Getting from Here...To There

Here There

As we tie the last vines we hear our very secretive neighbor call out to us once again. She has been making herself known on our frequent visits, but refuses to show herself. Her call sounds an awful lot like “cu-cu”, begging us to repeat it back to her. This is the first time I think we’ve ever heard a real cuckoo before. I look around, but I can’t see her. I call her a “her” because she doesn’t appear to be doing a lot of work while we are there. Female cuckoos are a clever, lazy, lot and get other birds to make their nests, and even raise their young. They will go as far as eating the other eggs in the hosts’ nest that they choose. They spy on the nests’ occupants closely, and can often mimic their eggs in color and size. The foster parents are none the wiser, and lavish the young cuckoo with all the love and attention that they would offer their own. Where’s the satisfaction in that, I wonder.
But then, as the spring sun heats up, and we can barely work past noon anymore, and whatever unseen, unheard bugs that have found a take -out lunch on my neck bring my frustration level to boiling point, I entertain the thought, for a while, of hiring someone to do this work. I’m in a sea of grapevines, and I know that if I stop now and linger on that thought for too long, I might give into it, so I put one foot in front of the other, and go to the next vine. It becomes apparent to us that we will have to move: either closer to Solopaca, or build something on the property. We should be doing this work in the early morning and late evening, but we live too far away for that right now. No one works in the afternoons here except us; it’s just too hot.
We are beginning to know our vines, and they are beginning to respond in a way that kind of makes us proud. I can’t help making the comparison between parents and children. It is very similar to the pride that I feel towards my own children when they accomplish or do good things. We have put the time into parenting these vines, and they’re responding, just like we had hoped.

We venture into a part of the vineyard that we haven’t been to for a while. We tend to spend a lot more time on the first rows than we do the last. As I am the first on this day to venture into this area, I am also the first to feast my eyes on a wall of overgrown cherry trees. We’ve heard locals refer to our part of the town as “Ceraselle” meaning “little cherries” for the now wild cherry trees that grow up here. I look up and there is a wall of green with bursts of bright red cherries. I’m delighted and I call everyone over to see it . Our son Adam acts rather blasé but it is he who took these photos:

Ron, my husband, thinks this should be the business name for the vineyard. The cherries are my pat on the back today…they seem to have recognized our efforts all these days, and reach out with their beauty to our tired spirits, and make us feel like it is worthwhile.
Something the cuckoo bird will never know.

Tasting notes tonight are of a local wine from Benevento. This wine, though not from Solopaca is from a town higher up the mountain in Frasso Telesino. It is IGT because of the use of the garganega grape which is not a local grape but more widely used in the Veneto region in Soave and Gambellara.

Azienda Agricola De Fortuna
Falanghina Beneventano IGT
Finile 2009
Grapes: Falanghina and Garganega
ABV 12,5%
The wine is bright, crystal clear and straw yellow in color, and almost transparent but with a slight tinge of green on the rim. It is fairly viscous with fairly quick tears, medium in size.

The town where the grapes are grown, Frasso Telesino, is located at about 374m above sea level, and has greater fluctuations in day and night temperatures than Solopaca where we are located, so I’m expecting to find more exciting aromas in the wine: it is intense with sweet, spring flowers like jasmine, and fruit-filled of pear, citrus, and definitely some flinty mineral tones, some almond. The wine is fairly complex in its aromas and presents an elegant bouquet. This wine has made a very good first impression.
To the taste it is dry, leaves behind a warmth from the alcohol, but is nice and smooth. There is a light and pleasant freshness from the acidity which is well balanced against the smooth feel of the wine. There is a liveliness there, but also a very persistent minerally,
flinty aftertaste which I think comes from the Garganega. What a lovely combination in a wine.
It is of medium structure, well-balanced, fairly intense and persistent. It has good overall harmonious qualities, and an elegant finish. Complimenti Azienda De Fortuna! It's late, and I'm afraid, I opened the wine just to taste, so I haven't paired it with anything. It's length and persistence would have be believe that it could handle a little competition from the food: perhaps stronger tasting fish dishes, medium-aged cheeses.

