W I N E T R A V E L F O O D®

YEAR 21 N. 93 - FEBRUARY 2016

DO ITALIANS DO IT BETTER?GIN

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COVER STORY38 | Gin. Do Italians do it Better?Italy = Grappa? Certainly, that’s what tradition says. But it’s also true that the passion for mixed drinks and international fashions have made gin one of the trendiest spirits in the world, Italy included. Dozens of distilleries produce excellent gin, and many of them are from the Italian boot. Here are the 15 best labels. WINE26 | Riserva di Coltibuono. A classic for the decadesEven a super-well-known territory can provide fresh emotions. This vertical tasting of Badia a Coltibuono was extraordinary and moving. It reached back to labels from the 1940s, an example of a Chianti Classico that despite fashion, life styles and climate change, has maintained its unique and inimitable character.

36 | Sangiovese and the MonksRecent studies reveal that sangiovese thrives in Tuscany and Romagna, thanks to the monks of Vallombrosa

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68 | Best Buys Calabria 2016Strong personalities and low prices characterise this region’s wines

TRAVEL50 | Spicy CalabriaWhen we say Calabria, we usually think of beaches and sunshine. But on the plateau of the Sila, a few kilometers from the coast, in winter we can enjoy skiing and an Alpine atmosphere

FOOD60 | Recipes from Great Chefs Pietro Lecce approaches one of Italy’s most evocative terroirs, Calabria, with an open, curious mind, traditions drawn from his origins, but also a desire to know the world. In the same way, he brings with him the rebellious talent of his son Emanuele…

74 | Italian extra-virgin 2015 – An elegant yearThe quality of the new Italian extra-virgin olive oils is very good: few intense fruit sensations, but many

that will please consumers.

NEWS & MORE 4 | Editorial 6 | Events 8 | News14 | Italians abroad Stefano dal Moro: Antica Osteria del Ponte - Tokyo16 | Wine of the month Collio Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Ris.’11 Primosic17 | Twitter dixit18 | Design Forks24 | Pairing Lab Calabria

«Wine is sunlight held together by water.»

Galileo Galilei

1564-1642

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EDITORIAL

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Lorenzo Ruggeri

Whether affected by a cork or unusual evolution, unpredictability can be positive or damnably negative. We damnly love wine for this special nature. It is a durable good, but complex and unpredictable in its evolution.

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http://www.madeinvicenza.it/

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EVENTS

The greatest consumer of Italian wines in the world is the United States, and the Gambero Rosso events this year confirmed that passion, demonstrating an interest in Italian grape varieties un-matched around the world. Our classic Tre Bicchieri event was held in Chicago, New York and San

NEW YORK

CHICAGO

FEBRUARY 2016

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SAN FRANCISCO

SEATTLEFrancisco, while the Top Italian Wines Roadshow opened in Seattle, meeting with a success that went beyond our expectations. To all those who participated, a grandissimo thanks for your con-tinuing faith in us. You made the difference. Grazie.

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WINE AND ECONOMY

More consumers are choosing lower-alcohol wines, according to Wine Intelligence, in their 2016 multi-market report. Between 2012 and 2014 they analyzed the market for three segments of lower alcohol con-

tent wine: below 5%, from 6% to 8.5%, from 9% to 10.5%.

Research showed, among eight major wine-con-

suming countries, that the North American

market evidenced the strongest trend. Canada, in particular, is the country with the most marked growth, from 5.1 to 7 million

buyers, up 22%, chose wines be-

tween 6% and 8.5% degrees of al-

cohol. The nearby USA market is still one of the

most important, with 40 million lower-alcohol consumers, about 43% of habitual wine drink-ers. Among the most promis-

ing markets, the United Kingdom shows 34% of consumers opting for lower-alcohol wine, with another 20% who describe themselves as likely purchasers, above all for health rea-sons. Germany, points out Wine Intelligence, is the market with the highest percentage of consumers among those surveyed, 47%, thanks also to the preponderance of local producers who opt for this style of wine. France is a different story. Low-alcohol wine consumers have dropped from 12 to 7.7 million. The phenomenon, according to the report, is a cultural one. French do not consider this category of product to be wine. Richard Halstead, COO of Wine Intelligence, said: “It is evident that lower alcohol wines have strong potential to grow in multiple markets, but for now, the category remains fairly niche. A crucial factor in determining whether or not this change can

alcohol wines to overcome what is probably still their biggest stumbling block: many people just don’t know about them.”

LOWER-ALCOHOL WINES SURGE

BORDEAUX EN PRIMEUR makes changes

Less chitchat and more sales seems to be the strategy of the ‘Semaine des Primeurs’ of the Union des Grands Crus of Bordeaux. This year, the target is highly selected. The chateaux, from April 4 to 7, will open their doors only to im-porters and wine merchants. So

what will become of journalists and wine enthusiasts? Journalists will be hosted at the new city stadi-um, Stade Matmut-Atlantique, for two days instead of the usual four, while the closing day is reserved for tasting. Another change, unpopu-lar with Bordeaux habitués, is the decision to omit blind tastings. “We have to set some limits,“, explained the Union des Grands Crus presi-dent, Olivier Bernard. “In recent years we have tried to make every-one happy, but it’s really not pos-sible.“

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Mauricio Macri, newly elected president of Argentina, is dedicated to an acceleration of his country’s economy. According to the recent Rabobank re-port, his decision to eliminate export taxes has made Argentinian wine much more competitive on the world market, above all in China and Japan, where its direct competitors are Chile and Australia. Meanwhile, demand for bulk wine from the United States, Argentina’s key market, is falling. The price per liter for bulk Argentinian wine had risen from $2.52 in 2012 to $3.05 in 2015, putting pressure on exports. In 2014, American imports of bulk wine from Argentina fell 60%. Things seem to be changing now. “Argentina has a his-tory of sharp downturns, followed by rapid recovery, and the wine industry is

strategy in the long run.

ARGENTINARELAUNCHES EXPORTS

Between 2015 and 2019, the mar-ket for wine in South Korea will rise 16.2%, compared to a predicted world growth of 1.4%. These are some of the predictions in the IWSR report (International Wine and Spir-it Research) carried out for Vinexpo Hong Kong 2016. Korean con-sumption could rise from 3.29 mil-lion 9-liter cases in 2014, according to the report, to 3.90 million in 2019. In 2010, per capita consumption of red wine was .62 bottles, in 2014, it rose to an encouraging .76 (+22.6) and, according to the IWSR report, in 2019, it could reach .87 bottles consumed annually (+11.5%). Red wines are favored, accounting for 73.5% of total consumption, com-pared to 26.5% of white. Importers are headed by Chile. Thanks to a free trade agreement, in 2014 Chile sold .85 million cases on the Korean market. France follows with .52 mil-lion cases and Italy with .49 million (+35.9% compared to 2010). Al-though Korea promises interesting surprises, predictions for China ap-pear disappointing. Consumption is going down and will continue in that direction in the next years: -3% be-tween 2014 and 2019.

ASIAN MARKETS: surprises from South Korea. Projections for 2019

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WINE AND ECONOMY

The Millennials are the American generation that drinks the most wine. The age group from 21 to 38 years old, according to data in a report from Wine Market Council, accounts for 36% of wine consum-ers, followed by that of the Boom-ers (51-69 years old) who, for the first time, despite making up 34% of the population, were out-run in this particular competition. Gen-eration X, those between 39 and 50 years old, make up 18% of the population, while those above 69 account for 12% of consumers. As for trends, Millennials (+ 10%) and Generation X (+ 5%) drink more than before. Other groups are on the way down. Average an-nual wine consumption per capita in the USA is 20 bottles.

USA CONSUMPTION: Millennials outdrink Boomers

Protected varietal names will not be touched. Phil Hogan, European Union Commissioner for Agriculture, reassures Italy

European Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Phil Hogan, re-assured Italy’s Ministry of Agri-cultural, Food and Forestry Poli-cies, Maurizio Martina, about the amendment now under consider-ation promoting the liberalization of varietal names. The idea that va-rieties such as lambrusco, barbera, vermentino, primitivo, falanghina, teroldego and many other grapes protected under European Regula-tion 607/2009 could be produced in other countries angered the Italian wine consortiums. But Hogan stated, “We have no intention of making changes that would damage the present system of qual-

ity winemaking in Italy,” and, in a meeting with Minister Martina on January 25,, Martina reasserted that Italy is not ready for “any con-cession” because “acquired rights cannot be touched.” Now, before agricultural organizations around the country let down their guard, Italians are waiting for the with-drawal of the draft of the act per-taining to the liberalization of the use of grape varietal names. The threat is that other European wine-

producing countries such as Spain could label a wine, for example Lambrusco, triggering unfair competition and damaging effects on their neighbors.

2016WORLDTOUR

trebicchieri Vini d’Italia

2016

JANUARY

18 STOCKHOLM Vini d’Italia

19 OSLO Vini d’Italia

25 MUNICH trebicchieri

FEBRUARY

04 CHICAGO trebicchieri

09 NEW YORK trebicchieri

11 SAN FRANCISCO trebicchieri

16 SEATTLE Top Italian Wines Roadshow

MARCH

03 LONDON trebicchieri Special Edition

12 DÜSSELDORF trebicchieri

21 SYDNEY Gambero Rosso Signature

APRIL

04 SAÕ PAULO Top Italian Wines Roadshow

16 DUBAI Top Italian Wines Roadshow Special Edition

17-19 DUBAI Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

20 ABU DHABI Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

23-24 PALM SPRINGS Gambero Rosso & Vino Veritas Special edition

MAY

15 -16 SINGAPORE Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

16 SINGAPORE Top Italian Wines Roadshow

18 BANGKOK Top Italian Wines Roadshow

20 MANILA Top Italian Wines Roadshow

25 HONG KONG Gambero Rosso Top Italian Wines & Spirits Special Edition for VinExpo26 -27 TOKYO Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

27 TOKYO Vini d'Italia

JUNE

02-04 MOSCOW Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

06 TORONTO trebicchieri

06-07 TORONTO Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

10 VANCOUVER trebicchieri

10-11 VANCOUVER Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

SEPTEMBER

LOS ANGELES Top Italian Food & Beverage Experience

DALLAS Top Italian Wines Roadshow

OCTOBER

25 ZURICH Vini d’Italia

27 WARSAW Vini d’Italia

NOVEMBER

02 TOKYO trebicchieri

04 BEIJING trebicchieri

07 SHANGHAI trebicchieri

09 HONG KONG trebicchieri

18 MOSCOW trebicchieri

SPECIAL EVENTPRESENTATION GUIDE

Vini d’Italia

SPECIAL EVENTPRESENTATION GUIDE

Vini d’Italia

INFO: www.gamberorosso.it/international segreteria.estero@gamberorosso.it

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A few months ago, the Canadian company Vitality Air launched their product: cans that appeared empty, but in reality, were full of air from the Rocky Mountains. It was an innovative way to deliver a breath of fresh air to the inhab-itants of polluted cities. Leo De Watts, a 27-year old, had the same

idea – package the pleasant air of the English countryside and sell it at a hefty price, above all in Chi-na, where pollution levels are at dramatic levels. Aethaer, the com-pany founded by De Watts, collects pure air on the hills and valleys of Somerset, Wales and Dorset, and captures it in 568 ml containers that sell for 88£, about 100 euros. Within a few weeks, De Watts has already sold 180 containers on line.

THE COUNTRYSIDE IN A BOTTLE. Fresh airfrom English meadows for wealthy Chinese.

AMAZON SOMMELIER:the new service from the e-commerce colossusAmazon, the most famous on-line sales company in the world, has added another service to its roster. In Japan, Jeff Bezos’ company introduced a virtual sommelier who can provide advice about which wine to buy on line. A team of real live sommeliers, supervised by Japanese wine guru Miyuki Hara, is available from noon to 5 p.m for users who want to know more about the 8,000 labels in Amazon’s wine cellar. By providing a phone contact, shoppers can receive a call from one of the experts, ready to an-swer any wine questions. Amazon Sommelier joined to Amazon Prime, the company’s rapid delivery service, will certainly soon make its way to other markets.

