Going South – Exploring the Evolving Wines of Southern Italy
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- A Cask in Italy
For years Southern Italy was on the verge of a bad reputation. You know, the kind of rep where you’re known for “getting around”. Quantity and quality do not always go hand in hand, so much of the wicker covered bottles heading out of Italy for many years were not the best. The market was there however and as a result many producers fell into the habit of lower quality wines to get the most bang for the buck….Later when Napa reds rose in popularity, again Southern Italy tried to compete with big – Cab forward wines that they felt would appeal to the international market.
But these times are a changing…..
There is a movement right now in the South to use this limited terroir how it was originally intended; high quality wines with perhaps lower yield, that have brought serious attention to the potential of this historic winemaking region.
Lets start with Frank Cornelissen. Starting with 200eu, he bought a small plot of land on Mount Etna. Now expanded to 8.5 hectares of sustainable vinyards, these wines are identified not by vintage but rather number. A minimal approach by an extraordinary vintner. At last weeks tasting we poured the Munjabel Bianco No. 8 (800 bottles total produced). A blend primarily dominated by Grecanico Dorato, it offers an incredible nose of caramel & nuttiness, this is a part of oxidation. Historically, this was always an undesirable quality in whites. However in natural aging where it is intentional the wines are different. The result of the all natural practice of amphorae aging with no sulphites added, nothing but the vocanic ash & minerals at work here produce some interesting wines. The winemakers aging this way believe they are getting back to the basics of winemaking. These wines are indeed limited though. Based on the yield. We had the opportunity to dine with Frank when he was last in Chicago and he remarked that this particular wine was limited because his horses broke into the 2hectare plot & ate a fair amount of that vintage’s ripened grapes!
Another producer we featured at our last tasting was Arianna Occupinti. She is one of a few new style winemakers in Sicily who has really put them back on the map. Last Wednesday at Wine Wednesdays we poured her soft yet expressive 2011 Frappato. Grown on 10 Hectares of stoney vinyards, this southern blending grape gets a homecoming crown in this very capable producers hands. Soft tannins & fruit are reminiscent of a Burgundy, but Sicilian at heart with a uniqueness all their own. Ariana took the vineyards organic, then biodynamic, and the resulting wines are stellar on the palate. Small packages do indeed deliver big things with altitude & attitude and an astute winemaker all combining to create this exceptional wine. Bravo!
Finally our journey took us to Puglia, for the 2005 Alberto Longo “Capoposto” which is driven by the Negro Amaro grape. Translated into “Dark Bitter”, this astringent Southerner must be in the right hands. In this case it is, delivering a lush and welcoming, mouth-filling wine. Deliberately light on skin contact, this old world vinefera is tamed by oak transforming this rough around the edges grape into a wine that is a formidable contender! Lamb, Short Ribs & other hearty fare come hither….we have a match for you!
Our next entry will explore this weeks tasting which focused on French whites. Up next week, join us for Sherries or join us in April for our next series of Wine Wednesdays. Always at the bar, always informal and always fun!
Have you ever WAITED for the class? As far as I know, unless a hot biology teacher walked in the classroom, I have always eagerly awaited the break time. On May 12th, I was completely absorbed in the first ever Mixology Class hosted at Autre Monde by our amazing bar team. Are you thinking that there must have been hot teachers? They were good looking & charming to be sure, but I was drawn in not just by that but by the subject matter as well. How many teachers would be willing to make students a little tipsy as part of the class?
As the clock ticked towards noon, I was excited that I could take a free cocktail class. I do love my internship! Marcus’s wit and Diana’s espresso made students comfortable and set an easy atmosphere for the class. The first part of the lesson began with a discussion of bar tools. Although we may think we know about cocktails, without understanding how to use proper tools, how can we even start? Many people don’t even know what they have to have or where to find the proper tools. In my case, these obstacles could easily make me give up before even starting. According to the teachers kind & patient explanation, we can purchase all of them from Amazon or other websites (please refer to below suggestions) that they recommend at a low price. I was surprised to learn that you can get a pretty professional starter set up of tools with a small investment. Perhaps all that silver & gold made me think they were more expensive than they were! They showed us that with the right tools, you can come pretty close to restaurant quality results at home.
I’m embarrassed to admit it but, I don’t cook. Technically, I can’t cook. There are some reasons or excuses I could make as to why, one of the main ones being that the recipe is too complicated. When it reads something like ‘Drop ingredients by teaspoonfuls…’ I freeze I still don’t know my measurements well and have no idea what kind of teaspoon is the proper size! But it’s different when it comes to mixing a cocktail. All I need to do is having fun! Just choose a spirit and add a favorite flavor of syrup and/or fresh juice, mix and shake them or stir in a ratio, simple. The cocktail will be on the table for you to enjoy in a matter of minutes. Most of the classic cocktails follow simple recipes with a focus on a few key techniques and finding the right ingredients. It is more about the shopping, which I definitely know how to do. The best part of the class was that through first observing and then getting some hands-on cocktail training, we all felt a little bit like experts at the end. A little of this knowledge and it is easy to build your own cocktail. To learn about the next class, sign up for our 
Tasting different style of cocktails and toast with cocktail lovers exchanging opinions about their favorite flavors in the afternoon, what could it possibly get better than this? It was relaxed and informative time. I would like to thank for sharing secret tips to our amazing teachers Marcus and Diana, and all students who enthusiastically took part in the class. 
Thanksgiving is just around the corner and as Shakespeare said ” Dining is always a great artistic opportunity” and in that spirit we are suggesting some inspirations to change up your usual turkey day table.
The Lambrusco is spritzy and a little sweet with hints of stone fruit while the 2008 Piquentum Teranum is earthy and fuller bodied with lush fruit, great with Turkey or game meats. The grape in the Teranum is a kissing cousing to Italian Refosco.
When we first started to look at wines for the program at Autre Monde, our goal was to bring original, affordable wines, showcasing the rich variety of the Mediterranean to our guests. We also plan to showcase some domestic and even Midwestern wines, ( Michigan and Ohio are doing some nice Italian varietals – story for another entry). Wine is one of those things where local, in the Midwest is still a bit hard to achieve if you want to have a serious wine program. Our criteria with winemakers will focus more on the technique and farming practices of the vineyards on our list. 
