I Am a Sommelier…Finally

I am finally a card-carrying, bling-wearing, uniform-sporting, sommelier. I began this journey at the urging of one of my Italian teaching colleagues, Eleonora, who helped me find the course, found out the details for me, and gave me the courage to start on this journey. It was only fitting that she and her husband attend the graduation ceremony with us. Most graduations are significant as defining moments, but this is my re-defining moment. I have always been defined until recently as a teacher of languages: French and English. My recent studies have enabled me to inform about the language of wines. My major, you could say is Italian wines. Tassels and mortarboards were exchanged for tastevins and corkscrews.

The AIS graduation ceremony was held at the Feudi San Gregorio winery in Sorbo Serpico, Avellino, an hour and half drive from where we live. A half hour through Naples traffic, taking the A1 autostrada Bari/Salerno exit to the A16, and finally a 20 minute ride up and around rolling, and lush countryside. As you approach the winery from the parking lot your only access inside is through what looks like a rusted out space age cubicle, which had all of us, puzzled about what could await us on the other side. The entrance is definitely meant as a statement--“this is no ordinary Campanian winery”. There will be no castle, no antique old presses in the yard. The only thing aged here is the wine.
As you make your approach, the sliding doors open “Get Smart style” to finally reveal the conception of the Milan based, female architect, Hikaru Mori. At this point the statement made at the entrance begins to reveal itself as prose: a man-made brook and small pools accompany you on the paths through the herb garden, and the rose garden all surrounded by pastoral hills of vineyards folding into one another, a little reminiscent of Cote d’Or in Burgundy. Even their vines are kept short and close to the ground as they are in Burgundy, perhaps because of the elevation and coldertemperatures in Avellino.

Here is a photo by Tom Hyland, used with permission, of part of the estate or the Cutizzi vineyard. http://learnitalianwines.wordpress.com/2011/04/04/best-italian-wines-and-producers-2010/cutizzi-4/

Hikaru Mori is known for integrating nature into buildings and those man-made brooks somehow meandered their way inside the winery where it is said they keep the barrels moist.

The wine and the winery, however, are not the only draw to Feudi San Gregorio. There is a lot of competition among winery owners to get people to their winery and Feudi seems to have the drawing card: their Michelin star restaurant, Marenna’. Our 3-year-long sommelier course culminated with the perfect pairing of 6 of Feudi’s wines with a 7-course meal. Each plate was subtle yet flavourful in a room that was equally as understated. I did not take any tasting notes that evening, and photos were an afterthought but none of the wines nor the food, were a disappointment. Careful thought by chef Paolo Barrale went into the pairing of each course on the menu that night with the wines to masterfully highlight the best in both. The menu was as follows:

Antipasti of local goat cheeses and homemade salumi. This was served with the DUBL Falanghina 2007, Metodo Classico. Winemakers at Feudi, Riccardo Cotarella and Mario Ercolino teamed up with French champagne maker Anselme Selosse to produce this dry, persistent citrusy sparkling wine.

Homemade breads and breadsticks with a second Sparkling: DUBL Greco 2006, Metodo Classico

Zeppola di baccala' con verdure in carpione e pepe limonato served with Pietracalda 2009 Fiano di Avellino DOCG
(sorry I ate it before thinking to take a photo)

Risotto al pomodoro, ghiaccia di basilico e Olio followed by Ravioli di ricotta, fave e guanciale Extravergine d'Oliva di Ravece all topped by Taurasi 2007, Taurasi DOCG

Controfiletto di vitello affogato al Taurasi e cipolle di Montoro followed by Il Maialino...peperoni e patate in concert with Montevergine 2004, Taurasi Riserva DOCG.

Predessert and Caffe' e nocciola were crowned with Privilegio 2008, Campania Bianco IGT.










After this meal, which is one of the finest I’ve ever had in Italy,…no make that anywhere… came the speeches and finally the presentation of diplomas and tastevins.