In line with the themes of Expo Mi-lano 2015, the world is gearing up

of this civil responsibility comes from France where the Senate re-cently approved a law that makes

to oblige restaurants to provide a doggy bag for clients when request-ed. The next was the anti-waste law, written by socialist, environmental and left-wing radical parties and ap-proved by 300 deputies from both the majority and opposition parties. In February, 2015, the Senate passed

are not allowed to throw away or de-stroy unsold edible food and instead must donate it to appropriate chari-table associations. Products that are returned to their distributor, which up to now have been necessarily destroyed, can instead be donated. Data show that in France, supermar-kets are responsible for 10% of food waste, while 70% is attributable to poor housekeeping habits in private homes. The next step, therefore, is to educate the young about food waste. French schools are already beginning to discuss the issue.

FRANCE APPROVES A LAW AGAINST FOOD WASTE. Here’s what is changing

NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

FEBRUARY 2016

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In the Unit-ed States,

continuing to bet on quality pro-d u c t i o n s . One good example is Chef ’s Table.

-ries of six

episodes, widely watched, showed the professional life of some of the world’s greatest chefs. Now the me-dia platform is delving more into food documentaries, signing on Michael Pollan, respected writer, journalist

and scholar (he teaches at UC Berke-ley’s Graduate School of Journalism). His book Cooked looks at the ancient culinary traditions that have shaped human lives. He examines four dif-ferent cooking methods based on

earth. The 4-episode series, released

by American audiences. Each episode concentrates on a different natural el-ement and its relationship to cooking and transformation methods, both ancient and modern, following Pol-lan’s own approach. Subjects include barbecue, aboriginal Australian cook-ing traditions, Indian cuisine, bread-making and fermentation processes.

When we speak about Japanese cui-sine, confusion reigns. Poor imita-tions and all-you-can-eat restaurants are part of the great international melting pot of Asian cooking. The Japanese government has decided to limit the indiscriminate proliferation of pseudo-Japanese eating places around the world, protecting with

-taurants that are true ambassadors of washoku (On December 4, 2013, “Washoku, traditional dietary cul-tures of the Japanese, notably for the celebration of New Year” was added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage). For now, the idea is not yet law, but its public approval indicates it might soon be. In detail, the regu-lation proposed by the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry will consider a chef ’s selection of ingre-dients, preparation, respect for and

comprehension of Japanese culture, presentation and service, as well as attention to aesthetics. Winning cer-

in Japan to learn the rudiments of local cuisine, which also means that recognition will be available to non-Japanese professionals. Stays will vary from brief courses to two-year or more programs.

JAPANESE CUISINE AROUND THE WORLD. Authenticity certificates for the real thing.

COOKED. The Netflix documentary series from a book by Michael Pollan on the cultural value of food preparation

For the last few weeks, at 120 Rue de Charonne, XI arrondissement in Paris, the doorway of the Basque butcher, L’Ami Txulette, has been capturing the attention of passers-by. Florence Pouzol, the entrepre-neurial owner, has installed a meat-dispensing vending machine to serve his customers 24/7 in a city where food shops are closed by law on Sun-days. The gadget is a winner. Pou-

discussion on social media has been fervent. But France already has four ‘automatic butchers’ active in the provinces, and in Germany, they are everywhere. The system, of course, has met with resistance on the part of those who fear the slow substitu-

counter with the chilling machine. But the Parisian butcher chose this path to guarantee better service

shops that have already tried it out. The facts seem to support Pouzol. Many of his neighbors in the XI ar-rondissement have purchased their steaks and sausages, credit card in hand, late at night. “The vending machine offers a selection of our products which we prepare and vac-uum-pack ourselves,” said Pouzol. “We wanted to give our customers an additional service when the shop is closed.”

THE CASE OF THE MEAT VENDING MACHINE. Normal in Germany, the first comes to Paris. Is Italy next?

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ITALIAN CHEFS ABROAD

Tokyo ia food-ies’ paradise. In Tokyo, Great

Italian names are celebrated for their

superb quality and their desire to show exigent Japa-nese clients what authentic cucina is really like. One of these is Antica Osteria del Ponte, located on the

-chi building near Tokyo’s railroad station. It offers a delightful setting, an astonishing view, and a place to enjoy Italy’s best food and most out-

the hands of two Italians who look after the kitchen and the wine cel-

chef, and Simone Berardelli, som-melier, tell us about their travels and their experience in this great city. When did your food and wine adventures abroad begin?

Stefano Dal Moro: I was born in San Vito al Tagliamento, but always lived in Portogruaro in the province

-portant work experience at the Trat-

got to know the owner, Dino Bos-carato, and his chef, Ettore Alzetta. It was Ettore who helped me take

convincing me to travel in order to perfect my skills. So I went to Paris, to the Le Carpaccio restaurant and was part of the brigade of chef Giacomo Gallina and Angelo Par-acucchi. I spent some of my most memorable moments there, on both a personal and a professional level. Then, after working for a short pe-riod in London, I was asked to come here to Japan and launch the Antica Osteria del Ponte in 2002. Contact

with Ezio Santin, chef at the Antica Osteria, was essential to my devel-opment. Thanks to him I learned about an approach to cooking that was new to me, and that is still con-tinuously evolving: give special at-tention to the use of ingredients of extreme quality. Simone Berardelli. -tion with wine and with the profes-sion of sommelier began, like many stories, by chance. I had always worked part-time in restaurants in Rome, where I was born. When I decided to go deeper, I started down the path that led me to the Fondazi-one Italiana Sommelier. I came to Tokyo in September of 2014 and immediately afterwards (my plane landed on the 20th and my inter-view was on the 25th) I was given the opportunity to begin work at the Japanese branch of Sabatini of Florence. After about 6 months, I

Antica Osteria del Ponte Tokyo

by Stefania Annese

FEBRUARY 2016

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fer because it would seem vulgar and rude. As far as cucina is concerned, the Italian brand here means qual-

is missing, though, is promotion of the image of quality in wine. Often clients come to Antica Osteria del Ponte without understanding the ab-solutely primary role that the world of wine plays in Italy. It hurts a little to see how clients gravitate around

made us important in the world. But our country has the greatest varietal

cultivated territory, and I would like to see more attention paid to that as-pect of our market. What was the strangest request you ever received? Which was the most expensive wine you ever opened?Stefano Dal Moro: I don’t remem-ber any absurd request. One epi-sode has stayed in my mind, though. Some clients ordered a tasting menu, from antipasto to dessert, and only drank grappa. Nine glasses of it.Simone Berardelli: There have been some strange requests. Aged red wine to be served ice cold, wine to be poured by the centiliter, a re-

as background music for the entire room. And someone asked me, “Do you serve on black plates? Because I don’t eat from black plates.” As far as wine goes, clients in Tokyo don’t worry about expense. Among the most expensive bottles on the wine list is a spumanti Cuvée An-namaria Clementi di Ca’ del Bosco at about 32,000 ¥, (250 euros); for champagne, Salón Cuvée “S” 1988, 160,000¥ (1,200 euros) or Bollinger R.D. 2002 at 78,000¥ (600 euros). Among the Italian whites is Terlaner Grand Cuvée at a cost of 100,000¥ (about 800 euros) and there’s the

Jadot 1998 at 80,000¥. Among the

Riserva Giacomo Conterno and

moved to Antica Osteria del Ponte. The story of this last year has been one of hard work and of getting used to a social and business world totally opposite to what I knew in Italy. I also had to deal with the bureaucracy for obtaining a work visa, which is a real burden for all foreigners here in Japan. What is the reputation of Italian food abroad and how does your clientele relate to that?Stefano Dal Moro: Japanese cli-ents fall into two groups – those who know Italian wine and food well, and those who see it as only spa-ghetti, pizza and Chianti. Thanks to continual East and West exchanges, it has been possible to go past these stereotypes and today we can show them a varied and vast range of quality Italian products. Simone Berardelli: The Japanese

-nite courtesy, but when we speak of service, often, as an Italian, it be-comes complicated. We run into an endless wall of unwritten and appar-ently illogical rules that are, however, basic to the client-restaurateur rap-port. In Japan, ‘no’ doesn’t exist, that is, there is no direct refusal of an of-

Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia 2001 at 52,000¥ (400) euros.What do we Italians need to learn from Japanese culture?Stefano Dal Moro: We need to learn that whatever is at the service of all is in part, also ours. We have to respect what’s public. We pay taxes to have it! A civic sense is basic to an advanced society.Simone Berardelli: I think that cultures, like the members of a cou-ple, have to know, understand and tolerate their individual diversity. As an Italian abroad, I’m living in a dif-ferent society. I don’t try to become Japanese but I try to bring what I am as an individual and as a representa-tive of my culture to a faraway and very different culture. I don’t try to impose myself on them nor do I let them do that to me. So we create a reciprocal exchange where both par-ties contribute to pursuing a com-mon goal.

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Orange wine and duck tagliatelle: sublime !

Collio Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia Ris. ’11 Primosic8,000 bottlesex-cellar price: 14.50 euros

The slope of Oslavia, bulwark of the Collio hill zone on the border with Slovenia, enjoys a unique microclimate particularly suited to grape-growing. The Primosic family settled here at the end of the 19th century, and now Marko and Boris manage the winery founded by their father, Silvestro, in 1956. An important zoning project, aimed at recognizing individual crus, led to identifying the locations best suited for each variety. The name of each wine is often ac-companied by the name of the vineyard from which its grapes come. Moreover, using ances-tral methods that involve macerating the grapes, whites included, they produce Riserva labels that, years later, can still evoke the emotions of their early days. This year’s tasting brought an exceptional version of Ribolla Gialla di Oslavia into the spotlight, the Riserva 2011. It was one of the wines that impressed us the most during the round of tastings. Mature but also youth-fully rebellious, it is fragrant with orange zest (but the citrus sensations manage to embrace all the citrus family), blond tobacco, a touch of peat and of apricot tart. A rich and complex wine, it maintains rhythm and stunning drinkability. Try it with tagliatelle in duck ragout, brightened with a few fresh thyme leaves.

WINE OF THE MONTH

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TWITTER dixitWinetracker.coArcheologist found a ‘winery’ in a cave in Armenia that is 6,100 years old!

What’s in a name...Starbucks is planning on selling beer and

sober people a $ 12 cup of coffee !

Wine Spectator

it prevents erectile dysfunction.Read on

South Coast WineryThis must be the coolest dog ever!

WineTrailAdventuresToday I will be as useless as the T in Pinot. Who can relate?

The Wine WankersMust be true!

Robert ParkerEver been to Alsace? The views are as

beautiful as the wine..

Jon ThorsenI like the way he thinks...

DESIGN

Wide-spread use of the fork gradually emerged from changes in Italian eating habit and the invention of pasta. Scholars once thought that the ancient Romans didn’t use

a tomb on the necropolis of Albintimilum (Ventimiglia – I-II century A.D.) in 1917 made them question that as-

is in an illustrated manuscript of the 11th century. In the Rabanus Maurus Glossaria of Montecassino, two men are shown seated at a table, each with a fork and a knife. One is bringing the fork to his mouth.

Ages dates to the 11th century. It was seen as an instrument of the devil, resembling a pitchfork. A Greek princess called Theo-dora was sent to Venice to marry the Doge Domenico Selvo. “Among the artifacts she

brought with her was a fork which she used to eat meals. A dis-approving chronicler

tells us: ‘She did not touch

the food with her hands but had each dish cut into tiny pieces by her

eunuchs, which she then advanced to her mouth using a sort of

miniature golden spear with two prongs, and barely tasted.’ The Princess later died of a wasting disease and ecclesiast San Pier Damiani (1007-1072) thought this a just pun-ishment for such a sin.” (Elizabeth Chadwick, Living the History blog)From the 17th century, the use of the fork and the other eating utensils slowly spread around Europe and by the 18th century, it became an essential part of table settings. The chamberlain of Bourbon King Ferdinand IV had forks with four tines to make eating spaghetti easier. To-day, we can’t imagine eating without forks or the other elements of place settings. Grand designers are work-ing to make these everyday tools more eco-friendly, maneuverable, elegant, innovative and – why not? – more communicative. Giulio Iacchetti, who has been in the indus-trial design world since 1992, made Bam-

boo, for Pandora. It is a set of single-use utensils in wood. The fork is made from the central body of the knife.

