Thinking (nostalgia and regret) about the late, great Stanley Ellin (April  3).  A twinge of nostalgia for great Amarones (April 4). Perhaps all this nostalgia is a result of the fact that April was a month of birthdays (Geppie’s, Ugo’s, mine and Maz’s and Silvio’s).  Three wines stood out. Marcato’s Durello (April 26), a Refosco from Friuli (April 21), a wine from Poggio Verranzo  (April 11).

APRIL  2012

April 28 Politicians renaming a park.

One of them looks like a werewolf in mid transformation.  Can you guess the one to whom I am referring?

April 26 Anchovies A-go-go

Michael, Stanley and I go for a little late morning walk and eventually stop in at the Carroarmato to say hello to Annalisa, the owner of the osteria (and best woman at my wedding, lo these many years ago).

She offers us a glass of Marcato’s Durello – the one with 36 months on the lees.  It is lovely, creamy, easy but elegant.  She then asks us to join her for lunch…spaghetti with anchovy sauce.  Exceptionally satisfying.

“It’s the anchovies,” says Annalisa, who proceeds to bring out a container of them.  They are Acciughe Salate from the cooperative del Golfo and part of the Presidio Slow Food. (www.presidislowfood.it). Her fish supplier shows up as we are eating lunch and she gives us a package of fish fillets and a recipe for preparing them.

Stanley and I spend a couple of hours in the hammock on the back balcony – I read (Helen McGuiness), Stanley snoozes.  What a dog – game to lie in a hammock.  We are fortunate to have him.

April 21 My Birthday

Michael has organized drinks at the Osteria Carroarmato at noon, followed by lunch at Osteria Vecchio Fontanina.

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April 16 Ugo’s Birthday

April 11

“I stopped celebrating birthdays when I turned 50,” says  Geppy.  Nonetheless, we meet at the Carroarmato and toast his day.

April 12 Speaking of Wine

Among the wines my merry band tastes (blind) are:

2007 “3” from Poggio Verrano A dense center of near blue-black tones. An uplifting acidity on the nose. A satiny texture. Again,the tight weave. Firm fruit: black cherries, brambles, black currants – so tightly knit it seems like one integrated flavor. Very nice.

And

Anselmi I Capetelli 2010 Golden yellow. Candied fruit, peach, pear. Long finish filled with hazelnuts and honeyed fruit.

April 4 Yet more Speaking of Wine

I take the bus to Parona to give my Wine Tasting in English course.  There are 9 participants, one of whom – Elisabetta Bolla – did the course some ten years ago.  She is at the class with her daughter who is joining mom-n-dad  in the family business.

I bring a bottle of  2007 “Pietro 1904” from Tenuta Piccolo Brunelli.  We taste it blind. The wine is a Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot blend. Nice wine.  It goes down well. However, it is not as easy to identify as I thought it would be.  The Cabernet character is subdued.  It needs time to open up.

I subsequently tried the remains of the bottle on April 6 and find it very satisfying, indeed.  Nice saturation of color. Full fruity perfume. Soft, velvety texture on the palate.

I go to the Osteria Carroarmato to to meet Linda and her husband and children for dinner.  We put away a bottle of okay (nothing more) Amarone.  Frankly, I don’t want to drink an Amarone with dinner.  I still yearn for the Old Days when Amarone was potent and special.  Nostalgia is overtaking me.

April 3  The Wonderful Stanley Ellin

Many years ago I worked at the Mysterious Bookshop in New York City.  It was there that I met Stanley Ellin, one of the best, kindest, most intelligent men I have ever known.   I have many authographed books from those days, among them The Bind. Today I went to the back balcony, settled into the hammock and read.

Before I left for my first long trip to France (yes, I have lived an adventurous live), I asked Stanley to let me interview him.  He showed up at the Greenwich Village (New York) brownstone of Donald Westlake, where I was house-sitting.  (Whoever is reading this diary has seen a film based on a book by Don Westlake—trust me. He was the master of the caper novel back in the non-digital days).

We sat on the terrace, sipping wine and talking.  I love this man.  He said: “When you go to Paris you will find your French-self, which is not appreciably different from your American self. But when you are away you will be allowed to explore sides of yourself that would be impossible to discover if you stayed here.”  I wish I could go back and re-live that evening. I also wish that he had lived long enough to see me established in the wine trade.  Among the many short stories that he wrote is Specialty of the House, a deliciously disturbing story.  He died during one of my long free-wheeling trips to France and England.

When someone died while I was away, the death did not register in my brain.  I called his house when I got back to New York to tell him about my experience in London and Bordeaux (where I picked), and his wife told me he was dead.  I did not handle it well.  I was shocked.  I stammered.  I did not express my condolences to the wife he adored in the proper way for the simple reason that I could not speak.  I also wish I could re-live that moment and tell her how much I admired and respected Stan.  She, too, is now dead. Regret – it is the kind of tell-all-thing that happens in diaries.  Forgive me.

A visit to Soave

Vinitaly Frolics (25-28), ruminating on books (March 14), nice Chiarettos from Bardolino (March 11)

Do you think my notebook undermines my credibility?

March 28 Vinitaly Fair Frolics

I have not included a note on every wine I tasted at the fair. Frankly, that would exceptionally boring.  Here I offer some of the highlights.

Day 1

Villa Bucci Verdicchio 2010 Bright, lively gold. Classic elderflowers on the nose. A pleasing salinity. The wine opens up on the palate like a blossom. Very satisfying.  A long, flavorful finish.

Villa Bucci Verdicchio 1988 A well saturated yellow gold.  The wine is beginning its decline. Still it has a certain sprightliness on the nose. On the palate, butterscotch and citron elements have settled in.

“This is the oldest year I have,” says Mr. Bucci.  “It is a bit too old, I know.  But it is interesting to taste.”

Bertani Secco-Bertani 2009 Ripasso. Bright. Deep-rose infused medium-ruby. A perfume rises from the glass: sour (in a good way) plums and wild cherries. These sensations carry through onto the palate. Silky texture. A nice weave of fruit on the dry finish.  www.bertani.net

This is a limited edition Valplicello Ripasso. In Bertani terms this means around 25,000 bottles.

“It seems that ripasso is becoming too trendy,” says Mateja Gravner, a representative of the company. “So we decided to remind people what classic ripasso is. We are not saying that this is the only ripasso…only that this is what ripasso used to be like.”

1964 Bertani Amarone. Wide clear rim. A salmon pink sheen over delicate ruby. A fresh bright sensation on the nose, with a gentle perfume of mature wild cherries. On the palate the acidity is still alive – an amalgam of fresh tobacco and subdued cherries.  Old but not decrepit.

2007 “3” from Poggio Verrano A dense center of near blue-black tones. An uplifting acidity on the nose. A satiny texture. Again,the tight weave. Firm fruit: black cherries, brambles, black currants – so tightly knit it seems like one integrated flavor. Very nice.

2007 Dromos L’Altro (Sangiovese, 12 months in barrique) Near opaque. Enters the mouth and expands- ripe, clean , mature cherry fruit , shot through with fine minerality. Relatively soft tannins.

“We don’t produce it every year,” says Francesco Bolla, owner of the estate. “Only those in which the conditions are right for Sangiovese.  Our climate in the Maremma is very different from that of the classic Tuscan zones.  And Sangiovese is a difficult grape…it is the first to blossom and the last to be harvested for us. It’s a bestiaccia.”

I am interviewed by a chap from CNN radio.  He says that he will also slap a version of our interview up on YouTube.

That night we go to a drinks do that is supposed to be followed by dinner at a swank restaurant.  Drinks start at 7.  When at 9:20 the aperitivo period seems in no way ready to wind down, Michael and I leave.  We go to the Osteria Carroarmato and have a plate of pasta. A couple is seated at our table and, because we are all sociable people, we begin to chat. We exchange names – they are Mario and Elena. Elena offers us chocolate pieces from her dessert.  And at the end of the meal we discover that they are wine producers in Tuscany and have a stand at the fair.  I hope their wines are decent because they are exceptionally pleasant.

Day 2

I am striding through the fair and run into Bruno de Conciliis (www.viticoltorideconciliis.it ), a producer from Campania and a very witty man.  He asks me to find a good Pas Dose for him.  Hooray.  I love having a mission.

I arrive at the Franciacorta Consortium stand an hour early – an Anglo-Saxon habit that is impossible to break.  I am to tutor a tasting.  Readers of these diaries know that I pull the cork on a good bottle of Franciacorta at least once a month.

The women who “man” the stand are all tall, slim and long-legged, with narrow ankles that taper in to impossible shoes (4 inch heels). I think back to my days in New York City when I, too, wore impossible shoes and snappy silk suits and important earrings.  Now I wear flats, “vintage” silk suits and goofy earrings. It is a natural progression, I suppose.

I am interviewed for some national TV.  We do this in Italian….lord knows how it came out.  The interviewer seems happy.

Ten minutes before my tutored tasting is to begin I am told that instead of being a group of English-language journalists it will, instead, be made up mostly of Italian sommeliers.  Well, there goes 5 pages of my speech.  I am introduced by the director of the consortium.  He then goes on to tell the assembled tasters things that are in another 3 pages of my speech.  By the time he introduces me I realize I might as well throw away my speech and wing it.  We have a good time…the 5 wines – from Colline della Stella, Monzio Compagnoni,  Le Marchesine, Bellavista and Villa Crespia  – show well.

“You perform just like an actress,” says one of my charges.  I take this as a compliment.

I am racing through the fair to keep an appointment with Michael and I hear my name.  It is Mr. Librandi.

“I haven’t seen you in a while,” he says. “Come and taste.”

Terre Lontane 2011 Librandi (A blend of Gaglioppo and Cabernet Franc) A lovely burst of frozen strawberries on the palate. Sprightly elements enliven the fruit. Nice.  Price between 6 and 7 Euros in a shop. Good value. www.librandi.it

I go to the Cantina di Negrar dinner. My reason for going is to introduce Gianni Burato.

One evening about a year ago I was walking home and I heard my name, turned and there was Gianni.  He told he had been commissioned to do a new label for a new Amarone.

“I know you are passionate about good Amarone,” he said. “Say something poetic.”

I said I would write something down.  Here is what I wrote: Amarone is a wine that overflows with aromas and taste sensations. It concentrates and captures the sweet burst of cherry blossoms, swathes of summer sun, autumn’s smoky breezes and the mystery of winter evenings when dusk mingles with fog. Once wine lovers have tasted an Amarone, their perceptions will have been changed forever; they will always remember their initial surprise at the wine’s glorious abundance.

“You are my muse,” he said.

So, that is why I am here tonight to introduce him…in Italian.  I really find it nerve-wracking to speak in Italian before a large group of people….but – hey I can do it when I must.

Gianni’s wife Iaia has kindly offered to take us back to Verona.  Gianni has to stay after the dinner and autograph the poster version of the label for the guests.  We arrive home after one.

Day 3

I am at the fair by 9:30.  I have to interview Cristina Geminiani – owner winemaker of Fattoria Zerbina at 10.  I am exhausted.

I taste her 2007 Pietramora (97% Sangiovese, only produced in the best years) Elegance on the nose. You know you are in the presence of a fine wine. Elegant entry that rapidly expands in to juicy mature cherry/tart black berry fruit. Very satisfying.  It would be a wonderful wine with a T-bone steak.

We swing by Fattoria di Corsignano – the estate of Mario and Elena, our chance dinner companions at the Carroarmato.  One of the things that my book loving pals will appreciate is the estate’s back label.  It is based on the bookplate of Elena Gallo’s dad.  (Besides being a last name the Italian word “gallo” means rooster.)

“My father-in-law liked a comfy chair, a good book and a good glass of wine,” says Mario.

Their other labels are very attractive and Elena is very proud of the fact that one of them was chosen for a book on Italy’s most beautiful labels.

Chianti Classico Fattoria di Corsignano 2009 (95% Sangiovese 5% Canaiolo). Black-cherry color. Clear rim. Satiny texture. Nicely defined cherry-like fruit.

Chianti Classico Riserva Fattoria di Corsignano 2007 Vibrant cherry-ruby color. Full. Very silky on the palate, subdued cherry-near-the-pit fruit.  Soft but persistent tannins. Rich. Nice, medium-long finish.

