Begali Valpolicella Ripasso "Vigneto La Cengia" 2005

The usual suspects from Valpolicella: Corvina, Rondinella, and Molinara. Aged in large, Slavonian Oak barrels for one year. Bright red fruits, plums, and pipe tobacco on the nose; chocolate-covered cherries & blackberries and subtle herbal qualities on the palate with a smooth, pleasant finish. Not heavy handed and well balanced with great tension. An elegant ripasso wine from fruit grown biodynamically.

Puglia 3: Food & Wine

In the old-town section of Bisceglie you'll be lucky if you find a phenomenal restaurant or "grigleria" named Enosteria. There is no way we ever would have found this place if it had not been highly recommended to us. The first time we walked by -during siesta- large wooden doors covered up the entrance and all signage making it nearly impossible to discern as a restaurant. But after 8 or 9 in the evening the little establishment and Giovanni, its hip, young entrepreneurial owner, came alive. With no more than eight tables, a small kitchen, and a fireplace used for grilling meats, this place redefined intimate. Amazingly enough, Giovanni was not only the owner, maitre'd, server, and sommelier, but he also grilled all of the meats over the fire in the back of the dining room. We proceeded to have one of the longest, most intricate, and most wonderful meals of our lives. Many of Puglia's regional food and wine specialties were interwoven through this 4 hour and 11 course gastronomical adventure.

1- Olives (Puglian olives are incredible!)
2- Crostini w/ ricotta crema
3- Cannellini beans w/ ripini (broccoli rabe)
4- Agrodolce (sweet & sour) peppers
5- Zucchini Ripieni(stuffed) w/ potatoe souffle & balsamico
6- Fava mash w/ chicory greens
7- Artichokes w/ oven-dried tomatoes
8- Carne Misti: Vitello (veal) Filetto, Pork Involtini (rolled w/ Prosciutto), Manza (beef) Kebabs, and Horse Sausage
9- Carroti Crudi w/ olive oil
10- Mixed Nuts
11- Dolci: Molten chocolate cake & Panna Cotta

While the wines accompanying our meal at Enosteria were phenomenal ( a Primitivo named Violante, a Nero di Troia from Rivera, a Moscato di Trani, and a mint-green Amaro), the best wine we had in Puglia was probably Santa Lucia's 1996 Riserva Le More. Worth noting, the other wines deserving the most accolade were the 2000 and 2001 vintages of the same wine. But I was ultimately most interested in the 1996 because of its character and story.

These were my notes taken at the winery on the Santa Lucia Riserva Le More 1996: 85% Uva di Troia and 15% Malbec. All Slavonian, no barrique. Well aged, feminine, and elegant. Perhaps past its prime a little. "No longer a boxer, but a gentleman" -Roberto Perone Capone (owner). Still quite beautiful and natural - just the fruit before the fancy technology and before barrique. 50 bottles remaining.

I found this wine most interesting because I had the immediate pleasure of tasting a half dozen subsequent vintages from the bottle as well as several barrel tastings. In 2000 Santa Lucia began to age their riserva wine in barrique and in 2001 the Le More became 100% Uva di Troia with a half year longer in barrique. The opportunity to compare and contrast so closely and to do so with the owner/winemaker was the highlight to my trip as well as my career. While the heralded, drink-now 2000 vintage and the well-structured, ageworthy 2001 vintage were exceptional, I found the 1996 more nuanced, feminine, well-balanced and stylistically traditional. I had never experienced Uva di Troia like this, certainly not blended with Malbec. As we were leaving Santa Lucia, eight hours after our scheduled appointment, Roberto surprised me with one of his last fifty bottles. I was blown away. And I hope to be blown away again soon - I may drink it with Christmas dinner.

Modern vs. Traditional: What does it mean?

Nowhere else in the wine world are descriptions, reviews, and love or loathing of liquid so often set in the context of "modern vs. traditional" as in Italy. What does this paradigm of taste really mean and why is it used so often?
Simply put, a wine is modern, traditional, or a little of each based largely upon three things: 1) the use of indigenous/native varietals vs. the use of so-called international varietals (cab, merlot, syrah, chard, etc.); 2) the use, re-use, type and size of cooperage used for aging (what type of wood is the wine aged in, how big is the barrel, how long was it aged, was the barrel used before, was it toasted, etc.?) Generally, wines aged in French Oak barrique (small vessels = greater surface area), especially if it's a long time, used only once, and toasted are considered modern. In contrast, wine aged in larger vessels, made of less influential wood such as Slavonian Oak, that are used several times are generally considered traditional. A purist might suggest that traditional methods allow for the true expression of the fruit, as opposed to tasting wood or characteristics thereof, such as vanilla; and 3) vinicultural and/or viticultural practices (what practices are being employed during vineyard management and what practices are being employed after harvest and during maceration, fermentation, etc. that influence or expedite a wine's character or flavor profile?). This last reason is the most technical, the least referenced, and the most beyond my expertise.
Why is Italian wine often described and sold in the context of "modern vs. traditional?" Most importantly, it makes sense as a way of helping consumers understand the complicated world of Italian wine and where their palettes may fit into it. Do you like soft, round, and fruit forward wines or angular, slow to open, contemplative wines that are most appropriately consumed with food? Perhaps an over-simplification, but I have a dozen more questions just like that. Italy 's known varietals are greater in number than the rest of the world combined and its history of winemaking rivals any country or civilization in the world. Modernity, particularly regarding oenology, was late to hit Italy. As a result, Italian winemakers have had the opportunity to pick and choose which modern methodologies they wished to employ and to what degree. And we all know that, with possible exception of France and India, no other country's people so selectively and creatively employ and combine modernity with antiquity. Through their wine, Italian producers can express their personal philosophies and we in turn can share them with consumers. That is what is magical about Italian wine- it's simultaneously a living, changing agricultural product and a winemaker's story, culture, and philosophical expression. So- are you a modernist or a traditionalist?