Alexander Forryan

In the film Mondovino, Michael Broadbent says that he would rather drink a poor, authentic, terroir-driven wine than a standardised wine. I had forgotten I’d pre-ordered the film ‘Mondovino’ from the States on DVD and so watched it with renewed interest on its arrival in the post, a few days before my scheduled trip to Basilicata in the south of Italy. Though a good film, whose message I primarily agreed with, at the end I still had to confess a slight crisis of conscience … and besides, I still liked those big, fruit-driven, heavily extracted, vanilla-flavoured wines. However, my trip to Italy was only a few days away, so I didn’t give it much thought. Every year in August, my great friend Giuseppe Pirpignani, returns ‘home’ with his wife and young daughter to a small village deep in the mountains. They spend the month with the rest of his family and had asked me along. “You can try some of our local wine,” he had promised. We arose early on my first day in Teana, a village too small to feature on most maps of the region. Giuseppe had arranged for us to visit two wineries in the north, in the Vulture Mountains. We set off early for our two-hour drive north across some very wild and mostly inhospitable countryside. On the way we passed many small plots of land cultivated as ‘mini-farms’ growing everything for the Lucani’s (people from Basilicata) cuisine, herbs, peppers, tomatoes, beans, zucchini, and aubergines. However there were also, in addition to these small allotment-type plots, small vineyards positioned on the slightly higher slopes. Individuals producing wine for their own consumption owned these small plots of land scattered over the hills, “Just like my father’s!” Giuseppe informed me. We carried on past acres of orange trees and even more of the ubiquitous olive trees until we approached the Montagne del Vulture. The surrounding land seemed even more abundant with smallholdings, this due in part to the high yielding volcanic soil, but surprisingly for such a large wine producing area we didn’t see many vineyards. Our first scheduled stop was in the town of Rionero in Vulture to visit the winery of Cantine Del Notaio. We met Signor Giuratrabocchetti at his offices on Via Roma and were shown into a small room where, after a short question and answer session, we were promised a tour of his cellars. A relatively new winery established in 1998, Notaio now produces just over 7000 cases per year in a variety of styles including two 100% Aglianico wines (La Firma and Il Repertorio) and even a rosé. Indeed, it was this rosé, Il Rogito, which after the short introductory speech prompted my first question. Was this rosé produced as a by-product of ‘modern’ wine making techniques in an effort to produce the Aglianico wines in a more heavily extracted “international” style? To this Signor Giuratrabocchetti referred me to their beautifully produced brochure that stated “We specifically designed Il Rogito to interpret and exploit the value of the Aglianico grape. And there is enough historical evidence to show that Aglianico has long been appreciated in this less intense version”. That may be so, however the literature then goes on to say how this wine, like the other two Aglianico wines, is aged in French oak for 12 months. On my subsequent tasting note I could only really taste the oak, the Aglianico being very much in the background. After a few more questions and armed now with the brochures we set off for the tour of the cellars. The first thing that stuck me was how clean everything was (-almost too clean, as they say in all good detective films). The labyrinthine cellar was carved out of the ‘tufo volcanico’ and extended well under the adjacent road and beyond. All along the carefully and dramatically lit floor of the cellar were lines of new French oak barriques, only one tier high and all in immaculate condition. As we followed Signor Giuratrabocchetti through his cellar it occurred to me that for casks that surely had to be regularly topped up, there wasn’t any sign of spillage around the bung-hole at the top of the barrels. Could these only have really been there for show? I didn’t dare ask. Our appointment in the afternoon was at the Cantine of Paternoster in the town of Barile. A much older and larger winery, Paternoster produces just over 12500 cases per year and has been in the wine business since 1925. Now, still a family-run business in its third generation, the company is still growing. Signor Paternoster Jnr greeted us at the door as we drove into the driveway and gave us a brief tour around the current wine producing facility. Tanned and with an obvious enthusiasm for wine, Signor Paternoster was only too pleased to answer a few questions before then leading us off for a short scooter ride to the other side of town to see the brand new, state-of-the-art winery being built on the site of the old family property Villa Rotondo. My first question was to what extent critics’ scores influenced the styles of wines now produced by Paternoster and how this had changed their approach to their beloved Aglianico? “We make wine in styles that people will buy” was his reply. Honest, if nothing else. The old Villa Rotondo is still there but is currently being restored and is to be used, in the future, as a centre for wine-tourism. It is due for completion some time in 2006. The new winery is situated right amongst the vines looking out across the newly planted, yet to yield, vines and will truly be an impressive site for future visitors. Vines, I might also add, that will still be picked by hand because, in this part of Italy, it’s still a cheaper option than using machines to harvest the grapes. However, on the drive home my thoughts were of how Basilicata’s wine producers certainly seemed to be in the ascendancy and were gearing up for an estimated growth in interest and ultimately sales. The thing that seemed even more evident was that this growth in sales was going to be the result of producing wine in a more consumer-friendly style, with a higher emphasis on ‘treatments’ rather than terroir and with a view to getting higher scores from the critics. This of course makes good business sense, but my worry is that now, like in Bordeaux for example, the true nature of terroir and the personality of the grape is being lost in favour of higher scores. As we sat down with the rest of the family for dinner after our two-hour drive home, Giuseppe’s father opened a bottle of his wine from last year’s vintage. This was, surely, the perfect accompaniment to the many dishes Giuseppe’s Mama had prepared. But Wow! Suddenly after a day of tasting big, blockbuster wines, here was wine that tasted ‘real’, a wine that tasted of sunshine, soil, grapes and love. No, it wasn’t perfect, but it did make me start to think. I asked if I could try a glass of the 2003 vintage next to the 2004. Suddenly here was a difference! And that difference was Lucani terroir, a true expression of the place, time and regional identity. Here were two wines, made by the same man, from the same vines, made in exactly the same way, the only difference being the climatic variations in those years. Yet these two wines had completely different personalities. The 2003, was robust, full of intense fruit and spice, high in alcohol, depth of colour and now, with some bottle age, tertiary aromas beginning to show. The 2004 on the other hand was delicately fruity almost floral, lower in alcohol, more subtle and far more feminine. Both wines, however, were crystal clear, with nice integrated tannins and both had good length. My lasting memory of the wines of Basilicata will not be the beautifully stacked barriques with not a drop of wine split anywhere, nor the new space-age cantina being prepared for future wine-tourists, no doubt searching out those elusive vanilla-flavoured, micro-oxygenated ‘90s’. No, my memories will be of the Lucani people, for whom wine is produced for their family by their family. Wine that is produced with as much care and above all pride, as any of the other wines I saw produced and tasted in this dramatic and often overlooked wine region. My epiphanic moment came at the family dinner table watching Giuseppe’s father’s gnarled fingers prizing the crown cap off of a bottle last year’s vintage. It was then I was suddenly reminded of Mr Broadbent’s comment during the film “A Standardised Wine.” Yes Sir, I think I agree with you. Maybe now, after 3 years of studying, I’m finally beginning to understand what this wine lark is really all about and long may my journey of discovery continue. Saluté!