FUTURISTIC FORKSB-SIDE STUF

BAMBOOKEYTLERY

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There are different versions, such as one in polypropylene and another in silver. Standing

Ovation, another of Iacchetti’s designs, is a set of utensils anchored at the base so they can stand vertically, marking a place setting.

even their desks, Din-ink is a set of tops that transform a normal ballpoint pen into an eating utensil. This creation comes from the collabora-tion of Andrea Cingoli, Paolo Emilio Bellisario, Cristian Cellini and Francesca Fontana. Last year their imaginative project won the “Dining 2015” prize. Seletti dal 1964 is an institution in the housewares sector, and admired for its innovative approaches to daily life. Alessandro Zambelli, from Emilia, designed the splendid and unusual Keytlery, with 24 pieces, for Seletti. Made in stainless steel, this key-inspired cut-lery includes six knives, forks, tablespoons and tea-

plated with titanium for longer-lasting and corrosion-proof lives, and are available in black and white as well.Founded in 1979 in Trieste, Italesse is known for its esthetically pleasing and technically satisfying pro-fessional articles. Tomas Alonso, armed with an international background and artisanal wizardry, designed the easily transportable Stamp for Italesse. The three pieces in stainless steel, light and com-pact, resolve the space-saving problem gracefully.Alessandro Busana, born in Padua in 1977, created B-Side Stuf,

West, Hybrid and comunicative, it responds to the new waves of globalization by offering an all-in-one eating utensil – is it a fork or chopsticks?A project that goes beyond simple usefulness is the brain child of Italo-Swiss artist Giuseppe Colarusso. His Improbabilità includes a series of unconvention-al, surreal objects. “With irony and humor, I try to underline some futile aspects of our contemporary era, such as, for example, the excesses of consumer-ism or the uselessness of many things we feel we need to own, or even the deceitful messages of advertis-ing,” the artist states. So his table settings are made with rope handles, which make them impossible to use. Buy them when you’re trying to lose weight!

Stefania AnneseSTANDING OVATION

DIN-INK

STAMP

FEBRUARY 2016

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CIRO BIANCO

Crostiniwith ‘nduia

Pipi chini(stuffed peppers)

SAVUTO ROSSO SUPERIORE

TERRE DI COSENZA BIANCO

drawings by Chiara Buosi

Macaroniwith goat sauce

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PAIRING DO AS THE CALABR IANS DO

Fried pork

La pitta‘mpigliata

Burrino cheese

MELISSA BIANCO

GRECO DI BIANCO

CIRO ROSSO CLASSICO

FEBRUARY 2016

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DO AS THE CALABR IANS DO

Let’s begin our tour of Cosenza’s historic cen-

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EXPLORING CALABRIA. A seldom-visited city of many delights, not only culinary.Cosenza’s food, artisanal beerand great cured meats...

TOURING COSENZA

FOODIES

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with the collaboration of Maurizio Uliano

ADDRESSES COSENZA POP BAR c.so Mazzini, 95 tel. 0984 24594 www.gelateriapop.it

IL SALUMAIO c.so Mazzini, 132 tel. 0984 23304 www.ilsalumaiocosenza.com

PIZZERIA CRISTINI via Calabria, 36 tel. 0984 76047

NABBIRRA ENOTECA c.so Garibaldi, 42 tel. 0984 014 531 www.nabbirra.it

GRAN CAFFÈ RENZELLI c.so Umberto I tel. 0984 27005 www.renzelli.com

SIAMO FRITTI via R. Misasi, 125 tel. 348 9277 247

RENDE (CS)FERROCINTO VINO IN TAVOLA

tel. 329 7475 443 www.tenuteferrocinto.itwww.campoverdeagricola.it

EGGPLANT CROQUETTES

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ICE GamberoRossoINT 460x285 mm Olio_Def.indd 1 04/02/16 14:51

SILA. PAESAGGI E SAPORI TUTTI DA SCOPRIRE

ICE GamberoRossoINT 460x285 mm Olio_Def.indd 1 04/02/16 14:51

by Eleonora Gueriniphoto by Andrea Ruggeri

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

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Riserva di Coltibuono

A classic for the decades

This vertical tasting of Badia a Coltibuono was extraordinary

and moving. It reached back to labels from the 1940s, an example of a Chianti Classico that despite fashion, life styles and climate

change, has maintained its unique and inimitable character.

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

I n one of Haruki Murakami’s short stories, “The Folklore of Our Times”, he mentions Badia a Coltibuono Riserva ’83 because Coltibuono wines

were among his favorites during the years he lived in Rome. The reason is not hard to understand. If you know even a little about Japanese culture, its respect for aesthetics that translates also into respect for taste, then it’s easy to understand how Coltibuono wines, severe and coherent, Chi-anti-esque to the core, could have resonated with Murakami. Badia a Coltibuono – which can trans-late into “The Abbey of Good Harvest” – was founded shortly after the year 1000 by the monks of Vallombrosa. They began to plant the first vineyards and lived there until 1800, when Napo-

leonic domination forced them to leave. In the following years, ownership changed various times until in 1846, a banker, Michele Giuntini (an ancestor of the pres-ent owners, the Stucchi Prinetti family) bought it and made it pro-ductive once again. “Badia has enduring charm,” said Emanuela Stucchi Prinetti, “which is also the result of historic and human events. Even from the architec-tural point of view, styles and in-fluences are preserved and over-lap, from the Romanesque origins of the principal building to the Renaissance garden, by way of small additions and enlargements carried out over time. What has never changed is the absolutely Chiantigiano character of this marvel. Our father Piero, in the 1950s, understood its potential

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fully, and dedicated himself body and soul to its renaissance and its expansion. He began to bottle the wines and make them known in the world.”“Our vineyards,” explained Ro-berto Stucchi Prinetti, “are pre-dominantly in Monti, except for a small plot in Castelnuovo Be-rardenga. The sangiovese comes largely from a mass selection car-ried out in the winery at the end of the 1980s, starting with 600 mother vines. Since then, we de-cided to replant the classic variet-ies of the zone besides sangiovese, that is, colorino, canaiolo and ciliegiolo, grapes which are used to make up about 10% of our Chianti Classico. The Riserva, however, is 100% sangiovese. Our Riserva comes from a selec-

tion of the best grapes, but the vineyards can differ year by year. (There are, though, some plots that give grapes that are always part of the package, thanks to their quality.) During the sum-mer we choose 20% of our vine-yards that could be worthy of be-ing part of the Riserva product. Then, during the harvest itself comes a second selection, directly of the grapes. Therefore, from the 20% of the original choice, we get down to 10-15% of sangiovese grapes suitable for the Riserva. Annual production is not above 30,000 bottles. Fermentation is carried out with indigenous yeasts reactivated by means of a pied de cuve. or starter. The result is a wine that maintains its character and profile so that, besides being

intimately Chiantigiano, it is also extremely faithful to itself.”The winery, which today counts 60 hectares of vineyard, 50 of which are in production, turns out about 270,000 bottles of organic wine annually. “Badia began the conversion to organic agriculture in the 1990s. In 2000 we attained complete certification. It is an important result, achieved step by step and by means of increased knowledge. After my stay in Cali-fornia,” Roberto said, “I under-stood that pesticides and herbi-cides should be banned in favor of agriculture that didn’t starve the soil while feeding humans. It was an important journey, and it brought us into even closer con-tact with the landscape, human, cultural and agricultural.”

GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

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GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

2011 | 91The wine from a hot, decidedly dry year that ended in the earli-est harvest ever done in Coltibuono (at the end of August), it offers a fruity timbre to the nose, with strawberries standing out, along with crisp cherry and hints of incense. The palate is fla-vorful and continuous, solid, with rigidity in tannin that is not as perfectly mature as its vintage year would suggest. The finish is delicious and its future radiant, so much so that it made us reconsider (in a big way) the lower score that we gave it for the Vini d’Italia 2016 guide.

2010 | 91A delicate and fragrant nose, with an evident floral note and tones of berries, pomegranate and orange zest. The palate man-ages to be sweet and mouth-filling but also lively and reactive, thanks to assertive acidity and pleasantly nervous tannin that impels the finish, giving rhythm and verve. This too deserves well above the Due Bicchieri attributed to it in last year’s guide.

2009 | 91A wine that is well above expectations (given the not very happy vintage year of its birth) opens with notes of geranium, green tones and spicy touches of cumin. The palate is very enjoyable, assertive but caressing, profoundly Chiantigiano, ample and warm. The tannin dries slightly, but doesn’t take away flavor

or energy from the long finish. But in our 2014 guide we saw clearly, assigning it Tre Bicchieri.

2008 | 88A more evolved nose than predicted, with notes of leather and black truffle already evident along with black cherry jam, forest floor and tobacco leaf. The palate, however, maintains a more youthful nose, with tannin still sharp, a sensation of iron that dominates on the close along with great sapidity. It maintains the rating given in the 2013 guide.

2006 | 86This nose too shows a more evolved profile than expected, giv-ing voice to tobacco, spices, leather, black pepper and anise, with dark and ripe fruit in the background. The palate is open and sunny, a little alcoholic also, but thanks to the wonderful acidity that characterizes Coltibuono wines, it manages to maintain ten-sion and finesse.

1998 | 88Initially not very expressive, but then come fascinating autumnal sensations, with smoky, fungal notes of wet bark, barley sugar, citrus zest, plum jam. The palate is lively and shows grip, while its tenacious, decisive step does not give way.

CHIANTI CLASSICO RISERVA

ROBERTO STUCCHI PRINETTIROBERTO STUCCHI PRINETTI

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1994 | ***It was impossible to get the panel to agree about this wine. Rat-ings varied too sharply for an average to make any sense. It was certainly very evolved on the nose, with notes of licorice, saffron and cardamom. On the palate, suffused and continuous devel-opment despite some deterioration. One vote was a 94, for an appealing quality defined as mystical.

1993 | 94The first revelation wine of the tasting. Vivid and brilliant color. The nose is a torrent of sensations and chiaroscuro effects: dark fruit, fresh violet buds, goudron and wild thyme, candied oranges and leaves. The palate is extraordinary for its vivacity and youth-fulness, the tannin silky and vibrant, the acidity energetic, and the finish interminable. Wine poetry. It won Tre Bicchieri from us as opposed to the one bicchiere awarded in the 2001 guide.

1990 | 96Second revelation wine. A sort of enological miracle in a year that no one would have bet on. Complex and complete from the start, with vivid iodine and mineral hints, cocoa, white truffle, cherry and rosemary. Harmonious palate, elegant, changeable, refined. It is everything one could hope for from a great sangio-vese Chianti. Touches the heart. In the 2001 guide, it won Due Bicchieri.

1986 | 88A nose with some hint of understandable reduction, traces of iron sensations, dried tomatoes and olives in brine, but also co-coa beans and damp soil. The palate is tight and sharp, subtle and yet very flavorful, as graceful as a ballet dancer but bold. Old style.

1985 | 93So much for hot vintage years! This was a year that left more cadavers than champions in its wake. But this Riserva belongs to the second group. Dark fruit, mature but lively, balsam and caramel tones, iodine, with notes of medicinal herbs and olives. A compelling palate, precise, deep and enthralling, punctuated by the ins and outs of flavors.

1979 | 87This was the year in which oak came in to replace chestnut wood. It was bottled in 1985. The nose is not perfectly clean and displays tertiary odors with reduction notes of animal, hints of wild herbs and bitter roots. The palate is defined by its vertical-ity, with penetrating acidity that gives pronounced and magnetic flavor. Lean but fragrant, and admirably taut.

