There should be a greeting card for this special occasion. Can you imagine receiving a card (attached to a bottle of course) that opens up to reveal a sentiment such as "Wishing you all the best on this Nouveau Day!". The third Thursday of every November marks the date that these "en premieur" wines are released.
Thursday November 15th, 2012 has just passed us but that's not a reason to not celebrate - the weekend is finally here! The LCBO is taking part in Nouveau with 10 wines to hit the shelves. I was fortunate to have been invited to the LCBO sensory lab to taste my way through them. Sporting a fashionable lab coat, I assessed and analyzed, looking for the highlights in the lot. Ok, minus the lab coat.
"The nouveau release each November is met with more anticipation every year". "We are pleased to offer two Ontario VQA nouveau wines this year for customers to enjoy." Greg Dunlop, LCBO Category Manager for European Wines.
La fete du Beaujolais Nouveau!
www.wmag-oenologie.fr
What is the nouveau-style? The concept was developed in the Beaujolais region in France where the gamay grape reigns supreme. With a quick fermentation and maturation, it allowed these young wines to be bottled and sold approximately 6 weeks following harvest! This not only provided the producers with some needed cash flow, it became a way to celebrate all that hard work. The 2012 harvest in Beaujolais saw a 45% drop in yield. Plagued by awful weather, it is one of the smallest harvests in recent history. However, from the articles I've read, the celebrations shall go on!
Other regions are following the tradition and we are seeing this style of wine coming from places like Italy (labeled as novello) and Ontario.
Listed below are my picks from the flight:
Ontario Chateau des Charmes Generation Seven Nouveau VQA $11.95
Deep blue with purple tones, savory herbs matched with hints of vanilla.
Throw in some strawberry and cherry fruits and voila - you have a highly enjoyable nouveau.
France
Typical of the nouveau style:
Duboeuf Gamay Nouveau $8.95
The surprise of the bunch and my personal favourite, showing more firmness and structure:
Beaujolais Villages Nouveau (Joseph Drouhin) $14.95
Well structured with lovely firm red fruits.
If you're looking for a more elegant style of nouveau, this is a must try.
Italy
A unique discovery from Abruzzo and a superb value:
Tollo Novello Rosso Terre di Chieti $8.95
Quite a bit of body. Primary grape variety is not gamay but montepulciano.
Ripe strawberry, dried fruits with popping herbal notes. Much more complex than expected!
Usually dressed in fun, festive labels, these wines are meant to be enjoyed young, fresh, and fruity. Ideally, they should consumed by and over the holiday season although you could get away with holding them for longer. Don't bother laying them down with hopes that they'll age with grace. Serve these wines slightly chilled and enjoy them with lighter-styled foods. Now go get your bottle and sing along to the Beaujolais Nouveau song:
The evening called for each attendee to wear something red. Sadly, my wardrobe is predominately black and grey. Note to self - acquire more colour in clothing. I like the colour red very much - red roses, red shoes, red lipstick...red wine. Ripping apart my closet, I found a pashmina scarf to satisfy the requirements of the soiree. Profile Wine Group, a Toronto-based wine agency behind familiar wine brands found at the LCBO, hosted an event at Turf Lounge in downtown Toronto. It was to celebrate the launch of two blended wines coming from Washington State.
14 Hands Winery
Painting by
Cynthia Sampson
About Washington State Washington State shares a similar history to other American wine regions. European immigrants first planted the area, but it wasn't until many years after prohibition that wineries started to take root. Did you know that Washington Sate is the second largest wine producing state in the country? I had no idea. With approximately 30 grape varieties cultivated throughout the state, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot dominate red wine production. Chardonnay and Riesling lead the herd for the whites (I'm trying to stay with a horse theme here). The main region is Columbia Valley, covering about a third of the entire state. It encompasses smaller areas such as Walla Walla Valley, Yakima Valley, Rattlesnake Hills, and Horse Heaven Hills. I quite enjoy saying "Walla Walla".
Columbia Valley AVA in Washington State
This wine region was established in 1984
www.14hands.com
Here are some tidbits about eastern Washington State:
There are 300 days of sun during the year so get your most stylish shades.
The eastern part of the state is dry and arid, classifying it as a continental semi-desert. Irrigation is often necessary with water coming from mountain snow melts that flow into the rivers.
