Consigli DiVini -

This is a response to a previous post I wrote – one that suggested that a glass of Italian wine be drunk as if it’s the first time it’s ever been tasted – as if it’s the last time it ever will be.

I wrote a poem inspired by that, from the point of view of having tried wine for the first time.
.

I.

Curious eyes
Trembling fingers
Glass lifted
I linger

Sniff, sniff
Mmmm…
Aaahhh…

To which the grape-red sea replies:
‘I know. I know.
Now, drink me’.
.

II.

First sip
and the world goes quiet
baited breath
Will she?
Won’t she?
Will she?
Won’t she?
.

III.

My tongue surrenders,
reports a smile to my lips…

This Cheshire cat
is a milk lover
– no longer!

.
My invitation to you is to write your own poem or story about your first glass of Italian wine (or any other wine, for that matter). (p.s. your poem doesn’t have to rhyme).

Now, you don’t have to remember what your first time was like. I don’t remember, but I wrote it as I would have liked it to have been.

And even if you do remember, feel free to embellish it with your own imagination. The world didn’t really go quiet when I tried my first glass, but I have the poetic license to make it so! You do, too.

Wine names sound so beautiful, don’t you think? And the histories behind some of them are so interesting. And with so many people who consume and appreciate Italian wine, I’m surprised there aren’t more poems out there!

So join me. Create. Have fun. It’s not about being a great writer – it doesn’t have to be perfect - in fact, let it not be! It’s just about exploring your imagination and expressing yourself.

If you do give it a go and choose to share what you’ve written, I’d be happy to read it. Send an email to thenamepoet (at) gmail (dot) com

Ciao!

I was doing my usual search on the internet and found out that about a month ago, 636 cases of Italian wine worth £40,000 were stolen from a delivery truck in Hertfordshire, England, close to the depot where the wines are usually stored.

Now, I’m in no way condoning what the thieves did, but a part of me does envy them a bit. I mean, imagine all those bottles of Italian wine! Mmmmm…. the heaviness of each case when carried, each one containing exquisite bottles of Chianti Classico, Pinot Grigio or Moscato d’Asti (other makes of wines stolen included Cabernet Sauvignon, Rosso di Montalcino and Friuli-Venezia-Giulia).

Obviously, the thieves weren’t thinking about the cases from a wine-lover’s point of view – they were obviously thinking about the money they could make from them. They probably didn’t care to sample a bottle or two, take a moment to appreciate the smell and savour the taste – neither did they choose to pick up a couple of bottles and take them home to their wives or girlfriends.

The wine company that fell victim to the theft is called Liberty Wines - I see no mention of the incident on their website. My guess is perhaps they are choosing to concentrate on the positive – such as the 10 trophy awards they received for the 2008 International Wine Challenge.

While the Italian-wine industry, like most industries, has had its fair share of ups and downs (more downs, recently, what with one or two Italian wine producers coming under suspicion for their practices), if this incident is the worst that can happen (as unfortunate as it was), then I think it’s somewhat of a blessing.

I hope you started your weekend with a nice glass of your favourite wine. (and if you didn’t, well, there’s always next weekend!)

Ciao!

(img by: EverydayLifeModern)

Question:

if you knew the glass of Italian wine you were holding in your hand was the last wine you would ever drink, which wine would you choose? And which glass would you choose to drink it from?

If you could choose one place to drink your last glass of wine, where would it be? And if you could choose one person, out of all of the people that you know, to share it with, who would it be?

You are holding the glass in your hands – what can you hear around you? What can you see? How does the air smell around you, how does it feel on your skin? What day is it? What time? What is the weather like?

What are you wearing? Are you sitting down, standing up, or leaning against something?

Are you going to have your last wine with something? Some cheese? Biscuits? Chocolate? Or do you prefer to have it on its own? It’s your choice.

How would you drink your last glass of Italian? Would you take tiny sips, savour it, holding each sip in your mouth for minutes at a time, deliberately lengthening each moment in quiet meditation; or would you gulp it down in huge bold swallows, staring the impending end in the face like a fearless warrior?

The wine is finished now - how do you feel? If you were given the chance to drink that last glass again, would you have chosen to drink it any differently? Yes? No?

Always drink your wine as if it’s the last time you will ever drink it…

as if grapes will cease to exist after the last drop is drunk…

…as if the sun, the moon and the stars will disappear along with it too.
Ciao.

(img by: paulaloe)

Have you ever dreamt of pressing grapes with your bare feet? Have you ever done it before and would love to do it again? If so, there’s a town in Tuscany that understands exactly where you’re coming from – they know how ‘oh so good’ it feels to squash grapes under ones feet; and to prove it, every year they hold a grape-pressing competition!

The town in question is Poggibonsi and the grape-pressing competition/festival is known as Pigio. Every October, usually in the 2nd week, the men, women and children from all parts of the town gather to compete in this light-hearted but messy celebration of the traditional art of winemaking (as well as celebration of the grape harvest). The women gather up their skirts to their knees, the men roll up their trousers and get stuck in, jumping into huge vats and crushing the grapes under their feet.

