat and not grapes are to be produced.
But do you agree or disagree with extirpation?
It depends on where we extirpate. In the hills I do not agree, in the plains I do. In non-vineyard areas vineyards should not be there.
Alcohol. In the US they are going to revise the minimum recommended dose, the EU insists on back-labels like on cigarettes. Is demonisation taking place? In part yes, but it is also the fault of the wine industry that has put all the same wines on the market, and they are what they are. But the consumer also appreciates other types of bottles, wines made differently, more tied to territories and tradition, where the farmer challenges nature by respecting it without seeking quantity.
What do you think of alcohol-free wines?
A load of bullshit.
Can we call them wines?
Not me.
In Italy, Piwi, the resistant vines, have been gaining
ground for several years now. What do you think of them?
Let’s see how resistant they will be (smiles, ed.). That too is an intervention that nature will make us pay for. With time new diseases come along, now you save a treatment, but going forward you will have to do other treatments for other diseases. This is already happening.
What about wines aged at sea?
If you send a child to school then that child automatically becomes Einstein. Ageing doesn’t change a wine that was born bad. It is often marketing.
Natural and conventional wine. Is there still a clear separation or have the two worlds influenced each other?
I don’t like to talk about natural wine, there is nothing natural about wine. However, the first time Luigi Veronelli came to my cellar he told me, ‘Josko, I prefer the worst wine of the farmer to the best of the industry’. At the time I disagreed, but then I realised he was right.
Beyond the terms, you are undeniably close to the production philosophy of ‘natural’ winegrowers and your wines are appreciated on both sides. Yes, but even my wines can have flaws, that is normal when you work with as little intervention as possible. Anything can happen, but you have to accept it, oth-
erwise what do we make wine for? Ours is definitely not a wine for ultra-processed foods.
In Europe, you were a pioneer in the use of the Georgian amphora. For the first time in decades, Vinitaly also organised an event on the subject. Something has changed.
The more said about it the better. For me, the amphora is to wine as the amplifier is to music. Of course it is, it is not that if you use the amphora to macerate badly produced grapes, with defects, the wine improves.
Will we see you at Vinitaly at some point?
No, I’m fine here in Collio.
Wine maceration. The Guardian says orange wines will be the wine of the summer. Is this a passing fad?
I hope it is not, but we certainly should not run after change just to change something. If you believe in a way of working then it is fine, if we only do it because the market demands it, then it is clearly a fashion. And fashion usually lasts one season.
What would you never do again in your work?
I have weeded Chardonnay, Pinot noir, Pinot gris, and
so one thing I would never do is plant them. In Collio it doesn’t make sense.
Six months of maceration on the skins and seven years in amphora. His Ribolla is an almost meditation wine that goes against the trend of today’s times when we dwell little or nothing on things. Has interest dropped compared to the past?
We have never had a huge demand for wine, it’s normal when you go against the trend. There are two ways of making wine: what the market demands or making wine. I have chosen the second model. Even in our case there is the customer who appreciates.
The new generation Gravner is called Gregor, your grandson.
Well, Gregor is my right-hand man, I’m getting old. He’s taking over the business, he’s very good.
Have you thought about leaving? I’ve thought about it, but I’m not ready.
Mateja Gravner and her son Gregor: they are the ones who are bringing Josko’s message forward
Primitivo di Manduria 50 Years of oenological excellence
Novella Pastorelli, president of the Consortium for the Protection of Primitivo di Manduria, emphasises the importance of the synergy between the production chains in reaching the 50year milestone of the denomination
Primitivo di Manduria, a jewel of Puglia viticulture, celebrates this year the epoch-making milestone of 50 years since the recognition of the Denominazione di Origine Controllata (DOC).
On the 30th of October 1974 the Ministry of Agriculture certified the title through a decree subsequently published in the Official Gazette on March 4, 1975.
Novella Pastorelli (in the photo), president of the Consorzio di Tutela del Primitivo di Manduria, which was formed in 1998 from ten cooperative and private companies, emphasises the importance of this milestone: «This is a regulatory recognition that marks the beginning of a 50-year journey, during which our denomination has taken on a decisive role in the Puglia, Italian and world wine scene».
Today, the consortium oversees over 5,000 hectares of mostly clay and limestone soils, which are very fertile for the vineyards that cover 18 municipalities between Brindisi and Taranto and produce Primitivo di Manduria. Its uniqueness is mainly due to its extraordinary aromatic and harmonic complexity, tending to velvety as it ages, a process that adds a hue of purplish-red colour. A wine to be paired with savoury and structured
dishes, from the famous orecchiette pasta to spicy cheeses and pork.
«In addition to the territory and the grape variety,» Pastorelli points out, «there are our winegrowers and our companies, which in recent years have contributed to making our denomination great in the world through painstaking work that begins in the vineyard and ends in the cellar. The constant synergy between the production chains has been fundamental in reaching the 50-year milestone that we are celebrating today».
The winegrowers of Primitivo di Manduria are the true custodians of the relationship between the vine and the terroir. They cultivate high quality grapes in small but efficient cellars. Thanks to their experience and skilful use of technology, they transform the fruit of their labour into an excellent wine, bringing the message of Primitivo di Manduria and the land that produces it to the
world, through every single bottle. Primitivo di Manduria is not just a wine, but a symbol of tradition, passion and commitment that has won the hearts of consumers, also acting as a flywheel for the wine tourism development of local communities. 50 years of success celebrated by looking with confidence and determination towards an even brighter future for a product that brings with it the customs and traditions of a territory waiting to be discovered. Its history is a reflection of the unceasing commitment of its producers, their respect for the territory and their constant search for excellence, values that will continue to guide the path of this unique wine in the years to come.
Consorzio di Tutela del Primitivo di Manduria
Contrada Piscine
Uggiano Montefusco
Manduria (TA)
+39 099 979 6696
consorziotutelaprimitivo.com
Corrado’s vision “Tradition? A rip-off”
Corrado Assenza talks about his land through his pastry shop: “Thought and cultural background are the most important pastries”
by Stefano Polacchi
What is Corrado Assenza’s comfort food? «Bread and cheese. I love all cheeses. From freshly made pecorino curd, without salt, to ricotta and up to super-aged cheeses». And favourite wine?
«Josko Gravner’s: I share a vision with him. that’s probably why my desserts go so well with his wines». Are we talking about sweet wines? «No, absolutely not! Some time ago, at his home, I made a dessert by the glass for the end-of-harvest party: the ingredients were his grapes and his wine. He brought me four freshly harvested bunches of grapes that were themselves the dessert». Corrado Assenza, the minstrel of the new Sicilian pastry, enters his workshop at the back of Caffè Sicilia in Noto. We remember him shrouded in half-light and smelling of spices and fruit. «Now there is so much light instead. Because the work needs light. We rebuilt everything four years ago: it was the end of the big closure after Covid. But we didn’t reopen and from January to May
we redid everything after a century of non-intervention’. It used to feel like entering an alchemist’s cavern... ‘Well, I think it still does, even if there is brightness. The walls still have the same scent of spices, fruit, honey...»
Corrado Assenza is a visionary, a craftsman driven by a clear idea of the future for his work as well. But is confectionery more technique or more thought? «Woe betide if there was no vision and objective. You need technique, but to achieve a result. And that is vision, thought, cultural background...». And what does this vision have in common with Gravner’s? Does pastry also use maceration and fermentation? «He once told me that his wine was the tea of the earth. You steep the earth, wait a long time and at the end you drink the taste of the earth. He gets there after a long journey of fermentations and therefore of profound transformations of what nature offers us. I, on the other hand, have worked and work above all to preserve freshness. Our candied fruit serves to shift the sweetness of the fruit in time
and space. Josko takes a long time, I do it faster. But we both want to capture the flavour of the earth. That’s why our products go together naturally well, without any forcing. They are generated by the same vein of thought....»
The “new course” of the Caffè Sicilia pastry shop began 35 years ago. «I was 29,» says Corrado, «and yes, that was when everything changed». And why was that? «I was fed up with wasting my time with commercial agents proposing industrial semi-finished products. I had to waste time hearing the same things over and over again, studying the small price differences that were then the only discussion and evaluation bench... Then there were the novelties, the new tastes. But when I realised that it was always the same omelette turned over, I ended that world and began to dedicate the same hours to going to the countryside to look for what my land offered me: aromatic herbs, figs, olives, capers, fruit... And I used the time to bring out the best taste. We tried new tools, we tried to innovate». Didn’t you follow the rich Sicilian pastry tradition? «Exactly: the other turning point was when I realised that tradition was a rip-off, after just five years. Reflecting on what tradition meant, I realised that what I was actually trying to do was no longer tradition, but was cultural background. And tradition is the negation of culture: because it tells you something that has been done by so many people for so long, but no one tells you what the history was or the paths through which the “tradition” evolved. It is a closed box that gives you no real knowledge. On the contrary, it relieves you from having to think and gives you a reference on which you can comfortably rest, without having to have any thoughts. And that was not good enough for me». So no more traditional sweets at Caffè Sicilia? «We have cassata, cannoli, biscuits... But they are ours. Cassata has a thousand years of history, but if we ate that archaic cassata today it would probably horrify us. Pastry must be in the present, in the contemporary. For me, it means giving value to the fruits of the earth, enhancing their potential, their natural sweetness. We, here in Noto, are at the centre of a community made up of farmers and artisans, and we are often a point of reference for it». Today, many cooks focus on creating their own vegetable garden... «We are slowly building
Corrado Assenza: for thirty-five years he has abandoned the mainstream to devote himself entirely to the artisan dimension (photo by Francesco Vignali)
A mosaic of different shapes and vibrant colours. A positive mood that becomes yours. A new Franciacorta wine.
GRADI DI STILE
ORGANIC WINE
ours, but it is not there yet». Who knows if this path might have a future? Precisely today, when the global dimension brings standardisation and large numbers... «I believe there can be a future for my idea of a pastry shop,» Assenza reflects, «my dimension as a food operator basically needs dynamism, it cannot be static. We have to adapt to the general change that society imposes on us, that society suggests to us... Cassata has remained a dessert that still has followers and prophets after a thousand years because it is an important dessert, a creation of great depth that was born as an important dessert and that has always lived in the different contemporary times that it has gone through. This is why I believe that the future of pastry is in not remaining identical in order to guarantee a tradition, but evolving in the way that only cultural background allows in order to stay within contemporaneity». Yet contemporaneity is largely made up of industry... «True, but my idea is the key to the success of Caffè Sicilia: so many people come from all over the world because they know that there are things completely different from what they find elsewhere. And they ask us to continue, not to give up, because there are no other realities like this in the world». In the end, then, does globalisation also give more chance to the small artisan, to small identities? «As long as there is the slightest awareness of what the world was like before globalisation, yes. Those who even briefly experienced those times can find emotions here that they recognise. But as long as there is someone who has encountered an artisan reality, then these emotions will be maintained. As long as there are young people who aim to create small craft realities that perpetuate this dimension, then the space will be there…»
Pastry today, especially avant-garde pastry, is actually very close to cooking and vice versa, cooking to pastry. Sweet, savoury, bitter and spicy often merge and mingle with each other. Is this a way forward? «I was born a pastry chef, but mine is a different kind of pastry that has no precise boundaries between sweetness and savouriness: after all, it is a cultural boundary, not a natural one: nature has no boundaries». Which applies to thre KmZero philosophy «I try to find what I want close to my home, but I also travel many, many kilometres to find what I like
The candied orange peels of Caffè Siciliadi Noto in the province of Syracuse (photo by Francesco Assenza)
and want to use. It is a matter of consistency with our human nature, and also with my work. I sell my products abroad, so why should I limit myself to my own little world? Limiting yourself is dangerous. From zero kilometre to closing borders is a short step. And I don’t want to close borders, because that would be contrary to our being human; and at the same time I don’t want to confine myself within a border». Will this be possible? Everything seems to point to the contrary! «I am not very optimistic, but I also see many young artisans who with small local experiences are trying to move away from the industrial dimension. I hope that there are more and more of them. These are food artisans linked to other artisans of the earth who would otherwise risk disappearing; among them are several bakers. But not chefs: the world of chefs needs numbers, money, finance. There may be a few chefs, small kitchen artisans who do not think about big numbers. Not chefs». At the end of the chat, we are won over by a loquat and straw -
Saffron and bitter orange, one of Corrado Assenza’s new desserts (photo by Brian McGinn)
berry cake with vanilla lemon cream and rum. An explosion, or rather many explosions of flavour, taste and aromas that come together in a harmony of freshness: late spring in lush Sicily. A land that also speaks of warmth, as does the sweetness of the 17-year-old Jamaican rum that gives nerve to it all. An after-dessert along with the dessert itself. «It is my way of telling the emotions that bind me to my land, but also to my idea of the world. A Caribbean touch brings us to the sea and the warmth, the iodine and savoury breeze. Because the world is not just the one within reach. It never was, for the human being». Here is the vision. Extreme? Perhaps simply human.
wine
The essence of Oslavia is on the skins
Maceration has changed Ribolla forever
Marko Primosic describes the intuition of a group of pioneers
by Marzio Taccetti
Marko Primosic, second generation of the three on the farm, points to a spot between the vineyards surrounded by trees and the roads, about 500 metres between us. «You see that area? That’s where the western world ended», across the border, until 1992 there was Yugoslavia. We are in the Collio, a green crescent within the Friuli region characterised by forests and vineyards. «No big cities have developed in Collio, but on the other hand the land has been saved from intensive viticulture and deforestation and these green areas have remained,» smiles Primosic. His winery is located in the Oslavia area, where Ribolla Gialla has found its preferred terrain. But this grape is also suited for maceration on the skins: «Because,» Marko explains, «this practice favours the vocation of
the vine». The Oslavia winegrowers’ enclave has thus become a point of reference for the wine world and has contributed to outlining the very traits of maceration, giving rise to wines that are inextricably linked to this area. A path to which Primosic has been a direct witness. We interviewed him to let him tell us this story.