The Olympic Mountains on the coast and the Cascade Mountains to the west of the valley creates what's called the "Rain Shadow Effect". This leads to those sunny days during the important grape ripening period and protection from rain during harvest.
High day time temperatures are reached creating grapes with optimal sugar levels but with the cool nights, the acid is retained leading to wines of good structure.
Existing in most of the worlds wine regions, Phylloxera (a root-damaging aphid that eventually kills the vine) does not exist here meaning that vines are not grafted. That's a rare thing!
About 14 Hands Winery
Why the name 14 Hands? It's actually a measurement. Horses are measured in units of a man's palm-width, or hand. These wild mustangs were described as being "14 hands high". Small yet strong, they used to roam the hills of eastern Washington State.
"Whether you enjoy 14 Hands by the glass in your favorite restaurant, or share a bottle with family or friends, our wines are the quintessential Washington wine experience – fruit-forward, easily enjoyable with any meal or on any occasion, and delivering a superb value for the price." - www.14hands.com
The Wines
2011 Hot to Trot White Blend $14.65
A blend of chardonnay, pinot gris, and viognier from grapes sourced throughout the state. Each of these varieties were fermented separately in stainless steel tanks with a small percentage fermented in neutral barrels and aged on the lees to give a fuller mouth-feel.
2010 Hot to Trot Red Blend $15.30
The 2010 vintage was recorded as one of the coolest in the eastern part of Washington State. Harvest was 3 weeks late. This red blend is comprised of merlot, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, mourvedre and other red varieties. The wine was aged mostly in neutral French and American oak for 6 months.
A juicy red with soft tannins, lots of fruit flavour and a hint of sweetness on the palate. Perfect for parties this holiday season.
Hot to Trot launch
Turf Lounge
A fun wine-filled, horse-betting night with our friends at Profile Wine Group. I placed my bet on the horse with the best sounding name. I don't think it did me any good. I also ran into some of the local Toronto bloggers, one of which had won a lucky golden horseshoe! @ToWineMan - you'll need to make sure to carry that with you always. It'll come in handy I'm sure.
Friends often ask me for recommendations of wines that are easy to drink and at a reasonable price-point. Hovering around the $15 mark, I'd ask them to try the Hot to Trot wines from Washington State. Great value, packed with flavour, and enjoyable as quaffable every-day wines, they are available through General List at the LCBO. The 14 Hands blends should be relatively easy to find at most locations.
If you are more inclined to drink wines from California, why not saddle up and head north for something new!
Thursday 6pm and the phone rings. It's the driver waiting for me downstairs in front of my office building. I quickly gather my things and jam them into my over-flowing bag. I bend down to tie the shoelaces (that are always coming undone) of my grey and pink cross trainers and quickly walk towards the elevator. I don't want to keep my driver waiting. Ok, I could get used to saying that. The invitation for the event said to dress for an outside activity. No pumps for me. So there I am, in my jeans and sneakers, sitting in a town car being whisked away for an evening of wine and culinary delights. I had a small taste of what Miranda Priestly's glamorous life was like; transported to locations devoted to high fashion around New York City...wait, this isn't the Devil Wears Prada.
Red Rock
Reserve Malbec
2010
As consumers, we're used to malbec wines from Argentina on the store shelves. California invokes images of cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and zinfandel. Well, time to try something new. The 2010 malbec from Red Rock is the first malbec from California to enter the Ontario market.
Owned by the established E.&J. Gallo Winery (gallo.com), Red Rock specializes in varietal reds such as merlot, malbec and pinot noir. The fruit is sourced from various California appellations.
A glass of the 2010
Malbec
"An Experience in balance...In the winery, we take care to achieve a delicate harmony between fruit and hints of oak, balancing body with flavor." - www.redrockwinery.com
The 2010 Red Rock Malbec contains two other varietals in the mix: petite syrah for tannins and cabernet sauvignon for structure. A portion of the blend was also put into barrel.
"California has traditionally used Malbec as a blending grape but opportunities to showcase this full-bodied varietal are increasing. Malbec is characterized by its deep purple color, smooth tannins, and ripe fruit flavors." - www.redrockwinery.com
Clever marketing!
Red Rock 2010 Malbec
$16.95
I asked, "Why a red rock?". The answer was simple: when you're looking at a body of water like a river or a pond, it's those water-weathered, vibrant-coloured rocks underneath that really stand out, wanting to be picked up.
