Joining together to co-market your wines in the U.S. and around the world – it’s the thing to do these days, especially in Italy, where the dozens of different growers/winemakers in every area of the country have for decades or even centuries been producing their own uniquely terroir-driven wines. In the case of Grandi Marchi – also known as Istituto del Vina Italiano di Qualita – nineteen different winemakers/wineries banded together and came to Chicago recently to promote their products to industry professionals and members of the media. Below are a few of our best-rated selections from the wines showcased by the Grandi Marchi consortium.
Iselis, Nasco di Cagliari DOC 2015, from Argiolas winery. Production: 51,000 bottles made of 100% Nasco grapes in Sardinia and aged 20% in French oak. Aroma of yellow blossoms and tropical fruits with light mossy notes. Mellow and expansive on the palate with a very long, pleasant finish. Nice texture; great with food. @ArgiolasWinery
Grandi Marchi wines
Grandi Marchi winemakers explaining their Italian wines
Studying Grandi Marchi Italian wines
Il Tascante Sicilia DOC 2012, from Tasca d’Almerita. Small production (6500 bottles) rich red, made with Nerello Mascalese grapes from the oldest vines of the estate. Aged 18 months in Slavonian oak and 16 months in bottle. This area of Sicily yields wines subdued in color with an extremely rich tannic structure and unique aromatic intensity. @TascaWine
Villa Antinori Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG 2012, from Marchesi Antinori Winery in Tuscany. 90% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet, aged 60% in casks and 40% in oak barrels and 12 months in the bottle. 500,000 bottles. Antinori is famous for big, beautiful red wines and this one’s no exception. Winemaker notes: Intense ruby red in color. On the nose red currants and raspberries blended with aromas of cherries. Light oak notes fuse with spicy sensations, cinnamon and candied fruit. Well-balanced, with typical Sangiovese light and tonic acidity along with silky and vibrant tannins on the finish. Fruity and lightly oaky sensation lingers on the aftertaste. @AntinoriFamily
Cabreo Il Borgo Toscana IGT 2013, from Ambrogio e Giovanni Folonari Tenute, another big name in the Italian wine industry. This wine, which is always made with 70% Sangiovese and 30% Cabernet, is a stunner. Aged 16-18 months in French oak and 6 months in bottle. 50,000 bottles.
Recent tastings from wide-flung areas of the world have yielded a fresh list of possibilities for your holiday edification and enjoyment. Consider one of these under-$20 selections for your holiday celebrations.
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Little Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon
Little Black Dress Diva Red
California’s Little Black Dress label
We love it when wineries come up with fun names for their brands. Take, for example, the label “Little Black Dress” (LBD). Stirs up visions of sexy intrigue or at least something elegant, doesn’t it? Recently sampled a couple of their reds and enjoyed them.
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1. Diva Red. Winemaker notes: Decadent notes of dark plum, cocoa and caramel leading to a finish accented by hints of cinnamon and chocolate-dipped strawberries. We found it a pleasant medium-bodied red blend that sits comfortably on the palate, works pleasantly on the nose and goes nicely with food of many kinds. Well worth a try at SRP ~$8.
2. Little Black Dress Cabernet Sauvignon. Consider this value-priced rich red for your everyday wine. Winemaker notes: Rich aromas of dark berries and toasted oak, a hint of vanilla spice and a lasting finish. Again, well worth trying at an SRP of ~$10.
Nero d’Avola elegance from Sicilia DOC
Speaking of “little black,” consider the Nero d’Avola grape – indigenous to Sicily. For centuries Sicily has been a benchmark for the global wine market and this grape variety is an icon of Sicilian enology. Today a new generation of winemakers have lifted the “little black grape” to new heights of elegance and drinkability.
