From Cheap & Cheerful to High End, Lambrusco Satisfies

Ruinite on ice. That's nice.

For a certain generation of Americans, the sweet fizz of Riunite was their first and often only exposure to Lambrusco, the sparkling red wine of Emilia Romagna.

Today the wine flies way under the radar of most consumers, and that's too bad because it's truly perfect on summer's hottest days.  That's because -- unlike most red wines -- this one is alway served cold.

For those who prefer all things red, Lambrusco is like a triple berry pie compared to the apple sorbet of Prosecco. Those ripe fruit flavors in the wine are the same that you'd bring home from the farmers market this time of year: black cherries, blueberries, and - in the case of rosata Lambrusco - raspberries. 

At the Mondo Lambrusco tasting in New York this week, it was clear that the fizzy delight had a bit of a double identity. While one speaker reminisced about when Lambrusco in a can was available, others touted the wine as serious. One speaker happily called it cheap, while another admonished him for using the word.  "Why?" he countered, "we think cheap is good." There were producers pouring single vineyard Lambruscos, along with the old American favorite - Riunite, but now the winery was showing a more sophisticated side with a range of quality wines.
Many of the wines had very little residual sugar and alcohol of around 10-11 percent. This is one of the surprises about this wine - how delicious the dry styles are.

So sweet or dry? Single vineyard or in a can? To my mind, a wide variety of Lambrusco is a good thing. At its essence it is an unpretentious wine that's perfect for sultry summer days.

Vino e Sapori site guides visitors to Friuli Italy

Italy is one of the world's most visited countries, but when tourists get tired of the Venice, Rome, Florence routine, they might consider traveling to a little known region in the far north east: Friuli Venezia Giulia.

This region, whose green landscape can be attributed to plentiful rainfall, is home to memorable medieval towns like the well-preserved Civedale, as well as a rewarding food and wine route that now has its own website in English - Strado del Vino e dei Sapori (wine and food routes) http://www.vinoesapori.it/en/home/.  The site has sections covering information along the routes, in the region, and events.   

One of the most helpful parts of the site for wine lovers is an up-to-date list of the wineries that are open to visitors with no appointment.  Friuli wanted to make wine tourism easier for consumers - especially those who are accustomed to visiting wineries without scheduling in advance. Americans are definitely in this category! Just search on the Wine and Food link and you can see which wineries are open this week - or a future week when you may be in the area. 

If you click on a specific winery (known as Cantina in Italian) link, you'll see detailed information about the winery, including the types of wines it makes, and even how many parking spots are available - for buses and cars!  

The Friuli wine tourism movement has put a lot of effort into making this site as easy to navigate as possible.  Venice is the closest major destination city, so travelers headed there may want to add a weekend in Friuli on their itinerary using the site as an easy guide.

Douro Wine Tourism Conference - Enotourism No Douro

The Douro Valley has a vision – a land of tourists enjoying their UNESCO World Heritage Site scenery, enriching the local economy, and adding to the revenue streams of local wineries.

The question in Douro – as it is in many less-established wine destinations – is how to make it happen.  That’s one of the reasons that organizers from Douro contacted me to speak at their first wine tourism conference.

My presentation, “The Wow Factor in Winery Visits,” was a photo-driven slide show that highlighted wonderful winery visits I have had in France, Spain, Austria, U.S., and the Republic of Georgia.  I hoped to inspire Douro winery owners to go beyond generic wine tours to offer a memorable visit.

Other presenters included my friend, Melba Allen, who gave a lively demonstration of her online Wine Profilers site.  I truly enjoyed her online wine tasting game, which Melba told winery owners could be used in group tastings and to help develop their brand.

Portuguese wine journalist Rui Falcao had practical advice, including, perhaps most importantly, the necessity of proper road signage.  During my weekend in the Douro, it did strike me that -- unlike in other wine regions --there was a lack of a demarcated wine route and even signs pointing which way to turn from the main road to access wineries.

I think that Douro offers wonderful wines.  We had the opportunity to taste many at the weekend event, Taste Douro, in Lamego.  The wines of Quinta do Crasto, were particularly outstanding at a value price. I found that their red wines had exceptionally ripe fruit, and smooth tannins, high acid, mouth-filling richness, and a long finish.  And that was at the low end of the range at about 10 euros. I also enjoyed the Nieport reds and the Quinta do Vallado red and whites.

When I had visited the Douro Valley in 2009 as a participant in the European Wine Bloggers Conference, it was still a relatively new venture to ferment still red wines for an international market.  I feel like the wines I tasted this weekend were uniformly better – some of the stalky bitterness had left and the fruit had a more plush, sweet cherry character.