The evening was to remind us of the importance of balance. It's not just for yoga. In our personal lives, we strive for a balance between work and life. Most often, the scale tips to one side. I prefer the scale to be tipped towards life - especially on weekends. The same concept is definitely applied to wine. You don't want any one component to overshadow the rest. For example, if the use of oak or high alcohol dominate, the wine might not be enjoyed as much, if at all. It's kind of like that obnoxious guy who talks loudly on his cell phone in a small space - the environment becomes unbalanced, dominated by hints of loudmouth.
Learning about Red Rock
Peter Ridel describing
his rock sculptures
The theme for the outdoor activity therefore, was also about balance. We were going to learn how to balance rocks without the use of any tools by Toronto-based artist Peter Ridel. We were taught how to feel for the center of gravity of the stones to find those optimal points of equilibrium. It was actually pretty hard! I see now the purpose of this exercise: balance must be found within... (zen moment).
Soldiers of the night...
balanced soldiers that is
The work by Peter Ridel is both unique and beautiful. If you're lucky, you can sometimes find these rock formations pop up throughout the city.
Being by the lake during twilight (thankfully, no vampires), these rock sculptures exhibited a sense of eeriness yet also one of beauty. I wonder what morning joggers along the path would think. All the attendees were encouraged to prepare their own sculptures with rocks provided. With various levels of success, I think people enjoyed themselves with one girl outshining the rest of us.
Chef Neil
All evening long, the food just kept coming! There were at least 20 different items on the menu prepared by Chef Neil. Many of the dishes were prepared using slate, ceramic and river rock. I thought that was pretty original. Some of the dishes included:
Cones of stone baked mini cheese and potato perogies
Hot rock seared lamp chop with peppercorn cream sauce
Blue cheese and Red Rock Malbec bbq glaze
Hot rock oysters
Garlic and lemon caressed rock lobster skewer
This gal has achieved balance
At the end of the night, after enjoying deliciously prepared food and a couple of glasses of wine, I received a bag of swag. It included a bottle of the malbec, a wine glass, a red pashmina scarf (perfect for the chilly weather we're having), a small etched rock that I could call my own and a notepad for when inspiration hits.
The people of Praxis PR (praxispr.ca) sure know how to throw a party. Thanks Brittany! Also a big thank you to E.&J. Gallo Canada. What I liked about the evening was that it was held in a stunning lakeside home. With the downtown Toronto skyline in the distance, the night was a much-need escape from the frantic pace of a busy work week. Small and intimate, it was not your typical wine tasting but it was ever so fun!
The iYellow Wine Club goes local
Photo by iYellow Wine Club
Fall has officially arrived. The weather seems to have changed appropriately on schedule. This is an exciting time - back to school, back to work...back to routine. More importantly, it's harvest!
Looking back to the lazy days of summer, my thoughts take me to Sunday August 12th as 44 eager iYellow Wine Club members borded a bus in downtown Toronto to escape to beautiful Niagara wine country. Having recently returned from a whirlwind trip throughout Burgundy and the south of France, I was due to head to another wine destination, even just for a day.
Barrel cellar at
Chateau des Charmes
Tasting room at
Southbrook
Some are still surprised when they learn that wine is even produced in Ontario. Not only is wine produced here, it's pretty darn delicious. This is a flourishing industry that is continuously growing every year and the wines are gaining more acclaim locally and abroad. Cool climate grape varieties such as riesling, chardonnay, and pinot noir being the most celebrated. You can't expect to be tasting a wine that's identical to a wine from another place in the world. Similar? Reminiscent? Sure. You are tasting Ontario and the "typicity" of its terroir. I recently read an article by John Szabo and he made great points about how we should be looking for wines that are typical to a region. He used the word "typicity" throughout and I put a lot of thought into that one word. Ontario is not California. Nor is it New Zealand or Germany. Ontario is...well, Ontario. What's that song that we always hear on tv: "Good things grow, in On-ta-rio".
The iYellow tour was co-hosted by Taylor Thompson, wine director for the Toronto Ritz Carlton. He offered a great dose of entertainment mixed with information. Learning can be fun! The day's activities, other than the funny commentary between Angela Aiello and Taylor, included a tour and tasting at 3 wineries, lunch, and some good ol' fashioned field trip shenanigans.
