Nero d’Avola From Sicily- the Newest Great Red

by Frnk Mangio

A year and a half ago, when I first wrote about my ancestral homeland’s native grape, the reaction was a shrug and a nod. I had been served a Chiaramonte
Nero d’Avola at a posh steak restaurant at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, and to my surprise it was an amazingly lovely red wine. I have been a fan ever since. Now, a new generation of committed winemakers in Sicily have come up with a wide variety of this increasingly popular black beauty. Sicily is usually spared the wide eccentricities of Italian weather patterns. Each harvest is similar in quality. Now, you will find many of the 2005 releases, reasonably priced in the 9 to 2o dollar level. I find them deep, dark, mysterious and with a strong blackberry taste; very Syrah-like in texture.

The brand to look for is Planeta, with the ’04 winning the “best of tasting at a recent comparison tasting at the Wall Street Journal’s wine column. They called it “elegant, with chocolate, blackberry and earth…lingering balance…a real sense of place.” Planeta costs a little bit more than the rest but it’s aged in French Oak for 12 months after harvest. You can lay it down for about 7 years and the taste will shine even more. The vineyard is around Noto, which is like Montalcino is to Tuscany. If you're visiting, Noto is along the southeast coast, below Syracusa.

Hot Wines and “Fruit Bombs”

by Frank Mangio

Wine has long been a civil drink for just about as long as history. It can be found in most adult gatherings as people sip wine, exchange pleasantries and use wine as a catalyst for occasions from a small family gathering to large elegant weddings. To underline this cultural tradition, the latest worldwide retail sales figures show wine increasing to 27 billion dollars compared to 18 billion in 2000.

What started out as a whisper has now mushroomed to grab more ink in the trade publications: the alcohol content of certain California wines is starting to creep up. What really caught my attention was a letter to the Wine Spectator from the respected and widely known vineyard owner from Napa, Andrew Beckstoffer.

I walked and tasted Beckstoffer grapes a couple of years ago, in the Dr. Crane and To Kalon vineyards off the 29 near Oakville. They were perfectly balanced with hang-time orchestrated for under 15% alcohol in red wines. Lately, wines from a number of California appellations have been bottled too “hot,” are lighting fires on the palate, and are clearly “fruit bombs.” These wines are not made as a complement to food, but are made to appease certain influential wine critics who drop strong hints that these higher alcohol, overripe “fruit bombs” will automatically get higher ratings.

Beckstoffer in his alert letter said “I really don’t think that veteran winemakers want to make these wines. I believe they are pressured by new owners to get scores ….we need wines that compliment food and present the subtleties of our various terroirs and regions.”

A fellow columnist of mine and a long-time wine writer, Robert Whitely, co-incidently wrote on this very subject last week. He wondered aloud whether consumers who are running up sales of these type of wines, really want wines with high alcohol, so he put the question to his constituents. He found out that he touched a nerve with his readers. “Never in my 17 years as a wine journalist have I seen such an outpouring from readers on a single subject. A majority of readers who responded are fed up with the high octane wines” he declared. Many readers decried the fine print, tucked-away information on alcohol content on the label. Some feared that if the trend continued, wine would be just a bar drink and not for family and special occasion table consumption.

Need an Expert on Shiraz/Syrah

Got some scoop about Shiraz (the Nectar of New Zealand, the Kool-Aid of Austrailia), or Syrah/Shiraz from any other appellation? Shoot us an e-mail over here at mike@TasteOfWineTV.com

If we use your correspondent masterpiece on our LA/San Diego TV show, or website/podcast/blog, we'll pay you in wine-shwag or US currency. We're interested in audio reports, video clips, text articles, digital photos etc.

You don't necessarily have to kiss the "barrel backside" of a winemaker in your report---We're looking for photojournalistic style/reportage about the good, the bad, and the undrinkable, in order to tip off others who may belly-up to the same tasting room bar that you've visited.

We don't pay just for simple opinions or comments shared on this site---(it's kinda like that all over the world).

(c) 2008 The Applewine Network.
Anything on this blog, TasteOfWineTV.com website, TV shows, or Videoposts can't be used unless we tell you it's cool to do so. Doing otherwise begats really bad joo-joo, and it makes our legal staff salivate.

