No, this blog is about the grape Montepulciano, which I have become a big fan of over the years.  Perhaps it is because I imagine this grape to be the perpetual underdog, full of potential but struggling against the better-hyped heavyweights to make itself a name.  In my mind Montepulciano is the Rocky Balboa of Italian wine.

Hear me out on this one. Montepulciano, like Rocky, is no lightweight; it has the plumy richness of a cab and a meaty/spicy animal side like syrah, all balanced out by a bit of the edgy zip that makes Sangiovese such a good food wine (also like Sangiovese, and perhaps Rocky, Montepulciano has an affinity for tomato-based sauces).  What set it apart are the naturally soft and sweet tannins of the grape – its charming nice guy side.

Wine writers often use words like soft, juicy and generous to describe their reactions to the wines made with Montepulciano.  They are referring to the lack of bite or drying roughness in Montepulciano and the full, easily likable flavors (think spiced blackberries or cherry compote).  Montepulciano’s supple sweet tannins can be made bolder in higher end bottlings with time in oak barrels and careful grape selection, but in general this grape is carries little of the bite you get from other full-bodied reds.

Better yet, Montepulciano in general is also generally very affordable, as its regional variations do not have the name cache of others like Chianti (main grape: Sangiovese) or Barolo (Nebbiolo).  Montepulcian  The vast majority of Montepulciano D’Abruzzo is consumed in Italy as the table wine of choice.  There’s good reason for the Montepulciano’s more often than not the name is an indicator you are getting a good buy on decent wine.  Higher-end Montepulcianos are also made in Abruzzo and can often be well-priced for the quality of wine they represent.

Montepulciano also features in some serious blends from Le Marche, a region which extends northward from Abruzzo along the Adriatic coast (Le Marche could be imagined as the hamstring of the Italian boot).  This region has been something of a favorite of mine recently, and part of the reason is the fabulous wines hailing from the Rosso Piceno and Rosso Conero areas (both DOCs).  Both generally contain  Montepulciano and the better ones can age well and take on greater complexity.

Why isn’t Montepulciano a superstar grape?  Is it because the name is shared with a wine-producing Tuscan village?  Who knows?  The grape has all the potential of a star performer but has yet to break it big.  Perhaps it will some day.  In the meantime, ignore its second card status and seek this grape out on your next trip to the wine shop.

Don’t just take my word for it – click the links below for some newer and older discussions of Montepulciano and Abruzzo:

Mike Ricceti – Houston Examiner

Eric Asimov from the NYT

A snippet about the region and its wines from Delicious Italy

More about the region and some top producers from IntoWine

The so-called New World of wine has been at the forefront of this expansion, with South America (especially Chile and Argentina) picking up what Australia, New Zealand and South Africa began and now leading the charge.  Several New-Old World countries have also made their presence felt in the US and are adding their unique flavors to the dizzying expansion of wine choices.  Good examples of this include Portugal, Spain and Austria, whose Douro, Rioja and Grüner Vetliner have worked their ways into any respectable multinational wine list.  Many are now looking to Eastern Europe for the next wave of hot-new-regions.

A surprising result of all this growth has been the prolific growth in the number of grapes available from one of the oldest producers of wine in the world – Italy.  Italy has more grape varietals being produced for wine than any other country.  The truly exciting part of this is that more and more of these varietals are becoming available here in the US.  Italy has practically become a world of wine to discover unto itself.  That’s what has made working in Italian-focused wine shop like Potenza Wine such a great adventure.  There always seems to be a wonderful new something for the adventurous soul.

So what about those who have found the vino equivalent of their special someone – whether that be New Zealand Sauv Blancs or California Cabs – and who loathe to move on?  I say, great.  Relish that confidence in your own tastes.  But don’t let that hold you back from exploring.  There just might be something else out there for you.  Within the ever-growing world of wine chances are, there is.

Where to begin?  The NY Times recently had an article on obscure grapes you should know and so much more information exists for the wine lover online.  Books can be helpful as well – anything from Jancis Robinson, Hugh Johnson or Matt Kramer is a good bet.  However, the best and most straightforward way is to go to your local wine shop and ask a wine seller you trust.  Let them know what you like and then tell them you are feeling adventurous.  If they are worth their salt they’ll love the opportunity to introduce you to the next special someone.

