Eve's Wine 101

Barolo and Barbaresco World Opening Event Is Back With 2022 Edition In Los Angeles

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LOS ANGELES (PRWEB) – The Consorzio di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe e Dogliani, the association representing over 500 wineries in Piedmont, Italy, is pleased to announce the second annual edition of Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening in Los Angeles. The upcoming event will feature the most recently released vintages of Barolo and Barbaresco, 2018 and 2019, respectively. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is a unique occasion to learn more about the two iconic red wines of Piedmont. Through this comprehensive event, the consortium aims to increase awareness and build excitement in the United States market by providing direct encounters with the most influential wines of these famous appellations.

BBWO 2022 will begin on April 28th with a preview tasting for Master of Wine, critics, sommeliers and journalists from Europe and the United States to analyze the overall quality of the 2018 and 2019 vintages. The tasting will be followed by an exclusive gala reception in Hollywood at Paramount Pictures Studios, featuring a celebration of Piedmontese food and wine culture.

On April 29th, at the InterContinental Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, over 150 producers will present their Barolo and Barbaresco wines to press, trade, and consumers with a walk-around tasting. Both the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellation wines will be poured during the tasting, as well as select single-vineyard labels.

“After the tremendous success of the inaugural event, we are thrilled to return to the United States with the second edition in Los Angeles this year,” said Matteo Ascheri, President of the Consortium. “The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening is an incredible opportunity to present our wines, our traditional food and our culture to the most influential wine personalities in the United States, ​​our highest-volume export market.”

The renowned Barolo and Barbaresco wines, often called the “king and queen” of the Langhe region where they are made, are produced from 100 percent Nebbiolo grapes. Age-worthy and complex, these wines have a long history of production in Piedmont and express the nuances of the region’s microclimates. In addition to the Barolo DOCG and Barbaresco DOCG appellations, producers may use the term MGA (Menzioni Geografiche Aggiuntive) on qualifying labels to indicate single-vineyard bottlings. The Grand Tasting will feature an area dedicated to these MGA wines.

The Langhe region, situated in the southern part of the Piedmont region between the Alps and the Apennines mountains, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site for the cultural history of its vineyard-covered hills, a manifestation of wine traditions that have evolved since pre-Roman times, yet remain central to the daily economic activity and social life of the region. The region’s distinctive microclimates and unique geological soil types can be tasted in the glass year-after-year, making the Langhe home to some of the world’s most respected wines, among them Barolo and Barbaresco. To uphold the quality of these wines and its land, the Consortium maintains strict agriculture guidelines, such as the yield per hectare planting regulations set in 2011.

The event will also include cheeses of Fontina Valle d’Aosta PDO, and rice of Biella and Vercelli Barraggia PDO. Over two days, participants will have the chance to take a culinary journey to Italy, tasting Barolo and Barbaresco wines paired with Fontina PDO cheeses and risotto prepared with Baraggia rice. The Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening event is part of the European campaign “Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table,” created to increase awareness of these three PDO products in the United States market.

For more information about the Barolo & Barbaresco World Opening events, contact BBWOevents@colangelopr.com, for media inquiries contact merland@colangelopr.com.

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About Top Tales: Top Tales is a project supported by the European Union aimed at promoting Fontina DOP from Valle d’Aosta, Rice di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese DOP, as well as the DOCG’s Barolo and Barbaresco. The European communication campaign Top Tales: A piece of Europe on your table, is designed to increase the awareness of the three DOP products in the United States market.

About the Consorzio Di Tutela Barolo Barbaresco Alba Langhe E Dogliani: Founded in 1934 and representing 537 wine producers across multiple appellations, the Consortium is committed to the management, protection, and promotion of the Langhe, Alba, and Dogliani wine denomination. The Consortium ensures high quality by a set of formal production guidelines for the entire winemaking process, from agronomy to market surveillance. The Consortium continues to perform periodic sampling of wine products on the market to prevent fraud and to protect the wines’ authentication and reputation. Barolo & Barbaresco are registered trademarks in many countries throughout the world.

About Consorzio Tutela Fontina: The Consortium was created in 1957 to protect Fontina DOP, its production and distribution. The entity releases the Fontina DOP trademark on every wheel of Fontina produced following the Consortium’s rules.

