Italian road trip 2016: at the home of the Friars

June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

Our trip had already been unbelievable… we had visited some great vineyards we, had some great food and had been very lucky with the weather as well 🙂 Travelling when the sun shines makes a trip much nicer. As if we ordered it, the sun was heating and more present on white wine Saturday than it was the other days! So visiting a vineyard a stone’s throw away from the Garda lake was perfect, add great white wine to that and you have a perfect holiday 🙂 Coincidentally the vineyard we were visiting that morning had lots of great white wines 🙂 LUCKY US 😉

When you visit a vineyard you always have some wines you prefer over others. It doesn’t mean those wines you don’t like are bad, they are just not how you prefer your wines to be… If I tell you that we took home at least 1 bottle from every wine in the assortment from the Ca’ dei Frati vineyard…what does that tell you? Yes, in first place that our character or intention to buy less wine was out of the window. Also that my car has a big trunk, but also that all wines we tasted were our thing :-). For both of us (Carlos and me), so I consider this something quite rare 🙂

Ca’ dei Frati is as I mentioned before only a stone’s throw away from the Garda lake or from a town called Sirmione (I always remember Sirmione as the Garda Lake town with the Castle :-)) . That first bottle of Frati by ca dei Frati I had a few years ago at the Pazzo winebar with my dad left a big impression with us… ever since that day I had put the Ca’ dei Frati vineyard on my ‘to-do’ list if I was ever in the neighborhood… now, a few years later that moment had finally come. It was the Stefano (husband of the founder’s daughter and responsible for export) who showed us around the estate accompanied by his 2 year old son who insisted to come along 🙂 he reminded me a lot of my sweet little baby girl as they share the same big appetite 🙂 FYI, I know that you might say she inherited that from her dad, but at that age I was a very bad eater! It was only at the age of 12 when going to the chef school the tide had turned and I never looked back 😉

I’m wondering off here… back to Ca’ dei Frati. You might have guessed the winery has something to do with ‘Friars’? You have guessed correctly as the winery used to be ‘Casa dei Frati’ or Home of the Friars in English. In documents from the 18th century the Del Cere Family (who owns the property since 1939) has found there is told that the home that is now the Ca’ dei Frati vineyard already had a wine cellar back then and that it was owned by Friars. It was only in 1939 that the wine estate was founded by Felice Dal Cero, the current owner’s grandfather who left the company to his son Pietro around 1969. It was Pietro who actually made the Ca’ dei Frati estate world famous and expanded from 12ha to over 100ha 🙂 So you could definitely speak about an expansion and growth. Since 2012 after Pietro’s passing away it are his 2 sons and daughter (and their families)that carry on the family tradition and legacy. The estate also keeps growing and modernizing…

Unlike lots of people might think, the vineyard is located in the Italian region Lomardy and not Veneto… but I admit it’s a close call is they are really at the border of both regions. The vineyards themselves are among the best in the region (as the estate was on the first in the area), on limestone silt soils at the southern part of the Garda lake rich in mineral salts which help the fruit to reach high levels of ripeness. It really gives beautiful wines as a result.

90% of the wine production at Ca’ dei frati is white wines with exception of 2 red wines and 2 rosé wines. The story behind 1 of the 2 reds is special because it is a tribute to Pietro! Not just any wine, an Amarone. Yes, An Amarone! The Amarone gets cultivated (as it is dictated by the DOCG and with the allowed grapes: Corvina, Corvinone, rondinella and Croatina) in the Valpolicella area. In reality it was Pietro’s project to go back to his ‘radici’ (roots – as het originates from the Valpolicella region where his grandfather was a winemaker), unfortunately didn’t make it to see his ‘baby’ grow and meet the world. This is why the family decided to finish this wine and make it as a tribute. A success I might add (beautiful product)! The Pietro Dal Cero Amarone had quit the rest before it was sold (2008 it the first edition of this wine that is currently sold) 24months in a barrel, 12months in stainless steel and 24months in its bottle. Patience is again the keyword here…

For the white wines their most well-known wine is without any doubt the Lugana. Lugana is made with the Turbiano grape (aka Trebbiano di Lugana) which is the essential ingredient for white wines in the region. According to regulations a Lugana can only be names Lugana when it at least holts 90% of the Turbiano grape. They are characterized by their freshness , fruit concentration, underlying floral and spice notes, and delicate acidity. Or basically a pleasure for the nose and taste buds. Ca’ dei Frati has 2 different Lugana wines: Frati and Brolettino. FYI The Brolettino was in 2014 in the list of 50 best wines from Decanter. The only difference between the 2 is that one (Frati) was only in stainless steel and the other (Brolettino) stayed 10months in barriques and 3 more months on bottle. I wouldn’t really see one is better, as they both have different characteristics, both very rich wines. On the nose there were intense aromas of lime, white flowers, almonds and green apple… at taste there are the nice minerals and the green apples 🙂 FYI, it was actually the Frati I had that night at Pazzo and also the first bottle I opened when I came home from this trip 🙂 .

When looking at the grapes used in their other wines, both the still as the sparkling, I noticed Ca’ dei Frati also uses Sangiovese and Barbera grapes in their wines… this is the second time on this trip I learn that in Veneto and Lombardy these grapes are used to blend. They obviously do enrich the wines. The Sangiovese is used for the other red wine from the Ca’ dei Frati estate (Ronchedone), but more surprisingly also for the Rosé wines (from which 1 is still and the other sparkling). For the Rosa dei Frati and the Cuvée which is the rosé sparkling wine they blend Sangiovese with Barbera, Groppello and Marzemino . The first thing that came to mind when having a taste of this wine “this would be something for my wife” :-)… how dare she tell me I only think of myself during my winetrips :-)Rosa dei Frati has notes of green apple, wild cherry and white almond. In the mouth it immediately shows authority… it keeps it fresh and delicate thanks to a pleasant acidity that points out the carefree ease of drinking 🙂 but at the same time robust and capable of being elected the versatile star of the table!! Need I say more? Basically a bottle that can become everybody’s friend 😉 (the same goes for the Cuvée by the way that adds a bubble 🙂 🙂 (I know to much smiley’s, but that’s the way it is)

Again a very unforgettable experience where we learned a lot and can’t wait to visit the vineyards again when their renovations are finished as they were already very impressive now that they were not finished yet.

Up to the last vineyard of our trip 😦 Up to our friends of Sandro de Bruno

For more information or to purchase Ca’dei Frati wines in Belgium please contact Non solo vino. For other countries please check with the wine estate itself.

Italian road trip 2016: the aim for perfection

May 29, 2016May 31, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

Our next stop apparently was a very special one as every sommelier, winemaker or person involved with wine I told we were visiting the vineyard of Guiseppe Quintarelli was surprised (maybe even a bit jealous) they wanted to receive us… I’ve been told that they rarely open their doors for visits. So I can say for a fact that we felt honored!! Guiseppe Quintarellli stands for a style, a tradition, a way of doing things… but also for time, effort, patience, and care that go into the making wine. Although I think most people who didn’t have had the pleasure of drinking the wine will for sure recognize the handwritten labels of the wine that were all handwritten by a family friend who was cook from a local restaurant 🙂

Unfortuantely Guiseppe passed away a few years ago at age of 84, but his legacy will live forever. Today it are 2 of his 3 daughters together with his grand children that continue leading the family vineyard that Guiseppe himself took over from his father in 1924. The word ‘perfection’ or ‘perfectionist’ is used a lot to describe Guiseppe who’s drive for perfection was from an unknown level. From the corks, to the bottles, to the grape selection, etc… everything had to be perfect (even if this meant inspecting every bunch of grapes separately). This perfection is also the explanation why most of the wines they produce are not produced/available or exists every year. If for example the grapes that were normally foreseen to make an Amarone were not good enough, they don’t want to put the label Amarone on it but rather call it Rosso del Bepi…for many a fantastic wine, but for Guiseppe not worthy the name Amarone:-) INDEED, this level of perfection :-). Other estates would just call it Amarone… FYI, all grapes are handpicked!!!

