This fall, author and wine expert Dick Rosano and Chef Stephen Sands will lead a small group of food and wine adventurerers on a tour through the Piemonte region of Italy.  Want to join them?  Here are the highlights of the 10-day boondoggle:

• Numerous degustazioni wine sampler lunches and cantina visits with local hosts under Dick’s stewardship.
• Cooking demonstrations, and exhibitions of local traditions and techniques under the wing of Stephen
• Daily hotel breakfasts ‐plus gourmet lunches & dinners as per the itinerary
• Participation in the Alba Truffle Festival with interesting medieval crafts
• Multilingual travel escort
• 3– and 4– star hotels, carefully selected for authenticity and charm
• See this brochure for full details and itinerary

About The Hosts:

Dick Rosano has been writing about wine, food, and travel for many years. His columns have appeared in The Washington Post, Wine News, Wine Enthusiast, Country Inns Magazine, Chile Pepper, and many other nationally distributed publications. His weekly wine-food pairing column first ran in The Washington Post and Wine Enthusiast online and now appears in The Tasting Panel magazine. Dick’s book, Wine Heritage, traces the influence of Italians in the American wine industry over the last century. A new novel, A Death in Tuscany, is due out this summer. Having traveled Italy, US, and South American wine growing regions extensively, Dick has lectured on the subject at the Smithsonian Institution, Johns Hopkins University, and at many conferences throughout the United States. In addition, Dick currently teaches wine and wine-food pairing classes at L’Academie de Cuisine, and at Culinaria.

Culinaria Cooking School Founder & CEO Stephen Sands learned to love the art of cooking from his Italian nonna (grandmother), and began his culinary career in 1989 with Francois Dionot, the founder of L’Academie de Cuisine in Bethesda. Stephen was instrumental in developing curricula and original recipes for participatory classes and for guest chefs. In 2004, Stephen formed Capital Food Partners, LLC, a cooking school and catering company, along with his business partner Pete Snaith. Retired from a notable engineering career, Stephen now directs Culinaria.
 

Andrea Sartori leads one of Verona’s great wine estates, a generations-old family business that serves up some of the region’s best bottles. Since Veneto is renowned for its Amarone, the delicious full-bodied red wine, it would be sacrilegious not to follow suit – which Sartori does eminently well – with production decisions left to the masterful judgment of enology consultant Franco Bernabei. And it would be equally sacrilegious to not broaden the portfolio to include other wines.

At a recent lunch at Café Milano (Prospect Street, NW), we began with a 2009 Ferdi ($15), a sumptuous and richly textured white wine made from Garganega. Unlike many lighter styled white wines, the grapes for Ferdi are first dried to concentrate the sugars and intensify the flavors, then vinified into a bolder wine fit for creamy dishes and even red meat. I tested it against Café Milano’s Asparagus Soup, an impossible combination for a thinner wine, and the pairing worked perfectly.

On to the Tagliatelle Ragu with Mushrooms and the three red wines from the estate, all made from varying combinations of the region’s hallmark grapes, Corvina and Rondinella. First, we sampled the 2007 Regolo ($20), a medium-bodied wine serving well with its relative young age. This would have been perfect for pre-prandial sipping and struggled only a bit against the savory ragu.

The 2008 Amarone ($45), a medium- to full-bodied wine – softer on the approach than many blockbuster Amarones – was the match of the day with the dish. It was stylish and forward, and the deep red fruit flavors and earth tones worked nicely with the ragu. The 2006 Corte Bra ($55) was undoubtedly the standout wine for the afternoon. As good as it was with the dish, the flavors were so distinctive and rich that they deserved attention without food, and the wine seemed even better after the lunch was concluded.

Sartori has been making some of the most remarkable wines from Verona for decades, and its name is familiar enough that most Americans have sampled its wines over the years. My only regret in recent times is that these extraordinary wines have slipped out of notice of the American wine-buying public.

It’s time to fix that error and return Sartori to the wine cellar and the dinner table.

Or it could refer to non-indigenous grapes like Cabernet and Merlot that Italian vintners have incorporated into their ever-growing portfolio of fine wines. “Rare” not because some bespectacled judge intoned on the subject, but because they present a new version of Italian wines, a new style that is still working its magic and creating its market.