Filiberto

This is the 4th time today that I see what looks like a miniature train crossing the valley floor. From our vantage point on the vineyard, the train from Naples to Rome runs by as though it were a little toy train: the sound it makes across the valley is faint like that of a toy train, and its bright silver and red paint sparkles as if it were under a Christmas tree.
It’s now 7 in the evening and we’ve been working all day tying the new shoots to the top wire.
When we arrived early in the morning, Filiberto, our neighbour, announces that he has just finished the 3rd application of Bordeaux mixture to our vineyard, a fungicide made up of copper sulphate and lime. It is considered to be eco-friendly and is used by organic gardeners. His sprayer is still attached to his tractor; he’s wearing a mask, a rain jacket and a baseball cap.
He looks a little embarrassed as he tells me that our vineyard has unfortunately been infected with peronospora, as have most of the other vineyards in the area. Peronospora or powdery mildew (exactly what we are trying to avoid when we spray), is a fungus that is the result of a wet spring and the leaves not having enough time or air around them to be able to dry properly. We have had a very wet, cold spring, with a lot of strong winds. The sunny days have indeed been few, and the weather is more like that of Nova Scotia where we come from. The hot sunny weather so common to this area is reluctant this year, and the vineyard is showing signs.
Filiberto informs me that he will be turning the soil this week so it is time for us to tie the new growth to the top wires. Before he leaves he shows me how his father used to tie the shoots to the wire. He grabs a handful of long grass and uses it like a twist tie. He says that it will last and hold the vines all summer.

As I tie I noticed that some of the grapes are starting to flower, and others show the signs of downy mildew…little grape bunches are turning brown, and I’m told they will just whither.
Sometimes this occasional withering of the bunches is another way to green prune. By reducing the number of bunches, you increase the quality of the grapes that you do harvest. That would be fine if we hadn’t already reduced our product by half. When we became owners of the vineyard, it was evident that it had had only minimum care over the past few years. The grass had grown so that it was now a vineyard on a lawn, taking valuable nutrients and water away from the vines. The vines had grown too big, and far too many shoots were allowed to remain on the vine.
The trellis system in place was two cordons of permanent spurs;
We use new cordons every year, a method called the Guyot System which uses last year’s shoots , a new fruitting cane as opposed to using the same cordon every year.




We tie all day, and we only manage to make it through 14 of the 38 rows. I don’t want to stop, but my husband and my son want to go home now. We worked through thunder and rain showers today.
On our way home we must stop off at Filiberto’s home in order to pay him for the work he does for us. Their home is newly built. The left side of the house is only a shell, and they live on the right side which in true Italian fashion is immaculate and finished in a nouveau but rustic style. His home is not on his vineyard but in the town of Solopaca. The left side of the house will be completed when one of their children marries, and they will have a ready made house for them to live in. This practice is very common in Campania as Campanians don’t like to be far from their family members, and by far, I mean across town. Next door is the ideal, shouting distance is considered acceptable. Many homes in this region either have an unfinished second story, or an unfinished duplex beside them waiting for one of their offspring to take occupancy. Many are now being sold, as it is the parents who are moving themselves to where their children have found jobs.

We arrived with a gift of a flat of strawberries, another practice that has become habitual for us when visiting someone at home. It needn’t be a big gift, but it’s a sign that shows that the relationship is more than just a transaction between two people. As tired as we were, showing up and just dropping off the money would have been an insult. Transactions in Italy are best made involving food of some kind, and the very best are those that are concluded around a table.

So paying Filiberto is not as simple as one would think. The arrangement came about during a casual conversation whereupon he realized that we didn’t own a tractor yet and so he offered his services. However, he wouldn’t tell me how much he would charge, and he looked very uncomfortable when pressed. We finally suggested a price/hour, which he agreed to, but we have no idea if we are paying him enough. He’s uncomfortable taking money from us, and we’re uncomfortable too, hoping we are not insulting him.

His sister-in-law Giovanna, his brother Michelle and his wife Pina seemed to be expecting us as they waited around his cozy kitchen table and the coffee was on. We had a cup of espresso and some “morzette”, the local name given to a biscotto, made with cacao, flour, egg whites, almonds, icing sugar and “mosto cotto”, or “boiled must” --the first free-run grape juice which is then boiled and allowed to reduce to one third to become a sort of syrup. Though I don’t have a picture of the actual biscotti from that day, this photo from the internet, pretty much resembles what we had and the recipe seems to match.
Filiberto has 3 vineyards, is a former prison guard, is a begrudging member of the Solopaca wine cooperative and urges me not to become one. He says that it will only tie me down and I will be forced to sell my grapes to them, for a lower price than I could get elsewhere. He promises me he will find a buyer for our grapes this year. I really hope so, I think to myself, wondering what I would do with all the grapes if I don’t find a buyer at the right time. I feel that he is someone I can trust. He went on to tell us about all the things he will help us do throughout the year, as well as go over all the things that need to be done in his opinion to bring the vineyard up to optimal standards. We really feel lucky to have found him.

