Layne’s Wine Gig Presents
ITALY
By Layne V. Witherell
Judy and I have reveled in the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics by both watching various events and enjoying multiple selections of Italian wines over the past month. Here are our favorites, the gold medal winners.
FANTINI PECORINO, TERRE D’ABRUZZO, 2024, $14.99
We paired this wine with Chef Sid’s latest offerings of fresh homemade pasta kits. This delivery included beet ravioli in spicy lemon butter, cavatelli with lemon-pistachio pesto, and rigatoni Cacio e Pepe. Each kit comes with all the ingredients and directions needed to cook these delights at home. Check out Fusillo Maine for the latest menu and delivery schedule. There is nothing like culinary authenticity to put you in the mood to enjoy these wines.
The problem with the grape called Pecorino is that when you Google it the definition immediately reverts to Pecorino, the famous cheese. Our poor under the radar vine from lesser regions of the Marches and Abruzzo hasn’t yet reached the wine podium consciousness. It should. By Italian grape growing standards, the lowly 215 acres planted is less than a drop in the giant bucket that is Italy.
With our dishes it was all minerals and dry herbal flavors to enjoy with each bite. Legend has it that it was a wild grape that became domesticated over the centuries.
This is simply a wonderful entry level Pecorino. It begs you to step up to the super stars of the grape: Umani Ronchi from Abruzzo, Cirelli (fermented in an amphora), Tiberio (sounds Imperial), and the divine Emidio Pepe. Life beyond Pinot Grigio, as the lemon tang of flavor of the grape pairs effortlessly with the dishes. Look out for them or ask for them in your stores and on wine lists.
Under the radar usually translates to a great deal. We simply need to drink more Pecorino.
DUCHESSALIA NEBBIOLO D’ALBA, 2021, $22.00
Alba is in that wonderland in northern Italy called the Piedmont. It is simply a place that produces some of the world’s most captivating wines. Names that roll off your tongue (and roll over your credit card) include Barolo, Barbaresco, and Langhe.
The best news about the Piedmont region is that it is both versatile and prolific regarding its wines. Want an everyday cheapo for eight bucks with your pizza? There is either Dolcetto or Barbera grapes. You might even find one wrapped in a straw basket. Light, acidic, and flavorful to cut through the tomato sauce.
Then there is the “big boy” grape Nebbiolo. The name comes from nebbio or fog. Usually this refers to either the persistent fog of the region or the bloom that appears on the grapes. Take your choice.
When you buy a Nebbiolo based wine you are paying for its zip code as the grape is “very fussy about soils” (Jancis Robinson – wine writer). Fussy about soils means that a wine from the Alba region from a top producer — say Vietti — will run you several hundred bucks a bottle. A Barbaresco from the great Angelo Gaja will run you the month’s rent or mortgage payment. In the case of these two producers you really do get what you pay for.
This little guy is good, especially for the money. It has that classic “tar and roses” flavor of the grape, plus some tannin that stands up to your best Osso Bucco or Pecorino (the cheese not the wine). It’s a hint of what Nebbiolo land is supposed to taste like. Dry, elegant and robust with lots of flavor for the money.
Then there is the absolute ringer:
ALOIS LAGEDER MISTO MARE BIANCO, VIGNETI DELLE DOLOMITI, 2024, $17.99
I bought this in a local wine specialty store based on the theory that “you simply can’t say no to this brilliant, outrageous label.” I knew the producer from the fact that he makes lovely unoaked Chardonnays from the north of Italy (close to the site of the Olympics — a bonus).
Alto Adige was once a part of Austria and, although now Italian, still seems Germanic in their food, wines, languages, and customs. What do you eat? Why of course speck-salted and cold smoked pork that is like pancetta.
The thing that floors me about this amazing top of the podium Italian wine blend is the layers of complexity for dollars spent. You must taste and let your brain run loose to figure it all out.
It is a field blend. In California the original Italian settlers liked to plant a wide variety of grapes to produce their favorite old world style wines with complex flavors. The world mostly lost this idea when adopting single varieties as a marketing mantra. Fourteen different growers have blended fourteen different varieties from both organic and biodynamic vineyards.
“Like the label, the blend represents a chaotic assemblage… the weight of Pinot Bianco, almond shell of Pinot Grigio, the floral spice of Gewurztraminer, the juicy red fruits of Pinot Noir,” writes Vinya Wine.
While drinking and enjoying this light delicious wine you get to dig deep to figure it out.
What led me to this masterful wine was the visionary label of Klaus Haapaniemi uniting the underwater, ancient rocks, and the cosmos. The thrill of great sports, great friends, and great wines is the real winner here.
LAYNE’S WINE GIGS
Pick the wines and the place, and I will provide the fun: lvwitherell@gmail.com.