They also have a rooms available and organize cooking classes.  Near Sienna. Very nice people. www.tenutacorsignano.it

Pas Dose a-go-go.  I taste my way through many pas doses and find what I am looking for is the wine that was included in my tasting.  The producer is Colline della Stella.  www.collinedellastella.it The company specialized in making Pas Dose.  Their enthusiastic consultant Giovanni A. takes us through the superbly balanced and elegant wines and I am sure that I have not only found the right wine for Bruno but also the right person.  I know that they will get along.

I go to a sandwich kiosk.  As I am standing there a handsome young Italian man says to be: “Aren’t you Patricia Guy (and he pronounces the name correctly).

“Why, yes,” I say.

“I read your books too much,” he says.

“No one can read my books to much,” I  say.

We exchange cards and he gives me a jar of honey from the company he works for: ah, the wages of fame.

The same day, I am standing in line for the ladies bathroom.  Someone comes across the room, drying her hands, and says. “Aren’t you Patricia Guy?” And then she starts a conversation.  All the while I am thinking: I am now 5^th in line….now I am 4^th in line.  Now I am nearly at the front of the line.

TIP: If you see someone you know or want to know please do not try to converse while they are waiting for the toilet. Believe me, they will not remember a thing you say.

I head over to my pal Linda’s book launch.  This is a good thing as there has been no publicity for it.  We drink Champagne and have a nice chat.  I tell her that at 5 I have to be on a panel discussing Soave with food and that she should swing by…there will be TV and journalists there….rather than wasting her time sitting up in a secluded table hidden from the passing throng.

I go to Soave and am asked about “contamination” of Italian cuisine by foreign influences.  I say I hated the way Italians used the word “contamination” and I point out the tomatoes and corn (as in polenta) are not indigenous to Italy but were brought over from the Americas….so maybe a little “contamination” wasn’t such a bad thing.  Then we tuck into some really fine Japanese and Russian food.  Yummm

I go to a drinks do given by Guerrieri Rizzardi (www.guerrieri-rizzardi.it) at a beautiful palazzo just down the street from us.  Very nice and low key. I drink a glass of the company’s crisp Soave and then walk to the dinner-function that is on my program for this evening.  By this time I have been running on too little sleep for much too long.

The dinner is to start a bit after 8.  We are seated at around 9.  By 10:20 (the second course has not yet arrived) I am too tired to remain and leave….even though my tablemates are very entertaining. At home I eat what remains of Michael’s Chinese takeaway and hit the hay.

Day 4

Lunch at the Arnaldo Caprai’s Vinitaly restaurant. The food is prepared by Filippo Artioli from Trattoria da Oscar and the Sagrantino di Montefalco ice cream that is served with dessert is made by Tony Cafarelli, an ice cream making genius.  This is the best meal that I have had during the fair.  So often at Vinitaly the organizers of dinners try too hard….rather than keeping the menu simple and scrumptious, they try to add fiddly bits that only end up confusing the flavors.

Among the Arnaldo Caprai wines we taste:

Grecante Colli Martani Grechetto DOC 2011 Straw. Herbaceous/green gage plums. Fresh and appealing. Lively on the palate. A very satisfying wine.  Because Caprai is so well known for Sagrantino, people forget sometimes that he also makes a jim-dandy white.

25 Anni Sagrantino di Montefalco DOCG 2008 Dark ruby. Rich, silky perfumes reminiscent of blackberries and a touch of raspberry. On the palate it has a knubbly texture like raw silk. Excellent wine. Long, flavorful finish.

“This is a great wine,” says our tablemate, The Professor. “But it needs seven or eight years to open up.”

I always visit Masciarelli ( www.masciarelli.it ). I enjoy the wines and, frankly, for me it is a pilgrimage to the shrine of Gianni Masciarelli.  He was an extraordinary person.

Notes on some of the wines I tasted:

Marina Cvetic Montepulciano 2008 Deep dense ruby color, with a blue-black sheen. Mouth-filling. Texture like crushed velvet. Fruit. Bruised, ripe plums and plums simmered with cloves. Very appealing.

Iskara 2004 100% Montepulciano. Long skin contact. 5 years in bottle. Opague, with a deep-rose sheen. Cherries ripe and full. Vibrant on the palate.  The price in a shop is around 23 Euros.  This is a bargain.

March 24 The night before Vinitaly

I go to Piazza Bra to meet up with my pal Linda who is in town for the fair.  As I am crossing the Listone I feel a tug on my arm; it is Ampelio Bucci.

“I had your wine last night,” I say. “We also had a ’95 Margaux – so it was in great company.”

“Come to my stand tomorrow,” says he.

March 23 Dinner at Claudio and Giuseppina’s….Hooray!

I love going to dinner at C&G’s because the food is always simple (and simply perfect) and the wine….ooooo.

Last time (see October 2011 Diary) I brought a 1988 Quintarelli Valpolicella and a 1996 Dal Forno Amarone that still had Doctor Roberto raving.   (At that dinner he exclaimed: “Cazzo, che roba!”)

Tonight I bring a 1995 La Poja from Allegini hoping for the same great results.  Alas, it was not to be.  The wine seemed tired.  Ah, well. Ya win some, ya loose some.  Fortunately, Claudio and Giusapina saved the day with a Villa Bucci Riserva 2004 and a 1995 Chateaux Margaux.

The latter was fruity, vivacious, satisfying…a wonderful wine…and still very young.

“Do we have any more bottles of this,” Giuseppina asked.  When Claudio shook his head sadly, she shrugged: “Oh,well. That’s life.”

March 14 -15 Hours in a train & a lesson learned

Several weeks ago I received a friendly email from a person I have seen a few times at wine functions.  She is kind to her dog so I am disposed to like her.  She asked if I would come to Umbria for an “international” dinner that was to be partially funded by the European Union, and as such, I had to submit my C.V. and be vetted, etc.  I thought: wow, European Union….international….a vetting process for us high-powered journalists….wow.   I replied that I would indeed look forward to the event.

I cannot fully explain why I thought that being a dog lover and being professionally competent were linked traits.

My presence at this dinner is what made it “international”.

Table Talk: Some yokel declared that he was shocked to see a kebab shop while he was visiting Bolzano.

“We have to defend Italian cuisines from these foreign influences,” he said, clearly expecting a hearty round of “Quite right”s.

I rolled my eyes.  I thought: In Bolzano (in Alto Adige) wurstle (a.k.a. hot dogs), sauerkraut and strudel are served in every restaurant – not exactly what we think of as Italian food.   I thought: tomatoes and corn (as in polenta) are not indigenous to Italy; they were introduced by foreigners.  I thought: aren’t the Chinese credited with inventing the noodles that have become known as spaghetti?  I thought:  Italian restaurants are found in every corner of the globe – they do not need to be defended; they are doing alright by themselves.   I thought: these attacks against kebab shops….hummm….could they really be veiled racism?

You may ask why I did not voice any of these thoughts.  It is because I have learned that in provincial venues the locals are just waiting to sneer the name “McDonalds” whenever an American tries to say something sensible about food.  I just wanted to get the dinner over with and be on my way.

The positive thing to come from this event is that during the 15 hours in travel time (riding on trains and buses and waiting for trains and buses) I was able to re-read The Witches of Eastwick by John Updike.  I re-read this book every 5 years for the thrilling descriptions of landscape and – of course – it is a ripping yarn.  I suppose it is a sign of age but more and more lately I am re-reading good books rather than wading into unknown prose.  Last summer when I had a lot of waiting to do, I re-read 11 Elmore Leonard crime novels.  His witty dialogue always makes me laugh.  I think I may glide through the rest of the Updikes on my shelves then start on the Nabokovs and segue into the William Boyds.  That ought to last me through most of 2012.

March 11 Bardolino – Lazise

We take the bus to Lazise, on Lake Garda, for the annual Bardolino tasting.  I tasted through all the sparkling Chiaretto wines.  These fruity pinks are ideal with lake trout and make sprightly lunch wines in general.

Two producers stood out: Casaretti (the kind of simple wine that could slip easily into a picnic hamper) and Valetti (easy, appealing fruit. Pastel pink in color, it reminds me of the Easter dresses I wore as a child.  Wild strawberry on the nose and palate.)

March 10 Claudio’s Significant Birthday

We (the usual gang) dine at Ai Teatri (www.ristoranteaiteatri.it) .  I taste a Sauvignon Blanc that I like – this is not an easy task. The wine is produced by Jermann.  The pianist, Davide Foroni, is fabulous. He could find a job in a top club in New York in a heartbeat.  (www.davidefornoni.it)

March 8 Durello surprise

I put a bottle of sparkling Durello in the fridge a week ago.  I pull it out today with the intention of mixing it with peach juice for an aperitivo.  Fortunately I taste the wine before I glug in the juice.  It is nice.

Here is a note.

Le Macine Lessini Durello Brut. The wine is made with the metodo classico process: this means that the second fermentation takes place in bottle – just like in Champagne.  Deep honey-yellow color. Clean, fresh nose. Nice weight on the palate. The flavor: a blend of liquid elderflowers and mineral-rich spring water.  The  medium-long finish is lively and flavorful.  A bright and satisfying wine.  Perfect for an aperitivo….but it would also fit nicely with a simple Spring or Summer lunch.

Our pal Graham wrote saying he might bring his Bentley over from the U.K. for Vinitaly.  I hope he does.  I love his car. Michael and I do not own (have never owned) a car.  I let my license expire in 1987…so I am not A Car Person.  However, Graham’s Bentley…..oooomyooooomy.  The last time I was in it was years ago.   We tooled down the highway, the trunk filled with Michael’s Port (his dad had sold the family home and the Port needed a new…ah…port). Graham pushed a button and the seat began to massage my spine.  I fell in love with that car.  Forgive me…BUT…I would live in a car like that for the rest of my days and be a happy woman.

March 7 Bardolino and Indian Medicine…well sort of….

We go to our bank, which has swell meeting rooms, for a press conference about Bardolino’s Big Tasting that is held in Lazise on the shores of Lake Garda every year at about this time.  After the conference we adjourn to a side room to taste healthy Indian food prepared by the Celsius spa and hotel. (see a picture of their Christmas lobby in the December diary).  It is wonderful…and it goes very well with sparkling Bardolino Chiaretto (even if, in theory, the food should be accompanied by Serious and Very Special Tea).  Angelo, the PR man, says he will organize a dinner of this wonderful food for us at some point.   Oh, I hope he does.  But then, he also wanted to know if I would like to go to (what we used to call) Bombay to tutor a tasting.  Think positive that either – or both – of these ideas take flight.

March 5 Franciacorta

I am to tutor a tasting for foreign (that means English-speaking) journalists at Vinitaly.  I taste the wines that are to be included in the tasting and then we – Beatrice  (press coordinator), Monica (agronomist) and Marco (press office) – go to lunch at Solive (www.solive.it ). My-oh-my! I love coming to Franciacorta….but it would have been worthwhile to make the trip for the lunch alone.  If you are in these parts, please give this restaurant a try: great service, homey but elegant atmosphere and Real Food.  Their tiramisu is something close to – excuse me – orgasmic.

We talked about The Artist and Uggie, and food and films and dogs in general….what a swell bunch!  I am so glad they have asked me to do this tasting-talk because I have been a fan of Franciacorta for years (ah, I wrote my first article about the zone in 1999) and it will be a pleasure to try to convey to the journos what makes this area and its wines special.

March 1 I am a Muse….

Gianni Burato, a local artist who did the cover for one of my books and who also does wine labels, rang and asked me to introduce him at an event during Vinitaly at which his special label for the Cantina di Negrar’s top Amarone  will be unveiled.  He tells me that I am his muse and asks me to be poetic.  I tell him that I can only be poetic in English; in Italian I can only be blunt.  He (clearly not fluent in any language but Italian) doesn’t quite get the meaning of what I have just said.  I will do my best. My problem will be that I want to make the intro funny in the Anglo-Saxon way….rather than Serious and Poetic, which is the Italian way.    Oh, well, it will be alright on the night.

