Iconic’s lineup on the bar at Shuck.

I found my new Happy Place the other day: full of California sunshine, bright white, clean, stocked with super-chilled, zippy white wines and a mountain of raw bivalves.

Shuck, Orange County’s new oyster bar, is the kind of place that reminds me how much joy and satisfaction can be obtained from the simplest and most obvious food and wine pairings.

Shuck’s not just Oysters: The Best Clams & Chorizo.  Ever.

This is the kind of simple perfection that I crave, especially when it’s hot outside I want something light and fresh.  What could be better than a cold glass of white wine and plate of gorgeous raw oysters?  Shuck’s barman, Sonny Nhoung did not stop shucking the whole time we sat at the counter- fingers flying, precisely separating abductor muscles from shells and carefully preserving that briny oyster liquor with a gentle placement in crushed ice- he never flinched as he entertained us from behind the bar.

Death Rain?

Sonny explained the “Philly Flip”, a technique for gently flipping the oyster inside its shell after cleaning in order to check for bits of shell and to  present the little guy at its cleanest and most delicious angle.  Check out this photo animation on Food Republic.  Slick.

Sonny.  Highly trained Shucker.

The wine list at Shuck is simple and focused- 8 or 9 crisp, clean whites, and a couple of light-bodied red, perfect for seafood.  That’s all you need.  We tasted the Iconic lineup hat night with one of the winery’s owners, Birk O’Halloran.  The Iconic wines all provided the perfect stony, mineral-blast this kind of delicate, saline food requires.  The wines also have a common thread of acidity that helps lift all that sunny California fruit- these are food for sure.  The kind of wines that make you salivate a little…

Iconic Labels= Bad Ass

Firstly, because it is true.  In some way, Barolo is always the answer.

Secondly, I think Gerald made it to make Elisa Scavino smile.  If you’ve ever seen Elisa smile, you’d know this is also a perfectly good reason to do pretty much anything.

#BaroloistheAnswer

Grazie, Gerladino!

When I was younger I had the opportunity to study Italian during the summers in the beautiful city of Firenze (thanks, Mom and Dad!). I didn’t know anything about wine back then- I had no idea I was living smack in the middle of some of Italy’s most prestigious and mythic wine territory. For me Firenze was a lynch-pin experience in my life.  This city is magic- a cornerstone of Toscana and the historical incubator for Italian art, science, literature, language.  Now I realize that Firenze is also an important heartbeat for Tuscany- birthplace of Sangiovese, Vermentino, Trebbiano.  Chianti Classico around the corner, Montalcino down the road.  Returning back to the wandering cobblestones streets of this Renaissance dream was a complete revelation for me.

Firenze is beautiful.

Aperitivo at Pitti Gola.

After spending a couple of days in the hills of Chianti, we arrived in Firenze fueled by Sangiovese and cured meat.  We took the requisite walking tour, marveled at the overwhelming beauty on display at every corner.  A few of us walked struggled to the top of Brunelleschi’s dome- how had I never done this before!? Best 8 Euros spent in Firenze.

We reconnected for an aperitivo thanks to the unfaltering guidance of our fearless leader, David Weitzenhoffer, at Pitti Gola.  This is a relatively new wine bar located just across the street from the Palazzo Pitti on the Oltrarno (the “other side of the Arno river”).  A quick 10 minute walk from the very center of the city’s historic district- this is a prime location.  You might think it would be the usual tourist trap, with the requisite small, boring, over-priced wines list.  You would (thankfully!) be wrong!

Two of Pitti Gola’s young proprietors, Zeno and Edoardo Fioravanti.

Pitti Gola is everything you want in a wine bar.  A well-curated list of current and older releases from thoughtful, authentic, local producers.  A few gems from other wine-making regions.  Champagne.   Franciacorta.  An idyllic setting in front of one of Firenze’s most impressive monuments.  In fact, it’s pretty much the definition of “wine bar perfection”.

Pitti Gola was born out of passion and luck.  It’s owners (Zeno and Edoardo Fioravanti and Manuele Giovanelli) already worked in the current location years ago, which at the time was just another restaurant.

When the partners had the opportunity to acquire the space, and simultaneously happened upon a gentleman looking to sell an estate’s private collection of impressive verticals of local wines, the wine bar was born.