Marko, how did production evolve in Oslavia?
There has been the transition from a peasant wine - I don’t say this as an insult, just to define an image - to a more technical one in the 1960s to the ‘paper white’ wines of the 1970s. Each era has had its excesses, as in the 1990s when a ‘Burgundian’ approach reigned. And then we arrived at the territorial wines we produce today.
>Hail
There is a devastating hailstorm behind the new face of Oslavia wines: it was 1996. Since then – says Primosic – we started to look to the practices of our ancestors...
Along this path, Ribolla has been an important grape variety in the history of the company and beyond... Although there have been many fashions and trends over time, there has been an intrinsic thread and challenge about Ribolla that has aimed not only to produce this variety, but also to make it an important wine. A desire that was expressed as far back as the 1960s, when there was a desire to make a faultless wine from a large berry variety: it was a real challenge in terms of the concentration of aromas. In the 1990s, there was then an immoderate use of the barrique, until ‘96 when we used the feuillette, a barrel even smaller than the barrique: a choice that brought us to a dead end as we were producing wines that never managed to evolve,
given that the use of wood with this grape variety was an unsuccessful match.
And then what happened?
In ‘96 there was one of the worst hailstorms ever seen with considerable damage to production and which created a situation that I would call ‘suspension’. In such a disastrous year you find yourself having time to reflect; and when you don’t know where to go, you look back and go back to your roots. At that point we went back to what our grandparents used to do with the skins, giving continuity to those established practices.
What did this choice represent?
It was like reaching a state of awareness. We went back to the past and
Above, the grape harvest Opposite, Boris (left) and Marko Primosic
revalued the peel. We then started on a path to enhance its potential. A pioneering movement was born, which in some cases perhaps went a little further, but which brought macerated wines with more solid points of orientation and on a more conscious path. Not only that: it has allowed us to go beyond stakes such as the lesser use of sulphur dioxide. Once the pioneering era is over, there is now a real maturity of the terroir and here we now drink very good wines.
Was it a long journey?
If we think of the 2009-2010 vintages as the moment when this awareness was arrived at, we can see that it certainly took quite some time. Having said that, however, it should be borne in mind that in the world of wine, you can only have one harvest per year, so you only have one opportunity in 365 days: it took several harvests to produce the wines of today.
How was this achieved?
Oslavia has always had a dimension of active dynamism made up of excellent relations between producers. There have also been two important figures in this context, I am referring to Gravner and Radikon. I went to Stanko Radikon and expressed to him my desire to do something for Ribolla. The dialogue and the conviction that it was important to bring together the experiences of different producers brought about the birth of the Ribolla di Oslavia Producers’ Association.
What brought you together?
The desire to tell the story of this territory and this grape variety, to put experiences into practice. Also because if you go looking for some documentation in the oenological literature on this type of wine, you will find little or nothing. Putting these experiences together has helped an overall growth of the entire Oslavia area. In the beginning there was no clear vision, but rather a common point in the idea of working on the Ribolla ‘of tomorrow’. We thought and wanted a wine that was more defined and that could come to describe a territory, differentiating it from all others: not only in narrative, but above all in substance. Thus, today there is a Ribolla di Oslavia that did not exist twenty years ago.
How was this possible?
We got together as producers around a table and channelled our energies into a common project. This exchange of ideas also led to the production of a ‘collection’. A series of printed texts produced together at Luigi Veronelli’s ‘permanent seminar’. He told us: ‘Ribolla is the greatest grape variety you have in Oslavia’. Motivated by this, we also gathered a lot of information on the grape variety together with Attilio Scienza and discovered that Ribolla is a Nordic grape, found in France and Germany. What we learnt was that the peel - as well as the use of
wood - involves a particular path for the wine, which is more difficult and less regular, however, than using wood.
How come?
This peculiarity is very much linked to the characteristics of the variety. We are dealing with an element that is conditioned by several factors including the type of grape variety, climatic types and also very much by how the grape is cultivated. These are all variables that deeply affect the skin and its composition.
How did you come to understand all that?
Ribolla has always been present at Oslavia, so we have several plants with different ages, even very old shoots. In addition, we are on a ridge that is poor in ponca, which puts the plants under stress: a fact that becomes positive for a qualitative discourse. At harvest time, we are not only looking for a sugar concentration in the ripening of the berry pulp, but also observe the state of the skin and whether it promises the result we are aiming for in the interaction with the wine.
Why did you bet on this varietal?
Ribolla Gialla is the only grape variety in our area that can express the dimension it has taken on as the ‘narrator’ of the territory: it is the only grape that succeeds in perfectly and fully defining what wine is with or without maceration on the skins. We also apply this practice to Pinot Grigio and Friulano, but with the aim of greater refinement of the wine and its more defined elegance, while for Ribolla Gialla maceration brings precisely to the exaltation of its nature. If we compare macerated and unmacerated Ribolle, we understand how the richness that the skin brings to this grape variety grants it precisely another dimension.
What is the procedure for the maceration?
Every winery has its own approach.
Our choice has been to use small vats, a hallmark of our company. In this way we create smaller masses: while this is more tiring in terms of day-to-day operations, it has benefits such as better management of fulling and greater heat dispersion that avoid temperature peaks that would favour the proliferation of acetic bacteria.
Speaking of maceration: is it a style, a method or a technique?
I would say it is all three. It is definitely a technique, but it is equally certainly linked to a particular territory: Oslavia. When one thinks of a wine from this area, one refers to Ribolla and its skin. There is this axiom that from my point of view is inseparable.
Do you find the association between maceration and “natural movement” correct?
From my point of view, it’s not a question of peel or no peel. Simply, under the umbrella of the term
‘natural’ there are macerated wines, non-macerated wines and so on.
A mare magnum that needs some clarification. If the ‘movement’ could be seen as ‘funky’ at first, then with maturity it shows the need for some rules in the broadest sense of the term. Honestly, I am very embarrassed to answer such a question! There is no exhaustive answer to something that has many meanings and all yet to be experienced.
Speaking of the longevity of Collio wines, is there still an impatience on the part of consumers that brings them to prefer young vintages?
Impatience - as you define it - is no longer as strong as it could have been in the 1980s and 1990s, and that was mainly linked to an approach towards an idea of freshness that was based on the axiom that ‘young’ meant ‘fresh’ and that otherwise something important was being lost. But this was an idea peculiar to an era in which many wines could not maintain themselves over time.
rows at the Oslavia winery: this terroir has become a beacon for the maceration technique and for orange wines
This quest for ‘young and fresh’ vintages is still there, but we are far from the trend of thirty years ago.
So is there an awareness of the value of waiting? Is there an understanding and acceptance that these wines can improve with a few more years and that it is therefore worth waiting?
I think it is also a generational issue: my father is happy with the freshness of the younger vintages, while my son is offended if you talk to him about a ‘23’ vintage. In my opinion there is a change in consumers: today they are a little wary of the idea of en primeur. I see more of a general propensity to wait until the wine is ready and good.
i centesimi
Ribolla & co. Maceration
Ribolla Gialla, but also Pinot Grigio, Vitovksa and Malvasia and other varieties. The contact of the must with the skins of white grape varieties results in fascinating wines. In the best interpretations, macerated white wines (aka “orange” wines) amaze with a surprising aromatic profile, intensity and charm.
by Giuseppe Carrus and Marzio Taccetti
>Ribolla Gialla ’16 98
Gravner Gorizia
Grapes harvested at the end of October, with a small percentage of botrytis, elevated in amphora for about 6 months. Then, 6 years in oak barrels. Aromas of dates, walnuts, balsamic essences; the mouth has a rare and enchanting point of balance, just when the finish seems to flex, like so many macerates, it releases an incredible thrust of flavour and energy. Wonderful. 100
>Brda Rebula Opoka Medana Jama Cru ’20 97
Domaine Marjan Simcic Dobrovo
We take a step over the Italian border for this wine and enter Slovenia. The almost tailor-made maceration gives voice to a sip of great impact. The intensity of iodine and spicy aromas with toasty nuances and ripe fruit is followed by a structured sip with well-integrated tannins. The wine closes with a savoury, enveloping finish with mineral overtones. 50
>Collio Ribolla
Primosic Gorizia
Gialla
Ris. ’15
A label that translates Primosic’s thoughts on maceration. The nose is a concentration of aromas: honey, dehydrated apricot, mineral nuances emerge clearly and, below, sensations of ripe fruit and a faint spiciness. The palate is multifaceted and dynamic with vivid freshness and a velvety profile that ends in a long, satisfying finish. 31,40
>Malvasia ’20
Skerk
Duino Aurisina (TS)
The roots of the Malvasia vines lie in the stony, limestone soil of the Karst. The nose is a concentrate of complex and multifaceted aromas. Aggrumate and floral notes blend with more balsamic and herbal sensations. The sip is warm and enveloping, with great aromatic intensity. It closes on savoury notes that give a long and satisfying finish. 24,40
>Selection
94
>Collio
Ribolla Gialla Ris. ’20
Tenuta Stella Dolegna del Collio (GO)
Pain d’épices, broom and dried apricot, then candied citron. A yellow ribolla that invites you to sip with a nose that has a variegated and complex bouquet. The palate is no less impressive: long, savoury and with tannin that lends consistency to the sip and marries perfectly with a lively, dynamic acidity that propels the sip into a rich, centred finish. 58
>Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia ’21 96 95 92
>Ribolla Gialla ’19
Dario Princic Gorizia
The range of aromas is broad and multifaceted: spices, dried herbs, dried apricot, eucalyptus, bitter orange, helichrysum, dried fruit notes and iodine nuances. The intensity of the nose is balanced by a lighter, more agile mouthfeel, in which the hints become more citrusy and fresh. An incisive wine thanks to its sense of measure and tradition. 35
96
>Vitovska V Collection ’16
Zidarich
Duino Aurisina (TS)
Not only Oslavia, Karst also manages to emphasise its indigenous grape varieties. Such is the case with Zidarich’s Vitovska. Clear hints of dried yellow flowers and hints of ginger and ripe loquat are detached from a background of wild herbs and dried yellow flowers. The palate is savoury, almost salty, with a fresh finish that gives impetus and vitality. 75
Ribolla Gialla ’20
Paraschos
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
A short maceration on the skins and fermentation in terracotta amphorae, followed by ageing in wood. The result is a wine with a multifaceted nose that moves from hints of ripe yellow-fleshed fruit to notes of dried citrus fruits and ends in a more spicy register. Savoury and intense, the sip envelops the mouth and is characterised by a long finish. 41
94
>Ribolla Gialla Miklus ’18
Draga
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
The 14 days of maceration on the skins together with the 48 months in barrique give complexity and structure to a wine that smells of dried orange peel, hazelnut and an undertone of aromatic herbs and more mineral sensations. The tannins structure a full and vigorous sip. Energetic and centred, it suggests an excellent evolution with a few more years 40
Fiegl Gorizia (GO)
A fresh and lively wine that presents a combination of delicate aromas of quince and wild daisies on the nose. Pleasant and drinkable thanks to a streamlined mouthfeel characterised by a vibrant freshness and a tannic network that structures the sip. The finish is fresh, relaxed, with mineral notes that satisfy the palate. 20
91
>Collio Pinot Grigio ’22
Kurtin
Cormòns (GO)
Maceration on the skins gives the wine warm auburn reflections in the glass. On the nose, hints of acacia flowers and ripe fruit stand out against a background of balsamic notes, bark and spices. The palate has depth, length and a savoury, clean finish that gives it excellent drinkability. 20
Pighin, pioneers of Friulian wine in the world High quality and constant innovation
Two hundred hectares of land in the heart of FriuliVenezia Giulia that belonged to a noble Friulian family: this is the starting point, but since that 1963, a lot has happened to the Pighin winery, guardian of a heritage dedicated to the production of wines of the highest quality. Its estates are located in the Friuli Grave and Collio DOC areas, two historic terroirs that are the setting for its vineyards: 160 hectares in Risano and 30 hectares in Capriva.