About Consorzio Tutela Riso di Baraggia Biellese e Vercellese: the rice from Biella and Vercelli was awarded the PDO status in 2007 after the European Union verified its unique quality and nutritional characteristics. Today, the denomination covers 22,000 ha of paddy fields across 28 communes.

Ember Restaurant at We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort Receives Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence” for 2021

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FORT MCDOWELL, Ariz. /PRNewswire/ — Today, the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort is thrilled to announce that Ember, its fine dining restaurant, has received Wine Spectator‘s esteemed “Best of Award of Excellence.”  The honor recognizes recipients that offer extensive selections with excellent breadth across multiple regions and significant vertical depth, and Ember is now one of 19 restaurants (out of nearly 9,000) in Arizona – and one of approximately 1,000 around the world – to receive this award.

This is the second time that the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation has been lauded by this highly regarded industry publication.  In 2006, the Ahnala Mesquite Room received the “Award of Excellence,” recognizing the restaurant’s wine list that featured a well-chosen assortment of quality producers along with a thematic match to the menu in both price and style.  The fact that the tribal nation has now been granted two Wine Spectator awards for excellence – an achievement rare among tribal casinos – affirms their commitment to delivering an exceptional culinary experience.

“American restaurants are back in business, as patrons are eagerly returning to dining rooms across the nation,” said Marvin R. Shanken, Editor and Publisher, Wine Spectator. “In this year’s Restaurant Awards issue, we reflect on how restaurateurs navigated this incredibly difficult period, and look ahead, with every indication that the coming year will be one of the most promising in decades for an industry we all love. It’s been a long road back, and it feels wonderful to celebrate restaurants and all they bring to the world of wine.”

“The ‘Best of Award of Excellence’ really belongs to our advanced sommelier Dennis Payne, whose 31 years of experience and painstaking efforts over the past year have resulted in this impeccable award-winning wine list,” added Zac Gallo, Executive Director of Food and Beverage for the We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort.  “Not only has Dennis cultivated an extensive  wine and spirit program, but he ensures the proper care, storage and handling of our collection to maximize our guests’ dining experiences.”

Ember’s wine program covers seventeen countries, focusing on each country’s top wine-producing regions and most highly acclaimed vineyards.  It includes 517 wines by the bottle and 26 wines by the glass – ranging from a strong California presence to Barbaresco, Rioja, New Zealand, Argentina and Germany – along with 30 Dessert Wines from across the globe as well as 15 Ports and Madeiras.

In addition, Ember has a special page in their 37-page wine list titled “The Century Club,” dedicated to the world’s top 100-point wines.  Curated for fine wine collectors, this list contains 32 critically acclaimed wines spanning more than two decades that have scored a perfect 100 points.

Wine Spectator began its program to recognize the world’s best wine lists in 1981. There are three levels: the Award of Excellence, the Best of Award of Excellence and the Grand Award—with 1,673; 1,141; and 103 winners this year in each respective category.

All award winners will be featured in Wine Spectator‘s special 40th Anniversary Restaurant Awards issue, available to readers today.

For more information on Ember, visit www.wekopacasinoresort.com/dining/ember.

About Ember

A destination dining experience at the new We-Ko-Pa Casino Resort, Ember is run by critically acclaimed Chef de Cuisine Richard Pelz.  In addition to an exhaustive wine and spirit library, the restaurant features the highest quality USDA Prime and Angus Wagyu beef, game and seafood from around the world, carefully prepared over a custom wood burning grill. Signature items include their Ujih Hot Stone appetizer, Seafood Tower, Snake River Farms Wagyu Striploin, Braised Buffalo Short Rib, and Ember Flaming Liquid Chocolate Truffle.
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The energetic dining space overlooks the all-scratch kitchen with views of the culinary team, and seasonal outdoor dining by the fireplace is also available. A separate piano lounge with live entertainment five nights a week adds to the dynamic vibe.

Learning About and Tasting 2015 Barolo, Plus the WhyNot Wine Saver

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As a member of the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), having taken a few classes and a certification (see footer), we are often offered instruction that include unique tasting experiences and lectures. In this class, my first and long overdue one on Barolo wines, we would be treated to a lecture from the president of NASA, Diego Meraviglia. We were also treated to a showcase of a new wine preservation system called WhyNot.