The perfection and strict selection also leads to the estate ‘only’ producing 60 000 bottles a year (all types of wine together). Unfortunately this also has an impact on its price (if it is too expensive or not is another discussion), but drinking a wine from the hand of the Master himself is never a disappointment!! You can’t really compare these wines to any other in the region, with maybe one exception Romano dal Forno (but they have lesser vine locations in comparison to Quintarelli), who was Giuseppe Quintarelli’s protégée. Something remarkable (in comparison to other wineries in the area) is the kinds of grapes used for their wines as next to the traditional Corvina and Rondinella they blend it with Cabernet Sauvignon (used a lot in Bordeaux wines) and hints of Nebbiolo (used for Barolo), Sangiovese (used for Brunelllo & Chianti) and Croatina… A blend of everybody’s favorites could be a good description 🙂 maybe we could name a new style?? Bordeaux al Amarone or a Super-Tuscan-Barolo Amarone-style…? Super Tuscan as in some way it makes me think of Ornelaia, Tignanello and Sassicaia aka the super Tuscans as they also blend with French grapes. In case of Guiseppe he takes even a step further to also blending with some Italy’s most renowned grapes 🙂

When we arrived at the Quintarelli vineyard it was grandson Francesco who hosted us and showed us around the vineyard. You could clearly tell that a new generation was running the vineyard as they were in the middle of renovations (that were already busy for 2 years if I’m correct). The parts that were already done were a success a good marriage between the old and the new 🙂 . Francesco told me he (and his entire family) were looking forward to the moment they could finally stop living on a construction site.

I would be lying if I would say I wasn’t looking forward to the tasting as this is always the best part of a tour right 😉 We started with the Bianco Secco which already put smiles on our faces just by smelling the wine. If I then tell you it only went crescendo you’ll believe me when I say that our smile only became bigger as the tasting continued.

Tasting the wines starting from the Valpolicella up to the Amarone’s brings up a very comforting feeling like ‘sliding’ into an old leather armchair in front a fireplace… it somehow also calms you and its aroma’s wrap themselves around you. The 2001 Valpolicella we started with its first aroma’s we discovered were black cherry with hints of leather spices and dried flowers. Not as full-bodied as an Amarone… let’s call it medium-bodied :-). In the mouth we find earthy and mineral tastes… very velvety and beautiful finish. Could it get better we thought? Yes it could 🙂 I won’t be describing all the wines, but the 2003 Amarone does require some extra attention as this was one of the last wines bottled by Guiseppe himself!! It is a wine with lots of different layers and it keeps changing when opening up… we obviously (sadly) we didn’t sit there for hours to drink to finish the whole bottle 🙂 but in the time we were sitting there you know it is a wine that keeps surprising after every sip … Complex though! Ethereal aromas, seductive spices and an unbelievable balance!! Once you have a taste of Quintarelli’s Amarones it will keep you it’s power for always and you’ll never forget that experience. Normally I would be spitting wine when tasting, but this time I didn’t 🙂

As the production of all of the Quintarelli wines are so small, on site you are only “allowed” to buy 2 bottles per types of wine. A reason is basically because the wines are so wanted all over the world that their stock at the winery itself isn’t enormous They ‘only’ have 60 000 bottles a year to distribute. I don’t think that the importers of their wines have limits.. but then again they also don’t have enormous stocks… Moral of this story… if you ever get the chance to drink one (even better if somebody else offer the bottle 😉 ) do it without hesitation!!

If you might have more questions about Quintarelli wines you can contact Young Charly. Also if you might want to buy a bottle they are also the perfect people to contact. You might have also noticed I never put a link towards a website, this is because for as far as I know they aren’t online also not on social media… the word is spread mouth to mouth…

After Red Friday we were ready for white wine Saturday 🙂 Up to Sirmione!!

From Barcelona with bubbels

May 25, 2016May 25, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

That cava is more than just a ‘copy’ from champagne is something you could already read in one of my previous blogposts. Since that day I had the pleasure tasting more premium cava’s from which 1 jumped out for me. A premium cava is a more refined cava or to use the more professional words Special Cuvées, Reserva’s and Gran Reserva’s that have had minimum aging of 15 months. What the aging does to a Cava (or a sparkling wine in general) is mostly ‘calming’ down the bubbles 🙂 If you drink a Cava or Champagne that had less aging time the bubbles in it will be much more aggressive or extra brut… if you give the sparkling wine more time to age/ rest the bubbles will be more subtle and refined. This is also why I give the preference to premium Cava (or sparkling wines that aged a bit more), as when the bubbles are too aggressive I get a headache 😦 .

To come back to the Cava that jumped out, it was the 2014 Organic cava named Bruant from the AA Privat Bodega. Organic, indeed… strange that an organic wine jumps out for me as normally wines that are too Bio/ organic have a taste that just ain’t my cup of tea… whereas in this case the Bodega has created something wonderful. All other cava’s I tried at the same time as the Bruant (about 7 or 8 others) were very good, but the Bruant just had that extra ‘punch’ and harmony. It even made me shut up for a while, which is a difficult thing to happen as I love talking a lot 😉 This is also why I’m only writing about the Bruant and not about the other ones… FYI this is my personal taste obviously, it might be possible that if you would have tried all of them that you would have given preference to one of the others like the Reserva brut from Carles Andreu or a Reserva Real from Bodega Freixenet (that are also fantastc cava’s btw) . The moment you are drinking it will also always have an influence…

AA Privat or better Alta Alella Privat is a winery that was only founded 20 years ago by renowned enologist Josep Maria Pujol-Busquets and his wife only 10km outside Barcelona (making it the closest vineyard to Barcelona) right at the Mediterranean sea. They might only be doing this on their own for 20 years, but we can say for sure they created a success as they are on the wine list of some the best restaurants in the world!! The Bruant was even the ‘house’ cava from the 2nd best restaurant in the world El Celler de Can Roca (where I was already fortunate enough to have dined). It was also the first cava ever to get a +90 score from Robert Parker. So it is not just me liking this cava 🙂

Alta Alella is a organic (natural) winery located in the 4000 Hectare Natural park of Serralada de Marina (of which they use around 60Ha). The AA estate is working mostly according the micro vinification technique. This basically means they use a technique where the wine is fermented in small vats. Micro vinification allows a winemaker to express the most natural ‘unadulterated’ characteristics of a single territory. So it doesn’t get more natural then this 🙂 Just by the fact I like Bruant a lot and by seeing the above pictures I feel a next wine trip presenting itself 🙂 I also doubt it will take me more than a year 😉

To come back to the Bruant . What I liked about this cava was the purity (0 dosage – so no added sugars) and refined bubbles that are almost not visible by the eye and very subtle at the taste. It has the most magnificent inviting aromas of fresh flowers and white fruits which also translates itself in the taste. I’m sure that even if one doesn’t know anything about wine will appreciate this cava (an every man’s friend if you will) . I know that I can obviously say a lot, the only way for you to see if I’m right is by tasting it 😉 but I’m sure it will not disappoint!!

