ryini &: LIQUORI o e~ BY ANTHONY GIGLIO t/.. '. (,' 0 O\t~ ILLUSTRJtrIONS BY INCO
») GIVEN MY LINE OF WORK. I've become the go-to wine guru for my friends and family. I'm the one they call, email and text every time they're thinking about a bottle to buy, pair, pour or store. This can be exhausting, not to mention a little intrusive, especially when I get a call in the middle of the night with a desperate last-minute request for something to serve at a wine dinner the next day. It can be inopportune, too, when a buddy texts me from a restaurant's restroom while his date is waiting for him to choose a bottle: "Dude, I need help!" Butwith the holidays upon us, I'm suited up and ready for the oncoming onslaught of questions. At this time ofyear, their queries not only quadruple in number; but also extend beyond their own needs to those for whom they're buying gifts. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy making suggestions, and I get a kick out ofconnecting people with something unfamiliar to them, orby saving them money. And ror those with lots to spend., I'm thrilled to blow through their bank. accounts. I'm able to do all ofthis because I can ask questions aboutwhat they're looking ror and, more often than not, already know their likes and dislikes. Bur when the recommendation is ror someone's distant relative or their boss who's taste in wine is a mystery, it gets a lot trickier. lbats why I dream ofwriting an app that would make suggestions based on a list ofpreferences, such as a person's budget, level ofknowledge, favorite flavor profiles andstyle ofwine. In the meantime, here are 10 composites I've constructed to fit the requests I receive the most around the holiday season. TIllnkofme as your personal shopper. I have the perfect: gifts ror everyone on your list, or maybe just a bottle to get you through the holiday madness. INTREPID ENTHUSIAST Sottimano, Mate Brachetto, Neive, Piedmont, 2011,$17. Always one step ahead ofthe pack, the Intrepid Enthusiast knew in 1985 that argyle would be back but Riunite never would. This imbiber is not so much a trendsetter as a thrill-seeker, so he or she prefers wines that raise eyebrows, such as this one made from single-vineyard brachetto grapes. Unlike the classic sweet and sparkling Brachetto (the name of the DOCG as well as the grape), this one is dry and still, yet it retains the classic aromatics of the brachetto grape, straddling briary fruit with wild, earthy aromas wrapped around a tight band of brilliant acidity. Jllse ''11' La. Valentina, Binomio, Montepulciano d'abruzzo, 2007, $52; Tormaresca, Trentangeli, Castel Del Monte, Puglia, 2008, $24. SPECTACULARSPARKL~RS Almerita Brut. Contea Di Sdafani, Sicily, 2008, $60. Made in the same painstaking process as Champagnelabelled metodo classico in Italy-this wine can go head-tohead with some of France's best bottles. Made from 100% chardonnay, it ages for two years in bottle on the lees (the spent yeast and sugars that cause carbonation in this type of sparkling wine), which is as long as some of the best Champagnes (longer = better). It has classic Champagne notes of brioche and baked apple, but takes a crisp mineral edge from the calcareous soil ofthe vineyards. Jllse 1t11"JJ: Giulio Ferrari, Riserva del Fondatore Brut, Trento, 2001, $100; Fratelli Berlucchi, Franciacorta Brut, 2007, $28. ")j) LACUCINAITALIANAMAG.COM 27 l;
IYlNI " LIQUORI, i,, '!i: 'j' ;; i ) I '\ ~l! ' " "':1'. ~I tli ~: i BARGAIN HUNTER Masi, Modello Rosso delle Venezie, Veneto, 2009, $10. It's not that the Bargain Hunter is cheap, or that he or she will drink -. anything. Rather, it's that his or.1f(.- her values are grounded in finding delicious deals without sacrificing quality. Luckily, in Italy high-quality, low-priced wines abound, such as this steal from Masi, the renowned Amarone-producing family. Not only is it juicy, delicious and well balanced, its charm takes it from quintessential quaffer to perfect pairer at the table..4bo t.", Poliziano, Rosso di Montepulciano, Tuscany, 2010, $14; Silvio Grasso Dolcetto, Langhe, 2011, $14. GREAT EVERYDAY BIANCO Uvio Felluga Friulano. Colli Orientali, Friuli. 2011, $24. Who doesn't love a great white wine that goes with everything from pizza bianca to roasted chicken? It makes the perfect casual gift, and in the season ofimpromptu holiday gatherings, it's a real crowd pleaser-a subtle, floral, beautifully balanced bianco that pops on the palate with ripe stone fruit juiciness. Abo try. Batasiolo, Granee, Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG, Piedmont, 2010, $18; Inama, Soave, Veneto, 2011, $15. GREAT EVERYDAY ROSSO Vietti Perbacco Nebbiolo, Langhe,2009,$24. 