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!
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wine. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Bella Napoli
Two years ago, good fortune (my husband), brought me to live in Italy, and granted me a daily view of the Mediterranean islands of Procida and Ischia. Italy also just happens to be where all of my dna originated. Italian, just so happens to be one of the languages that I speak. Italy also happens to be the country that I would have given anything to live in since I was 21. And well, here I am. So what to do with my time? I decided this was a good time to take a break from teaching and really experience, and savor life in Italy for that’s what Italians do…they savor. They savor food, they savor wine, laughter, anger and even sadness.
To give you an idea of how much the meal means to an Italian, namely a Neapolitan, let me describe the following story that I happened to witness. It was noon and I was waiting for my sons to complete their stroll through the Posillipo market, which is situated near the Public Gardens of Parco Virgilliano. I watched a man open the trunk of his car and take out a small white tablecloth, the size of a place mat and place it on the hood of his car. He reached for his recently purchased bag of fresh vegetables. He took out a flat round dark bread that he split open with a pocketknife. From his trunk, he reached for the oil…not motor oil, but olive oil, which he proceeded to drizzle on his bread. The open-faced sandwich that he made had me watering at the mouth and I couldn’t take my eyes off the red tomatoes, the green peppers, the olives, the basil and the fresh, thin slices of parmesan cheese that he flaked on top of it all. Then into a small plastic cup, he poured his homemade wine, and began to eat his lunch. He talked to people passing by. I wondered who this man could be, and pondered the peculiarity of it all. I had never seen someone take so much care, and enjoy the process quite so much, when eating off the hood of a car. He noticed me gawking, and motioned me over. He offered me some of his feast, and as much as I wanted some, I refused. I apologized for staring, but explained that I was impressed that he could make something look so appetizing from the trunk of his car. He explained that he was the head gardener in the Parco. He insisted I have a bite and a drink of wine. It is the Neapolitan way he explained…that of hospitality. It is expressed by sharing food, drink and conversation under the sun, and before shimmering blue waters and so how could I refuse. This was my introduction to Napoli, bella Napoli and its reverence for food and drink. It is a scene I shall never forget and endeared me forever to Neapolitans.
Every town in Italy has their own specialty food, and an Italian wouldn’t be caught buying a gift other than the specialty from that area. Not only should you buy “Le Delizie di Sorrento” the specialty dessert of Sorrento when you’re in Sorrento, but there is also a specific shop that you should buy it from. As a friend recently said to me, “Well, other people make it, but it’s not real.” In Italy, food and drink are art. The meal is sacred and therefore anything that has to do with the meal is also sacred. This includes the time it takes to eat the meal, the way it is prepared, and the drink that is carefully planned to compliment the food. In order for this to happen day in and day out, meal after meal, requires that people have a level of knowledge of food and wine uncommon in other parts of the world. It also requires that they have strong opinions about it, and it requires that they let you know about them. In my dealings with Italians since I have been here, I have come to realize that many people, average every day people, can tell you the specialty wines and food of Italy’s 21 regions, as well as the prominent grape varieties in those areas. This is no small feat. In the past two years since I began my study of Italian wine, I have learned that there are hundreds of grape varieties that make up all of Italy’s wines. Campania alone has over 100 identified common grape varieties. When you compare this with the fact that the great wines of France are derived from only 30 different varieties you get the idea how complicated learning about Italian wine can be. Still, Italians remain undaunted and discuss wine as candidly and casually as they discuss football. I decided that food and wine would be my quest while I sojourn in Italy so I set out to find a school for Sommeliers.
To give you an idea of how much the meal means to an Italian, namely a Neapolitan, let me describe the following story that I happened to witness. It was noon and I was waiting for my sons to complete their stroll through the Posillipo market, which is situated near the Public Gardens of Parco Virgilliano. I watched a man open the trunk of his car and take out a small white tablecloth, the size of a place mat and place it on the hood of his car. He reached for his recently purchased bag of fresh vegetables. He took out a flat round dark bread that he split open with a pocketknife. From his trunk, he reached for the oil…not motor oil, but olive oil, which he proceeded to drizzle on his bread. The open-faced sandwich that he made had me watering at the mouth and I couldn’t take my eyes off the red tomatoes, the green peppers, the olives, the basil and the fresh, thin slices of parmesan cheese that he flaked on top of it all. Then into a small plastic cup, he poured his homemade wine, and began to eat his lunch. He talked to people passing by. I wondered who this man could be, and pondered the peculiarity of it all. I had never seen someone take so much care, and enjoy the process quite so much, when eating off the hood of a car. He noticed me gawking, and motioned me over. He offered me some of his feast, and as much as I wanted some, I refused. I apologized for staring, but explained that I was impressed that he could make something look so appetizing from the trunk of his car. He explained that he was the head gardener in the Parco. He insisted I have a bite and a drink of wine. It is the Neapolitan way he explained…that of hospitality. It is expressed by sharing food, drink and conversation under the sun, and before shimmering blue waters and so how could I refuse. This was my introduction to Napoli, bella Napoli and its reverence for food and drink. It is a scene I shall never forget and endeared me forever to Neapolitans.