ROBERTO STUCCHI PRINETTICHIANTI CLASSICO 1946: AMAZINGLY BRILLIANT COLOR

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GREAT VERTICAL TASTING

1975 | 94Wine bottled in the 1980s, aged in chestnut casks. The vineyards were mixed and along with the sangiovese were other varieties, certainly including mammolo and foglia tonda as well as white-berried grapes (which usually weren’t used to make Riserva wines). Extremely fascinating nose, incredibly fresh, with notes of medicinal herbs, sage and thyme, mushrooms, coffee and choco-late beans, rhubarb and iodine. The palate is nuanced, subtle and

1968 | 94Intact right from the nose, in which notes of Mediterranean brush clearly emerge, with rosemary and juniper berries, sensations of spices, crumpled leaves. Graceful and compact at the same time,

-

1958 | 88Nothing less than an enological miracle if you remember that this wine stayed in its cask for almost thirty years (it was bottled in 1986) and was made with grapes from a mixture of vineyards, with vines trained all’albero, fermentation done farm by farm and a later selec-tion of the hypothetical best. On the nose, sensations of root, rhu-

helichrysum. In some ways, the palate is still immature, very tartaric, at moments even thin, a perfect mirror of its own time. Hats off !

1946 | 95A miracle or perhaps, the enthusiasm of post-war Italy. From half-abandoned vineyards, neglected for years during the war and bot-tled in the 1950s, we get this brilliant, compact and shining wine, its color only slightly faded. The nose is a blaze of emotions: dried

without hesitations or downturns, it alternates moments of peak performance with moments of absolute expression. A masterpiece (or else a marvelous and exciting prank of nature).

BADIA A COLTIBUONO | GAIOLE IN CHIANTI (SI) | WWW.COLTIBUONO.COM

Antonio Boco, Franco Pallini and Lorenzo Ruggeri

particpated in the tasting and in the writing up of the tasting notes.

EMANUELA STUCCHI PRINETTI

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pp. 348 - euro 12,50

AN INDISPENSABLE TOOL FOR FOODIESBUT EVEN MORE SO FOR INDUSTRY INSIDERS

PROMOTING THE BEST OF MADE-IN-ITALY WORLDWIDE

Available in bookshops order online: www.gamberorosso.it

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GRAPES IN HISTORY

On November 19, 1372, despite the bad weather, the abbot general of Vallombrosa, Simone Bencini, visited the monastery of Santa Reparata, on the Romagnolo side of the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines. He was ac-companied by a monk, two Floren-tine lay brothers and a notary. The occasion was an inspection, one of many the abbot made of the abbeys of Vallombrosa scattered between Romagna and Tuscany. Today we still have the documents he left for history, listing wine among the agri-cultural products of the monastery. That six-century-old information is a fascinating and important element

in the sangiovese story. That the his-tory of this variety may have passed through this abbey is the recent idea of a Romagnolo scholar, Beppe San-giorgi, who in 2014 published a little book about the variety’s history in his region. The stimulus was a docu-ment of 1672, a rental contract that mentioned “three rows of sangiovese placed near the house”. That docu-ment (Ravenna state archive, section of Faenza, notary archive of Casola Valsenio, Notary Antonio Ungania, volume 154 page 200-201) contains

a variety that then became part of the Italian language. What is interesting

by Giorgio Melandri

New studies reveal that Sangiovese thrives in Tuscany and Romagna thanks to the Abbeys of Vallombrosa

ABBAZIA DI COLDIBUONO LONG AGO

COLDIBUONO - CABREO

SANGIOVESE AND THE MONKS

FEBRUARY 2016

37

ous than hilly. Gioghi are, accord-ing to the encyclopedia Treccani, long, rounded mountain heights, (in English, ridges or saddles) but also mountain passes, as we see in many Apennine place names, for example, Giogo di Scarperia. This leads to the hypothesis, still unproven, but plausi-ble for many reasons, that the monks of Vallombrosa played a part in the grape’s diffusion. Sangiovese, which today we know to be a cross between ciliegiolo and another variety, prob-ably the Calabrian negrodolce (Le Scienze n. 554, October 2014) could have originated in a monastery and taken advantage of the network of abbeys in Vallombrosa to spread on both slopes. Tuscany shows us many examples of the cultivation of vines, probably sangiovese, as in Badia a Coltibuono and Badia a Passignano (badia means abbey). In Romagna, the presence of the Benedictine monasteries in Vallom-brosa is less well-known, but just as important. In the stretch of land be-tween the upper valley of Santerno

is that it was the Romagnolo version of the name that became common,

origins of the variety between Ro-magna and Tuscany. There are various theories about the origin of the name. The most cred-ible is from 1978, and was suggested by the most important scholar of the Romagnolo language, Austrian Friedrich Schürr. He begins with the Romagnola word zuv, which means yoke, but also mountain ridge. Ven de zuv, or wine of the yokes, is in line with the archaic Tuscan words, san-gioghetto, also built around the dia-lect word for yoke. The mystery of

-ence to yoke might indicate an origin for the grape that is more mountain-

and Modigliana, there are several monastic complexes: Badia di Mos-cheta, Badia di Susinana, Badia di Santa Reparata and Badia di S. Ma-ria in Crespino. Add to this the Ba-dia di S. Paolo in Razzuolo, which is on the Tuscan slope, but very near Romagna. This formidable network exchanged knowledge and people, and could explain the contemporary diffusion of grapes on both slopes of the Apennines. It remains to be seen how a late-ripening grape like the sangiovese could have found a home on higher altitude slopes, but this could be explained by the ex-cellent climate that was described around the year 1000. The presence of monks in Badia a Coltibuono, for example, has been recorded since 1070. This is, for now, only a hypoth-esis, but it is an idea worth develop-ing and verifying. The work is made

wine documents, wine is always and

up to now.

SANGIOVESE GRAPESABBAZIA DI COLTIBUONO TODAY

BADIA DI PASSIGNANO TODAY

BADIA DI PASSIGNANO LONG AGO

BADIA DI COLTIBUONO - OLD VINTAGES

by Giovanni Angelucci

SPIRITS

GIN? Italy = Grappa? Certainly, that’s what tradition says. But it’s also true that

the passion for mixed drinks and international fashions have made gin

one of the trendiest spirits in the world, Italy included. Dozens of distilleries produce

excellent gin, and many of them are from the Italian boot.

Here are the 15 best labels

CAN ITALIANSDO IT BETTER?

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A lthough until recently, numerous distilleries in Italy were known for excellent products such

as grappa, acquavite, some vodka, as well as a range of liqueurs, today gin is extraor-dinarily successful. Whatever the reason, whether it’s just a question of fashion (promoted by some star chefs who are fa-mous for drinking their favor-ite gin and tonic), or whether it depends on business ventures that have encouraged artisanal distillers to sprout up every-where, whether it emerges from the beverage culture tied to the global success of wine and food as experience, at this moment in Italy, almost 40 dif-ferent labels of 100% Italian gin are on the market. Some are well-established, others just born. The latter is the case of a young Roman trio that produc-es its brand in the home country of gin, England, but follows an Italianissima recipe. “We work in the most prestigious private clubs of London, in contact with the best gin on the mar-ket. We followed our hearts, because our affection for this distilled spirit is so strong that we decided to produce our own

-don Dry,” Danilo Tersigni told us. Alessandro Pancini, near Savona, had already produced a spectacular vodka some years ago. “With the potential of-fered by our own country and with respect for quality, we can achieve excellent results. I love and deeply respect the prod-ucts I use. Our spirits are or-ganic, from vodka to the latest arrival: Gino, gin made from organic grain.”

SPIRITS

ANDREA AND JACOPO POLI

THE BRAND AMBASSADOR BARTENDER SARD WONDER WITH ELIO CARTA IN THE COMPANY LAB

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W E M O V E P R E C I O U S C O M M O D I T I E S : Y O U R S .

SPIRITS

Be8 Torino | info@puntodivistatorino.it | www.puntodivistaristorante.it Luigi Iula and Salvatore Romano are partners and friends with an innate passion for cocktails and cooking. That ex-plains the birth of Barz8 in Torino, one of Italy’s best bars, and Punto di Vista restaurant where guests can pair dishes with their cocktails. The menu offers more than 160 types of gin, but the young men wanted something very personal and unique, so they created their own gin, Be8. Harmonious and balanced, it is made by the steeping process, that is the distillation of botanical extracts singly, followed by assembly and redistillation twice in a copper still on a organic grain alcohol base. The botanicals most evident on the nose are juniper (Tuscan), cardamom and cyclamen. On the palate, the seeds and roots of angelica confer an earthy note, coriander seeds give a spicy sen-sation, black pepper revives the palate and licorice root enhances the balsamic notes on the finish – pine needles and menthol.RONER

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Gino Cengio (SV) | info@origine-laboratorio.it | www.origine-laboratorio.itTen years ago, a visionary pair, Alessandro Pancini and Luca Graffo, created the Origine project, a laboratory of transformation in continual evolution. In the middle of Valle Bormida, in Cengio, near Savona, the doorway to Piedmont, they began making liquors, and by 2009 they

-lent Vodka 0.1. Today, passion and skill have led them to

organic. Together with water from the Lurisia spring, they express this territory that lies between the Ligurian Riv-iera and the Maritime Alps. On the nose, juniper emerges above all, accompanied by notes of celery, fresh citrus fruit and spice. Juniper stands out in the mouth as well, along with licorice and roses that give soft notes able to balance the light bitter tones of sage and lemon. Noteworthy after-taste with each sip.

Tovel’s Gin Tassullo (TN) | info@tovelsgin.com | www.myvalentini.comTovel’s Gin is a product of the Adamello Brenta Natural Park, in the heart of the Trentino Dolomites. Master dis-tiller Gianluigi Valentini (the distillery of the same name was founded in 1872) uses nine local botanicals that grow on the banks of the Tovel alpine glacial lake: alpine juni-per (the principal ingredient in a London Dry), mountain

zest from the shores of Lake Garda, manna ash to replace cassia, caraway seeds that suggest 5-star anise and licorice, slightly tannic cornelian cherries, gentian root and angelica root. Vapor infusion enhances the aromas of the gin, mak-ing it extremely drinkable.

GIANLUIGI VALENTINI

Solo Wild Gin Sassari | puresardinia@tiscali.it | www.puresardinia.eu This Sardinian company must be admired for being able to communicate their identity through the spirits they pro-duce, unique and representative of the soul of their island region. Vodka, vermouth, mirto and Solo Wild Gin, which is made exclusively from the hand-picked berries of wild juniper plants that grow spontaneously along the island’s

are deeply concentrated and rich. Thirty days of infusion in grain alcohol is followed by distillation with the discontinu-ous method for about 10 hours by means of steam heating and a copper still. The nose is overwhelmed and charmed by the perfume of Sardinian juniper that gradually leaves room for hints of resin and citrus fruit. The palate is mouth-

Imea Gineprina d’OlandaCastelnuovo Don Bosco (At) | info@imeagineprina.it | www.imeagineprina.comThis is not only about gin, it’s about culture and discovery. Imea is the Italian interpretation of what gin was at the end of the 19th century. The recipe is dated 1897 and comes from a rare Italian text containing about 2,000 recipes for spirits that was very popular in its day: The Practical Liquor Maker, by Luigi Sala. The idea of Imea, a made-up name, a common practice in the production of spirits and futuristic mixtures, came from Fulvio Piccinino, a grand maestro in the sector. His gin is like the original, made up of very few aromatic elements, with juniper emerging above all, helped along by anise (in the 19th century, a spice that replaced sug-ar), whose presence is easily recognizable. Other spices are also evident – cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. This is a unique and different gin, one that transports us to another era.