Tuesdays: Terra Restaurant in San Diego Wine Lovers Night

List Tuesday nights as a wise dining decision when you choose Terra Restaurant in the Hillcrest area. Tuesdays are Wine Lovers nights where Terra offers all of their wine selections at half price! Owner since 1998 Jeff Rossman, who is also the chef, has compiled a compelling list.

Terra is a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence restaurant since 2001 and no wonder, with wine flights, 1/2 bottles, a generous list of fine wines by the glass, a list by grape varietal and other innovations. I enjoyed a Rosenblaum ’05 Zinfandel from Paso Robles that was lovely with the Filet Mignon Medallions and roasted garlic potatoes, preceded by pumpkin raviolis in a roasted corn cream with toasted hazelnuts.

Terra also has an innovative “Sunday Supper” menu served family-style, from 5 to 10pm. For more information and reservations, call 619-293-7088.

2008: An Inflection Point for Temecula Wines

by Frank Mangio

As a wine writer and observer, I am constantly on the look-out for movements, new dynamics, and answers to the question “what’s going on here.” It’s like gathering all the pieces of a puzzle together, observing the mosaic and realizing that an inflection point is here. Inflection points are upward movements on a curve at the point of the upward arc; I submit that this point is now at hand with the wines of Temecula.

Task Force Wine Country 2020 is a committee, formed by the Temecula Valley Wine Association to deal with the huge growth of the region as a viable and strong wine country estimating that some 2 million visitors will enjoy the vineyards, lodging and other attractions. The number of wineries is expected to grow to 60, with 15 more restaurants, 25 more bed and breakfast type facilities and 4 more large resorts. Traffic studies are being made with the cooperation of Riverside County to accommodate this growth.

The type of grapes grown, recent winemaker acquisitions and the quality of the wines have been impressive. So much so, the association has been emboldened to present a package of judged “80 points plus” wines from many of the wineries, 18 in all, to unveil to the wine world’s press. They will demonstrate Temecula’s readiness to be represented as a major wine country. I will be reviewing these wines and profiling them in a later column. One thing that struck me as I went through the list was the emphasis on Mediterranean grape varietals, such as Syrah, Sangiovese and Viognier as well as the traditional Cabernet Sauvignon.
Saturday and Sunday January 26 and 27 will be an opportune time to taste test for yourself, as Temecula’s annual Barrel Tasting event offers new releases prior to bottling. (See photo of South Coast’s Barrel Lady). You will be able to meet the winemakers from some 20 wineries and sample bistro style food. Tickets for the 2 day event are $85.00 per person for both days plus a souvenir wine glass. Call 951-699-3626 or access www.temeculawines.org.

While visiting, you might want to stop by a favorite restaurant, Café Champagne at Thornton Winery, where they have a sunset special on weekdays from Monday through Thursday from 3:30 to 5pm. The big buzz there is the return of Steve Pickell as Executive Chef with his fusion cuisine cooking techniques. He started there in 1993 and was in this position for 12 years where he was twice voted “Chef of the Year” by Southern California Restaurant Writers and California Writers Associations. He is teaming up with winemaker Don Reha for new menu pairing ideas.

Take a Trip to the Regions of Italy at Il Fornaio

by Frank Mangio -

Imagine if you will once a month touring one of 6 different regions of lovely Italy each month of the first 6 months of this year: Friuli, Lazio, Puglia, Liguria, Abruzzo and Sicilia ( my ancestorial birthplace), to sample the native cuisine and taste the region’s distinct wines.

Il Fornaio and its 20 restaurants, from Seattle to San Diego has been diligently showcasing this format for a few years now, setting the table for its guests, as a native restaurant would in the aforementioned districts of Italy.

The last 6 months of ’08 will find 6 more regions including Tuscany and Umbria. I visited Il Fornaio Del Mar in December when they were featuring Umbria.

Perfection and an exact replication is the goal of each “Festa Regionale,” so the restaurant sends one of their top chefs, in this case Executive Chef Maurizio Mazzon to meet with One of Umbria’s master chefs, in preparing unusual and perfectly crafted dishes. The Del Mar location manager is Ulisse Vicinanza( shown in the accompanying photo with me, displaying Umbria’s lovely Caprai wines).

“All Il Fornaio cuisine is made from scratch” he declared. “There are no preservatives. We are true to the Italian countryside where you may have to wait a little longer but the result is as it is in the small Umbrian villages… delicious creations.”

