Tutti Italiani: All-Italian Wines at the Masters

by Frank Mangio

Italian wines have had a checkered life here in the U.S. For a time, led by Chianti with its Sangiovese, the grape of origin in Tuscany, it seemed it was on every table either California grown and bottled, or brought over by an army of Italian makers, who sensed they could fill the jugs with anything that seemed palatable to American taste. The 60’s saw an “enough is enough” disgust with what passed as Chianti and Italy was shocked into action, as prices and demand plummeted.

A wine revolution occurred in Italy to reverse this trend and the government, along with key winemakers, set up strong standards to identify excellence. Wineries were told to abide by these standards for bottling their wines or “die on the vine.”

Today, Italian wine exports have reached a record 4.4 billion Euros last year, up 12%, with the U.S. the biggest customer. Italy is now winding up its the largest Expo, Vin Italy in Verona where more than 4,200 winemakers displayed their wines.

Catherine Fallis, Master Wine Sommelier and MC of the recent San Francisco Masters Italian Wine Expo, with the Mayor of Montepulciano Andrea Rossi.

Simultaneously, Wine Spectator, the largest wine trade publication in the world, printed 6 full page color ads mostly from Italian marketing associations promoting wine growing areas like Montepulciano. They brought their mayor, Andrea Rossi to the recent San Franciso Italian Wine Masters two day exhibition and conference.

Master Sommelier Catherine Fallis praised the quality of wines coming out of the Tuscany and Siena districts especially Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. At the grand tasting seminar conducted by Tim Gaiser, Education Chair for the Court of Master Sommeliers, a select group of wines were tasted from Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Conegliano Prosecco Superiore.

In my last trip to Italy last Fall, Montepulciano was a quick view on a hill as I made my way to nearby Siena as planned. Not so next time. This small medieval city is a natural movie set with its surrounding wall, dramatic overlook of the Tuscan countryside and wineries that are beautifully crafted in the city and on the outskirts.

Vino Nobile means the wine of popes and nobility. Its grape is the Sangiovese clone Prugnolo Gentile. “It is the gentle clone of Sangiovese, with more aging,” I was told by Andrea Contucci of Contucci Winery, located in the center of Montepulciano. “It is made with the highest standard in Italy, DOCG, no less than 70% Sangiovese. My wine is very traditional, it goes back to the 11th Century.”

At the Vino Nobile di Montepulciano reception in San Francisco recently, Contucci wine distributor Matt Pye greets guests while Andrea Contucci promotes his wines.

2008 is the newest vintage of his Vino Nobile, although the 2006 Reserva ( $30.) was a silky, refined masterpiece of Italian wine culture. It was aged for a minimum 36 months, then 10 months in bottle before release. A 2007 Riserva is just now released. ( $27.). Cartucci also revealed that “the 2011 harvest was a long Summer with rich grapes but low production. Picking was finished in early October just before the strong, destructive rains hit us.”

To learn more about these wines, visit www.kiwidistributing.com. Discover Montepulciano at www.consorziovinonobile.it.

Taste of Wine Seen in Great Taste Magazine

I am happy to report that TASTE OF WINE can now be seen in the leading restaurant magazine’s Internet network, Great Taste of Orange County. It’s a very attractive publication for foodies, hospitality, catering and culinary professionals. Subscribers are up to 22,000. Take alook at www.great-taste.net.

Wine Bytes

Flemings La Jolla presents First Friday Wine Tastings, the next one on Fri. Apr. 6 from 5:30 to 7:30pm. This event features 20 wines from a major grape-growing area, this time Washington and Oregon. $25. per guest. RSVP at 858-535-0078.

San Diego Wine Company has a California Reds Tasting, Sat. Apr. 14 from 11 to 4:30pm. $10. ea. Call 858-586-WINE.

Twisted Vine Bistro & Wine Bar in San Diego is pouring the Wines of Veneto, Italy, Sat. Apr. 14 from 4 to 6pm. Includes 5 glasses of wines with “lite bites.” Call for RSVP and price at 858-780-2501.

Seasons 52 at South Coast Plaza, Orange County, hosts Merryvale Vineyards and Starmont Winery’s Casey Chandler of Napa Valley, Mon. Apr. 16 starting at 6:30PM. $100. pp, with a 6 course dinner included. RSVP contact 714-352-1701.

