Palmento Event, Celebrating the Wine and Food of Sicilia

“I went to Sicily in the winter of 2008 to explore and write about an emerging wine scene. What I discovered in more than a year of travels to the island was more than a fascinating, teeming wine frontier; I found something close to my own heartbeat.” 
Robert Camuto


Most of you who read my blog or make regular visits to the shop know that I am enamored with the wine, food and culture of southern Italy and particularly that of the island of Sicily.  I've been writing about Sicily, especially the Mount Etna region for over 2 years now.  At the time there was not one wine from the Etna available in New Orleans.  But now through the help of a few daring wholesalers, especially Matt Lirette, I can pick and choose from many whites, reds and roses from an area that I feel is one of the most exciting up-and-coming wine regions on the planet, period.

So you can imagine how excited I was when Robert Camuto, author of Palmento, a Sicilian Wine Odyssey, contacted me about making New Orleans part of his national book tour and if we would be interested in doing an event around his visit.  Knowing what a huge Sicilian population resides in our food and drink obsessed city, I told him we were very interested and that I thought he would be well received.  And then the wheels started turning, how could we present an event that best compliments the book?  Sure we could do a wine tasting and book signing at the shop, but we would be missing an extremely important element of Sicilian culture....here's how things have come together:

The star of the show, of course, will be Robert Camuto, who will do a short presentation on his book as well as sign copies that will be available for purchase that evening.  I can't tell you how much I enjoyed reading Palmento and how it transported me back to that wonderful two weeks we spent visiting most of the producers that he speaks of in the book.  From the slopes of Mount Etna to the shores of Marsala and the island of Pantelleria, Robert takes you on a wonderful journey introducing you to the current players, some new and some whose families have been there for generations, but who all have important roles in this exciting, constantly evolving wine scene.  Robert is a writer who appreciates wine, not a critic, and his book explores the very human elements that effect what is your glass.  He shows you how family, relationships, food, history and wine are all intricately entwined in a uniquely Sicilian way, creating a culture that is unlike any other.

Kerry and me with Chiara Planeta

Now onto the rest of the event...So of course my first phone call was to chef Josh Smith at a Mano, because no Italian wine event is complete without regional foods to pair, and there is no better place in the city than a Mano to do something focused on southern Italy.  Josh too was very excited, and we decided we wanted to do something different the traditional sit down dinner approach.  We also wanted to make it affordable and expose as many people as we could to the amazing wines and foods of Sicilia, keep it fun and create many different pairing opportunities.  So we are presenting the event in more of a "walk about" style where you will move from station to station and sample a unique wine and food pairing at each one; twelve wines, twelve traditional Sicilian dishes from all over the island.

Tasting with Frank Cornelissen on the Etna

As in Robert's book, we wanted to represent the small artisan producers as well as the more internationally know icons of the industry.  So my next two phone calls were to the wholesalers in the area whose portfolios best suit those parameters, Antonio Molesini from Republic National Beverage and Matt Lirette of Lirette Selections.  When I told them the premise behind the event, both were excited to be involved and we began pouring over portfolios to select the best wines to represent the island of Sicily, and let me tell you that narrowing it down to 12 wines was a difficult task!

Tasting Marsala with Renato De Bartoli

But the list is now in chef Josh's hands and I am anxiously awaiting his menu ideas to pair with the wines.  Antonio and company will be representing the international stars of Planeta, Donnafugata and Feudo Maccari while Lirette Selections will focus on the small offerings from Frank Cornelissen, Occhipinti and Pietradolce.   I can't wait to see it all come together, and hope that you will consider joining us to meet Robert and celebrate the wine, food and culture of Sicilia!

Event details:

March 20th, 5-7pm
a Mano, 870 Tchoupitoulas Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
$35
Palmento will be available for purchase at the event.
Call 504.304.0635 for reservations, prepayment is required.

Legendary Wines of La Spinetta Poured a Mano

Kerry and I are heading to our favorite New Orleans Italian restaurant on November 17, 2010 at 7 pm for a very special wine dinner at a Mano with winemaker Giorgio Rivetti of the famed La Spinetta winery of Piedmont (and now Tuscany as well). We are really excited to take the night off from the shop and spend it with Chef Josh, Giorgio, our friends from Lirette Selections and the wonderful staff at a Mano. So if great food paired with exciting wines in the company of a famous Italian winemaker sounds like as much fun to you as it does to us, join us!

