Torn' a Venezia

In September 2009 we wrote about ‘Al canton del vin’ in Castello, Venice. In early October we made a new and lengthier visit to this most interesting wine shop selling Vino Sfuso as well as some very interesting wine in bottle.

Effortlessly, the diversity on offer is huge: perhaps more than in any shop anywhere in the world not actually trying to offer as large a range of grape varieties as possible. Consider first the Vini Sfusi on offer:

Reds

Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Sauvignon
Incrocio Manzoni Rosso
Malbec
Merlot
Pino Rosso (Pinot Nero)
Raboso

Whites

Chardonnay
Incrocio Manzoni Bianco
Pinot Bianco
Prosecco Spento
Ramandolo (Verduzzo Dorato)
Sauvignon Bianco
Tocai (sic)
Verduzzo

We bought a litre each of Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Raboso which were amazing for their freshness given the fact it was toward the end of the season with the new wine about to arrive soon.

On the shelves we found a 100% Gropello called ‘Maim’ by Costaripa (12.5%)

Gropello is a pseudonym for Rossignola which is a variety permissible in Bardolino and Valpolicella as well as a Brescia equivalent of those wines called Valtinesi Rosso. On tasting (27.12.09) this turned out to be a surprisingly meaty, savoury and chewy wine for its low alcoholic content. Certainly something to beef up the Corvina, Rondinella etc. of Bardolini etc. We also bought a 'Malbeck' by Musarango from the Veneto Orientale (12%).

The helpful Monica gave us a tutorial between serving regulars who came in to fill their empty mineral water bottles and a chat on the way home from work. These regulars were mostly elderly with decided tastes for one or other of the Vini Sfusi and endless gossip despite others waiting to be served.

Monica didn’t stint on telling us all about the business of selling wine on draft in Venice. She said there were now only about 3 more such shops in the city. The season begins with Torbolino which is still-fermenting grape juice, presumably something like ‘Federweisse’ in Hessen. This can be from various of the above grapes: Prosecco and Cabernet Sauvignon have been mentioned.

On the shelves was another rarity; bottles without any label. These turned out to be sweet Fragolino which at 4% was too low in alcohol to be sold as wine. Monica gave us tastes of this and various other Vini Sfusi, something other proprietors are very loath to do. We told her about what we had heard concerning the difficulties of selling draft wine in the UK. The problem there seems to be that such wine, if cheap enough would attract people who would drink it in the shop or on the pavement and get drunk. Monica said that never happened in Venice.

As a footnote to our visit to ‘Al Canton del Vino’ Castello 3156 (Salizada San Francesco) we would just mention the leaflet offering courses by the Federazione Italiana Sommelier Albergatori Ristoranti (F.I.S.A.R.) dedicato a tutte le persone che desiderano conoscere, capire e degustare I vini. Maybe on our next visit?

On to the Enoteca Vino e…vini (3566 di Castello, Salizada del Pignater. Tel/Fax 041 521 0184, enoteca@vinoevini.it). They sell a much smaller selection of Vino Sfuso, excusing themselves by saying they only sell the good stuff. On this occasion we found a true rarity, a bottle of Osoleta in purezza. The only mention of this grape we had seen so far was as a component of Masi’s ‘Toar’, a blend of Corvina (75%) and Osoleta (25%). Our bottle was called “Oz” 2006 and is made by Azienda Agricola Zyme of S. Pietro in Cariano, Verona and weighs in at 13.5%.

We were assured this was a luscious wine. We look forward to checking this assertion. The price was almost as high as our expectations.

We also bought a 100% Canaiolo (Canaiolo Provenzano by Azienda Agricola Marciano, Toscana (Siena)2006, 13%) which is almost as difficult to find
and a bottle of our runner-up to the 2008/9 Slotovino Best Red award, Antico Terren Ottavi’s 100% Vernaccia Nera “Pianetta in Cagnore” from Le Marche which we had previously found in Rome.

Like Venice’s artistic treasures, the wine of the Veneto seems to hold an inexhaustible number of secrets waiting to be discovered. Today one of the British Saturday wine columnists writes

‘Wine: The great unknown
Avoid the star names of the grape world, and you may well stumble across a bargain’

And the grapes mentioned? Zibbibo, Syrah, Grenache, Chenin, Colombard and Primitivo. If these are the great unknown, what chance is there for Osoleta?