The Pighin family cultivates these lands with absolute dedication and an unconditional commitment to meticulous control of the entire production chain, from vineyard to bottle. But it has also been able to invest in innovation to constantly improve its operations with modernisation, both in the vineyard and in the cellar, which has enabled it to establish an important position in the national wine-growing panorama over time and to enter many international markets. A commitment that has found confirmation in the prestigious environmental awards obtained in 2007 and 2016: the GlobalGap and SQUNPI certifications, symbols of the company’s focus on sustainability.
«I believe in viticulture in the name of sustainability,» says Roberto Pighin, co-owner of the winery. «We have recently completed the conversion of part of our vineyards to organic cultivation with the planting of resistant vines that symbolise the fusion of innovation and respect for nature».
The renewal of the vineyards has favoured autochthonous varieties such as Ribolla Gialla,
Since 1963, the winery has grown grapes in the Friuli Grave and Collio doc territories
Friulano and Malvasia Istriana, without forgetting Sauvignon and the highly appreciated Pinot Grigio, which today accounts for about 50 per cent of the total production and has been the premium ambassador of the winery’s production on international markets for over 40 years. «From the raw material to the bottle,» explains Roberto, «we only vinify our own grapes, because our primary objective has always and only ever been the reliable quality of our wines».
SUSTAINABILITY IN THE VINEYARD AND CELLAR
The irrigation systems of the estates have been revolutionised, adopting a balanced approach between drip irrigation and sub-irrigation, which is particularly effective in saving water and energy. In addition, a system for recovering excess spraying has been implemented, thus saving more than 40% of the product being treated.
In addition, two new purification systems have been upgraded at the company: one dedicated to washing water from the cellars and the other for water used to clean agricultural equipment. In addition, the installation of a 130 kW photovoltaic system guarantees the coverage of about one third of the annual energy needs.
Pighin has also renewed the system of the pressing stations using advanced technology, and the drainage and thermo-conditioning systems have been upgraded with home automation.
Collio old vintages The time effect
Long-lived, deep white wines with a great fullness of flavour and characteristic mineral traits, all from Collio. If when young they display a snappy, nervous freshness, over time the varietal differences of the grapes used smooth out and a strong territorial identity increasingly emerges.
96
>Collio Bianco ’00
Carlo di Pradis Cormòns (GO)
Warm tones are the red thread that characterises this wine. A full, well-delineated mouthfeel that despite its years brings acidity and sharpness highlights the notes of barbecued chestnuts, hazelnuts, and dried yellow flowers on the nose and, as a counterpoint, a bright amber-orange colour. A wine perfect for sunset.15
95
by Giuseppe Carrus and Marzio Taccetti
>Collio Bianco Mirnik ’20
Ferruccio Sgubin
Dolegna del Collio (GO)
Two different vineyards located in different parts of the winery’s vineyard hectares and three grape varieties result in a fascinating and focused wine. Pinot Bianco, Friulano and Sauvignon contribute to create a palette of aromas ranging from thyme to notes of ripe yellow-fleshed fruit together with hints of minerals. The palate is gritty, with a finish that returns to the notes perceived on the nose. 25
>Collio
Bianco Zuani Vigne ’15
Zuani
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
An energetic, highly drinkable and centred wine that finishes with a long trail of floral sensations, nuances of peach and a faint sensation of thousand-flower honey and almond notes. Together with Friulano, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Pinot Grigio, they make up the range of grape varieties for this label. Very smooth and with a defined, centred finish. 15,90
>Collio Friulano
Ronco delle Cime ’12
Venica & Venica
Dolegna del Collio (GO)
A Friulano of great elegance. The grapes come from the estate’s highest cru at about 200 metres above sea level. The almond notes, typical of the variety, are enhanced by a sensation of dried flowers. Surprising is the aromatic integrity of the sip and a freshness that is still well defined. The finish has length and closes with a satisfying savoury note.18,50
>Collio Bianco ’20
Fausta Bolzicco Cormòns (GO)
Bolzicco is a small family business not far from the Slovenian Collio border. Notes of almond and sensations of yellow flowers are enriched by an undertone of vanilla. The palate has good acidity that gives it fluidity and a definite, clean finish in which mineral tones typical of the terroir emerge. 12,10
>Collio Sauvignon ’04
Muzic
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
The typical sensations of Sauvignon, of ripe tropical fruit, sage and mint, are joined by some more mineral ones that bring us back to the Collio terroir. The flavour is intense, solidly structured, but made progressive by a good freshness that pushes the sip towards a satisfying, savoury finish. 14
>Collio Bianco Bratinis ’20
95 93 92
Gradis’ciutta
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
The name of the wine identifies where some of the grapes that make up these wines come from. Dried flowers lemon peel and notes of tropical fruit perceived on the nose anticipate a round and creamy mouth feel. The finish is long, all played out on fruity hints that integrate with pleasantly citrus notes. 11,40
>Collio Pinot
Grigio ’15
Franco Toros Cormòns (GO) Pinot Grigio is interpreted through the soils of the plots in Cormons in the heart of Collio. On the nose, notes of yellow flowers are immediately perceived, which together with citrus nuances, anticipate a palate endowed with tension and pulp. In the finish, the floral and citrus sensations are rediscovered and complemented by a savoury finish. 19,50
>Collio Bianco Blanc di Blanchis Ris. ’19
Ronco Blanchis Mossa (GO)
A good concordance between nose and mouth in which sweet notes of orange blossom, lemon peel and ripe white-fleshed fruit stand out along with a mineral undertone. Rich and intense, this reserve is a blend of the best plots of Friulano, Chardonnay, Malvasia and Sauvignon. The sip has good tension and closes on citrus notes. 20,20
>Collio Bianco Ponka Ris. ’21
94 93 91
Paraschos
San Floriano del Collio (GO)
Ponca is the identity of Collio. A soil composed of layers of marl and sandstone, which gives these wines their unique characteristics. This reserve brings out notes of spices, hints of dried citrus fruits and mineral nuances on the nose. The palate is taut, nervous, with savouriness and length that suggest uncorking a second bottle in a few years’ time. 42
>Collio Bianco Caprizi Ris. ’17
La Rajade
Dolegna del Collio (GO)
Malvasia, Friulano, Chardonnay. A triad of vineyards that combine to form the blend of this reserve. The nose has clear notes of dried orange, chamomile and floral notes. The mouth is outlined on a good tension that gives the sip a smooth and pleasant drink and a clean finish of good length that closes on more savoury tones. 24,70
Salice Salentino, a thousand-year history that looks to the world
Territorial and cultural identity, open to the new and sharing a millenary history that has its roots all the way back to ancient Greece. Today, the Salice Salentino Consortium represents 80% of a production chain engaged in the production of 100 thousand hectolitres of wine, the fruit of 146 thousand quintals of grapes produced. Founded in 2003 by its own producers, determined to strengthen the inseparable binomial between territory and vine, the Consortium also deals with the enhancement of an area that includes, among others, part of the municipalities of Campi Salentina in the province of Lecce and Cellino San Marco in the province of Brindisi. The history of the Consortium, and of Salice Salentino, finds its genesis in the local peasants, capable of assimilating and incorporating the incessant alternation of peoples, cultural backgrounds, customs and traditions that have inhabited the area that today produces renowned wines. The very origin of its DOC designation is due to a number
For 20 years, the Consortium has aimed to protect the deep bond between territory and vines, Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera in primis. Protagonists are the farmers who have been able to assimilate the cultural backgrounds of the peoples who have alternated on these lands
of historic producers, who as early as the 1930s were producing red and rosé wines based on Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera. This commitment has multiplied over the years, culminating in today’s numbers, which see 786 winegrowers,
32 winemakers and 66 bottlers involved in the Consortium’s activities, for a total of 46 member companies. They produce different types of wine, but they are all involved in the Consortium as the products are all Salice Salentino Dop and Igp Salento denominations. Considering the latter, the Consortium’s range of action widens further, to 1,858 members, of which 54 winemakers, 49 bottlers and numerous wine growers, for an overall total of 3,500 hectares under vine. The common denominator is the special microclimate, all typically Salento, characterised by the warm sunshine that gives the vineyards particular and specific characteristics, both in colour and flavour. Remaining in the Salice area, the typical colour is ruby red, with shades of purple and a perfume that tells stories of the undergrowth, with an intense cascade of small black fruits and juicy plums. Not only that, it is also worth mentioning the Dop Rosato, the oldest variety to which all the consortium’s numerous activities are owed today. A longevity that is still respected
today through the traditional ‘a lacrima’ production method, with the selection of young grapes that give the wine shades of coral pink and a scent of rose and blood orange. Lastly, the Dop Bianco, obtained with a 70% concentration of Chardonnay produced in the Salento vineyards, for a wine as yellow as the sun shining on the vineyards and scents ranging from classic white flowers to the more exotic vanilla. A historical heritage of significant value, which needs careful vigilance against abuse and misuse. This is precisely one of the directions taken by the Consortium, which makes the protection of its products one of its cornerstones. With the aim of carrying out an important promotion of the territory, the Consortium pays particular attention to marketing activities or, to be more precise, to sharing the corollary values of its products that cross both regional and national borders, bringing the history of a strip of land with unique morphological characteristics and such a privileged microclimate, as well as the farming tradition and its ancient saplings, to confront international contexts. This is also made possible thanks to the Consortium’s adhesion to the programme for the economic, social and environmental regeneration of the IonianSalentine territory called ‘Radici Virtuose’, desired and currently promoted by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry. This commitment is concretely translated into promotional activities abroad both online and in presence. The next steps
along the path of promotion and enhancement of the Consortium’s wines are corners with tasting counters and dinners organised in Denmark, the Czech Republic and, of course, Italy, before welcoming important international trade journalists directly to the Consortium’s denomination area next October.
50 YEARS AGO CAME THE FIRST BOTTLE WITH A LABEL
The efforts brought forward over time by the Salice Salentino Consortium consequently also have a significant historical value, promoted today beyond regional and national borders, which is intertwined with that of the millennial history of the land where it is produced. Over 20 years of activity, and a Denominazione di Origine Controllata close to its 50th anniversary. Not only that, the first bottling of Salice Salentino dates back to 1974, two years before the introduction of the Technical Production Regulations. A milestone that can be summed up in the aforementioned vocation of the area that stretches between the provinces of Brindisi and Lecce for wine-making activities, but also in its pioneering character, in a region that at the time was still not bottling and that only detected the first boom in this process in the late 1990s.
Less alcoholic, food-friendly, original Pre-British marsalas can provide a future for a wine that is increasingly difficult to sell
by Donato Notarachille
The intense green of the vineyards that follow the olive groves on red clay and yellow calcarenite soils, the dazzling white of the salt marshes and the city’s stone pavements mirrored in a deep blue sea draw a landscape that speaks of work, passion and history. In Marsala, the wind caresses everything, almost incessantly, carrying with it the salty smell of the sea mixed with that of wild flowers. In this strip of western Sicily where the light of an intense, warm sun envelops the bunches of grapes and at sunset dyes everything or almost everything golden, amber and pink, a wine has always been made here that farmers reserved for special occasions. The best grapes (Grillo above all, but also Catarratto and other indigenous vines were the basis of production) were harvested when ripe to obtain a liquid with a deep golden, or rather amber colour: it was a must that would become an ‘oxidative wine’ - a style that is so fashionable today - because the containers were not filled to the brim and therefore the oxygen interacted with the fluid. That nectar of the gods - which was called perpetuum - was left to age for years in oak and chestnut barrels. Over time, some of the old wine was replaced with younger wine. An operation that was always repeated, in perpetuum in fact. Over the years, wines from different vintages naturally blended and merged thanks to this ageing method.
The Woodhouse legend
Legend has it that in 1773 the wealthy English merchant John Woodhouse, who landed in Marsala because of a storm, immediately fell in love with it when he tasted it and decided to ship fifty barrels of it to Liverpool after adding a little aquavit to make it survive the journey and thus try to preserve it better: a success story begins, that of Marsala. Behind the myth, in reality, was the tireless search by the English for new areas of wine production and
a tireless experimentation with new techniques to satisfy the different tastes of consumers on the other side of the Channel: at that time, the precise objective was to obtain a product similar to fortified wines such as the much-appreciated Madeira, Port and Jerez, which had enjoyed the undisputed favour of English consumers for over a hundred years at a fairly contained cost. The wine of Marsala lent itself well to be used as a blending wine or to be sold for something else at a time when the boundaries between adulteration, forgery, imitation and counterfeiting were almost non-existent. The skilful merchant turned it into a product that had many similarities with the noble Spanish and Portuguese wines, changing its history forever. At least that history that has always been told far from Marsala where the tradition of oxidative wine making before the arrival of the English has remained alive.
A daily wine
‘If you are born in Marsala, you basically can’t not have had something to do with ‘pre-British’ wine, in the sense that for us it is our blood. At
A detail of the soils in the Samperi district, rich in fossils and minerals, where De Bartoli’s pre-British was born.