The paired dinner, featuring classic and modern Piemontese dishes prepared by Chef Joshua Smith and his diligent staff, is $95 excluding tax & tip. Reservations are essential and seating is limited. Call 208.9280 today. Check out the menu and pairings below.

Reception
Grilled octopus, potato, and caperberry spiedino
Paired with: 2009 Vermentino Toscana

Antipasti
Due Crostini: Truffled toast points with Piemontese beef crudo; Grilled polenta with porcini mushroom ragu and Castelmagno cheese
Paired with: 2004 Barbera d'Alba "Gallina" & 2007 PIN Monferrato Rosso

Primo
Risotto al Vin Cotto with veal marrow butter
Paired with: 2006 Barbaresco "Bordini" & 2006 Barbaresco "Starderi"

Secondo
Brasato al Nebbiolo:
Nebbiolo-braised Piemontese beef
Paired with: 2005 Barolo "Campe"

Dolce
Gianduia torte with hazelnut torrone
Paired with: 2003 Moscato Passito Oro

About La Spinetta:

The Rivetti family story begins in the 1890s, when Giovanni Rivetti, grandfather of the three Rivetti brothers, Carlo, Bruno and Giorgio, left Piedmont for Argentina. Like many Italians of that time, he dreamed of returning rich and a powerful man, perhaps even one day able to make a great wine in his homeland.
He never did, though his son, Giuseppe (nicknamed Pin) did. Pin married Lidia, bought vineyards and began to make wine. In 1977 the family took up residence at LA SPINETTA (top of the hill) in Castagnole Lanze. It was the heart of the Moscato d'Asti country, home of a rather light and simple dessert wine. But the Rivettis believed that Moscato had the potential for greatness and set out to prove it by making Moscato Bricco Quaglia and Biancospino.

Eventually though the family's vision became even grander. In 1985 LA SPINETTA made its first red wine, Barbera Cà di Pian. After this many great reds followed: In 1989 the Rivettis dedicated their red blend Pin to their father. In 1995 they started to make their first Barbaresco, Gallina. In 1996 and 1997 the Barbarescos Starderi, Barbera d'Alba Gallina and Barbaresco Valeirano follow. In 1998 premiered the Barbera d'Asti Superiore.
In 2000 the family's ambition of also making a Barolo became reality. The Rivettis acquired vineyards in Grinzane Cavour and built a state of the art cellar, Barolo Campè. Since 2003 visitors are welcomed to visit also Campè, outside the town of Grinzane Cavour.

In 2001 LA SPINETTA expanded over the borders of Piedmont and acquired 65 hectares of vineyards in Tuscany, between Pisa and Volterra, to make three different 100% Sangiovese wines, as Sangiovese to La Spinetta is the true ambassador of the Tuscan terrain.
La Spinetta's Tuscan Line

Truly One of a Kind, the Cornelissen Contadino 6

I've written a lot over the past year about Frank Cornelissen, a very controversial producer from the Etna region of Siciliy.  I began researching him while working with Cynthia Nicholson of The Farmhouse Table on our wine and culinary tour of Sicily last year and have been enthralled with him and his wines ever since.  Luckily our friend Matt Lirette, one of our favorite local wholesalers, has shared my interest in the region and his portfolio currently offers the largest selection of Etna producers available in Louisiana.

It is difficult to describe these wines to someone who has never tasted them.  Frank takes the terms "natural" and "non intervention" to a level that would frighten most producers and consumers.  He feels that anytime you add something to the process, be it herbicides, oak, sulfites, you take something away from the wine. Which is why Frank avoids all possible interventions including any treatments, whether chemical, organic, or biodynamic, to keep the process in tune with nature as it was done thousands of years ago.  From his vineyard practices to non-temperature controlled fermentation in plastic vats to the cellaring in clay amphorae buried into the volcanic soils of the Etna, you can't truly appreciate Frank's "hands off" approach until you've witnessed it yourself.  For my full article about our visit with Frank on the Etna, you can go to my post on The Madman of Etna.