It was also funny finding out that the person importing the AA Privat wines used to be an SAP consultant just like me (even the same modules) 🙂 Maybe I should also change career and leave SAP for what it is??!!

I know if might seems like I’m trying to sell you something, but it’s not (not in this article, nor in all my other articles). I’m just trying to convince you to basically try something new and to be amazed :-). Go for quality and not a quantity product… I also hope next time you are in a shop and you don’t know what bubbles to take that you’ll maybe try a bottle of Premium (Reserva or Gran Reserva) Cava instead of of Champagne or ‘cheap’ bubbles’ made by a company only caring for quantity (although it must be said that not all cheap bubbles are bad, but some are 🙂 ) and that you’ll notice that a product like Cava deserves more respect as a product and don’t see it as just a ‘cheap’ wannabe Champagne.

Where to buy? For my Belgian readers check: http://www.oinosshop.be/

For my foreign readers check: http://www.altaalella.wine/

For all questions regarding Premium cava you contact the cava association

Italian road trip 2016: exploring Dante Alighieri’s legacy

May 23, 2016May 26, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

After a good night of rest and a large breakfast we were ready to set sail to one of my favorite wine regions in Italy aka Valpolicella located just outside the city of Verona. First stop Azienda Agricola Masi aka the trigger for me coming on this winetrip. You might have already noticed I have a slight preference for full bodied wines that are still easy to drink. Well this is exactly how I would describe the Masi wines (or maybe even the Valpolicella wines in general). Before I continue talking about the estate I will first tell you a bit more about the Valpolicella region.

The Valpolicella region is located as I mentioned before just outside of the city of Verona and even more important right next to Garda lake and close to the Adriatic sea. Why do I say “more important”, I say it because the proximity of the lake and sea have a very big impact on the climate (mild continental climate) and therefore also on the winemaking in the region. There are 3 main grape varieties used to make Valpolicella wines: Corvina, Molinara and Rondinella. Some vineyards might add other variaties like Corvinone, Rossignola, Negrara, Barbera and even Sangiovese (that you mostly known from Tuscan Wines), but it will always be in combo with (at least 1 )the 3 mentioned before. The most well known wine of the region is the Amarone which is considered one of the 3 great Italian wines next to Barolo and Brunello di Montalcino.

What I find funny is that Amarone is yet another example like lots of other great things (Tarte Tatin, etc…) in this world Amarone was also discovered by mistake. The story goes that many many years ago people in the Valpolicella region had left Recioto wine (sweet dessert wine) untouched for a longer period of time which resulted in a longer fermentation and in new wine that we know today as Amarone 🙂 Obviously the Amarone we drink now is much more refined as the ones from back then, but the basic principales for making the Amarone stayed the same… One thing you can say is that the winemakers of the Amarone are patient people as the process for making it takes a lot of time… (an important keyword in good winemaking – time/patience) but they get rewarded with a very unique and wonderful product. To make the Amarone, the grapes are put on wooden shelves or bins (in case of Masi after lots of studies and tests they have discovered that for their way of working bamboo bins seemed best) and are left to dry naturally for x months (I think the minimum period was 3 months) which will make that the ‘juices’ and ‘flavors’ left in the grapes are much stronger/intense. In the next step they will gently press the grapes to get the best juices out. If they wouldn’t do it gently the bitter flavor of the stalks would come into the wine. Finally the ‘grape juice’ is put to wrest mostly in Veronese barrels (that are bigger then the regular/ traditional barrique/barrel and specific for the Valpolicella region) to become the perfect Amarone. (FYI, this is it explained in a few words, otherwise my blogposts would become a book 🙂 )

As they only pressed the grapes gently, there is still juice left in the grapes… this is how the Ripasso/Ripassa gets born. They basically press the left over juice out of the grapes and make another wine out of it… you can call it a ‘Amarone light’ :-). This is where the Masi story starts to detaching itself from the other wineries (around 1964) after years also making Ripasso wine, to Masi it somehow felt like when you use a teabag for a second cup of tea… it will be good, but it could be better… + they also noticed that many wineries in the area with the aim of quantity instead of quality and therefor a more “negative” vibe came over the Ripasso (Although it must be said there obviously also some great Ripasso/a wines circling around). This made them think that they could lift the Ripasso up by adding ‘fresh’ grape juice (that had lesser time on the wooden shelves ) and this is how the Campofiorin or THE showpiece (after the Amarone) of Masi Agricola was born.

What I like about the Campofiorin (and about the better Ripasso’s) is (I’ll be honest) first of all the price/quality ratio… you get a wonderful full bodied wine for a affordable price + a wine that most people will like for sure… whereas the Amarone does require a bigger budget and is a more complex wine . Don’t get me wrong I love Amarone and I do have some great bottles in my personal collection, but let’s say I won’t open it for everybody 🙂 (only for people who appreciate a refined product like Amarone). Do also try to taste the Campofiorin Riserva or better the Brolo Campofionin Oro, which is an even a more refined version of the campofiorin.

The Masi estate also re-discovered/introduced a grape variety that had almost disappeared entirely out of the Verona area. I’m talking about the Oseleta grape which means ‘little bird’ in the local Veronese dialect. The name actually refers to small grapes that ripen late in the season and are often still hanging after the vine has lost its leaves. Lots of years the grape variaty was seen as non important grape due to it low yields (because of being such a small grape). What the Oseleta does in the wines where it is added, it give it more backbone and creates more tannic structure, minerality and dark berry notes. This is in very big contrast with the other grape kinds in the Valpolicella wines like Corvina that are light, more gentle and have low tannins. FYI they added the Oseleta to the Campofiorin Riserva, the Toar and the Riserva di costasera (Amarone Riserva). In the Private collection of Masi they also have a wine 100% Oseleta grapes, the Osar (which mean ‘to dare’ in dialect). In contrast with the other wines in this case the grapes are not dried, but harvested later… it has a beautiful perfume of black plum, berries and cherry, with a subtle spiciness 🙂

The re-discovery of this grape variety might been luck, but at the other side it’s not! Masi is a company that with lots of respect for the past also always looks forward and wants to innovate. Masi created half way the 1980’s a specific department for it called the ‘Masi Technical Group’. The Technical group is basically a team of experts dedicated to quality control, research, technical analysis and experimentation of everything that has to do with wine to in the end create new/better wines (also think/work more ecological). This also the reason of Masi’s high quality products (going from the ‘intro’ wine to their Amarone riserva’s). It has also come this far that the Masi Technical group now also does consultancy to help out other wineries to improve their wine making process.