Sheltered from the rain
Vines at Vineland
These tours are a terrific way to be introduced (or re-acquainted) to the region. Not only are you driven around all day, lunch is provided and you are essentially treated to VIP tastings at each winery. It takes the pressure off trying to plan your own excursion, especially if you've never been to the area. I love hopping on a bus and letting the day unfold. It kind of reminds me of school field trips, just more fun and with alcohol (oops, I didn't say that).
The "iYellow Loves Local" fall tour schedule:
Sheep at Southbrook
Hey Stu - yeah I'm talkin' to you!
Saturday September 29th Saturday October 13th Saturday October 20th
Our first stop was at Vineland Estates. The tasting, led by Taylor himself, was held inside the production area. A delicious boxed lunch was provided afterwards after our salivary glads were sufficiently lubricated. This was no ordinary boxed lunch - it was deliciously on the gourmet side and we were allowed to eat it anywhere on the grounds. We grabbed some leftover bottles from the tasting and headed outside to enjoy our meal next to the vines. If you're ever at Vineland, do plan to eat at the restaurant. If the boxed lunches were any indication of the quality of the restaurant, you won't be disappointed. It has a great reputation among both visitors and locals. The most talked about wine of the tasting was the 2009 St. Urban Riesling. The 2011 Elevation St. Urban Riesling is now available in stores. www.vineland.com
Michelle Bosc and the
iYellow group in the
barrel cellar
Chateau des Charmes
Pinot Noir 2010
Our next destination was Chateau des Charmes where Michelle Bosc herself was the guide. After a sparkling wine reception, we were taken out into the vineyards and into the production facility. Even though the rain had decided to make an appearance, it didn't last long and by late afternoon, the sun was back out shining. My favourites of the tasting were the 2010 Pinot Noir and the 2010 Equuleus. The Equuleus is a wine of structure. Only created in the best of years, it is a Bordelaise blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot. The Pinot Noir highlighted the wonderful qualities that can arise from cooler-climate vineyards. www.chateaudescharmes.com
A short clip with Michelle Bosc, whose family owns and operates Chateau des Charmes.
In this video she explains why Ontario can successfully grow grape for wine production.
Angela Aiello discussing
with owner of Southbrook,
Bill Redelmeir
The final stop was Southbrook Vineyards.
2011 Triomphe
Cabernet Franc
Rose
Small in size, it's Canada's largest organic and biodynamic winery. It doesn't use synthetic pesticides, chemical fertilizer, or genetic modification. Think of biodynamics as extreme organic practices that are on the mystical side. The winery itself is an interesting piece of architecture. You can't miss it as you drive along the main road into the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Bill Redelmeir, owner of Southbrook, took us out into the vineyards to talk about biodynamics and how this viticulture practice translates into the wines. One such example is the use of sheep on the property. Their waste, as they munch away on the vine foliage, is used as fertilizer. There must be something to this alternative form of agriculture because the wines were really enjoyable. www.southbrook.com
The LCBO has recently launched a campaign to promote local wines with the slogan "People are Talking". A highly visual website, with a large focus on social media, was launched a few weeks ago. www.lcbogolocal.com
Chateau des Charmes
Equuleus 2009
Join the conversation and share some of your favourite Ontario wines on Twitter with the hashtags #lcbogolocal and #vqa.
This release of Vintages magazine features the wines of Ontario. If you haven't picked up a copy of the free bi-weekly publication, you can pick one up at your local LCBO or view it online: www.vintages.com
Tomorrow morning I'm putting my stamp on harvest 2012. I'm headed back out to FlatRock Cellars to help out with the sorting of riesling that are to be harvested.
Last week I had the privilege of attending a tasting and luncheon with some of the talented bloggers of WineAlign. The tasting featured the wines of Argentinian winery Finca el Origen. We were lucky to have winemaker and General Manager, Gonzalo Bertelsen, to have joined us at the table. Being such a small group, it was an excellent opportunity to learn more about this country's booming wine industry and to try some of its fine exports.
Gonzalo Bertelsen
Owned by Chilean wine company Santa Carolina, Finca el Origen started selling under the label in 2002. Santa Carolina was actually the first Chilean winery to invest in Argentina. Finca el Origen now exports 90% of its production to 37 countries. The winery specializes in grape varietals such as Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Chardonnay, Viognier, and Torrontes.
"We are not a boutique winery but we think like one" - Gonzalo Bertelsen, Winemaker and General Manager at Finca el Origen.