MICHELA BELLOFIORE AND FLAVIO PORCU IN PURE SARDINIA

SPIRITS

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Dol Gin St. Valentino-Siusi (BZ) | info@zuplun.it | www.zuplun.itFlorian Rabanser distills his gin on a plateau in the Dolo-mites, Alpe di Siusi. His distillery, Zu Plun, is in an alpine chateau dating from the 15th century. He uses a 150-liter copper still and 24 botanicals (individually infused in grain alcohol) from the Alto Adige mountains: juniper, violet

and berries, mint, calamus root, elderberry, gentian root, angelica, walnut leaves and lemon zest from Lake Garda. It took two years of developmental work to create Dol Gin, and the local apothecary contributed with an analysis of the plants growing in the zone. Water used for the alcohol reduction is from a glacier spring in nearby Val Senales. On the nose, an explosive bouquet with aromas varying from fresh juniper to mountain herbs. The palate is soft and car-ries forward the fruity sensation, balanced with lightly bit-ter notes of gentian root.

Gilbach Cavalese (TN) | info@alessandrogilmozzi.it | www.gilbachgin.com The name Gil-Bach came out of a collaboration between Alessandro Gilmozzi, chef patron of Ristorante El Molin in Cavalese, and his ex-sous chef Andreas Bachmann, in 2014. The two had clear goals right from the start. They wanted a gin that was truly from the Trentino mountains, in every way. After gathering and experimenting with botanicals from the woods of Val di Fiemme, they worked with the Distille-

productions. Juniper, elderberry and blackthorn give a decid-edly different character to the spirit. Gilbach initially displays notes of tea and yerba mate, then plum, cherry, hazelnut and light hints of lemon and elderberry. It has the balsamic tones of juniper, resin, anise and rosemary, is very well-balanced, and closes on persistent sensations of roses.

ALESSANDRO GILMOZZI

ANDREAS BACHMANN

Greedy Gin Padova | info@abouten.it - www.abouten.itHere the tradition of a small English distillery is joined to

and distributing new ideas. At its head are Francesco Mar-tei and Dave Garzon, Chicco&Dave, founders of a school for bar tenders, Flairtender, in Padua. Distilled in England but the result of the Italian project, Greedy Gin is fresh and

producers. Pronounced aromatic notes of citrus fruit and -

ing ingredients are used, of which 13 are listed: juniper, or-ange zest, mandarin, bergamot, cinnamon, sage, lavender, cardamom, lemon zest, angelica, coriander, green tea and

Marconi 46 Schiavon (VI) | info@poligrappa.com | www.poligrappa.com The number 46 refers to the degree of alcohol, and Via Marconi 46, in Schiavon, is the address of Poli Distellerie. Marconi 46 gin is the latest product of the traditional dis-tillery belonging to the Poli family, who have been working in the heart of the Veneto region since 1898. Marconi is prepared by Jacopo Poli using Crysopea, an innovative bain marie vacuum still. He uses juniper berries, Moscato grapes, mountain pine, stone pine, mint, cardamom and coriander. The bouquet offers an intense juniper aroma with clear bal-samic and citrus sensations, especially a pronounced manda-rin orange fragrance. The palate is particularly soft thanks to the Moscato grapes. Flavor is persistent and calls up pleasant notes of cardamom, coriander and licorice root. Poli’s long

THE POLI FAMILY

SPIRITS

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Giniu e Pigskin Zeddiani (OR) | info@silviocarta.it | www.silviocarta.itAt the beginning of the 1950s, Silvio Carta decided to devote

-naccia, producing a traditional Sardinian wine. Today, together with his son Elio, he also produces two interesting gins: Ginius

botanicals, among which are myrtle leaves, mastic resin, thyme, wild fennel, lemon zest, sage and juniper berries – large, green ones, rich in essential oils. The nose takes time to open, and in the mouth the spirit is delicate and moderately persistent. The second label contains the same botanicals as Ginius, but in doubled amounts. It is left to mellow in 100-year-old Sardinian chestnut barrels in which Vernaccia once aged. On the nose, the wood is noticeable, along with plums and dried fruit. The palate is balanced by sensations of sweetness. An anecdote they tell: the name Pigskin commemorates an adventure the mas-ter distiller experienced. While out searching for botanicals he found himself surrounded by wild boar.

VII Hills Londra | ilaria@viihills.co.uk | viihills.co.ukThe young beverage team that conceived of VII Hills has great potential. An under-thirty trio, Danilo Tersigni, Fran-cesco Medici and Filippo Previero are barmen who work

gin. VII Hills is made with herbs and spices inspired by Rome’s seven hills, using a traditional process of distilla-tion in copper stills. The spirit base is extracted from sugar beets. The 12 botanicals are worked separately to extract their essences: artichoke, blood orange, chervil, celery, bay leaf, coriander, lavender, juniper, lemon balm, sage, fennel seeds and Alexander seeds, The nose is an explosion of ju-niper, fennel, blood orange and dried fruit, intense but not penetrating. The palate is ample and dense, with lively pep-per perceptible on the tongue along with an aftertaste of artichoke, almond, juniper and honey. Production will soon be moved to Piedmont.

BARTENDER GIORGIO PEIS, KNOWN AD SARD WONDER, BRAND AMBASSADOR OF SILVIO CARTA

SPIRITS

Roby Marton Gin Treviso | robymarton@gmail.com | www.robymarton.comThe Veneto region is a land of great grappa and enlight-ened minds. For the last two years, Roberto Marton, head-quartered in Treviso, has been producing a great Italian Premium Dry Gin in an antique distillery in Bassano del Grappa. It is a cool compound, a gin made by cold infu-sion, produced beginning with spring water and the best grain grown in Italy and undergoing two distillation pro-cesses. The botanicals chosen are citrus zest, cinnamon, anise seeds, juniper berries, pink peppercorns, horseradish from the Veneto, ginger, berries, cloves and licorice root, a

licorice and ginger notes that help with balance and fresh-

Gin Pilz Faver (TN) | info@pilzer.it | www.pilzer.itFaver is an old village located midway along the Trentino valley of Cembra. Since 1957, the Pilzer distillery has been producing top-quality grappa here. After making their reputation with fruit spirits, monovarietal grappa and even a brandy, brothers Bruno and Ivano Pilzer turned their great skills in the art of distillation

In the Gin Pilz recipe (pilz is mushroom in German) are the botanicals from the Trentino woods and high-quality Do-lomite water. On the nose, the juniper is delicate and fragrant, combining in a

-ferent natural herbs. The gin is dry and assertive, good also consumed straight.

-tive traits of the work of master distillers.

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Z44 Termeno (BZ) | marketing@roner.com | www.roner.com The only one of its kind, with a winning combination of Alpine and Mediterranean features. Dry Gin Z44 comes from the Alto Adige distillery, Roner. Unmistakable, praise-

worthy personality comes from the Stone pine cones and juniper that create this gin. The pine cones are collected every summer on the slopes of Corno Bianco, then processed by infusion. The extract is distilled and used in the successive phases of production. Fresh, balsamic notes tending towards menthol

emerge – resinous and intense. Framing these are warm shades of juniper, of yarrow that persists and resembles the aroma of chamomile, of violet root

and gentian root that gives structure and body. The water used is alpine, and the whole combines for a decid-edly characteristic gin.

Vallombrosa Reggello (FI) | info@monaci.org | www.evallombrosa.itArtisanal Vallombrosa gin is produced by the monks of the monastery of the same name. A monovarietal gin, it is

without the addition of other plants or aromas. Its premium quality is guaranteed by the high quality of the juniper that grows wild between Sansepolcro and Pieve Santo Stefano, but also by the unchanged, ancient recipe of the Benedictine monks. Accord-ing to Don Roberto Lucidi: “The recipe dates back three centuries, and we brought it to the public in the 1950s. I am convinced that its quality depends on the secrets of the past. Today we would not be able to obtain the same Vallombrosa.” It is excellent

LA FAMIGLIA RONER

FEBRUARY 2016

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Family traditionssince 5 generations

Via Costabella, 9 - 37011 Bardolino (VR) Lago di Garda - Tel. +39 045 7210022 - zeni.it

SPICY

CALABRIA

When we say Calabria,we usually think of beachesand sunshine. But on the plateau of the Sila, a few kilometers from the coast, in winter we can enjoy skiing and an Alpine atmosphere, from Camigliatello to Lorica, Villaggio Palumbo and Fago del Soldato. Sport and culinary excellence meet

TRAVEL

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Touched by two seas, and held tightly between the mountainsof two national parks, the Sila and the Pollino, the province of Cosenza embraces a variety of microclimates, soils and landscapesthat make themselves felt even at the kitchen table.

text and photography by Massimiliano Rella

TRAVEL

Two parks, two peaks, two seas

CALABRIA

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From the woods of black pine on the Sila plateau, more than 1,200 meters above sea level, to the crystalline waters that bathe the beaches of Bel-

and unique products, on their own, make a journey worthwhile. And if then we add the beauty of the plac-es, for example the preserved zones of Cosenza’s historic center, the Riserva dei Giganti on the Sila, villages like Morano on the Pollino and Longobardi on the Tyrrhe-nian coast, we have the ingredients for a long off-season weekend. We started from the Pollino Na-tional Park, the largest protected area in Italy. We drove from the

-nally less crowded after the sum-mer is over. We stopped in Sara-cena, a town of ancient origins at an altitude of 700 meters. It’s said that it descends from Antica

Sestio, founded by the Oenotrians around eleven centuries B.C.. The historic background is fascinating, and we later deepened our under-standing in Cosenza, in the Museo Civico dei Brettii e degli Enotri. Afterwards, at the Osteria Porta del Vaglio, we found young chef Gennaro Pace, who invited us to a more sensual experience. In the

complete wall is lined with Cal-abrian wines – this is the coun-try of Moscato di Saracena. The menu grows out of research into local ingredients, then reworked with an experimental approach.

calabrese pork seasoned with pine needles from the Pollino. They in-troduce balsamic aromas,” Pace

on whipped potatoes from the Sila we enhance with sprigs of pine.”

TRAVEL

DEMETRIO STANCATI AND FLAVIANO BILOTTI,PRODUCERS OF ALTA QUOTA, THE FIRST SPUMANTE OF THE SILA

Another wonderful celebration of regional products brought us to a plateau on the Sila, La Tavernetta in Camigliatello, where chef Pietro Lecce, alongside his son Emanuele (the other son, Biagio, is working in Rende in a new place connected with the Ferrocinto Winery) offered us an ‘extract’ of Calabria. Filetto

true black’ combines the meat and pancetta of black Calabrian pork, licorice root, Sila potatoes and cle-mentine gelatin (Calabria IGP). “It is a synthesis of the varieties of our land,” Lecce told us. “The Si-lano plateau offers us mushrooms, cheeses, wild herbs and many other good products, the fruit of an un-contaminated environment hidden among the peaks of the region.” Following Pietro Lecce’s advice, we visited the colorful Sunday market of Moccone, a bright triumph of

Paese family. They make excellent

HOT-BRANDING OF CACIOCAVALLO SILANO DOP,PAESE DAIRY, CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (COSENZA)

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traditional cheeses with the milk of their own farm animals, not far from the Cecita Lake.From Sila we returned to the val-ley towards Cosenza and into the countryside of Acri and Bisignano where we met a simpatico family of wine producers, Demetrio Stan-cati and his wife Flavia, owners of the Serracavallo winery. They turn out whites and reds, a grappa from magliocco grapes and an extra-virgin olive oil from carolea, rog-gianella and cassanese cultivars. The surprise is the new metodo classico spumante of Sila, among

Another is Dovì made by Ferrocin-to, also a chardonnay (but a mon-ovarietal) grown in the mountains in the zone of Castrovillari on the slopes of the Pollino. The Ser-ravallo wine is called Alta Quota (High Altitude) and combineschar-donnay and riesling, grapes that

come from an extreme vineyard, 1,200 meters above sea level. For now, they only make a few thou-sand bottles. But we were struck also by an aperitif we had before we reached Carpaccio, a restau-rant and wine bar in nearby Acri. Wine enthusiast Gianluigi Mi-cheli greeted us with a parade of specialties and local recipes with dialect names. Among the dishes were schiaffettune, homemade ravi-oli with anchovies and crisp bread crumbs. The main dishes included roast lamb with imbacchiuse pota-toes, a sort of hash brown, and local podolico veal scorzetta cutlets with grilled porcini mushrooms. This kilometer-zero trattoria is also a wine bar with over 400 Ital-ian labels in its cellars, including regional glories such as Gravello by Librandi, from as far back as 1999 and Ripe del Falco Ippolito from 1987.