You might have noticed that there are quite a few names linked to the Masi wine estate, the most famous will the name Serego Alighieri. Unlike other big colleague wine estates, Masi doesn’t buy other wineries, they collaborate with other wineries. Mostly in other wine regions like cantine Conti Bossi in Trento (Spumante)…with as exception the neighboring estate Serego Alighieri. Most of the wineries are smaller wineries of which Masi believes that have great potential and are a very good added value. Most of those wineries want to grow and innovate, but don’t always have the possibilities to make this happen. What Masi offers them is the use of the Technical Group which basically means the Masi expertise. In return Masi gets a new high quality wine assortment in their gamma (FYI, the wineries keep their name on all bottles, there is only a small mention of Masi). In the case of the Serego Alighieri might seem strange as the estate is literally right next to Masi. This collaboration started over a talk between Sandro Bosciani (CEO of Masi) and the Serego Alighieri family who’s estate (still family owned) already exists since the 13^th century and was the residence of the one and only Dante Alighieri ( the most famous Italian poet). As you can imagine knowing the estate is already in this area since the 13^th century, is has some of the best and most unique piece of land with coincidentally vines on them :-). These vines or the wine made from its grapes was only for own/personal use and not for sale. To make a long story short, Masi was interested in the great vineyard locations and Serego Alighieri to make their wines better and maybe even start selling them… the rest of the collaboration is history. I do recommend you if you ever have the chance to visit the winery and castle of Serego Alighieri… like a walk through history.

A very interesting project of Masi is their winemaking project in the Argentina (Mendoza). They describe it as “Argentinean Nature, Venetian Style” 🙂 After research Masi had discovered that the Mendoza region (Tupungato to be more precise) has the perfect climatic and conditions to do the “appassimento” technique used to make the Amarone. I can say for a fact that it lead to some great wines like the Passo Doble as intro wine(although Intro wine is maybe a understatement) and the Corbec as the Argentinian Amarone if you will. The Corbec (as the name might reveal) is a mix of the Corvina (70%)and Malbec (30%) grapes or as I would call it a wonderful marriage. Bursting with aromas of raspberry and roasted cherries … a deep and mysterious wine are the first that come to mind. You do feel the wonderful balance of structure and body, with well rounded tannins but smooth like butter. Definitely one of my favorite Masi project wines :-).

To get a clear view on how the Masi wines are all in the same line (crescendo that is) we had a wine tasting of their wines starting with their “base” wine the Bonacosta that has a lot of character for intro wine. The reason they wanted me to taste the whole range is because you don’t always get the chance to do this… We continued with my beloved Campofiorin wines that are the best of two worlds if you ask me (I’m also pretty sure Carlos agreed)… we ended with what is sometimes called ‘vino di meditazione’ (meditation wine) a wine that requires silence because it is just that good aka Amarone Costasera and Amarone Riserva

I could keep talking about Masi (or about their collaborations) as there is still so much to tell, but one has to stop somewhere. Also this way you have a reason to visit the vineyard 🙂 (to find out more) I know it also seems like I’m always very positive when I write my articles, but I only write about things I like… I’m also all about the people behind a winery (or restaurants, etc…). When there is a good connection between me and the people (especially after visiting the vineyard) and if they have a wonderful product I am the biggest ambassador they can imagine :-)…and I guess by the size of this article you can say I’m a big Masi fan 🙂

I know I might be repeating myself, but what I like about the Masi wines that no matter if you drink younger or very old vintages… the red wire in all the wines is the freshness of full bodied wine! Once again we couldn’t resist ourselves from taking some souvenirs for our wives 😉 😉 or was it just 1 for them 10 for us 🙂 as their biggest will for sure be having us back by their side… and when we’re happy they’re happy right?

In case you would want more information about Masi wines you can check their website. For my Belgian readers you can contact Young Charly.

Up to the next stop in my Italian winetrip…Guiseppe Quintarelli

Italian roadtrip 2016: 1st stop and already beyond the clouds

May 16, 2016May 26, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

It had already been almost a year since my last wine trip, so it was about time to do another one. My idea to do one again actually came during a meal with Raffaele Bosciani from Masi who said he hoped I would pass by one day… let’s call it the trigger 🙂 The only problem I still had was to convince or better find the perfect time to tell my wife I was going on a wine trip… AND Then it happened, as if the gods were favorable to me my wife told me she was thinking of going on a weekend with her sister 🙂 🙂 In the time she was still thinking I had already planned 2 trips 🙂 (one wine trip with by buddy Carlos and one with my daughter to visit my grandparents in Italy). Deciding which vineyards to visit was quite difficult as I wanted to visit lots of them, but I must say I had my mind made up pretty quickly. This wine trip brought us to 3 different Italian regions, we started in Alto Adige with a visit to the Elena Walch vineyard. We continued our trip in Veneto with visiting Masi and Guiseppe Quintarelli (and surprise stops at Farina and Bulgioni). To finally end our trip on what we called white wine Saturday at Ca dei Frati in Lombardy and Sandro de Bruno in Veneto again (Soave).

What I love about travelling to Italy, is the fact that no matter where you go or how big the vineyard is they still receive you as you are part of the family.. I guess that’s the southern hospitality…

After a looooong drive we finally arrived in a little town of Termeno that is a few kilometers from Bolzano and from the Austrian border. What you notice when you are in this region is the Austrian influence in the housing, but also the fact that I think around 80% of the people speak German as first language (but all of them also speak very good Italian). We also couldn’t have imagined a better way to start our trip/holiday then in Termeno, we started it with a wonderful lunch at Ansitz Romani outside in the open air with a nice bottle of Pinot Bianco from the Elena Walch estate… to already get familiar with the vineyard we were about to visit after the lunch 😉 FYI believe it or not, but the picture of the wine was taken with a smart phone camera (Huawei P9 – with Leica lens)

Normally it was Julia Walch who would be showing us around, but unfortunately she had to travel abroad… but she had found good substitutes, her mother aka Elena Walch herself 🙂 and Lena a lovely young lady (oenology student) who was doing a internship at the vineyard and who I can say was very passionate about wines.

Azienda vinicola Elena Walch was only founded in 1985 but the Walch Family already makes wine under the the name Wilhelm Walch that make ‘table wine’( or everyday wine or however you prefer calling it) since 1869 but it was not until Elena’s husband took over the family estate that he together with his wife Elena (who until then was architect) decided to start making next to the Wilhelm range of wines also wines of a higher quality or better ‘Cru’ wines from the grapes of their best parcels which they would make under the name Elena Walch. Eventhough Elena stopped working as an architect in 1985 when they founded the Elena Walch estate, you can clearly see that once an architect – always an architect 🙂 you see the influence of an architect in the newest part of the estate (the buildings that is) . You just know these are details only an architect would think of (I know Elena didn’t design it herself, but I’m sure she influenced it) like special lightning, the shapes of everything, etc…

It also seems like the next generation is getting ready to take over the torch as both daughters of Elena Walch recently joined the family estate and work in the Marketing department and took over most of the travelling from their parents. When I asked Elena if it was difficult to work together with her daughters she said: “It is not difficult, but you do notice the difference with a regular employee. When you tell a regular employee something he’ll just do it. My daughters on the other hand 🙂 :-)” But was very happy they were around and helping and continuing the business.

