Discovering Wines on the Boot of Italy

The results are in on the 2013 Italian harvest and for those that enjoy a good Barolo, Chianti Classico, Primativo or Nero D’ Avola and hundreds of other Italian varietals, the news is good. You will of course have to wait until bottles of these favorites are ready to be shipped to the U.S. and other countries that enjoy a lovely Italian red. Balanced ripeness is what I read for 2013.
All well and good, but our sights are set on vintages that are ready to drink now, such as 2010 , 2011 and to some extent 2012. So let’s launch our latest wine tour of the “boot” with new releases from an old friend, Castello Banfi in Tuscany .  It was a time of celebration for Banfi and the popular Solare Italian Restaurant in San Diego .

 The Banfi team at Solare included:  Regional  Diane Naris, Ambassador Luciano Castiello
and Restaurants Rita Delello.

Recently a full house of diners was treated to the latest 2010 reds, affectionately called “Super Tuscans.” 2010 may be the finest vintage since 2001’s great year.  The intensity is there, as well as rich, berry fruit in the Sangiovese base grape.  For noble reds, the Summus Toscana with Cabernet, Merlot, Sangiovese and Syrah is as tasty as they come. Banfi is founded and owned by the Mariani Family, whose achievements in wine are recognized worldwide. castellobanfi.com.

From icons to discoveries, two names to know in Italy are:  Stemmari from Sicily and Centanni from Le Marche .

Stemmari is the new label of Feudo Arancio, a major Sicilian wine enterprise owned by northern Italy ’s Mezzacorona, well known in the U.S. which buys half of its million plus cases per year, according to Wine Spectator.  Stemmari has focused in on its Nero D’Avola, Sicily ’s go-to wine.  Its calling card is “Celebrate the Art of Living.” ($9.99)  Other varietals in the Stemmari selections include:  an elegant Pinot Noir, a Pinot Grigio, a Moscato and two blends, Dalila and Cantodoro. All are $9.99 with the blends at $13.99. Go to stemmari.it.

Jonathan Zeiger is a young, fresh face distributing a growing list of new Italian names for us to know in SoCal.  His ZGR Imports specializes in wines from the Le Marche district of Italy, including Centanni. He is working hard setting up buyers at the largest wine event in the country, Vin Italy .  The first thing noticed about Centanni bottles is that they use the fascinating VinoLok glass tops.  These “eliminate the risk of cork taint, allow for easy opening and resealing, minimize additional oxidation on an open bottle and are aesthetically pleasing.”  The wines I favored include:  Pecorino 2012 with 100% Pecorino grapes ($28.99) and Monte Floris 2011 Marche Rosso with 100% Montepulciano grapes ($28.99). zgrimports.com.

San Diego International Wine Show
International wines from all around the world will be tasted at the 3rd annual San Diego International Wine Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds Saturday April 26 and 27th from 1 to 5pm in the Paddock area.

Hundreds of local and world renowned wines will be brought in by experts in wine making, with music and seminars  all for a single event price of $55 advance, $65. at the door. Proceeds to benefit Country Friends non profit projects.

This show is a must for wine connoisseurs and those simply interested in trying new world-wide wines.  Sample cooking under a big tent is an extra special attraction with creative cooking demos from well known chefs.  Look for olive oil, cheeses and chocolates.  The fairgrounds 17 Hands restaurant will be open for menu items.  Buy tickets at sandiegointernationalwineshow.com. More information at 619-8WINESD.

Wine Bytes
The Grand Del Mar will host a Peay Vineyards Sonoma Wine Tasting Tues Apr. 22 from 6:30 to 8:30pm.  Delectable hors d’oeuvres, cheese, cold cuts and 6 wine selections.   $55. pp.  RSVP at 858-314-1996.

The Orange County California Wine Festival is Fri. Apr. 25 and Sat. Apr. 26 at Laguna Cliffs Marriott Hotel and Lantern Bay Park , Dana Point . This 2 day show features Rare & Reserve Tasting Fri. 6-9pm and 1 to 4pm Sat.  Get all details and ticket info at californiawinefestival.com.

San Diego Magazine presents the Best of North County Fri. Apr. 25 from 6:30 to 9:30pm at Park Hyatt Aviara in Carlsbad .  It features the best restaurants, breweries, wineries and live entertainment.  $75. ea.  Visit sandiegomagazine.com/noco2014.