PREPARATION OF GAMMUNE, THE CULATELLO-STYLE PROSCIUTTO FROM BELMONTE CALABRO, NOW A SLOW FOOD PRESIDIO. PRODUCER MARIO ARLÌA

CHEESECACIOCAVALLO At 1,200 meters above sea level, on the great Sila pla-teau, the Paese dairy farm transforms milk from their own animals into fla-vorful cheeses: Cacioca-vallo Silano DOP, burrino (a small cylinder of cacio-cavallo with butter hid-den inside), delicate little wheels of goat cheese, fresh ricotta and ricotta smoked with black alder wood, local of course. The family-owned farm raises 50 cows – frisone, jersey and pezzate rosse breeds – and 30 Saanen and nero di Calabria goats, which give 700 liters of milk every day. From spring to autumn, the animals graze on the 35 hectares of meadow and brush, dining on spontaneous grasses and herbs.

CASEIFICIO PAESE | SPEZZANO PICCOLO (CS) | LOC. CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO | VIA DELL’AGRICOLTURA 73 | TEL. 0984 579 930 | WWW.CASEIFICIOPAESE.IT

After a stroll around old Cosenza and an espresso at Gran Renzelli, the historic cafè on Corso Telesio, we took the road for Altilia, about

Tyrrhenian Sea. In the nearby countryside, butcher and livestock breeder Adriano Ferrari raises his black Calabrian pigs in a natural way. They provide the meat for ex-quisite cured products that he makes in collaboration with the Moretti family of Marano Principato. The animals are raised and pastured out-doors, freely grazing on chestnuts and acorns. Among his classic Calabrian products are spicy ‘nduja, soppressata, capocollo, pancetta and guanciale (cured cheek), as well as aged shoul-der prosciutto and boned ham.A few kilometers further brought us to Longobardi, an uninhabited village, like many on the Calabrian mountains. Nevertheless, it is the destination for a pleasant pilgrimage that attracts many food enthusiasts from inside and outside the region. Degusteria Magnatum has made a virtue of necessity. It is part bar, part newsstand, part specialized shop and osteria, part tasting center. The idea is Francesco Saliceti’s, the city culture councilor, a man fascinated by good and thoughtful food and wine prod-ucts. Try the delicious layered po-tato frittata , the appetizing greens, gorgonzola and sausage crostini (bruschetta-like), the wine-marinated culatello (prosciutto-like cured pork), or taleggio cheese and dehydrated

-tini. Everything is carefully selected – meat, cheese, cured meats, olive oil, wine and food pairings. Many products are for sale, such as over 30 extra-virgin olive oils from all the Italian regions.At the end of our trip, Belmonte Ca-labro awaited, an authentic town of taste experiences. In the summer we

-toes (weighing as much as two kilos

TRAVEL

CONFECTIONERYTHE POETRY OF DRIED FIGS For the Colavolpe family of

not just a fruit like any other. For three generations, they have purchased dried ones and transformed them into memo-rable confections. They start with a local variety with white

zest, then bathed in a syrup of herbs, myrtle berries, licorice, anise and other ingredients or else, covered with bittersweet

with candied orange peel and al-monds. The art-nouveau designs on the boxes are part of the fun.

COLAVOLPE | BELMONTE CALABRO (CS) | P.LE N. COLAVOLPE | TEL. 0982 47017 | WWW.COLAVOLPE.COM

DOTTATI FIGS OF COSENZA, MADE BY COLAVOLPE IN BELMONTE CALABRO

BELMONTE CALABRO

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each) rosy and sweet. In the winter, -

uct, Gammune, and excellent sweets

made by the century-old confection-er, Colavolpe. Gammune is a sort of culatello Calabrese, a deboned black-pig prosciutto, salted and seasoned with a bell pepper sauce, air-dried and aged for at least 16 months. The sweets from Colavolpe celebrate lo-

stuffed with almonds, orange zest and garnished with white and dark chocolate. “You don’t know Calabria fully without a stop in Belmonte Cal-abro. From sweet to salty, the meals here are complete!” joked Mario Arlìa, head of the Slow Food pre-sidio for Gammune in Belmonte. He has a point. The latest project concerns bread. Five 19th-century mills are being restored to bring

back the grain, milling and bread-making connection of Belmonte. The so-called ‘ugly’ bread may not be pretty, but will certainly be the best-tasting in the region.

POTATOES AND MOREMOUNTAIN FLAVORS The Sila zone, its climate marked by sharp temperature excursions and its woods sur-

is perfectly suited to grow-ing potatoes. The mountain spring water used to irrigate the soil doesn’t pass through livestock farms or industrial settlements but runs through pristine territory. Sila po-tatoes, an IGP, are grown in about 15 varieties (marabel, agria, nicola, ditta) each with

ideal for frying thanks to their high percentage of dry matter. Among the 30 producers is the cooperative Orti dei Monti, which also sells directly to the consumer.

TENUTA DI TORRE GARGA | SAN GIOVANNI IN FIORE (CS) | LOC. GARGA | KM 83,400 S.S. 107 |TEL. 0984 992 879 | WWW.TENUTADITORREGARGA.IT

FARMERS MARKETSUNDAY IN CAMIGLIATELLO Every Sunday morning in Cami-gliatello, on the road to Moccone, in an area equipped with shacks and wooden stands, a peasants’

with Sila and Cosenza special-ties, ranging from dried and oil-preserved mushrooms to vege-tables, cured pork and wild boar products, cheeses, chestnuts and large, purple-striped mountain

of local tradition rule and the stands are overseen by the farm-ers themselves.

FARMERS’ MARKET ON THE ROAD FOR MOCCONE,EVERY SUNDAY AT CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (COSENZA)

TRAVEL

WHAT TO VISIT

PARKS, TOWNS AND MONUMENTAL TREESPARCO NAZIONALE DELLA SILA. Eighty marked walking trails wind through the 800 kilometers of Italy’s largest mountain plateau. The visitors’ center in Cupone a Camigliatello includes an historic sawmill with antique machinery and a nature museum.(INFO: WWW.PARCOSILA.IT)

I GIGANTI DELLA SILA. In this national park are centuries-old pine trees, some 40 meters high, with trunks two meters in diameter. (INFO TEL 0984 76760)

MUSEO CIVICO DEI BRETTII E DEGLI ENOTRI. Located in the monumental complex of San Agostino in Cosenza. An antique cloister and a central well joined by underground cisterns to the Crati River. On show

to the ancient Roman era.

(COSENZA, SALITA S. AGOSTINO, TEL. 0984 23303, WWW.MUSEODEIBRETTII

EDEGLIENOTRI.IT).

CATTEDRALE. The Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, in Romanesque and Gothic style is a treasure chest of art and history. Along the left nave are two Baroque chapels, one dedicated to the Madonna del Pilerio, a Byzantine icon of the Madonna nursing her child. (PIAZZA DUOMO, COSENZA, TEL. 0984 77864, WWW.CATTEDRALEDICOSENZA.IT)

COSENZA VECCHIA.Many noble buildings line the narrow streets, such as the 15th-century Palazzo Ciaccio, the Palazzo di Giustizia, the Ducal Palazzo Gaspare Sersale in Largo delle Vergini and others. The Norman castle, Svevo, is in the upper part of town. It has been under renovation for many years. Guided visits, on foot and by bus, museum entrance for adults is 8€, reduced price 6€, at 10, 17 and 21.30. Information

on Piazza XI Settembre, jPiazza dei Bruzi and Piazza Valdesi. (WWW.COSENZATURISMO.IT E WWW.COMUNE.COSENZA.IT)

WHERE TO EAT ANTICA LOCANDA DEL POVERO ENZO | VIA MONTESANTO 42 | COSENZA | TEL 0984.28861 | WWW.ANTICALOCANDADALPOVEROENZO.COM | Three courses 35€ | Closed Sat lunch and Sun even | The modern cuisine of young Ivan Carelli revisits regional dishes.

DEGUSTERIA MAGNATUM | VIA INDIPENDENZA 56 | LONGOBARDI (CS) | TEL 0982.75201 | Average cost between 30 and 35€ | Closed Sun even

IL CARPACCIO RISTORANTE ENOTECA | C.DA COCOZZELLO 197 | ACRI (CS) | TEL 0984.949205 | WWW.ILCARPACCIO.IT | Antipasti, primo and main course 29€ | Closed all day Mon and Sun even

LA TAVERNETTA | C.DA CAMPO SAN LORENZO 14 | CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (CS) | TEL 0984.579026 | WWW.SANLORENZOSIALBERGA.IT | Cost 60€ | Closed Mon

OSTERIA LA CORBELLERIA | VIA GALEAZZO DI TARSA 21 | COSENZA | TEL 328.1927206 | Cost 20€ without wine | Always open | Rustic, typical cucina in a narrow street of the historic center

OSTERIA PORTA DEL VAGLIO | VICO I S.M. MADDALENA 12 | SARACENA (CS) | TEL 0981.1904655 | WWW.OSTERIAPORTADELVAGLIO.IT | Cost 3 courses without wine 30€, with dessert 36€ | Closed all day Mon and Tues lunch RISTORANTE NABUCCO | VIA MARCONI 59 | RENDE (CS) | TEL 0984.401010 | WWW.HOTELEXECUTIVECS.IT | Cost 3 courses 28€ | Always open| FERROCINTO | VIA ALFIERI, 58 | RENDE (CS) | TEL. 329 747 5443 | WWW.CANTINECAMPOVERDE.IT

VIEW OF CECITA LAKE, PARCO NAZIONALE DELLA SILA

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WHERE TO SLEEPALBERGO DIFFUSO ECOVACANZE | VIA CAVOUR 65 | BELMONTE CALABRO (CS) | TEL 0982.400576 | WWW.ECOVACANZEBELMONTE.IT | 25€ per person per night including typical breakfast, gratis under 5 years, from 6 to 12, 50% discount| Thirteen houses in the center restored according to rules of bio-architecture.

B&B VIA DELL’ASTROLOGO | VIA R. BENINCASA 16 | COSENZA | TEL 338.9205394 | WWW.VIADELLASTROLOGO.COM | Double room and breakfast with local pastries from 60€

HOTEL EXECUTIVE | VIA MARCONI 59 | RENDE (CS) | TEL 0984.401010 | WWW.HOTELEXECUTIVECS.IT | Double room and breakfast from 75€ | Near the highway, modern 4-star with spacious rooms

ROYAL HOTEL | VIA DELLE MEDAGLIE D’ORO 1 | COSENZA | TEL 0984.412165 | WWW.

HOTELROYALSAS.IT | Double room and breakfast from 69€ | Near historic center

SAN LORENZO | C.DA CAMPO SAN LORENZO 14 | CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (CS) | TEL 0984.570809 | WWW.SANLORENZOSIALBERGA.IT | Double room and breakfast with local pastries 109€ per night. Modern mountain hotel with minimalist design.

VILLAGGIO ALBERGO BELMONTE | LOC. LE PIANE | BELMONTE CALABRO (CS) | TEL 0982.400177 | WWW.VABBELMONTE.IT | Double room and breakfast from 110€

VISITS TO WINERIES AND ARTISANAL SALUMERIECENTRO CARNI SILA | VIA FORGITELLE 62 | CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (CS) |TEL 0984.578012 | WWW.SILAESILA.IT | Cured meat production from their own black pigs

GAMMUNE DI BELMONTE CALABRO | LOC. SANTA BARBARA 98 | BELMONTE CALABRO (CS) | TEL 328.4620955 (SIG. MARIO ARLÌA) | WWW.GAMMUNEDIBELMONTE.IT |

of Belmonte Calabro

SALUMIFICIO SAN VINCENZO | C.DA ACQUACOPERTA | SPEZZANO PICCOLO (CS) | TEL 0984.435089 | WWW.SANVINCENZOSALUMI.IT | Cured meat specialties DOP and from Calabrian black pigs. Company outlet.