The vineyard does use the most modern techniques and machinery , but they do still try to respect tradition. This you mainly see in the older part of the vineyard. What I personally love is the big decorated barrels… something they only back in the day as nowadays making the decorating would cost too much

The philosophy of the estate is dedicated to its ‘terroir’. They have the idea that wines must be the expression of the grounds, climate and even of the cultivation in the vineyard that like mentioned gets done according to the most modern techniques and to principles of sustainability. The two main territories (where the grapes grow) of the Elena Walch estate are Castel Ringberg (the ‘regular’ top wines. In France they would call it premier cru) and Kastelaz (the absolute top or Grand Cru) that today have a surface of almost 55 Ha. Where other estates in the region might mix grapes from multiple territories, at Elena Walch they handle the grapes separate (something similar like they do at the Bollinger Champagne estate).

Castel Ringberg that was once owned by the Hapsburg dynasty is located on mostly steep chalky soil, but with some sandy and loamy parts (basically a quit unique combination as mostly it is one of the 3). Because of the diversity of soil it allows the estates to be very flexible and grow a very wide range of grape variaties: Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Sauvignon, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon, Lagrein, Schiava. Again something very unique. I was really surprised about the amount of varieties as I thought in the mountains (even-though the Elena Walch vineyards are only up to 400m altitude above sea level) were very difficult and only a few grape varieties were strong enough to grow here… but that’s why I like to visit vineyards as you always learn news things you don’t always learn in books 😉

What makes Kastelaz more special for Elena Walch or maybe even for the whole region is the southern location of it that creates micro-climatic conditions. Most other pieces of land in Alto Adige follow the valley and therefore get less sunshine. In difference with Ringberg, at Kastelaz there are only 3 grape varieties grown Gewürztraminer, Merlot and Pinot Bianco. This is due first of all because the soil here is chalk with raw rock like granite which isn’t the ideal soil for grapes, only a few can survive in these conditions

It is of course all nice to know that they separate all of this, but how does it reflect in the glass. Well we obviously didn’t try all the wines they have as that is I believe 31 different wines. From the wines we did try you can actually draw a line or find a red wire in all the wines (and it seems that most guides like Robert Parker, Gambero Rosso and Wine spectator agree on this when I read their comments about the wines they tasted). The Elena Walch wines are full bodied yet very elegant with a harmonious acidity where needed and a long length/finish (that I personally like a lot) and on top of all that every wine (because of its grape variety and location where it came from) adds that own specific mark on the identity. Every taster we were served asked for more… I mean even the heavier red wines had that fresh part in them and want you to have more 🙂

Just FYI another piece of modern architecture at the estate is the Bistrot where we tasted the wines… not to speak about the view

One of our favorites (and I do think I speak for myself as for Carlos who joined me during this trip) was the Castel Ringberg Sauvignon with its fresh nose of minerals and green apples that definitely do not disappoint once you taste!! You’d be surprised how often a wine has a wonderful nose, but when you taste it its not what you hoped for… but in this case the taste was everything you’d hoped it to be 🙂 that’s also why we brought a box home :-). I do realize I can buy all those wines here in Belgium or anywhere else in the world for that matter…but you just get caught up in that moment that you just have to have it then and there 🙂 🙂 (a feeling we had quit a few times during this trip 🙂

Another wine that got our immediate attention was the Pinot Nero ‘Ludwig’ Aged for 14 months in half new oak and half old oak, its power is discreetly brought to the surface by subtle tannins and lively acidity. Perfumed, complex, elegant, it is drinkable now, but I guess a bit of aging wouldn’t hurt… so we’ll have to try not to touch those bottles we brought back home 😦

I can say for a fact that we couldn’t have imagined a better first day! A great lunch (with great wine), being around lovely beautiful ladies a whole afternoon (I don’t remember seeing to many men working at Elena Walch‘s estate) and finishing the day with a good piece of meat and some great red wine at the Schwarz Adler 🙂 What more do we need?? We also slept like babies as it had been a very very long day.

Next stop VERONA!!!

In case you would want more information on Elena Walch wines or where to buy them in Belgium you can contact Young Charly. For the rest of the world you can check the Elena Walch website or contact the Elena Walch estate directly

The top sommeliers of tomorrow

May 2, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

More than ever gastronomy is present in all our lives, you cannot turn on TV or you see a food related show. A part of gastronomy that seems to get a bit less attention is the beverage part… or so I thought!

As you might know next to the ‘senior’ competition for Best Belgian Sommelier the Gild of Sommeliers yearly organizes (already since the 70’s) Best Belgian Junior & Junior Commis sommelier. The junior competition is actually for students from the 6^th and 7^th year of high school (chef school) who do a specialization ‘beverage knowledge’. I was surprised about the turn-out of young students (accompanied by their teacher). What I also didn’t know is that Top sommeliers are like rock stars for the students 🙂 Really they wanted to go on the picture with some of the judging top sommeliers and get some tips and tricks 🙂 🙂 WHO KNEW…

Wanting to participate in a competition like this is already an accomplishment on its own. I mean it takes a lot of courage to stand in front of a whole group of people (fellow students and judges) and execute/answer your questions , especially knowing that most of the contestants don’t have lots experience yet… especially if you compare it with the participants of the ‘senior’ competition who have years of experience of working in general, but also from visiting lots of vineyards, etc…

Nevertheless the level of knowledge and know-how is very high amongst the students and it’s a stiff competition!! This year’s event was also for me the first time to be present for the finals as previous years I wasn’t able to make it. Something also nice to know that I found out while browsing through last year’s pictures is that last year’s participants of the 6^th year were participating this year in their 7^th year 🙂

Finalists 6th year 2015

Finalists 7th year 2016

What I did notice was that 5 of the 6 finalists were of the Ter Groene Poorte chef school… I don’t want to say that one school is better over the other, but it looks like the preparation at Ter Groene Poorte was done really well. Another thing that was remarkable was that 90% of contestants were women!! This means that women are finally catching up. It would also be great if more women would participate for the ‘Senior’ competition, but it seems in a few years they will.

The competition for the ‘Junior Commis’ exists out of 3 ‘tests’ with as special topic Languedoc and for the ‘Junior’ out of 5 ‘tests’ with special topic Portugal.

6^th year students had following questions:

Decant a white wine wine and serve this
Tell as much as possible about 2 wines and if participant knows he/she can say which one it is
Pair wines with a 4 course menu (+ appetizers) of 55EUR
- Appetizers
- Spring role + smoked mackerel + lemon herb + rucola
- Asian style sole rolls + gnocchi
- Lamb filet in filo pastry + green asparagus + gravy with sage

7^th year had following questions:

Serve champagne in accordance with good practices rules
Pair wines with a specific 4 course menu (+ appetizers)
- appetizers
- Terrine of rye wing + watercress coulis
- ‘Moscovite’ patato + sour cream
- ‘Black Angus’ filet + early vegetables + marrowbone
- Pineapple + coconut + sesamy
Decant a red wine
Describe 2 wines as good as possible and say which wine it is.
Recognize 3 alcoholic drinks

What makes a good sommelier a top sommelier, for me, is his/her presence and his/her knowledge about wine and the ‘Fingerspitzengefühl ‘…Nothing irritates me more then when I’m at a restaurant and you ask a sommelier for advice about which wine to take with a specific dish/meal that you can feel they’re just playing darts. Not that I need a sommelier to speak an hour about a wine he’s serving, but a little word on why he’s serving that wine doesn’t hurt anybody. Another important feature is daring to make the non-safe choice of wine and surprise your customer…instead of serving the classic option maybe go for something more funky or unknown (and still budget friendly). When I say this I always have to think of Dirk Niepoort that said some of his wines aren’t drinkable on their own, but work perfect with some dishes.