In the opening, the grape harvest
the table, but also at snacks for children, we have always used this type of wine: until the 1990s, this was the wine of the table, the everyday wine, there were no other forms’. The tale is told by Nino Barraco, one of the Marsala winemakers from Marsala, who produces a Pre-British Marsala, Alto Grado, in two versions: from catarratto and grillo grapes, both vintage. ‘Since the birth of Marsala, there has practically been a dyslexia between the “work wine”, which was Marsala, and the “table wine”,’ explains the producer, ‘which had remained this oxidative: while one had to be fortified, the other did not. Marsala could not be made by farmers at home, while ‘pre-British’ could’.
Marsala families,’ Barraco recalls, ‘maintained a strong emotional bond with perpetuum. ‘Marsala, on the other hand, has never taken root, it has remained a
representative wine’. What was the reason for this detachment? ‘While one spoke dialect, the other (Marsala) was a wine that spoke a polished, international language. We are dealing with two totally different dimensions: the affection remained for the ancient wine. Marco De Bartoli,’ Barraco continues, ‘to whom I and many other winemakers in the area owe a great deal, had the merit of being the first to understand its importance and to have had the pride to bottle it and give it a label with Vecchio Samperi: no one had ever done that. He, who was the grandson of an industrialist like Stefano Pellegrino, was the first to start bottling a wine that spoke di-
alect: this was and still is an extraordinary thing’.
A difficult path that Josephine De Bartoli, the third-born daughter of the pioneer who brought ‘pre-British Marsala’ back into the limelight in 1980, tells this exciting story: ‘With Vecchio Samperi, dad broke into a world of industrialised Marsala, of ‘white paper’ wines produced with international grape varieties. And he does so with an ancient, oxidised, natural and difficult wine, a wine that no one outside Marsala knew about, a wine on the verge of extinction. It was a difficult journey of recovery: in those years, no one gave a damn about perpetuum, which had no
Oxidative wines of Italy, Spain and France
Wines produced in the oxidative style, known as rancio in Spain or vin de voile in France, are a unique type of wine, which mature in drained barrels by exploiting the biochemical and physical principles of the ‘sail’, a superficial bio-film that only forms under special conditions and composed of natural post-fermentation pastry, the flor. In addition to keeping volatile acidity at bay, the flor gives the wine very complex organoleptic characteristics, due in part to concentration through evaporation, and great ageing potential. Marsala, Vernaccia di Oristano, Malvasia di Bosa, Sherry and Vin Jaune are examples of these wines that favour deep listening to reveal, among the variety of aromas, the alcohol content and that intense and complex flavour, an eternal soul, beyond all time.
identity (commercial, Ed), no one had ever bottled it, no one had ever given it the dignity of a wine that could be known in the world’.
The perpetuum by Samperi
«Vecchio Samperi is a perpetuum started by my great-grandparents: dad found it here, in the baglio in the Samperi district, and started rejuvenating it as early as 1978. We don’t have a certain date when the perpetuum was started, but we know that in our Vecchio Samperi there are vintages from 80 years ago: it is a unique wine, unrepeatable to this day,» Josephine, who brings the name of her grandmother of French origin, is moved. «For me and my brothers, he is almost another brother, for Dad he has always been in some way the favourite son to whom he has dedicated all of himself. Today he would be very happy to see that there are colleagues who have decided to bring forward the enhancement of this wine in which he has always believed so much».
Not only has Pierpaolo Badalucco of the Dos Tierras - Badalucco de la Iglesia Garcia winery made a strong commitment to the development of this ancient wine from the peasant tradition to the point of making it a pre-british single vintage and a perpetual, but he has also made the oxidative style a distinctive trademark of his entire production.
In addition to Pipa ¾ and Perpetuum, his other white wines from Grillo grapes are also made in the oxidative stylePassion and taste, not just family tradition, have brought Badalucco to take the same path as his colleagues, facing not a few difficulties: «My grandfather, at a time when Marsala was industrialised,
Bottles of Vecchio Samperi marked by time: Marco De Bartoli’s preBritish is brought back
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was forced to close the historic family winery because no one was interested in buying those wines and those ‘mothers’ any more: the closure of the winery took place years before De Bartoli began his journey. Someone, however, stole all the wine from us, tapped it out of the barrels. Today we could have had mothers from 1881, 1889 and others from later vintages, but instead we are left with only the empty barrels with the names of the grandchildren and the year the perpetuum began written on them. Bea (Beatriz, his wife) and I started from scratch, 25 years ago. Wine,» explains Pierpaolo, «is a very personal thing, especially for those who belong to families with many generations who have lived around it and who hand down old decalogues. We, for example, are the only ones who follow the old Ingham decalogue, with a whole series of unchanging steps from the vineyard to the wine: a sort of 250-year-old biodynamics. I am neither an oenologist nor an agronomist, I have no technical tools, I was born with this style and I was educated to recognise oxidation and above all to recognise my vines, to know where that particular vineyard can go and I know that it was not born to make chug chug wines. I cannot rape a vineyard that has been doing these things for 250 years».
The difficulties of climate
An almost symbiotic relationship with his own vines from which he obtains a pre-British production that barely reaches a thousand bottles and that in recent years has, on the one hand, encountered a growth in demand due to the great attention paid to oxidative wines, but on the other, great problems due to climate change: «The other historical producers ( De Bartoli, Barraco and Vite a Ovest, ed.) harvest in mid-September to go into the bottle with a dry wine around 15 degrees;
our production style and the characteristics of our vineyard bring us to harvest from mid-October to go into the bottle with a ‘sweet’ wine, larger. But now, with prolonged heat and drought, arriving in October in optimal conditions has become a mirage, and provided it doesn’t rain when it shouldn’t. Before, out of ten harvests we lost one, now we lose as many as five. Last year we didn’t harvest a single bunch of grapes for Pipa».
These new wines with an ancient memory, rare and often impossible to find, preserve and tell stories of families and centuries-old vineyards and a deep bond with the land and
Sebastiano, Josephine and Renato, Marco De Bartoli’s children, in the barrel cellar of the historic winery they now bring
time. Resilience and love for a tradition that lives on have inspired the steps of this small group of winemakers, and it seems that inspiration is infecting other hearts. The hope is that the new standard bearers of pre-British really feel the responsibility to represent this territory without shortcuts.
Message in an amphora
Orange wines are growing and Vinitaly dedicated an event to them
by Francesca Ciancio
Why has the amphora become a trendy phenomenon? Why is it so connected to the concept of artisanal wine? Isn’t it excessive to speak of a revolution? We asked ourselves this question at the first event dedicated to clay containers organised by Merano WineFestival and Vinitaly. It was two days - 7 and 8 June in Verona at the Gallerie Mercatali - that brought us to rediscover Georgia and its oenological history, talking with producers, journalists and masters of wine. There are many variants on the track: clay, earthenware and stoneware, just as there are many interpretations in terms of workmanship, form and purpose. It goes without saying that the wine panorama is also quite complex, with various chiaroscuros.
Qvevri
The name of the exhibition, Amphora Revolution, recalls the famous title of the book Amber Revolution, written in 2017 by British journalist Simon J. Woof. And here an initial connection is made that, if on the one hand makes the link between container and style easily identifiable, on the other hand ends up crushing like in a vice the oenological choices of producers who have dedicated a part of their production - but also all of it in several cases - to amphora wines. Woolf’s text recounts his personal epiphany with regard to the so-called orange or, to refer to the title, amber wines. We are talking about white wines that remain on their skins (but reds also end up in amphora). Depending on the soaking time, the wine will be fuller, denser, more tannic and intensely coloured. It is therefore an oenological procedure - maceration - not necessarily linked to a wine container. Yet the tale of these whites vinified as if they were reds has almost immediately encountered the ‘container of the heart’, the amphora. The historical accreditation is prestigious: in Georgia, in the Caucasus area, qvevri, the buried amphorae, have always housed wine and its skins. Dealing with a porous material such as clay, the lees had the task of protecting the wine from oxidation. Hence also the long pauses and consequent macerations. It is difficult to date the origins
of the method precisely, but historians speak of six to eight thousand years. Its popularity, on the other hand, is of Italo-Slovenian origin and brings the name of Josko Gravner, the Oslavia producer who made qvevri known in the country and the rest of the world.
Recalibrated macerations
LMaceration on the skins has shortened and even by a lot in recent years. A tour of the producers present at Amphora Revolution is enough to understand that ‘the Italian way’ does not necessarily follow the equation amphora=maceration. Michele Bean plays the dual role of wine and amphora producer. He is a winemaker in Friuli with the company Roi Clâr in the province of Udine and deals with wine containers in Umbria with the company Sirio. His rule, in both trades, is clarity: «I use the image of amphorae on my labels,» Bean explains, «because I had to make myself known, but my aim is to remove them to put the wine at the centre and that’s all. I only have one macerate and that
is the Pinot Grigio because otherwise it would have no colour. For the rest, all my wines ferment in steel and stay in amphorae for a year, but only after they have been macerated’. The amphorae are his, the Sirio brand ones, composed of a mixture of clays with a ceramic matrix that is the result of nano-engineering: they aim to give the right porosity to the amphora and thus ensure optimal oxygenation. They are made with moulds and are produced in the golden section: ‘I use the amphora because I work with even very old vineyards, from sixty to over one hundred years old, and it is the only way to preserve the delicate aromas of the fruit’. Indeed, his Friuli Colli Orientali Friulano 2021 is taut, but also creamy, very long and with delicate notes of summer fruit. It comes from a 1918 vineyard.
A cellar in Georgia where Caucasian earthenware qvevri are buried in special holes
To a clarity of purpose and product also comes Elena Casadei, although she follows different paths. The young Tuscan winemaker has a project of her own that differs from her family’s. It is called Le Anfore (Amphorae) because she has chosen only these containers, on the one hand Georgian qvevri and on the other terracotta amphorae produced by Artenova. With these he works on the grapes of the three different estates. On the Sardinian company’s Cannonau, for example, fermentation is carried out in the qvevri for a month, while ageing goes on for 6-7 months in the jars made in Impruneta. Its Isola di Nuraghi 2022 is harmonious and crisp and, despite the important extraction, the colour is luminous and transparent. It is a wine that tastes of cherries. Ancient methods chosen by a 30-year-old. ‘Using tools that were already known millennia ago,» Casadei explains, «for me means connecting the past with today’s scientific research: I believe this is a message that will resonate with younger people. Young and equally layman-like in his approach to amphorae and maceration is Luca Leggero of the Canavese winery of the same name, who puts Erbaluce di Caluso Rend Nen into amphorae, whose grapes are vinified in terracotta amphorae of 16 and 7.5 hectolitres for about six months: ‘We chose amphorae from Tava, so we are talking about ceramic and not clay, which is a more technical material in terms of controlling micro-oxygenation. The aim is to preserve a delicate grape that grows on thin soils, made of sand on moraine hills». Subtle and vertical is this 2021 label, which impresses with aromas of melon, plum and cedar peel and also reveals brackish notes.
Mother’s womb
The talk about Georgia and Caucasian wine traditions is more numerous than the wine that actually comes from it. During one of the conferences held during the two-day Amphora Revolution, David Maghradze, head of the governmental division National Wine Agency of Georgia, pointed out that out of one million eight hundred thousand
hectolitres of wine, only two to three per cent is produced according to the ancient method of buried amphorae insulated with beeswax, which became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2013. There is, therefore, a message much stronger than numbers. This is argued by Professor Attilio Scienza, one of the leading experts in viticulture and oenology, who speaks of myths, archetypes and even a “maternal womb” that can be traced back to clay wine vases. “In a context in which alcohol has become scary again,” explains Scienza, «this can be exorcised with cultural background, explaining that wine has been made for millennia and has always been drunk. The amphora also makes it possible to overcome prevention towards an oenology perceived as interventionist. It is no coincidence that the world of amphora wines is partly likened to the natural wine movement».
Amphora and the young
Andrea Lonardi, Master of Wine, also espouses the idea of the amphora as “messenger”, provided, however, that the use of the instrument is not trivialised. “More and more producers,” explains Lonardi, «are choosing these containers to meet a contemporary taste that, contrary to past years, wants less and less wood. There are two great contrasts, on the one hand the industrial wine that recognises itself in conventional tools - wood and steel - and on the other the artisan world that sends different messages to consumers. Here, the amphora is one of these messages. Personally, I believe neither that industrial wine is made in steel nor that artisanal wine is made in amphora: there are wines made well and the younger ones have understood this because they are more connected to authenticity».
The Calatroni Family
On the eleventh of November 1964, Luigi Calatroni was sitting at a table: in front of him was a sheet of paper with the stamp of the Montecalvo Versiggia municipality, a document that would change his life forever and was only waiting for a signature... his!
That sheet was a contract certifying the transfer of ownership of the Casa Bella land from the Vecchietti family to Luigi. Until 1964, Luigi had cultivated those pinot noir vines as a sharecropper, like the four generations before him. The sharecropper was a winegrower who paid rent for the land with half the yield of the vineyard (and you know: for a winegrower, his grapes are like his children).