At the foot of the Andes
The stunning vineyards of
Finca El Origen
Mendoza is the main winemaking province of Argentina. With the highest altitude vineyards in the country, leading to unique growing conditions, the sub-region of Uco Valley is approximately an hour south of the city of Mendoza.
A dry climate, low-fertile soils and wide temperature differences between day and night can often produce wines that are well-structured and ideal for aging.
I enjoyed a delicious lamb burger so thankfully this wasn't a liquid lunch. Otherwise, I would have been speaking Spanish fluently!
We started with the 2010 Chardonnay Reserva. Every person at the table agreed that this wine was a more cool-climate approach to the Chardonnay grape. We were all stunned at the price. Retailing at $10.95, the 2010 Chardonnay Reserva is available at the LCBO through General List, meaning that it's highly available at many locations. This Chardonnay is one of those finds where you gets lots for little! Great value. Even at 14% alcohol, the wine displayed clean, fresh fruit notes with good acidity.
Argentina boasts a wealth of natural resources and areas of great scenic beauty, including high summits and plains, lush forests and absolutely arid deserts, woods and steppes, glaciers and waterfalls. Any landscape you may imagine, you can find somewhere on Argentine soil. - www.winesofargentina.org
Argentina is famous for Malbec and tango. I'm definitely better at drinking Malbec than dancing the tango. I think Cabernet Sauvignon is a grape variety that should be watched closely from this country. Both of the Cabernet Sauvignons that I tried made a lasting impression on me. What I loved about the reds tasted was the level of extraction and soft, integrated tannins. The wines of Finca el Origen were, in my opinion, approachable yet affordable.
Wanting to gain some real-life production experience at a winery, I approached Ed Madronich, owner of Flat Rock Cellars, to see if there was a possibility of helping out. I had a hankering to do some character-building hard labour. Lucky for me, Ed was for it. Ross Wise, Flat Rock's talented winemaker from New Zealand contacted me and voila, I had my first assignment: bottling.
Through the cellar door
On a warm spring May morning, I somehow managed to get myself out of bed at 5:30am (ugh, so early!). Upon a *slightly* late arrival to the winery, I noticed the mobile truck hard at work bottling the 2011 Nadja's Vineyard Riesling. Fully automated, I watched bottle after bottle get sterilized, filled with wine, sealed, labeled and boxed. Just like that! Many wineries use a mobile bottling service to cut down on costs. This particular truck bottled for Le Clos Jordanne the day before.
Pumping wine from tank
to the mobile bottling truck
I didn't know what to expect seeing how I've never worked in a winery. Images of bottles flying off of the line, smashing all over the place with me crying and then banned from ever coming back rolled through my mind. My job for the day was to help with the bottling of the 2011 cuvee. The wine would be laid down for a duration of time to conduct a second fermentation. The result? Sparkling wine.
An example of gyropalettes
These ones are in Champagne
www.champagne-heucq.com
The crew for the day was small in number but mighty in force. Greg, the assistant winemaker, let me pour a bucket of yeast, sugar and other nutrients into one of the large steel tanks. Crawling up a tall ladder, I poured the the mixture in and hoped for the best! The trick now was to get the wine thoroughly mixed with the additions and quickly into bottle, before the start of any fermentation.
Arranging the bottles just right
Sparkling wine is all about gas (insert your jokes here). To create "traditional method" bubbly (similar to how they do it in Champagne), base wine is placed into strong bottles with some sugar, yeast and then sealed. The yeast consume the sugar and in the process, create gas. That gas can't escape so it remains trapped inside the bottle. Once the yeast die (no more sugar to eat), the wine and sediment interact with one another, creating those complex aromas and flavours of baked bread and apple. No one wants to see dead yeast sediment inside the bottle. That wouldn't be appealing since sparkling wine is all about fine bubbles and clarity. The bottles are slowly turned until they are standing upside down, with the sediment trapped inside the neck of the bottle. This process of turning the bottles, called riddling, used to be done by hand. Now it's mostly done by a machine called a gyropalette. The bottlenecks are then frozen and opened under pressure. The yeast sediment is taken out and the bottles are topped off with more wine and a bit of sugar which determines the overall sweetness.