It wasn’t easy for the judges to quote the finalists, but they managed. The winners were:

6^th year Elise De Waele

7^th year: Yannih Paton (who insisted his school to subscribe him and came alone to the competition. Talking about willpower )

I’m looking forward to next year’s game!!

40 Years Young Charly

April 9, 2016April 9, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

A few weeks ago the ‘beau-monde’ from the wineworld gathered to celebrate the 40 years existence of Young Charly. It was 40 years ago that the Mortlmans family or better father Mortelmans opened his small wineshop in Merksem. Back then they only sold French wine. First of all because that was the wine country father Mortelmans loved, but also at that time in Belgium 95% of the wines drunk in Belgium were French. It was only upon arrival of son Mortelmans aka William that they broadened their selection with Italian, Spanish, Portuguese (to name a few) wines. In 40years Young Charly grew out into one of the biggest wine importers and sellers in Belgium, representing some of the most renowned wine estates around like Ornelaia, Gaja, Col d’orcia, Masi, etc…

I have known Young Charly whole my life, not always as a drinker though 🙂 At young age I remember always driving by the Young Charly shop in Merksem with my dad when going to a big supermarket further down the street or to look for Porcini mushrooms. As a wine drinker, I have to be honest I only started visiting their shop more often after a friend of mine started working there 🙂 So basically I have to thank this friend as thanks to Young Charly I discovered lots of wines that until then I only knew by name. To me what is important for a wineshop, is being guided before you do a purchase. I mean I usually buy wine according to a dish/meal I’ll be preparing and it is with that menu I go to the wine shop with the hope they’ll be able to help me finding a perfect match… With Young Charly I’ve always found that match!!

When I was asked to join this ‘beau-monde’ to celebrate the 40 years of Young Charly I didn’t need too much convincing after the mentioned it was at restaurant ‘t Fornuis (in Antwerp 1* since 80’s and an institute in Belgium) and that 4 top wine estates would be present. Basically a combo of top sommeliers, journalists, amazing food and unforgettable wines…

The 4 wine estates that were present were Niepoort, Col d’orcia, Artadi and Michel Chapoutier and they brought their best stuff 🙂 A sommelier’s meal wouldn’t be the same if they weren’t asked to taste everything blind and respond to some questions. From the wines of Artadi, Niepoort and Col d’orcia we had to guess the vintage, for Michel Chapoutier we knew the vintage, but we had to guess the ‘terroir’ 🙂 Could it become more difficult? In my case I have to admit that it was mostly guessing I did. I did always now which was the oldest and the youngest wines… but to really tell which vintage or even crazier the piece of land they come from was a bridge to far for me as I’m not a top sommelier like the others present 🙂

The wines we ended up tasting:

Niepoort: Batuta – 2010 – 2011 – 2012 – 2013 & Redoma 2014
Artadi: Viña el Pison – 1998 – 2007 – 2010 – 2012
Michel Chapoutier: Ermitage 2012 : Les Greffieux – Le Méal – Le Pavillion – L’ermite Hermitage: Chante -Alouette – 2014
Col d’orcia: Poggio al vento – 1990-1995-1999-2006

Although all the wines were good, there is always that wine you prefer over the others. Which in my case were the Batuta 2013; the Ermitage Le Méal; Viña el Pison 2007 and the Col d’orcia 1995 🙂 .Strange enough you also immediately find out the people sharing the same taste pallet as you. The funniest tasting or revealing of the wines we tasted was without any doubt the one from Niepoort. I like Dirk Niepoort a lot, I have never met a wine enthusiast as big as him. Besides making lots of different types of official wines, he also has countless projects running besides that and on top of that he supports lots of new young wine markers trying to find their way through the world of winery. His comments of this wines were basically that he didn’t like any of the wines he brought 🙂 🙂 but said that even though some of the wines were bad, they matched perfectly with the food they were served with :-). Again, he’s a wonderful person who love wine and has it running through his vanes like no other :-).

The fact that this celebration was at restaurant ‘t Fornuis was special to me as the restaurant has been on my list for a loooooooong long time, but never managed to get there. The restaurant serves classic Belgian/French cuisine from the highest level using the best ingredients available!! The might seem simple to the eye, but I can say for a fact that never to judge a book by its cover as sometimes the simple things are the most difficult to make.

We started with a ‘crab salad’, followed by surf and turf 🙂 leek with sweetbread, langoustine and truffle sausage. The main course was a fancy chicken (I forgot which one it was :-)) with Morel mushrooms and chicken kidneys. We finished our meal with crema catalana and a lemon meringue. If there is a heaven I hope they serve all of this (including the wines 😉 )!! It all tasted heavenly. I always love dishes with deep flavors in it!!

The only thing I don’t like about meals/events like this with winemakers? I end up liking the wines very much, buying them and in the end going on a wine trip to visit the wineries 🙂 eeeeeeeeeevery time again… I need more holiday to visit all of them and more room to store the wines 😉 😉

It was again amazing to be part of something this wonderful!! I can’t wait for Young Charly to celebrate its 50 years anniversary 🙂

Website Young Charly: http://www.young-charly.com/

Sommelier themed lunch: Italy vs. USA

March 9, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / 2 Comments

To yearly tradition I was present at the Zonin sommelier themed lunch. This lunch is basically the Zonin wine estate bringing together Top sommeliers for a blind wine tasting to talk about the wines served during a lunch in a great restaurant. An event they do in lots of countries all over the world. I can hear you think that this seems like a way to promote Zonin wines, which in some way is correct, but in last editions they also served non-Zonin wines. What I maybe should have also mentioned is that all sommeliers write down their thoughts on every wine, give it a score and as it is a blind tasting guess which wine it is and its vintage. Afterwards they collect all the answers and see how they would be able to improve their wines. So you could see it as a Marketing strategy, but I rather see it as a case study to improve your products! That some wines getting served are being liked and turn up on the sommeliers wine list is a plus and a compliment to the winemakers or better a sign that they made very good end product.

This year’s sommelier themed lunch took place at Le Chalet de la forêt in the green part of Brussels. Last time I was here I enjoyed my meal, but wasn’t blown away, this time however I did get blow away. Not sure what the ‘problem’ was last time, but I became a big fan after this lunch!! This year the lunch theme was to distinguish the Italian from the American Zonin wines. They would serve wines from both countries, made from the same grape, and it was up to us to say which one was from one of their Italian estates and which one from their Virginia estate. I must admit we got surprised in a positive way a couple of times. To support what I said earlier, they don’t even sell their Virginia wines outside the US and UK :-). Anyhow it was a fun afternoon amongst friends as I know most of the sommeliers present and of course Lorenzo Zonin, whose daughter has 10 days difference with mine 🙂 (10 day older if I’m right)

I do know that I’m not a top sommelier or a sommelier like the other people at the table, but I like good food, good wine and I love talking about it 🙂 AND I have learned a lot over the last few years from the others at the table.