My own history tasting Barolo wasn’t too good. Ed invested in a few and at each tasting, as they aged 10 years or so, I wasn’t happy with the dark tannins and fruit. I knew the wine needed more time in our cellar – many at or past the 20-year mark – but wanted to understand more about the grape, so that my appreciation might help me at the next tasting. I pulled about six bottles from our cellar after this course, see my social media if you want to know which, and further down the road, how the tastings went. For now, let’s get started on what we learned.

From NASA:

A grape, Nebbiolo, that “feeds on fog”…a land, the Langhe, that is protected by the United Nations as a UNESCO world heritage site…a wine, BAROLO DOCG, that has a centuries old reputation for being “the king of wines & the wine of kings”…and a vintage, 2015, that is hailed as one of the best in the past decades. 

According to James Suckling: “Two-thirds of the 350+ Barolo 2015s we tasted in this list scored 93 points or above, establishing this vintage as one of the best of the decade. You’ll find the tasting notes for 2015 Barolo awash with superlatives. It’s a great year, clearly the best since 2010, perhaps better. Buy some and see for yourself.” 

BAROLO is not only known for its complexity, elegance and structure…but also for its world renowned reputation for cellaring potential. It is consistently one of the wines that holds its own on an open bottle for days and days, some would say, improving every 24 hours.

Before the class began the representatives from WhyNot Wine Saver did a short presentation. We learned that the unit’s use of nitrogen gas promises to keep a bottle of wine fresh for eleven months, important for a restaurant, wine bar or winery that serves pours and by the glass. The cork is removed with a special closed “changer” and a plug, in a “nitrogen-filled environment” is inserted. The bottle can then be put upside down into the WhyNot unit; the desired amount is dispensed in the glass through a “shooter” that keeps nitrogen from wine glass.

Barolo Lesson

There was a lot to learn about Barolo. I have some photos here; if you want a closer look at each slide for a clearer lesson email me:

  • Made from the Nebbiolo grape in Piemonte, aka Piedmont, Italy.
  • “Nebbia” means fog and was given the root of the word Nebbiolo as it’s a late ripener and harvested in autumn, sometimes as late as October.
  • Known to be difficult and stubborn to cultivate, medium-thick skinned, high in tannins and acidity so they have a long aging capability/need.
  • It is known as the most ancient varietal in all of Italy, first documented in 1266.
  • 93% of the vineyards are on hillsides, 70% red and 30% white.
  • The center of the appellation is the town of Barolo.
  • Barolo is considered the “big brother” to Barbaresco.
  • The flavor of the wine depends on many things, including the terrain: Elveziano (Helvetian) wines are more robust, structured, high in tannins and longevity. The Tortoniano (Tortonian) produces a lighter, more elegant, fast maturation and less longevity. A true Barolo lover would know from which areas they prefer the flavor profile from, and purchase accordingly.

On the 2015s: We tasted a few of the new wines, opened up for at least an hour. I could tell the difference in aromas and flavors between the different terrains, and did appreciate both. Diego explained that the 2015s were going to be amazing in ten years as opposed to waiting 30-40 years. The weather in 2015 created less stress factors, fewer grapes, shorter vintage and less volume. This all contributed to giving the wines “great concentration, flavor and power.” Tannins and unripe flavors have been a common complaint of previous years, not for the 2015s. Diego also believes prices will stay low on the 2015s.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

PIERO SELVAGGIO PRESENTS “THE NEXT 40” WITH A STELLAR BIANCO PREGIATO TASTING MENU AND THE WINES OF BENI DI BATASIOLO

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The Anniversary Dinner by Chef Chessa Features First Grade White Truffles, Piemonte Wines and a Custom Designed Sicilian Thalass Plate to Commemorate 41 Years of Italian Culinary History 

WHO:             Piero Selvaggio and VALENTINO Executive Chef Nico Chessa 

Piero Selvaggio / photo by Ryan Forbes

Piero Selvaggio / photo by Ryan Forbes

WHAT:           In celebration of the 41st Anniversary of Valentino, and in anticipation of The Next 40 Years, Owner Piero Selvaggio presents a spectacular Bianco Pregiato white truffle tasting menu with personally selected wines by Fiorenzo Dogliani, managing director of the famed Beni di Batasiolo Vineyard in Piemonte, Italy. To further enhance the dinner, Dogliani will ship 1 kilogram of the finest white truffles just hand-picked in Alba the day before to be served with selections from the evening’s menu. 