Saia – Nero d’Avola
3. Nero d’Avola Feudo Maccari Saia 2011 Sicilia DOC. This Saia has lush, deep aromas and flavors of dark and sour red cherries, spearmint, spice and oak. Palate flavors are velvety, plush, and concentrated, balanced by fine acidity and ripe, sweet tannins, before a long finish. A superb match for full-flavored meats and game, especially stews and roasts. Saia, like all these wines, balances freshness with the ability to evolve over time. SRP ~$20
Naked Moon wine shines
Lovely Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy 4. Luna Nuda (Naked Moon) Pinot Grigio Vigneti delle Dolomiti IGT 2015. Born in the perfect-for-Pinot-Grigio clay soils atop the saw-tooth ridges, snow-capped peaks, and alpine meadows studded with glittering waterfalls in Alto Adige, this wine of straw-yellow with green lusters brings rich aromas of fruits like pears and apples. Well-balanced and structured, the taste is dry and smooth with a pleasing minerality. Perfect for pairing with lighter foods and fresh-water fish. At 12.5% alc., this is a sturdy white wine that makes a nice aperitif, too. SRP ~$15
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JaM Cellars “breakfast” trio of wines
Butter, Toast and Jam sounds like a breakfast menu, but it’s actually the names of three different wines – one red and two whites – that come from JaM Cellars. These are a cut above your everyday house wines and guaranteed to make you and your guests feel special. Perfect to go with your Thanksgiving or other holiday meals. JaM Cellars wines are available nationwide and through the website at http://www.jamcellars.com.
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5. 2015 Butter Chardonnay offers ripe, stone fruit and baked-lemon aromas and is cold fermented to rich creaminess, aged in a blend of oak giving this wine a lovely, long, vanilla finish. 14.89% Alc. by vol. SRP ~$15
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6. 2014 JaM Cabernet Sauvignon has soft, dark berries and plums on the nose and palate, and is aged in new oak to smooth and round the wine, adding a touch of vanilla. 15.1% Alc. by vol. SRP ~$20
JaM Cellars – toasting with Toast
BONUS: Non-vintage (NV) Toast Sparkling, made with traditional méthode Champenoise techniques, offers juicy aromas of honeydew, white peach and orange blossom followed by tastes of tropical pineapple and honeydew combined with a light toastiness. It’s light at 12.5% Alc. and, okay, at $24.99 a little over the headline-promise of $20/bottle. But we didn’t count it in the original 7, so think of it as a bonus recommendation.
South African sparkling wine
Did you know that South Africa is among the many nations that are becoming producers of respectable wines these days? Had a chance recently to review a couple of sparklings from that region. One in particular seemed a worthy addition to a list of decent possibles for holiday meals – or any time you’re in the mood for some bubbles.
Boschendal from South Africa
Colman Brut Rose from South Africa
7. Boschendal Pinot Noir Chardonnay Brut NV. This sparkling wine, made with Methode Cap Classique (South Africa’s version of the traditional Champagne method) is a clear golden color with a fine effervescence. Aromas of fresh lemon fruits along with a creamy flavor make it a pleasant, value-priced bubbly that’s more complex than many similarly priced Proseccos and will make an equally nice accompaniment to lighter foods and even desserts. SRP ~$11
Every change of season is a good excuse to broaden your repertoire of wines and spirits. And, hey, it’s finally fall in Chicago (well, except for those 72-degree days). To warm yourself in cooler temps, consider these unique beverages to help you enjoy the glorious November weather: a fabulous red wine born of a partnersip, a cognac finished in bourbon casks, a plummy gin, a light prosecco (with punch recipe), and a ‘fiery’ red wine finished in whiskey barrels.
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“Collaboration” ***** is an absolutely stunning red wine that we would happily drink with anything – from rich cheeses and hearty stews and roasts, to pork, sturdy fish like salmon and, well, just about anything. For serious red-wine lovers, it might even work as an aperitif with appetizers just because it’s so complex and rich and delicious. This wine is the remarkable result of a cooperative effort (thus, the name “Collaboration”) between Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants and Buena Vista Winery. And the catch is, you can’t buy it in stores, and you can only buy it online if you are a member of theCooper’s Hawk wine club.
Cooper’s Hawk Collaboration – love it!
Here’s what the winemakers have to say about it: “A rich, deep wine loaded with aromas of blackberry, blueberry, cherry, plum and baking spices, it has firm and well-rounded tannins and an exceptionally long finish that can stand up to any beef dish. Beautiful to drink now, it’s expected to age well for another four to six years.”