After years spent in the sun and rain tending the vineyard, after the terrible Russian campaign during the Second World War and an adventurous return home by makeshift means, the Vigiö d'la Cà Bela (that's what they called him) had made it: he had conquered a strip of land in the Versa valley
and would pass it down with pride to the next generation.
But let us move on to the present day. So many things have changed over the years: tractors are almost perfect machines, technology in the cellar has evolved and the concept of wine is no longer what it once was.
The number of hectares planted in vines has grown to more than 20, all owned and organically managed: respect for the land that hosts us has been handed down to us and is ingrained in us. This is why we implement agricultural choices aimed at protecting the biodiversity present, why we select eco-sustainable materials and why the company produces energy from renewable sources for its own needs.
The passion for our work, love for the vineyard and dedication to quality have been passed down from generation to generation and continue to grow with the new ones!
Calatroni
Santa Maria della Versa (PV) via Canova 7 calatronivini.com
f@calatronivini
$@calatronivini
Post-modern Tignanello
After 50 years, the Supertuscan still manages to paraphrase the spirit of the times
by Lorenzo Ruggeri
Wine producers have a bad habit. When presenting a new wine, they tend to always resort to the same phrase: «It is the best vintage ever». Then, one tastes the nectar in question and has a few legitimate doubts. At Marchesi Antinori we witnessed a similar scene.
In the glass, however, we found a great red and several confirmations. It is difficult to say whether the Tignanello 2021 is at the top among all the vintages produced; we well remember a trio of brilliant vintages (1983, 1988, 2015), as well as some lesser vintages (2003,
2012, 2017). Certainly, the 2021 will be talked about for decades, and even the feedback from our tastings in Bolgheri and Chianti Classico reinforce the excellent impressions. A vintage of fullness, maturity and complexity. The occasion for the visit to Tenuta Tignanello in San Casciano in Val di Pesa is an important anniversary: the 50th anniversary of the first release of Tignanello, which was born in 1971 ‘from seventy-six thousand six hundred and eighty-two vines of an ancient Chianti vineyard’, as the label designed by Silvio Coppola still reads. The first break was the decision to depart from the Chianti Classico disciplinary, which imposed the use of white grapes in the blend. It was presented as a table wine, and was composed solely of Sangiovese, with a small balance of Canaiolo; it was aged in barriques, for 30 months, a great novelty for the time. The positioning was already high, at a price well above the average for the
The Antinori family Tignanello estate: over 300 hectares, part of which are vineyards in the heart of Chianti Classico, on the hills between the Greve and Pesa valleys
The Antinori family: Marquis Piero with his three daughters Albiera, Allegra and Alessia
time for a Chianti Classico: 2,220 lire, about 300% more than the average for the denomination. Behind the project was the decisive encounter between Piero Antinori, the French oenologist Èmile Peynaud and the vision of Giacomo Tachis; in 1975 cabernet was also introduced for the first time, the glorious season of Supertuscans began. Today’s blend reads 85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc. «We became what we are thanks to him. Tignanello made us aware of our possibilities,» began Piero Antinori. «He took away that inferiority complex we had for centuries for French wines, he and the other wines that have followed his example have contributed to the renaissance of Tuscan and national wine.» The vineyard is located at an altitude of about 400 metres on soils rich in alberese and galestro. A further 20 hectares on the hill were acquired in 2021; in February 2024, the planting of the last part was completed, entirely terraced to optimise water resources.
«When everything is in production, it will be a spectacle,» Piero maintains. We descend into the cellar with Verdiana Antinori, the 27th generation of winemakers (the family started making wine in 1300). First stop: a trip to the 1970s. «Let’s consider the context: it is the era of rule-breaking, of the flower children, the heavy years of lead». We are greeted by a magnum of Tignanello ‘78, with a couple of colleagues we comment: «Very old style Bordeaux!» It is a much rougher and sharper red than today, other climates, other selection work. It is certainly less precise and complete than other versions, but it has a charm that brings us back to some of today’s registers, with wines - perhaps not those signed by giants such as Antinori - that play on hard and acidic registers, in search of an uncoiffed but energetic drinkability. In the second stage of the underground journey, we encounter the 1983 vintage, an amazing vintage, hot (for the time) but not droughty. The greatest attention in the vineyard and in the cellar can be felt in a sumptuous, enveloping and multifaceted red, a perfect blend of soft and hard parts: 41 years brought splendidly. At that time, the story goes, the Antinori were very close to selling everything to Banfi; what blew the deal
Non just red
Between one Tignanello and another, we were also offered the Villa Antinori Pinot Bianco 2023 Tenuta Montelloro produced on the hills of Fiesole, just outside Florence. Blindly, we would have bet on a Sauvignon: aromas of sweet pepper, tomato leaf, tropical fruit. The palate is slender and linear, the finish without thrills. We were not exactly impressed..
was supposedly an oversight by a journalist who miscalculated when the news came out.
Let us continue our journey through time: the 1990s arrived with that cunning use of the barrique that marked the decade. We are joined by Renzo Cotarella, who has been Production Director and Head of Enology at Marchesi Antinori since 1993. Tignanello 1997 is still surprisingly young and closed in its aromas, clothed in a powerful structure. In those years the alberese stones were brought to the surface, thanks to a break-up of the soil, distributed between the rows to ‘tame’ the sunlight. Like all wines of that era, the concentration on the palate is massive, with a wood that is a little oversized
compared to today’s standards. Starting in the 2000s, the Antinori began to think more and more in terms of micro-parcels and micro-winemaking, finally deciding to build dedicated vinification and ageing areas, starting with Tignanello and Solaia, the other Supertuscan born in 1978. 2004 was a watershed vintage, we are told in the cellar. The initial fear was of a wine that was too light for the time: ‘It didn’t seem ripe to us, too light,’ says Cotarella. «The truth is that it is not true that the plants have to go under stress to produce better. This year we had a frost in April that delayed the harvest, the longest ripening cycles are always the best,» he adds. In the glass we have the image of a style in the process of redefinition, smoothing out some of the toasty excesses typical of
previous years. The wine is compact, severe, with great charm. We return to ‘riveder le stelle’, leave the cellar and in the Italian garden we test the 2013, a vintage that is somewhat reminiscent of 1983. And yet, in this case the Tignanello is not entirely convincing, with notes of coffee and spices that do not outline a very broad texture. The version is somewhere between past and future, without fully exploiting either aspect.
At the table, we reason about the last two releases, the 2020 and 2021. In both cases there are floral and airy traits that bring us even more directly back to the frequencies of Chianti Classico. The impression is that if in 1974 it was Tignanello that dictated the model, 50 years later it is redefining itself to contemporary tastes dictated by greater drinking
speed and lightness. And the new territorial push is already underway: «We are bringing forward zoning work, vineyard by vineyard: we are experimenting to produce a Chianti Classico from only Sangiovese grapes that fully reflects a single territory. For us it is also a cultural challenge, we are studying an old estate zone in Badia a Passignano, but also in Cigliano, Gaiole and Castellina,» Cotarella clarifies. Meanwhile, we ask for a refill of the 2021, truly a great wine. «An incredible vintage, it was one of my first vintages at the winery, we immediately realised it was different,» says our snacking neighbour. He is Niccolò Antinori, the other face of the 27th generation, destiny in the name. «Where would I like to live? New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, London. But how good it is at home, my Florence, nowhere».
Tignanello Vertical in 7 vintages from 1978 to 2021
90
>Tignanello
1978
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa (FI)
Intense herbaceous sensations, leather, tar and mint. The mouth is bony, bare, played on a vertical register that is still very integral, fresh, with slightly green tannins that tend to tighten a drink that is nonetheless vital and energetic. Lapsang tea finish, with an intense and multifaceted balsamic and smoky sensation. Little pulp and a nervous, savoury character.
96
>Tignanello 1983
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa (FI)
There is a change of register. The balance here is masterly for a complete red that combines richness and drinkability with an innate class. Aromas of hazelnut, currants and black olives. The mouth is creamy, full, with a hint of acidity typical of duroni (Vignola cherries) to revive the drink, punctuated by a pressing sapidity. The finish is very long and deep.
1997 91
>Tignanello
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa (FI)
The olfactory register is still very measured, the attack almost shy on sensations of cherries in spirit and cinnamon. The mouth is young and compressed, for an intense but not completely relaxed gustatory phrasing. The finish is slightly bitter due to a wood tannin that is just a little out of proportion to the wine’s charge. It has another 20 years on its side
95
>Tignanello 2004
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa
A Tignanello that plays on its hardest parts. And it does so with class and excellent aromatic definition. The vegetative cycle was prolonged due to the April frost that postponed the harvest by 20 days. Dark profile of black pepper, liquorice and dried violets. The mouth is very compact, with a dense but well extracted tannic charge; severe, long and clean finish.
>Tignanello 2013 91
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa
The colour of this vintage is the most discharged of the battery tasted. The nose smells of resins, pine needles and raspberries. The palate does not show great breadth due to slightly dried out tannins and a finish of coffee powder, carob and cocoa. The finish is warm, juicy but contracted in a wood yet to be fully absorbed.
93
>Tignanello 2020
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa
In the glass, the aromas of this Tignanello have yet to find a square: liquorice, almond milk, sour cherry. The palate is another world, with a wide range of fresh balsamic and distinctly floral sensations of violets and undergrowth. Breathtaking Chianti in its airy and delicately earthy traits; the finish is dry and nervous.
>Tignanello 2021 96
Marchesi Antinori
S. Casciano Val di Pesa (FI)
It has a regal profile: serious, composed, mature. The aromas range from iron cherry to nutmeg, from cumin to juniper. The mouth is a glove, the quality of the tannins is sublime, combining flesh, structure and acidity in a context of rare harmony. It has gluttonous and velvety traits, the finish continuous and prolonged. The point of maturity is an enchantment.
Gambero Rosso and The Three Glasses return to Singapore, the Roaring Isle
by Marco Sabellico
Ten years after its first appearance in the lush city state, on May 23rd, I Tre Bicchieri made a stop in Singapore
The event was a great success, and from 1 pm to7 pm wine enthusiasts, sommeliers, trade press and operators packed the aisles of Chijmes Hall, the historic neo-Gothic complex on central Victoria Street that has always been chosen by Gambero Rosso for its events.
After a few years' absence, it was important to return to this market, one of the brightest in Southeast Asia, one of the "four Tigers" of the Asian economy, along with Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. A multibillion dollar economy that makes it one of the richest countries in the
world, centered on finance and tourism. The Singaporeans, with a cultural background influenced by British colonization (Singapore is part of the Commonwealth), have a high per capita income and have always been refined consumers of fine wines.
And if France dominates the import panorama, in recent years Italy has grown a lot and has come close to the country's other historic wine supplier, Australia. Its port, the second in the world by traffic after Shanghai, is one of the strategic hubs of the world economy, and wine has always been traded here, for internal consumption and for re-export to Japan, Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand
and Malaysia. The city, dotted with gardens and futuristic buildings, has a cosmopolitan population with considerable economic resources, and has excellent restaurants and bars of the highest level. «The pandemic has brought new habits - Aaron Kong, editor of Spirited Singapore magazine, tells us - people stayed at home a lot, but they consumed anyway, even if restaurants and clubs suffered. It was an opportunity to explore and learn about new products through the internet and e-commerce. And instead of meeting in clubs, Singaporeans organized home tastings, wine tasting and discussion groups. And even now that the pandemic is behind us, this habit has remained. Like curiosity and the desire to experiment with tastes, denominations and styles from
all over the world... France remains the protagonist for the high-spending public, but Italy, for example, is gaining ground. There is always news from your country, new denominations, and this arouses great curiosity, especially amidst young consumers with more adventurous palates.»
We asked what general market trends he has encountered in the last two years. «A great interest in wines and drinks with low alcohol content. And this is not so much for their quality, but for the inclusiveness that their consumption entails in a group. When you go out there is no longer the excluded, condemned to drink water or soft drinks. Today you can drink a good cocktail or a low-alcohol wine or beer and then drive without problems. Obviously, we are talking about a niche, but it is growing, like that of young people who approach wine through the can, a familiar element borrowed from the world of beer. They are consumers who will then evolve towards fine wines, over time and with a growing income». «It was a difficult period - explains Giacomo Pallesi, managing director of Angra Wine & Spirits, prestigious importer and distributor of wines from the main countries of the world - there have been closures and jobs have been lost in the sector, but now we are recovering, and everything suggests a brilliant end to the year and a growth in 2025. We are looking for staff... And we are moving towards "premiufication", we are looking for high profile wines, and not just reds...