This private wine collection included an amazing selection of Chianti Classico by the legendary producer, Felsina.  We tasted a bottle of 1971 that was absolutely spell-binding.

Each time a customer orders a bottle of an older vintage, one of the sommeliers has to jog down the block and around the corner to a basement apartment they have converted into the perfect wine cellar.  The night we were there, Zeno took me with him to pick up a bottle for our table.  I have never seen a sommelier happier, or more enthusiastic to be (literally) running to his cellar and back to the table.

The 1971 Felsina was bright, very well-balanced, and had that integral staying power- you know when you taste something like this, you are int he presence of a master-winemaker.  Cherries and graphite and dusty library books.  All those things that take you right to Chianti.  Plus the layers of savory: soy sauce, Worcestershire, cured meat.  The wine was beguiling, powerful.  I am sure this will remain a standard for me when I think of great older wines I have tasted.  Plus, it’s the kind of wine that teaches you the real potential of a grape and a terroir.  This is Sangiovese.  This is Chianti Classico.

]]> http://italianwinegeek.com/2013/06/06/1971-felsina-pittigolla/feed/ 2 italianwinegeek Pitti Palace View Pitti Gola Crew View from the Top boys2 Felsina 71 Flourish Zeno 1971 Felsina in the glass http://italianwinegeek.com/2013/05/31/petrichor-the-scent-of-rain-monteraponi/ http://italianwinegeek.com/2013/05/31/petrichor-the-scent-of-rain-monteraponi/#comments Fri, 31 May 2013 15:09:52 +0000 Joanie Karapetian, Italian Wine Geek http://italianwinegeek.com/?p=4181 Continue reading →]]> The clouds parting after a quick summer shower at Monteraponi.

I learned a new sommelier-geeky-wine word this past week for an aroma we all know and love.  “Petrichor” the name for the scent of fresh rain.  The word was coined in 1964 by researchers I.J. Bear and R.G. Thomas.  It is a combination of the ancient Greek word petro (rock or stone) and  ichor (the fluid that is supposed to flow in the veins of the gods of Greek mythology.  Poetic.  Appropriate.

It could have been the time and place- the ancient stone buildings, the passing rain, the warmly lit rooms of Monteraponi- but I swear this bottle of Chianti Classico had a little bit of petrichor enchantment.  Clean, mineral, and whispering of something venerable and carefully well-preserved.  Magic.

Nothing escapes Luca D’Attoma’s notice in his vineyards.

Elena told us the hillsides of the estate, which had never been cultivated before the couple bought the property some 11 years ago, were covered with the stuff- lit up from afar with these fiery purple flowers.  They knew this was a great sign, as the plant has deep roots which help break up rocky or clay soils, as well as doing the important job of returning nitrogen to the earth as a by-product of its life cycle.

This philosophy of Biodynamics outlines the gentle supplementation to the soil to help make the crops as healthy as possible.  In a lot of way the process of Biodynamic farming seems so hands-on, so “interventive”.  Sometimes it feels like Biodynamics is all about the external things the farmers add back to the soil.   I think it’s also important to recognize the other practices these farmers use to support Biodynamic processes, like using naturally helpful “support” crops to boost the success and health of their overall farms of vineyards is another key element to this kind of farming.

After all, it’s only natural.

We stopped by Casa Emma for a tour of the winery, and as seems to be the custom everywhere we go- they immediately welcomed us, handed us a glass of wine, and started cooking.

This winery is in San Donato in Poggio, very close to Castellina.  The elevation is about 420 meters above the sea, sprawling out over a beautiful hillside that is crested with a natural preserve.  The sweeping exposure to sunlight, along with the oxygen-producing trees at the top of the incline, help make this vineyard a perfect little ecosystem for the grapes.

Casa Emma cultivates mostly Sangiovese, but also has some precious indigenous varietals as well.  Their first Chianti Classico is made with 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cannaiolo and 5% Malvasia Nera.  The Cannaiolo is relatively standard in these blends, but the Malvasia Nera is what helps really set this wine apart from other Chianti Classico expressions.  There is a black fruit, plums and dried orange peel quality that the Malvasia Nera lends to the blend that I really like.  It’s juicy and  toothsome- dangerously drinkable, especially with a few slices of cured meat or cheese.