The Pigio festival takes place in the Square over 2 days (over a weekend), between the seven districts of the town (namely Borgaccio, Centro, Cimamori, Falco, Girata de’ Preti, Orti and Romituzzo). Competition is healthy, held in the true spirit of community, camaraderie and entertainment.

Just before the competition kicks off though, it’s opened with a performance by each district in which stories are told about how local vintages used to be made in the olden days.

The district that wins is the one that produces the most amount of must from the grapes; and for their efforts, they are awarded with a demijohn which is usually decorated by one of the local artists.

Another successful and utterly enjoyable Pigio celebration comes to pass and happy grape-soiled feet go home….until next year when the fun lifts up to a crescendo again and stays up there all weekend.

Maybe next year, amongst the sea of smiles and hitched-up skirts and rolled-up trousers….you’ll be there.

(img by: Mulsanne)

Franciacorta wine is produced in a Lombardian region bearing the same name. The area is completely surrounded by varying shades of nature - to its north, there’s the Lake Iseo (Lago d’Iseo); to its south are Bergamo and Brescia, to its east are the morainic hills (formed by glaciers), and to its west is the Oglio River. Because of this, Franciacorta land has amazing soil content and extraordinary (but fortunate) climatic conditions, staying mild in the winter and pleasant in the summer.

There are different explanations of where the word ‘Franciacorta’ comes from. Some say it originates from the words ‘franca curte’ which means ‘free of taxes’. In the olden days, large properties belonging to Benedictine monks took up great parts of the area and were exempt from taxes. Others say ‘Franciacorta’ means ‘small France’, a name given to it in 744AD by Charlemagne, the King of France who apparently made frequent visits to the area.

Regardless of the exact origin of the name, Franciacorta has grown to be known as the producer of great quality sparkling wines, being the first Italian sparkling wine to receive a DOCG classification (meaning the wine is attested to be authentic and of the highest quality).

Although Franciacorta has been producing still red and white wines for a very long time, it was really its decision, 40 years ago, to start producing sparkling wines that catapulted its success and put it on the map.

The main wine grape used to produce sparkling Franciacorta is the white Chardonnay, with a small proportion of the white Pinot Bianco, the red Pinot Grigio or the red Pinot Nero grape.

The types of sparkling wines produced include: Franciacorta Extra Brut (the driest of the range), Franciacorta Brut (not as dry), Franciacorta Satèn (less sparkling, often made from 100% Chardonnay grape), and Franciacorta Rose (dry, contains a small amount of Pinot Nero grape for colour).

(img by: Kyle May)

Now, we can’t really talk about Italian white wine sauce and not talk about its red wine counterpart. Where would be the justice in that?! It would be somewhat of a culinary sin not to, wouldn’t it?

OK, so did you try out the Italian white wine sauce recipe shared in the previous post? If you did, how was it? Don’t worry if it didn’t come out the way you expected it to – sometimes, it takes time. The fun is in the experimentation! So don’t take it too seriously. Have fun with it.

1) Do you like shallots? If so, fry up 3 or 4 finely diced shallots in a saucepan in about half a cup of olive oil until they soften. Alternatively, you could use 2 medium-sized onions instead of shallots.

2) Next, add about half a cup of white flour and stir until pasty.

3) Turn the heat down, then add and stir in half a cup of stock. The stock can be from chicken, lamb, beef, etc. Whether you make it from scratch or buy it ready-made is up to you. However, fresh stock is better if you do have the time to prepare it.

4) Add half a cup of red wine (sweet or dry - take your pick) and turn up the heat to bring it to the boil.

5) As soon as it’s brought to the boil, turn the heat down low and leave it to slowly simmer until it thickens to the consistency that you prefer.

6) add salt, pepper, herbs to taste. You might not need to add that much salt and pepper due to the stock. Some people also add Dijon mustard and/or garlic. Experiment!

This wine sauce goes particularly well with beef, chicken, lamb or duck. If you love mushrooms, all the better as it makes a great accompaniment along with a simple fresh salad with a light vinaigrette dressing.

Bon appetit!

(img by: Son of Groucho)

Who knows? One day, you might find yourself live on TV, taking part in a competition. Imagine: you’re in 2nd place, there are only 5 points between you and the person in 1st place. The host asks you to pick a category. You smile broadly and pick ‘the Brunello category’ because the night before, you came across a website called ‘Consigli di vini’ and read about it there.

Thanks to that, you know that:

1. Brunello di Montalcino is a dark red wine made from the Brunello grape (a variety of the Sangiovese grape), and that ‘Brunello’ means ‘little dark one’.

2. It is produced in Montalcino, a small Tuscan village.

3. It was first created by a man named Clement Santi in the mid 19^th century.

4. It’s regarded as one of the most expensive wines (and considered to be the best) in Italy. Oh yes.

5. The wine must be made from 100% unadulterated Brunello grapes. Nothing less.

6. Because it is high in tannins, it has a longer shelf life (and gets even better with age).

7. Though the Blondi-Santi family remained the sole producers of this wine for quite some time, this changed and there are now over 200 winemakers who are allowed to produce it. This is still quite exclusive when compared with other wines.