Filiberto helps us, not because he does this for a living, as he keeps explaining to me-- he’s got enough of his own work to do-- but he says he does so because he sees our passion, and he sees how much we want to learn. When we do something that he doesn’t like, he tells us because, as he says “non vorrei che fate brutta figura.” ….he doesn’t want us to make fools of ourselves. Nor do we, so we take his advice.

Filiberto explains that he won’t be around as much to help us come September. He has a young 13 year old boy who has just been scouted by Inter-Milan, the famous soccer team, and because he is one year too young to be taken into their school and training camp, they advised his wife to take up an apartment in Milan next year. Filiberto will have to pay for this apartment and will take the little miniature train that we see from across the valley to Milan for occasional visits. His wife and their youngest son will live there. He explains that it will be a sacrifice, but what parent wouldn’t sacrifice it all to have their son set up for stardom, notoriety, and affluence, all while doing something that he and all Italians love. We all smile at this, and I wonder if the house they built next door will ever be inhabited by their children or be sold for a much grander lifestyle in Milan. Some would think that this wouldn’t be much of a sacrifice, but to see Filiberto, as attached to the land as he is, it would be, but then again, as he says, what parent doesn’t make sacrifices for their kids.

Dinner tonight.

I was really hungry when I went grocery shopping tonight, and as a result, I became inspired.

I made two appetizers...a caprese salad with fresh Mozzarella di Bufala and sweet tomatoes with a drizzle of Extra virgin olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. A little sprinkle of salt.

The next amuse-gueule was deep fried zucchini flowers stuffed with mozzarella di Bufala. I got the recipe off of the following Italian site, but I left out the anchovies:
http://www.gustissimo.it/ricette/antipasti-verdure/fiori-di-zucca-alla-mozzarella.htmstissimo.it/ricette/antipasti-verdure/fiori-di-zucca-alla-mozzarella.htm

The main course was pappardelle ai funghi from the following site:
http://www.lospicchiodaglio.it/index.php?sez=ricette&azione=scheda&elemento=323

We drank Terredora 2008 Greco di Tufo, Terre degli Angeli, DOCG. It is made with 100% Greco grapes. It was bright golden in colour, with a good consistency/viscosity in the glass testifying to its 13,5% alcohol. The aromas were intense of fresh fruit: apple,citrus, followed by spring flowers and a little bit of fresh grassiness. I could taste the same fruitiness as I took my first sip. It was smooth but well-balanced with a nice acidity and minerality that was somewhat persistent. This wine held up well against the mushrooms, and neither overpowered the other. I thought it also went well with the zucchini flowers. This is a winery that is consistently scoring in the 90's, and they are a great ambassador of Campania wines. Here is their English website:

http://www.terredora.net/english.php

Some of my best meals are a result of being hungry in the grocery store. My head spins with my favorite meals, and my eyes dart around for the ingredients.

Buying a Vineyard in Solopaca, Italy.