As we continued our drive I saw a sign out of the corner of my eye that said Neuchatel Swiss Chocolates.  This was a must stop so I hung a u-turn drove up a long single wide driveway to the quaintest of shops.   Again I must sample everything as I’m buying it so I bit into the walnut brownie and it was like heaven.  I was eating a cake style brownie that had the flavor impact of dark chocolate fudge.  So good in fact that it just left me wanting for more.  So I preceded to buy a pound of the daily homemade chocolate candies and truffles.  These I will savor for at least two days so I only snack on them periodically throughout the day as opposed to what I really want to do which is to sit down and pop each and every one of them in one sitting.

As we enter what was our true destination Intercourse, PA,  there is a detour that takes of the main country road and into smaller tighter country streets.  It is on these streets that we begin to encounter dozens of horse drawn buggies.  This melted away whatever stress that might have still been in me from the city and instantly transported me to a much simpler existence even if just for another couple of hours.  Once we were directed back to the main road and the center of town we spotted a miniature golf course that severs ice cream.  How could I refuse? Ice cream cones and a quick round of goofy golf was definitely in the plans.  My day was just about complete, the only thing I was still ongoing for was a great hand crafted cocktail.  I didn’t think I was going to find it in this environment so back into the car and head home.  I found my cocktail or three in Alexandria in the form of a Pisco Sour, a bourbon mixture of sorts and of course some Hendricks gin.

As far as a decompressing day trip goes I could not have imagined a better one.

Saturday night we hooked up with some friends from my last restaurant in Denver.  Drinks and frites, pork rinds, headcheese and house made pretzels first at a great American gastro pub style establishment called Publican.  Here they truly pay great attention to the craft of beer making as well as the hog.  Next up more snacks and great cocktails at Gilt a great place where the gin smash would have lived up to its name if it wasn’t for my 9:45 reservation at L2o.  At L2o a very highly refined and beautifully appointed setting, we eased into our seats for what would be a two and a half hour dining experience that would focus on the perfection of seasonable ingredients being everything they could be. The service was impeccable, the wine delightful and the food delicious.  Among my favorite dishes here was the tai snapper with flavors of green curry, the chocolate surprise for dessert was an explosion of flavor as well.

Sunday morning still feeling the effects of last night, I somehow managed to get a quick workout in before brunch at North Pond.  Zucchini muffins, poached farm egg, roast leg of lamb and peach tart.  All this and overlooking North Pond, I can’t think of a better way to start a rainy Sunday morning.  After brunch the rain had stopped and the skies cleared nicely.  What to do next, its only 3 in the afternoon and dinner isn’t until 8:30.  Luckily for us there is a Calder exhibit going on at the Museum of Contemporary Art.  After spending a few hours looking at great works of art I’ve realized two things, first, I would really love to have a Calder mobile in my home and second I have a strange desire for a sazerac, so back to the hotel.  As I recline into the very comfortable chairs of the lounge and await my cocktail I can’t help myself from noshing on the olives and cheese sticks that are oh so appealing.  Now that I’m thoroughly relaxed its time to get ready for dinner.  Off to Alinea our destination for this evenings’ dinner.  Tonight’s meal wasn’t as mush dinner as it is an all consuming alternate reality.  Where throughout the meal you are called upon to participate while the entire time you are encouraged to have fun.  This was a three hour roller thrill ride that you didn’t want to end.  The meal kept you guessing what’s next? How could he top that? I didn’t think that was possible, finally when can I come back?

Chicago is a delicious town and I can’t wait to taste some more.

This being only the second time I have been in Annapolis I started by calling some former locals and as well as some crab lovers.  After a few texts, calls and emails the recommendations were in and it was unanimous, we were on our way to Cantler’s on the River.  It’s now 3:30 and I’m figuring it’s the perfect time to get in quickly and hang for a few hours before making the trip back to DC.  As I pulled into the parking lot there was an attendant directing me to a secondary overflow lot because lot 1 was completely full.  I park and head over to the restaurant, I’ll tell you as I approached the restaurant I knew I had been given great advice.  There was what looked like a lemonade stand selling beer right outside the patio on the river.

Walk inside and I was in heaven it was a simple old school environment nothing but canned beer and basic booze.  I put my name in and head to the bar while I wait for a table outside.  I kick back with a margarita and simply relax, the only thing missing at this point is some Buffet on the radio, Margaritaville perhaps.  As my I’m paying my bar tab my table is ready and I transition to the outside where the tables are large communal picnic style lined with heavy brown paper.  Since there are only two of us we just go for the crab boil with crab legs added and a crab cake entrée.  I order up another margarita and am starting to become giddy with anticipation.  All around me the only sounds are of the hammers cracking the crab claws and the sound of oh so rewarding slurping of people getting into the legs, back fins and cavities of the recently steamed hard shells.   About ten minutes later our food arrives and it is glorious plump clams and mussels with shrimp and of course hard shells.   As I dig in I go for the low hanging fruit first, clams, mussels and shrimp.  Then its time to get my hands dirty. Fins first little bits of heaven, then the claws crack them right and it’s the perfect cocktail claw.  Now to the body pick out the lumps of meat and dip them in the drawn butter, I could do this all day. The crabs were delicious, tender and tasted like more.  Unfortunately it was time to head back to the city so I pay up and head out the whole time looking forward to the next time I find myself in the Annapolis area so that I can enjoy a four to five hour crab fest.