If you get a chance to get to Alghero, which is a Catalanian Town in the North West of the Island, visit Al Tuguri. The seafood here is very goo. Try the linguine bicolori del Re Juan Carlos. The ristorante also has a good selection of Island wines, Tenute Sella & Mosca is a good producer to look out for.

Alberto Thanks for this guide, it really is perfect! I urge everyone to go to Luigi Veronelli's site.

I can't rtemember where we stayed and had dinner on Lipari but check out Hotel Raya in Panarea we stayed there for 4 nights last year and it was fantastic. They have a great selection of anti-pasti to tempt you while you have drinks before dinner. There really isn't anywhere else to have dinner on Panerea. But I would recommend one of the other Aeolian Islands, Salina as an alternative to Lipari to stay at. My thread on eGullet

Lisa I'll be Bologna from 7th - 10th September 2004 and will be sure to check out SANA. Thanks for the tip. PM if you want to meet up for Coffee Alex

Thank God, other people have "...and I ended upin a strangers' swimming pool" Grappa-related stories. Grappa always seems to come last, then again...and then again!

Benvenuto Katia and Ronald I was in Sicilia 2 weeks ago and loved it but I'm sad to say I must have missed Cioccolato Modicano! Please tell us more, they sound fantastic. Best wishes A

July 2004 We got the morning flight from London Stansted and arrived into the mid-day heat of Palermo in late July. We caught a cab from the airport and went straight to lunch at Ai Cascinari. However we were a little early and with half an hour to kill we walked the block and found the most amazing market stalls selling some of the freshest produce I’ve ever seen including these bell peppers that were 3–4 times the size of the apples next to them. At the same stall, we found these Zucchini that were over a metre long. The stallholder seemed only too keen to pose with it. Has anyone ever eaten these? And so on to … Ai Cascinari Via d’Ossuna 43 – 45, Palermo I’d read reviews here on eG as well as the Sicily Special in The Art of Eating and was very keen to try their “fast, fresh, cheap, good traditional Palermitan food”. We were the first ones in the restaurant for Pranzo but were made very welcome by the owner and chose to sit in the lighter, front room. We started with an Antipasti Misto of Agnello con Pomodoro e Olive, Vegetable Fritti, a ‘fried bread’ meatball (any ideas?) in Salsa di Pomodoro and some small battered fish. For the Primo course we had a Spaghetti Nero (black pasta made with squid ink) with a ‘ragu’ made with chopped squid, onions and herbs – fantastic! And a Fettuccine con pesto (below), which was beautiful – freshly made pasta with a pesto that we could heard (and smell) them making as we walked in. For Secondo I had pesce spada, which was served with potatoes and coriander … The pesce spada was hammered very thin and was perfectly tender with a sauce that did not overpower the flavour of the fish. Our experience at Ai Cascinari was the perfect start to our trip to Sicilia. The food was very fresh and whole meal came to just over 60 euros including wine. We left the restaurant and made our way to the Stazione Maritima to catch the Aliscafi to the Aeolian Island of Salina. We arrived in Salina in just over 3 hours from Palermo. We were staying at Hotel Signum in Malfa on the north side of the Island. The Hotel is owned and run by Clara, who runs the hotel and Michele who does the cooking. The food at Hotel Signum is typically Aeolian and incorporates fresh ingredients found in or around the Island. Fresh fish such as swordfish and squid as well as the speciality bottarga are combined with tomatoes, lemons and capers all of which grow in abundance around the island. Food highlights during the week included, Arancini di pesci – which were baked instead of deep fried, insalata do pomadoro e caperi, Involtini di pesce spada ripieni con gamberoni, spaghetti con bottarga and risotto di pesce (below). The hotel also has a comprehensive wine list of Sicilian wines, including those from Hauner, which were produced on the island. I chose to work my way through the wines of Planeta and Tenute Rapitala’. Two days in to our visit, it turned out that the Conte Hugues Bernard de la Gatinais (who owns and runs