The DePortola Trail Wineries in Temecula is having their RedFest from 10am to 5pm on Sun. April 27.  10 wineries will serve samples of 3 wines each and a serving of food. Early Tickets are $49.  available at the website deportolawinetrail.com.

Blended Wines: A Winemaker’s Creation

by Frank Mangio
Since the beginning of my wine writing journey, I have been fascinated with the increasing number of wine blends released by creative winemakers.  Such legendary stalwarts as Opus One, Insignia, Rubicon and Isosceles are but a few from respected wine makers in California who have replicated the “Bordeaux Style” of classic French wines, that have become more in demand than the French originals.  If you are not that familiar with this style, it’s based on the Cabernet Sauvignon grape, a good team player in the wine world, in that it is big–bodied with high tannins, blending well with smaller amounts of flavorful grapes from France, namely Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

Jim Sullivan is the Public Relations Director of the fabled Castello di Amorosa near Calistoga, Napa Valley .  This is the 13th century, 8 story medieval Tuscan-style castle that is a massive 121,000 square foot authentic castle and winery.

Castello di Amorosa in the Napa Valley makes the Italian style 2009 La Castellana,
mostly Cabernet, with Merlot and Sangiovese.

Sullivan made me aware of the winery’s new-release “Super Tuscan” style blend, the 2009 La Castellana, in a most unusual way.  The blend comes from the estate’s 30 acre vineyard and is made from 70% Cabernet, 15% Merlot and 15% Sangiovese. ( $88. at the winery only)

The winemakers at Amorosa know a thing or two about blends.  Director of Winemaking Brooks Painter has worked at Robert Mondavi and Stags Leap and last year won Winemaker of the Year at the San Francisco International Competition.  Consulting Winemaker Sebastiani Rossa worked in Italy with Sassicaia in Bogheri and Argiano in Montalcino. Given that background, Sullivan laid down the challenge of making my own TASTE OF WINE custom blend for the 2012 “Super Tuscan” La Castellana with three 2012 harvested wine barrel samples of the same grapes used in the 2009:  Cabernet, Merlot and Sangiovese.

I needed to create what I thought was a flavorful Italian style blend, ratcheting up the Sangiovese, Tuscany ’s native grape.

After several attempts at various combinations, my final base-blend featured 50%Sangiovese. Cabernet came in at 40% and Merlot smoothed out the blend at 10%.  We will see if my blend is chosen as the 2012 La Castellana, but we must wait until 2015 when it’s released with3 years more body, flavor, complexity and most important…balance. See more at www.castellodiamorosa.com.

Mardi Gras & St. Patricks Day Fun in the Gaslamp
A scintillating 20th annual Mardi Gras Parade and Celebration 20 blocks long will headline Mardi Gras in the Gaslamp, downtown San Diego , Tuesday March 5th from 5pm to Midnight  on 5th Avenue .

On March 15th it will be the 10th annual “Sham Rock,” a St. Patrick’s Day Block Party, from 4pm to Midnight, on the same street. There will be 3 stages, 10 DJ’s and 6 Irish Bands. Producer Laurel McFarlane said “we’re closing down 5th Avenue to traffic.  We’ll have lots of wine and beer tents to offer to visitors over 21 at both events.  A VIP 3 course dinner package with a special area designated for guests will be a popular choice.”

Tickets for the March 5th Mardi Gras start at $30. and $40.at the door.  For details and other price information, go to the Mardi Gras web site at sdmardigras.com; and for the St. Patrick’s Day event, see sandiegoshamrock.com.

Wine Bytes

SDSU’s Extended Studies Wine Program has a 2 day seminar with winemaker Gus Vizgirda called the Character of Wine, Sat. March 1 and Sat. March 8 from 9 to 1:30pm.  Contact 619-594-1138 for details.

The Pacific Coast Wine Festival  will take place at the elegant Island Hotel in Newport Beach , Sat. March 1 at 5pm.  Taste from 60 wines, bid on many great items, and enjoy a 5 course feast .  Live auction for fine wines and rare experiences.  For more information call 714-876-2364.

Solare Restorante Italiano Bar Lounge at Liberty Station Pt. Loma presents a Wine Dinner with Banfi, one of Italy ’s top wines, Thurs. March 6 at 6:15pm.  Chef Accursio will create a special 5 course menu to pair with 6 wines, presented by Banfi Ambassador Luciano Castiello.  $75. pp.  Reserve seats at 619-270-9670.

