L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JULY 7, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano A millennial fellow speak- ing about his interest in wine: Him: "I'll drink anything, man, but I'm all about the reds." M e : " C o o l . W h a t d o y o u look for in a red wine?" Him: "Massiveness. Total big-ness." I smile politely, knowing it will be a short conversation. Strangely enough, though, t h e r e a l i t y o f t h a t r e a l l i f e exchange pretty much sums up what for at least the last decade, in my assessment, has been the style of red wine preferred by a majority of wine drinking folks, and especially in the USA. But, as American troubadour B o b D y l a n o n c e s a n g , " T h e times they are a-changin'." I sense a definite trend these days away from big, darkly-col- ored, high alcohol, low acid red wines sporting notes of wood- driven vanilla, spice and choco- late, toward an appreciation of the more subtle beauties and charms offered by light to medi- um bodied wines with good per- fume, often lighter in color, moderate in alcohol, with deli- ciously high acidity and bal- anced tannins. A f o r t u i t o u s m o m e n t f o r Italian wines indeed: in that context, Italy's native red wine grapes can really deliver wines that are well-suited to please red wine drinkers who are seeking the pleasures of subtlety and n u a n c e . F o r g i v e m e f o r n o t JOEL MACK Three Italian Reds for Changing Times mentioning in this article some familiar names – Nebbiolo and Sangiovese, for example – for the very reason that they are, well, familiar. Let's use this opportunity to introduce a few of Italy's native grape varieties and wines that are likely less well known to you: Nerello Mascalese grows on the slopes of Sicily's Mount Etna and is the principle variety used in making red wine in the E t n a D O C , c u r r e n t l y o n e o f Italy's hottest (read: popular) appellations. Naturally high in tannins and light in color, a min- i m u m o f 8 0 p e r c e n t N e r e l l o Mascalese is often complement- ed with a splash of another local v a r i e t y , N e r e l l o C a p p u c c i o , which, conversely, has more c o l o r a n d l i t t l e t a n n i n s . T h e result is a red wine similar in weight to Pinot Noir, one that shares Pinot Noir's airy, ethere- al character, beautifully scented of violets, cherries, herbs, and spices, and with good tannic bite. The pale ruby-colored wines of the Bardolino DOC, located in the area of Lake Garda, offer incredible charm and pleasure. Here, it is Corvina which is the main actor, accounting for some 35-80 percent of the wine blend, most often joined by allowable quantities of supporting cast members Corvinone, Rondinella a n d M o l i n a r a . B a r d o l i n o 'Chiaretto', a rosato style, offers a d i f f e r e n t p e r s p e c t i v e f r o m Bardolino's light reds and is dif- ferent still from neighboring Valpolicella wines (same princi- ple varieties) showing a great c o u n t e r p o i n t t o A m a r o n e . Bardolino wines can have fruity aromas and flavors of cherries and berries, vibrant freshness, notes of warm spice, soft tan- nins, and typically, a pleasantly bitter note on the finish. Grignolino, a grape variety g r o w n i n t h e r e g i o n o f P i e m o n t e , m a k e s u t t e r l y enchanting wines in the loveli- est shades of light red that are high in acid and deliver firm, grippy tannins. If it were one's intention to arrange the most delightful of picnics, I should r e c o m m e n d a b o t t l e o f Grignolino as a first step in the right direction. Grignolino is characteristically charming and l i g h t , r e d o l e n t o f s m a l l r e d berries, flowers and spice, with a characteristic note of white pepper. What's interesting and per- haps even ironic is that the big, low acid red wines, in parallel with a growing awareness of c o o k i n g a n d f o o d c u l t u r e ( t h a n k s i n p a r t t o t e l e v i s i o n shows like Chopped, Top Chef and the power of social media in promoting food and food cul- ture) help highlight one of their lighter, more understated coun- terparts greatest distinctions: it's the lighter, high acid wines that actually pair better with food. So, as you make your short list of red wines you'd like to try, I hope you'll consider join- ing a growing number of wine drinkers willing to explore the subtle, nuanced beauty of Italian r e d s l i k e G r i g n o l i n o , E t n a Rosso, or one of the Bardolino wines. Back to our millennial friend with whom I had the exchange at the beginning of this article. After some time had passed, during a subsequent conversa- t i o n a b o u t w i n e , h e p r o u d l y announced that his tastes were e v o l v i n g , h i s f a v o r i t e w i n e b e i n g n o n e o t h e r t h a n … Moscato d'Asti. So much for 'massiveness' and 'total big- ness'. Like I always say … one of the beauties of Italian wine is that, often times, the wines have their own way of deciding the itinerary for you. Tasting Note: Tenuta Delle Terre Nere Etna Rosso Pretty ruby color, perfume of red berries, flowers, spices and a hint of balsam, an effortlessly elegant palate seemingly unre- strained by gravity. Good struc- t u r e a n d s t u r d y t a n n i n s g i v e great definition and foundation. Wine lovers who admire the w i n e s o f B u r g u n d y o r Piedmont's Nebbiolo will have a n e a s y a p p r e c i a t i o n o f t h i s wine. Grignolino, Etna Rosso and Bardolino, lighter high acidic wines that pair better with food Bardolino is one of the best-known of the Lake Garda resorts, mainly due to the wine made from the grapes grown in the surrounding hillsides WINE NEWS TRENDS PROFILES

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