These two grapes – Cabernet and Merlot – migrated only a short distance from France, after helping that country establish its centuries-old reputation for elegant wines. In Italy, the oft-labeled “French varietals” such as Cab and Merlot offer a chance to spin the local wines in a new direction, or create something totally different.

Such is the case with Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza, a Tuscan beauty that uses Merlot as its base (83%) and adds 12% of Sangiovese – the grape of Chianti – and rounds it out with 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. I tasted the 2008 last night, planning a pork roast for dinner, and was pleasantly surprised to find that the wine scored high points both in my first tasting (without food) and then with the black olive tapenade that I used to quiet the insistent grumblings of a stomach too long ignored. And I hadn’t even gotten to the pork roast yet, the featured entrée and what I thought was the goal of opening this bottle in the first place.

Allenza offers a mouthful of black cherries and plums, with rich textures and full body. It’s light only in the way a Merlot can be light, but otherwise is plush and full of flavor. At $35, it’s not an everyday wine but if you want to impress your friends with a pork roast – or perhaps anything else, from what I found – store a half dozen of these bottles for future feasts.

Although Alleanza is Castello di Gabbiano’s flagship wine, the estate also has other wines that deserve more study, all at lower prices, like the Chianti Classico at $12 and the Chianti Classico Riserva at just $22. In fact, Gabbiano is primary evidence of the adage: Buy the estate, not the vintage. Vintage variation still exists and is an important part of wine buying. But if you find an estate whose wine style you like, keep buying their wines and you’ll not be disappointed.

When the edifice first rose on Dry Creek Road, neighboring farmers and vintners winced, thinking it too ostentatious for their region. But as more wine lovers drove down the lane, visiting other wineries on their way to Ferrari-Carano, the Caranos’ neighbors came to appreciate the majestic and romantic slant the Villa Fiore offered the backroads of the Dry Creek Valley.

But what is a gorgeous property without fine wines to stake its claim? Here, again, there’s no problem. The wine regimen was established by George Bursick, winemaker at Ferrari-Carano for many years, but now is carried out masterfully by Aaron Piotter (for red wines) and Sarah Quider (for white wines). Steve Domenichelli, vineyard manager, says each vine is “touched by human hands six to eight times a season, to ensure the highest quality fruit.” He practices sustainable farming techniques and recycles organic matter to strengthen and protect the vineryards.

Here are some recent releases from one of California’s most interesting properties:

Ferrari-Carano 2011 Pinot Grigio (Russian River Valley, $17). Ripe and refreshingly acidic, made in the style of a vivacious Sauvignon Blanc, with lots of lemon/lime angles and fresh fruit. Score: 85

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley, $30). Warm fruit flavors, black cherry and plum dominate, soft angularity and soft tannins give it length, great with red meat entrees. Score: 87

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Mountain Vineyards (Alexander Valley, $42). Soft and approachable, black fruit, soft tannins, plums, cherries, slightly oaked? Score: 89

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Merlot (Sonoma County, $25). Soft red fruit, easy quaffing, gentle finish. Score: 84

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Pinot Noir Sky High Ranch (Mendocino, $46). Soft and forward, cherry plum flavors, more expressive than many PNs. Score: 90

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Prevail Back Forty (Alexander Valley, $85). Rich and stylish, deep, highly textured, dark fruit flavors, plums, black cherries, soft hint of sweet tobacco and oak. Score: 93

Ferrari-Carano 2007 Prevail West Face (Alexander Valley, $55). Ripe plush red fruit aromas, chocolate and plums on nose, rich textures, full flavors of dark fruit with hints of tobacco on finish. Score: 92

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Siena (Sonoma County, $25). Aromatic, blending dark fruit with herbs and earth aromas, soft approach, bing cherry and raspberry flavors. Score: 87

Ferrari-Carano 2008 Tresor (Sonoma County, $58). Superbly balanced, dark red fruit, chocolate and tobacco leaf aromas, black cherry, raspberry flavors. Score: 93

Ferrari-Carano 2009 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, $28). soft and inconspicuous, a nice wine but without the punch that is expected of most Zins. Score: 86

Piero Antinori of the famous Tuscan winemaking house of the same name knows this perhaps better than anyone. His wines, elegant in the glass and as brilliantly colored as a Tintoretto painting, are – nevertheless – best enjoyed as an accompaniment to a fine meal.