Top Italian restaurants in Singapore
if the walkaround tasting was a great success, the opening ceremony saw the presence of the Italian ambassador, Dante Brandi, who also participated in the awards ceremony of the Top Italian Restaurants in the World guide. The Singaporean scene is vibrant, as evidenced by the accolades. One Slice went to Cicheti, excellent Neapolitan pizza from an iconic restaurant in the group that bears this fragrant Italian name. Amo’ by Peppe de Vito, a true ambassador of Neapolitan gastronomy, was awarded Two Slices. Among the wine bars Garibaldi won the Three Bottles thanks to its prestigious selection and a very high level of by the glass offer. And now the restaurants: Solo by chef Simone Fraternali has obtained One Fork for the fragrances of his cuisine that takes you to the Riviera Romagnola, and the same goes for the Etna Restaurant which gracefully proposes Mediterranean cuisine. One Fork again went to Marco Guccio with his Guccio, which offers elegant seasonal cuisine, a true journey through the Italian regions. But two restaurants obtained our top score, Three Forks, which makes Singapore one of the most interesting cities in Southeast Asia for fine dining made in Italy. This is Buona Terra, located in an elegant colonial building, where chef Denis Lucchi offers sophisticated and elegant Italian cuisine, seasonal and contemporary, combined with an extraordinarily deep and well-stocked cellar, managed with passion by Gabriele Rizzardi, which it also earned him the coveted Villa Sandi Top Contemporary Wine List Award. The other star awarded was Daniele Sperindio, who in his Art Sperindio, in a panoramic position in the National Gallery, overlooking Marina Bay, has capitalized on years of experience in the most prestigious kitchens in the world, and offers unique emotions and fragrances – authentically Italian - to his sophisticated clientele.
Consumption of white wines is growing rapidly, especially from classically suited areas. Singaporeans love to travel, and the world's classic wine regions are among their destinations. So, when they return home, they bring these experiences and look for those
products on the market. This explains the constant growth of Italian wine on this market. This is a special market, wines come here from all over the world, and the consumer always likes to make new discoveries in addition to the classics».
Hong Kong Vinexpo 2024
Gambero Rosso return to a Hong Kong that is changing its skin
by Giuseppe Carrus
Hong Kong is a city in constant evolution: this was our impression after an absence of five years. The occasion was Vinexpo Asia 2024, where the Tre Bicchieri 2024 edition took place on May 29th. And the city did not disappoint our expectations… We found a vibrant and proactive Hong Kong, a vibrating epicenter of the Greater Bay Area. The city is growing, high-speed connections have tripled with Macau and the cities of the GBA, which is the driving region - at an industrial and technological level - of the entire Chinese economy. And Hong Kong, strategically, is now at the center of this system which sees Shenzhen and Guangzhou as two other fundamental poles. Less and
less of an English "ex-colony", much more integrated into an all-Chinese industrial and commercial system. And if in recent years around 500 thousand old residents have chosen the path of expatriation, today Hong Kong is attracting more and more residents from Mainland China and the rest of the world. In short, less finance and more industry and HiTech in this corner of China…
China is back!
The Tre Bicchieri Grand tasting took place on May 29th from 11am to 5pm in the ultra-modern Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, in the context of a very crowded edition of Vinexpo Asia (next year it's Singapore's turn, then HK again in
Slices, Bottles, Forks and…
Hong Kong is one of the most fascinating cities in the world for its gastronomic offer and Italian catering plays an important role here. Among the highlights of the day was the award ceremony of the Top Italian Restaurants in the World guide, which saw 15 brands take to the podium, in the presence of the Italian Consul, Carmelo Ficarra. Starting with the pizzerias, 2 Slices went to Paper Moon and Little Napoli, while reached excellence, 3 Slices, Fiata by Salvatore Fiata, among the great ambassadors of Neapolitan cuisine in the world. Two Bottles went to the Francis wine bar for the excellent selection of labels, and three to Giando by Emanuele Berselli, which is also an excellent restaurant that boasts a spectacular wine list, which also earned it the Villa Sandi Top Contemporary Wine List Award, an award that reverberates on its excellent all-Italian wine and specialty shops Mercato Gourmet. And Tre Bottles also awarded the very rich wine list of Otto e Mezzo Bombana of Macau, compiled by the ultra-competent Marino Braccu. Sabatini, Aria and the new entry Ama Restaurant by Paolo Monti deserved 1 Fork. The creative verve of Valerio Giuseppe Mandile earns Grissini 2 Forks, and the same score went to LucAle by chefs Alessandro Angelini and Luca De Berardinis who offer classy fine dining in a relaxed and casual atmosphere. And 2 Forchette also awarded the refined Piedmontese suggestions of the excellent Castellana by Matteo Morello and Romeo Morelli, among the best addresses in Hong Kong. Finally, the 3 Forks, which are two. Otto e Mezzo Bombana by Vittorio Bombana confirms itself at spectacular levels, now a classic that never disappoints and is constantly renewed, while Tosca by Angelo by Angelo Agliano reaches its highest level: he offers a technically elaborate cuisine which is an explosion of Mediterranean fragrances and flavours. A patrol, this one from Hong Kong, which has few equals in the world.
To confirm the special "vibe" of the city, which is a flourishing of new openings, at the stroke of its first year of life, we wanted to reward an extraordinary Italian Cocktail Bar, introducing a new category in the guide. We were absolutely impressed by the extraordinary offer of Bar Leone, the latest creation by world renown bartender Lorenzo Antinori, in central Bridges Street. It was like entering a neighborhood bar in Rome in the Sixties... every little detail studied with care, a list of spectacularly crafted cocktails, based on Italian products, including classics and house proposals, enriched with treats (pizza, mortadella, olives etc. etc.) worth 10 cum laude. 3 Cocktail Glasses. And with him a new category is born on our Guide.
2026), which, in three days, attracted 15.000 visitors, with over 1000 exhibitors from 35 countries. 75% of the visitors came from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, highlighting a tendency to participate in events of this type in their own region. The Italian presence was massive, immediately behind France and Australia. The climate was positive and proactive, China is starting to import again even though in recent years the Chinese palate has become increasingly competent and demanding, less sensitive to fashion and more attentive to taste. This is demonstrated by the growth in the import of white wines, which have reached 40% in the last two years, when ten years ago they were barely a symbolic presence.
Increasingly mature consumers
We had a taste of this climate of fervent enthusiasm the day before, May 28, when, Marco Sabellico, curator of the Vini d'Italia guide, held a super crowded masterclass dedicated to the Special Awards of the 2024 guide. The Masterclass was one of the highlights of the Vinexpo
Academy program and attracted over 60 participants. «Italy is a unique wine country that continues to fascinate Chinese enthusiasts with its variety, diversity and complexity. The tasting was fantastic, and it was worth the trip from Macau» tells us Dave Chan, sommelier and F&B manager of Wynn in Macau. «The Chinese consumer is maturing, he is looking for new stimula – adds Yueming Zhao of Joy Marketing, who came from Beijing –the great Italian wines have yet to be discovered by the general public, and we are working towards this...».
A great Tasting
The Walkaround Tasting showcasing over 150 Top Awarded labels attracted a constant flow of visitors from 11am to 5pm and gave a boost of optimism to the companies. Visitors from China and neighboring countries were the vast majority, and many restaurateurs and buyers, including - but not only - Italian restaurants. «We had been missing from an important place like this for a little bit too long – Tancredi Biondi Santi of the Tuscan Castello di Montepò tells us – Hong Kong remains a fundamental hub for high-profile
wines, and like all important markets it must be supervised. Operators want to have relationships with producers in person». «For us who work here it is an important opportunity to consolidate relationships and form new ones –adds Federico Balzarini, Beverage Manager of the Four Seasons Hong Kong – our customers are demanding and always want new and trendy wines. You can't rest on the laurels of a wine list designed years ago. This is Hong Kong!».
A fascinating city capable of reinventing itself every day, a melting pot of new initiatives, of international traffic, a fundamental hub for food, wine and the art of living in this corner of China. Where Italy plays - and will play - a very important match. An unmissable stage on the World Tour. And this is also confirmed by two old French friends that we met at the very successful Vinexpo Asia 2024 event. They were Axel Heinz, already at the helm of Ornellaia and Masseto, today at Château Lascombes in Margaux, and Thierry Desseauve who with Michel Bettane was one of the highlights of the show. See you soon, Hong Kong…
Last stop in the Far East: Saigon
by Marco Sabellico
On June 3rd, the Top Italian Wines Roadshow, which had touched Singapore and Hong Kong in the previous days, ended with a brilliant stage. Vietnam is rapidly becoming one of the most important export markets for Italian wine in Southeast Asia, and for many reasons. It is approximately as large as Italy, with a population of around 100 million inhabitants, and has a rapidly growing economy, with an active population of which 60% is under the age of 30. A welcoming country, now an established tourist destination, with a GDP that has returned to constant growth after the pandemic slowdown. If the capital is Hanoi, the most populous city - with
12 million inhabitants - is the former capital of South Vietnam, Saigon, now renamed Ho Chi Minh city in honor of the founding father of socialist Vietnam.
A young, modern, dynamic metropolis, the true economic capital of the country, where life pulsates 24 hours a day. And the Roadshow marked an important stage in the beautiful rooms of the Rex Hotel where the usual crowd of enthusiasts and operators came to greet the 50 Italian wine producers selected by Gambero Rosso. If beer is still the most popular drink among the Vietnamese, wine with its sophisticated charm and its infinite variations increasingly fascinates Vietnamese.
And its consumption, especially that of Italian wine, is growing dramatically. Suffice it to say that in the difficult years marked by Covid, faced with a 40% drop in global wine imports, Italy recorded just -5%, and since the end of the pandemic we have returned to dizzying growth, with a + 92% in 2022 and + 25.74% in 2023. The progressive reduction of excise duties which from 2023 went from 50% to 25% (and will be eliminated in 2027) by virtue of the free trade agreement between the EU and Vietnam - the EVFTA – is producing, in short, its hoped-for positive effects. «The typical wine consumer is a young adult with a good income» tells us Dennis Tran, educator
and wine-expert, with a profound knowledge of European wines and this market. «We hit rock bottom two years ago, but now we are climbing quickly, and there is widespread enthusiasm which means economic recovery and bright prospects for the next few years, therefore growing consumption, with wine becoming more and more a status symbol of the middle class who have studied and travel and make it a factor of prestige and cultural growth. The wine culture courses are always full. And Italian wines exert a great charm. They are wines that accompany food very well: international recipes - we are a cosmopolitan city - but also refined classic Vietnamese cuisine. In Italy there are many great prestigious wines, but also many denominations with excellent labels with an extraordinary quality-price ratio, and this is your strength».
And the masterclasses organized by Gambero Rosso, three for the event, only confirmed all this. Marco Sabellico with the collaboration of Dennis Tran told the tale of
Top Italian restaurants in Saigon
Pizza and spaghetti are now popular foods in this country too, and we also had confirmation of this in the Top Italian Restaurants in the World Award ceremony which rewarded the dynamic Italian gastronomic scene in Saigon, which after some shocks in recent years has returned to grow. The consul general of Italy in Ho Chi Minh city, Enrico Padula, was present at the event. Three restaurants are included in our 2024 selection with One Fork: Opera, a sophisticated trattoria inside the Park Hyatt Saigon, which offers tasty Mediterranean cuisine specialties by chef Rodolfo Serritelli; Basilico, which is at the Intercontinental Hotel Saigon, and proposes the classics of Italian regional cuisine with a modern twist. Finally, Pendolasco, the creation of chef Carlo Anzon, who since 1998 has offered excellent regional cuisine in a typically Italian chic atmosphere. Two Forks then go to Margherì, where you find not only a fragrant pizza but many delicious Italian specialties and above all excellent fresh pasta prepared by chef Ciro Sorrentino.
One Slice goes to the excellent Neapolitan pizzeria in The Long @ Times Square Building, annexed to the prestigious hotel of the same name, which features simple but authentic cuisine, food specialties from all regions and the best pizza in the city. Finally, Two Bottles and the prestigious Villa Sandi Top Contemporary Wine List Award to CantYna, a beautiful Osteria-style venue that serves traditional rustic recipes from quality Italian ingredients and a spectacular selection of wines - by the glass and by the bottle - and excellent cocktails.
the terroirs and protagonists of contemporary Italian winemaking three times to a room full of curious and attentive enthusiasts. «Masterclasses are fundamental - Erika Abate of the Piedmontese Enrico Serafino told us – we can see it from the flux of people to our station at the end of the tasting...». «A market with great prospects for us - confirms Stefano Leo of Paolo Leo from Puglia - Primitivo fascinates
the Vietnamese. It goes very well with local meat cuisine. And among today's proposals we will certainly choose a valid importer.» «White wines are gaining ground in this country, a traditional consumer of reds – Trinh Hoang from South Tyrol Nals Margreid tells us - especially young people love the clear, fresh and fruity taste of our whites. Tastes and habits are rapidly evolving here.»
Worldtour Scandinavia
In the evocative atmosphere of the white nights, in Scandinavia we find confirmation that interest in Italian wines is in excellent health
Although the wine sector is going through a difficult period, from the stages of our international tour we are gathering a generous optimism and enthusiasm that gives us hope for the future of wine, especially in the Scandinavian territory, where the events of our Tre Bicchieri 2024 Tour have recorded a very high number of visitors, excited to taste the awardwinning wines.