Fraser Jamieson of Corney and Barrow

In a talk at the Royal Society of Medecine Fraser Jamieson made two interesting statements. The first, that when we buy a bottle of French wine we are not buying grape varieties but a slice of land (terroir). And the other point was made by his choice of wines, all from Burgundy. How can it be explained why the same grapes made in the same way produce wines as different as Chablis and St. Aubin in such a small geographical area?

Good points, well made but it would be interesting to know how much microclimates and clones contribute and surely the vinification and cellaring can't be identical? Apart from anything else, those who make Chablis know they are making Chablis and those who make St. Aubin have a different goal in sight. Fraser Jamieson has worked in Burgundy so is certainly aware of all the variables.

Red Champenois at Rogano's.

Rogano's restaurant in Glasgow have Chalons en Champagne - Coteaux Champenois Cumieres Rouge, Joseph Perrier NV AT £57.50 on the winelist. They explained to us they are changing the list but might have a bottle left for anyone that ambitious to try a still red wine (presumably Pinot Noir) from Champagne. This is a true rarity getting very few mentions even on the internet. If anyone has any experience of this wine, we'd be very interested to know more.

Our trawl this month

On our September trawl across Europe, more discoveries! Will they ever end?

Paris, 2/3.9.09

Cavistes have depleted stocks at this time of year but Julien (Rue Charlot) tempted us with two unauthorised organic Loire red blends; La Guerrerie (Cot/Gamay), 12.5%
La Grapperie “Le Gravot” (Pineau d’aunis, Gamay, Cot) Touraine NV 13%

and an modern organic German Riesling he swore was dry as a bone:
Tesch Riesling Kabinett ‘unplugged’ 2007 11.5% (Nahe).


Edinburgh 5/6.9.09

Needing emergency sustainance, we dived into "Giuliano's" restaurant opposite the Playhouse on Leith Walk near the junction with Broughton Street.
The walls are covered with enlarged photos of vineyards, cellars and barrels etc., so we were interested to see the wine list. It was clear that this had been assembled by someone who was not only passionate about wine but knew a great deal about it too. Not difficult to deduce - where else in the UK can one find Mancini's "Il Blu"? Readers of Slotovino will know we mentioned this wine back in June 2008. In fact it is not available here and had to be imported. Congratulating the padrone, we became embroiled in the most pleasant wine discussion imaginable, for it was he Giuliano, partner in 3 Edinburgh restaurants bearing his name and extreme wine enthusiast. We traded information in rapid fire and it emerged that Giuliano is also an Edinburgh vigneron garagiste. No, he doesn't grow his grapes in Scotland but buys them from pallets imported by the UK Italian community. He told us in detail how he really does make his private wine in his garage. He says the results are variable depending on the grapes (he has to take whatever is available). He immediately invited us back to his house to taste his wine. We would have been delighted to take him up on this but the International Festival called. He gave us his card. Next time we are in Edinburgh we will definitely be in contact; rarely can you find such a passion for wine. His Melanzane Parmigiana was great too.

While researching wine merchants in Glasgow we kept finding interesting shops in Edinburgh so on this visit we took a look at Raeburns Fine Wines of 21/23 Comely Bank Road where we found a delicious Tocco Magliocco (or Maglioppo) from L'Acino (Campagnia)

13.5% - similar to Gaglioppo but a different grape altogether and certainly one to remember.
We also bought a Bonarda; Castello di Luzzano, Carlino, Oltrepo Pavese 2004 13.5% which was not as delicious as we had hoped following good experiences with Italian (as opposed to Argentinian) Bonarda.
Comely Bank Road morphs into Raeburn Place. At 30b is to be found Edinburgh Wine Merchants (an offshoot of Cambridge Wine Merchants) with a small but eclectic selection and on the same side, other shops selling wine. We also made a return visit to Villeneuve Wines, 49a Broughton St. where we missed the Slovenian wines which had bee a feature last time. We had to bypass our favourite Valvona and Crolla in Leith Walk due to the tight schedule. Edinburgh is well served and can claim to have an all year round Wine Festival which Glasgow cannot as far as we can tell.

Lisbon 10.9.09

We made straight for Vini Portugal following our wonderful experience at the Porto branch in June. On tasting, thanks to the gracious and well-informed Marta Galamba was Alentejo, Dao and Bairrada/Beiras. The big discovery was Mouras de Arraiolos Reserva Branco 2008, 13% (made with 100% Antao Vaz) from Bairrada.

