Italian Vino for Wine Newbies
Charlie Adler Doing His Best “I Love Lucy” Grape Stomping Rendition!
I’ve been teaching and organizing wine classes at TasteDC TasteDC Website for over twelve years now, and just as soon as I think I’ve gotten it into an art form, I realize that every audience is unique – the principle that “one size fits all” just doesn’t hold water. That point plus the volunteers who pour my wine at events seem to have disappeared (you mean I need to keep in regular touch with them, shouldn’t they realize that I’m writing a wine book?!) means that tomorrow night I’ll most likely be juggling my notes, pouring wine and registering about 30 people all at the same time. Ahh, the life of a wine professional who drinks on the job, all is not fun and games!
The question is, how can I cover all of Italy in just under 2 hours? Although it’s a difficult task, I know I’m going to have to talk about food as well as wine. The whole premise of my upcoming book “I Drink on the Job” I Drink on the Job Book Website is that wine and food were meant to be together and this is based on the whole European food and wine lifestyle. Below are a few thoughts on how I’m going to introduce Italian wine to an audience that is starving to discover the pleasures of the Italian Table.
1) Break Italy down into major regions and taste and discuss wines that are representative of those areas.
Not an earth-shattering point, but it’s extremely practical. Some regions like Tuscany and specifically Chianti within that region are a given. I’ll focus on wines like regional Sangiovese, Barbera, Nero d’Avola, and Valpolicella. These wines/varietals have distinct regional variations and relate to the geography, climate and lifestyle of a given appellation.
2) Choose wines that deliver bang for the buck and represent the kind of wines that Italians would consume on a daily basis with their meals
Italy has some unbelievably fantastic show-stopping wines like Barolo, Barbaresco, and Brunello. As good as these wines are, their prices have sky-rocketed in recent years to such an extent that even your average Italian can only occasionally afford them. Piedmont has some excellent Barberas and Dolcettos that have never become fashionable in the world market, so they’re very affordable. Pinot Grigio has become popular in the U.S. but there are many whites like Vermentino and Trebbiano that are less famous in the U.S. and can be delicious at a reasonable price.
3) Share stories and anecdotes of my various trips to Italy that are “relevant”
Here are some fun stories that accomplish two things: 1) they entertain and get people to relax and relate to the wine experience and 2) they teach a relevant point about Italians and Italian wine that can help the wine consumer make purchase decisions when they need to:
-My trip to Vinitaly in 2004, where 4,000 wineries and what seemed like 4 million Italians (slight exaggeration!) hold a week of tastings and Italians get to show off their designer shoes and belts. This is held in the town of “Romeo and Juliet’s” Verona in the Veneto region. Lots of great stories from this trip including how we shut the bar down every night in our hotel in Bussolengo (those crazy Americans!!), and the amazing number of wine varietals that Italy produces.
-My buddy Antonio whose family comes from Piedmont not too far from Turin who told me that his family often visits a local farm where they purchase wines by the gallon jug for around $1 each!
-There are no spaghetti and meatballs in Italy – there’s spaghetti and then there’s meatballs, but they don’t go together, they’re served separately! This is similar to the Italian rule that you should never allow cheese to be shaved onto seafood, this is just a well-known “no no”!
-One quote from an Italian I met at a tasting is just a jewel: “in Italy, the trick is to find a job with the least amount of hours and the most amount of pay!” If you know anything about Italians, generally work comes second; friends, family and a fun lifestyle are more important!
Ciao!
Charlie “I Drink on the Job” Adler
Charlie,
Sorry to post in comments, but didnt’ see a “contact” option, and maybe your other readers might be interested, too. As president of TasteDC and a wine enthusiast, I wanted to make sure you knew about a new winery that opened up about a month ago in Amissville, Virginia (Rappahanock County) called Narmada Winery. Narmada’s grand opening was at the end of November and they offer 8 varieties. When the winery reopens (closed for a few weeks for bottling, etc.), they will have a few more types. The unique thing about Narmada is that the owners, Pandit and Sudha Patil are developing delicious wines that match extremely well with spicier fare, and they will be serving authentic Indian food at the winery, along with the traditional cheese, crackers and meats that other wineries offer. The winery is located on 51 acres of beautiful rolling countryside, with a well-stocked lake and picturesque views from every angle. The tasting room turned out absolutely beautiful and the retail items in the gift shop will be directly from India. Since there are so many wineries in the area as well as in Loudon County, the Indian-theme and matching the wine with spicy food should stand out in the minds of visitors and tourists. Rappahanock County is a beautiful destination place with numerous restaurants, bed and breakfasts, farms, and of course, wineries and there is a real community feel and local support.
The interesting thing is that Sudha is an endodontist (dentist specializing in root canals) and Pandit is an energy consultant (engineer) – they started slowly by growing grapes and selling them to local wineries and have learned the process of making wine from the ground floor, just in time to begin their retirement.
http://www.narmadawinery.com
Could be a good event – Indian food/wine, or a good article for this blog. If you’d like to visit the winery, I can arrange for a free tasting and make sure the Patils give you an extensive tour of the facility.
Thanks!
Sounds great – I’ll definitely contact them – I’ve done many Indian cooking classes with wine, it’s actually one of my specialties over at TasteDC – Cheers!