Yes with hard shells there is work involved but the reward is well worth it.  Crack a couple open today.

That is not always easy especially with Chef Bryan, because he makes each and every morsel its own little world. Pancetta wrapped figs with gorgonzola and balsamic, Veal Mushroom Arancini  with marsala aioli, Diver Scallops with cauliflower puree, Gorgeously Crisped Squash Blossoms stuffed with truffled chicken, ricotta and asparagus sauce, Tuna Crudo with black olive tapenade, House Smoked Salmon Crustini with Caper berries and frisee.  Now do you understand what I am talking about? Could they be any more different from each other or have much more going on in each one? I really don’t think so.

After threatening to take the gas pipe, I thought about the entire experience, sitting outside along 15^th street at night with the moon above the Washington monument and the treasury building all lit up, people walking on the street and it hit me, I would need a wine with good structure, graceful with some good fruit and crisp acidity to handle the myriad of tastes, textures and nuances of the food.  I thought of a Rosé. After sampling quite a few of them, the best part of my job, I discovered the perfect rosé that matched all and still allowed for the food and the wine to dance wonderfully together. That wine is the Falesco Vitiano Rosato from Umbria. I should have thought of this wine first because Bryan and I stayed with Riccardo and Renzo Cotarella owners of Falesco when we visited Umbria. Their estate and winey is just outside of Orvieto and is stunning and their hospitality was nothing short of warm and gracious.  We actually barrel sampled the rosato with them. It is 30% of each Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet and 10% of Aleatico. It has a good weight and mouth feel.  I would describe it as fresh and vibrant leaning towards fuller bodied than most, ripe wild strawberries and lush lavender flavors held together with a crisp acidity. I also did try some white wines in case someone had a thing against pink wines and I was astounded to discover a wonderful wine from Veneto region called Pino & Toi from Maculan. It is also a blend made up of 60% Tocai, 25% Pinot Blanc and 15% Pinot Grigio. A Medium bodied wine with aromas of fresh citrus and apples followed by flavors of fresh peaches and pears with a crisp finish. Both of these wines work really well each in its own way.

Now to tackle the dessert bites was a little different. But up against the likes of Zepole, Affogato, Honey Panna Cotta, Nutella Chocolates, Tiramisu Whoopie Pies and of course Canolis I had to come up with some magic. I found the Vietti Moscato di Asti was wonderful with the desserts. It is a pale sunshine yellow in color with a slight fizz. Intense aromas of peaches, rose petals and ginger. It is delicately sweet with a modest acidity and the finish of fresh apricots closes the deal. The other option is a remarkable wine from Ronchi di Marzano, the Verduzzo Friuliano. It is a golden intense yellow with orange skin shade. The Aroma is intense and elegant with hints of candied orange, dry apricot and mountain honey. The sweetness in the wine is balanced with good acidity that almost cleanses the palette.

It is a really fun way to try different things and enjoy the tastes and flavors of summertime in Italy, right on the corner of 15^th & H St at Potenza. See you there!!

Onto the menu development stage, Potenza is the place and Italian is the style.  It just so happens that now is a perfect time to be starting this because there are so many fun little things that are in season and will work well with this format.  I start collecting items, squash blossoms, figs, local summer squashes, local veal, summer truffles, cauliflower and some ahi tuna just because its good.  Now that I have a bunch of fun things to experiment what do I do with them?  Since I want each of these items to focused there will only be supporting flavors to the main ingredient. I started with the figs, balsamic is a must, then add just a touch of gorgonzola and why wouldn’t you want to wrap the whole thing with house cured pancetta? The first of seven bites was born.

