JAN ‘23 Newsletter
With all this rain making life difficult for us city dwellers, I am reminded of how important precipitation is in the mountains. Above, a photo of vineS owned by the producer Pelisero in Barbaresco. Winter is a crucial time for vines, as they seek to build up reserves for the warmer months. Heavy snow fall can also help sustain dormancy, providing vines enough rest for the upcoming growing season. On the flip side, too little snow will reduce the ground water and leave vines searching for H2O in the summer. This is a delicate balance and can easily turn on a dime, especially during the spring months when vines must awaken and begin the process of bud break. Too much rain or hail can damage this cycle or worse, prevent it for occurring altogether. So, as we all deal with the deluge (not today apparently) remember to look to the mountains, smile and hope a beautiful harvest will result.
I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and beginning of January. December was by far the busiest month for Bottivino, especially with tailored gifts for business and private tastings. This brings to mind resolutions for the New Year, so here are a few I am looking to address and remedy in 2023: Build an amazing subscription program for my regular clientele… Start the process of searching for a brick and mortar space to settle my program... Take my Italian language comprehension to the next level… Visit appellations I have never been to: Lamole (Tuscany), Valle Isarco (Alto-Adige) and Dolceaqua (Liguria)
All doable as far as I am concerned. Time to practice the art of visualization. It will happen! As for this month, lets get into some education and retail offerings…
THIS MONTH: Classes for the Public, 3 Whites, January Savings
PUBLIC CLASSES
First, and perhaps the most exciting, is a new slate of classes open to the general public! I am sharing an amazing tasting room in Temescal, Oakland, with local winery Prima Materia. This is a perfect spot to bring my educational program back. I have created 3 new classes beginning at the end of this month through February, all available for purchase on Eventbrite. Follow the link for all the details, including venue, wines and what to expect.
THE WHITES
I love Italian whites, even though they get a bad rep when compared to Burgundy and Loire in France. To push back on this perception, I shine a light on 3 absolutely gorgeous whites from the north of Italy. Villa Papiano’s skin contact Albana, Malvira’s historic Renesio bottling, and Braida’s single-vineyard Nascetta. Each claims a special place in the world of Italian whites, even if they don’t know it yet. Looks out France!
Villa Papiano Albana ‘Terra’
Let’s begin in Emilian Romagna, the gastronomical center of Italian cuisine. Villa Papiano is a small estate located in the hills of Mondigliana, run by the Bordini family. Among their many wines is this skin-contact Albana, an unsung hero for Italian whites. Albana was the first white to achieve a DOCG status, which is a curious turn of events for this obscure varietal. It is not hard to imagine why with Papiano’s version, which spends near 3 months on the skins and is aged in terracotta. It shows honeysuckle, lemon confit and yellow apple, alongside a distinct ‘orange wine’ expression without the deep color or the funk. A perfect pairing for a late Sunday breakfast.
Malvira Arneis ‘Renesio’
Then, we head to an historic vineyard in the Roero of Piemonte. Renesio, where the name of this grape was literally coined (Re-nesio = Arneis). Planted in 1400’s, this old vineyard was resuscitated by the Damonte family in 1985, who turned it into one of the finest Cru’s for Arneis, second perhaps to Giovanni Almondo or Vietti. Renesio showcases a different side to this grape: think wild flowers, fresh minerals, under-ripe stone fruit and lychee, all laying against a slight petrol-driven finish. There is a midpalate here that will cling to fuller proteins such as Spaghetti alla Vongole, fish Papillote and other dishes inspired by the sea. Just incredible!
Braida Nascetta ‘Serra della Fiore’
Finally, to a small vineyard known as Serra della Fiore, where the Bologna family has been producing Piedmont’s new local hero Nascetta. An indigenous white grape to the region of Barolo, Nascetta shows more of a medium body than the previous wines, with a distinct lemon and chamomile-like aroma. Planted with friends from Barolo, the Fratelli Giacosa crew in 1998, Briada makes one of the fuller versions of Nascetta, relying on the grapes soft texture to shine through. Let’s bump up the pairings to pasta made with egg sauce (Carbonara), poultry and pork.
LAST OF THE MOHICANS
It’s time for a little office cleaning! During which, I discovered a collection of one-off’s languishing on the racks. Time to move the old out for the new! For this month, I am discounting the following wines 15-20% off in order to make way for new vintages and producers.
That about wraps it up for January. As always, don’t hesitate to reach out for any wine pairings, retail suggestions, or private wine education. I specialize in curating unique wine experiences, sort of like traveling to a new place without leaving the comforts of home or the office.
Salute!
P.S. I am working on a special Beer deep-dive and a retrospective class on the wines of Portugal… stay tuned!