There are many people who have made their way to Solopaca over the millennia for a variety of reasons: Archeological digs have revealed that people have inhabited the area since pre-history. The first to plant vines on its verdant slopes were the Etruscans and then the Samnites. Virgil and Horace both make mention of the wines of Solopaca back in the 1st century B.C. The Romans thought of it as an area worth preserving for its important shepherd trails.
To reach Solopaca from Napoli you must first travel along the Strada Statale 7, Via Appia, the road that was first constructed by the Romans as a strategic military route from Rome to Brindisi. Almost 2000 years later, I followed the same route and made my way to Solopaca in search of a vineyard to buy.
In December of 2009 we bought a vineyard in Solopaca. We live and work in Naples so our vineyard had to be within commuting distance of our work. Our research, our pocket book, and some divine intervention led us to Solopaca.
Our criteria were an existing vineyard, preferably with DOC grapes, small enough that my husband and I could handle on our own. We looked at well over 20 properties over a period of 8 months, hemmed and hawed over a few of them and finally settled on the 1st property we had seen.
The divine intervention came in the form of a man called Peppino Riccardi, a geometra in Solopaca. When you buy a house or a piece of property in Italy it is necessary to have a geometra who’s job is something between that of a surveyor and an architect. (For more info on what a geometra is see the following website: http://www.keyitaly.com/article/geometra-checklist/ )
He is younger than he looks, dresses like a country gentleman but with baggy pants that are somewhat too long, a blazer that is too big, over a vest. His eyes resemble Mr. Magoo’s and his office is a jumble of fading stacks of blueprints and papers that look like they’ve been sitting in the same place since the 1970’s. He’s a one-finger at a time typist, and doesn’t see the keyboard very well, and is not sure where the letters are. Watching him fill out forms can be a painful experience for an impatient person such as myself.
When I first met him, I was in the company of my agent, Maria, who couldn’t understand why it was taking us so long to decide what to buy, when we had clearly seen all that there was to see. At that point we had our heart set on a piece of land that was part vineyard and part olive grove with a stupendous view over the Caldaro valley and the hills beyond. We had been back to see it many times, invited an architect from Rome out to see it, but something prevented us from moving forward. The owners were anxious to sell and Maria, our agent, was feeling their pressure. She finally brought me to Peppino, whom she said would answer all of my questions. In his office, Maria patiently asked me to explain to Peppino my concerns with the property in question. I thought about this for a moment or two, then explained in my broken Italian that I think it might be just fear of the unknown, that it was a big step for us, that we were afraid: afraid we wouldn’t like it in a town where we would be the only foreigners; I also explained that we were afraid that maybe after a while, we would want to move back to Canada, and would we be able to sell and get a good return on our build. Peppino asked me a simple question. “What is your goal in buying this land?” I said we wanted to first concentrate on growing good grapes, and then possibly have a winery.
The agent, went on her way, and left Peppino and I to visit the property that we had in mind. As I drove I noticed that Peppino crossed himself whenever we passed by the cemetery and everytime we drove past one of the 8 churches in the small town of Solopaca.
I showed him around the property, and explained to him our grandiose plans for the property while his expression became more and more perplexed. Finally he spoke.“Senti, io sono un uomo onesto….so I must tell you something. “Yes it is a beautiful piece of land and the view is meraviglioso…but I thought you told me that you wanted to grow good grapes, and eventually make good wine. Look around you…do you see any working vineyards here? This is olive country. People don’t even live out here. The land is dry and it is best suited to olives. Now show me another property, because you will never get your money back if you build a home and a winery here.”
His words were like a big Stop sign that suddenly appeared behind a cover of fog. The fog suddenly lifted, and all became clear. He recognized our fear and confusion, and led us to what we had set out to find. We settled on the first property we had seen…way back when we were clear about what we wanted. “Cerasella” as the area of Solopaca is called where we have bought our vineyard, was in our price range, is an existing DOC vineyard, has the perfect inclination on a verdant slope of the North side of Mount Taburno, looking onto Caldaro river and valley and mountains beyond, and is the right size being just under 1 hectare or 2.5 acres. It is known for its well-exposed, well-drained land, in clay-calcareous soils. It had been there all the time, patiently waiting for us to see its beauty, its practicality, its potential.
The name Solopaca comes from its 11th century name “Surrupaca” which literally means “opaque sun”. This has been interpreted as a land with a lot of sun or paese del sole which has inevitably led to its destiny as the most intensely cultivated viticulture zone in Campania. The sign on the way into town today says, Solopaca, citta’ del vino. It is nestled along Mount Taburno and stretches 2 kilometers horizontally at about 250 meters above sea level. Today it has a population of about 4000 inhabitants.
When you buy a piece of property in a place where there is so much history and folklore, you never really own it…you borrow it for a while, you become but a page of its story: One that started long before we arrived, and one that will continue on after we leave it.
The road to Solopaca is a new route for us, but the footsteps that led us there are deeply cast in the ground and history. We just needed to look for the signs through the fog.
Wine Review:
Pampanella 2009
Masseria Vigne Vecchie
Falanghina DOC Solopaca
100% Falanghina
It is bright straw color and green around the rim. It has medium legs and the label reads 13% alcohol. The perfume is subtle with scents of fresh spring flowers, and fragrant citrus scent. It is dry with a lovely smooth finish. While it may be subtle on the nose, it offers a long minerally aftertaste, typical of Falanghina. This wine received an honorable mention at the 2009 International Biological Wine Fair promoted by Citta del Bio. As with all Falanghina’s this would be a perfect accompaniment to fish dishes, but because of its mineral aftertaste it could also stand up to white meats and medium aged cheeses.
Sources:
http://www.seguendoulisse.it/regione-campania-contenuti/?id_cat=16&id_contenuto=48&language=en&index=Seguendo-Ulisse-BENEVENTO+AND+PROVINCE-SOLOPACA
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solopaca
http://www.savourthesannio.com/blog/
http://www.sanniti.info/indexen.html
http://www.tigulliovino.it/dettaglio_articolo.php?idArticolo=969
http://www.cantinasolopaca.it/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appian_Way