Every town in Italy has their own specialty food, and an Italian wouldn’t be caught buying a gift other than the specialty from that area. Not only should you buy “Le Delizie di Sorrento” the specialty dessert of Sorrento when you’re in Sorrento, but there is also a specific shop that you should buy it from. As a friend recently said to me, “Well, other people make it, but it’s not real.” In Italy, food and drink are art. The meal is sacred and therefore anything that has to do with the meal is also sacred. This includes the time it takes to eat the meal, the way it is prepared, and the drink that is carefully planned to compliment the food. In order for this to happen day in and day out, meal after meal, requires that people have a level of knowledge of food and wine uncommon in other parts of the world. It also requires that they have strong opinions about it, and it requires that they let you know about them. In my dealings with Italians since I have been here, I have come to realize that many people, average every day people, can tell you the specialty wines and food of Italy’s 21 regions, as well as the prominent grape varieties in those areas. This is no small feat. In the past two years since I began my study of Italian wine, I have learned that there are hundreds of grape varieties that make up all of Italy’s wines. Campania alone has over 100 identified common grape varieties. When you compare this with the fact that the great wines of France are derived from only 30 different varieties you get the idea how complicated learning about Italian wine can be. Still, Italians remain undaunted and discuss wine as candidly and casually as they discuss football. I decided that food and wine would be my quest while I sojourn in Italy so I set out to find a school for Sommeliers.
Two French wines.
Date: March 18th, 2009
Cotes du Rhone
Jean Bichier et Fils 2004
Grenache Noir and Syrah
13%
Ruby red with orange tint, nice transparency and lovely reflections of bright red light through the wine, slow regular tears along the sides of the glass. Viscous.
Fairly intense on the nose and gradually revealing more complexity to the wine over time. The first scent is herbal, though I couldn’t recognize the smell, I have read that syrah can have sandlewood and or cedar smell. In this bottle, it is somewhat of a medicinal smell. I smell damp woods, followed by alcohol infused red berry fruit with a spicy, peppery finish. On the palate it is dry, with a pleasant warm alcohol sensation that you continue to feel down to your stomach. It is smooth and silky in the mouth. It is still fresh and only slightly tannic, with a sapidity slightly higher than the acids. It is full-bodied, well-balanced, with a medium persistence. Overall, it is a good quality wine that is at this point mature and harmonious. After a while in the glass, some caramel notes emerge.
Date: March 19th, 2009
Burgundy
Chateau de Villars Fontaine
Hautes Cotes des Nuits
Chardonnay
2002
13%
I’ve just poured it in the glass and already I smell caramel. In the glass it is a crystal clear, straw yellow with golden hues. In the bottle, some particles are evident as this wine has been fined with eggs whites. Upon closer examination, I see the fine particles in the glass, but they in no way take away from its brightness. This wine looks every bit healthy, clean and young. It swirls in the glass with some consistency. The intense scent of yellow and tropical fruit assails me first, followed by still fresh spring flowers. As it warms in the glass the smell of flowers becomes stronger.The final note is definitely caramel, and maybe a touch of mineral/slate on the finish. It is dry, warm and smooth going down, complemented by fresh bright acidity and underlined by that somewhat paler nonetheless present mineral note. It is medium – bodied, well-balanced, fairly intense tasting wine with lingering vanilla, and a mouth-cleansing freshness that persists. This wine is ready to drink but still has lots of room to age. Now, I will admit my partiality….I’m one of 400 co-owners of this vineyard in Hautes Cotes des Nuits. More on that later.
Cotes du Rhone
Jean Bichier et Fils 2004
Grenache Noir and Syrah
13%
Ruby red with orange tint, nice transparency and lovely reflections of bright red light through the wine, slow regular tears along the sides of the glass. Viscous.
Fairly intense on the nose and gradually revealing more complexity to the wine over time. The first scent is herbal, though I couldn’t recognize the smell, I have read that syrah can have sandlewood and or cedar smell. In this bottle, it is somewhat of a medicinal smell. I smell damp woods, followed by alcohol infused red berry fruit with a spicy, peppery finish. On the palate it is dry, with a pleasant warm alcohol sensation that you continue to feel down to your stomach. It is smooth and silky in the mouth. It is still fresh and only slightly tannic, with a sapidity slightly higher than the acids. It is full-bodied, well-balanced, with a medium persistence. Overall, it is a good quality wine that is at this point mature and harmonious. After a while in the glass, some caramel notes emerge.
Date: March 19th, 2009
Burgundy
Chateau de Villars Fontaine
Hautes Cotes des Nuits
Chardonnay
2002
13%
I’ve just poured it in the glass and already I smell caramel. In the glass it is a crystal clear, straw yellow with golden hues. In the bottle, some particles are evident as this wine has been fined with eggs whites. Upon closer examination, I see the fine particles in the glass, but they in no way take away from its brightness. This wine looks every bit healthy, clean and young. It swirls in the glass with some consistency. The intense scent of yellow and tropical fruit assails me first, followed by still fresh spring flowers. As it warms in the glass the smell of flowers becomes stronger.The final note is definitely caramel, and maybe a touch of mineral/slate on the finish. It is dry, warm and smooth going down, complemented by fresh bright acidity and underlined by that somewhat paler nonetheless present mineral note. It is medium – bodied, well-balanced, fairly intense tasting wine with lingering vanilla, and a mouth-cleansing freshness that persists. This wine is ready to drink but still has lots of room to age. Now, I will admit my partiality….I’m one of 400 co-owners of this vineyard in Hautes Cotes des Nuits. More on that later.
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