It seems that indiginous Portuguese white grapes are every bit as good as the red ones. So now we can count Antao Vaz together with Encruzado, Loueiro and Trajadura. Our samples of Dao containing a majority of Afrocheiro were disappointing
but the widely available Grao Vasco Dao 2006 (13%?) made from Jaen, Touriga Nacional and Touriga Roriz was nicely soft and rounded with a hint of violets and deep ruby colour. Note: must try a 100% Jaen one day.

Then on the advice of Francisco Figueiredo of Colares Arenae (see our visit to Colares in October 2008) we made for El Corte Ingles where he had told us we could find wines of Colares.
What he didn't say was that his own wines were not among them. How typically altruistic. We were determined to buy bottles which had not been standing on a shelf for years on end and these looked in good nick with robust shoulder levels; Colares Chitas 2003, Visconde de Salreu 1994, Viuva Jose Gomes da Silva & Filhos, 1997, ALL 11%. We found a Fundacao Oriente 2004 at Adivinho, Travessa do Almada 24, but others did not stock Colares even though it is one of Lisbon's local wines so it was heartening to find it at the Hipercor of El Corte Ingles even if it was not in evidence in the 'Club del Gourmet' there.

Our business took us to Belem where in a nice shop with a reasonable selection, 'Coisas do arco do vinho' in the Belem Cultural Centre
we found the Mouras de Arraiolos Reserva Branco 2008 (13%) we had tasted at Vini Portugal
and the Carm Douro white we had so enjoyed in Porto.
The Enoteca do Belem is still closed.

Amsterdam, 11.9.09


In search of Dutch wine, we were sent to Gall & Gall near the Royal Palace but they had sold out. They normally stock wines by Hoeve Nekum (Riesling, Auxerrois, Rivaner and Pinot Noir) http://www.hoevenekum.nl/. Needless to say no Dutch wines are available at Schiphol despite all other kinds of Dutch produce being prominent. Could English wine mean more to the British than Dutch wine in the Netherlands? Could Dutch wine be less good?

Between Croydon and Purley Oaks

There are now two vineyards in allotments between Croydon and Purley Oaks. Look out on the left hand side when travelling by train towards Gatwick Airport. Can anyone provide any details of these? Slotovino would welcome any information.

A bottle of wine for less than €1?

British wine writers have long dismissed the possibility of wine under say £2 and drinkable wine under £3, so a drinkable wine under €1 even taking into consideration the huge divergances in tax, costs and duty? It seems possible in Spain at least and so with reasonable probability in certain other parts of the EU and wider world.

In one supermarket alone we found 5 wines costing 95 - 99 cents each, not on a promotion of anykind: 2 whites, 2 reds and even a sparkling rose. Only three were drinkable at all. One of the whites as truly repellant and the rose bore no resemblance to wine whatsoever. The drinkable white was so neutral as to give no positive pleasure at all and the less good red had ¨plonk¨ written all over it.

The other red however was a pleasant surprise: ¨really rather good¨ (especially chilled) bearing in mind that its makers could not have thought a great deal of it to have priced it at 99 cents. It comes from La Mancha - perhaps not surprising since this DO is the largest wine-growing area in the world, It lies between Madrid and Andalucia and comprises the largest plateau in Spain. It produces 52% of all Spanish wine and is one of Spain´s oldest DOs.

The name of this beauty is ¨Vega Cristina". The Cosecha, 2008. The label informs us "Embottellado por J. Garcia Carrion, La Mancha, S.A. Daimiel (Ciudad Real). 13%. On the back label there is no mention of what grape varieties were used although that on the Crianza version at €1.29 states 100% Tempranillo.

J. Garcia Carrion appears to be part of the Don Simon foods group and Vega Cristina maye be made at a co-operative (Garcia Carrion?) from various growers. La Mancha red varieties include Cencibel (the local term for Tempranillo), Garnacha and others including something called Moravia. Moravia seems to come in two versions or else has two names for the same thing: Moravia Agria and Moravia Dulce and has a string of synonyms including Crijadera, Brijadera and Trijadera. It is considered to be "productive", "formerly rare¨and to give "generous yields."

Vega Cristina does not register on Winesearcher but can be found at branches of Mercadona in Spain.