SERRACAVALLO | C.DA SERRACAVALLO | BISIGNANO (CS) | TEL 0984.21144 | WWW.VINISERRACAVALLO.COM | Winery visit and free tasting of three wines. Every day, but reserve ahead. Tasting of 8 wines, 10€ per person

SHOPPINGBARRESE | VIALE VIRGILIO 12 | C.DA MOCCONE | CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (CS) | TEL 0984.578681 | WWW.BARRESE1929.COM | Mushrooms and vegetables from the Sila

CASEIFICIO SANT’ANNA | C.DA MIRABELLA | CAMPORA SAN GIOVANNI (CS) | TEL 328.8917412 | WWW.FORMAGGISANTANNA.COM | Excellent cheeses made with milk from the dairy’s own Saanen-breed goats.

ALLEVAMENTO FERRARI | C.DA MONTI | ALTILIA (CS) | CELL 334.5639303 | WWW.NEROCALABRESE.IT

G.B. SPADAFORA GIOIELLI | VIA ROMA 3 | SAN GIOVANNI IN FIORE (CS) | TEL 0984.993968 | WWW.SPADAFORAGIOIELLI.IT

jewelry, classic shapes and local symbols derived from the Arab-Byzantine tradition.

SCUOLA TAPPETI CARUSO | VIA GRAMSCI 22 | SAN GIOVANNI IN FIORE (CS) | TEL 328.4577671 | Artisanal shop specialized in weaving, an ancient tradition in the Sila zone.

THE CATHEDRAL OF COSENZA

Agricole Gussalli Beretta

Allegrini

Baglio di Pianetto

Barone Pizzini

Bellavista

Bolla

Bortolomiol

Cà Maiol

Cantina Produttori San Michele Appiano

Cantina Tollo

Cantine Due Palme

Casalfarneto

Castello di Cigognola

Castorani

Cavicchioli

Colle Massari

Colline San Biagio

Còlpetrone

Cottanera

Cusumano

De Stefani

Di Majo Norante

Falesco

Fattoria del Cerro

Felline

Firriato

Gaja

Gruppo La Vis

Jermann

La Raia

Le Monde

Leone De Castris

Livon

Lunae Bosoni

Marchesi di Barolo

Masi

Medici Ermete & Figli

Nals Margreid

Nicosia

Omina Romana

Ottella

Petra

Piandaccoli

Poggio al Tesoro

Primosic

San Felice

San Patrignano

San Salvatore

Santa Margherita Gruppo Vinicolo

Schiopetto

Settesoli

Tenuta di Arceno

Tenuta San Guido

Tenuta Sant’Antonio

Tenute di Eméra

Tenute di Genagricola

Tenute Rubino

Terre Cortesi Moncaro

Torrevento

Velenosi

Vigne Surrau

Villa Medoro

Villa Sandi

Zonin

Zorzettig

Participating wineries

Tour 2016

INFO: www.gamberorosso.it/international segreteria.estero@gamberorosso.it

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

by Francesco Seccagno

Pietro Lecce

Pietro Lecce approaches one of Italy’s most evocative terroirs with an open, curious mind, traditions drawn from his origins,but also a desire to know the world.In the same way, he brings with himthe rebellious talent of his son Emanuele…

MY SILA

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RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

A MODERN FAMILYAND A SENSE OF ROOTS“The meaning of our cucina doesn’t deny the past, but takes lessons from the history of local dishes. We update them, reshape them to make them pleasurable for today’s taste buds. It’s a process of continual elaboration of ideas, of continuous ‘Right, it’s okay, but…’. This trait, dissatis-

Pietro Lecce, together with his sons, Emanuele and Bi-agio, his wife Denise and little Carolina, is the soul of

products of the woods and mountains on the slopes of

together with a re-reading of tradition, the other great

that always seems close, but that actually is always just out

of a family. In 1948, Pietro’s mother, Carolina, opened a locanda, an inn, one of those places where you eat what-

years. Then Mamma Carolina decided on a time-out, or rather a part-time: the place opened only during the three summer months. And Pietro? His mind was on

until 1981 that Pietro found his answer: he decided to

He’s a communication animal, and has the innate capac-

of careful attention and light, well-timed joking, not of

Pietro’s son, Emanuele, followed him as soon as he could. Another rebel, he left hotel school to work full-time in

-shape traditional recipes with the lightness and fragrance that modern technology permits.

LA TAVERNETTA | CAMIGLIATELLO SILANO (CS) | TEL. 0984 57906 | WWW.LATAVERNETTA.INFO

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WARM CHANTERELLE SALAD WITH EDIBLE FLOWERSINGREDIENTS FOR 4300 G CHANTERELLES

WILD GREENS

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

CALABRESE PITTED OLIVES, GREEN AND BLACK

DRIED TOMATOES

EDIBLE FLOWERS

RED BERRIES

SALT, PEPPER, THYME

PREPARATION

Brush dirt from freshly gathered chante-relles, wash and then dry carefully on a dish

dried tomatoes cut into pieces. Gather wild

clean them, break into smaller pieces by -

and some red berries. Finish with few large grains of coarse salt.

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CAESAR’S MUSHROOM SOUPINGREDIENTS FOR 450 G EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL MONOCULTIVAR BIANCOLILLA

50 G BEATEN MOUNTAIN LARD

1 BUNCH PARSLEY, CHOPPED

400 G FRESH CAESAR’S MUSHROOMS

2 EGG YOLKS

60 G PECORINO CHEESE, IL MORO DI CALABRIA

200 G VEGETABLE BROTH (CARROTS, CELERY, ONION AND MUSHROOM STEMS)

SALT

PREPARATION

In a small copper pan, heat -

ley. Clean mushrooms and cut into slices one centimeter thick. Sauté them for 5 minutes with the lard and oil. Add two ladle-fuls of hot broth. Place two egg yolks and the Moro pecorino in a deep mixing bowl and beat with a whisk. Then pour the soup gradually into the eggs, mixing well.

RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

INGREDIENTS FOR 4BREAST OF NERO DI CALABRIA PORK

FIG PRESERVES

FRESH GREENS

EXTRA-VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

RASPBERRY VINEGAR

THYME

FLEUR DE SEL OR SEA SALT FLAKES

BLACK PEPPER

PREPARATION

-

iron frying pan, toast each of the pieces of pork

place immediately in ice water along with a drop

alternating with cubes of pork breast. Complete

NERO DI CALABRIA LACQUERED PORK BREAST WITH FIG PRESERVESAND CRISP VEGETABLES

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RECIPES FROM GREAT CHEFS

YUZU* GELÈEWITH GOAT MILK GELATO AND BERRIESINGREDIENTS FOR 4500 ML YUZU JUICE

80 G AGAR AGAR

225 G SUGAR

GOAT MILK GELATO

BERRIES

MINI-MERINGUES

PREPARATION

Heat half the juice to

Boil until it forms a jelly. Spoon the jelly into dessert dishes and

-

of goat milk gelato, berries and a small meringue.

*The yuzu is a citrus fruit and plant

originating in East Asia. It is believed

to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and

Ichang papeda.

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ROSANETI BRUT ROSATO M. CL. 2011 | LIBRANDI | CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.LIBRANDI.IT

--

with mushrooms in a pleasant and fresh pairing.

ZU LORENZU 2012 | VINICOLA ZITO | CIRÒ MARINA (KR) WWW.CANTINEZITO.IT

-

GRECO DI BIANCO 2012 | CANTINE LUCÀ | BIANCO (RC) | WWW.CANTINELUCA.IT

history. The one made by the Lucà family, besides notes of almonds -

glass of spring water, direct from the Sila mountains!

RITICELLA 2010 | IGRECO | CARIATI (CS) | WWW.IGRECO.IT

Wonderful balance between acidity and fruit. Deep and persistent

aromatic dish.

NERO DI CALABRIA

WARM CHANTERELLE SALAD WITH EDIBLE FLOWERS CAESAR’S MUSHROOM SOUP

YUZU GELÈE WITH GOAT MILK GELATO AND BERRIES

FEBRUARY 2016

67

bere

bene

Calabria

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

by Massimo Lanza

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FEBRUARY 2016

The bad weather that char-acterized most of the Ital-ian regions during the 2014 grape harvest was gentle in Calabria, the southernmost region of the peninsula. It had a normal spring and a summer that was not too hot, while the storms at the end of summer and the beginning of fall only brushed by the northern part of the region. It was, therefore, a good vintage year, favoring wines that were balanced and not excessive in any way. Despite its suitable climate, Calabria is the last re-gion in Italy in terms of quan-tities of wine produced. Al-though much has been done, much remains to do to bring the region up to the quality standards achieved by other southern Italian regions. Cirò is the unchallenged capital of Calabrese winemaking, in terms of numbers of wineries and quantities produced, oth-er zones are coming up quick-ly, above all the area around Cosenza, where wineries are multiplying and getting good results with their products, in terms of quality as well. There is no historic model to follow nor a denomination to refer to in the Cosenza zone, so winemakers chose to work on and research the two indige-nous varieties, magliocco and mantonico. The region is do-ing well on the environmental sustainability front. More and more wineries are converting to organic or biodynamic ag-riculture, and some are begin-ning to use renewable energy

-duce CO2 emissions.

Strong personalities,low prices

CALABRIAN

WINE

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CIRÒ ROSSO CL. SUP. VOLVITO RIS. ’12Caparra & Siciliani CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.CAPARRAESICILIANI.COM

10.00 eurosThe winery headed by Giansalvatore Caparra draws from 180 hectares of vineyard in the area around Cirò. The land is divided among 12 different farms, all belonging to members of the two founding families of this historic winery, established more than 50 years ago. Austere, with tight tannic concentration but

also good acidic freshness, Volvi-to ’12 is destined to withstand the test of time. Spicy and fruity on the nose, in the mouth it is fresh and persis-

long and bal-

CIRÒ ROSATO ’14Capoano CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.CAPOANO.IT

7.50 eurosMassimiliano Capoano’s property extends for about 20 hectares, and is largely devoted to vineyard. For about a dozen years, it has

-duction is at a good level, entirely dedicated to Cirò of various types. We liked the Cirò Rosato ’14 for its red fruit tones on the nose, cherries and rasp-berries in particular, but also citrus fruit. The pal-ate is coherent, fresh, easy to drink and persistent in the mouth.

CIRÒ ROSSO CLASSICO ’13Cataldo CalabrettaCIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.CATALDOCALABRETTA.IT

10.00 eurosCataldo Calabretta, about ten years ago, after studying enology in Milano and having various work experiences around Italy, went back to his hometown, Cirò, to take up winemaking again in his family business. Cataldo today can draw from 14 hectares of vineyard that were organic

balanced between sweet fruit, sapidity and pleasantly rustic tannins.

CIRÒ ROSSO CL. ’12’A Vita CROTONE (KR) | WWW.AVITAVINI.IT

10.00 eurosLaura and Francesco De Franco chose their winery name with care. ’A Vita in Calabrese dialect means ’grapevine’. The name under-lines the necessarily close tie between the vine

and the wine it produces. Cirò Rosso Classico ’12 is a good example of this production philosophy. It is typical of its varietal, fresh, and shows good bal-ance between fruit and tannins, adhering closely to its type and its territory.