Italian Wine ….I’d Like To Get To Know You

A question that I am often asked by friends when they find out I am an Italian sommelier, is what wine should I buy to bring home with me to Canada? How long will it last? It is really difficult to figure out Italian wines from the label: Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Bardolino, Barolo, Brachetto d’Acqui, DOCG, DOC, IGT. These are the labels that you may have come across while trying to choose your Italian wine to accompany your Sunday dinner. To North Americans, these labels don’t give us a lot of information about the wine. In North America, wines are labeled according to the type of grape. If it is a California wine, it will tell you on the label that it is made with Zinfandel, or Merlot, or Chardonnay. In Italy and France, the name on the bottle tells you the area or the town that the grapes/wine have come from.

In Italy the grape topography is somewhat more complicated than it is in France. Whereas France has chosen to limit its viticulture areas to 10, Italy has taken the approach that each of its 20 political areas has indigenous grapes that are of high quality, and are valued for the terroir in which they grow, and are perfect matches with the regional dishes of the area. While France uses just over 100 different grape varietals, I’ve heard it said that Campania alone has close to 300 varieties. How can a foreigner ever begin to grasp what is in a bottle of Italian wine and what they can expect from it?


First of all, it is helpful to understand the hierarchy of wines that exist in Italy.
Italy has created a sort of hierarchy of quality for the consumer. At the base of the Italian wine pyramid, you will find the Vini da Tavola or table wines. They are usually generic, bottom end wines price wise, but not always in quality. They have only to follow the laws set out for hygiene and they must be produced in Italy. They will not have a year on their label, nor will they indicate where the grapes come from. There are some “Vini da Tavola” that are of very good quality. These are wines that do not adhere to any dictates by the government other than health regulations and taxes related to selling wine.

The second category is the I.G.T., which stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica. This category refers to table wines that are produced in a certain geographical area. On the label they may refer to the types of grapes used, and the year that the grapes were picked. Generally, but not always, these wines are higher end table wines. However, even here you have to know what you’re buying because there are some “I.G.T” wines that are of extremely high quality. The only reason they are labeled as I.G.T. is because they may be using grapes that are not dictated by law for that area. They may have chosen to use an International variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon. The Super Tuscans fall into this category and they demand a very high price and are revered worldwide.

The D.O.C. designation or Denominazione di Origine Controllata has stricter, more rigid rules that must be followed. It refers to a specific viticulture zone within 1 of the 20 political regions of Italy. The zones are defined by specific boundaries and have to be registered with specific authorities. Not only do the wines have to come from within the boundaries of the specific area, but the grapes used and the quantities of the grapes that are grown per hectare must be those defined for that zone. These wines have to submit samples to be tested chemically as well as have the specific aromas and qualities of the wines that they represent. There are currently over 300 DOC wines in Italy.

At the top of the pyramid are the D.O.C.G. wines where there are even more rigid and strict quality controls. The same rules apply for the D.O.C. G. as for the D.O.C. wines but in this case there are more rules to follow in the vineyard and in the winery. Thus the word “garantita” is added to the Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita. As of March 2010 there are 49 D.O.C.G. wines in Italy. The following table is meant to help you with your wine choices by listing the Region, the DOCG wine name, the Grape, a short description of the type of wine, and it’s “best before date”, some of the best producers as dictated from the 2010 Duemilavini guide book to Italian wines, as well as some suggested pairings. I have not tried all of these wines, but I plan to make my way through them as I find them. The producers I have listed have the highest ratings for the wines that are listed. Most have received the maximum of 5 glasses (bicchieri) in the Duemilavini 2010 edition. Some of the wines, you may only be able to find in the area where they are made. Please contact me for a list of the websites and other contact information of the wineries that are cited here.

Where is the best place in Naples to buy wine? Enoteca’s will have knowledgeable staff, and will have on offer wines from the best producers as well as some very good values, and some new producers who are trying to make a name for themselves. The largest selection that I have found of DOCG wines can be found at Auchan. The best prices I have seen for wines are at the Save Center on the NATO base in Bagnoli.
While DOCG wines are not the only good wines to buy and taste while in Italy, they are a good place to start if you are trying to build a private stock of very good to excellent Italian wines.

