Posted on February 27, 2012
I fall in love every two minutes (at least I hope the Italian grandfather I recruited to translate the phrase is accurate…) These words were spoken to me by a captivating and handsome young Italian young man at one of my many stops along the tasting tables at Tre Bicchiere in Chicago last week. Naturally, I was smitten not only with him…but the wines I tasted that afternoon…
Tre Bicchieri literally means “three glasses”. In this case, the catalyst of Tre Bicchieri World Tour 2012 are those at Gambero Rosso, the influential Italian food and wine magazine. Over 20,000 wines were tasted by the Gambero Rosso panels (and if they need any help next year, please call me…) and 375 labels attained the status of Vini d’Italia which is the hightest category. Those labels were invited to take place in the tour which this year included venues in New York City and San Francisco. Everyone I met, from fellow wine writers to sommeliers, winemakers, distributors, and wine afficianados, was friendly, informative, and gracious.
Italy is a wine lover’s paradise. Thanks to newer, more advanced viticultural techniques, a broader based knowledge of what people want around the globe (yes, we are in a market driven world in case you haven’t noticed), and the firm belief that Italian winemaking must stay true to their cultural heritage, the wines from Italy are food friendly (now that’s an understatement), varied due to its different geography, and can be enjoyed by everyone and at every price point. Because I tasted so many delicious wines, I’m going to make this post the first of two (the second of which will be on Thursday, March 1) and will focus on one area of Italy which is not on the usual wine radar because, you know, we need more “grape experiences”~
You wouldn’t normally think of the island of Sardinia (Sardegna) as a wine making area, but it is producing wine with incredible charm. Sardinia is not an area of Italy where wine was originally part of the culture – it is separated from the mainland. The varietals found there have stronger Spanish and French origins and include the black grapes: Cannona, a clone of Grenache, Carignano, Cabernet Sauvignon, Bobal, and white grapes: Malvasia, Vermentino, Muscato Bianco. I honestly feel that this area, especially after tasting their Vermentino di Gallura DOCG and a wine with 100% Carignan grapes, has enormous potential if the public is willing to open their minds and embrace something new. The Italian government is giving money to wineries on the island as incentive to carry on their winemaking endeavors.
The alluring young man mentioned above (and in the video below) is Emanuele Ragnedda who works with his father, Mario, owner of Capichera Vineyards on the island. The website includes their story, beautiful photos, and a description of their wines. At Tre Bicchieri, I enjoyed three wines from Capichera, the only winery from Sardinia at the event…Tasting notes for the three follow.
**2010 Vigna’ngena - 100% Vermentino grapes were used in this wine. Its color was pale yellow and had floral aromas of orange blossom and iris (yes, springtime in Chicago!), as well as fruit such as golden apples and some minerality. On the palate, the high acidity and fruit were predominant and led to a lingering finish. As a bonus, Emanuele Ragnedda was gracious enough to let me record him on my iPad while describing this wine. I only have about twenty seconds recorded after editing…the cavernous Grand Hall of Union Station was not conducive to a casual iPad interview, but you should enjoy it nonetheless. And just in case you can’t understand what he is saying…”Hi, this is Emanuele Ragnedda from Capichera Winery. Today we have three of our wines. The first one is the winner of the Tre Bicchieri which is Vigna’ngena and it’s our Vermentino made in stainless steel tanks.” I added the quotes so you could concentrate on his adorable dimples the wine bottle. And I’m really sorry about his name being spelled incorrectly on the video..I’ll be fixing that this week~
**2009 Vendemmia Tardiva – This is the first Vermentino and first white Sardinian wine to be fermented in barrels (barriques). It is made from 100% Vermentino grapes which were late harvested from Capichera’s own vineyards. It is yellow with some gold and has intense aromas of lemon, honey, and lavender. I tasted ripe fruit with more honey and citrus and the finish was very satisfying. The V.T. received “two glasses” as the award for “very good to excellent wines in their respective categories”.
**2007 Mantenghja - The word “Mantenghja” is an ancient blessing in the Gallurese dialect and this wine may be a wonderful expression of what Sardinian wines are all about. Made with 100% Carignano (Carignan) grapes, the color in the glass was deep ruby. The concentrated aromas showed lush red and black berries with coffe, chocolate, and mint! After some sips, that cold Chicago afternoon was forgotten~ the wine’s full bodied warmth with juicy, ripe fruit and luscious mouthfeel was a perfect way to end my day!
Mi innamoro ongi due minute…Cheers to that! ~ Cindy
Tags: carignan, carignano, vermentino
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