So it makes sense that when he brought his family’s 600-year history of winemaking to California, he would want to make food-friendly wines for Americans too. In the 1980s, he bought land on the summit of Atlas Peak in Napa Valley, with spectacular views of the valley below and the sprawling vineyards that supply the raw material for his new wines. The winery was originally named after the land, Atlas Peak, but Antinori recently reconfigured the estate and renamed it Antica, a fact reported earlier on WeeklyWinePick.com.

Under the watchful eye of Marchese Antinori, and constant oversight by Glenn Salva, Antica produces some of the richest and approachable Cabernets in the Napa Valley. We met at Circa (3010 Clarendon Boulevard, Arlington, 703-522-3010) and sampled a range of vintages of the Cabernet accompanied by a serving of Wild Mushroom Ravioli. The ravioli were served with artichoke hearts, cremini mushrooms, and beurre noisette, and topped with herbs and goat cheese. The complexity of the flavors, spikes that raised the interest of the savory mushroom ravioli beneath, begged for a similarly complex red wine.

With Salva’s usual grace and patience, he explained not only the history of the estate but the vintage conditions of each of the wines we sampled. There was the perfectly aged 2004 Antica Cabernet Sauvignon, with scents of currant, plum, and dark fruit. A supple though austere wine braced by tannins evidently softened by age.

The 2005 Cab was richer and more complex, and opened with dark chocolate and tobacco aromas, with flavors of figs, black cherry and plum over ripe tannins. The 2006 Cab was a bit tangier and more puckery than the refined 2004 and 2005, demonstrating the impact of even a single year of additional aging on the mouthfeel of such a rich wine. Still, its black fruit flavors and vivacious acidity ensured that it will be a wine to return to later.

The 2007 Cab was exotically aromatic and carried hints of Eastern spices on the nose. With terrific intensity and multiple layers, this was my favorite of the afternoon. The big fruit and explosive approach shows evidence of future star-quality. The 2008 was also a tremendous wine, with chocolate and roasted coffee bean aromas, tinged by hints of earth and spice, with a soft finish.

The 2009 Cab, the vintage currently on the market (along with some remainders of the 2008), has heavenly aromas of violets and red fruit, featuring blueberry and black cherry flavors on a big, young frame.

With Antinori’s vision and Salva’s management of wine at Antica, the property will enjoy continued success and the buyer will enjoy many vintages of fine Cabernet Sauvignon.

Since there were  four of us and we ordered an array of dishes appropriate for both red and white wines, we settled on one of each.  Our white was a stunner.  A Marsanne blend from the Northern Rhone appelation of Saint-Peray, the 2007  Domaine Du Tunnel Cuvee Prestige by Stephane Robert brought smiles all around.  It had aromas of star fruit and cotton candy, and notes of coconut and schiste in the mouth.  Though it danced with showing a bit too much sugar, the structure and minerality balanced it out.  Michael Skurnik Wines imports the wines of Stephane Robert, and only brought over 25 cases of this wine.  I want to find them.

Having felt like we got a bargain paying a modest $54 for such an exceptional white, we splurged a bit on a 1991 Vina Tondonia Gran Riserva from R. Lopez de Heredia.  It was a perfect specimen of aged Rioja and exactly what I was hoping for.  It maintained a youthful appearance with light red hues and gave off hints of violet and clove on the nose.  In the mouth the juice was soft and supple with four or five delicate but distinct layers of flavor.  The wine is 75% Tempranillo with Garnacho, Graziano and Mazuelo filling in the rest.  This wine was barrel-aged for nine years and sat in the bottle at the winery for nearly another decade before release. 

If you go to Ripple, and I recommend you do, take the redline Metro to Cleveland Park because parking is a bear.