On to the Contadino 6 (meaning 6th vintage), a wine that originally was never meant to be bottled. But a vat containing the musts of grapes and stems from both his red and white wines of his different bottlings was mistakenly tasted by a group of journalist and has gone on to be one of his most popular wines.  It's a field blend of mostly Nerello Mascalese but also with white varietals, Carricante, Dorato, Grecanico.  The grapes, twigs and leaves are all allowed to co-mingle to create an incredible cauldron of dark orange/pink liquid that teems with tobacco, cumin, cinnamon, citrus peel and tangerine. A one of a kind beverage that is the only wine of its type in the world. This is the most sophisticated vintage yet of the Contadino, unlike anything you've ever tasted, it is very intriguing, complex and enjoyable as an actual wine, not just as a study. 

However, the Contadino is not for everyone as there is nothing normal or familiar about any of Frank's wines.  You have to forget everything you expect or know about how wine tastes and approach them with a truly open mind. Drinking them is an experience, and one that I promise you won't forget even if you ultimately decide they are not for you!

To experience the full potential of Frank's wines, it is important to transport and store them at a cool temperature of 58-60 degrees.  Because the wine is unfiltered there is a lot of murky sediment in the bottle, so be sure to stand it upright for a few days before serving to allow the lees to settle.  Since they are natural there are no sulfites or preservatives added to protect against color degradation, so if left open a few hours, you will see the color evolve from granite red to volcanic black ash!!! Don't worry, the flavors become more complex with time, as the color turns. 

As you could expect, Frank does not make much wine period, so availability is limited.  But his wines are truly one of a kind and if what he does sounds intriguing to you, start with the Contadino.  Lirette Selections is also carrying the Munjebel Bianco and Munjabel Rosso so you will be seeing and hearing about those soon as well!

Also, the first time we drank this wine was with Cynthia during one of her visits to New Orleans to plan our trip.  I made a Sicilian dinner that evening and paired the Contadino with a simple but delicious dish called Pesto Trapanese and they worked beautifully together.

Cornelissen Contadino 6, $28.99

Wine of the Moment, 2007 Cholila Ranch Malbec

I've been really getting into the wines from Patagonia lately. They offer something different from the usual, delicious values that come out of Mendoza, Argentina's wine capitol. Some 400 mile south of Mendoza in a scrubby, arid, windy, crazy place, Patagonia is home to some of the southernmost vineyards of the world! But don't pack your bags and expect some tourist haven, this is a desolate region, great for grapes, but not a whole lot of anything else.

The region boasts plenty of sunshine and dry climate along with a wide range between day and nighttime temperatures. But the strong winds that blow through the area are a huge challenge in terms of tangling vines and they also destroy many of the buds during flowering. The winds can also cause wine grapes to grow a thicker skin resulting in harsher tannins if the winemaker isn't careful. Poplar trees planted on the perimeter of the vineyards are used as a windbreak and help prevent vine shoots from twisting. The upside to the winds is that they keep the vines dry and keep away pests and disease so the use of chemicals is almost non-existent.

How does the taste differ from Mendoza Malbecs? I get a little more plum notes than the usual black fruits and a hint of graphite as well, but the same soft tannins and light acidity; very pleasant and something a little different for Malbec fanatics.

Matt Lirette of Lirette Selections brought me the Cholila Ranch Malbec, made by a 100% Argentine winemaking team, led by legendary Argentine winemaker, Roberto de la Mota. A fun tidbit on importer Fran Kysela's website,
In February 20, 1901, Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, boarded the British ship Herminius and steamed off to build a new life for themselves in the "United States of the Southern Hemisphere". They settled in a sheep ranch at Cholila Ranch, in the deepest Argentine Patagonia, under the alias of James Ryan and Harry A. place, where they were considered respectable citizens. - Extract of "Digging Up Butch & Sundance", by Anne Meadows

From Importer Fran Kysela: 2007 Cholila Ranch Malbec is made from 100% Malbec. The estate-grown grapes are manually harvested, carefully sorted, and destemmed. The wine undergoes traditional maceration for 21 days with selected yeasts. Cholila Ranch Malbec is aged both in American and French oak for 9 months, followed by a minimum of 6 months bottle aging prior to release. Deep purple color. Aromas of ripe plum and mulberry with violet hints. Ripe black fruits and fig on the palate with touches of smoke and vanilla. A truly powerful yet balanced wine with a persistent finish.
$12.99

The Etna Revisited

For months now you've been hearing me go on and on about our upcoming wine and culinary tour of Sicily (which by the way we are leaving in less than 2 weeks!!) and especially my fascination with the exceptional wines and producers of the Mount Etna. The region is way off the radar of most wine drinkers, albeit Wine Spectator's latest edition did do a somewhat lame article, "Remaking Sicily" where they gave an approving nod to a few producers mainly influential importer, consultant and winemaker Marc de Grazia of Tenuta delle Terre Nere.