Next, ahi tuna in all of its sashimi grade splendor.  This must be the simplest of all the bites. Black olive pesto on house made lovash finished with just a touch of maldon sea salt.  Then there’s the veal, I’m a huge fan of osso bucco, braised veal shank but now is not the season for a big plate of richly braised meat but what if you used that meat mixed with something.  I go right to arancini, those crisply fried risotto balls of love.  Local braised veal arancini because fried risotto is always in fashion.  A velvety smooth cauliflower puree topped with briefly seared diver scallops and a kiss of fennel pollen. Stone roasted local vegetables with house made mozzarella and creamy garlic.  In the summertime there just has to be a bruschetta so why not top it with our house cured salmon, some charred frisee and caperberries.  And lastly we need to stuff and crisp those wonderfully seasonal squash blossoms, truffled chicken and ricotta comes to mind immediately, why not place them on a lightly truffled asparagus sauce.  There was no reason not to.

Now that the bites have been written its time to eat.  See you at Potenza to try our bites with pairings!

Napa Valley trailblazers and founders of Newton Vineyard, Su Hua and Peter Newton, founded the winery in 1977 and they believe in the quality, character and rich flavors of higher elevation fruit. With this thought in mind, they set out to find the ideal hillside property for planting grapes that would eventually make some of the world’s most desired wines.

Light years ahead of the curve about energy conservation, ego-friendly production, green design facilities, sustainable farming, co-founder Su Hua Newton’s great respect for nature is not only reflected in the terraced vineyards but also in the estate’s design. The winery was custom built to allow minimal handling of the fruit as well as utilizing gravity flow systems to separate batch fermenting. Wine caves were tunneled into the hillside and a room was built underneath the formal parterre garden to specifically allow Chardonnay barrels to ferment naturally in the cool environment below the earth. This concept, radical in its time, is now praised as a clever and sustainable use of the natural surroundings and introduced the world to Newton’s nature by design founding philosophy.

The terraced mountain estate has 120 acres planted at elevations ranging from 500 to 1,600 feet above sea level. Each of the 112 distinctive vineyard blocks is planted to a specific varietal — Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon or Petit Verdot. These parcels reflect distinct soil types, sun exposures and individual microclimates. The blocks are fermented separately to contribute complexity to the final blended wine. As with the red varietals, the diverse Chardonnay blocks are hand-picked and vinified separately, providing the winemaker with a rich palette from which to choose when blending Newton Vineyard wines. The blocks are set among the native vegetation to preserve the ecosystem of the hillside.

The dominant feature of this remarkable site appears at the vineyard’s highest point where a single pine tree crowns the ridge line. This lone pine, over 100 feet tall and visible from many points in Napa Valley, is called Pino Solo. Pino Solo appears as the icon on the label of Newton Vineyard wines, a mark designating singular wines created from a singular passion.

The condition of the soil on Spring Mountain forces the vines to struggle, keeping yields naturally low and flavors abundant. Because of the layout of the vineyards which only 20% or 120 acres of the 560 acres are planted for wine production  all the grapes are handpicked. Newton is well known for their Unfiltered wines which are bottled without filtration to preserve the integrity of the superior fruit as well as the use of indigenous yeasts are used to eliminate the use of cultured yeasts and to cultivate the natural flavor in the wine which is the essence of the unique aromas and flavors in all Newton Vineyard’s wines.

It is a must see if you are ever in Napa Valley because it will simply take your breath away. In the mean time, even though the winey itself is a sight to behold, the best part about the Newtons is their wines. Especially the Chardonnay, Claret (which I adore) the Cabernet and the Unfiltered Merlot although a little pricey, it is one of the best California Merlots around. We are lucky as well as very proud, to have a great relationship with the Newtons and are celebrating that relationship with a tasting in their honor this coming week at Zola Wine & Kitchen on the 21^st. You can have the opportunity to taste, experience and procure the very best of Newton Vineyards from 5-7pm. We even will taste the Unfiltered Merlot! Oh my!!

I must admit it has been a long time since I’ve worked with some of these items and I have forgotten how good and distinctive they are. Take the sablefish for example. This fish has enough flavor and richness to take on a variety of different strong and intense flavors. It will hold up to veal stock as well as pair extremely well with a champagne gastrique. I find that when you throw some butter poached salsify into the mix it smiles for more and is a true joy to eat. Next up turbot, one of my favorite fish of all time, this fish is meaty and extremely flavorful. I went with saffron spaghetti and mussel jus with house cured spicy soppressata on this plate.

Now let’s talk langoustines for just one second. The last time I was fortunate to eat langoustines was when I was on my honeymoon in Paris at Le Cinq a Michelin two star restaurant. This was a very long time ago and as soon as I bit into one of those lovely broiled langoustines the memories all came flooding back. From the moment we were seated to hearing another guest in the dining room recognizing me and stopping by to say hi, to the smoking of a fine cigar in the courtyard as the evening came to an end and everything in between including those special langoustines.  Food is a funny thing in that regard, not only does it give you energy to go about your daily lifestyle but it also serves as a time capsule to memories long forgotten. What a wonderful thing that with one bite those long forgotten memories are front and center as if they just happened yesterday.

