L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2019 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano Poetic approach to winemaking I 'm no historian, but it seems to me that poetry has been around about as long as wine has. That alone feels like rea- son enough to enjoy a good ration of either during our brief time on earth. Goodness knows that scores of writers and poets have personally tested that pre- mise, for better or worse, to their individual conclusions. But aside from the fact that wine and word, each in its own way, soften the heart and open the mind, connec- tions between the two can offer a better understanding of history, culture, society, life and living. Byron, Hemingway, Homer, Keats, Pliny the Elder, Neruda, Shakespeare, Twain, Yeats, and even Kenney Chesney, have all waxed poetic about wine. Many more bards, rhymesters, and son- neteers, famous and obscure, an- cient and modern, have weighed- in to substantiate the connection between wine and word. French poet Charles Baude- laire wrote, "One should always be drunk. That's all that mat- ters…But with what? With wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you choose. But get drunk." For the benefit of those among us whose interpretive thinking machinery cranks in too literal a fashion, it should be stated here – for the re- cord – that neither this article's publisher nor I recommend or condone drunkenness. Lest Bau- delaire's point be somehow lost, he was meaning, I think, to sug- gest a life lived under the in- fluence of one's chosen passion is "all that matters." Perhaps the most famous if not oldest of all poetic wine musings, in vino veritas (Latin) or "In wine, there's truth," was alluded to by Roman author and philo- sopher Pliny the Elder some 2,000 years ago. Pliny was not far off the mark. Surely, my own inhibitions have on occasion been sufficiently loosened by wine and word so as to let the truth flow. As suggested by a quote from Scottish poet Robert Louis Ste- venson, "Wine is bottled poetry," and every once and a while, wine and the poetic can become one. I don't disagree. A new generation of Italian wine producers is pursuing a more poetic approach to wine production, one where producers are tuned-in to communicating passion, emotion, truth, the di- versity of Italian grape varieties and terroir. For some, that simply means carrying on family tradi- tion, making wine as it has always been made. For others, it entails turning away from inter- ventionist winemaking practices, herbicides, pesticides, and che- mical fertilizers. From producers working in non-interventionist / organic / biodynamic ways, I am tasting vibrant wines of incredible energy and perfume, that exhibit deeper degrees of personality and flavor. So much so, in fact, that, when tasted side by side, conven- tional production wines can taste comparatively flat. While many of Italy's wine producers deserve mention here, limited space allows me to share just two recommendations. Ho- pefully, these will inspire you seek out other producers working in similar ways and connect you to a new order of winemaking. What follow are two thumb- nail sketches of Italian wine pro- ducers where you can find liquid forms of Italian poetry sure to stir passion, truth, heart, and ap- petite: Winery Pranzegg With vineyards nearby Bol- zano, Pranzegg work biodynami- cally. The winery website states that Pranzegg strive to be an "ut- terer of culture and nature" with a primary intention to "narrate the region, the scene, the year, and (our) way of living." Martin Gojer makes 6 or 7 alpine-style wines, both red and white, from grape varieties such as Gewurz- traminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Mul- ler Thurgau, Lagrein, and Schiava. Production methods in- clude spontaneous fermentation, low or no sulfur dosing, no fining or filtration, ample time on lees. @ www.pranzegg.com. Cascina Disa / Elio Sandri A recent tasting of Sandri's Barbera d'Alba left me speech- less. In honesty, it sets a new benchmark for the variety. Situa- ted around Monforte d'Alba, Ca- scina Disa, in addition to the afo- rementioned, make Langhe Nebbiolo, Barolo and, according to the winery website, a red table wine blend of Barbera, Dolcetto, and Nebbiolo. A report by Gre- gory Dal Piaz reprinted on the commercial website of Chambers Street Wines (see below), notes Sandri is farming organically in a "minimally interventionist" manner, and in the cellar, follows a "non-interventionist" approach. Methods include organic far- ming, natural fermentations of indigenous yeasts, low sulfur. @ http://www.cascinadisa.com/uk- azienda.html. I don't typically mention retail wine shops by name. But I really must give a shout out here to Chambers Street Wines of New York City for their work with producers practicing non-inter- vention / organic / biodynamic methods of wine production. And while we are at it, props to Gre- gory Dal Piaz who, according to my understanding, virtually di- scovered wines of Cascina Disa. Tasting Note Cascina Disa / Elio Sandri Barbera d'Alba Superiore Terrific energy, intensity of fruit. Peaceful, but very present well-balanced acidity lets the wi- ne's sublime texture shine. Precise without feeling overly managed. Superb. Many writers and poets have written about the connection between poetry and wine Poetry and wine often go hand in hand, as both are real pleasures of life JOEL MACK WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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