Jean-Charles Boisset, who added Buena Vista to the Boisset Collection in 2011, says Collaboration “makes the wine world vibrate and brings a transcendental vision to people’s emotional style, taste, and senses… This wine is about power and a vortex of energy that has never been felt before.” We actually don’t think that’s too strong a statement. Visit www.buenavistawinery.com.
Cooper’s Hawk is a unique combination of restaurant, winery, Napa-style tasting room, and artisanal retail market with 24 locations throughout Illinois, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and Wisconsin more on the way next year. They partner with some of the best grape growers in the world to craft the highly praised Cooper’s Hawk wine collection. And they have a wine club that offers exclusive wines, events, and privileges. CEO/Founder Tim McEnery first opened the company in Orland Park, Illinois in 2005. Visit www.chwinery.com. Must be a wine club member to purchase Collaboration.
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Martell Blue Swift Cognac finished in bourbon barrels
Martell Cognac, the oldest of the great cognac houses, recently announced the launch of Martell Blue Swift, the first-ever Martell VSOP finished in Kentucky Bourbon casks and packaged in a beautiful bottle. Engraved on the bottle, Martell’s iconic swift emblem represents the legend behind the brand. This bird is famous for flying exceptionally long distances, crossing the Atlantic Ocean twice a year, and the story goes that Jean Martell was guided by the flight of a swift on his original journey from the island of Jersey to Charente. Martell was the first to ship its cognac barrels from France to the United States and now, more than 230 years later, they’re still doing it. This new and unique Eau de Vie de Vin is a product that is born “When Cognac meets Bourbon.” SRP ~$50.
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TuB Hoppy Plum Gin
TuB Gin‘s Hoppy Plum gin. This unique hoppy, fruity gin with plum spirits came out on November 1 as a limited 4-month release from Peach Street Distillers, the folks known for using crisp, local ingredients in their spirits. And this one is a really special spirit that starts out with their renowned citrus-forward gin and is then married with Palisada Plum Eau de Vie and macerated Colorado hops. The end result is a hoppy, softly spiced spirit so smooth you could even drink it straight. If you do, the flavor explodes in your mouth and the aroma opens your nose, and the whole experience warms you, lifts your spirits and sets your tongue a-tingle. A great surprise gift for the spirit lover who likes to expand horizons.
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Astoria Prosecco
Astoria Prosecco DOC is a classic brand from Italy that comes in a cut-glass bottle that’s lovely enough you might even want to re-use it. Semi-dry with a crisp taste and generous bubbles, you’ll notice pear, apple and floral notes. It’s a light, easy-to-drink wine for a toast or to pair with appetizers or a light main dish or even with desserts. And if you’re still grilling – it’s not snowing yet, right? – whether it’s burgers, steak, chicken or fish, consider this flavorful punch from Astoria Wines. It combines their Prosecco DOC with lemonade and just a few other ingredients. It’ll let you and your guests hang onto the feeling of summer. SRP varies ~$8 to $12.
Lemonade Prosecco Punch
4-6 cups prepared Lemonade
1/3 cup citrus vodka (regular is fine, too)
1 pint blackberries (or your favorite berry), frozen
3 sprigs fresh mint
1 750ml bottle Astoria Prosecco DOC, chilled
Stir lemonade and vodka in a gallon pitcher or punch bowl. Add berries and mint. Let the berries macerate for an hour or more. The longer it sits, the more the blackberries and mint infuse the flavor. Add the Prosecco, stir gently and serve over ice. Store leftovers tightly covered in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
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Apothic Wines is one of the wineries and spirit makers who’ve embraced the exciting new technique of melding aging processes. Their new Apothic Inferno – recently released as a limited edition – is aged in barrels that originally contained a completely different product – whiskey. We enthusiastically endorsed this melding phenomenon originally with Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Shiraz and Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Cabernet Sauvignon (review here).
Crafted in California and put up in bottles emblazoned with a raging-flames-inferno label, each batch of Apothic Inferno undergoes a time-intensive, barrel-aging process. The barrels – cut, shaped, and bound by steel before being charred with flames – were first used to age whiskey for a few years prior to becoming the home of Apothic’s new red blend. Some palates may find the strong whiskey “soul” of the resulting red challenging; others may embrace it wholeheartedly. If you’re one of the latter, order some soon as quantities are limited. In any case, try it with a hearty meat dish and some whole grain bread to stand up to the flavor. Check for it in your favorite restaurants in Chicago. SRP ~$16.