Back to the matter at hand suzuki and cuttlefish are next on the board and I have a few great ideas for the robust flavor of the Suzuki with crisped skin. I will take the next few hours contemplating the fate of the ever so special cuttlefish.

Sit back and enjoy the fruits of the sea!

Donald started Inniskillin Winery back in the 1975 and it began in a converted packing shed at the Ziraldo family nursery. Donald and his winemaking partner Karl Kaiser were granted the first winery license in Ontario since prohibition. They made really good wines using Riesling, Chardonnay and Gamay grapes all on the Niagara Peninsula just south of the historic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake which is about 20 minutes north of Niagara Falls. Donald always had thought that there was a large gap in the premium wine market for Canadian wines and wanted to change that. Kaiser and Ziraldo tirelessly tested the new ground of Niagara with better vines and superior winemaking techniques, grafting old world wisdom in the new world terroir. An early mission statement captured this spirit — “Inniskillin: Not so much bound by tradition as inspired by it”. Then in 1984, Kaiser made the most of the extreme Canadian winter to produce his first Icewine. The world began to take notice. Towards the later part of the 1980’s the wine press started to talk about Inniskillin and then the event that catapulted them into the mainstream and fame was in 1991, when Inniskillin won one of the most prestigious wine awards a Grand Prix d’Honneur at Vinexpo in Bordeaux.

Ziraldo and Kaiser continued their hard work keeping standards high and producing wines that garnered the attention of the international wine world. This attention came through many awards, participation is wine shows such as Vinexpo and Vinitaly as well as the placement of Inniskillin wines on the shelves and wine lists of the finest wine stores and restaurants around the world. Inniskillin Icewine had even found its way to the cellars of the Imperial Palace of Japan.

Kaiser, the quiet master winemaker, toiling behind the scenes and Ziraldo, a one-man worldwide campaign for the excellence of Canadian Wines kept Inniskillin vibrant and viable. In pursuit of industry-wide excellence, Ziraldo was the founding chair of the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA). After extensive research of existing appellation systems around the world and drawing on the technical expertise of his partner Kaiser and others, Ziraldo introduced the VQA system to the industry in 1989. This gave Ontario Wines a much needed level of credibility by setting high standards for quality and identifying appellations of origin for Ontario’s main grape growing regions. This system was also adapted in British Columbia, helping secure a stronger presence for Canadian Wines domestically as well as in the ever growing export market.

Though Icewine’s roots can be traced to centuries old German winemakers, there is nothing more quintessentially Canadian than this luscious luxury borne of patience and sub zero temps. Grapes are left on the vine well into the winter months to concentrate and intensify the flavours, as water content freezes, thaws and dehydrate in each precious Icewine grape. Ideally suited to the Canadian winter season in both the Niagara Peninsula and the Okanagan Valley, the magical process of crafting Icewine is guided by nature — triggered by the snap of the wintry elements, the harvest can’t begin until temperatures drop below minus eight degrees Celsius or 17 degrees Fahrenheit  for a sustained period of time. There are rigorous specifications regulating the making of Icewine set out by Canada ‘s quality control board.  Artificial freezing of the grapes is strictly prohibited.

Once the extreme temperatures arrive, Icewine pickers arrive, often in the dead of night, to harvest the frozen clusters. The precious grapes are immediately pressed in the extreme cold to extract the luscious nectar. In this process, the water content in each grape remains frozen in crystals, leaving only a few coveted drops of concentrated, intense liquid. Icewine yields are a mere 10-15% of an average table wine harvest. Slowly fermented over the coming months, this delicate nectar will eventually become Icewine

The finished Icewine is intense, sweet and sumptuous, yet balanced with brilliant acidity, creating a unique sensation on the palate. Renowned for fruit flavours ranging from mango to peach to lychees, Icewine is, as only Donald could say, “truly a natural wonder and extreme winemaking at its best, yielding the impressions of tropical tastes wrought from the frigid extremes of the icy Canadian winterscape”

It is amazing to imagine that what started out so small and unique and didn’t catch on until about 20 years ago, Canada is now the largest producer of Icewine in the world.  Donald Ziraldo was the founding chair of the VQA of Canada and to this day, although he left Inniskillin in ’06 he continues to advice and spends most of his time as Canada’s Wine Ambassador to the world.