Fine Dining Restaurant Awarded Five Diamonds

Article and Photo by Frank Mangio

They’re toasting one another at the posh Addison at the Grand Del Mar as this signature fine dining restaurant has earned one of the most coveted awards of all: a Five Diamond rating from AAA.

It was not too long ago that I visited the brilliant young Wine Director at the Addison, Jesse Rodriguez, who launched the ambitious wine program there.

Jesse gained fame as lead sommelier at the renowned French Laundry Restaurant in Napa Valley . He’s now a non-stop advocate for Addison and its 21,000 wine collection. It’s not unusual to see a coveted 1961 Mouton Rothschild on the list and a large number of French Burgundies to enhance Chef William Bradley’s creations, featuring an artisan approach to French style cooking with seasonal influences.

Since opening in October of 2006, the thirty-million dollar dining venue has enjoyed critical acclaim from the major wine and dine publications. The five diamond accolade is the first one for a San Diego restaurant, proving the high level of excellence and service that Addison displays.

I recently renewed my friendship with Jesse at the San Diego Bay Wine and Food Festival, where he was selected to be one of the sommeliers on a Blind Tasting panel designed to show expertise in breaking down a wine’s components and identifying it by visual, nose, palate and taste evidence.

Jesse Rodriguez, director of wines at Addison at the Grand Del Mar.

Jesse and the others elected were able to pinpoint the country of origin, region, varietal and vintage of the wines selected for analysis. I always marvel at the wine wisdom these sommeliers possess. It’s a devotion to wine nurtured by many hours of research, tastings and notations of what they have learned. When it all culminates in a world-class rating as in the Five Diamond award, this devotion to excellence deserves our applause and our dining loyalty. Visit the web site: www.thegranddelmar.com.

More Food/Wines for Holiday Tastings
The Pinnacle Restaurant on the grounds of Falkner Winery in Temecula is a Thanksgiving experience with a special menu and wines including roasted turkey and all the trimmings. Falkner’s Amante Super Tuscan is worth ordering, with mostly Sangiovese, some Cabernet Sauvignon and Franc and Merlot. The ’04 is amazing with the ’05 giving it a run. $39.95. www.falknerwinery.com.

Try the #1 wine in ’08 awarded by Wine Spectator: Casa Lapostolle Clos Apalta from Chile . A lovely red. $75.

Pinot Noir always adapts to whatever is served as the main entrée, from turkey to fish and I have two for you: the 2006 Joseph Drouhin from Beaune France, a great Burgundy appellation ($20.); and 2007 Gioia (“ joy” in Italian) from Santa Barbara County, a small handcrafted wine vineyard, aged in French oak with a deeper ruby color than most. $38.

Over at Wine Street Carlsbad , they debuted the latest Chiaramonte Sicilian Nero D’Avola, a 2006 for $16.99. A different style of Italian red, it had rich cherry fruit with strong acidity. Excellent wine!

R Collection 2006 Monterey Chardonnay. Gotta have one chardoannay in the mix. This one is out of Raymond Vineyards of St. Helena Napa Valley. Exhibits tropic fruit overtones, an old style of Chardoannay. $14.

If you’re counting calories, wine is kind to your waistline. Roughly 3.5 ounces (about a third of an average stemmed glass) is 76 calories for a white wine and 44 calories for red. This compares with 200+ calories for a similar size glass of beer. Still another reason for make the switch to wine.

Wine Bytes
Bacchus Wine Market downtown San Diego has its occasional “Drink Yourself Blind” tastings Fri. Nov. 28 from 4 to 8pm for $15. ea. Try eight wines that are bagged, and guess the grape. Prizes for closest calls. Call 619-236-0005.

Bernardo Winery in Rancho Bernado presents the Ira Liss Big Band Jazz Machine Sun. Nov. 30 at 6pm in the Winery Courtyard. A 17 piece music concert that’s FREE to all. Food and beverages available. Call 858-487-1866.

Holiday Wine Cellar in Escondido has a couple of heavyweight tastings: first one is Thurs. Dec. 4 from 5:30-7:30pm with a Port Wine tasting for $25. ea. Next is Thurs. Dec. 11, when Holiday presents a Napa Valley pouring from Jarvis. Try Chardonnay, Merlot, Cab and more. $25. Call 760-745-1200.