All of this said, after some great finger food it was time to start our lunch with a Gamberoni tartar with cold consommé and Oscietra caviar. A pleasure for the taste buds because of the little spiciness from the tartar and freshness from fish and citrus. I started my lunches in worse ways 🙂 . FYI I did take pictures of my own, but I chose to use some from the photographer Pascal Hermans as nothing beats pictures of a real photographer!! I’m sure you’ll which ones are mine and which ones aren’t 🙂

As for the wines being served with this dish I was 98% sure when tasting which one it was, Vermentino, as I thought remembering it from visiting some of the Zonin estates last year. Funny enough I was right about the wines, but the one I thought was Italian was from Virginia and vice versa. I was confused by the typical ‘vementino’ scent and thought this could only come from Italy, as the other one was more floral, fresh/fruity. I personally enjoyed or better I wouldn’t mind having a few bottles from the Vermentino from the Rocca di Montemasi estate for this summer.

If only the blind tasting would continue this way, I would definitely recognize more easily 🙂 But they made it harder 🙂 instead of 2 we got 4 glasses of wines from 2 different blends… oooooh boy 😦 These 4 wines that were the pairing with a signature Chalet dish: Noirmoutier sole “forêt” with parsnip, champagne butter and truffle. A piece of art in a plate that you don’t want to destroy 🙂 but glad I did it as it was njammy.

As for the wines, like mentioned they made it harder by putting 4 glasses instead of 2. Admitted that they helped us a bit letting us know that there was Viognier and Chardonnay. Up to us to decide which ones and also from which country and their vintage 🙂

I didn’t found out which wines were viognier and which chardonnay, but that’s where it stopped for me 🙂

Up to the reds, here again 4 glasses 🙂 Tips here were that there were 2 ‘Bordeaux’ like blends, 1 Sangiovese and 1 Nebbiolo. The Nebbiolo I distinguished pretty fast due to it specific more orange color.. The same for the Sangiovese due to its specific nose (don’t know how to explain it), but also because it is one of my favorite red wines from the Zonin estates aka the Il Solatio . This gave me a little push in the back to find out which ones were the ‘Bordeaux’ like blends. When they revealed the wines, I must say I was surpised to find out the Nebbiolo was a ‘Barolo’ from Virginia!! I would have sworn it was a blend from Italy. I’m also sure I wasn’t the only one!!

I almost forgot, these wines were served with the half wild duck (not sure which half 🙂 🙂 ) with fruited fennel and gravy (no, not your average meat gravy). I remember once a famous Michelin Star chef telling me what the perfect dish was: ‘when somebody finishes its plate and wants an other one exactly like it, that’s the perfect this’. This duck, was one of those dishes that if I could have, I would have 🙂 The meat melted like butter and the gravy had a some of that American BBQ taste in it that we all love (I think it’s called calories ;-)). No seriously, mind blowing dish!!

The cherry or frosting on the cake was the dessert that was specially given as they found out Lorenzo was a chocoholic 🙂 and it was of the same level as the previous dish with the big difference being that a second dish of this would kill you 🙂 🙂 and you’d be condemned on having a nap in the restaurant 😉

And as if the chocolate wasn’t yet a step close enough to heaven, they paired with it what is for me that best vin santo I have ever tasted, the vin santo from Castello d’albolla!! They served just like the other wines that we didn’t know what it was, but you could guess that one out of a thousand.

It was again, like previous times a wonderful lunch!! I’ve learned and enjoyed at the same time. Special thanks to Lorenzo Zonin and the Chalet de la Forêt team (with their to Sommelier Cesar Roman) for making this all happen.

In case you would have more question about Zonin wines, please contact Hasselt Millesime as they can tell you everything about it!!

It’s all about making good choices

February 2, 2016February 2, 2016 / dolcevitaspinelli / Leave a comment

When I used to work for my previous employer I used to have more days off of work… so when I now get invited for a lunch I have to choose wisely, as I also need to days for when my baby girl gets sick 🙂 So I don’t just want to take a day off to afterwards regret I took one. A few days ago I choose well joining the lunch with the winemakers of Masi at the Bocconi restaurant that is located in the Amigo hotel (one of if not THE fanciest hotel in Brussels/Belgium – last time I was here, was to hang with my friends from the P!nk band). It was a good decision as Masi is producer of my favorite wines, the Valpolicella wines with as their top wine the “Amarone” (which has same status as a Barolo or Brunello di montalcino). When arriving at the lunch I was even more convinced I made a good choice of joining as when arriving I found out the lunch was themed “Amarone lunch” 🙂 🙂 so basically “Amarone” served throughout the whole meal with exception of the aperitif and 1 white wine. I can say for a fact that I already had worse drinks during lunch 😉

It is also always nice when tasting a wine to have the winemakers in front of you! They can tell you anecdotes or stories about how a wine is made or were it found its origin. This time it was not different. During our lunch we were joined by Raffaele & Giacomo Boscaini members of family that owns Masi. Also at our table, 2 Belgian top sommeliers Gianluca di Taranto(The Jane) and Bram van der Aa (previously Pazzo). So enough knowledge around one table for me to learn many new things.

What I personally like about Amarone or Valpolicella in general, is the notions of cherries in it (this is also why I like drinking Merlot wines because of the red fruit flavors) that give the wine a touch of sweetness and fruitiness. Obviously depending on the producer of the wine the fruitiness, etc… will differ, but it will always be in there 🙂 During this lunch I was fortunate enough to taste 6 Amarone wines from 1988, 1990, 1995 and 3 from 1997 and what surprised me is the freshness of these wines. I mean when you think of a 30 your old wine, you think of the total opposite of fresh and 1 glass would be more than enough…

The 6 Amaroni we tasted:

1988 – Masi Costasera Amarone
1990 – Masi Costasera Amarone
1995 – Masi Costasera Amarone
1997 – Vaio Serego Alighieri
1997 – Amarone Cantina Privata – Campolongo di trobe
1997 Amarone Cantina Privata – Mazzano

All 6 were obviously mind blowing, but everybody unanimously agreed that the 1990 Amarone was the favorite of the day! Elegant, velvety wine at the top of it game very soft and round in the mouth… in Belgium we have a saying for how good this wine was “like and angel peeing on your tongue”!! Like I said earlier, not one of these six wines had a disturbing heavy taste you might expect from wines this age, rather round well balanced wines. Every time I drink a good Amarone (or Valpolicella) I always remember why I like them so much 🙂 I could also keep talking about how good and wonderful they are, but I just don’t know enough words and I do think you get my point… The plans for another trip to Verona are getting more real than ever before (FYI, this last sentence is for my wife 😉 😉 )

I do also want to say a few words about the 1 sparkling and 1 white wine we had as I personally didn’t know Masi had sparkling wine 🙂 . For the sparkling wine Masi opted instaid of buying land and start growing their own grapes to join their forces with an existing winery making sparkling and white wines. In this case it was the small estate of Bossi Fedrigotti that is located in the Trento region. Masi doesn’t have the ambition to start mass production of sparkling or white wines, but this is rather completing their wine range by adding high quality white and sparkling wines… which to my opinion they certainly achieved with Bossi Fedrigotti as I think they share the same vision as Masi “better less but good, than a lot and not as good”. From the sparkling wine aka Conte Federico for example there are only produced around 10.000 bottles… but if you get hold of a bottle do try it! I’m sure my wife would be a fan of this bubbles, easy to drink, no disturbing bubbles and a bit of fruitiness…

The Bossi Fedrigotti white wine was a very special blend that if they’d tell you, you wouldn’t believe it. The Vign’asmara (the wine’s name) is a blend of chardonnay with traminer :-). To say it Masi’s own words: “The pronounced perfumes of the Traminer grape, a typical Trentino variety, are combined in an unusual and innovative way with international Chardonnay flavours. Ageing in French oak casks enhances the elegance and the personality of this wine”… I couldn’t say it better myself.