  To accomplish this, Spencer started with his by-the-glass program.  “It’s a bit easier to convince a guest to try something new if they don’t have to invest in an entire bottle.  The key to using “off” varietals was to get the servers behind the change.  If they are familiar and excited about the new offering, it is fun and easier to sell.  For example, I found a Timorasso made by a small producer in Piemonte named Walter Massa.  It’s a full-bodied white that offers honey-suckle, citrus, nuttiness and tannins.  A great alternative to Chardonnay.”

Spencer has a level 2 certification from the Court of  Master Sommeliers, and the abundance of Spencer’s wine education was gained while travelling through wine regions around the world.  He has explored the vineyards of 70 countries, including Macedonia, Maldova and Montenegro.  “They had wines that blew my mind,” he said.  His quest continues at end of this month with a 3-week trip to Sicily to work the vineyards.  Chef Celestino Drago is from Sicily and the trip might help Spencer better understand his perspective.  “I’m heading to a real back-woodsy winery called Christo di Campobello.  The volcanic soils of Mt. Etna create some incredible and unique wines that should not be ignored.  I found a Nerello Mascalese from Sicily’s Antichi Vinai for our list which has a flavor profile and body similar to that of Pinot Noir.  It’s delicious.”  Spencer noted.

I asked Spencer about how he likes living in in LA and his favorite hang-outs, “It’s great here; the people are really friendly.  People always complain about the traffic but I find it really easy to get where I want to go.”  “Bar Covell is a great spot, especially for wine.  They have 120 wines by the glass there.  Perch on South Hill Street is a really great spot.  And after tasting wine all day the last thing I want is another glass, so I’ll stop by Rivera; they have great cocktails and beer selection.”

The cellar at Canonica

Recently, we reviewed a bevy of outstanding white wines from Italy that Empson imports to the American market. That was a statement about the quality in whites coming from a country known for its red wines. As good as the whites are – and Empson leads the U.S. import market in proving how good Italian wines can be – the country will always be known for their red wines.

From tip to tail, from the northern climes of Piedmont to the toe of Calabria, red wines are made to quaff with friends or pair with food. At the top of the tower are Barolo, Barbaresco, Brunello di Montalcino, and Chianti Classico, but Italy’s spectacular display of internationally famous wines offers a slew of other picks, including Barbera and Amarone, not to mention the Super Tuscans that blend French-origin grapes with Italy’s indigenous varietals.

To prove the point, I selected a blind sample of red wines from the Empson portfolio. Didn’t bother to cherry-pick; didn’t have to. Here are the results.

Bortoluzzi 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon (Venezia Giulia, $19). Rich, robust, black fruit flavors with a silky touch of spice. Score: 86

Canonica a Cerreto 2007 Chianti Classico Riserva (Tuscany, $39). Highly aromatic with hazelnuts and violets up front, light flavors but silky smooth, highlights of soft fleshy red fruit. Score: 89

Castello di Querceto 2006 Cignale Colli della Toscana Centrale (Tuscany, 90% Cab, 10% Mer., $85). Rich and sumptuously textured, dark red fruit flavors, chocolate and tobacco accents. Score: 90

Santadi Rocca Rubia 2008 Carignano del Sulcis Riserva ($27). Black pepper up front, dense dark fruit on nose and palate, accented by crushed walnut and dark chocolate, sumptuous textures, dark chewy fruit. Score: 90

Santadi Terre Brune 2006 Carignano del Sulcis ($?). Soft earthy scents of mushrooms, dried fruit and soft textures, Old World style, dried fruit featuring cranberry and black cherry. Score: 87

Shardana 2007 Valli di Porto Pino (Sardinia, $32). Cranberry and black cherry aromas, coffee accents with dark fruit flavors, lasting and smooth with a bit of spice on finish. Score: 87

Speri 2009 Valpolicella Classico Superiore Ripasso (Veneto, $28). Rich and smooth, dark red fruit with black pepper accent. Score: 86

Tenuta Cocci Grifoni 2010 Tellus (Marche, $15). Earthy, medium bodied, great with pasta and red sauce. Score: 86

  At last year’s Heart’s Delight Wine Auction, friend and fellow wine enthusiast @IanInVirginia won a dinner for 4 at DC’s Tabard Inn.  He graciously invited me and my wife to join them but it took almost a year for two sets of busy parents to coordinate schedules.  Ian is a heck of a guy.  He has thrown some killer parties; always opening as many of his best bottles as we could “responsibly” consume.   Given he was picking up the check for this dinner, I looked forward to bringing some vino. 