Special thanks to Alfonso Cevola, in his wine blog “On the Wine Trail in Italy for his up-to-date list of ever growing DOCG wines.
http://acevola.blogspot.com/2009/12/newest-best-italian-docg-list-now-up-to.html

Some wine descriptions are my own, and for the others, I referred to the Italian descriptions in the book, Il Vino Italiano 2B, Panorama vitivinicolo attraverso le denominazioni di origine”

The Duemilavini/2010 is published yearly by Bibenda Editore and can be purchased from their site http://www.bibenda.it/

The table is here!

My Baptism as a Sommelier at the 2010 Challenge International du Vin in Bordeaux

On a return flight from England, I saw an advertisement in the on-flight magazine that immediately got my attention: “Why not go to Bourg and Blaye in Bordeaux and apply to be an official taster at the 34th annual Challenge International du Vin, France’s largest international wine competition?” Why not? I said to myself. I speak French; I’m now a sommelier . It’s what I’ve been training to do for the past 3 years and it would be a good start under the “Experience” heading on my wine CV.
Upon my arrival home, I looked up the site, and though the date had passed to apply, I thought I would send in my application, and an email, and give it a shot. Sure enough, the next day, I was accepted as an official taster, and I was booking flights from Naples to Bordeaux.
I knew it was a bold move for a novitiate such as myself, but what gave me the confidence to apply were the words “seeking wine professionals and knowledgeable amateurs” on the website. That had to include me. I pounced on the opportunity like a dog on a bone. “Pounced” is probably too mild a word for the manner in which I seized this opportunity. I was fueled…maybe even jet propelled.
I was not to be discouraged from doing this. Not even when my husband broke his ankle and I realized I would have to go to Bordeaux alone. Not even when my badge and my instructions did not arrive 1 week before the event as was supposed to happen, not even when my husband remarked, “Do you even know how to do this?”
My official taster’s badges, instructions and directions arrived in the Italian mail the day before I was to leave. I arrived in Bordeaux undaunted but a little nervous. I was staying near the airport and I knew that the drive to Bourg the next morning could take from 30 to 45 minutes depending on traffic. The morning of the competition, I donned my new navy blazer with the badge of the Associazione Italiana di Sommelier neatly sewed on, lest someone think I was an imposter. I could say, “here it is, right here. Proof that I know what I’m doing,” all the while my husband’s incredulous refrain was ringing in my brain. I reassured myself that his lack of faith in my abilities as a sommelier came only from the fact that he has never really seen me in action.

My eagerness to be on time was immediately noticed as I pulled into the town of Bourg just as dawn was breaking. I sat and watched the sun rise for a while then decided I would go on foot to try and find the Gymnase where the event would be taking place. A car stopped and the monsieur asked if he could help. It was one of the organizers and he offered to show me the way. By the time I got back to my rental car, and figured out how to get it in reverse, my guide was gone. I found some people at a bus stop and asked where I might find the grand event--he Challenge International du Vin, and all I got was a squint in return. I decided to ask if they knew how to get to the Gymnase. One man's face relaxed, and within less than 2 minutes I was there. I hesitated to get out of the car as the event didn’t start for another hour and a half. I saw people rushing to get in, so I decided to go. I was told to go and get a coffee somewhere and come back in an hour.