Growing vines in the shadow of Europe's only active volcano is not for the faint of heart. Towering above Catania, Sicily's second largest city, Mount Etna has one of the world's longest documented records of historical volcanism, dating back to 1500 BC with minor eruptions still taking place today. The major eruptions and lava flows over the last few centuries have created the huge variety of lava formations that make up Etna’s unique topography. Eruptions from volcanic vents on the east side of the mountain have melted a destructive trail through any communities that lay in their path towards their ultimate destination – the sea.

Etna has two distinct viticultural areas, the eastern and northern slope. The former has a mild, maritime, fairly humid climate, quite a bit of precipitation and is also the source for most of Etna’s distinctive, mineral, salt-scented white wines that are mostly based on the local Carricante grape as well as reds from Nerello Mascalese and Nerello Capuccio. Sheltered from Mediterranean influences by the Nebrodi mountain range the vineyards on the northern slope see much less rain and the temperature differences between day and night can be extreme. Red wines reign supreme, with the Nerello Mascalese grape reaching qualitative heights. Here you also find much older, up to 130-year-old vines, partly ungrafted as phylloxera cannot survive on the very active volcanic ash sand.

The superstar variety of the region is Nerello Mascalese, with its bright red fruit, pleasantly earthy and floral notes, hints of tobacco and notable tannin, is often compared to the likes of Barolo and Burgundy. Nerello Mascalese ripens late, and grapes are grown up to a cool 4,000 feet on the slopes of Mount Etna so that they sometimes may not be picked until the end of October or even the beginning of November. The variety certainly holds its acid well and combined with a decent tannin structure, the wine is good to drink young and able to age too.

The Etna wines are excitingly different, very intriguing and unfortunately difficult to get in New Orleans....the only wholesaler in the city who is currently stocking an Etna Rosso is Matt Lirette (Lirette Selections). And not just any Rosso, but that of Salvo Foti, an impressive, leading local viticulturist who makes wine for many of the larger producers in the region as well as his own label, I Vigneri.

I've been a bit obsessed about these wines lately and have made a great contact with wine professional in Austin, A.J. Hernandez who is extremely knowledgeable about the region. He sent me a short list of "must see" producers and because of his help and advice we have appointments with 3 exciting producers in the area, Frank Cornelissen, Passopisciaro and Vini Biondi (Salvo Foti is the winemaker here). The Etna is awash with amazing small producers and other names to look for include Alberto Graci, Terre Nere, Benanti to name a few.

So if you are intrigued by all of this, join us of our Tuesday tasting of "Italy's Southern Stars" where we'll be tasting my "wine of the moment", Salvo Foti's I Vigneri Etna Rosso as well as other favorite selections from Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia and Campagnia.

LIOCO, Exciting "Wines of Origin"

While a self proclaimed old world wine girl (yes, even at middle age I still think of my self as a girl...) there are times when an new world wine or two can turn my head. And while many a wine maker states they are producing wines in the old world style, expressing the place in which it is grown in a pure unadulterated style, void of over manipulation and use of harmful chemicals, I find it is rarely the case. For me, finding wines with soul that truly express the typicity of the varietal in the new world can be a difficult task. But when it does happen, it's a wonderful thing, which is why I'm so excited about the LIOCO wines from California.

LIOCO is a labor of love between Matt Licklider, a seasoned wine import specialist, and Kevin O'Connor, wine director at the esteemed Spago-Beverly Hills. The project began in 1995 as a test between the two to see if California was capable of producing "wines of origin", wines that truly represent where they came from. They do not own vineyards or a winery, but purchase fruit from trusted growers and produce them in a state-of-the-art cooperative in Santa Rosa, allowing them to direct all of their resources toward the sourcing of the best grapes from the state's premier vineyards.