Callaway Vineyard & Winery in Temecula is planning a Candlelight Dinner on Sat. Dec. 6 from 6:30 to 9:30pm . A sparking wine and hors d’oeuvres followed by a four course gourmet dinner prepared by their new Meritage Restaurant with chef Mike Henry. Each course has a perfectly paired Callaway wine. Live holiday music. $100. pp. RSVP at 951-676-4001.

Taste Test Results in for Temecula Wines

by Frank Mangio

Southern California’s wine country is Temecula, with its growing vineyard and winery population, producing more wines in quantities that enable these wineries to emphasize quality.

The challenge for this growing appellation is to be recognized as a premium wine country by the trade and the major media. To this end, the Temecula Valley Winegrowers Association, whose job it is to market the region, enlisted a panel to blind-taste a number of locally produced wines that they considered good enough to be 80 points or higher. This is the 100 point media rating scale for Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator, the largest circulated wine rating publications in the world.

I was asked to independently taste test the finalist wines. From the 15 wines submitted to my office, I have made my recommendations, narrowing them down to seven, without ranking them individually. All the wines can be obtained at their respective wineries.

I favor the Rhone and Tuscan style of grape for Temecula Wine Country. In my judgment, that is where it will capture its greatest success, and this is reflected in my choices. All, I believe, could be 85 or more points in any major publication ranking. They are, by alphabetical order:

·Falkner 2004 Amante Super Tuscan Blend
·Falkner 2006 Viognier
·La Cereza 2006 Viognier
·Palumbo Family 2005 Estate Sangiovese
·South Coast 2005 Wild Horse Peak Sangiovese
·South Coast 2005 Wild Horse Peak Syrah
·Thornton 2005 Syrah

I would venture that in future screenings there will be many more wines that can and should make an 80 plus ranking from Temecula. See for yourself how this region is growing by visiting or accessing their website at www.temeculawines.org.

Lavish Praise for Addison’s Star Sommelier

Above Photo: Jesse Rodriguez
Review by Frank Mangio

I kept seeing his name alongside many superlatives in a number of wine publications: Wine Spectator, Food & Wine Magazine, Wine & Spirits Magazine and Esquire. He was crossing my radar in a big way and I had to meet him.

Jesse Rodriguez could be a national politician in the best sense of the word.
He’s a non-stop advocate for his restaurants at the Grand Del Mar, San Diego’s newest luxury hotel, and for his wines, all 21,000 on the property.

Addison is the trophy restaurant of fine cuisine where Jesse can be seen and heard a good deal of the time, educating guests on his wines and the top-shelf menu. The cuisine is the creation of William Bradley, formerly of Loews in Coronado and the Phoenician in Scottsdale.

Addison’s décor is “Renaissance Mediterranean” and was designed by Addison Mizner, a brilliant architectural artist who made a name for himself in the luxury landmarks of South Florida. The decorative arts of Spain, Portugal, Venice and Morocco are all richly in evidence in all focal points of the Grand Del Mar.

The main 2,500 bottle wine room, adjacent to Addison’s dining room, is appointed with Jerusalem limestone, trimmed with carved Italian stone. Guests can view this room through triple arch windows. A fine wine experience for all palates is assured with a worldwide collection of top vintage varietals.

Jesse personally selected the following wines to compliment my four course dinner: first course of Forest Mushroom Velloute was washed down with La Scarpetta, Vino de Tavola Bianco, 2006 from Friuli, Italy. The second course, the Foie Gras De Canard ( lentil, port wine sauce, with bacon mousse) called for Elk Cove Pinot Noir from Willamette Valley Oregon, 2006. Course number three, Wild Scottish Salmon, with roasted eggplant and toasted pine nuts was presented with Cos D’Estrournel, Deuxiemes Cru, France 1996. Final main course was a Filet of Natural Beef with smoked potato puree. The wine was a Marchesi Antinori “Ornellaia” from Bolgheri, 1998. To all this magnificence, Jesse adds a friendly smile with heartfelt passion. Who could ask for anything more from this world-class sommelier at the lovely Addison, Grand Resort, Del Mar. Find out more at www.addisondelmar.com.