Images of Laverne & Shirley
came to mind during the day
Skid after skid of empty bottles
to be filled with wine
Even though most of the core bottling procedures were automated, there remained a few tasks that required more manual labour. I began my shift at the end of the line by filling the large metal cages with sealed bottles. These metal cages were to be transferred to a facility to go onto the gyropalettes. I then moved to the beginning of the line, placing empty bottles onto the conveyor belt. I thought those skids would never stop coming! Skid after skid, we had to make sure that bottles were continuously being fed into the machine. The wine was coming - whether a bottle was there or not. I then moved to middle of the line, the point that I coined as "Laverne and Shirley". The now sealed bottles had to be placed into bins and push them down to the guys who were loading up the cages. Bottles just kept coming at me with no end in sight! I was afraid to look away even for a split second in fear that bottles would crash with eachother and fall to the ground. Well, not really but it does add a dramatic flair. The conveyor belt doesn't move that fast but you still have to keep up!
The fruits of our labour!
10,850 bottles
By the end of the afternoon, we had 10,850 bottles of the 2011 cuvee. Amazing! I didn't know what that even looked like so I took photos to catalog the achievement. The base wine was 100% Chardonnay that had been aged in neutral barrels. Most of the wine was from 2011 with a small percentage from 2010. Cuvee in this case means a blend of grapes from different vintages. Now we wait for a few years for the bubbles to form. I can't wait to taste one of these bottles that I had a *very* small part in creating.
Completely exhausted, I finally understood why people say that that bottling isn't fun. It can be grueling hard work but an important part of the entire winemaking process. Unless we're all prepared to show up at a winery with straws for direct slurping (which I totally am), bottling is just one of those unavoidable necessities. My co-workers thought that I had gone completely mad to have taken a vacation day to do more work! Even with the incredible muscle soreness I endured afterwards, I would do it again in a heart beat.
One by one...
For my efforts, I was given a few bottles of the 2011 Nadja's Riesling bottled that morning. I was instructed to let it sit for a few months so the wine could recover from bottle shock. A nice wine to enjoy over the summer.
2011 Nadja's Vineyard
Riesling
It was a pleasure to have been welcomed into the Flat Rock family even for the one day. Thanks Ross! Thanks Ed! Hopefully there will be more opportunities in the future. I'd love to continue with these posts, highlighting the various stages of getting that wine from the vineyard into your glass.
Go visit Flat Rock Cellars and discover how well cool-climate varieties such as Riesling and Pinot Noir thrive here in Ontario: www.flatrockcellars.com
On the evening of May 15th, I was very honoured to be invited to another delicious iYellow Wine Club event: A Zeni Winemaker Dinner featuring winemaker Fausto Zeni. The evening of delightful sensory pleasures was held at Nota Bene, one of my favourites in the city.
Fausto Zeni (left)
I took this opportunity to finally begin my exploration of Italy. I somehow manage to avoid Italy (if you've noticed) on this blog. Not that I don't like it. Quite the opposite. I love everything Italian - the fashion, the food, the language, the people and yes, the wine. However, I do find Italy overwhelming when it comes to the study of its wines. It seems that every inch of the country produces wine with indigenous grape varieties. Coupled with a rich history - there's just a lot to know. My education starts now. Luckily for me, as I started this post, I had the April 28th LCBO Vintages publication nearby and it so happened to feature the wines of the Veneto region. My research into the region and its wines began there.
Costalago IGT
Rosso Veronese 2010
www.lake-garda-revealed.com
Zeni winery is located in northestern Italy. Sitting on hills, it overlooks the village of Bardolino and Italy's largest lake, Lake Garda. The winery is run by the Zeni family who have been making Veronese Wines for five generations.
Zeni is a wine producer that has been in business since Bartolomeo Zeni began trading wine in the early 1800s in the Bardolino region of Lake Garda in Italy. Today, the Zeni family is still in charge of wine production, with artful attention to details and a sense of tradition using modern equipment and techniques. The company produces a broad range of styles from classical Bardolino, Soave, Valpolicella, Bianco di Custoza, Lugana and Amarone to IGTs, rosé, sparkling and dessert wines. - www.snooth.com
We've all heard the words Valpolicella, Ripasso, Soave, Prosecco and Amarone. These words are associated with the Veneto region of Italy. The Veneto is also the centre of a process called "appassimento" which translates to "grape drying".