Tentute Rapitala’) was actually staying at the hotel, so I got the chance to pick his brains about his wines. He is French, with a Sicilian wife, and prefers to make wines in the French style using Sicilian grapes such as Catarratto in conjunction with more ‘international’ grapes such as Chardonnay and Viognier. He tends to shy away from ‘over-oaking’ his wines in favour of a combination of aged oak and stainless steel fermentation. My favourite of his wines was the ‘Casalj’, which was a combination of Catarratto (70%) and Chardonnay (30%) which worked extremely well with the fresh fish and seafood dishes that we had. We also had the 2003 ‘Piano Maltese’ which is a Catarratto (80%) and Chadonnay (20%) wine but to my taste the Casalj worked slightly better with the Island food we were eating. Tenute Rapitala’ also make a 100% Syrah wine - Solinero (below) which is aged in French Oak for 12 months which we enjoyed with antipasti before our meal. After 5 days we left Salina and made our way back to Palermo via Milazzo this time because of bad weather. Back in Palermo we couldn’t leave without a visit to Antica Focacceria San Francesco. Antica Focacceria San Francesco. Via Paternosta 58, Palazzo San Francesco Palermo I’d read so much about this place on eG, in The Art of Eating, in Fred Plotkin’s – ‘Italy for the gourmet traveller’ and even in cookbooks (Sicilian Home Cooking – Wanda and Giovanna Tornabene) that I just had to go. So we made reservations for dinner at 8. The place opens at 7.45 and was filling up with a long queue forming as we got there at 8. We started with the mixed antipasti, which included the (in) famous Spleen and Lung with Ricotta Focacca – Guastelle or Guasteddu. In the picture below it’s the ‘bun’ in the front of the picture. These were accompanied by Arancini, Panelle (chickpea fritters) and Sfinioni (pizza slices with onion and tomatoes). We followed this course with a primo course of Sicilian sausage and spicy pomodoro sauce with pasta and then shared a porcini pizza all accompanied by a bottle of Duca di Salparuta – Triskelé, which was the perfect end to our trip to Sicilia and the Aeolian Islands. Thanks to everyone on this forum for their recommendations.

From erobertparker.com "Robert M. Parker, Jr., the author and publisher of The Wine Advocate, has been made a Commendatore (Commander) in Italy's National Order of Merit. The country's highest honor, this decoration was conferred on Mr. Parker by Prime Minister Berlusconi and President Ciampi for his contributions in recognizing the quality of Italian wine in addition to his educational efforts concerning Italian wines in his publication, The Wine Advocate. " http://www.erobertparker.com/info/commendatore.asp Did the trend of 'new-wave' oaky wines have anything to do with Mr Parker's influence with producers in Italy looking for a high 'Parker score' to ensure high US sales? He's always seemed to favour a big, un-filtered, oaky, 'international' style of wine.

Zip I go to Bologna every other month for a few days to eat. I'd agree with all of the posts so far. Bitone is still good, but is quite a way out of the centre and not as good as it was. Tamburini is good, although I think Atti is slightly better. I have recommended Diana (Via dell’Independenza) here before, for the Bolito Misto. As far as I’m concerned the best restaurant in Bologna is: - Franco Rossi Via Goito 3 Bologna (just off the Via dell’Independenza) I first found this restaurant after reading Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s Book – The Splendid Table. The food here is perfectly prepared by Chef Lino Rossi, a giant of a man who creates the most delicate food. I'd recommend the degustazioni menu, which you may have to ask for. Recent highlights have been :- Veal Paté with black truffles Thinly sliced Goose Breast on Soufflé potatoes with a saffron sauce Venison Ragu Pumpkin Ravioli made by Chef Lino's Mother - This is a particular regional favourite of mine, which I always have, somewhere, on my trips to Emilia Romagna. However, this one IS the best I've ever tasted! Baked Rabbit, wrapped in Swiss Chard Franco Rossi has an extensive cellar and is worth asking to see. Let the sommelier guide you choosing regional wines to accompany your meal and you won't be disappointed.