At the beginning of this month Michelle Lovric sent me a copy of her new book for children: Talina in the Tower.  This is intelligently written:  beautiful prose, witty dialogue, plus enough gore and gruesome Venetian history to satisfy modern children.  Her first children’s book, The Undrowned Child, had imagery so potent that it followed me into my dreams.  She also writes novels for grownups – all set in Venice. www.michellelovric.com

February 29 – Annalisa’s birthday party at the Carroarmato

We are greeted with a glass of 2007 Brut Franciacorta from Villa. This is a favorite of mine.

The wines that impressed me most:

1998 Terra di Fanciacorta “Convento della Santissima Annuciato” from Bellavista. Lively, fresh. Mellow, golding-yellow.  I think I have misread the label and another squint.  No it really is 1998.  Remarkable freshness.

It just occurred to me that most of you have no idea what a Terra di Franciacorta is: and why should you?  The name refers to the still wines made in the sparkling wine zone of Franciacorta.  Whites, like the one above, are based on Chardonnay.

“It has been in its wooden case until this morning,” says Annalisa.  This means that it has spent at least a decade resting in the cellar of the Carroarmato, an idela environment for wine.

1988  Masi Campofiorin in Jeraboam. So elegant, like a bolt of silk unfolding on the palate. Freshness comes to greet you. The fruit has evolved into more interesting fragrances and flavors.  It reminds me of wild cherries.

“They don’t make it like this anymore,” says Annalisa.

“Yes,” says a fellow celebrant. “They haven’t made wine like this since Nino died.”

February 21 – Carnival Dinner at the Carroarmato

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February 18 – 19 – Sangiovese in Romagna – Vino, Art and Snow

An excellent seminar on the various soils and climatic differences in the wine growing areas in Romagna.

One of the wines that impresses me the most is the 2008 Thea Rosso from Tre Monti.  It has everything I like in a Sangiovese: ripe cherry fruit, elegant opulence.

“It has the name of our mother,” says David Navacchia.  “When she died we decided that if we made a great wine we would name it after her.”

This is truly a great wine.

2008 Pietramoro from Fattoria Zerbina. A warm wave of fruit (cherries mostly) subtle. The wine drenches the palate in war, fruit, defined by insistant but pleasing tannins. Very enjoyable wine.

2010 Notturno  from Drei Dona. A swirling funnel of taste: warm black cherry fruit and  brambles. Broad and pleasing.

The pack of journalists and some producers go to dinner at San Domenico’s  – always a treat: excellent food, superb service, relaxing atmosphere.  During dinner a journalist drops off to sleep. I am mesmerized by the swaying of his head as it descends to his chest and the momentary snap back that never quite wakes him up. He sleeps likes this for a full 15 minutes.

Rule Number One in The Professional Wine Writers Handbook: Always remain conscious at business dinners.

February 17 Carnival Parade

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February 10 through 17 Lisbon – Our first vacation in 15 years

Friday 10 – In the taxi from the airport we scan the covers of popular gossip magazines provided by the driver. We learn the word irme from a headline about Kate’s irem Pippa embarrassing the Royal Family.

We go to dinner at a local restaurant.  Jim and Carole are treated like long, lost friends.  A jolly place.

The coffee trolley arrives: a large glass double boiler affair set over a candle. The flame leaps out of control and illuminates the surprise turning to fear in the waiter’s eyes.

We learn the world galgos from the picture of a greyhound on a wine label.

Saturday 11 – We walk through Estrela Park.  I am indescribably happy. If it were a few degrees warmer this park would be my manifestation of heaven.  We gallop along after Jim to the tram terminus. We enjoy a Disneyesque ride to the flea market and stroll through the narrow streets, stopping for lunch at a nice little place with tables against a sunny wall (Tasca Morgandinha).  I take a picture of a man videotaping his beer.  The cheese is superb and we learn the word patinga, which we take to mean whitebait. Then it is off to the center of town and a shot of cherry liqueur at A Ginjinha.  Jim continues to stride out while Michael dawdles in front of signs in shop windows and on street corners.  I know there is nothing I can do to speed him up when he is on the trail of a new language.  However, I am torn between my desire to keep up with Jim and my allegiance Michael.  I pace back and forth between the two men like a nervous Border Collie attempting to keep the flock together.

Jim makes duck for dinner…succulent, superb.

Sunday 12 – To Belém on the tram. We learn the word for dog: cachorro.

We visit the Monastery: loads of arty photo ops and a fascinating timeline that matches world history to Portuguese history.

We race to the ferry and go to lunch in a fine little restaurant. The food is very good and the service is as pleasant as always…and it has the further advantage of having a wonderful English Menu, which features Unlike Lobster, Shellfish in Bark, Supplement of Coal Miners, Tropical Coal Miners and Puppies to the Beckford.

“In the men’s room I learned a new word,” says Michael. The word is muito (very much, as in muito obrigado).

We cross back to the mainland to visit the Belém tower. Then we hot-foot it over to the pasticcceria de Belém for special pastries. There is a long line in front of the place. We elbow our way inside and join a cue for table service. All of Lisbon is here today. Nice cakes….excellent cinnamon.

Monday 13 - On the way through the Vasco da Gama mall, we learn the word bonito from a poster advertising Adam Sandler’s new film.   I can now point and shout: “Cachorro bonito!”  (Handsome dog!) And I do just that…repeatedly.

“You know,” says Michael. “If we were here for two weeks we would be speaking the language.”

“You, maybe. I would only be able to talk to people about their pets.”

The Oceanarium is a wonderful place to visit…be prepared to spend at least 4 hours there.  In the special sea turtle exhibit we enter a Plexiglas bubble inside an aquarium.  Slumped on soft couches we watch fish flit and glide through the water above us.  Again I am indescribably happy.

Michael discovers that the Beckford on the restaurant menu refers to Billy (as we, his new found friends, call him) Beckford, a fabulously wealthy English eccentric who built a fabulously eccentric house in Sintra.

Tuesday 14 We go to Sintra and stroll around the town. Do not snub the Tourist Office: nice brochures and excellent T-shirts.  Oh, I can just see some of you rolling your eyes when you read the bit about the t-shirts…

Then off for a taxi ride down to the restaurant by the beach.  Fine sand, black boulders, gusting winds and an unruly ocean.  Very beautiful.

Once again lunch is rib-sticking chow, simply prepared and pleasantly served: just right for a vacation.

The sugar packets bear the sentences (in Portuguese):

One night rumors will become reality

One night I will make the earth move for you

One night I will dance to seduce you.

The Best New Word award goes to chão, which means ground (soil, floor) as in “chão tremor”.

The taxi that comes to collect us is driven by a chatty man who tells us that his car has over a million miles on it.

I ask him the word for the sound a dog makes and demonstrate my woof.

“Latido.  Portuguese is a difficult language,” he says “There are a lot of words that sound similar. Like the word for pinch-pocket: ladron for a man and ladra for a woman.”

Jim makes excellent baccalà for dinner.

Wednesday 15 – Carol, Michael and I head to the Fado museum, then up the hill to the tile museum.  Carol spots a sunny café and we hop off the bus and amble over to a collection of tables in front of the Solar dos Bicos. Michael regales us with the differences between the words bica, bicha and bicos. The latter refers to the nipple-like projections that cover the façade of the house next door to the bar. Carole humors us and lets us take the tram back to the apartment. Our driver is a very angry man.  When a taxi stops on the tram line I think we may be in for a spot of Tram Rage.  Instead he whips out his pen and viciously takes down the taxi’s license number.

Tonight we head to A Morgandinha de Alfama (right across from the Fado museum), for chow and fado.  I am hypnotized by the Portuguese-guitar player. He seems to be finger-picking and strumming at the same time. I fear that if I stayed here I would become this codger’s groupie.

Thursday 16 – Back to my favorite park to watch the dogs and to amuse their owners with my carefully prepared questions – Quantos anos? Nome? – and exclamations – Bonito!  Dog owners don’t really care how badly you speak a language as long as you are babbling about the beauty of their pets.

I return to the apartment and we learn the latest installment in the Blogger Budd vs. Point-Man Parker Saga, and discuss the merchandising potential of the as yet fictitious  thisblogger.com site.  Jim broke the story about Robert Parker’s representative in Spain being involved with a shady character.  Parker has threatened to sue but as yet has not done so for the simple reason that everything Jim wrote was verifiably true. I will not go into the details.  If you like type Jim Budd into Google and the whole story will unfold.

On this trip I learned that Jim is an excellent cook, that I like Vinhos Verde, that Michael cannot travel without a dictionary and that Carole must be encouraged to take guitar lessons.

February 4 Dinner at Auntie Leo’s

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February 1 Snowing in Verona!

In this month’s diary: The Taiwanese Ambassador sings! (Jan 21), Romano Dal Forno quashes “malicious rumors”, plus a fine Amarone tasting (Jan 18), a Verona B&B that still has rooms available during Vinitaly (Jan 14), Berlucchi “61”, Germana’s mysterious liqueur, and the result of serving the aperitivo in magnums (January 7), Bellavista Brut and spicy shrimp (January 1), among other things.

JANUARY 2112

January 29 – Voting for Carnival King & The Papa del Gnocchi

Image these images scored by 1980s disco funk.

January 28 Amarone Anteprima 2008

The conference and tasting is held in a very grand building facing Piazza Bra. There are 50-some producers showing their 2008 vintage Amarones, many of these are barrel samples.  I taste 20 wines.  Why didn’t I taste them all? Well, for three reasons: first, on Jan 18 I had participated at a really wonderful Amarone tasting at the Villa de Winckles;  second, it was very cold in the tasting area and, third, I am only human.

Two of the wines were decent reds but completely lacked any Amarone character.  This makes me sad and a tad angry. What is the point of using the appassimento technique (the semi-drying of grapes before pressing) if your goal is to make an ordinary red wine? Why do that? (For more of my thoughts on Amarone go to the Wine and Dine section of this website).

Anyway, dear reader, here are the names of some producers who gave me particular pleasure: (in no particular order) Bertani Villa Arvedi (www.bertani.net This wine is made from grapes grown in the Valpantena. “It will get rounder in a year or two,” said Mateja Gravner, of Bertani. “Every year we are using more cherry wood barrels, these bring out the fruit flavors.”), Roccolo Grassi (www.roccolograssi.it deep, rich a velvety texture), Accordini, Stefano (www.accordinistefano.com Near opaque color. Cherry/cream, spicy – nutmeg cinnamon. Tiziano Accordini: “Amarone has a wide range of styles. There is something for those looking for forward fruit and also there are wines for those who like more evolved flavors and aromas.”), Valentina Cubi (www.valentinacubi.it black pepper, concentrated cherry. It will improve with a bit more time in bottle.), Scrivani, barrel sample (www.scriani.it 50% of his production is sold in Verona.) and Pasqua Villa Borghetti (www.www.passionperilvino.com ).   Whiz down to Jan18 for a real Amarone adventure.)

January 27 Bucci and my Grandma Guy

I drink a glass of i Bucci’s 2010 Verdicchio (note found below in Jan. 26) with my Grandma Guy’s Baked Salmon. The recipe is taken from Leon’s Favorite Recipes, published in 1950.  Leon, by the way, is the name of the small town where she lived.  Again the wine’s sprightly acidity is a wonderful foil for the broad flavors of the fish.

January 26 Bucci Verdicchio oooooo

I opened a bottle of 2010 Castelli di Jesi from the producer Bucci. (www.villabucci.com) Pale yellow-gold color. Immediately on the nose there is a fresh, floral fragrance, with a creamy undertow: I often find elderflowers on the nose of Verdicchios. On the palate, the wine gives satisfying white peach fruit. The finish is long and filled with undulating flavor.  Yippee!

I have a glass with lunch.  This is high praise because tasting wines is part of my profession and sometimes I taste, write my note and then the rest of the wine goes for cooking. The Bucci Verdicchio, however, is a wine I want to actually drink – not just taste – with my lunch. I have it with a turkey roll and pasta in a light pumpkin sauce.  The broadness of the wine’s fruit is like a cushion upon which the pumpkin pasta can be displayed.  Yummy.

At dinner I have a glass with a (sort of) pumpkin and bacon soufflé.  Again, the wine’s lively acidity lifts the pumpkin flavor, while the broad fruitiness of the wine allows the soufflé to take center stage.  Yummy.

