"Forgotten" grapes of Italy

Last week, I wrote about the Wine Century Club. Since then, I have had a number of people contact me about how to get started. It is actually pretty easy. Download their list of grapes, and start trying wines that contain those grapes. Okay….maybe it isn’t that easy. You really need some background, preferably through wine classes, or local wine tasting clubs. While we are seeing more and more unusual, or forgotten, grapes in the United States, the Old World still has the lock on the availability.

This week, I am conducting a wine tasting of Italian wines. As the president and Sommelier for the Arrowhead Wine Enthusiasts, I get to choose the wines to serve.  Italy offers a never ending supply of forgotten grapes.

Before it was known as Italy, the country was known as Oenotria (due to its’ abundant vineyards). Many of those grapes were brought to the region by the ancient Greeks, and the mysterious Etruscan people (thought to be the refuges of the fallen city of Troy).  There are literally thousands of grape varieties in Italy, but Italy's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, has only documented a bit over 350 grapes and granted them "authorized" status.  With DOC and DOCG regulations, only a handful of grapes are really known by most wine drinkers. Chianti (Sangiovese), Barolo (Nebbiolo) and Soave (Garganega) are probably the best known.

So, when it comes to Italian wine tastings, the door is open…as long as I can find the wines (not easy). This week, I was lucky. While I still have the “standard” Barolo, I was able to find some less common wines.

Vermentino

Italy isn’t really known for its white wines, other than Pinto Grigio or Soave, but that might be changing. The first wine in my tasting is Cherchi Pigalva Vermentino di Sardegna 2013. This white wine from the island of Sardegna is 100% Vermentino. The color is straw yellow and has aromas of apple and white flower. It is dry and has moderate plus acidity. 

Pigato

The second wine is La Ginestraia Pigato Riviera Ligure di Ponente 2013. The white wine is from the Liguria region and is 100% Pigato. This is where things get interesting! If you check Jancis Robinson’s reference book, “Wine Grapes”, you’ll find that DNA evidence now shows that Pigato and Vermentino are the same grape. And for those registering their tastings for membership in the Wine Century Club, they are listed as separate grapes. Tasting them side by side, they do taste different. Pigato has more pear, apricot and hazelnut aromas. Is it the terroir or they just different expressions of the same grape?

Susumaniello

There is no argument about two of the red wine choices. For the first red, I am serving a Rubino Oltreme Susumaniello Salento IGT Rosso 2012. This wine is produced from 100% Susumaniello, and is grown exclusively in the southern region of Puglia. Susumaniello has most commonly been used as a blending grape for the better known grape of Puglia: Negroamaro. The wine is ruby red, and has aromas of red fruit: cherry,raspberry and red plum. The tannins can sometimes be a bit rough, but this version has soft tannins, and is fairly elegant.

Pugnitello

The second red wine is Corte alla Flora Pugnitello Toscana 2011. This Tuscan wine is 100% Pugnitello. Since Tuscany is home to the famous Chianti wines, which are made from the Sangiovese grape, it is no surprise that Pugnitello was long thought to be a clone of Sangiovese or Montepulciano, but recent DNA analysis has shown that the grape is its’ own variety. This grape was almost lost, but in the 1980’s, “rescuers” saved the variety, and in 1993, the first barrels of 100% Pugnitello where produced.  Historical evidence suggests that the grapes name comes from the Italian word for “fist” (pugno), the shape of the grape clusters. The wine is deeply colored, with aromas of rich fruit: black cherry, prune, cranberry and hints of clove and tobacco. 

To finish the tasting, I do have to bring in one of my favorite Italian wines, Barolo. The last wine is an Oddero Barolo 2009. I have written about the Nebbiolo grape in the past, so won’t spend time recapping it here.

With a simple five wine, Italian tasting, we have covered five (if you count Nebbiolo) “forgotten” grapes. When you add these to your Wine Century Club list, you will be well on your way to reaching 100 grape varieties. And, hopefully you will find a new variety that will become a favorite.

Two out of Five

This week, the Arrowhead Wine Enthusiasts met for a tasting of five wines. There was no particular theme, except for what I felt like purchasing. I always try to provide some standard wines, to get the non-adventurous comfortable, but also throw in some grapes that are less familiar.

This night, I provided five wines:

Val Do Sosego Albarino Rias Baixas, Spain 2010

Louis Jadot Pouilly Fuisse, France, 2010

Cardwell Hill Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Oregon, 2009

L.A. Cetto Nebbiolo Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico 2008

Apex Merlot Yakima Valley, Washington 2009

Most everyone was familiar with the Pouilly Fuisse. This white wine (100% Chardonnay) from the Maconnais district of Burgundy, in France, is fairly well known among wine drinkers.  Louis Jadot is my “go to” for wines from the region, particularly in the “around $20” range, as there are plenty of choices, but no guarantees of quality. I haven’t had a bad bottle from Louis Jadot.

The Cardwell Hill Pinot Noir was the “best buy” of the night, and the obvious favorite, as we ran out of this wine early on. A very nice Pinot Noir. Light in color, with a lot of finesse. Good fruit, but also some of that earthy quality that makes Pinot Noir such a great wine.  And, at $22, you just can’t beat the price.

The Apex Merlot was another crowd pleaser. Very smooth tannins, but with good body and fruit. I think people are warming back up to Merlot, since the movie Sideways devastated sale.

Where things got interesting was with the two other wines. First, the Val Do Sosego Albarino was a new grape to many of the members in attendance. I have served Albarino before, but it still remained “new” to many. For those not familiar with the grape, it is a white variety,  mainly found in the northwest corner of Spain, in Galicia, as well as in northern Portugal, where it is known as Alvarinho. We are also seeing some show up in Central California. The wine is generally high in acid, making it a wonderful  wine for seafood. This night, it paired well with asparagus wrapped with prosciutto, as well as the pizza with white sauce and caramelized onion. The wine has nice peach, apple blossom, and citrus notes, and a bit of minerality.

The other unusual find of the night was from Mexico. First, the shock of finding a Mexican wine in California (even though they are just across the border, we don’t see too many up here). Secondly, that the grape was Nebbiolo. Those that have tried Barolo or Barbaresco, should be familiar with this grape, and the powerful wines that are produced in Italy. So, how does Mexico do with Italian grapes? Pretty well based on the groups’ response. As it happens, Senior Cetto was originally from Italy, and brought this red grape with him. At first glance, you’d think you were about to drink a Pinot Noir, based on the semi-transparent red wine in the glass. Then, the earthy cherry, and leather, with a bit of tannins hits you, and you know you are trying something different. Old world in style, but made in the New World (yes, Mexico is considered a new world wine country). At $17, this was another best buy for the night.

As I have suggested many times before, venture out and try new wines. The one thing about wine tasting is there are literally thousands of wines and grape varieties to try. All of them are different, and with each new vintage, you get to start all over again.