The wines of Zeni fall into a number of categories or selections (selezione). These categories group the wines and highlight stylistic features. They are labeled i Classici, Vigne Alte, Marogne, Amaroni, Recioti and Gli Speciali. www.zeni.it/vini.php
Zeni family
Since 1991, the winery has also been home to a wine museum. It covers everything from ancient winemaking to current day viticultural and vinification practices. I took a look at the museum on the website. It really does look interesting. All those old tools remind me of the movie "The Princess Bride". You know the scene I'm talking about. Spending quite a bit of time on the website, I've developed a desire to make a trip to the region. It's for educational purposes...really! Time to purchase an Italian phrasebook.
My "passport" to the
wines of Zeni
Let's review some terminology:
IGT: Indicazione Geografica Tipica. This is the Italian classificationsystem for those wines that don't meet the strict regulations of the DOC (or DOCG which is one more level up). IGT rules allow for more experimentation or blending of international grape varieties. Wines with this classification are often very good.
DOC: Denominazione di Origine Controllata. This is the Italian classificationsystem for quality wines coming from a region. The highest level (one level up) is DOCG. Wines produced under this classification must follow very specific rules and regulations (for example, what grape varieties may be used). It's similar to the AOC system in France or our own VQA system.
Classico: In Italy this means the original zone of production within a DOC. It's the "classic" or historic area of that DOC. Classico vineyards are considered to be of superior quality.
Fausto Zeni (left)
photo by J. Aiello
Valpolicella: A region in the Veneto. This is in Northeast Italy. The grape varieties used in the blends are often Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara.
Ripasso: The Italian word for "re-passed". It is a styleof Valpolicella.Valpolicella wine is re-fermented on unpressed grape skins leftover from the production of Amarone. The fruitiness of Valpolicella wine is combined with the earthy characteristics of Amarone. It adds flavour, body and alcohol to the wine. Think of it as "Amarone on a budget".
Amarone: A red wine made in the Valpolicella "Classico" region. It is made with dried (passito) grapes. The grapes shrivel, becoming raison-like. This technique creates wines that are powerful and concentrated with alcohol levels reaching above 15%. The proper name is Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. Hence, Amarone for short. The Corvina grape is the dominant variety in the blend.
Rosso: Italian word for red.
Fausto Zeni and
@theyummygrape
Ciao! er...thumbs up!
photo by J.Aiello
What an evening. Delicious food coupled with enjoyable wine. Whenever Italians are involved, the fun is usually just moments away! The festivities were brought to us by the letters IYC - the iYellow Wine Club and as usual, I spent the night with old friends and as expected, made new ones. The iYellow Wine Club is a social club based in Toronto. Free to join, it's a wonderful way to socialize and learn about wine.
Here is a great review of the evening by fellow blogger @towineman: towineman.com
Now we go to L'abbinamento ("the match"). This Italian word is represents the pairing of food and wine. I've been practicing saying it with some Italian flair.
This wine was in Vintages for about $15! A good wine for the money. Too bad it's sold out. Well, it's actually good that it's sold out. Good for them, bad for me. This wine is mostly made of the grape Corvina with some Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blended.
Full-bodied with hints of black cherry and well-ripened fruit. Traditional skin fermentation followed by 10-15 days maceration. After fermentation the unpressed Amarone skins are added to Valpolicella wine, according to the traditional Valpolicella 'ripasso' technique. (from Zeni tasting notes)
Scored 19 points with Decanter.
"Aromas of tobacco, woodsmoke and mocha. A very elegant palate with red fruit, silky tannins and fine acidity. - Decanter
Raising of the grapes for 4 months followed by traditional skin fermentation. Notes of vanilla and hits of cocoa and spices. (from Zeni product notes)
Course 5
Parmigiano Reggiano
Dried Muscat Grapes Wine: Amarone della Valpolicella DOC Classico Nino Zeni 2000
A real treat for us. Named as a tribute to the father of the current Zeni children who run the family business. It was one of my favourites of the evening.
5 wines of the evening
photo by J.Aiello
I'd like to thank Angela Aiello of iYellow Wine Club for inviting me to this enjoyable yet very informative evening! I think my "fear" of some of the complexities of Italian wines has been greatly diminished. By writing this blog post, I now feel a more confident discussing the wines of Vento. Bring on the dinner parties. Ciao!
Salute!
photo by J. Aiello
For more information about iYellow Wine Club, Toronto's hippest social wine scene: www.iyellowwineclub.com
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