You’re in Tuscany, surrounded by the most beautiful scenery, your senses assaulted by the sights and smells of the sunny hills and beautiful wines.  All of this perfection can make you hungry.  Go to Baffo and eat Fried Chicken.  I’m not kidding.  This may have been the single most important culinary discovery of my life.  Especially when paired with the right wines.

For example, we all know Lambrusco goes well with anything salty and fried, but it truly sang with this perfectly olive-oil drenched, crispy-juicy chicken.

Of course, when Luca D’Attoma, enologist to the stars and producer of his own amazing wines at the Duemani comes along, he manages to somehow top the absolute perfection of this pairing.

With 1990 Sauternes.  Cool, oily with sugar and just enough acidity to wake up your palate between crispy-juicy bites.  The mouth-coating effect was also helpful when we ordered the spicy version of this pollo fritto- loaded with dried chili flakes and piping hot.

Thanks Luca, for introducing us to another of the world’s great food & wine pairings.  Fried Chicken and Sauternes.  Try it.  You’ll like it.

In our industry it is customary that a salesperson “supports” her own products in her accounts.  This means we drink our own wines- wines we have sold into these restaurants and wine bars.

The funny thing is, for the first time in my career I feel absolutely NO pressure to do this.  AI Selections was founded by David Weitzenhoffer, former Wine Director for Felidia in NYC.  If anyone appreciates the fascinating diversity of the wine world, and recognizes the sheer importance of knowing as many wines as possible, it’s David.  Consequently, I do not feel I HAVE to order my own wines in our accounts.

But most of the time I still I do.  Because I love them.

I especially excited about a new listing at Sotto in Los Angeles.  Casebianche’s “La Matta” Fiano is a naturally sparkling, unfiltered, unfined, and generally delicious.  Crunchy-saline-minerality.  The truly unpretentious side of Fiano.

“La Matta” is the perfect, refreshing foil to this rich, chicken liver pasta at Sotto.

Jay Latham, a colleague of mine, pointed me to an excellent blog post by AndiamoTrips, where the author received this message from Pasquale Mitrano, the owner of Casebianche .  In explaining the production process of “La Matta”, Pasquale writes:

“We harvest the grapes very early (late August) to have a low alcoholic grade and  a sustained acidity. Then we press the grapes whole with soft pressing, taking a sample of just the juice. A part of the must is immediately frozen, and will subsequently be used as a “liqueur de tirage” in place of sugar, for the second fermentation in the  bottle. The base goes through the complete alcoholic fermentation in steel, then a slight cold stabilization and transfer some to take out some of the large deposits of lees. In late November and early December, we thaw the must , unite it with the must, and proceed with bottling. The first warm days in spring is when the “miracle” of the second fermentation begins , and La Matta is ready for immediate drinking. “ (Read the entire article HERE)

This beautiful, cloudy, perfectly fizzy wine is perfect with the food at Sotto in Los Angeles, and it paired especially well with the roasted pork meatballs (which I cannot stop fantasizing about.)

Drink this wine- I think you’ll like it too!

The wine is made from 100% Malvasia di Canida, a variety local to this part of Emilia-Romagna.  The name Bianca Regina or “White Queen” is appropriate  given the gorgeous and opulent aromatics of this wine- all tea leaves and jasmine, honeysuckle and lovely caramelized apricots.  On the plate it is unabashedly saline, and vertical with acidity and a balanced and softly tannic structure, thanks to a 4-day maceration on the skins before pressing.

Winery owner Ludovia Lusenti writes on her website that she wishes the wines to “relay the emotion of a journey… and of life in the vineyards”.  After tasting the Bianca Regina, I am thirsty to know more.

The warm, griddled flatbread was spread with a fresh, runny mozzarella- so fresh I thought it might be stracchino- then dotted with spicy arugula and draped with prosciutto.  Done.  Basta.  The perfect example of fast, healthy, regional Italian cuisine.  The key to simple dishes like the piadina is perfect balance between restraint and super high quality.  Not too much of each ingredient allows every flavor and texture to shine through against that soft, warm slightly-chewy give of the piadina element itself.

Now these Mosto Enoteca just needs a real authentic glass of regional wine to go with that perfect sandwich.

Maybe the Lambrusco boys of Opera02 can help?!

Mattia Montanari with the perfect pairing to a piadina- a glass of cold Lambrusco!