Country French with be-feathered crystal chandeliers
Okay, I have not tried every French restaurant in Chicago yet. But people have been asking me for years what’s my favorite restaurant in Chicago and, up ’til, now I’ve not been able to name a specific place. Have had many, many pleasant experiences, some exceptional (hello, Chef Lee Wolen and Boka). But last Saturday my friend and I were both overawed with the food, the ambiance and the service at Chez Moi, 2100 N. Halsted.
If this meal was indicative, Chef Dominique Tougne is doing an extraordinary job of bringing authentic French cuisine to our city. Friend and I both felt we might easily have been in a small bistro in or outside Paris, soaking in the candlelit warmth, the darkly dramatic artwork on the walls, and the feather-encrusted crystal-drop chandeliers. The dark-and-thick-crusted bread with butter was good – and hard not to eat more of. But we knew we were truly in the presence of French food artistry when we tasted the first dish – Black Truffle Quiche.
Quiche. Okay, you’re probably thinking heavy egg-cream concoction baked atop a heavy pastry crust with maybe some bacon and cheese in it. But that is decidedly not what you get from Chef Dominique. This dish is an ethereally light custard, kissed with seared foie gras and set snugly in a feather-light pastry crust that almost melts into and becomes part of the custard. Topped with a tiny nest of greens, and surrounded by a puddle of rich port wine reduction, this quiche will take you into a realm quite beyond the ordinary. And it was rich enough for us to share and feel content.
Qualidou – sinfully rich combination of flavors
Spoons for your sauces!
Unbelievably good Gateau Breton
The Qualidou, said to be “either a larger appetizer or a smaller entree” size, combined half a confit quail, thinly sliced seared duck breast and foie gras, accompanied by thinly sliced sauteed mushrooms, all in a generous pool of concentrated wine sauce. With all these intense flavors, we had no trouble splitting this and feeling satisfied. And I love the fact that they give you a spoon with every dish that has a sauce. Let us respect – and savor – the sauce!!
When the onion tart appetizer arrived, we were surprised at its size – generous enough for 3 people. And, oh the pastry crust! Flaky and layered richly with butter, it made a fabulous base for a nice combination of onion, bacon and creme fraiche.
Our server explained that the Gateau Breton de Solidou is a shortbread cake. Well, who knew? This incredible dessert had tender crustiness and richness in equal measure. The butter flavor was extravagant. The sauce was heavenly, and the vanilla ice cream (house made) made the combination exquisite. Could eat this for breakfast, lunch or dinner and need nothing else.
Chez Moi offers a small but obviously carefully curated list of beers, cocktails, liqueurs, and French wines. The by-the-bottle listings yielded several options under $50. We selected the French Malbec and, after it breathed for a few minutes, it made a nice pairing with our meal.
Chef offers a prix fixe menu selection all week, Sunday through Thursday – three courses include a salad, then your choice of entree (hanger steak, roast chicken, seared salmon or roasted vegetables) and tiramisu for dessert. Check out the rest of the menus here. We cannot wait to come back again. In fact, this place is tempting me to eat out much more often than I usually do. Exceptional experience. Will let you know if next visits measure up.
You have until October 30 to take advantage of the deals during a la Carte Chicago, an 11-day food festival that celebrates contemporary French food. Participating restaurants, bakeries and more might be French or simply French-inspired – Shaw’s Crab House is in on it. The important thing is they’re all offering specials during the festival, including prix fixe menus. The fest also includes cooking workshops, tastings, cultural events, and activities for food lovers of all ages.
Chez Moi French-inspired tuna sandwiches
Bistronomic bars
Shaw’s shrimp
This is a great opportunity to get out and experience some of the many French-food-loving chefs and restaurants in Chicago. At a preview, guests tasted delicious tuna salad sandwiches on rich tasting French white buns from Chez Moi, 2100 N. Halsted – sandwiches that made us feel like heading over there ASAP. Ridiculously good chocolate hazelnut bars from Chef Martial Noguier at Bistronomic, 840 N. Wabash. Others include Cafe des Architectes, 20 E. Chestnut, Circle City Sweets from Indianapolis for heavens’ sake, and dozens more.