You might have noticed that I didn’t talk about the food yet, but during this lunch it were the wines that played the main role! The food was nice, nothing too complicated… Just some good food to accompany the wines. As the wines were strong, you the dishes also had to be of a stronger kind. We started with a Risotto with radicchio and Montasio cheese. This dish was followed by a beef roast with polenta and broccoli. We finished with an apple dessert and mint ice cream. Sorry I must rephrase, we actually finished with a ristretto coffee… one person actually would have preferred drinking a cappuccino, but after hearing (at the table among the Italians) it was not done to have a cappuccino after 14h, he (non Italian) didn’t dare to take one 🙂 🙂

I had a wonderful lunch and am looking forward to visit the Masi winery!! I could have saved you a lot of reading by just saying in 1 sentence the wine was great 🙂 but you know by now how enthousiastic me gets 🙂 In case you have more questions about Masi wines or want to purchase them in Belgium, please contact Young Charly

Soon more about the Masi Wine estate (after my winery visit 🙂 :-))

Spanish premium style bubbles

November 6, 2015 / dolcevitaspinelli / 1 Comment

When people talk about Cava wine they always feel the need to compare it with Champagne (the same goes for Spumante or Prosecco). They mostly also see Cava (or prosecco or Spumante or any other sparkling wine) as an inferior product compared to Champagne. To my opinion the only things they have in common is the way they get produced and the fact they both have bubbles in them… besides that it are products that have their own style with their own identity and characteristics. That one prefers drinking Champagne over Cava (or another sparkling wine) or vice versa is a matter of taste and preference for a particular style (or that’s what it should be, not just because of the name of a product). This doesn’t mean I don’t like Champagne, I’m just saying there is more than only Champagne 🙂

A few weeks ago I joined a dinner hosted by the Spanish Ambassador to get to know the top segment of Spanish bubbles aka Premium Cava’s. The choice of restaurant for this dinner at ‘Le Chalet de la fôret’ didn’t come as an entire surprise knowing the restaurant recently added a new TOP member to their team. After working 4 beautiful years at the legendary restaurant ‘Comme Chez Soi’ my dear friend César Roman decided it was time for something new and joined the 2 Michelin starred restaurant ‘Le Chalet de la fôret’s team. I cannot imagine a better ‘ambassador’ for Spanish wines than César, he’s one very proud Spanish person 🙂 (who can blame him?). César’s aim at ‘Le Chalet de la fôret’ is making their wine cellar the most beautiful/best in Belgium…

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Did you know the following things about Cava? Did you know that yearly there are produced around 241 million bottles on over 33 352 hectares of land ? With 97% of the land being in the Sant Sadurni d’Anoia region, basically the area around Barcelona (to keep it simple). It also seem that Belgians are on the most important cava drinkers. There are 3 kinds of Cava: Cava (around 9 months of aging), Cava Reserva (around 15 months of aging)and Cava Gran Reserva (around 30 months of aging)? Of the 241 million bottles I mentioned before 30 million are considered as Premium cava which are Special Cuvées, Reserva’s and Gran Reserva’s….

The biggest “problem” during the dinner was keeping up the pass :-). There were about 10 different Cava’s served during our 5 course meal. It might not seem a lot, but you would be surprised…. You probably think I will say I loved every Cava we were served during the dinner, to that I say no! There were some I preferred over others, but this doesn’t mean they weren’t good, they just were not my cup of tea… (of course not, you were having Cava not tea 😉 OK, bad joke). We started and ended in the same way, with beautiful bubbles 🙂

Just FYI the full list of cava’s we tasted:

2012 Microcosmos by Llopart (rosé)
2013 Privat Brut Nature Reserva by Alta Alella
2012 Reina Maria Cristina Vintage Brut Reserva by Codorniu
2012 Carles Andreu Reserva Brut (rosé) by Carles Andre
2006 Casa Sala Gran Reserva by Freixenet
2008 Gran Claustro Gran Reserva by Perelada
2005 La Capella Gran Reserva by Juvé & Camps
2010 Núria Claverol by Sumarroca
2004 Particular de Recaredo Gran Reserva by Recaredo
2013 Subirat Parent Brut Reserva by Vilarnau

My preferred Cava’s of the night were the 2010 Núria Claverol by Sumarroca because of its complex brioche/almond/ smokey aroma’s with citrus accents and even hinds of pear… basically a rich cava with refined buttery touches 🙂 (butter = good). Fun fact, the bottles of the Núria are numbered… Another favorite is the 2012 Maria Del Mar Brut Nature Gran Reserva by Pere Ventura that has a ‘creamy’ texture with more or less the fruity accents as the previous one, but this time more herbal tones as well. Next in my favorites list would be the 2004 Reserva Particular by Recaredo. I notice loads of tropical fruits, ‘jammed’ citrus (like a marmalade), fresh bakery accents with sweet spices with a very fresh and pleasant elegance with a medium long after taste… simply beautiful!! Last but not least the 2013 Subirat Parent Brut Reserva by Vilarnau. The last one is one that I think is the biggest ‘everybody’s friend’ of the whole evening as the other cava’s were more complex and therefor more special… The Vilarnau had a very fruity (lycee, peach) smell, the taste reminded me a bit of a tropical fruit salad 🙂 basically a very pretty and distinctive wine. I was surprised that eventhough of the premium Cava’s came from bigger Bodegas, they were not of lower quality!! SO basically size doesn’t seem to matter in Spain 🙂 😉 (just pointing out the facts)

As we ate at a lovely restaurant like Le Chalet de la fôret something must also be said about the food?! In general you can say that ever dish looks like a picture and you can see the advanced way of cooking from the first look you give to the plate…however you do see that the chefs knows his basics as they come back in every dish (you need to know the basics before you can start experimenting). The first dish one the menu was (after some appetizers) a grilled cadoret Oyster from Bretagne, buckwheat and iodée vinaigrette, followed by a seabass (line caught) salisfy, Jerusalem artichoke and a Xarel-Lo sauce . To continue with pheasant breast with white truffle, foie gras sauce, pumpkin variation and sautéed ceps. Followed by a melted Old Bruges cheese. To finish with a chocolate dessert with mushrooms. Yes mushrooms 🙂 I must admit that this was the strangest dish of all and not really my thing, but i finished it anyhow

The dish that after 2 weeks is still the first image that pops in my head when thinking of Le Chalet is the pheasant breast with white truffle, foie gras sauce, pumpkin variation and sautéed ceps. Maybe for that reason the Cava served with this (Particular de Recaredo Gran Reserva by Recaredo) was one of my favorites? Who knows 🙂

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The dinner wouldn’t end perfect without all the ‘friandises’ aka sweets that come with the coffee 🙂 The chefs have outdone themselves as I like every piece of the assortment 🙂 🙂

An evening to remember!! In case you would want more info on Cava don’t hesitate to contact the Cava Rugulatory board as they will be able to answer all you questions 🙂

Spinelli's Dolce Vita

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