The dinner begins with a complimentary flute of champagne and a teaser with truffles, Sfera di Carne Trita all’Abese – ball of steak tartar Alba style. An appetizer of Flan di Cardi e Topinambur e Fonduta al Raschera d’Alpeggio – a flan of cardoons and Jerusalem artichokes with Raschera d’alpeggio fondue is served next, followed by a first course of Raviolone all’uovo – a single large raviolo filled with truffled ricotta and a raw egg yolk.  The entrées include Petto di Piccione in Padella con Gnocchi di Zucca Burro e Salvia – a sautéed squab breast with squash gnocchi butter and sage and Manzo Brasato al Barolo e Ratatuia di Verdure Invernali – braised beef with Barolo wine and winter vegetables.  To complete the feast, Valentino serves Bonet, Pere all’Amaretto e Brutti ma Buoni alla Nocciola – a chocolate custard with amaretto poached pear and hazelnut biscotto and a glass of moscato to toast the anniversary. 

The first three courses are served with Bianco Pregiat, the season’s first grade white truffles hand-picked from Valentino’s trusted Trifulau (Truffle Hunter) from Alba, and shipped overnight for the anniversary dinner. 

As a souvenir of the evening and in commemoration of Valentino’s 41 years in Italian fine dining, each table will receive a custom designed plate by the acclaimed Thalass, artisans of the decorative glass platters made in Modica, Sicily.           

Pricing for the dinner is $200 per guests, which includes 3 shavings of truffles; optional selected wine pairings are offered at $70 per guests. A complimentary glass of champagne begins the dinner and ends with a glass of moscato to toast Valentino’s 41 years. 

“The Next 40” Menu

A Bianco Pregiato Piemontese Evening

Featuring Fiorenzo Dogliani Wines “Beni di Batasiolo”

Tuesday December 3, 2013

6:30 pm

 

TEASER with TRUFFLE

Sfera di carne trita all’Abese

Ball of steak tartar Alba style

Moscato Rosé

 

APPETIZER with TRUFFLE

Flan di cardi e topinambur e fonduta al Raschera d’alpeggio

Flan of cardoons and Jerusalem artichokes with Raschera d’alpeggio fondue

Granee” Gavi del Comune di Gavi DOCG 2009

 

FIRST with TRUFFLE

Raviolone all’uovo

Single large raviolo filled with truffled ricotta and a raw egg yolk

“Sovrana” Barbera d’Alba DOC 2010

 

ENTREE

Petto di piccione in padella con gnocchi di zucca burro e salvia

Sautéed squab breast with squash gnocchi butter and sage

Barbaresco DOCG 2010

 

Manzo brasato al Barolo e ratatuia di verdure invernali

Braised beef with Barolo wine and winter vegetables

Barolo DOCG Cru 2009

 

DESSERT

Bonet, pere all’amaretto e brutti ma buoni alla nocciola

Chocolate custard with amaretto poached pear and hazelnut biscotto

Barolo Chinato

 

$200 Per Person; $70 for Wine Pairing; Exclusive of Tax and Gratuity

 

WHEN:           Tuesday, December 3, 2013

6:30 p.m.; one seating only

The Anniversary menu, with or without truffles will also be available from December 4 – 7, without the Dogliani wine pairing. Special pairings selected by Piero Selvaggio will be offered at a supplementary charge along with other surprises. 

WHY:             In celebration of the 41st Anniversary of Valentino and the restaurant’s stature as the leader of Italian fine dining history in Los Angeles, Piero Selvaggio and Executive Chef Nico Chessa are passionately developing new menus of innovative dishes that break away from the past traditions, leaning to the modern, all designed with an elegant fresh look and composition to be discovered by the next generation of guests discovering Valentino, the quintessential Italian restaurant of Los Angeles. 