Paso Robles Comes Calling in San Diego
There is plenty to like about Paso Robles, California’s fastest growing wine region. Located on both sides of Highway 101, North of San Luis Obispo, “Paso’s” 170 plus wineries are driven to the high quality results that are in most every bottle. On Wednesday the 27th of this month, be prepared to become a disciple when over 40 of the best-of- the- best, offer tastings from some 150 different wines, at the popular San Diego Wine and Culinary Center on Harbor Drive in San Diego, across from the convention Center.

After the trade and media meet and greet, the public is invited to taste the wines from 6pm to 8pm for a $35. advance purchase ticket price. Check out www.pasowine.com. Heavy appetizers will be served with the wines.
You can also call 800-549-WINE.

Congratulations go out to Robert Haas of Tablas Creek Vineyard. He was honored as the 2007 Wine Person of the Year in Paso Robles for his leadership and dedication to the region.

Wine Girl Says...

JANENE ROBERTS - San Diego
It's a mix of one bride and groom, a beautiful Syrah, and a drunken guest, all at a Sonoma winery-no it's not a Harlequin romance novel, but a wedding I attended during this fall's harvest.

So a wedding at a winery in Sonoma, California, what could be more romantic than that? I was thinking that anyway when my friend Dave, asked me to go to his cousin's wedding at Nicholson Ranch. It was September and the wineries would be harvesting their latest creations and I couldn't wait. Like all romance novels, err, weddings, there are unique characters wound into an almost too beautiful to be real setting. The sun was lowering itself as the bride and groom said their vows under a flower-embellished arbor among the vineyards.

There was a glint of emotion in the groom's eyes and voice. The bride was beautiful in a shoulder less dress that reportedly was a copy of the one worn by Marcia Cross. The four bridesmaids all wore a different shade of purple. In the background was a hilly knoll of grass that had turned into straw.

A family friend officiated and the vows were quickly exchanged. Once the bride and groom strolled down the aisle the guests luxuriously walked through a thick carpet of rose pedals toward the reception that was held in the courtyard of the winery. White lights flanked guests overhead. I kept wondering if I had stepped into a photo shoot for Wine Spectator magazine.

Round reception tables were dressed in white and purple floor length tablecloths that blew in the wind. Heat lamps blazed near the tables and the guests found their seats. Wine was flowing around the table and that's when the star appeared. Of course, the star beyond the bride and groom. The object of my attention was dressed in deep purple and sparkled against glass.

When I gazed intently at it I thought I was being winked at. The aroma was a mix of my favorite cologne and luscious raspberries. I became intoxicated by the scent. It wasn't enough just to look at it and breathe in the aroma. I had to have a taste. I drank in the warm glow of plush berries and perfume. This, I decided was what they meant when they described a wine as being perfumy. I imbibed in a full glass of the 2004 Bennett Valley Syrah, and was so thrilled to have found a wine soul mate that I barely noticed the drunken guest sitting next to Dave.

She was loudly clanging the wine and water glasses and eventually aroused enough attention in the bride and groom that they kissed. I was so enthralled with the wine that I just smiled and sank in the sparkle hoping some of its star power would glow inside of me.

You can find the wine at http://www.nicholsonranch.com/syrah.shtml

2004 Bennett Valley Syrah (listed $35/bottle)

Wine Spectator Reveals Top 10 Wines in the World

The long-awaited top 10 wines for 2007 according to the leading wine publication in the world, Wine Spectator, has just been unveiled. They reviewed over 15,000 wines in blind tastings. 3,500 earned 90 points or more. The average price for these wines was $42. Average score in the 10 was 93 points. They are:

Ø 10- Krug Brut Champagne France 1996: 99 points. $250.
Ø 9- Robert Mondavi Cabernet Reserve Napa CA. 2004. 95 pts. $125.
Ø 8- Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Australia 2006: 95 Pts. $80.
Ø 7- Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Italy 2004: 97 pts. $150.
Ø 6- Chateau Leoville Las Cases France 2004: 95 pts. $90.
Ø 5- Two Hands Shiraz Barossa Valley Australia 2005: 95 pts. $60.
Ø 4- Antinori Tignanello Tuscany Italy 2004: 95 pts. $79.
Ø 3- Le Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf-du-Pape France 2005: 95 pts. $49.
Ø 2- Ridge Chardonnay Santa Cruz CA. 2005: 95 pts. $35.
Ø 1- Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape France: 98 pts. $80.

I will be compiling my own annual top ten based on all my tastings this year. It will be unveiled in the December 9th column.