Good French food and wine
Macarons – sweet and savory
Macarons galore
Also, consider attending the screening of “Kings of Pastry” at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St. at 4:45 on Sunday, October 30. Chef Jacquy Pfeiffer will be there in person, and after the movie there’ll be a free tasting of specialties from the French Pastry School. Go here for the complete list and check out the sweepstakes for a trip to Lyon, France.
It’s officially open: The Rabbit Hole bar and restaurant, 1208 N. Wells St., right off Division St. in Old Town. It’s a small storefront with a roomy interior and a stage for live music. The walls, painted to make you feel like you’re following the White Rabbit down the hole in Alice in Wonderland, and the many craft and draft beers, whimsical cocktails and wines are an invitation for you to go ahead and fall in.
Hot Karaoke live band
On opening night they had a live band for karaoke. Seriously. If you are a wannabe singer, singing with real musicians behind you and the words in front of you has to be – as the saying goes – the most fun you can have with your clothes on. And on top of that, they serve elevated bar food that includes sharable appetizers, hearty salads, “grabbers” (otherwise known as meat-heavy platters), and an assortment of sides. Chicken Wings come with your choice of house buffalo, shogun sweet chili, Chef Diablo’s habanero or pomegranate BBQ, served with tri-colored carrots, jicama, house made ranch or bleu cheese. Other items: marinated Steakhouse Minis, The 1951 Burger, Queen of Hearts salad, and Jabberwock Angus Sliders. Try starting with Candied Slab Bacon – thick cut, Applewood smoked slab bacon, grilled and glazed with maple syrup.
And what fun that they have games – like large-scale Pictionary – you can play with your friends any and every night of the week. The Rabbit Hole has set a goal to become the new favorite go-to spot for everyone in the ‘hood. It’s certainly off to a grand start.
Craft and draft beers include 24 beer taps and a host of canned and bottled brews. Cocktails by beverage director Carlos Guerra have memorable monikers like the smoky White Rabbit on a Dirty Mule with Mezcal, ginger beer, lime juice, Jägermeister, and grapefruit juice, or the delicate yet complex Tweedle Rum with rum, rye, coffee vermouth, coconut, Fernet Dogma and cinnamon, to name just two.
A sports-friendly bar, with ten large screen TVs, it also serves as a distinctive backdrop for the viewing of any game. Live Band Karaoke on Wednesday evenings beginning at 9pm.
At the new Knife restaurant, 4343 N. Lincoln Ave., Chef Tim Cottini is bringing the Chicago steakhouse concept to a new edge with totally re-imagined dishes that incorporate farm-to-table freshness in meats, seafood and vegetables. Love their Lobster Bisque! Read more details and preview the menu here.
But Knife doesn’t stop at the food. Also not to be missed are the ethereally creative cocktails designed and named by Knife mixologist Anthony Muenger and served with flair, along with a generous supply of his entertaining personal stories and light-hearted humor. So, first, come in for a visit and sit at the bar. Revel in the feel of a unique, sensually rounded-on-all-edges marble bar top, shaped like a giant italicized “L” and set an an angle to the handsome bar wall. Let your eyes wander from the blood-red accent wall to the details of the smoothly swirled wall adjoining it. Makes you feel bathed in color and texture.
Wall drama at Knife
MIxologist Anthony Muenger
Knife port hole infuser for Enoument cocktail
Looking to create a downtown feel in Chicago’s Northcenter neighborhood, Knife will offer many Wine Enthusiast-recommended wines as well as a collection of unique and fantastically named cocktails (derived, says Mixologist Muenger, from terms in the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows). Ask him to show you how he uses a port hole infuser to soak various fruits in a lavender-infused German rye whiskey. The resulting cocktail, called Enouement, matures and changes as you pour from the infuser throughout your dinner, eventually transforming itselftowards the end of the mealinto an amari-type digestif.