I had the Umbricelli con Guanciale, a twisted penne pasta with grape tomatoes, asparagus, herbs and Umbrian pecarino shaved cheese. The “Secondi” entrée was the Guancia de Maezo Stracotta, braised beef cheek, with organic sautéed spinach and puree of potato. The wine chosen was one of my past “best tastes,”The Arnaldo Caprai Montelfalco Rosso 2003. It’s a blend of Sangiovese with the native Sagrantino grape and a small amount of Merlot. The Caprai estate is about 370 acres near the village of Montefalco.

Now through January 20th, you can go to any Il Fornaio and enjoy the cusine and wines of Friuli, an area in Italy that snugly fits in the North East corner next to Austria and Hungary. There you will find a rustic, peasant style of cooking, rich and robust, like homemade potato dumplings with Italian Sausage. Also lots of game and grilled meats, seafood, polento and risotto. Tocai Friulino is the local white wine, highly aromatic. The Refosco red grape is the native red and the recommended wine is Refocsco dal Peduncolo Rosso 2004.

When you dine on this first region’s cuisine, ask for a “Passaporto” that shows each region and the dates featured. You will get a complimentary gift. If you get all regions stamped, you will receive a beautiful Italian plate and a chance to win a trip to Italy for two. Buon Viaggio at Il Fornaio!

Wines for your Must-Try List

by Frank Mangio

Over the holidays, I had the pleasure to attend parties, dinners at homes and lovely restaurants, as I am sure most of you did also. A select group of wines from the latest releases caught my eye and palate that I want to share with you.

My goal in wine consumption is to inventory a “core” group of wines that I can count on to be superior in taste and value, but leave about 40% of my wine budget for wine to “explore,” new wines that I not familiar with. The following would be “explore” wines that were very impressive:

§ Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc ‘07, Marlborough, New Zealand $20. Perennial favorite, focused citrus with crisp acidity.

§ Antinori Peppoli Chianti Classico ’04, Tuscany, Italy. $16. A surprisingly pleasant discovery from the one of the first families of wine in Italy. Smooth entry with lovely earthy mouthfeel.

§ Cuvaison Merlot ’01, Carneros, Napa Valley CA. (latest release is ’04) $29. Highly acclaimed, bright fruit, low production.

§ Elk Cove Pinot Noir ‘06, Willamette Valley Oregon. $29. Introduced to me by Sommelier Jesse Rodriguez at Addison, The Grand Resort, Del Mar. Careful hand-worked grapes from the Northwest Winery of the year.

Tignanello: Italy’s Trophy Wine

by Frank Mangio

When I heard that the ’04 Tignanello was coming to a wine event at the lovely Via Italia Restaurant in Encinitas, run by the loquacious and lovable Paolo Pedrazzani, I had to be a witness to this peerless wine, recently awarded the best wine in Italy by Wine Spectator.

Tignanello has been a creation of Piero Antinori of the House of Antinori in Tuscany since the 1970 vintage. It was the first so called “Super Tuscan.”
Lorenzo Mottola, the Antinori representative who spoke at the wine dinner last month, (he is shown on the left in the accompanying photo with this writer and
Paolo the restaurant owner) presented the new release which Wine Spectator spotlighted at 95 points. “You will find intense ruby red color with garnet hues,” he enthused. “This wine is a carefully placed blend of mostly Sangiovese, with small amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.

These wines are cultivated in small wood ‘barriques’ for 12 months after the traditional fermentation in large casks. Minute taste adjustments
are made before bottling and storing for another year.”

Antinori has been lauded as the premier winemaker in Italy. I studied Italian wines under his tutelage when I went for my Wine Spectator Certification. The ’04 offers aromas of blackberry with hints of raisin, perfectly spiced.

A long, rich finish bolsters the conclusion that this is a historic vintage, stylish and “Sangiovese-style” exciting. In its creation, it was a new breed of all-red wine and with it, the first wine in Italy to stop adhering to the stuffy, rigid rules of the Italian government. Paolo and his chef served Ossobuco di Vitello, a braised veal with vegetables in Sangiovese wine, on a bed of corn meal Polenta.

Perfetto! The Tignanello 2004 instantly made my top ten tastes of 2007.

Suggested price is $75. It will only get more wonderful after four years of cellaring, that is if you have the willpower to wait that long.