Yet this weekend in Douro, I was most surprised by the high quality white wines I tried, especially those of Dona Berta. I tasted both unoaked whites, as well as whites that had oak that was beautifully integrated.  The Centenary Vine 2009 White Wine Reserve, made from grapes grown on 100 year old vines – had lime zest nose and limes and white peaches on the palate –  offering both refreshment and complexity.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a Douro tasting without Port – and I ended each evening by indulging in my favorite, tawny ports.  There were a number of producers offering ten year old tawnies, which to me are always redolent of caramel.  Yet one of the best sweet wines I tried was a Fragulho 2008 Moscatel made in the same way as Port, i.e., with neutral spirit added to stop the fermentation.  This wine had a lighter mouthfeel, while still offering hard-candy sweetness.

During my time in the Douro, I stayed at the Hotel Rural Casa dos Viscondes da Varzea .  My room was a comfortable space, with sitting area and bathroom on the first floor, and two double beds with elegant linens in a loft area above.  But the main house was the star – with three spectacular livingrooms that all looked like they had been conjured from the pages of decorator magazines.  Yet even the chateau-like house played second fiddle to the rolling hills of vineyards and sweeping views of the grounds.

It is easy to imagine a wine trip to Douro that would use this hotel – which had a very good kitchen as well – as a base for area visits.  The only problem is the driving – as road to the wineries are often full of potholes and only wide enough for one car.  Imagining a foreign tourist--unfamiliar with the terrain, with a couple of glasses of wine in his or her system-- negotiating these poor roads is not a happy thought. 

I wish the Douro luck in its efforts to increase wine visitors.  The wineries themselves include both historic properties and modern wonders, such as the sleek and beautiful Quinta do Pessegueiro.  With an investment in better roadways and a bit of promotion, this region could just be the next great destination for wine travelers.

Tasty Fun at New York Travel Festival

The first New York Travel Festival took place April 20-21 at Bohemian Hall in Manhattan. The event--which was aimed at younger, tech-savvy, immersive travelers--featured a host of renowned travel writers & personalities. Matt Gross, perhaps best known for his New York Times "frugal traveler" column, was on hand to discuss his new book, The Turk Who Loved Apples: And Other Tales of Losing My Way Around the World. Jason Cochran, editor-in-chief of Frommers.com, Robert Reid from Lonely Planet fame, and a host of other travel writers, bloggers, and social media personalities were on hand, speaking at sessions and mixing with the crowd.
But the festival, which was the brainchild of travel writer/social media consultant Roni Weiss, didn't neglect one of the best parts of travel - eating and drinking. Imbibers were able to sample wines and spirits from the Hudson Valley, New York. Tousey and Millbrook wineries were pouring, as were Hudson Valley distilleries, Tuthilltown and Dutch Spirits. There was also a deluxe Tequila tasting bar, where experts talked attendees through flights of Mexico's most famous spirit, presented by Mexico Tourism Board, Cafe Frida, and Mezcal from Oaxaca.
NYC area travel lovers should keep an eye out for more tasty travel fun at next year's fest.

Perlae Naonis brings sparkle to Friuli

The world of sparkling wine is a big one, and more and more American wine lovers are discovering that it extends much farther than the word that was once synonymous with bubbles: Champagne.

In fact it's been a few years since Americans have discovered the more affordable and fruitier sparklers from Italy. While many wine folks conjure up the Veneto when it thinking of these, the green land of Friuli, on Italy’s Slovenian border, also produces effervescent wine.

On a trip to Friuli with a group of writers who attended the 2013 International Wine Tourism Conference, I tasted a delicious Italian sparkling wine made from all Chardonnay grapes: Perlae Naonis - Cuvée Blanc de Blanc from San Simone winery. 

We were at the final dinner of our eight day trip, so a celebration was in order. I was delighted with the sparkling wine.  The Perlae Naonis was refreshing, crisp, with streams of fast moving, pin sized bubbles racing from the bottom.  There were light notes of citrus, apple, brioche.  In fact , I could have drunk it with all the courses, instead of just the starter course.

Yet, almost as good as what was inside the bottle was the bottle itself.  The sensuously curving, dark glass was unique – making it a perfect bottle to present as a hostess gift, or just enjoy on a table at home.  

Eat Up, Drink Up: Malt and Mold Turns One

I first visited Malt and Mold, a Lilliputian outpost of foodie, beery goodness on the Lower East Side, last summer.  I was stopping by to congratulate my friend, Kevin Heald, on his new store.  He proudly showed me his goods (food-wise), and cut me up some delicious salami, spread local butter on crusty bread for me, and gave me a little taste of what he had on tap.  Just because I'm an oenophile, doesn't mean I can't love beer, too.  And, I swear, I was going to blog about how cool it all was, but a year of life got in the way.
But lo and behold, that gave me the perfect opportunity to congratulate Kevin on his one year anniversary! So, I entreat you, dear readers, to head south to 221 East Broadway (at Clinton St.) for their one year anniversary/tasting extravaganza/live music-filled celebration Saturday.  It promises to be an afternoon of delicious fun, including Free Beer Tasting by Goose Island including:

IPA

Imperial India Pale Ale

Minx (Belgian India Pale Ale)

Matilda (Belgian Pale Ale)

Sofie (Belgian Farmhouse Ale - aged in wine barrels - a Malt & Mold customer favorite!)