Knife creative cocktail presentation
House-made Cognac beads await
Cognac beads afloat
Muenger saysChef Cottini accepted the offer of the whiskey people’s barrels to age Knife’s own steak sauce in – so look for that unique treat with your bone-in ribeye. Another of his unique cocktails is his sour-style version of Clover Club, served with a bit of raspberry and Roobios tea. The Ellipism cocktail has tiny house-made spheres of Remy Martin VSOP cognac floating in a delicious mix of house-made orange liqueur, lemon and bitters. $13.
In short, Knife is a hot new contemporary seafood and steakhouse where you can celebrate with unique food and drink in Chicago. Whether it’s a special occasion – or just Wednesday night – you’re bound to find something to delight your tastebuds.
Folio Fine Wine Partners chose a perfect setting – a private dining area of the elegant Swift & Sons restaurant, 1000 W. Fulton in West Loop – to showcase a series of equally elegant luxury wines by Luce della Vite from Italy’s Montalcino region. ‘Midst a forest of sparkling glasses filled with several iterations of one of Luce’s finest wines, attendees did a vertical tasting as representatives from Luce della Vite told the story of how the label – a stylized emblem representing the sun – came to be chosen as a symbol of the winemakers’ passionate commitment to quality.
The Mondavi family established Folio Fine Wine Partners in 2004 with the goal of bringing exceptional and distinctive wines to American consumers. Today they act as importers, fine wine agents and as producers of quality wines. They manage a diverse portfolio that spans six countries, three continents, and every premium price point. They work with other family wineries who share their passion for making great wine.
Wine has been the Mondavi family business for four generations. It began with Cesare Mondavi, an Italian immigrant who established a grape growing business in Lodi, California during Prohibition. They put down roots in Napa Valley starting in 1943 when they purchased the historic Charles Krug winery. Cesare’s son Robert later started his own winery with Michael, his eldest son. Rober Mondavi Winery helped establish California as the premier wine-growing region it is today. And now the legacy continues with Folio Fine Wine Partners.
Luxury is defined by quality and generally by price. Sometimes, though, its possible to find fine wines that fall squarely into the luxurious taste category yet can be purchased in the super premium range of $15 to $25 – within reach for almost any wine lover for special occasions. A number of Italian wines from Folio Fine Wine partners fit that bill, including two of the three excellent wines below from Coppo.
Any of these reds will grace your table and make you proud of what you’re serving with your rich, meaty dishes. For those who love dry, deeply flavorful reds, one of these would be perfect for upcoming holiday meals. If too heavy for turkey or fish, serve one with a plate of fine aged cheeses after dinner for a royal touch. Hopefully, you can locate a bottle or two through your favorite wine merchant.
Folio Fine Wines supplied samples of three lovely reds from the Coppo collection for review. Notes below.
Coppo L’Avoccata
Coppo Camp du Rouss
Coppo Pomoroso
2014 Coppo L’Avvocata Barbera d’Asti DOCG – Excellent, rich, deeply flavorful wine. Ruby red L’Avvocata offers Barbera’s typical intense aromas of ripened cherry and strawberry. Round, full-bodied and balanced with a spicy finish of cola and ripe berries. Pair it with pasta with rich meat sauces, roast beef, kebabs, ribs and aged cheeses. ~$15.
2012 Coppo Camp du Rouss Barbera d’Asti DOCG – Delicious with food. Deep red in color with garnet highlights. If offers textbook Barbera aromas of crushed cherry and wild berry jam, followed by notes of leather and herbs, and a hint of smoke. On the palate, Camp du Rouss is bright, with luscious, soft tannins. The supple layers of fruit are backed by Barbera’s trademark acidity making it the ideal food wine. Pair with meat in rich wine sauces, roast beef, cured meats and aged cheese. ~$23
2010 Coppo Pomorosso Barbera d’Asti DOCG – Loved this luxury-priced wine. Deep ruby red in color with garnet hues, Pomorosso offers a complex and fragrant bouquet of ripe cherries and blackberry, deliciously integrated with subtle notes of cherry liqueur, chocolate, vanilla and espresso. This Barbera is very intense and toasty in character with a solid yet velvety structure. You are bound to enjoy this gorgeous and elegant Barbera with rich, meaty sauces and pasta, polenta with sausages and mushrooms, or any red meat dishes such as roasted game, fillet mignon and roast beef. ~$75
About Coppo Piero Coppo founded the company in 1892 in the town of Canelli in Asti, Italy. Now his four grandsons and, recently, two cousins make the fourth generation to manage the family winery. They are all committed to applying integrated agriculture that has a low environmental impact, exceeds regulatatory requirements, and uses biodynamic principles in its viticulture and winemaking practices. The Coppo family produces a range of regional specialties, but it’s best known for producing outstanding Barbera d’Asti. Its 1984 Pomorosso was the one of first in the region to show Barbera’s true elegance and its capacity to age gracefully.