Wild goose-chase in Provence

On a regular visit to Provence we thought we would look deeper into the diversity of the area but were consistently frustrated and disappointed. Beginning with a call to Eric Pfifferling of Domaine de l’Anglore in Tavel
we asked where we could buy his Vin Naturel. The charming Mme Pfifferling said they were sold-out but there was a caviste behind the Médiatheque in Nimes who stocked their wines or else we could get them from a restaurant at Sanilhac-Sagries near Uzès called ‘Le tracteur’ (vin et produits naturels. Reservation essentielle).

We never made it to Nimes for reasons too embarrassing to relate and Sanilhac-Sagries was a bit far for us staying as we were in the Lubéron. We made the further mistake of trying to look around Marseille on a Saturday morning which is traffic hell.

In the petite bourgade of Coustellet there are two cavistes: the Caveau St. Christophe which has only been going for a couple of years and the cellar of Maison Gouin, a rather expensive traiteur and restaurant. The wines common to both are significantly cheaper at the former but the latter has the better selection,
although Japanese whiskey is surprisingly well represented at St. Christophe. Neither has Vin Naturel and not many Vins biologiques either. When requested, French cavistes tend to feign a complete lack of knowledge of Vin Naturel and when explained to them give a detailed account of why they don’t stock them (too much bottle variation, too many spoiled bottles, too much volatility etc.). If Coustellet is typical of the other small towns and villages in the area, the scene is not encouraging.

All these places have a sort of roving market on different days. We tasted the cheap but listless offerings in Coustellet which seemed to hark back to the bad old days. Only a 100% Carignan showed any signs of life but chalked up 14.5% alcohol. The vigneron was suitably abashed when explaining that he couldn't get the taste without that ABV level.

In the Epicerie at Menherbes, we found a dry Muscat from the Pays d’Oc which was encouragingly successful as an aperitif with a discriminating lunch party crowd

as well as a Languedoc white from Grenache Blanche, Maccabeu and Bourbelenc which sounded jolly; both for under €7. There is also a farm outlet there still selling their excellent Marselan in the same price category. Marsalan is a hybrid between Grenache and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Another perhaps less successful hybrid is grown in the Cotes du Luberon area; Chasan which is from Palomino and Chardonnay.

We coasted a few supermarkets but the choice is even more boring than in previous years, except for perhaps a few more wines from North Africa. Venturing farther afield into the Cotes du Rhône, the situation was no better. Ploughed-up fields with grubbed-up vines piled in the middle were quite a common site. More cavistes with barely a biodynamic wine etc.

In Monte Carlo, the scene is characteristically plush but unthinking: the blue-chip caviste ‘l’Oenotheque’ limits itself to only the best of everything at best prices too. Prices elsewhere are also steep. At a wine bar called ‘Wine O’clock’ there were some slightly more interesting bottles including a Bellet from Clos St. Vincent at a rather optimistic €27.
The cheapest bottle at €7 claimed to contain ‘cepages meditérraneans et océaniques.’ We thought ‘océaniques’ sounded exciting but just turned out to be Bordeaux varieties (Cab. Sauv. and Merlot) on the basis that Bdx was on the Atlantic. Anyway the back label was common to that producers whole range of wines but happened not to apply to that particular bottle which contained only Mediterranean varieties (Grenache, Carignan, Syrah etc.): a symptom of prevalent sans-foutisme here as in many other places concerning the grape varieties, never mind the actual ingredients.

The upside? The wines of the Lubéron continue to make great strides in quality. According to residents with memories of 20 years and more, the changes have been of the 360۫ variety. Where to get these wines? Thanks to some fine ‘Riverains’ of our acquaintance, the best solution seems to be to know the appropriately named Sebastien Glaçon. M. Glaçon spent 10 years as a sommelier in America and describes himself as ‘Sommelier-Conseil'.

Sebastien Glaçon as Sommelier in New Orleans.

He is a sort of immensely courteous and efficient roving wine-merchant representing over 40 producers. He used to sell from the back of his car but now has his own delivery service. He is available at all hours to give advice and take orders. We tasted an excellent white which he reccomends, Côte du Lubéron - Bastide Claux: Cuvée Barraban 2007 made from Grenache Blanche (65%), Vermentino (25%) and Ugni Blanc (10%). Not too expensive and delicious.

Sebastien Glaçon. No website but his list is available on request: winrider@wanadoo.fr. 00 33 66 419 8020. He’s the man!