WHERE:         VALENTINO

3115 Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90401

310.829.4313

http://www.valentinosantamonica.com 

ABOUT:         Piero Selvaggio and Valentino have made a significant contribution to the Los Angeles restaurant scene, introducing authentic Italian products, wine and regional cuisine to the public and nurturing many of our most influential chefs and restaurateurs. Selvaggio was recently recognized for his achievement in Angeleno and Wine Spectator magazines in October 2012.  Valentino was named among the best Italian restaurants in the United States by Travel & Leisure and The Daily Meal. The restaurant was named among the thirteen restaurants that changed the Los Angeles dining scene by Zagat.com in 2012 and awarded Top 10 Romantic Restaurants, Top 10 Wine Lists, Top 10 Italian Restaurants in Los Angeles by Gayot.com in 2012. Selvaggio was recently profiled for the “Lifer” interview in Eater LA about his legendary career. With its intimate dining rooms, unsurpassed wine cellar, and the consummate graciousness of owner Piero Selvaggio, Valentino remains the favored destination for some of the best dining in Los Angeles.

Rusty Sly: Grape of the Night (GOTN) on Italian Blends

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For our last meeting of GOTN for 2012, the varietal chosen was Italian blends from Italy.  There were no stipulations on whether your wine selection was white or red which opened the door to both parties of wine drinkers.  We even received a couple of twists in our line-up by members that were not sure what the varietal was, but wines are there to be compared even if the varietal was not exactly correct.  With this in mind we continue to educate our palates.

Italy has three primary wine regions. First is Tuscany near Florence where Sangiovese grapes are dominant, producing Chianti and Super Tuscans.  Next, we have Piedmont where Barolo and Barbaresco are produced.  Last, but not least, is Venice where white wines such as Pinot Grigio and Soave are produced.  Like France, most of the wines poured from Italy have definite old world characteristics on the nose as well as the palate.  Two wines that were brought from the Paso Robles region allowed us to really see the differences between New World and Old World.  One was a GSM (Grenache-Syrah-Mourvedre blend) and the other an Italian Vermentino from the Clavo winery in Paso Robles.  The fruits in these two wines were very dominant and forward compared to the earthy, smoky subtle flavors noted in the wines from Italy.  In the line-up of wines tasted and reviewed by the GOTN group, it was interesting that some had so little aromatics and taste that no one could really describe them, however, given more time to open up this outcome may have been different.  Going back to the Old World differences, the sampled wines were very French like offering finely layered aromas and taste that need to be dissected carefully over time.

  • 2007 Amarone Della Vapolicella Classico Antica Corte
  • 2011 Vendemmia Morellino di Seansano Poggioargentiera

Aromatics: Old World which masked fruits

Taste: fruits buried by tannins and smoky

  • 2007 Summerwood GSM Paso Robles

Aromatics: Very New World.  Blueberry and smoke

Taste: Grenache is very dominant

  • 2009 Clavo Cellars Vermentino GSM Paso Robles

Aromatics: Tropical fruits and pear

Taste: Tropical fruits, pear, light acidity and buttery

  • 2009 Rocca d. Monte Massi Sassabruna Monterigio d. Massa Maritime

Aromatics: Old World nose

Taste: Super Tuscan (Sangiovesse and Merlot)

  • 2010 Tormaresca Puglia Neprica

Aromatics: Negroamaro, Primitivo and Cabernet Sauvignon blend

Taste: Soft and silky, Medium-bodied, plum, dark cherry and light fig and tobacco.

It is here that I must beg for forgiveness from Larry and Gloria Stahly who joined us for the first time.  After we had sampled the blends from Italy, Larry opened a Barolo that he had brought.
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  I did not write the name down as it was not on the counter at the beginning of our tasting.  Sitting here writing this article I realized my mistake.  All I can say is, what a treat and I am so sorry that I did not capture the details of this spectacular wine.  I remember that it had some age and could be aged much longer.  Most Barolo wines (Nebbiolo grape) need years to soften and become enjoyable, happily this was not the case with this wine, it was gorgeous.  Thank you Larry and Gloria for the treat.

It was quite  an interesting night.  During this GOTN, it was evident from the group, myself included, that we have not sampled enough wines from the various regions of Italy to know them.  The wines that everyone brought were great examples of a fantastic Old World wine region.  I propose that we revisit it at another time in hopes that we can all become more educated on these wines.  As always, I want to thank Guy Lelarge for allowing us to have our monthly meeting at Valencia Wine Company.  And who could forget our man Geno for taking care of our every need at this tasting.
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  I hope everyone had a good time and I hope to see everyone at the next GOTN.

Cheers,

Rusty Sly