I think that this is one of the wines I will recommend to my vegetarian friends.  There is loads of potential here for attractive vegetarian pairings.  And speaking of pumpkins, I make pumpkin rolls from a recipe found in Greene on Greens by Bert Greene, a superb cookbook.

January 25  Tremors and Aftershocks in Verona

At 1 a.m. we heard a loud bang, and the room shook and the windows rattled: an earthquake.

This morning as I am returning from the fruit and vegetable market I pass through Piazza Erbe.  It is filled with people staring at their cell phones.  I ask what is going on, assuming there was some sort of flash-mob.

“Oh, another aftershock from the earthquake is predicted and they say that being outside is safest,” said a lady.   She looks down: “Where’s your little dog? At home? You better go get him and bring him here.”

I arrive home and relate this exchange to Michael who is nonplussed.   So I put the chicken in the oven to roast and start chopping veg for soup.

Growing up in Kansas, land of a million tornadoes, I have a certain fatal streak in my makeup.

January 24 Lunch with Roberto Cipresso

Roberto Cipresso (winemaking consultant and Facebook friend!) has asked Michael and me to translate his wine memoir.  He comes to Verona for a little meeting to see if we are indeed on his wavelength.  We dine at the Carroarmato and have a lively chinwag about music, art, wine and New York.  Everyone is happy at the end of the meeting.  It will be fun to do this memoir.  We did the translation for Ezio Rivella (Io e Brunello) a while back. That too was an entertaining experience.

January 23 Cough syrup and something nice )

Still in my pursuit of the ultimate hamburger (This version: chopped onions, Worchester sauce, salt and pepper, served on a tomatoes slice, sweet pickle and chopped arugula), I decide to open a bottle of red wine.

“I’m going to open a (a producer whose name will not be spoken) Valpolicella Ripasso,” I say.

“If you must,” says Michael.

I open it.  Pour it. Taste it…and spit it into the sink.  “Ohmigod, it tastes like cough syrup,” I say.

The reason I am telling you this, gentle reader, is to help you to understand that not all wines that have fancy words on the label are decent.  There are some fine ripassos…this is not one of them.  I will not mention the producer because my policy is to only mention in this diary the names of producers and wines that give me pleasure.

I search our informal wine cellar looking for a decent wine to wash the residue of the baaad wine out of my mouth.

I open:

2006 Rosso Piceno from Villa Bucci (from the Marche and made from a blend of Montepulciano, 70% and Sangiovese, 30%).  Hooray.  Firm ruby, with an orange/brick sheen. Bright freshness on the nose. The wine fills the mouth with a complex tapestry of flavor – ripe cherries, a slight undertow of tar. The finish is long and fruit-filled, with an appealing slightly bitter snap.  Excellent with my burger….and no doubt with other red meat based dishes.

I get a call from the Franciacorta Consortium asking if I am available to do a tasting of Franciacorta for 60 people during Vinitaly. I say: “You bet! And thanks for not asking me to do it in Italian.”

I get nervous when I have to speak in Italian. This comes from living with a linguist. My husband, Michael, speaks Italian like and Italian, French like a Frenchman and German…like a good linguist – no one has ever mistaken him for German.  He picks up languages with a facility that I will never have. Michael can land in a new country and by the time the taxi has whisked him from the airport to the hotel he has grasped the basic grammar of the new language and learned important words like thank you, you’re welcome and good morning, plus a slew of others he has picked up from glancing at passing signs.  Once you are fluent in two languages, he tells me, the others are easy.  I assume this to be true but I do not know for sure because for many years I spoke only English and Foreign (a conglomeration of French and Spanish, filled out with gestures and mime.)  Living with a linguist has served to put the kibosh on my language confidence.  I will happily natter away in Italian with people I know BUT when asked to address a group of strangers the voice of Michael (the pedant, or pignolo in Italian) starts shouting inside my head.

January 21 Soave and Asia

We take the bus…no let me be precise…we take 3 buses (with changes in odd deserted parking lots) to get to a winery near Monteforte for a seminar on the Taiwan wine market organized by the Soave Consortium.  The bus leaves us on the shoulder of the highway.  The fact that we do not own a car creates awe in the minds of our Italian colleagues.  After the conference we dine with the participants, a couple of mayors, the Taiwanese delegation and the Soave Consortium staff.  At one point the Taiwanese Ambassador to the Holy See gets up, takes the microphone and sings “Strangers in the Night”.  He sings well.  I ask him if he would rather be a singer or an ambassador.  There follows a poignant silence and then he says: “It is too late for me to be a singer.”

After the Italian mayors get over the shock of spontaneous Frank Sinatra tributes, they join in the revelry and soon the entire table is singing O Sole Mio.

January 18 Amarone in Villa

Giuseppe Quintarelli’s funeral is today.  His death marks the end of an era.  Go to the October diary for a description of his 1988 Valpolicella, a wine that was still, bright, fresh and evolving after 23 years.  His Valpolicellas are better than most of today’s “Amarones”.

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That said…

Our pal Maria Grazia picks us up and we head out to the hamlet of Borgo di Marcemigo and Villa De Winckels, an impressive complex that includes a restaurant and a wine shop. In the Villa itself there are 12 bedrooms available for vacation rental.  (www.villadewinckels.it)   The Villa is hosting a phenomenal Amarone tasting (plus fab buffet. Cost to the punters: 40 Euros – and a bargain at that).   Thirty-eight producers have tables set up in a large airy room.  Among my favorites are:

2006 Amarone from Viviani (www.cantinaviviani.com). Deep ruby with a blue sheen. Cherries fragrances jump right out of the glass. Lively, satisfying juicy cherries on the palate, with a swirl of lightly bitter flavor that adds depth to the experience. A lovely buzz of pepper spice. Cherries and cream on the finish.  (Go to the July diary to read the results of the blind tasting of 107 Amarones that I did with Bernardo Pasquali – also known in these diaries as Bernie P.- for the Buoni Vini Italia Guide.  Viviani came out tops for me in that tasting.)

2007 Amarone from Allegrini (www.allegriniestates.it) .  Dark, rich. Distinct cherries on the nose, a brighteness on the palate, an undertow of tar. Elegant and appealing.

2006 Amarone “Campo degli Giglio” from Tenuta Sant’Antonio (www.tenutasantantonio.it). Opaque, a juicy red-berry sheen. On the nose: red berry fruit, a smooth ribbon of flavor unfurls on the palate. A very satisyfying wine. It has freshness and depth. A tangy finish.   “It caresses the palate,” says Michael.

2004 Amarone Dal Forno. Opague.  Sprightly acidity over dark fruit. A rich, velvety knap on the palate.  (Go to the October diary for a description of Dal Forno 1996 Amarone.)

Romano Dal Forno sees me and comes over.  A rumor has been circulating that he has sold his winery to Nestles.

“I have a question for you,” I say.

“I know the answer already. It is not true,” says Romano.  “I have not sold out to the chocolate business.  I don’t know how these malicious rumors get started.  That doesn’t mean that if somebody came along and offered me a boat-load of money I wouldn’t consider it though.  Come out to winery for a visit.”

“Okay. Can I bring my dog?”  I explain about the Can-tina column I do every now and then for Morello, in which I only write about wineries that allow me to bring Stanley.

Dal Forno takes a step closer to me.  Our noses are two inches apart.  I see his eyes narrow as he tries to determine if I am joking.  He realizes that I am not:  “Okay, I’ll make a special dispensation for you.”

Michael and I take a break from tasting and go to the rooms that are set up for the buffet.  We sit at a table with Giovanni Rana and his guests: a deli owner and a journalist friend.  Giovanni Rana, for those who don’t know, is The Tortellini/Ravioli King.  His pasta, sauces and gnocchi are in every supermarket in Italy.  He is a big rubbery-faced man, with large dark eyes, who positively exudes bonhomie.  He asks us where we are from: I tell him Kansas and Michael says he is English.

Mr. Rana says to Michael (we are speaking in Italian): “I can believe she’s from Kansas but you; I can’t believe you are not Italian.”  He pulls a magnum of Ferrari Perle 2004 from the ice bucket and offers us a glass.

I decline – not wanting to be forward.

“Come on,” says Mr. Rana. “I have never dined with a person from Kansas before. So this is a special occasion.”

The wine is superb and just what is needed after tasting some 15 Amarones.

Michael and I return to the tasting room refreshed and renewed.

We run into Flavio Peroni, a top consulting enologist for several wineries in the zone and – tah dah – our pal Ugo’s brother-in-law. (To find out who Ugo is go to the “Ugo” essay in the “Life in Verona” section of this website.)  We taste some of the wines that Flavio has made for his various Valpolicella clients.

Fattoria Garbole- 2007 Opague with a deep ruby sheen. Cherries on the nose. Always a good sign. A very interesting velvety texture. Will try again at a later date.

Fumanelli 2006 Again a satitisfying swatch of ripe cherries on the nose and palate. A racy finish.  2005 A fresh uplifting fragrance.

Latium 2007 spicy dark rich cherries, cream soda.

By the time we got to the Terre di Pietra table I can detect the “consultant’s” style – this is not a bad thing because I like the consultant’s style:  the wines always have clear, precise impression of cherry fruit and are elegantly balanced.

“Some Saturday or Sunday I can take you around to visit the wineries,” says Flavio.

“Can I bring my dog?”

“Sure.”

I get great pleasure out of building my dog’s career.

There were other good Amarones, but a series of tasting notes is tiresome to read – so here are the names of the other producers I tried and liked for assorted reasons.  Antolini, Ca’Rugate, Corte Canella, Corte Sant’Alda, Ferragu, Pieropan, Ernesto Ruffo, Tedeschi, Tommasi and Zanoni.  I did not taste all 38 wines – a couple had already been consumed by the time I got to their tables.

January 9 Not by Bread Alone

I open a bottle of 2003 Zamuner Rose Brut (made from Pinot Noir grapes using the metodo classico – a.k.a. the Champagne method). Lovely coppery color. A hint of hazelnuts on the nose and palate.

The wine inspires me to bake oatmeal bread

January 14  Agriturismo San Mattia still has rooms available during Vinitaly. The agriturismo and small winery are dynamically managed by 23 year-old Giovanni Ederle and his sister.  www.cantinaederle.it.  Info@cantinaederle.it

January 7 Dinner at the Gepster’s

We arrive toting a magnum of Berlucchi “61” (www.berlucchi.it) . I insist that Geppy immediately pull the cork.

Berlucchi “61” Franciacorta Brut . Excellent. On the nose a light peach note flutters alongside soft greengage plum notes. The palate echoes the nose.  It enters the mouth full and pleasing: a delicate fruitiness, with a frisson of minerality.  It pleases all palates: for me this is high praise.  Anyone who works with wines knows there are wines that you serve aficionados and wines you serve your non-wine trade buddies.  This Berlucchi “61” has the ability to cross those boundaries – it satisfies all palates.

“I’ll impress the garbage collectors tomorrow morning,” says Geppy, holding aloft the empty bottle.

“What? A magnum only has 8 glasses,” says Germana, Geppy’s wife.

Silvio arrives toting a magnum of Muré Cremant d’Alsace  “Cuvee Prestige”.  (For those wanting a wine lesson: cremant means that there has a lower pressure inside the bottle than that of regular sparkling wine.   And this means that the wine will be softer and creamier on the palate.)

Soon Germana gets out her new wig and everyone tries it on.  “Oh, this is what comes from serving the apertivo in magnums,” she says.

We sit down to dinner and dig into Germana’s fabulous pasta al forno (lasagnette with meat sauce and mozzarella baked in the oven).

Geppy uncorks an Amarone from a producer I have never tried.  “My cousin says it’s one of the best Amarones,” says Geppy. “Since you are the expert I’d like your opinion.”

It was not one of the best Amarones but at least it had the idea of cherries on the palate. Geppy took my lukewarm reply with good grace.  I won’t mention the name of the wine because, as I said, I only write up wines for this diary that are exceptional.