28 DECEMBER 2012 Everyone knows that vino rosso is packed with artery-cleansing resveratrol, so a glass a day really is the new apple. I would happily enjoy a glass ofthis medium-bodied nebbiolo every evening, simply because it straddles pleasing, generous fruit and spice notes, but is complex and tannic enough to remind me offancier-that is, pricier-wines from its neighboring Barolo and Barbaresco regions. Abo tt'fll Capezzana, Barco Reale di Carmignano, Tuscany, 2009, $13; Castello Monaci Primitivo, Piluna, Salento, 2010, $11. THE WEEKENDER Agricola Punica, Barrua, Isola dei Nuraghi, Sardinia, 2009, $55. For the daily imbiber who saves his or her budget for Friday's "date night" or a Saturday dinner party with friends, I look for wines priced between $40 and $75. For this bottle, master enologist Giacomo Tachis crafts carignano grapes along with cabernet sauvignon and merlot into a wine packed with dried plum and fig flavors, with spicy licorice overtones. This is a wine to savor. Abo tt"ji' Donnafugata, Mille e Una Notte, Contessa Entellina Rosso, Sicily, 2007, $75; Ruffino, Ducale Oro 60th Anniversary, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG. 2007, $40. '" CONSUMMATE QUAFFERS Attems Pinot Grigio, Friuli Venezia Giulia, 2011, $19. For the wine lover not necessarily married to the notion that wine and food are mutually exclusive, any hour is happy hour. The deliciousness and gratification ofa wine should be instant regardless ofthe situation. If that's what you're looking for, I suggest you buy several bottles of this crisp, minerally bianco that's utterly gulpable on its own and never wears out its welcome or your palate. Also t.,,: Cantina del Taburno Falanghina, Taburno. Campania, 2011, $16; A. Mano Fiano~Greco, Puglia, 2011, $12. BIG BANG Tenuta Arceno, Arcanum, Tuscany, 2007, $100. This bottle makes a great first impression with savvy wine lovers. The Super Tuscan from the Chianti Classico region is a big and boldwine crafted by Italian-American winemaker Lawrence Cronin under consultation from the renowned French vigneron Pierre Seillan, who has spent decades making wine in Bordeaux and at the Sonoma, CA, winery Verite. The cabernet franc-driven wine has classic Super Tuscan berry on the nose with a brace ofherbal aromas. Despite the big hit up front, it mellows on the palate. The tannins are restrained and elegant, opening up to forest fruit and a trace of tar, with a clean, long finish. Abo trrj' Marchesi di Barolo Wooden Gift Box (6 Bottles), $599 (contains two bottles each ofem Barolo: Cannubi, 2007; Sarmassa, 2007; Coste di Rose, 2007); Tenuta San Guido, Sassicaia Bolgheri, 2009, $227. THE ADVENTURIST Lo Triolet Fumin, Valee d'aosta, 201 t. $35. This is for the wine lover who prefers off-road adventures and never asks. for directions.»).n,;.;;;::;;i~
IYlNI & LIQUORI.. \'.,; The person who will eat or drink anything at least once- they've probably eaten the worm in that cheap bottle of mezeal, too. They like their wines like their cheeses: the funkier and stinkier, the better. For the Advenrurist, I propose this gorgeous, violet-scented wine that carries a whiffofsomething feral. It might remind you ofcru Beaujolais, but lies in unchartered territory begging to be explored. the shopping list 11&0 try: 11 Pollenza Rosso, Marche, 2007, $57; Re Manfredi Bianco, Basilicata, 2011, $19. SHEEPISH STALWART Castiglion del Bosco, Campo del Drago, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, 2006, $70. Not to be confused with being old fushioned, the Stalwart is a classicist who gets what they want without making a scene. And Brunella di Monralcino, a king ofitaly's post-war wines, fills the bill. This one is an authentic Tuscan sangiovese that marries earthy overtones with fruity undertones, balanced by trademark acidity. While it flies under the radar, its flavor bursts from the glass. rl&o trrj: Badia a Coltibuono, Chianti Classico Riserva DOCG, 2008, $35; Marchesi de' Frescobaldi, Nipozzano, Chianti Rufina Riserva DOCG, 2008, $23. ~..:,', l j' ~INTREPID ENTHUSIAST SOTTIMANO, MATE BRACHETIO. NElVE, PiSJMONT, 2011, $~7. ~ SPECTACULAR SPARKLERS ALMERITA BRUT, CONTeADI SCLAfANI. SICILY, 2008,$60. '~GREAT EVERYDAY BIANCO L1VIO FEll.UGA FRIUI.ANO, COLLI ORIENTALI, FRIUU, 2011. $24" GREAT EVERYDAY ROSSO VIETTI PERBACCO NEBBIOLO, I.ANGHE, 2009. $24. ; ','; r--the WEEKENDER AGRICOlA PUNICJl.. BARRUA, ISOLA DEI NURAGHI. SARDINIt'., 2009, $55. BIG BANG "fenuta MCENO, ARCANUM. ruscany, 2007, $100. ~'THE ADVENTURIST LO TRlOI.[;,1' i'umin, VALEF. O',o,oSTA, 20n. $35. -i:~.(".- '~: I~-.!.1. ;.!.,'; 30 DECEMBER 2012