8. Brunello wine cannot be sold until 50 months (just over 4 years) after the grapes used to make it were harvested. Out of that time, it must have been aged for at least 2 years in oak and at least 4 months in a bottle.

9. A cheaper and lighter alternative to the Brunello di Montalcino is Rosso di Montalcino. The best selection of Brunello grapes are used in the former, and the rest (which are still very good quality) go into producing the latter. Rosso wine can be aged for less time – a year – before it can be sold.

(img by: dags1974)

Merano is a city situated in the northern part of Italy. Even though it is surrounded by snow-peaked mountains, the city is conveniently nestled in a valley which ensures that it stays cool in the summer, and mild in the winter.

The city is sometimes referred to as the ‘City of Flowers’ for its amazing spread of flowers across its various promenades.

What Merano is also known for is its yearly grape festival which is celebrated every October to see out the end of the grape harvest.

Celebrated since 1924, the grape festival is indeed an extravagant and all-out gala – houses are decorated, bunches of grapes are hung out in the streets, and plenty of food and, of course, plenty of wine, is to be had – it wouldn’t be a grape festival, would it, if there wasn’t plenty of wine to be had!

The festival is also used to honour the memory of an historical hero, Marcantonio Colonna, who returned triumphant from the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. So in his honour, for a short period (for about an hour), wine is poured into fountains – yes!, wine quite literally flows from the fountains of Merano instead of water! Marcantonio must have been quite a man indeed to foster such a time-honoured gesture.

Now imagine this: lots of music floating in the air and plenty of dancing; people and marching bands parading through the city, dressed in traditional costumes, some parading on moving decorated floats or carriages drawn by Haflinger horses (small elegant chestnut-coated horses).

Well, you don’t have to (imagine). You could actually be there – make it part of your Italian wine tour, perhaps?

And here’s an added incentive, you might be pleased to know that Merano also holds a Doughnut Festival every October. Yes! You’re that lucky! Enjoy!

(img by: Jaci Berkopec)

(How wines are made can vary. This is just one example.)

Harvesting
The Italian grape harvest season is usually every September/October (depending on the weather). From the time the grapes ripen, they are picked fairly quickly in order to get the best out of them.

Destemming/ Crushing
The stems are then removed from the grapes and the grapes are crushed to free the juice, while leaving the bitter pips untouched. These two processes are usually done using machinery (a destemmer and a crusher).

Difference in Processing
It is at this point that the process starts to differ between red and white winemaking. ‘Skin contact’ means when grapes are left to sit for a while to draw out the aroma and flavour from the skin. This is rarely important for white grapes - once white grapes are crushed, their skins are removed almost immediately (i.e., pressed).

However, with red grapes, skin contact is very important. Why? – because much of the colour of red wine is derived from the skin of the red grape, not from its flesh. The juice from red grapes is just as clear as the juice from white grapes. It’s the skin of the red grape that gives red wine its colour. Therefore, once crushed, the skin is left to sit in the juice.

Fermentation/ Aging
Yeast is then added to the grape juice to ferment it (to convert the juice to alcohol).

With red grapes, the fermentation process would have already begun from the time the skin is left to ‘stew’ in the juice (especially as some of the skin already contains natural yeast). They are left to ferment in large stainless steel tanks. Once fermentation is over, the skin & pulp is separated from the juice (pressed), then the juice is poured into oak barrels or a tank to age.

White grapes follow the same process (except that they would have already been pressed at a much earlier stage).

Filtering
Upon aging, and before it’s bottled, the wine is filtered to remove any particles and sediments (especially if it’s been aged in a barrel).

And there you have it.

Ciao!

(img by: rdesai)

The internet is such a wonderful medium. Yes, it does have its vulnerabilities, but it’s such a great way to connect with the rest of the world and gain access to a plethora of information.

I’ve come across some really wonderful websites lately – from Vinopolis: City of Wine to The Wine Society - sites that I hope you’ll enjoy checking out, too (when and if you do, feedback to me, let me know what you think of them).

Another site I’d like to introduce you to (that is if you don’t know of it already ‘cos it’s brilliant!) is a cleverly-titled site called Nat Decants. It’s always encouraging and inspiring to see people doing what they love doing and you can tell that Natalie MacLean (wine lover, writer and accredited sommelier) DEFINITELY loves what she does. From her published books to her articles to her newsletters to her impressive bio, this woman drinks, breathes and sleeps wine.

Not only is she indulging in her passion with vigour, but she seems to be touching other people with it, having won several awards for her food writing. And her book - Red, White and Drunk All Over: A Wine-Soaked Journey from Grape to Glass – well, what a title! (don’t you think?)

We seem to have written on some of the same topics, too (from different angles) which is great! – I feel a bond! - Wine tasting parties, Cheese and Wine pairings, Gifts for Wine Lovers, and there’s one on her site about Muscat wine/grape (used in different parts of the world - Italy uses it to make a range of sparkling wines called ‘Asti’).

Did I also mention that she’s a speaker and judge, too? What an amazing individual! More power to her. May the wine gods forever smile into her glass of Chianti!

Hope you enjoy the site.

Ciao!

(img by: Cane Rosso)