Italian Wine And Food

I Love Italian Wine And Food - Aosta Valley Region, Piedmont
Wine
By LeviReiss

If you are looking for fine Italian wine and food, consider the
Aosta Valley region of northern Italy. You may find a bargain,
and I hope that you’ll have fun on this fact-filled wine
education tour.

The Aosta Valley is a tiny corner of of northwestern Italy
bordering on France and Switzerland. This valley is surrounded
by high mountains, including Europe’s highest peak, Mount Blanc.
This was arguably the last region of Italy to be populated,
because it was covered with ice until relatively recently. Over
time it was occupied by Celts, Romans, Ostrogoths, Byzantines,
Lombards, and Franks. It is bilingual, Italian and French. The
Aosta Valley is by far the smallest region of Italy with a
population of only 120 thousand.

Agricultural is not particularly important, with the exception
of cattle raising. There is substantial forestry and some
industry, in particular hydroelectric power. The region is one
of the wealthiest in Italy, with a highly developed tourist
sector.

This region has no single capital. The largest city is Aosta,
with a population of about 35 thousand. It was a Roman garrison
over two thousand years ago, and is the best example of Roman
city planning in Italy. Among the Aosta Valley’s tourist
attractions are the remains of a Roman amphitheater said to hold
20,000 spectators. Other tourist attractions include medieval
fortresses and churches, the Matterhorn, and Mount Blanc.

The Aosta Valley devotes only fifteen hundred acres to
grapevines, and ranks 20th among the 20 Italian regions. Its
total annual wine production is about six hundred thousand
gallons, also giving it a 20th place. About 90% of the wine
production is red or rosé (only a bit of rosé), leaving about
10% for white. The region produces a single DOC wine, that is
divided into 23 categories. DOC stands for Denominazione di
Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of
Controlled Origin. Almost 23% of this region’s wine carries the
DOC. The Aosta Valley is home to almost three dozen major and
secondary grape varieties, with somewhat more red than white
varieties.

Chardonnay is the most important international white grape
variety in the Aosta Valley. Muscat and Pinot Grigio (Pinot
Gris) are also grown. Local white varieties include Blanc de
Morgeux and Petite Arvine, also grown in Switzerland.

International red grape varieties grown in the Aosta Valley
include Gamay, Grenache, Pinot Nero (Pinot Noir), and Syrah.
Local red varieties include Picotendro (called Nebbiolo in
neighboring Piedmont and arguably Italy’s finest red grape),
Petit Rouge, and Fumin. In the unfortunate absence of any Aosta
Valley wines, I am reviewing a DOCG Nebbiolo-based wine from
neighboring Piedmont. If I am ever in the Aosta Valley, I
promise to drink and review a few local wines.

Before reviewing the Aosta Valley-style wine and Italian cheese
that I was lucky enough to purchase at a local wine store and a
local Italian food store, here are a few suggestions of what to
eat with indigenous wines when touring this beautiful region.

Start with Jambon de Bosses; Uncooked Ham.

As the second course try Carré D’Agnello Gratinato Alle Erbe;
Grilled Loin of Lamb in a Pastry and Herb Crust.

For dessert indulge yourself with Crema alla Panna; Pannacotta
from the Aosta Valley (a sort of crème caramel without eggs.)

OUR WINE REVIEW POLICY While we have communicated with well
over a thousand Italian wine producers and merchants to help
prepare these articles, our policy is clear. All wines that we
taste and review are purchased at the full retail price.

Wine Reviewed

Travaglina Gattinara DOCG 2001 13.5% alcohol about $28

As stated above, little if any wine from the Aosta Valley
region is available in North America. We had to settle for a
Piedmont wine produced only a few miles away from the Aosta
Valley. For some reason I can’t get out of my mind the 1905
George M. Cohan Broadway title tune (Only) Forty-five Minutes
from Broadway, think of the changes it brings. Given that this
is a DOCG wine made with Italy’s best red grape, I really don’t
feel that I made a sacrifice. It is perhaps a fitting way to
treat the last of Italy’s regions.

Let’s start with the marketing materials. “The winery has other
jewels in its crown, as the fabulous base Gattinara 2001 so
eloquently proves in the best version we can remember. A pure,
austere nose expresses the Gattinara territory, with licorice
and crushed roses from the Nebbiolo grape and elegant streaks of
eucalyptus, menthol, and even acacia blossoms. The long
lingering palate is lively and tangy, slightly held back by
assertive tannins.”

Let’s talk a bit about the bottle. As a DOCG red wine, there is
a lavender ribbon at the top of the bottle. The bottle itself
has a unique curve that fits in the palm of the hand. It was
designed by a glassmaker for the 1952 vintage, and proved so
popular that the producer has been using it ever since. The
grapes are grown on steep slopes at 900-1300 feet in iron-rich
soil with traces of Calcium and Magnesium Carbonate. The wine is
aged a year in French oak barriques, 18 months in Slovenian oak
casks, and then for six months in the bottle. It has been called
an affordable Barolo, (one of Italy’s finest red wines that
starts at about twice its price). Wine Spectator Magazine has
listed a previous vintage as one of the year’s 100 best wines.

My first pairing was with a cheeseless meat lasagna. Frankly
the wine was wasted on this meal. It was mouth-filling, long,
and powerful, but yet delicate. I felt that the wine was great
on its own. A few ounces kept my mouth satisfied for a very long
time.

The next pairing was more suitable, grilled rib steak in my
spicy, homemade barbeque sauce that included ketchup, sweet and
sour mustard, fresh garlic, and black pepper. The meal also
included potato patties, and caponata, an Italian-style eggplant
and tomato salad. This marriage was made in heaven. The wine was
mouthfilling and powerful. A little bit went a very long way.

The final meal was with slow-cooked, boneless beef ribs and
potatoes. Once again, the wine was very powerful, tasting of
leather and dark fruit. It is easily the most powerful wine of
the series, and probably one of the most powerful wines that I
have ever tasted. However, I did not find the tannins assertive;
they blended perfectly with the fruit and other flavors.

It might have been best to try this wine with a Piedmont cheese
such as Gran Padano or Gorgonzola, or with an Aosta Valley
cheese such as Fontina. I had none of the above, so I settled
for the ends of my Italian cheeses, coincidentally at more or
less the end of this series. The Gattinara took on a pleasant
acidic character to deal with a Montasio cheese from the Veneto
area that was past its prime. It also went well with a Sicilian
Isola. I liked it the best with an Asiago, also from the Veneto
region. But once again the wine was somewhat wasted on these
cheeses.

Final verdict. I don’t think that this wine should be cellared
for a dozen years, but I would love to find out. If I had the
money, I’d buy a case, drink a bottle a year, and then decide
what to do. Not going to happen. This wonderful wine will have
to go into my once a year category. I’m already looking forward
to savoring and comparing the 2002 vintage with this excellent
2001.

About the Author: Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten
books on computers and the Internet, but to be honest, he would
rather just drink fine Italian or other wine, accompanied by the
right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario
French-language community college. His wine website is
http://www.theworldwidewine.com .

Source: http://www.isnare.com

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