Then Germana brings out the homemade liquors.  Germana seldom drinks but she has a passion for concocting cordials.  She sets a jar and a collection of small spoons on the table.  In the jar is a cloudy viscous liquid with hazy bursts of yellow and orange in it.  I take a spoon and have a taste.  It is not horrible.  I do not want to have another go….but it is not bad.

“What is the secret ingredient,” I ask.

Germana beams: “Gummy bears.  I macerated them for a year in Absolut vodka, keeping them in the freezer and turning the jar every so often. ”

“I tried it after 3 months,” says Geppy. “The gummy bears had absorbed a lot of alcohol and had swelled to three times their original size. Boy, I wouldn’t advise eating more than 2 of those!”

January 1

We toast in the New Year with 2002 Bellavista Franciacorta (Franciacorta is an Italian wine zone that uses the same grapes and production methods as those used in Champagne.  The wines tend to be softer and more food-friendly).

I make up a sauce that works well with the wine: 8 jumbo shrimp (de-shelled and deveined), around ½ inch ginger root, 1 clove garlic, 1 teaspoon coriander (I smashed seeds with a mortar and pestle, if you use pre-ground coriander you might want to use a dab more), around a teaspoon of cumin, 1 teaspoon paprika, a dash of Tabasco, around 3 Tablespoons water, the juice of 1 lime, a splash of cooking cream, a splash of olive oil.

Peel and chop the ginger and garlic.  Whiz them in the food processor with the coriander, cumin, tobacco, paprika, lime juice and water. Taste.  Add the cream – the amount of cream will be determined by your response to spicy food – use more to tone down the heat.  Put the oil in a frying pan and add the sauces. Cook for a couple of minutes then add the shrimp.  Cook for a further 2 or 3 minutes.   I served this sauce on linguini. But it would work on rice or toast.

To understand how Christmas in Verona has changed in the last 20 years, go to the O Christmas Tree essay in the Life in Verona section of this website. While you are there you can take a look at the Ugo essay, as he orchestrates our Christmas celebrations every year.

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December 28 Happy Birthday Cinema

Every year Ugo organizes “Buon Compleanno Cinema”, at which he shows silent films accompanied by live music – tonight we have Igino on accordion and Federico F. keyboard. Some 60 people gather in a deconsecrated church in Verona’s centro storico to view two films by Georges Méliés – Le Voyage Dans la Lune (1902) and Au Clair de la Lune ou Pierrot Malheureux (1904). These are followed by Mantrap (1926) directed by Victor Fleming and staring the incandescent Clara Bow, “the hottest Jazz Baby in films”. Clara’s superb acting talent and well-turned ankle sends many hearts a racing and, I am sure, that her name will be Googled and YouTubed by scores of new-found fans.  We also saw Over Silent Paths (1910) directed by D. W. Griffith, a wild west yarn about a gal who avenges her father’s murder.

December 26 Boxing Day at Ugo’s

Every Boxing Day we go to Ugo’s for tea.  These Boxing Day Tea Parties used to be only for women but when they invited me the first time (some ten years ago) they said I could bring Michael. Since he is the only real English Person in attendance his role has morphed into the Tea Maestro. Then around 6 we are joined by Ugo and the boys and the evening wanders into dinner time, with Ugo roasting chicken and that wanders into….well when the children were young a film like Cars….now it is whatever film that is arousing Ugo’s interest at the moment.

With dinner we drink:

Fattoria Garbole Valpolicella Superior 2007 Fruity, satisfying, a real pleasure. A juicy amalgam of cherries and black berries.

Donnafugata Kabir Moscato di Pantelleria 2004 . Gold with vibrant yellow highlights. Nose: tangy citrus notes(mandarin and citron). Moscato sweetness dances across the palate. A very pleasing experience. Lightness and sweetness in perfect harmony is very difficult to achieve. It is like lively nectar.

I drank it with chocolate-covered gingerbread. Excellent.

“Have you tried the Kabir?” I ask Silvio (a.k.a. Mr. Chestnut)

He squints at the bottle. “Ah,” he says. “Donnafugata. You gave me a glass of Tancredi (the winery’s Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon blend) and now every time I am in a restaurant I look for the name Donnafugata on the wine list.  Their wines are always good.” Mr. Chestnut beams. This is significant because he is a man who finds fault with everything and sees the dark side of every experience….but Donnafugata makes him beam.  Wow! I am unable to catch this rare moment on film.

Tonight’s film is Una Signora per Un Giorno (Lady for a Day), directed Frank Capra. You no doubt remember the remake, also directed by Capra, that stared Bette Davis as Apple Annie and Glen Ford as David “lo Sciccoso” (a.k.a. Dave the Dude).

“Porca troia, che gioia,” says Ugo at the end of the evening. (loosely translated as: Holy Cow, what joy!”)

I say to Michael: “I think that beats ‘God bless us every one’.”

December 24/25 Christmas Eve at Ugo’s

I give the twins 4 books, 2 of which are over 100 years old, 1 is over 150 years old and the last is closing in on 160. These score a hit with Francesco.

“Where did you find books this old,” he asks.

“When I was young there were used bookshops in every town,” I say.

I am so glad that in my childhood pokey old bookshops existed and that at every summer garage sale there was a stack of books alongside boxes of unneeded baby clothes and broken tennis rackets. I told Francesco that I had worked as a Book Scout to earn extra money when I lived in New York. In those days it was still possible to find First Editions at Charity Shops.  Oh, this is a month of nostalgia for me.

I think I have instilled in Francesco a love of the texture, fragrance and general beauty of an old book.  I hope so as I have already earmarked other books from my collection that will make it into his hands in the coming years.

December 20 Hamburger Helper

Midnight in Paris has revved up my nostalgia-meter.  I begin to long for my childhood and the wonderful hamburgers you could buy at little kiosks and diners before giant burger chains ran the independents out of business.  I wrote to friends asking for tips on making a real hamburger.

My cousin Susan suggests: Get a brisket at the market and have the butcher grind it for hamburger leaving in the fat. Sautee a carrot, onions (half an onion for over a pound of hamburger), a garlic clove and a stalk of celery. Run this through the food processor.  Add soft bread crumbs. Add salt and pepper and mix. Sometimes add a dash Worcestershire sauce.

My pal Rita says: “My entire family has loved my hamburgers from day 1 – whether grilled, broiled or pan-fried – trick is adding half an envelope of dry onion soup mix into the ground beef (one pound of extra lean – I use the other half for my killer meat loaf).”

My own tinkering has led to: finely chopped leeks, a healthy dash of Worcestershire sauce, a dash of oregano and pinch of paprika, plus the obvious salt and pepper. Serve with a slice of fresh tomato and sliced dill pickle.

December 16 Donnafugata and Trout

I taste the Chiaranda 2008 (DOC Contessa Entellina Bianco) from Donnafugata (www.donnafugata.it) (a blend of Chardonny and Ansonica) Bright, pale-gold infused yellow. Full tropical fruit notes on the nose, with an undertow of minerality. On the palate: juicy, fruity (white peaches, a ghost of apricot, an idea of greengage plums), satisfying.

I serve it for lunch with salmon trout seasoned with coriander, parsley and lemon zest. Hooray!

December 12 Nostalgia-land

I go to see Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris. This gets me to thinking about The Alice B. Toklas Cookbook, and that leads me to my book shelf and Found Meals of a Lost Generation: Recipes and Ancedotes from 1920s Paris (published in 1994 by Faber and Faber).  Many of the luminaries who flocked to Gertrude Steins salon were there for the food lovingly prepared by Alice. The following is her recipe for Nameless Cookies….which I think should be served with Recioto di Soave.

Sift together ¼ cup powdered sugar and 2 cups white flour.  Cream 1 cup butter and add to the flour mixture slowly, little by little; this procedure, stiring rather than beating as flour is added, should take about 20 minutes. At midway point, add 1 tablespon curaçao and teaspoon of brandy. When mixture has been combined, roll the dough into small “sausage” rolls about 2 inches and ½ inch thick. Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet 1 inch apart in a pre-heated 275º F. oven: bake for 20 minutes. Remove gently with spatula, gently shifting powdered sugar over them while still hot. Kept in a tightly closed container, cookies will last up to 3 weeks.

December 8 Happy Birthday Georges Méliés

George Méliés was born on this day in 1861.  He is the “Father of Film Fantasy” and Ugo has organized a celebration at the Osteria 23 this morning at 11. Méliés – for those who are not silent film buffs – created many of the special effects techniques that we take for granted.  He also, according to Ugo, was the first director to take full advantage of the casting couch.

Only 7 people show up.  But the boys at the bar are good sports and lay on a spread of sandwiches and potato chips. We bring along a magnum of 2010 Prosseco Crede from Bisol to help grease the wheels of the festivities.

“This is good,” says Cristina, history teacher and magazine writer, taking a healthy swig.  “It enters dry and then becomes sweet!”

December 4 Swimming, Beatles, Amarone and Walnuts

The image that accompanies this diary insertion is a nativity scene made by Monica’s children, please note the angel made out of a sparkling wine cork.

Monica S. picks me up and we head to the pool with her two young daughters. We sing “There’s Gonna be a Heartache Tonight” by the Eagles at the top of our voices to the pool and the Beatle’ ”When I am Sixty-four” on our return.

Later at her house: “I have come up with an excellent abbinamento (food/wine match),” says Monica.  We taste 2003 Domini Veneti Vigneti di Jago 2003 Amarone (www.cantinanegra.it) with freshly shelled walnuts.  Monica is right; it is a superb combo.

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Dear All, I have fallen into internet Hell.  A pal decided I needed to change servers.  When that was done, all my images for the November diary disappeared.  When I try to reinsert them, I am now told that my images are no longer writable by the server.  Bear with me….every day a new problem.

November 29 Burgundy in Bardolino

“Shambolic,” calls Francesco T. from across the lobby of the Hotel Caesius (www.hotelcaesiusterme.com).

“Brouhaha,” I reply.

I taught Francesco these words – and other like them – during a particularly bizarre journalist’s trip in Piedmont. (Details in the March 25-27 Diary entry)

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We are in Bardolino to taste the wines of Stephane Aladame (www.aladame.fr). Stephane’s 7 hectares of vineyards are in the Montagny zone in Burgundy.  At the age of 18 and fresh from enology school, Stephane was offered the opportunity to take over 2 ½ hectares of vineyards belonging to a friend who was ready to retire.

“Mine is not a wine making family,” says Stephane. “My father is in the electrical business. But step by step I slowly learned from practical experience.”  Today his elegant wines are championed by no less than Alain Ducasse, Paul Bocuse and Jacques Lameloise, and are found on the list of some 70 Michellin starred restaurants.

2008 Crémant de Bougogne Aladame (100% Chardonnay). A broad texture on the nose – pale apricot. Soft mousse. Clean and fresh, with a gentle wave of light apple/apricot fruit that swells through the long finish. Very attractive.

“You can feel the finesse,” says Bernardo P. (See July diary for more on Bernardo).

2009 Montagny 1er Cru Décuoverte Aladame (100% Chardonnay, fermentation in stainless steel). Straw, with wide clear rim. Bright, fresh. A creamy sensation on the nose: hints of apricot, blossoms, a touch of lemon curd. Again, the gentle wave of pale apricot fruit swells on the middle palate and rolls along through the finish. A sprinkling of minerality and citron-acidity focus the flavor.   After 20 minutes the apricot fragrance and flavor becomes rounder and fuller.

2009 Montagny 1er Cru Les Maroques Aladame (100% Chardonnay, ½ in stainless steel, ½ in wood, of which only 5% is composed of new barrels. 30 to 40 year old vines) Straw, wide clear rim. A tight weave of flavors – apricot, graphite, a touch of citron, white blossoms, with bright notes of lemon curd. Fresh and satisfying.  After 10 minutes still firm.  After 20 minutes it fills out on the palate, gaining weight. A light butterscotch note emerges.

The Zeni winery (www.zeni.it NOT to be confused with www.zeni.tn.it the estate of Roberto Zeni in Trentino.) hosts this tasting as they will be importing these wines into Italy.

I love the Aladame wines. They do not shout, rather they speak in a civilized tone. They are wines for adults.

P.S. for dog lovers. Katia Ricarelli (the opera singer) was there with her spindly little bastardina, Dorothy.