Stockholm, Copenhagen and Oslo
Gambero Rosso's Tre Bicchieri
Summer Edition 2024 kicked off on June 7 with an unmissable wine event on the historic stage, the ballroom of the Grand Hotel Stockholm. A
very attended event that brought a new spark to Scandinavian interest in Italian wine. The positive wave was confirmed during the following two events of this “Tre Bicchieri summer edition”, at the Langelinie Pavillonen in Copenhagen on June 10 and at the Gamle Logen in Oslo, on June 12, evergreen stages of our world tour that always give us strong emotions and great insights ongoing trends in the culinary and drinks business in this part of the world.
After a long period, lasting 10 years, of uninterrupted growth, wine imports in Sweden fell by 4% in 2023. It would seem that in Sweden people drink less, but when they do drink they prefer European wines. In
fact, France, Spain and Italy have recorded a constant increase in their share. If France continues to lead the market with a 32% despite having recorded a 3% drop in exports, Italy did better in 2023, with a positive increase of +1%. It was also a decidedly positive year for Spain (also thanks to sparkling wines), but still they remain far behind Italy. Systembolaget, the alcohol monopoly in Sweden, is working increasingly closely with Italian wineries, favoring those that work according to sustainable criteria, with great attention also to the weight and materials of the packaging and a careful look at the ratings of our guide Vini d'Italia guide, often used as a listing criterion.
Michel Brovall, a Swedish wine journalist, said: "I appreciated the gastronomic character of the wines i tasted, fortunately the monopoly is finally expanding the offer of Italian wines also with lesser-known areas".
During the events, seminars were conducted by Gianni Fabrizio and Marzio Taccetti, experts of the Gambero Rosso Vini d'Italia guide.
An opportunity and an invitation to discover - and for some to rediscover - the potential of the many Italian denominations. "These masterclasses are the best way to integrate what the producers tell us and an opportunity for importers to better understand the territory and the place of origin of the wines
and to expand their portfolio", says Thomas Jankell, a wine writer who participated in the events.
The Danish market shows a character opposite to that of Sweden: the number of small importers is multifaceted, for an extremely segmented and varied market, which well reflects an exceptional gastronomic offer.
Special Guests of the tour the Primitivo di Manduria dop, Salice Salentino dop and Brindisi dop consortia, which were also protagonists of special dinners in Copenhagen, focused on the enhancement of the potential of these three important denominations of Apulian wine.
Some moments of the tasting and of the
Masterclass conducted by Gianni Fabrizio-
Apulian wines through the Primitivo di Manduria Dop on Tour
Puglia's wine production was showcased through one of the most popular red wine denominations in the region, in two major cities in Northern and Eastern Europe, Copenhagen and Prague. The two dinners, organized by Gambero Rosso on behalf of the Primitivo di Manduria DOP Consortium , are part of the Radici Virtuose project, promoted by Mipaaf (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies) and Dajs (Jonico Salentino AgriAgri-food Quality District), to raise awareness on the spread of Xylella Fastidiosa, a disease that is modifying the agricultural environment by destroying centuries-old olive trees in the Ionian-Salento area. Two exclusive tasting menus in high-end restaurants to illustrate the characteristics and versatility of a great red from Southern Italy.
The first dinner took place on 11 June at Enomania, a famous restaurant dedicated to wine in Copenhagen, while the prestigious Aromi hosted the second evening in Prague. The menus were created ad. Hoc. for these special occasions, to combine five top labels chosen from the best wineries in the denomination area. Unconventional and surprising combinations have highlighted the
A great red from the south meets the ingredients and cuisine of the chefs selected by Gambero Rosso
characteristics of the Primitivo grape and its different interpretations. The pairings with the beef sirloin with cream of roasted peppers, green beans and potatoes were memorable, perfect with a Primitivo di Manduria DOC, in Copenhagen, while the venison with Jerusalem artichokes and Boreta onions served in Prague was equally successful.
Gambero Rosso journalists, Gianni Fabrizio , in Copenhagen and Marzio Taccetti , in Prague , guided the happy journalists and sector operators, invited to the dinners together with Laele Scaglioso and Leonardo Spina of the Consortium , providing an overview of the territory and the characteristics of the Primitivo di Manduria D.O.P. The dinners were enriched by the words of company representatives who told stories and anecdotes of the companies and guided the tasting of the labels presented.
New cities and new dinners to promote two important Apulian denominations
Salice Salentino Dop and Brindisi Dop on Tour arrives in Copenhagen and Prague. A double appointment linked to the Radici Virtuose project, born thanks to the commitment of the Mipaaf (Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies) and of the Dajs (Jonico Salentino Agri-food Quality District), to inform and raise awareness of the spread of Xylella Fastidiosa, a disease which is destroying the heritage of centuries-old olive trees in the Ionian-Salento area. Two events and two dinners in exclusive restaurants to illustrate the characteristics of Negramaro, the protagonist of the evening, together with Malvasia Nera, a worthy companion of the blend, demonstrating its versatility at the table.
The tasting of 11 Apulian labels, combined with signature Italian cuisine with Sardinian nuances, took place on Monday 10 June at the renowned San Giorgio restaurant in Copenhagen. The two denominations, side by side, accompanied the various courses. Among the most successful combinations are Tortellacci stuffed with braised meat, truffle sauce and Grananglona parmesan sauce, paired with these important southern reds, a real pleasure for the palate. The second evening in Prague took place at the Rest restaurant, where
A dinner dedicated to Apulian red wines and authentic Italian flavours
Mediterranean cuisine and local products formed the perfect combination to combine with 9 labels between Brindisi Dop and Salice Salentino Dop. Grilled octopus with chickpeas and cherry tomatoes on fish cream was an opportunity to test the versatility of these red wines with fish dishes. A truly successful meeting.
Both events were conducted by Gambero Rosso journalists, Gianni Fabrizio and Marzio Taccetti, together with Federico Chimenti, representing the Salice Salentino Consortium and delegates of the wineries, who together illustrated the territory, production and differences in denominations and labels protagonists of the dinners, giving journalists, importers and professionals in the sector the opportunity to get to know two of the most important denominations of Puglia up close.
Consorzio Tutela Wines
Salice Salentino Dop
Salice Salentino (LE) – Casina Ripa via P. Leone – 0832 732592
consorziosalicesalentino.it
Consorzio Tutela Wines
Brindisi e Squinzano Dop
Brindisi – c/o CCIAA – Bastioni Carlo V 0831 652749 – Winesbrindisisquinzano-
Worldtour Prague
The
most
famous Italian wine guide arrives in Prague for the first time
The truly heartfelt welcome when Gambero Rosso with its exclusive event dedicated to Italian wine arrived in Prague for the first time shows that the bet on this new destination has proven to be far-sighted.
In the capital of the Czech Republic, the delegation of Italian wineries was welcomed by an enthusiastic community of professionals and buyers who cultivate a great interest not only in the Italian wine scene, but also in its cuisine and culture. A fertile ground to cultivate, therefore, in a rapidly
expanding market to keep an eye on for the future.
The trailblazer for this first incursion into the Czech territory was the Vini d'Italia Tour, the event that brings the premium wines reviewed and awarded by the "Bible" of Italian wine, the Vini d'Italia guide by Gambero Rosso, to the world.
The stunning event hall of the Eurostars Thalia Hotel hosted exhibitors, importers, journalists and wine enthusiasts who gathered under the banner of the best Italian wine production.
Representatives of the wineries noted a keen interest in Italian wine and a good knowledge of its different denominations.
"The import of Italian wines is growing strongly," Michal Sekta, a wine expert and importer from Prague, told us at the event. "The public in Prague is curious and always looking for something new or different to try. Italy has great potential in this sense, thanks to a mix of different denominations, grape varieties and territories that however need to be well communicated and
described, because it could be the next wine that an importer or wine enthusiast might look for."
The wine event also gave us the opportunity to explore the local food scene, Italian restaurants, bistros, pizzerias and wine bars, the selection of the best in the Gambero Rosso Top Italian Restaurants guide (www. gamberorossointernational.com/ restaurants).
Prague offers a lively food and wine scene, with many new openings, many of which focus on international cuisine and in particular Italian.
Special attention was given to Salento territory , with tasting areas dedicated to the consortia of Primitivo di Manduria dop, Brindisi dop and Salice Salentino dop, which brought a real focus on these important Apulian denominations to the capital of the Czech Republic. A group of twenty leading producers offered importers, industry experts and sommeliers the opportunity to take a virtual journey through the territory of these denominations, by tasting some of their most iconic labels.
The great celebration of Italian wine was not limited to the tasting and the
splendid location of the Hotel Eurostars, but also included two special dinners in two excellent restaurants. The exquisite cuisine of "Aromi" and "Rest", combined with the labels from Puglia, proved to be the most congenial way to explore the potential of these wines and their versatility at the table.
A real success for all the activities carried out, which decreed an enthusiastic return to the city of Prague next year.
food
Immediately recognisable flavours and aromas: Peppe Guida is the legendary chef-owner of Antica Osteria Nonna Rosa in Vico Equense.
This land is
my
land The great Mediterranean flavours PEPPE GUIDA
>Like a Norma
INGREDIENTS FOR 4
320 g fettucce di Gragnano pasta by Pastificio dei Campi
600 g aubergines
500 g canned cherry tomatoes
1 handful of almonds
50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 garlic clove
salt
extra virgin olive oil seed oil for frying
Cut the aubergines into cubes and fry them in deep frying oil. Let them dry on blotting paper and salt them. Drop the pasta into lightly salted boiling water with a tablespoon of oil. Meanwhile, fry a clove of garlic in a frying pan and sauté the aubergines. Add the cherry tomatoes with their juice and a pinch of salt, together with a few basil leaves. Remove the garlic. In the glass of an immersion blender, blend half of the fried aubergines with almonds, Parmesan cheese, basil and a little oil. Add the resulting pesto to the aubergines, combining the two bases. Drain the pasta and toss it in the pan with the sauce. Off the heat, toss with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese, chopped basil and a drizzle of olive oil.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4
320 g vermicelli pasta
200 g anchovies au gratin
200 g black Gaeta olives, pitted
50 g capers, rinsed 3 eggs
70 g Pecorino Romano
3 sprigs of parsley
1 garlic clove
extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper
Frittata of vermicelli with anchovies au gratin
Cook the pasta al dente in boiling salted water. Fry the garlic in a tablespoon of oil and, once golden, remove it and add capers and olives, frying for a minute or so. In the sauce, add the vermicelli and mantecarli briefly over the heat, then pour into a large bowl and add the leftover anchovies in a pie tin. Separately, beat the eggs with salt, pepper, pecorino cheese and chopped parsley, add them to the vermicelli and mix well to distribute them evenly.
Grease a non-stick frying pan with plenty of oil, place the vermicelli in it, pressing them down to occupy the entire surface, and cook slowly, about 10 minutes per side, checking that they take on a nice golden colour without burning.
travel
Tramonti challenges Naples We are the capital of pizza
Thousands of families emigrated to the north with the traditional “ancient” and peasant focaccia. Now the village claims its primacy and is self-proclaims itself as hub of taste
by Emiliano Gucci
This is where an ancient, peasant pizza is made, where many, many, left to seek their fortunes in the world following the fiordilatte produced locally and exported to the north. Now, however, after the diaspora, this tiny village on the Amalfi Coast (or rather, of the ‘montiera’, as they say locally) claims the primacy of ‘its’ pizza, which is not only a historical heritage, but living testimony to the ‘phenomenon’ that colonised the whole of Italy in the past. The tenacious, whole-grain doughs (a mixture of different cereals enriched with wild fennel) as well as the nonchalance of certain toppings that revive tradition, make this record ready to challenge the horizons of
The pies of different traditions competed during the PizzAcademy festival dedicated to pizza in Tramonti
contemporaneity. Tramonti’s pizza is good, as futuristic as the most emblazoned and media-centric pizzas of our time. And its master pizza makers fear no comparison with their colleagues from the Neapolitan, Caserta, Cilento and Roman schools. This was demonstrated by the first edition of PizzAcademy Tramonti held last March at the pizzeria Al Valico di Chiunzi, in the hamlet a few minutes from the centre of Tramonti. Present were, among others, Errico Porzio and Raffaele Bonetta, Sasà Martucci, Giò Il Pizz’ino, Carmine Nasti, Vincenzo Nese, Francesco Maiorano, Fortunato Amatruda, Giovanni Mandara and Antonio Erra. But the story, as announced, has to start much further afield.
Milk and its “flower”
Tramonti is the Coast’s green lung, and gave its name to the ‘north wind’ that the sailors of the Repub -
From the hills that plunge into the sea come tenacious, wholemeal doughs enriched with wild fennel that welcome toppings that revive tradition, both rustic and gourmand, and that make the pie ready to challenge the horizons of contemporaneity. On a par with the most emblazoned signature pizzas
lic of Amalfi saw blowing from this northern slope, where the skyline is drawn by the Lattari mountains and the peaks rise above 1,300 metres: lemon groves on the slopes of the hills, vineyards in the central belt, chestnut trees lapping at the summits, and in the middle woods, fields, villages, parish churches. The sea is a plunge to the heart, vertical and sparkling, for the 5,000 people who animate the 13 villages and for those who encounter them on the ups and downs of their daily routines, still bumping into the woodcutters with their wood, the grazing animals, the winemakers and dairy -
men at work.
