Drink Eat Love

Finding Fiano Part II

(Raphaele Vadiaperti showing off the earth of Montefusco in the Fiano d'Avellino DOCG)

We headed to Avellino (map) to see two producers and their vineyards: Vadiaperti and Ciro Picariello. By seeing the dirt, vines, and methods of farming, one can determine the grower's philosophy. Vadiaperti has been producing its own wines since 1984, but the family has grown grapes since the early 1900's. The estate is 10 hectares of Coda di Volpe, Fiano, Greco and a small amount of Aglianico. All the wines share a common thread of intense minerality, which is from the gray clay that has formed from the millenia of volcanic ash that is all over the area.  We were able to try the 2010 vintage from tank and were astonished that all the wines had gone through malolactic fermentation because of the high levels of malic acid  (Malic acid is the bracing flavor you get from green apples. When a wine goes though malolactic fermentation the malic acid is converted to lactic acid which gives a creamy texture and softens the wine). Raphaele believes had he not done this his wines would be unenjoyable. His Fiano is pure, clear and focused - when you take a sip and close your eyes, you can smell the air in the vineyards and the flintiness of the soil. At the end of our tasting, Raphaele shared a 1992 and 1990 Fiano d'Avellino. This cemented my contention that Fiano is the best white wine of Italy! Both wines were stunning, pure, lively, and such a unique experience. I immediately bought some Fiano to put in the back of my cellar to forget and rediscover in 20 years.

(Ciro Picariello)

Our next visit was to a VERY small winery on the opposite side of the region in the commune of Summonte, Ciro Picariello. The key difference between Picariello and Vadiaperta is the soil. Vadiaperta is in the commune of Montefredane and has compact volcanic clay. Summonte has limestone and pumice. The first tank sample showed this difference in a millisecond. The wines of Picariello are very pretty, floral and there is a chalky note that permeates all the wines. We tasted 2004 through 2010 (in tank) of Fiano. These were some of the best wines I have every tried in Italy. There was purity, focus, and distinct notes of the land in each wine. As the wines age, they give off aromas of candied citrus, honeycomb, and magnolia. I can't wait to go back!

Finding Fiano Part I

(Older vintages of Vadiaperti Fiano d'Avellino)

I have finally arrived back to sunny Los Angeles after a two week tour of Campania, Basilicata, Sicilia and Sardinia. It was an amazing trip that convinced me that I have to spend more time in Italy - there is so much to see, drink and eat! Every time I go to Italy I discover something new, exciting and unexpected. This trip was perhaps the most fruitful yet, as previous notions of Italian wine were shattered on the second day! Many people discount the white wines of Italy as simple, quafable, or just refreshing, (not a bad thing) but a bit of a back-handed compliment. Not that I have ever thought that Italian white wines were less than stellar, but my experience with aged whites from Italy has been limited to Valentini, Emidio Pepe, Gravner, or Gaja (prohibitively expensive). Today, I am here to tell you that Fiano, especially those from the appellation of Avellino need to be consideded in the same breath as great Riesling, Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay.

 

Bye Bye Sicily

(Mt. Etna - it has been spewing a lot of gas this week)
I should be trying to sleep but I wanted to make sure I got a few photographs of Silicy up before we take off for Sardinia tomorrow (at 4:30 AM!). I had wanted to post our adventure in chronological order but what I want to write about needs more time than I have at the moment, so enjoy this photo montage of the past three days!

The Acireale market

Acireale fish market (not as big as the one in Catania, but still impressive)

I can't remember the actual name for the above "stuffed-pizza" but it was divine. The dough is much more "bready" than pizza. This one was stuffed with a local cheese called tuma and broccoli rabe.

Ciro Biondi (yellow pants) of Vini Biondi and his vineyard crew in the amazing steep vineyard called Monte Ilice.

Alberto Graci of Graci

Giovanni Scarfone of Bonavita in the Faro DOC

Messina

Paolo Cali in front of 16th century wine vats

Giusto Occhipinti of COS

Giro d'Sud: Frascati

(A pizza from Taverna 191 in Nola, Campania)
After a week of running around from vineyard to vineyard across the south of Italy we have arrived in Sicily. Our mainland tour was very interesting and inspiring. Southern Italy remains a mystery to most, even those with years of wine industry experience, but there is anamazing depth of quailty producers in the region. Our little Renault with 5 adults and even more luggage started our journy last Tuesday. We headed straight to a region that has been written off by most wine professionals for some time: Frascati.

The Big Island

The past week has been an amazing journey filled with revelations about white wine made in the south. Fiano d'Avellino is a wine that will blow the doors of any doubter on the ageing potential and quality of Italian white wine. Taurasi is a region of pedigree but still trying to find it's way in the modern wine world. Basilicata is has unlimited potential to produce very interesting full bodied red wines but they have been told that the world wants heavily oaked wines. It may produce points in the short term but is currently masking the soul of the region. Today is our first day tasting on Sicily's Mt. Etna and from my previous history with it's wines I am very excited.

Headed East

2011 is starting off right! Three days in and I'm on my way to Italy! This trip is a first for me, the southwest of the Boot plus the Islands! I land tomorrow in Rome and immeditly head south with a stop in the wine region of Frascati and then into Campaina to check out the amazing grapes of Fiano, Greco, and Aglianico (plus a few more). We then head to Basilicata to check out some producers in Vulture and then hop on a plane to Sicily! We end our trip with a brief jaunt to Sardinia. I am not sure how much opprotunity I will have for blogging while on the road but will do my best when able! Cheers and Happy New Year!