Drink Yourself Blind – A Holiday Wine Party

by Frank Mangio
If you are at all a wine lover, you have been to one or more of the many wine events that are staged every week at wine bars, restaurants, hotels, parks and wineries.  Well, you too can be a wine host, and with the approaching year-end holidays, your friends will thank you for the chance to get together at the ultimate wine home party, the Drink Yourself Blind-Name That Wine!

Pick out a dozen of so friendly couples who love to sip, and talk about what  they sipped.  Make a contest of it by wrapping 10 or 12 bottles, preferably all red wines, in bags. Be sure to keep all the wines a secret. (A Blind Tasting!)

Blind Wine Tastings are fun and informative and make
great holiday parties.

Pick wines from all over the world.  Be sure to include:  Napa Valley, Sonoma, Paso Robles and Temecula in California.  Then go to Oregon and Washington, France, Italy, South America and Spain. The Varietals should be all different:  a Cabernet, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Zinfandel, Syrah, Tempranillo, Sangiovese, Malbec and the list goes on.

Blends are hard to identify so I would not include them.  The test would be to match a description of each and where it came from, with the actual wine bottle tasted by number.  The most correct choices on the form provided would win.  A great 1st prize is a big bottle like a magnum or larger.  This really motivates all the guests to match up the correct answer.

When all your guests have finished tasting, collect the test form, tally up the answers, and the one with the most correct choices wins!  At this point, tear away the bags and reveal all the wines, then give back the forms to show how well everyone did.  There’ll be lots of groans for those that missed their favorites or thought a Zin was really a Merlot, but all will agree, the distinctive qualities of the wines are revealed for all to compare and debate. It’s one of the best ways to taste test palates and learn from the wine experience.

As host, you should supply appetizers before and during the tasting and water for cleaning glasses between tastes.  Choose wines in a price range of $12. ( Malbecs) to $50. ( Cabernets).

Mistakes to avoid:  make sure the glassware is the same size and let your guests know that only 2 ounces of each wine is allowed so there is wine for all to test taste.  Don’t burn candles or open up smelly “air fresheners” that distort the scent of a wine.  Make sure the red wines are at  less than room temperature.  I prefer 65 degrees. It doesn’t have to be precise, but just slightly cooler than 72 degrees.  
So, start planning to put your creativity to work for a “Drink Yourself Blind” Wine Party.  It takes wine tasting to a whole new level.

Say Yes to Nonno’s Wine & Food Menu
Nonno is the loving Italian name for grandfather, the head of the house you could count on for comfort and who led the prayers at the dinner table that all the family gathered around.  Nonno’s Italian Restaurant in La Mesa is a small, cozy comfortable place that serves the finest hearty and delicious meals, with family style Italian wines sourced from small vineyards that are fragrant and fruity.

Gerardo Ortiz is the chef-owner of Nonno’s Restaurant, Pizzeria and Deli.

The chef is the owner, Gerardo Ortiz and he has created a superb menu with his signature flavor profile.  Besides Italian favorites, you will want to try Steak” Sinatra”, Seafood “My Way,” and Fettucini Salmon.  “All entrees are made from scratch,” Ortiz promised.  “My prices are very low, compared to others, as well as our wines that will surprise our customers.  They will discover new names that we try, and know will pair well with our menu“.

Bivio, a 2011 Chianti from Italy’s Tuscany is a dark-berried wine with a toasted almond taste, lush and fruity, is just $15. for the bottle. See more about Nonno’s at www.nonnositalianfood.com.

Wine Bytes
Grapes Café & Wine Bar in Fallbrook presents Powell Mt. Cellars Sun. Dec. 8 from 3 to 5pm.  Meet winemakers Kim and Bill Powell.  $6.pp.  Complimentary appetizers and music on the patio.  Details at 760-500-4374.

Solare Restaurant in San Diego has a Christmas in Italy Cooking Class Sat. Dec. 14 from 10:30 to 1pm.  Cost is $60. to learn secrets of traditional holiday dishes from Sicilian chef Accursio.  Includes Italian coffee and pastry.  Call 619-270-9670.

Europa Village in Temecula Wine Country has a holiday Craft Faire in the vineyards Sat. Dec. 7 from 10 to 5pm. Gifts and things for the home, garden and personal products. No charge. Call 951-316-0261.