Traditionally, it was for lunch on 2 November that the tramontani, returning from the cemetery, would buy and eat their special schiacciata, as ancestral as it is dark (as dark is the peasant’s biscuit bread), kneaded with fennel pollen and seasoned with tomato, oil and oregano. But it is precisely to the art of cheese-making, or rather to fior di latte, that we owe the indissoluble link between the history of “modern” pizza and that of Tramonti. «Without in any way detracting from the importance of Naples, the fundamental contribution of our town in this journey is equally proven,» recalls Vincenzo Savino, president of the Associazione Pizza Tramonti and long-time deputy mayor, in his time a fervent promoter of the association Giovani per Tramonti, which gave the goahead, among other things, to the recovery of the ancient hillside paths.
A tale in three dates
There are two fundamental dates for the local pizza. The first, and best known, is 1889 with the visit of Queen Margherita of Savoy to
Naples: here the young Raffaele Esposito, owner of the Brandi pizzeria and ‘of tramontana origin’, is said to have paid homage to the sovereign with a pizza of his own creation that was nothing more than the evolution of that black schiacciata to which, in addition to tomato, mozzarella was added, ‘evidently from our territory. The mountains above us are not called Lattari by chance, each family had its own cows and processed its own milk, long before nearby Agerola acquired a central role in the production of fior di latte’. Although our own Luca Cesari has already written an in-depth article on this ‘legend’, on the basis of which the tradition would be dismantled and relegated to legend (Gambero Rosso no. 377 July 2023). The second turning point came in 1951, when Luigi Giordano from Tramontano opened a cheese factory in Loreto di Novara, where he was doing his military service. In 1953, he also started a pizzeria, A’ Marechiaro, in order to use unsold mozzarella cheese: «right up there where people didn’t even know what it was,’ says Giuseppe Giordano, secretary of the Tramonti Pizza Association (not a direct de -
The art of fior di latte was the driving force behind the cheesemakers and the master pizza makers of Tramonti
scendant, but here the surname is widespread). “In the wake of Luigi’s success, taking advantage of his guidance, many Tramonti families followed the same path and opened their own restaurants in the North, mostly along the roads between stations and barracks. There were about a hundred in the first ten years, about 3,000 in the peak of the 1990s». A true colonisation of tramontani pizza makers, «who were thus also beginning to export our Mediterranean cuisine».
A third founding date for the local gastronomic cultural background can be identified in 2010, with the De.Co. certification that the Tramonti municipality conferred on its pizza, an occasion in which the first Municipal Denomination regulation was approved - a specification that is now in the spotlight so that the renewal is the protection of its history. Instead of criscito (the carry-over dough of the dried sourdough passed from generation to generation), biga, a rough predough to trigger fermentation of the final dough, is now mostly used. Whole-wheat, spelt, millet and rye flours remain, which do not need added fat, already rich as they are in mineral salts and essential oils. And it remains characteristic to bake them, for at least three minutes and longer than their Neapolitan cousins, «preferably in a wood-fired oven» and at a temperature between 320 and 350 degrees Celsius.
The “pizz’ino”
by Giò Giordano
The occasion of PizzAccademy is a good one for a comparison of the Tramontana school with its counterparts in Campania
Brindisi
dal Cuore del Salento, il vino che unisce
and beyond, as well as to reread some of the individual paths of the pizza makers who have their roots here. Let us begin with one of the most singular, that of the aforementioned Giuseppe Giordano, later Giò il Pizz’ino, born into a family of pizza makers who emigrated to Alessandria. «As a boy I wanted to do something else entirely, I hated pizza, my friends went out to have fun and I spent my evenings at the family bakery». However, his father died young, in his arms, in 1992; Giuseppe was the eldest of the brothers and so something clicked in his mind: the road was marked out, but innervated by curiosity and research, by the desire to grow and innovate. Almost twenty years later, in a moment of existential crisis, he had a sort of vision: “which,” he says, «brought the Piedmontese tradition of pizza al tegamino together with that of Tramontana: a round bottomless pan appeared before my eyes”, in practice a metal belt. Giò returned to the pizzeria and with rudimentary means began to cut his pans to deprive them of the base, it was 2010 and two years later he would patent Il Pizz’ino, a baking tool that gives pizza «the friability of brick contact combined with the softness of the pan». A patent successful in its results, but still in search of the media limelight that its potential deserves..
The return to Tramonti
Also returning to his Tramonti for the PizzAcademy challenge is Fortunato Amatruda, chef-chef and owner of Anima Romita in Crema, who «grew up among the sacks of flour» at the first pizzeria in town founded by his father Salvatore in 1968, anchored to his Campania origins but specialising around the world. Having arrived at different types of pizza, all made with sourdough starter but «different in terms of dough and concept», he has here proposed a contemporary Pizza Tramonti with fior di latte, sautéed friarielli, sfusato amalfitano lemon marmalade and Cetara an-
chovy mayonnaise. Also returning to Tramonti is Giovanni Mandara, who began touring the north as a boy before opening his Piedigrotta in Reggio Emilia, now also on the road with his food truck project. And Carmine Nasti of Pizzeria Capri in Bergamo, an institution dating back to 1967, is back: for him, the qualitative leap came in the early 2000s when, after studying at the University of Pizza in Vighizzolo d’Este (Padua), he came to design a «contemporary, healthy pizza, attentive to ingredients, to the territory». The honours go first and foremost to Vittorio and Graziano Giordano of the pizzeria Il Valico. But there are also the other Tramonti artisans: Alfonso Simeone of Frescale, Antonio Erra at Da Regina bakery, Giuseppe Imperato who has his Il Porticciolo
The Pizz’ino by Giò Giordano, a native of Tramonti who emigrated to Alessandria with his family
Le Formichelle, the road to the citrus groves
It was always the women who carried the lemons gathered in bags made from chestnut strips, 60 kilos to be carried on their heads, in single file, towards the sea, whether Maiori or Minori. They called them formichelle (little ants) and this is the name of that path, an invitation to anyone wishing to discover the area by walking. The same tribute and the same name for Ruben Giordano’s company, which with his sons Matteo and Nicola bets everything on sfusato, the «sweet and rich in essential oils» lemon, standard-bearer of the Amalfi Coast in the world. «We are lucky for the soils rich in clay and minerals, for the abundance of water, for the Lattari Mountains that protect us from the winds and for the sun». Which we almost seem to find, in the guise of a perfume, a flavour, in every product of Le Formichelle.
in Maiori. For parallels with other schools, there are Sasà Martucci with his Margherita Casertana based on stracciatella; Matteo Vari with a Roman pizza alla pala filled with cream of pumpkin, smoked provola cheese and sausage; Errico Porzio with a Partenope based on yellow datterino and red piennolo cream. And again, Raffaele Bonetta from Pozzuoli with a double-baked pizza with anchovy and lemon zest; Pietro Manganelli with a Cilentana well representative of his tradition. And then Francesco Ferrara, Francesco Giordano, Francesco Maiorano,
Vincenzo Nese, Raffaele Vitagliano, Antonio Vuolo, for a truly exhaustive picture of contemporary pizza: it is within this modern and up-to-date universe that the pizza of Tramonti claims its role.
Ingredients from around the village
If pizza calls for tomatoes, Tramonti is answered by the King Fiascone, also known as King Umberto in homage to the king of Italy who visited Naples asking for the “king of tomatoes” on the table, an ancient variety select-
The Tintore and its centuries-old vines
Centuries-old vines with a free foot thanks to the volcanic soils that protected them from phylloxera, imposing trunk-like trunks and gnarled shoots that intertwine on the terraces of Tramonti, where hard work and peasant knowledge have built an open-air museum that makes viticulture a work of art. Functional to subsistence: cultivation is in fact by pergola, since space was limited and what was needed for the table was grown under the vines.
Then comes the wine and the rediscovery of one variety above all, the Tintore, an indigenous grape with a “tinted” but delicate berry and often combined with other grapes (Aglianico, Piedirosso) as envisaged by the Amalfi Coast DOC. In this sense, let us cite the Tramonti Rosso A’Scippata Riserva from the Giuseppe Apicella cellars, while Gaetano Bove of the Tenuta San Francesco produces a magnificent Igt Campania from pure Tintore grapes: it is called È Iss, since ‘this is it and should be taken as it is’, rough but elegant, unique like the land from which it comes.
ed as early as 1800, widely grown and then almost extinct. It is a firm tomato with an elongated shape (it will give rise to the San Marzano), from a vigorous plant, fragrant and tasty, cultivated in the hills and terraces where «working the land is not easy», explain the protagonists of ACARBIO (Amalfi Coast Biosphere Reserve Association) who protect and promote its cultivation. A tomato that requires ‘hard work and a lot of effort’, but which then ‘when you see the fruit emerge, it is a wonder of nature’. Another local tomato is the Tombolino, which the Terra di Mezzo farm grows in Tramonti and markets in a mix with Pixel, ‘so as to balance acidity and sweetness’, says owner Filomè Ginevra Ferrara, who also harvests and dries the excellent wild oregano from here, «even if the quantities are always minimal». Turning to fior di latte, Antonio Campanile of the Al Valico dairy recalls that the local school for fiordilatte is different from that of Agerola: «the salt goes into the paste, which is softer, less turgid, for a more delicate and less savoury taste than the brine».
A hub of taste
Salvatore De Riso, one of Italy’s most appreciated pastry chefs, was born in neighbouring Minori (where he has opened a beautiful bistro restaurant next to his pastry shop) and chose Tramonti as the location for his workshop. The morphology of the place does not allow for large sheds where everything would be easier, but ‘Sal’ preferred to organise production on the three floors «of this beautiful factory», as he himself says, so as not to move away «from a place where I feel very good». 85 people employed for the workshop alone, company organisation on a
The centuries-old tintore vine has remained free-range, a traditional varietal in this area located between the hills
The other pizzas presented at PizzAcademy, the first festival dedicated to the pizzas of Tramonti
continuous cycle and customised technology for products that remain artisanal, with the territory «the absolute protagonist». At the basis of his success, he says, «there are ingredients of the highest quality: from Sapri to Sorrento, from Naples to Giffoni, I select and use the best seasonal products». Ingredients that we find in the Delizia al limone amalfitano as in the Soffiato di Pastiera or the Ricotta e Pere with ricotta from Tramonti, Pennate pears and Giffoni hazelnuts. For coffee we pass the hand to another Giordano family, this time it is Nello, who with his father Luigi lives and works in Alessandria but has dedicated his Tramonti Caffè to his home town: three different blends made with artisan care, «trying to reproduce in the cup what are the memories, sensations and perfumes of our places». We then close with Concerto, the oldest rosolio on the Amalfi coast, born in the ancient conservatory of Pucara, a hamlet of Tramonti: alongside herbs, spices and lemon peel, it sees just the right use of coffee. Or rather, it closes with saffron, since Tramonti too now has its own, produced by the Caso family’s Il Tintore agriturismo, which also makes extra virgin olive oil and honey, onion and chilli pepper jams and other delicacies that tell of the thousand facets of this land. To give a home to all this, the municipality of Tramonti is preparing the opening of the Casa del Gusto (House of Taste), scheduled for October 2024 in a modern and functional structure, with important dimensions, especially in relation to the context. It will also host courses for aspiring pizza and pastry chefs: to teach behind the ovens, of course, the masters whose doughs we have just described. While the kitchen will benefit from the collaboration of the
ADDRESSES
Tramonti (SA)
Sal De Riso
pastry shop via s. Maria La Neve 089 856446
Tenuta San Francesco wiNery via Fieccia 089 876 434
Cantine Apicella wiNery via casteLLo saNta Maria, 1 089 876 075
Al Valico
dairy producer strada proviNciaLe, 1 329 951 2179
Le Formichelle
FarM via Nuova proviNciaLe chiuNzi, 116b 320 021 7163
Terra Di Mezzo FarM via chiuNzi, 130 334 791 9180
Al Valico di Chiunzi restauraNt - pizzeria via chiuNzi, 91 089 876 165
Il Frescale Country House via FiscaLe 089 876317
Agriturismo
Da Regina via vaccaro 90 089 876 249
Acarbio piazza corsaNo 089 876 236
Associazione Pizza
Tramonti pizzatraMoNti coM
Tramonti Amalfi Coast Trekking fMatteo giordaNo
Minori (SA)
Sal De Riso restauraNt & bistrot –pastry shop via roMa, 76 089 877 941
Maiori (SA)
Il Porticciolo bar pub pizzeria via g aMeNdoLa, 32 089 854 1544
Capitignano (SA)
Il Tintore agriturisMo FarMhouse via vitagLiaNo, 25 333 452 7220