Satisfied that I wouldn’t be late, I walked through the town, but decided against having coffee on my tongue before a tasting.
Upon my return, the event was gathering momentum and I saw many people lining up to get their badges scanned, because, after all, imposters are not allowed into this event. I am one of them—the real thing that is, not an imposter (or so I try to convince myself!)
My badge reveals the jury to which I will belong for today’s tastings or “dégustation”. We are supposed to be sitting in groups of 4 and at least one person at the table has to be a wine professional with many years of experience. That is not me, nor is it my jury mate Julie Wilcox, a Brit who speaks impeccable French. She too is new to the profession as a new graduate of Bordeaux wine commerce program. This is her second year at the Challenge. The wine professional at our table is called Lionel, and he described himself to us as a consultant to the Cognac industry. Our 4th jurist did not show up, as I understand often happens. However, I couldn’t have had better partners had I chose them myself. Julie seemed to be a person in a similar position to me: both starting out in the world of wine, wanting to gain some experience, and neither one of us has a job in the profession as yet. Lionel humbly played down his experience, was very reassuring, and treated us ever so kindly.
The 12 bottles were placed rather unceremoniously in a plastic crate beside our table. They are covered in black plastic thus hiding their identity. Each bears a number that corresponds to the numbers on our sheets. The sheets also list 4 characteristics in each of the categories that must be evaluated: olfactory, taste, and then very abruptly we had to give it a score out of 20: 10, 11 was a no medal score; 12, 13 meant that it should get a bronze medal, 14, 15 was a silver, and 16+ was gold. Our last evaluation was whether or not we would recommend this wine. We were asked to write comments especially if we were not awarding a medal to the wines. There was water, crusty bread, a wine glass and a pen waiting on our tables.
Our first task was to evaluate 12 Champagnes….oh, là là! I had great difficulty trying to find anything remotely unpleasant in these wines. The only information we are given about the wines is the year, and the denomination. They are all of course AOC or Grand Cru Champagnes with varying ages from 2 to 5 years of aging in the bottle. I know I gave way more prizes on the first day than I should have. We were the only 3 people that day evaluating those wines. I may have skewed their results.
Our second “dégustation” that day was none other than Bordeaux wines from the right bank. All of course AOC and some of these were also Grand Cru. I longed to finish drinking some of them, but I dutifully spat into the spittoon at my station.
When the degustation was complete on the 1st day, we were treated to a sumptuous feast, and all the wines that had won at last year’s competition flowed freely. The menu read as follows:
Croustillant de Gambas au gingembre et citron/ Crispy prawns with ginger and lemon
Tendre de Pintade farcie aux Asperges vertes, puree a la fourchette a l’olive noire/ guinea fowl stuffed with a puree of asparagus and olives and potato puree with black olives
Frivolite de passion sous son dome chocolate/ a frivolity of passion under a chocolate dome
Café et mini cannele/ coffee and the regional dessert –a mini cannele –a small French pastry with a soft and tender custard center and a dark thick caramelized crust.
The dinner and wines were compliments of the Challenge du Vin organization. The wines that I sampled were the following:

Montepulciano d’Abbruzzo, Colline Terramane, Farnese 2005—a 2009 silver medallist and one of my favorite wines at the dinner. Spice and chocolate!

Chateau Montpezat Corbieres – Languedoc Roussillon, 2007 Grande Reserve – silver

Waimea, Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson, New Zealand, 2008—silver

Chateau La Bourree, Cotes de Castillon, 2007 silver

Finca Antigua, La Rioja, Spain, Syrah, 2006 – gold

Domaine Bosquet des Papes, A la gloire de mon grand-pere 2007, AOC Chateauneuf du pape This was only a bronze winner last year, but was my favorite. It is made up of 98% Grenache, 2% Cinsault. It was luscious, pure fruit in the glass, with beautiful complexity on the nose and rich plum and licorice scents. I could go on.

The next day , and I was with a new jury. This time with Lidi from Hanzhou in China, Damien, also a new graduate of the wine commerce course in Bordeaux, who also spoke Chinese, and Patrick, a vineyard and winery owner in Bordeaux. This time we sampled 12 wines from Cahors, France made up mainly of Malbec, and then 6 wines from Tunisia, and 7 wines from Turkey.

Was it worth after all the expense, after all the miles traveled, after my flight got cancelled because of the volcano eruption in Iceland and I had to drive 12 hours from Bordeaux to Milan, then take a train from Milan to Naples? The answer is a resounding yes! What did I learn? I learned that French wines are pretty hard to beat. I learned to be able to tell the difference with my eyes, nose and mouth between a Champagne Blanc de Blanc, and a Blanc de Noir. I learned that even though I can call myself a sommelier, my education is just beginning, and my knowledge base, well, is exactly that: a base on which to stand. A base on which to be able to call myself a sommelier, but it’s just the foundation. It’s got me yearning for more. I have seen the light!

For more information about the Challenge du Vin visit:
http://www.challengeduvin.com/

Learning to Dance like a Sommelier,and A Comparison of two Toscana Sangiovese's: Morellino di Scansano and a Chianti Classico.