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November 28 More Ghosties

Russell (Atwood) sent me his new play.  It will be part of his next down-town (as in lower Manhattan) production. Very scary! Russell has written mystery novels – “East of A” was the first – and has now morphed into a producer and playwright.   OOOOOO.

November 26 & 27 Trentodoc

Federica, Queen of the Brenner Pass, whisks us up to join a group of English speaking journalists who are enjoying the annual sparkling wine festival in Trentino. (A province in the Italian Region of Trentino-Alto Adige.) (www.visittrentino.it)

Trentino and Alto Adige are really two distinct regions joined by a bureaucratic hyphen. (It is akin to creating a State called Texas-Louisiana). The two areas are very different not only in terms of terrain and climate but also in terms history, culture and even language.  In Alto Adige (which borders Austria) most citizens speak German and Germanic grape varieties (such as Sylvaner, Muller Thurgau) thrive.  The subalpine climate means winters are cold, summers hot and night chilly all year round. As the Adige River flows into the province of Trento the valley broadens, the climate is warmer and the cultural ambience becomes noticeably Italian. Trentino produces many of the same varieties as Alto Adige, plus crisp metodo classico (a.k.a. Champagne method) sparkling wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. The area also has three notable indigenous varieties. Fruit-filled, red Marzemino (my identifier is an amalgam of blackberries and walnuts), Teroldego (tart cherry-plum, with an almondy note on the finish), and white Nosiola, which produces dry wines and is the main component in the local Vin Santo. My standard identifiers for Nosiolo are a salinity on the palate alongside rather delicate hints of fresh hazelnuts.

Bus Buddies

Jim

Fred

Wink

Michelle

Kyle

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.Okay, the lesson is over. Let’s taste.  What follows are a few of the wines I particularly enjoyed.

2006 Brut (disgorged 2010) Trentodoc Maso Martis (www.masomartis.it) (70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Nero) Fine yellow-gold. A creamy sensation on the nose. A sprinkle of spice dances across the broad fruit.  On the palate there is a lemon curd  sensation over fresh fruit (the idea of white peaches). Excellent. Very satisfying.

Brut Rosé (disgorged 2011) Trentodoc Maso Martis (100% Pinot Nero) Color: strawberry juice with a touch of blood orange. Again there is a creamy sensation on the nose that “sets” the fruit fragrances (very light sensation of cherries, raspberries, mulberries, blackberries) A softness of fruit fills the mouth. Clean finish, with lingering berry fruit.    I write “Hot-Diggity!” in my tasting notebook.

2005 Perle Rosé Extra Brut Trentodoc Ferrari (80% Pinot Nero, 20% Chardonnay). Elegant salmon color, with broad clear rim. On the nose: ashes (this is a good thing for me), dried red roses, and an idea of strawberries. Very tightly-knit.

1991 Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore Trentodoc (100% Chardonnay) (www.cantineferrari.it) Yellow-gold. Nose: Smooth and full. I breathe it in.  I could live in this atmosphere. On the palate: tightly-knit, sensations of fresh hazelnuts, ripe white peaches merge with Bartlett pear notes. Silky freshness, with a vibrant frisson that leaves ideas of peaches and mandarin oranges, fresh creamy hazelnuts and white chocolate. A supremely satisfying wine.

1986 Trento Doc from Roberto Zeni. (www.zeni.tn.it) Reminiscent of zabaglione. A juicy, raisiny aftertaste. Like cream soda on the palate. Texture like heavy silk.

“This was our first experiment to show that Trentodoc can age,” says Roberto.

2008 Teroldego Riserva Superiore Endrizzi (www.endrizzi.it). Rich, lively deep ruby. A sour plum (in a good way) fragrance. A silky perfume. On the palate: a warm infusion of spice and ripe, bruised plums.  Excellent Teroldego.

2008 Ritratto Rosso La Vis (www.la-vis.com) (50-50% Lagrein/Teroldego blend) Opaque ruby sheen. A full silky sensation emerges. Well balanced acidity fruit. It is the texture that defines the wine for me – it is like velvet.  A ripe cherry wave breaks on the middle palate and extends on through the finish.

2005 Riserva Trentodoc Baltar (100% Chardonnay, 72 months on lees) Rightly-knit. Crisp elegance. This is not a wine that shouts, rather it gives smooth refined pleasure.

2005 Trentodoc Riserva D’Isero (in Magnums, 50 months on the lees) Smooth. Elegant. Compressed. Ripe white peaches on the nose and palate. All of a piece from first sniff to lingering finish.  Most of this excellent cooperative’s wines are sold locally.

A producer says: “I am not going to noi you with details.”  The Italian word “annoiare” means to bore.  I think “noi” may enter my English vocabulary the way “wendiamo” has.

November 16 through 24  New York, New York

I am so happy to be back in New York that I take no notes.  What follows is a photo homage to the trip.

The Sherlockian Wedding of the Century (at the Players Club on Gramercy Park)

Bride Mickey

Bride Susan

Photo Op Philip

Mysterious M.E.

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November 11 &12 In Friuli – Fried Cheese on a Stick

We stay at the Edi Keber’s Bed & Breakfast: large rooms, nice, simple furniture and best of all – a first class heating system.

We set out with Alessandra (of the sexy shoes, see September diary) for the castle where this evening’s tasting is to be held. The sky is black. The narrow, twisting road is a shade less than two cars wide. But as there is no traffic this will not be a problem. We seem suspended in total darkness. A milky scrim-like glow from the headlights hits the dark and bounces back. For a second the huge angry shape of a wild boar is caught in the light. I feel I am trapped in a remake of the Blair Witch Project.

We do indeed make it to the 13^th century castle: stone floors, high beamed ceilings, leaded glass at the windows, waiters swanning through the tasting rooms bearing trays of deep-fried tit-bits. I am in heaven.

The variety we are focusing on here is Friulano (a.k.a Tocai).  I am fond of this variety and am happy to see that it is holding its own. My taste identifiers for Friulano: a slight saline note on the nose alongside scents of wildflowers, good structure and creamy texture. I often find ghosts of apricot and crème patisserie.

2010 Ronco Blanchis (Grape: Friulano,  around 80% botritized). 9000 bottles made. Elements of tangerine and mandarins infuse the broad creamy fruit.  Zesty acidity.  (www.roncoblanchis.it)

“I’ve had this vineyard for around 10 years,” says Lorenzo Pala.  “We tried everything to avoid the development of botrytis cinerea. Finally we decided to use the botrytized grapes and see what kind of wine would result.”

Botrytis cinerea is also known as Noble Rot and it is the much sought after component in many of the world great sweet wines (Chateau Yquem, among them).  However, the Ronco Blanchis is vinified to dryness.  It is an exceptionally interesting wine.  It provides flavor sensations I have never found in a dry wine. This wine is worth following.

At dinner we taste

2010 Ronco Blachis Mosso Collio Bianco (The blend includes Friulano, with other grapes, including 17% Chardonnay and 3% Sauvignon Blanc.) I am delighted by this wine. It is forthcoming. The fragrance blossoms, filling the senses: Mandarin, tangerine and greengage plum notes. A vibrancy on the nose and palate. After 20 minutes in the glass it is still fine, firm and fresh.  After 25 minutes a distinct apricot undertow emerges.  Very interesting wine.

“It’s turbo-charged,” says Michael.

The producer, Lornezo Pala makes 1300 bottles of this particular wine. “I would like to sell 1000 and keep 300 to see how the wine develops over time,” he says.

2010 Scubla Friulano.  After 5 minutes the nose mellows. Ripe, yellow plum fruit. Bright acidity. A creamy note on the palate. (www.scubla.com)

Sixty percent of the grapes come from 40+ year old vines.

“Older vines,” says Roberto Scubla, the owner of the estate, “are not as affected by the vagaries of weather.  They are better balanced. It’s like people really.”

2010 Obiz Friulano The idea of apricots – a broad creamy texture shot through with sprightly acidity. (www.obiz.it)

“My husband is the winemaker,” says Serena Fedel. “I always recommend that this Fruilano be served with Prosciutto Crostini.”

2010 Ronco del Gelso Malvasia Insonzo del Friuli. Exceptionally nice Malvasia – all hints and suggestions. Nice weight on the palate.  (www.roncoelogelso.com)

2010 Edi Keber (Friulano) Bright, fresh. A very tightly-knit texture. A fine amalgam of crisp fruit flavors (greengage plumes, gooseberries).

Dinner on Friday night is at Rosenbar (www.rosenbar.it).  Excellent as always: imaginative presentation, well-balanced seasoning.

Lunch on Saturday is at La Subida.  (www.lasubida.it) As we enter we are greeted by a lady offering fried cheese (a.k.a. fricco) on a stick. Hooray! The roast deer is lusciously tender. Again the food, presentation and hospitality is impeccable. Plus the restaurant owners have a 19 year old setter named Kelly.

November 8 Anselmi and Art

Giancarlo and Ann pick us up and take us to the Anselmi estate.  “I know Roberto,” says Giancarlo “Because his wife is from my town, Albaredo d’Adige.”

We enter the vast, artistically lighted winery and take an elevator (a Turkish carpet covering the floor) up to the barrel storage and guest receiving area. Flute music plays. Turkish carpets and large yet elegant candelabras at every turn.  Monumental sculptures in carefully lit niches.  It is a masterpiece of set design.  We leave with a half case of samples.

For all the elegant theatricality of the cantina, the wine I tasted – 2010 Anselmi San Vicenzo. Veneto IGT Bianco (grape variety: Garganega) – is straightforward, with clean, full fruit (dried apricots and pears) on the nose and palate. A dusting of black pepper on the finish. No shadowy depths here.

November 3 Scissors and Grief

I harness up Stanley and set off for my hairdressers.

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“Where is Camilla?” I ask Donatella, looking around for her cranky, wheezy little dog.

After a pregnant silence, Donatella pushes a cupcake-pink box across the desk. Tiny artificial flowers are tacked on the lid. “Here,” says Donatella. “She died on Friday.  We could have buried her in our yard but my husband thought that if we cremated her we could have her with us always even if we moved to an apartment.”  She sniffs, holding back tears.

I think: Now is not a good time for her to be cutting hair.  However, it was clear that she wanted to talk about her dog so I sat down, took off my glasses and listened to Camilla’s eulogy.  Mid-way through, Donatella explodes into tears and excuses herself to have a good cry.

I get home and show Michael my haircut. “It’s not too bad,” he says. “It just needs time to grow out a bit.”  He walks around to look at it from a new angle. “Especially in the back,” he says.

Edmund Cane, Author

Stanley, dog

To understand the significance of these pictures whiz down to October7 Can-tina.

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2001 Pietramora Sangiovese di Romagna from Fattoria Zerbina. Rich ruby/browning plum juice color. Nose: Sharp, precise cherry fragrance with an undertow of minerality. On the palate: Fruit (sour cherry) skims across the palate and settles into a satisfying pattern of flavor, a weave of fruit and zesty, smoky notes. Very satisfying.  Will drink it with lunch.

Let me go on record as saying that I LOVE SANGIOVESE DI ROMAGNA. The fruit is often so round and pleasing that the wines can be well matched with vegetarian dishes.  Many of my friends are witty (as opposed to serious) vegetarians, thus this is an important consideration for me.

Outside my window an angry shouting matching is taking place between a woman and a man.  She is so angry that it must be a lover’s spat. Wow, it has gone on for 30 min.  I thank my stars I am not given to hysterical (and ultimately useless) expressions of this kind.

“What’s wrong with those people,” says Michael.  “Do you think we should call the police?”

After 45 minutes the shouting subsides.  Presumably they are both tired.

Dear Readers: Whoops! I misspelled Paolo Pasini’s name in the October 9 entry in this diary. His website is www.aziendaagricolasangiovanni.com Not the easiest address for a borderline dyslexic to tackle.

Roberto Bravi (sommelier, juggler and artist) showed his most recent work – his lady robot series – at various sites around Verona. (www.tinsonpanel.com)  I have known Roberto for – gasp – a couple of decades now. Strangely, I first knew him as a juggler and later was surprised to see him garbed in his serious black apron and pouring at snooty Verona wine events. But, let me assure you that, in his heart, he is 100% artist.