Pere Jacques (Belgian Trappist style Ale)

Bourbon County Stout (Possibly the finest beer in America)

If you can't make it tomorrow, stop by any time for artisan cheeses, breads, spreads, salamis, and bring your growler to fill.  And, when you go, tell Kevin Diane sent you.

The Woes of the Wineless Luggage

Easy come, easy go, so they say. On the other hand, parting is such sweet sorrow.

When I arrived at the Professional Wine Writers Symposium at Napa Valley’s lovely Meadowood Resort, I was pleased to find that each registrant was given a bottle of wine courtesy of the Napa Valley Vintners. My friend Jennifer and I drank her bottle the first night, glad that we weren’t tempted to open the mini-bar’s bottle of Matriarch at about $300.

But my bottle of Ackerman Cabernet Sauvignon was still intact on the date of my checkout. As was a bottle of Stony Hill Chardonnay, another gift from the NVV bestowed on writers who attended the premier party for their short promotional film “Napa Rocks.”

Curious about my loot, I researched the prices - $75 for the Cab, $42 for the Chardonnay. While traveling writers can’t always take back all the wine they acquire on trips, I figured these were worth schlepping back to New Jersey. Thanks to post-9/11 liquid restrictions, I’d need to check my bag – a $25 fee. Yet, purely on an economic level, I’d still come out $92 ahead. Besides, I looked forward to aging these wines, especially the Cabernet, to wait for them to show more character.

On my last day in San Francisco, I met my friend for lunch and we enjoyed sparkling rosé and a delicious plate of salumi and Cowgirl creamery cheese. We laughed and talked. And talked. A little too long.

By the time I returned to the hotel and loaded my rental car, I was a little behind my already tight schedule. Zooming down highway 101 past the exit for the airport stole another precious ten minutes.

Finally at the rental car drop off, I checked the extra charges – a $20 fee just to ride the airport shuttle to the car rental area? Fuming slightly at this unexpected charge, I settled up and rushed to the over-priced shuttle. As we chugged, chugged, chugged slowly past six other stops, I nervously checked my watch.

I leapt out at Terminal 3 and rushed to the United self service luggage check. It was 3:16 and my flight left at 3.50. “It is less than 45 before your flight. You cannot check your bag” a message on the screen read. I spoke to a check-in attendant who echoed what the machine said. She told me to talk to the curbside checkin. I raced outside. “You can’t check your bag, it’s less than 45 before you flight departs.” “Then why did the other person tell me to come out here?” She repeated, “You can’t check your bag, it’s less than 45 before you flight departs.” I said, “I know, but..” She told me to talk to another United check-in person.

I advanced to a new line and told another blue-uniformed matron of the air, “I am trying to check my bag.” “Oh, well, you can’t check it, it’s less than 45 minutes before your flight takes off.”

I tried to maintain my calm and a modicum of my natural charm, “Yes, I know that. Do you think I can speak to a manager?” An authoritative man with light brown skin and skeptical eyes strode over. “I know it’s less than 45 minutes before my flight, but I’d really like to check this bag. There’s not shampoo in here, it’s more than $100 worth of wine.” This is northern California, I thought, surely he’d understand. “I mean, if you can check your bags at the gate right before the plane leaves, why would it take 45 minutes before the flight takes off to check a bag?”

“We need to give TSA that time so they can check the bags.”

Oh.

I surrendered to circumstances and pulled my bag away. I kneeled on the dirty terminal carpet and dug out my bottles, which I had carefully wrapped in jeans, sweaters, and skirts. I looked up and saw a mild-mannered man of about 40 with his wife, “Do you like wine?” I asked. “Well…” he stammered, probably thinking I was about to scam him somehow. “Look,” I hurriedly unwrapped the treasures. “Here are two very good bottles of Napa Valley wine – this one is worth $75,” I ran my hand along side of it ala Vanna White, “and this one is worth $42.” He stared, still a little confused. “I can’t bring them with me, they’re yours if you want them.” “Well,” he said, “if you’re sure.” “I’m sure – you do like wine?” “Yes,” he smiled.

As he bent down to get his booty, I wheeled my wineless luggage away, knowing that the Napa Valley Vintners Association had just made one couple very happy indeed.