So here then is Cathy re-defined in simple terms: teacher of languages and wine, vineyard owner, and sommelier.
http://www.feudi.it/en/

Of interest to viticulturists:
Pierpaolo Sirch, a transplant from Friuli is Feudi’s in-house “agronomo” (vineyard manager). He runs a one-of a kind vine pruning school held at Feudi: Simonit and Sirch’s Scuola Italiana di potatura della vite.
Their philosophy is to maintain the integrity of the vine using a combination of modern and traditional pruning techniques in order for the grape to show off its true character.
www.preparatoriuva.it

A foreigner infiltrates Sommelier School in Napoli

In my naiveté, I decided that I wanted to learn more about wine. My father had always made homemade wine in our basement from imported California zinfandel grapes, for most of the Italian community where I grew up in Sudbury,Ontario. I had watched the process through my entire youth, and this is where I realized that winemaking is about creativity, science and decision-making each one having an impact on your final product. So wine appreciation seemed like a good place to start learning and savoring life in Italy.
I found that there were a variety of courses to be found, but I wanted an internationally recognized program. The Associazione Italiana di Sommelier is that organization. It offers sommelier courses in all of Italy’s 21 regions, they are recognized internationally and I eagerly signed up for the Napoli course.
Remember how I said I could speak Italian? Well, when one finds oneself in a classroom of Neapolitans, speaking at auctioneering speed, one quickly realizes that another level of Italian is required other than fluent, and that would be native. Still I remained in my seat, trying to look calm all the while thinking that above my head there was a neon sign flashing “foreigner” or worse still, “imposter”. During most of those first classes, I sat there like a deer in headlights, terrified that someone might speak to me. Even if I had had a better grasp of the language, there was a whole new “wine, viticulture” vocabulary that I had to learn. I decided I would just take notes, and write down what I think I heard, and then go home and look it up later. In one lesson they kept referring to what I thought was the word “piacca”. I had never heard this word before and quickly looked it up when I got home. No such word in any dictionary. Later on that week as I trudged through my reading I realized what they were referring to. The letter “P” which is pronounced “pi” in Italian and the letter “H” which is pronounced “acca” …it was pH that they were referring to. That’s how confused I was.
I continued to attend, and between classes I spent hours reading the textbook with my trusty dictionary by my side. By lesson 6, I had relaxed and was better able to follow in class, but I still didn’t talk or look anyone in the eye.
Everyone in the class seemed serious and much more knowledgeable than myself. There were about 50 of us, of all age ranges.
As I have previously mentioned, food and wine in Italy are sacred and must be handled with reverence. So if you are studying the nectar of the gods you must know what you are talking about and therefore rigorous training is essential. AIS courses are structured over 3 years, over 3 levels: Level 1 covers an introduction to viticulture, enological practices, the techniques and vocabulary associated with wine tasting, Italian law with regards to wine labelling and the role of the sommelier. Level 2, is an exhausting tour of the 21 regions of Italy, their DOCG and DOC wines and the grape varietals from which they are made. Level 3, and I just can’t wait to get there, is all about food pairing. At every class, at every level, the second part of the course is the tasting of 3 wines served by sommeliers in their black suits, white shirts, black bow ties and their Bling (tastevin on a chain) around their neck. Each wine requires that we complete the tasting chart and give a numerical evaluation to the wine.
After level 2, I can say that I am starting to get the hang of it…no …I’m hooked. I can’t get enough of it. I was even thinking of asking if I could sit through level 1 again, just for the heck of it. The final Level 3 exam is both written and oral. If successful one is awarded the title of Sommelier, and is honored with the tastevin on a chain placed around your neck as deserving and prized as any Olympic medal. This is the point at which I picture it all falling apart for me. My Italian has improved, but can I really converse about wine, at that level in Italian? Usually before I say something to someone in class, I carefully rehearse what I have to say in my head, so that I don’t make a fool of myself with any grammar mistakes or vocabulary errors. The exam will be impromptu questioning. Yes, soon the jig might be up for me. The foreigner in the ranks might be discovered for what I really am…a foreign Italian Sommelier wannabe. I will continue to do my best. I want that BLING!