Their quest is to build wines from the ground up using an old world approach. They accomplish this in a number of ways including using older vines, matching clones with the right mesoclimate, hand harvesting, low yields, using natural viticultural techniques, native yeasts, low or no wood contact, no fining or filtration and just over all non interventionalist winemaking.

I was introduced to these wines by our friend Matt Lirette of Lirette Selections. He brought them into the market when he began his new distributorship last year and had the full line up at his portfolio tasting. We picked up the Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Carneros Pinot immediately and later added the Rose of Pinot Noir and this week the Indica, all of which over deliver for the price, another statement I don't usually make about California wine....

Matt will be in the house on Friday, August 7 pouring these 4 amazing wines so come and see what all of the fuss is about and in the meantime, check out what Tanzer has to say about the LIOCO wines:

2007 LIOCO Chardonnay Sonoma County
Pale gold. Vibrant, pure aromas of citrus fruit, flowers and herbs. Juicy lime and lemongrass flavors are complemented by notes of anise and honeysuckle. Gains power on the finish, which strongly repeats the anise note and offers good mineral cut. This is an outstanding value. $21, 90pts.

2007 LIOCO Pinot Noir Carneros
Vivid red. Smoky red berry and cherry aromas are complicated by pungent herbal and floral notes. Mineral-driven red fruit flavors are refreshingly tangy, with a bite of cherry skin adding grip. Becomes deeper and chewier with air and finishes with excellent clarity and sweet persistence. Give this some decanter time. $37, 90pts.

2007 LIOCO Red Wine Indica Mendocino County
A blend of carignane, petit sirah, grenache and mourvedre) Bright red. Flamboyant aromas of raspberry, cherry preserves and incense. Lively but supple red berry flavors are given depth by anise and cherry pit qualities. Reminds me of an open-knit 2007 southern Rhone wine, with excellent finishing clarity and persistent sweetness. $21, 90pts

Wine of the Year, 2004 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella

Every once in awhile you come across a truly exquisite wine, one that you can't stop thinking about, whose memory haunts your olfactories and taste buds until you finally have it again. Even in this business where tasting 75 wines a week is the norm, I rarely run across a wine that makes me salivate like this. But knowing my love for Italian wines, our friend Matt Lirette nonchalantly popped this 2004 Barbaresco at his house one evening for dinner and I've been thinking about it ever since. Our trip to the beach this weekend gave me the perfect excuse to have it again as Rachel was making her friend Matko's Lasagna with Bechamel Sauce for dinner on Saturday.

In the glass, the first thing that throws you is the color, a rich ruby tone that tells you this is not a typical Nebbiolo. A true "meditation" wine, the aromas are so intoxicating you never want to take your nose out of the glass, but know you need to start drinking or your wine loving friends will finish the bottle before you even have a sip! But the earthy, leather, cherry and tar perfume keep hinting at the treasures that await your palate. And once you do actually take a drink of this exquisitely elegant yet rich and complex wine that coats your mouth with its velvety texture and flavors of violets, spice box, sweet tobacco and dark fruit, you find that somehow it tastes even better than it smells! Even at its $60+ price tag, it far out shines anything in its range!

Made by a female wine maker, Silvia Cigliuti, this Barbaresco is from Fratelli Cigliuti winery situated on the Serraboella hill, 350 metres above sea level, overlooking the village of Neive, in the Langhe region of Piemonte, Italy. Neive is one of the three villages that produces Barbaresco from the Nebbiolo grape and the Cigliuti is made from 30 year old vines.

Robert Parker says: "The flagship 2004 Barbaresco Serraboella is made in a generous, expansive style that provides balance to the wine’s structural components. Sweet spices, toasted oak, dark fruit, tar and menthol are just some of the nuances that emerge from this harmonious, complete Barbaresco. This is a very representative wine in this vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2024." 92 points

Believing in the fact that there is a lot of good wine out there if you take the time to find it, I'm one of those people who rarely drinks the same wine twice. I've now had the 2004 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella twice and I can't wait to find another excuse to have it again...that's why it's not just my wine of the moment, it's my wine of the year!