March 1st and March 13, 2010...those are the dates when I will write, perform and orally discuss wine with a panel of Italian Sommeliers, who will judge whether or not I get to enter their club. They will decide if I am worthy of that shiny bling..the tastevin on a chain. Though I am an Italian citizen, I am greatly disadvantaged in comparison to my classmates as they have lived here all their lives and have been weened on Italian wine and food. I, on the other hand, having lived in Canada for over 40 years, where I thought I was Italian , realized only upon moving here, that I was not quite as Italian as I thought. Now, I have to try to convince a panel of Italian sommeliers, using my foreigner's Italian, that I am worthy to serve, talk about, judge Italian wine, and perform the most difficult task of all, pair it with Italian dishes and specialties. I'm not sure that you realize the grandiose task that I have set for myself here: first of all, this will not only demand a level of Italian that will require me to describe the wine beyond "bianco" and "rosso", but also a knowledge of the geography and the terrain of Italy, a knowledge of the hundreds of different grapes used and where they belong on that map of Italy, but the most daunting for me, is the knowledge of Italian specialty foods, what their made of and where, once again, they belong in that Italian geography. Because if you have ever travelled to Italy, and have had a conversation with any Italian about food, they can tell you what the local specialties are, how they're made, where you can buy them and where you shouldn't buy them, because to them, one is real, and one is not, even if they're both made the same way with the only exception being that one is made outside of the zone. Then, I'm afraid it's not to be trusted. No matter how hard I may try to make a particular dish authentic-tasting, it will never happen; it never can, because, well, I guess, I'm just not authentic. There seems to be more to it than following the recipe.
Yes...I've taken this task on, and I am trying to make sense of it all...making charts, making notes, memorizing, tasting, and I have finally come to the conclusion that I need a tutor. But who could I find who will be understanding enough to know what I need to know. Who would care enough to help a foreigner learn about his sacred trade. Who would be strict enough with me to make me seem polished, and help me shine come exam time. I think I found that and more in Angelo Di Costanzo, Sommelier and winner of the Sommelier awards for the Campania region and co-owner, with his wife Lilli of L'Arcante Enoteca in Pozzuoli. I had heard about Angelo for the past year from an American friend of mine who settles for nothing but the best in wine and food. Angelo has a healthy clientelle of Italians and foreigners in his store and in his work as sommelier, so he was not put off by working with a foreigner.
Angelo knew just where to start...the presentation and the opening of the bottle with finesse and confidence. The bottle is presented to the left of the diner, while the sommelier denotes the name, the winery and the year. Then the bottle is brought back to the sommelier's table where the show begins: the removal of the capsule which is placed in a plate, then the careful removal of the cork without making a "pop" sound and without of course placing the bottle between your knees! The sommelier smells the cork, removes it from the opener with a white cloth , smells it for the mouldy corked smell, then places it on a separate plate to bring to the diner's table later on. If it is an older bottle of wine that needs to be decanted, the sommelier pours a small amount into his glass and smells it to make sure once again that it is not corked. He then pours that small bit of wine in the decanter to season it and get it ready to receive the wine. However, during today's lesson, there was no decanting. The sommelier first tastes the wine, then approaches the table this time on the diner's right. With a definitive hold on the bottom of the bottle in your right hand, and your left hand holding a napkin held behind your back, a small amount is poured; quick turn of the spout, napkin from left hand is ready to catch the drip before removing the bottle. Then step back to allow the diner to taste the wine. If all is good, then the ladies are served eldest first, and then the men, and finally, the person who ordered the wine.
It was like watching a ballet, and this is why I want to be a sommelier. Not only do I find it gratifying to be able to share my knowledge which is something that I have always done as a teacher, but I get to perform this show which must be done with confidence, finesse and humility.
My next test with Angelo was a blind taste test of two wines which he brought to the table covered in foil. The first wine was a deep red pomegranate-coloured wine, with legs that suggest a wine with body. The nose immediately offered ripe, red berries "sotto spirito", though initally I said jammy fruit, it later revealed a liquoricy note and finally a little damp earth smell. It was dry, and beautifully smooth, and warm. It was more spicy than acidic though it remained fresh and young.
The second wine was not as young looking in the glass--it was that same pomegranate colour, but with some orange tones. It revealed itself to be more complex in the glass, richer, and more austere. It offered up a bouquet of spice, fruit, nuts, toast. The spicyness followed through to the taste, with the tannins, the mineral, acidity taking a slight precedence over the smoothness of the wine, but not enough to be overpowering.
The bottles were undressed of their wrapping and while I thought they were so very different they turned out to both be made from Sangiovese grapes and both were from Toscana, another deft lesson from Angelo. The first wine was a Morellino di Scansano 2006, Fattoria Le Puppelle 70% Sangiovese with Alicante and Malvasia Nera, and the second was a 100% Sangiovese Chianti Classico, unlike other Chianti's I have tasted, this one was refined and elegant. Both wines were 2006.
I like to think of my wine education as my "vinification" the process of making me knowledgeable about wine. But now under the tutelage of Angelo Di Costanzo, I hope to pull off the the refining stage of my three-year preparation to becoming a sommelier...this is the aging in oak, the final touches that season me to be able to dance like a sommelier.
Here is a link to Angelo's blog and a facebook link for any of you who speak Italian:
http://larcante.wordpress.com/larcante-enoteca/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/LArcante-Enoteca/48143043595