After having my cappuccino ritual this morning, I watched “Ice Men”, a film about five childhood buddies whose lives were radically changed by a chain of unexpected happenings during a winter weekend getaway. It was one of the films I could watch without the need for subtitles. But after watching Latvian, Portuguese, Korean, Finnish, German, and many other non-English films, it momentarily felt strange to hear characters speak in north American English accent.
Paolo Pellegrini, being the president of the Infinity Film Festival, is obviously a very busy man. During lunch he asked me if I liked Italian wine. I replied, “No, I don’t like Italian wine. I LOVE Italian wine.” He grinned and said that I should go with him to La Morra this afternoon. About half past four I hopped into his car together with two other men – Kamate and Pierre Maria.
La Morra, a twenty-minute drive from Alba, is a rustic, fascinating wine haven. It’s rolling hills and endless vineyards make it a postcard-perfect town. Paolo brought us to Giorgio’s family house , which is situated in a wonderfully scenic location at the foot of a curvaceous hill. The house doubles as a winery. Giorgio is a third generation wine maker - his father and his father’s father cultivated grapes with passion and made wine for a living. Giorgio hopes that his own son will carry on the family tradition.
Although wine had become a regular part of my lunch and supper for more than three years now, this was the first time I’ve been to a winery and learned the art of wine drinking from a certified wine expert. Giorgio began our wine tour by showing us three different kinds of grapes, namely Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Dolcetto. These three species, he said, produce different kinds and qualities of wine. Giorgio showed us where grapes are pressed and where wine is fermented, aged, and bottled. He explained to us each step in the painstaking process of wine making.
The part of the tour I liked the most was the degustazione (wine tasting). Giorgio prepared an elegant table for the ritual of tasting and testing the quality of his wine. It had white cloth on it, some flowers, wine chalices, and a candle. After lighting the candle he went to the kitchen to fetch homemade bread and cheese for us. Giorgio made us drink 8 kinds of wine, in the following order:
1. Dolcetto d’Alba Bussia 2003 (13.5% alcohol)
2. Barbera d’Alba Pilade 2003 (13.5% alcohol)
3. Nebbiolo 2003 (13.5% alcohol)
4. Langhe Rosso Ultimi Grappoli 2001 (14.5% alcohol)
5. Barbera d’Alba Giuli 2001 (14.5% alcohol)
6. Barolo Tre Ciabot 2000 (14.5% alcohol)
7. Barolo Bussia 2000 (14.5% alcohol)
8. Barolo Bricco Rocca 1999 (14.5% alcohol)
Each of us drank one chalice for each kind. I found the Barolo wines to have an exceptional full bodied taste. The general rule in wine drinking is: drink from the youngest to the oldest, or from the lowest in quality to the most superior. If you plan to drink red and white one after another, be sure to finish the white first before drinking the red wine. The first wine (Dolcetto d’Alba Bussia), being only about year old, was the cheapest (6.50 euros). The last bottle, being the oldest (some 6 years old), was also the most expensive (40 euros). As a rule, Barolo wines have to be kept in wooden casks for at least two years before earning its prestigious name.
The first step in wine tasting is pouring the wine into a clear glass and taking a good look at it. Giorgio said that studying the wine’s color and appearance can tell you much about its quality. The reason for the white cloth and the candle on the table was precisely for us to examine the color of the wine. Red wines are not just red. They range from blood red to pale red. The older the wine the lighter its color becomes.
After the wine is poured into the chalice, it is swirled. Giorgio explained that a thicker body (whatever that means) can indicate the wine’s alcohol content.
The next step is smelling the wine. Swirling the wine releases its aroma and taking a deep whiff can tell you its sweetness level. The last step is tasting the wine. Giorgio told us that the most important quality of a wine is a balance between its sweetness, alcohol content, acidity, and the food you are eating. Some wines are good for lunch, others for dinner, others as appetizers, et cetera.
It was almost nine in the evening when we drove back to the film festival in Alba. We arrived just in time for “Bab Almakam” a film by the Syrian filmmaker Mohammad Malas. It is the story of Imene, a married Muslim woman who loves to sing. But her ultraconservative uncle believes that Imene’s passion for music is a cover for a possible clandestine love affair. The uncle, with the help of Imene’s own brother and cousins, execute a plan to get rid of her to save their family from dishonor.
how’s the cheese?
i haven’t had lots of european wines primarily because they are rather expensive from where i;m living right now. but i’ve had barbera and it was ok.
wine making has advanced so much in recent years that you can even find cheap wines (5-10USD) that are good. and since i discovered wine 7 years ago, i’ve almost never drank any other alcoholic beverage. the possibilities with wines are just almost infinite.
btw, one thing i’ve learned when tasting wine (at least the first few sips) is to hold it inside your mouth and put some under your tongue. you’ll get a better sense of the taste and could discrimate better between wines. follow that by a bite of good cheese, and it’s a totally sensous experience. in the end, it’s whether you like it or not that ultimately determine whether the wine is good (in your standard). for me, for example, i like my wines to be a little on the medium to full bodied type, and a little sweet.
enjoy your wine! cheers!
Renan, thanks for dropping by. And yes, I also enjoyed the cheese immensely. I agree that the goodness of a wine ultimately depends on personal taste.