Known as #ColorsofSoave, an outstanding collection of Italian white wines from the region around Soave, located 12 miles east of Verona, came calling in Chicago recently. If you’re a baby boomer you probably remember that Soave Bolla was a huge a phenomenon during the 70s in the United States when Americans were just being introduced to wine as a way to enhance foods. Who knows what happened, but the name Soave seemed, for all intents and purposes, to drop off the face of the earth for the next several decades. Until now, that is.
While the sponsors admit it’s true that about 70% of Soave wines are extremely basic – call them forgettable by today’s standards – the varietal now also comes in really fine renditions. #ColorsofSoave put out an extensive display of these multi-layered, complex wines – all labeled Soave – that included still, sparkling, and semi-dry versions. Detailed maps of the region’s geography and samples of the several types of volcanic and limestone-based soils from the area gave guests a glimpse into the terroir. The specially selected varietal tasting was sponsored by the Soave Consorzio and held in the super-cool, elegant surroundings ofThe Boarding House bar and restaurant, 1720 N. Wells.
Blind tasting of beautiful Soave wines
Ten Soave whites were set out for a blind tasting – guests had no information about the wines available as the tasting proceeded. Participants first tasted each of the unidentified wines in a fairly chilled state and rated/wrote comments. Then, as the leader slowly revealed the name of each wine, guests re-tasted them in a more opened, less chilled state. The most important observation we made was that these were all delicious – mostly 4- and 5-star ratings. Below is a list of three of our 5-star and three 4-star picks.
Surprising Boarding House fruit salad
Several more varieties were set up with the food courses. A sparkling Soave accompanied the appetizers of ahi tuna ceviche and prosciutto-wrapped melon and heirloom tomato bruschetta. Other still versions accompanied the surprising tomato, peach and melon salad with Chevre cheese, the seared halibut with super-smooth parsnip puree, braised fennel and apple, and the incredibly light and flavorful fig and caramel cheesecake with apricots and streusel. Two lovely semi-dry dessert versions of Soave made the final courses taste especially lovely. Lots of kudos to the Boarding House for the excellent food.
Such a pleasure to re-discover this incredibly versatile wine. And interesting to learn that the Garganega grape is the main ingredient – minimum of 70% required to be called Soave. Most are made with 100% of this grape; the rest are made with about 80% Garganega and 20% either Trebbiano di Soave or Chardonnay.
Cantina del Castello 2015 Classico Pressoni – Apple aromas with a long finish, and made by winemaker Arturo Stocchetti, known for his passionate commitment to the craft.
Gini 2014 Soave Classico “La Froscá” DOC – complex layers, a slightly sweet finish, no sulfur. Comes from 50- to 100-year-old vines and made in one of the areas oldest, richest cellars, and proves that these wines can age gracefully.
2015 I Stefanini Soave Superior DOCG Classico “Monte di Fice” – lots of delicious layers. Great with food that’s not too rich – seemed not to hold up well to a rich cheese.
A few other notable Soave labels:
Rocca Sveva 2014 Superiore “Castelcerino” DOCG – light and lovely blend that’s smooth and clean-tasting. Made by the leading producer of Soave; nearly 1 of every 2 bottles are exported. U.S. distributor: Mionetto USA.
2015 Bolla Superiore Classico Tufaie DOC – known for appearing in Federico Fellini’s films (probably how it came to be known in America), it has a very slight sweetness to it that’s quite pleasant.
2014 Coffele Recioto di Soave DOCG Classico “Le Sponde” – a semi-dry sherry-like dessert wine that’s beautiful with fruit, fruit cakes, blue and goat cheeses.