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October 25 In the Suevi (sung to the tune of that Village People Classic: In the Navy)

Juliet's courtyard in the rain

Romeo, Juliet & Lorenzo

Recioto di Soave, DOCG

Suevis

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We troop over the Juliet’s House on this rainy afternoon to see our pals Lorenzo Simeoni and The Soave Team present a new initiative: Suevis & Recioto di Soave in Verona (a.k.a. the City of Love).

Lorenzo, like most Italians, had never read a Shakespeare’s play. Two years ago he decided it was high time to remedy that situation.  “I opened Romeo and Juliet,” he tells me. “And the first line my eyes fell upon was Romeo saying: ‘“Save me a piece of marzipan.’”

From that chance glance has grown the Suevi project.  Suevis are marzipan-based cookies that Lorenzo developed from a 15^th century recipe. Their fragrance is reminiscent of my mother’s bath oil balls.  However, they do go down a treat with a decent glass of Recioto.  I had one with 2009 Recioto from A. Vicentini (www.vinivicentini.com ).  Very Yummy. I also tried a Recioto from a spanking new producer, Damiano Fonaro.  “He is our youngest producer,” says Aldo Lorenzoni, director of Soave Consorzio.

October 21 Quintarelli Revelations and Dal Forno gets a look in too

Age-worthy wines and Age-worthy us

We go to Claudio and Giuseppina’s for dinner.  We bring:

1988 Quintarelli Valpolicella. Deep, bright black cherry/plum color. Nose: Fresh, cocoa, lightly candied cherries.  Palate: sprightly acidity. The flavor of cherries near the pit, with a touch of cream. Silky verging on velvety texture. Long Finish.

“Cribbio,” says Annalisa. “For other wineries this would be an Amarone.  Mama, che gioia!  I’m tired of stupid wines that don’t give joy.”

“When I first met Quintarelli,” she continues. “I thought he was going to be huge but he was as small as me. I spent two hours there tasting.  We talked about everything but the wine.”

After 30 minutes the wine is still fresh and firm. After 45 minutes coffee and cola notes emerge.  After 1 and ½ hours, its freshness is breathtaking.  How is it possible that Quintarelli can make a Valpolicella that after 23 years is still giving sensual pleasure, when there are producers who are making Amarones that are dead after 5 years?

1996 Amarone Dal Forno. (www.dalforno.com ) Opaque black/dark plum. Nose: Freshness rises and brightens the senses. It lifts and infuses the creamy cherry fruit. On the palate: a dusting of black pepper on the attack that settles back in to a swell of rich, ripe plums. There is an undertow of tar.  Lively. A soft velvety texture. You breathe in and feel the flavors rise.  The fruit is so powerful that is nicely balances the 17.5° alcohol.

“Cazzo, che roba,” says Roberto, the doctor.

Annalisa

Roberto, the doctor

Giuseppina and Claudio

We also drank  1999 Crozes Hermitage Dom Combier (fresh and juicy), 1994 Sassicaia (vivacious with rich, ripe flavors – blackberries and cream soda), 1995 Sagrantino di Montefalco Arnaldo Caprai (knubbly, mulberry fruit and uplifting acidity) and 2007 Ben Ryé from Donnafugata (my note reads: “bliss”). (www.donnafugata.it).

October 18 I am interviewed and give a tasting lesson

A Latin American journalist comes to interview me for, I believe, an article in a Columbian (or perhaps, Peruvian) wine magazine. Next week she will be moving to Paris where she hopes to tackle the WSET (Wine and Spirit Educational Trust) exams.  When she hears that I have prepared (am preparing) students for tasting exams, she asked for a lesson.

Among other wines, we taste 2007 Sangiovese di Romagna Superiore Riserva “Vigna delle Lepri” from Fattoria Paradiso. (For more on this estate you can whiz down to the June 2011 diary www.fattoriaparadiso.com).  Bright. Ruby red with dark highlights. Clear Rim. The nose is full and fruity (ripe red berries, tart cherries) good Acidity. A gentle hint of spice. The palate echoes the nose. A mineral vein runs through the fruit. My student finds elements of chocolate and smoke. She prefers this wine to the others we try, and so do I.

October 16 Bloggers discover the wonders of Soave

Happy Blogger

The Soave Consortium Team asks me to join the Soave leg of the European Bloggers Conference Tour. The bloggers are impressed with the rare beauty of the Soave Classico zone.  I overhear one bloggette say in an awe-filled voice: “But it’s not ugly here. They told us it would be all flat!” I did not go over to find out who this misinformed “they” might be.  The bloggers are also amazed at the elegance of the wines and their potential for longevity.

The highlight of the day is a tasting of wines from the SoaveCru association.  This is a sort of consortium within the main Soave consortium. Membership is limited to those producers who agree to adhere to much stricter guidelines than those proposed by the official DOC and DOCG regulations.

Garganego Grapes

I taste the 2010 Soave Classico from Gini (www.ginivini.com).  This is the company’s entry-level wine and it is simply superb. It gives fruit (apricot, pear) on the nose and palate and a fine sprinkling of minerality. Zippy acidity infuses the fruit to give pure, simple, pleasure. For me, this is what Soave should be.

1995 Gini Salvarenza Soave.(in magnum) Bright, with a golden sheen over deep yellow. I smell mushy peas (I often get this on mature Garganega) and a hint of tar that shapes the fresh, juicy fruit (apricots, pears). It has an almost petroleum note on the nose (the kind one finds on great Riesling). It bursts like fireworks on the palate, filling the mouth with ever-evolving flavor.  The apricot notes continue to evolve on the long finish.  Its texture is like that of a mature Chein Blanc.

1990 Gini Salvarenza Soave. (in magnum) Freshness on the nose. Flavorful and satisfying. It is tightly knit with a thread of vivacious minerality. On the finish there is a warm snap of fresh almonds.

Okay, let’s think about this for a moment: this SOAVE is 21 years old and still giving pleasure, the 16 year old Salvarenza is still giving joyous burst of luscious fruit.  So, who says Soave can’t age?

I talk to Sandro Gini about horses.

“I was driving along a country road in Burgundy,” he says. “When I saw a man using a horse-drawn plow to turn the soil between the vines.  I stopped the car, walked out in the field and asked if I could have a try, explaining that my dad had used a horse in the vineyards when I was a boy.  I took hold of the plow and went along for a bit and the horse stopped.  It refused to go one step further. The farmer and I examined the plow and realized that it was about to hit the vine.  The horse knew!  No machine would be able to do that.”

“That experience brought back so many potent memories from my childhood.  I still remember sitting on the back of a horse-drawn wagon filled with grapes, watching the landscape roll by. I must have been around 8 at the time.  And I remember the day my dad bought the tractor.  We had to sell the horse because we could not afford to keep it.  Dad refused to come down when the horse’s new owner came to pick it up.  He sent mother down to see the horse was loaded onto the truck.  A while later we found out that the horse had to be put down because it refused to eat.”

There are tears in my eyes at this point and I believe I detect a similar well of emotion in Sandro.

“At the moment I am building a new drying loft and a stable,” he continues on a brighter note. “I want to get a horse and start using it in the field like my father did.”

Sandro has promised to call me when he gets his horse.

Next stop is the Cantina di Soave (www.cantinasoave.it), which has its headquarters right outside the town’s ancient walls.  It is well worth taking the tour as the cellars are vast and atmospheric.  One blogger thought the grotto room with its copper ceiling was like something out of Doctor Who.

There is a tasting of the company’s wide range of wine.  Frankly, I am very tired and it is useless to taste when you are tired.  What I really want is a glass of a nice sparkling wine. A representative of the company kindly opens a bottle of their Lessini Durello Chia.  I am surprised by its fruitiness.

It is a new product for the company, which has just purchased 60% of the vineyards in the Durello zone.

I mention to the Soave team that I am feeling a bit knackered (I am recovering from an operation) and they very kindly rearrange their schedules so that Anna, Soavette extraordinaire, can drives me home.  What very nice people there are in Soave.  I urge anyone reading this to go out right now and buy a bottle of Soave and make a toast to kindness.

October 13 Poetry & Wine

Michael did a translation for a Tuscan producer named Sada, who has sent a 6-bottle case of various wines to Michael as a thank you.

I open a bottle of Sada’s 2009 Integolo Toscana I.G.T. (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano and Alicante), the estate’s entry level wine. It is very plumy and round on the palate, yet there is a definite snap at the finish, which reminds you that you are drinking real wine.  It is very warm, mouth-filling and satisfying.  (www.agricolasada.com)

I, as have all the maids/matrons of honor, have been asked to perform or speak at the wedding I will be attending in New York in November. I have chosen to read the ee cummings poem that begins “somewhere I have never travelled…” and ends “no one, not even the rain, has such small hands”. I decide to practice my recitation and end up in tears each time I read the poem.  No doubt a glass and a half of Integolo has loosened my hold on my emotions.

Later in the month I printed up the poem and decided to try the Sada 2008 Baldoro Toscano I.G.T. (Cabernet Sauvignon, Montepulciano). Very deep, ruby, with a blue-plum sheen. On the nose the Cabernet Sauvignon is bold: blackcurrant with a creamy undertow. On the palate, the Montepulciano adds a liveliness and brambly note that gives the wine depth and complexity.  Mouth-filling.  The House Style at Sada seems to be, based on these two wines, lush drinkability.

October 10 Vintage Bardolino – Could this be the official wine of The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes?

We pass a group of jolly stone statues in the hall on the way to the conference room where the “San Zeno Castagne, Bardolino and Monte Veronese”(14 Oct to 14 Nov) project is being presented to the press. Five restaurants will offer special menus based on these products (www.ristosanzeno.it). The  press conference ends with a drinks and nosh do: chestnut soup, chestnut-cocoa dessert, pieces of Monte Veronses cheese and an assortment of Bardolino wines.  The label of the 2010 Bardolino “Vintage” caught my eye and I thought: This could be the official wine of The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes, of which I am a proud member.  The wine is named “Vintage” because it is made in the old fashioned way and is intended to be a reminder of the good old Bardolino of days gone by. The blend includes 4% of Garganega (the white grape that is the principal a variety in Soave), a dab of Sangiovese, and a good whack (15%) of Molinara and (21%) Rondinella, and Corvina (48%). I know these precise percentages because Giorgio Tommasi, President of the Bardolino Consrozio and maker of this particular wine, pulled a little file card from his wallet and read them out to me.  (www.cantinacastelnuova.com)

2010 Bardolino “Vintage” Clear ruby. Nose: Fresh, perfumed rather than juicy. A nice frison of freshness. The palate follows the nose. The fruit (cherries, I am aware of the flavor of cherry skins).  It is an easy quaffing wine.  Between 5000 and 6000 bottles of it are made each year.

We leave clutching two bottles of Bardolino and a big bag of chestnuts.

October 9 Adventures in the Garda DOC

Michael, Stanley Dog and I are on the train to Desanzano where we will meet the rest of the group.

“What kind of dog is that?” asks a Canadian guy sitting across the aisle.

“A bastardino, a mutt,” I say.

“What’s his name?”

“Stanley.”

“Why’d ya call him that?”

“We named him after Stan Laurel.”

“I don’t know who that is.”

“Yes, you do. He is there somewhere in your subconscious.” I look at his blank face and say: “Laurel and Hardy. Fat guy and a thin guy. Bowler hats.”

“Did they wear striped shirts,” asks the Canadian.

“Only when playing escaped convicts.  Do you know who Buster Keaton is?”

“No.”

“Do you know who Audrey Hepburn is?”

“Yes.”

“Buster is also an important social icon.”  I turn to Michael and say: “It’s because Audrey is on tote bags.”

“You could make Buster bags,” suggests Michael.

Groppello

At the station we meet up with the rest of our bus mates to join the Profumi di Mosto (10^th edition) excursion to wineries in the Garda DOC.  The event is open to the public, the average age of which hovers around 24.

Garda DOC includes, as you might imagine, vineyard areas around Lake Garda.  The principal red varieties are Groppello and Marzamino.

Groppello is bright ruby. It has medium acidity and good body. It is soft and round on the palate with a lightly spicy flavor. The variety is believed to be indigenous to the northern tip of Lake Garda.