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

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MATILDE ’14Chimento BISIGNANO (CS) | WWW.AZIENDACHIMENTO.IT

10.00 eurosArchitect Vincenzo Chimento owns this win-ery in Bisignano near Cosenza, in a hilly zone

near the Crati river, almost 600 meters above sea level. The estate, founded in 1950, lies on 15 hect-ares, of which half are vineyard. We admired Matilde ’14, a white from equal percentages of greco and sauvignon grapes. It displays fragrances of white fruit and fresh Mediterranean herbs on the nose, while the palate is fresh and ner-

-

CIRÒ ROSSO CL. ’13Cantina EnotriaCIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.CANTINAENOTRIA.COM

7.60 eurosThe Enotria winery of Cirò Marina is a dy-

namic cooperative formed by a group of well-established pro-ducers in the 1970s. Together they grow over 150 hectares of vineyard, producing about a million bottles per year. Their

clean and well-articulated ol-

ripe cherry to blackberry, but also offers balsamic and licorice notes. The palate is also clean, taut and tannic with a long, ap-

CIRÒ BIANCO ’14Cote di FranzeCIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.COTEDIFRANZE.IT

9.90 eurosFrancesco and Vincenzo Scilanga run this beautiful Cirò winery with unusual fervor. Their ten organic hectares are planted with gaglioppo and greco bianco, ad alberello trained, the ancient method of the zone. Den-sity is about 9,000 vines per hectare. Cirò Bianco ’14 is totally satisfying: fragrances of apricot, plum and aro-matic herbs, pleasantly sa-vory and noteworthy for a pleasant return of fruit on the palate.

PECORELLO ’14Ippolito 1845 CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.IPPOLITO1845.IT

9.40 eurosVincenzo and Gianluca Ippolito own what is probably the oldest winery in all of Calabria – founded 170 years ago. The path taken by the two young men, aimed at spotlighting in-digenous Calabrese varieties, is beginning to

personality, aromas that suggest wisteria and white fruit, but it also displays mineral nuances. In the mouth it is savory, elegant, well-structured and persis-tent.

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CRITONE ’14Librandi CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.LIBRANDI.IT

9.40 eurosCritone ’14 is good, has an excellent price/quality rapport and is easily found in wine

each year. Largely chardonnay with a little sau-vignon, it has an iodine-scented, inviting nose of tropical fruit and Mediterranean herbs. The palate is fresh, savory, but not banal – it has substance, length and a good return of fruit on its long

CIRÒ BIANCO ’14Librandi CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.LIBRANDI.IT

7.20 eurosLibrandi’s Cirò Bianco ’14 is really delicious.

can be judged also by the care it takes in the production of its so-called base wines. Elegant on the nose, it presents notes of yellow melon,

and a light back-ground of aromatic herbs. The palate is savory and dynamic, enlivened by a fresh, playful citrusy note that increases the pleasure of each sip.

CIRÒ ROSSO CL. ’13Malena CIRÒ MARINA (KR) | WWW.MALENA.IT

6.40 eurosMalena is one of the historic names in the Cirò denomination. The Cataldo grandfather, at the beginning of the 20th century, founded the winery now headed by his grandsons, Antonio

-listically coherent Gaglioppo, faithful to its territory’s pro-

mineral tones, and then ripe red fruit

correspondence in a palate made es-pecially pleasant by the bracing nature of its fruit, well-supported by still-nervous but well-extracted tannins.

CIRÒ BIANCO ’14Fattoria San Francesco CIRÒ (KR) | WWW.FATTORIASANFRANCESCO.IT

7.90 eurosAfter a series of business problems, Fattoria San Francesco was bought by the Iuzzolini family. Within a couple of years, they were able to relaunch the brand and above all, re-store production. We found the wines of this historic winery in bet-ter form than they have been for years, and the

to its high qualitative standards. This good Cirò Bianco ’14 is min-eral on the nose, pre-senting also white fruit and herbs. The palate is savory, deep and intense.

BERE BENE: BEST BUYS

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FEBRUARY 2016

An essential bookfor all who love Italian wine

More than 60 experts spent monthsdoing blind tastings

in every region of Italy

2400 producers

22000 wines

421 Tre Bicchieri

80 Tre Bicchieri verdi

www.gamberorosso.it

An essential bookfor all who love Italian wine

More than 60 experts spent monthsdoing blind tastings

in every region of Italy

2400 producers

22000 wines

421 Tre Bicchieri

80 Tre Bicchieri verdi

www.gamberorosso.it

by Francesco Seccagno

OLI D’ITALIA 2016

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FEBRUARY 2016

The quality of the new Italian extra-virgin olive oils is very good: few

intense fruit sensations, but many medium and light fruity bottles with aromas and flavors that will please

consumers. Analyses by Sol&Agrifood tasters confirm the first evaluations

that emerged from our tastings for the Gambero Rosso guide,

Oli d’Italia 2016

2015 - AN ELEGANT YEAR

T he 2015-2016 olive oil harvest is over. Now we can outline the fundamental aspects of a good, but com-plex year in the producing countries of the Northern Hemisphere, mostly concentrated in the Mediterranean area. Gambero Rosso’s tasters are working on their evalu-

ations and ratings of Italian oils as they prepare the sixth edition of the annual guide, Oli d’Italia. It will be presented in Verona at the Sol&Agrifood fair, parallel to Vinitaly (April 10-13, 2016). The objective is to provide buyers and international operators concrete information for their own work of selection. The objective is to provide international buyers and operators concrete information for their selections. Sol&Agrifood also includes other Mediterra-nean countries, and so Verona releases a series of individual reports prepared by the most important international panelists that review their own countries.

Italy: production-

erage level in terms of quality. Marino Giorgetti, head of the panel for the Sol d’Oro competition and collaborator with Oli d’Italia Gambero Rosso guide, is one of the world’s leading experts in

ITALIANEXTRA-VIRGIN

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OLI D’ITALIA 2016

evaluating the sensory qualities of ex-

predict a consistent increase in produc-tion compared to the tragic harvest of last year,” the head panelist commented.

to reach the 300,000 tons mark this year.

in olive oil mills around Italy, I think that production will be much higher than has been estimated.” The 2015 summer, with excessive heat and no rain in July, Giorgetti said, did no good, the fruit did not develop well. “Generally, we already see a reduction in yield. That obviously in-

-ing the fruit set stage.” The heat also in-creased the risk of attacks by the disastrous

beautiful, healthy olives for years,” added Giorgetti. “There were no particular prob-lems for free acids nor were there conse-quences for the organoleptic analysis.” For

-tic quality of extra-virgin olive oil this year is, on the average, very good. “From these

-ity is up, overall, with fewer oils showing defects, even if we may have to do with-out, at least in part, particular, memorable sensations. I don’t know if we’ll have many intense oils this year, but I doubt it. Over-all, in recent years, this category has been

and above all medium oils that will have

out on top in the various competitions.”

After last year’s disastrous crop, many ol-ive farms that had to give up producing oil in 2014 because of the adverse weather conditions, showed that they knew how to reach the peak, producing some true

a promising 2015-2016, much better than last year’s. Some shadows, persist, though. “We have to work, there has to be constant training among producers and mill-owners to guarantee their ability to handle vari-

ability and the new situations that every -

tor of the Oli d’Italia guide. Continuous study and research are the basis of the quality production that the companies considered have shown to be possible so far. They must be careful not to slow

not so much with the olives themselves, but with technical matters, the cleaning of the mill and the machinery, as well as the pace of milling after the harvest.” For example,

-tine, the hills just south of Rome, have shown up wonderfully,” but the rest of

results, although they did make some good extra-virgin oil.” To conclude, “The tast-ings will surely show a high level of quality in the production of olive oil.”

Galbo, an expert taster of extra-virgin ol-ive oil and teacher in the Gambero Rosso schools. He spoke about the good oils com-ing from Garda, western Sicily, and north-

from Tuscany,” Galbo explained, “but from the regional selections we can expect a great array of Tre Foglie (three leaves, the top ranking for oils) for the 2016 edition of the Oli d’Italia guide.” He pointed out that the olive oil scene is composed of extraordinary individual producers that Italy is not always able to present well, especially abroad. A propos, this year for the first time, the English-lan-guage version of the oil guide Italian Extravirgin Olive Oils, will appear. “It will be a useful tool for all international buyers and food lovers who want to find their way among the many companies involved in this unchallenged area of Italian excellence.”

A better year, prices unchangedLet’s conclude with an overview of the economic and commercial aspects of oil, and a look at the prices of various labels. Even though production has grown since last year, prices have not

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gone up. We spoke to Simona Cognoli, owner of Oleonauta, an extra-virgin oil shop in Ostia Lido, near Rome. In a few years it has become a reference point for olive oil enthusiasts. “This is a positive year, made possible by the weather during the summer and by more careful work in the olive mills.” She pronounced it better than last year, but still not as good as two years ago. This comeback on the part of the oil firms has not changed prices, though. They have stayed the same “to provide the financial returns necessary af-ter the tragic experiences of last year’s olive harvest.”

ASCOLANA

LECCINO

ROSCIOLA

FRANTOIO

NOCIARA

ITRANA

CIMA DI MELFI

PROCANICA

CORATINA PERANZANA

GENTILE DI LARINO

NOCELLARA ETNEA

THE EXTRAORDINARY ITALIAN TASTE OF OLIVE OILThe Italian Government is engaged in a promotional and information campaign to sup-port authentic Italian products in the United States. Activities encompass retail promo-tions, a massive communication campaign, trade promotion events, education activities and incoming missions to Italy for buyers, journalists and opinion leaders.

industry and organizes visits to production areas in Italy

-

United States.

authentic Italian products.Other activities are scheduled throughout the year in cooperation

Twitter, YouTube and Instagram at @ItalianCrafted.

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In France, as in Italy, the ques-tion is the same: how can we produce good quality wines in large quantities for a public that is more and more exigent? Together with grapegrowers and large wineries, coopera-tives have known how to posi-tion themselves to become one of the principal players in this market.In France, the opportuni-ties to drink excellent wines made by cooperatives are multiplying. There are many examples: fine Chablis from La Chablisienne, white Gas-cogne from Plaimont, the powerful reds of Marrenon, Rhone wines from the Cave de Tain-L’Hermitage and many others. And the Cham-pagne cooperatives, more than in other regions, for some years have been turning out true miracles. Devaux, but also Mailly Grand Cru, Collet, Jacquart, and so on…numerous cooperatives de-serve to be known, and are equipping themselves to do even better. The last one to climb on the top-qual-ity train, and the most important of all, is the coop-erative that produces Champagne under the Nicolas Feuillatte brand. The advantage of a cooperative over a large mai-son de négoce is the incredible range of crus it has available. This variety allows it to put a multitude of cuvées on the market, many of which are excellent

and able to compete without inferiority complexes with the best Champagne produc-tion, and, moreover, at prices that are consumer friendly. Its members are largely en-thusiastic about participating in these adventures into high quality that also reflect well on the image of cooperation itself. Nevertheless, for some unre-pentant snobs, a wine from a cooperative will never do. Many wine shop owners feel that way. There are very few that don’t turn up their noses when the talk is about wine from a cooperative, and fewer still that sell them. This at-titude from another age, this inability to move with the times, is incomprehensible and, above all, unpardonable.Cooperation has become one of Champagne’s strong points. The era in which we live requires the existence of structures that guarantee that

the grapegrower is not left alone to manage chal-lenges, problems, global change, competition, and all those realities that can seriously stress those not pre-pared to face them. The proof ? The number of grow-ers who bottle Champagne under their own brand name is constantly shrinking.

Michel Bettane & Thierry Desseauve

IS COOPERATION IN CHAMPAGNE’S FUTURE?

LETTER FROM PARIS

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GAMBERO ROSSO www.gamberorosso.it

SENIOR EDITOR Lorenzo Ruggeri

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LAYOUT Chiara Buosi, Maria Victoria Santiago, Simona Picchiarelli

CONTRIBUTORS Stefania Annese, Giovanni Angelucci, Thierry Desseauve, Eleonora Guerini, Massimo Lanza, Giorgio Melandri, William Pregentelli, Massimiliano Rella, Francesco Seccagno, Maurizio Uliano

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GAMBERO ROSSO is a Registered Trademark used under license by GR USA CORP Copyright by GAMBERO ROSSO S.P.A. 2016.All rights reserved. Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher. GR USA CORP is not responsible for loss, damage, or any other injury as to unsolicited manuscripts, unsolicited artwork or any other unsolicited materials.February 2016

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