Marzemino’s historic claim to fame is the reference to “excellent Marzemino” in the lyrics of the Mozart opera Don Giovanni. The variety produces ruby-colored wines that have tangy perfumes, with hints of black berries, walnuts and vanilla on the nose and palate.

First stop on our Profumi di Mosto tour is Spia d’Italia. This sprawling estate includes a riding school and a cozy looking restaurant (www.spiaditalia.it).  We taste the 2007 Garda Classico Superiore (30%Groppello, 30% Marzemino, plus some Sangiovese, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon.) It is a simple, juicy, slightly herbaceous wine.

The highlight of the day’s tasting tour for me was a visit to the Az. Agr. San Giovanni winery (www.agricolasangiovanni.it), which is owned by Paolo Passini.  A word of warning to the non-locals: Passini is a very common name in these parts – of the 6 wineries we visited 3 were run by Passinis. Every year at Vinitaly I make a point of visiting Paolo Passini’s stand because I love everything about his sparkling Groppello. (If you want to read descriptions you can whiz down to any of the previous April diaries.)

“You have come at a propitious time,” says Paolo. “For the first time there is a Garda DOC with a name tied to a specific subzone: Valténesi.”  (For the proper pronunciation of this word imagine Natasha, the Russian Spy from the Bullwinkle cartoon show, saying the word to perky little Rocky J. Squirrel. “Vahl-ten-eh-zee.” I have no idea whether this will improve your pronunciation of the word but it does provide a pleasing image.)

“The Valténise hills only cover a few hectares but it is where the Groppello variety shows at its absolute best, “ says Paolo. “On February 14^th of next year the first wines bearing the Valténesi name will be released.”

We taste a 2010 Rosé (70% Gropello) Pure, crisp bright, light cherry fruit along with raspberry and frozen strawberries on the palate.  I can hardly wait for Vinitaly.

October 7 Can-tina

Stanley, dog as opposed to Edmund Cane, author

For years Morello has been asking me to contribute to his website (www.golosoecurioso.it ) He has never seen my inability to write in Italian as an obstacle.  “Scrivi in Inglese!”  And thus I have agreed to write: Cantina: the Continuing Adventures of Stanley Dog.  “Cantina” is the Italian word for winery and “can” is the local dialect word for dog.  Why this association, I hear you ask.  Because in recent years producers who like me or who want to curry favor have started allowing me to bring medium-small Stanley along when I drop by to visit and taste.  He has already been to Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. Now that he will have his own column perhaps he will receive even more invitations. O Frabjous Day! Caloo Calais!

I think Morello has the impression that Stanley will be writing these articles…..hummm. It is something to think about.  I used to write for wine magazines (Decanter and Wine and Spirits, among them) under the name Edmund Cane (a.k.a. my dog Ed). Ed also had a poem published in a book, I am proud to say. But Ed was a much more literary dog than Stanley.  When people asked: Where’s Ed? I would always reply: “At home working on his novel.”  When they ask: “Where’s Stanley.” My standard reply: “Home watching TV.”  Hummmm. Must ponder.

October 4 Facebook Frolics with Maria Grazie

M.G. has kindly offered to come into Verona and explain the mysteries of Facebook to me.  I put a profile up a couple of years ago.  I went back to visit it a few days later and had a request from someone who wanted to be my “Friend”.  I looked at his profile page. It displayed the image of a man holding a submachine gun posed in front of a wall of automatic pistols!  I left Facebook never to return…until today.

I sense that Maria Grazia finds it pathetic that I must occasionally hang the computer out the window in order to maintain the connection.

I opened a 2004 Bellavista Brut to celebrate. (Elegant, a subtle amalgam of pear-like fruit and minerality.) The wine is from the Franciacorta zone (in Lombardy).  Franciacortas are made with the same grape varieties (principally Chardonnay and Pinot Noir) and same production methods as those used in Champagne.  However, due to differences in soil and climate, I usually find that Franciacortas tend to have a fuller flavor and are much easier to insert into the context of a meal than Champagne.

October 2 Federica picks us up and whisks us to Trentino and the Roberto Zeni winery and distillery

At the Autogrill

Roberto Zeni

Zeni Treats

Federica S.

(www.zeni.tn.it ).  His cantina is participating in the 8^th edition of Grapperie Aperte.  We pull into the courtyard of the estate. Music from the 1980s scores the event: the Bee Gees, M.C. Hammer, Blondie, Michael Jackson.  “My nephew is a D.J.,” explains Roberto. “He compiled the music for today.”   I seem to be the only person ready to dance.  Alas, this is so often the case.

Roberto Zeni looks to me like a slim, witty Kentucky Colonel. This unshakable image is due in part to the Frank Zappa-style ‘tash and the narrow swipe of beard under his lower lip.

We stand in a small room filled with heady fumes and watch pomace sliding down a metal scoop into the still, while listening to a very informative talk about how grappa is made and learn why Trentino Grappa is special. (For more on grappa slide down to the December diary – Federica took us to a town filled with tiny family-owned distilleries. Almost all of these families in town were named Poli!).  This is followed by a bang-up lunch prepared by the ladies of the Zeni family.  At one point Roberto’s daughter says: “Hurry up and finish talking, Dad, or my strudel will get cold.”

We tasted:

Grappa Trentino di Teroldego. Clear. Fragrant (a hint of hay), with a certain softness on the nose and palate. Very long finish.

Grappa Moscato Rosa. Rich and full on the nose. “The best fragrances,” says Robert, “Are maintained at 40 degrees or below.  The difference between 40 and 45 is enormous.”

And – tah dah – the Best Grappa I have ever tasted in my entire life:

Grappa Pini (aged in wood, Teroldego pomace). If you consider yourself a grappa fan then you must try this one.  Utterly superb.  A burst of black pepper and white pepper surrounded by a full whisky-like flavor.

“Bags of flavor,” says Michael.

“You must put it in your mouth and let it dissolve,” says Roberto. I ask him where it is sold.  His reply: “Italy, Germany, Austria—-and 24 bottles went to Tokyo.”

A word about Federica. She is a woman who can wear a fabulous satin cocktail dress with ankle-length combat boots – and make it work!

September 24 The Nicolis Anniversary and the Masi Prize

Alessandra (www.gardasee.it and www.italianwinery.it) picks us up and hauls us out to the Nicolis estate for their 60th anniversary party and ceremonial ribbon cutting.  I believe my invitation to this fab fest is due to the fact that in the blind tasting of 144 Amarones I did in July, Nicolis turned out to be one of my top wines. The affair is impeccably organized: the musicians sound like a Movieland-New York Jazz combo, the food is tasty and interesting (such as a small piece of duck breast topped by an Amarone gelatin square and served on a skewer and bison in Amarone sauce), the wine is fresh and fruity and the guests are relaxed.

The 2005 Ambrosan is Amarone to the 3^rd power: Rich, ripe, enchanting. Bright, with a pure perfume of ripe cherries under spirits, with a dark undertow. The palate echoes the nose. Mouth-filling fruit.

“It’s the biz,” says Michael.

Below are photos of Clementina, Alessandra and Alessandra (too) sporting the finest shoes at this event.  They look a bit like chic Charlie’s Angels, don’t you think?

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We arrive at the Verona Philharmonic theatre for the Masi Foundation Prize giving ceremony.  The jury did its job well this year.  The winners are, generally speaking, all witty and vivacious.  We are also struck by their humility and humanity.  At the drinks do that follows the ceremony everyone seems to be commenting on this.

And the winners are: Don Luigi Mazzucato (who works with doctors in Africa), Arrigo Cipriani (Harry’s Bar, need I say more?), Jacques Orhon (a loquacious Canadian-by-way-of-France wine journalist/sommelier/author, with a passion for Italian wine) and the crowd-pleasing favorites:  Giuseppe Battiston (a wonderful comic actor, who is perhaps best known for his role in Pane e Tulipane) and Massimo Marchiori (who devised the algorithm that revolutionized Google).

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September 20 Concorso di Scultura “Antonio Canova” in Bardolino

Guerrieri Rizzardi (www.guerrieri-rizzardi.it) hosted the second annual Antonio Canova sculpture competition, which offers young Italian artists an opportunity for international exposure.  Works by the nine finalists were displayed at Villa Rizzardi, which is surrounded by a stunning garden designed by 18^th century architect Luigi Trezza (www.pojega.it). This year’s winner is Daniele Salvalai. His work is definitely the most complex of the nine finalists and his use of materials was impeccable.  His sculpture looks like a crater formed by a giant golf ball. But my favorite work is a ceramic version of Martian pumpkins (although the artist, Iva Boccali chose to call it Macerie.)  I will happily admit to loving everything about this annual sculpture competition: its aim to encourage young talent, the exquisite setting, the elegant canapés, the fine wine and the easy camaraderie of the guests.

Soave Blogettes

My pal Maria Grazia Melegatti is there.  Maria Grazia has been a fan and blogger for Soave for many years.  I drink a glass of Guerrieri Rizzardi sparkling Prosecco (fresh, fruity and appealing) and a glass of Rosa Rosae Rosato Veonese IGT (enticing, vibrant pink with full cherry/strawberry tinges fruit on the nose and palate) and nosh grandly.  Maria Grazie tastes the Amarone.

“You know,” she says.  “I really like the Guerrieri Rizzardi Amarone.”

“Me, too,” I say. “There is always an elegant yet definite idea of cherry fruit.”  This scent of cherries is, for me, is the hallmark of a well-made Amarone.

September 18 La Domenica del Bardolino

Stanley on the Bus

Joan in a Chiare-pink jacket

Damiano Peroni, winemaker

Joan, Michael and I take the bus to Bardolino to taste wines at an event held in a lushly grassy park next to Lake Garda. Two of the wines that stand out for me are the Chiaretto Brut from Costadoro (A satisfying wine from its juicy cherry color through its flavors of frozen strawberries and raspberries and on it’s the long finish.

www.agrituismocostadoro.com) and La Ca’s Chiaretto (fresh, infused with strawberry fruit and with a slightly mineraly finish. www.tenutalaca.it)

We also sample a Chiare. This is one of the few wine-based cocktails that really works – very refreshing and elegant in the glass.  I have convinced Joan that it could be a substitute for Pimm’s Cup at English garden parties.  Here is the recipe:  Bardolino Chiaretto Spumante 6/10, Elderflower syrup 1/10, Soda 3/10 – served over ice and decorated with fresh mint leaves.

September 17 Durello and Tales of Denzel Washington

Our pals Ben and Joan come from London for the weekend and we immediately march them to the Carroarmato for lunch.  Annalisa opens a bottle of 2004 Marcato Sparkling Durello, with 33 months ageing.  It has a rich golden color. This idea of richness is echoed on the palate.

“I think this is the best expression of Durello,” says Annalisa, owner of the Carroarmato.

Toward the end of the meal our pals Geppy and Germana drop by.  They have just returned from a visit to New York City.  I lived there for 9 years and had prepared a page of NYC tips for them.  (Such as, eat at a diner where the waitresses have sinewy legs and call everybody “honey” and see a Broadway show; musicals are easier for non-English speakers to handle).

Their biggest adventure happened on the subway.

“We saw this nice looking man on the platform.  He had a notebook and was writing things down in it. So Geppy went up and asked him for directions.  It was then I realized it was Denzel Washington,” says a breathless Germana.  “I bet he was preparing for a movie role! He is so charismatic. And he was very nice.”

“He gave good directions too,” says Geppy.

By the way, next month Joan will be appearing in The Provoked Wife at the Greenwich Playhouse in London. (www.gallcontheatre.co.uk)

September 3 Soave & The Wolf

Zeva Wolf

We take the bus out to Soave for Soave Versus. I taste some of my favorite Soaves and then find a comfy chair in which to do a Sudoku…or two.  The highlight of this evening for me (besides a truly fine Sparkling Durello from Marcato) is meeting Zeva Wolf.

I ask her owner why he happens to have a wolf.  I was expecting a dramatic story of animal rescue.  His reply: “Because I wanted one.”  Evidently, you can go to Piedmont and pick out your fluffy little cub and bring it home.  Something does not sound right about this to me but, then again, Zeva Wolf seemed very calm and collected about her life as a household pet.