Even with a good idea of what Ian likes to drink the choice was tough.  Would one bottle be enough for four people?  What if it’s corked?  Would two bottles be too much?  Is Ian’s wife as big a fan of old-world wine as he is?  Lots to consider, and none of these questions get answered until showtime.  I made a decision, then I changed my mind, and then I changed my mind again, and then one more time less than 2 minutes before leaving the house for the Tabard Inn.

I decided on two bottles.  At a dinner a few years back, Ian brought a ’95 Ch. Clerc-Milon that was totally awesome.  I had a magnum of the ’05 and thought it might be fun to try the next generation.  Since the sample menu on the Tabard Inn website showed a good amount of Italian fare, my other choice was a ’97 Tignanello that had been burning a hole in my wine rack.  Immediately I was nervous the Tig would be past its prime.

We met at the restaurant and all was good.  Ian was feeling conservative because he would have infant duty that night, so we decided to put the magnum under the table and started the meal with a bottle of rosé Champgne instead.  The somm brought a decanter for the Tig, opened her up and poured four glasses.  At the same time I noticed it was getting really hot in the room so I took my jacket off.  The moment of truth, I took a whiff and a sip of the Tig.  According to Wine Spectator, this wine offers focused aromas of blackberries, wood and very ripe fruit.  It is full-bodied, with loads of velvety tannins and a long, long finish, best after 2003.  These notes were not what I was getting.  I felt my stomach drop as I inhaled aromas of wet-dog and brine.  In the mouth was a wine that was all tangled up and confused.  “WTF?” I thought to myself.

I dejectedly swirled my glass at warp speed before sampling it again.  “Please open up.  Please open up. Please open up,” I prayed as Ian reached for his glass to take a look.  “How is it?” He asked before lifting the glass to his nose.  “Might need a few minutes…I’m getting something a little off.”  It was all I could say as I contemplated exhuming the Bordeaux from its resting place beneath the table.  Would my fears play out or would this Tuscan make a super comeback before our steaks came out?  The apps had yet to arrive and while we were munching bread, joking and sipping bubbly, I was enduring a wine anxiety attack. 

As soon as our server placed my first course of tempura-fried sweetbreads in front of me I took another sample.  The nose had changed.  I moved the liquid around to different parts of my mouth.  Front to back, side to side.  I detected notes of…Progress?  It gave me a slight feeling of relief.  The Tig had about another 20 minutes until entrees came to figure itself out.  Maybe it was the Champagne, but fear started to give way to hope.  Ian finally took a sip and expressed satisfaction.

I felt like Bacchus was toying with me.  He knew I was nervous and took advantage just to see me sweat.  By the time the rib-eyes arrived the wine was revving its engines.  The steaks were tender and succulent, and a wonderful pair to this wine that continued to build layers and layers of muscular structure as we ate.  I am normally a gulper, but a little bit of this wine  went a long way and tiny sips offered bursts of spice, tobacco, chocolate and berry.  Aromas of vanilla and mint were prevalent and ushered in loads of soft tannins.  It was on.

Few people are immune to wine anxiety.  I’ve been a student of the game for over a decade now; why do I still get incredibly worked up over something that is supposed to be relaxing and enjoyable?  Just as I felt I was in the clear as we polished off the wine with the last few bites of steak, Ian laughed as he asked me, “Didn’t you promise to save a taste for the sommelier?”

Following that opening chapter of Edwards’ vinous life, she took the reins in Sonoma County’s Matanzas Creek Winery, honing her skills over a ten-year span, ending the stint only to become a freelance consultant for vineyards up and down the Pacific Coast.

It may have been in Oregon that she discovered the key to great Pinot Noir, but it was – and still is – in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley that she shapes gorgeous wines from that confounding grape. Together with husband, Ken Coopersmith, the couple manages five estate vineyards and produces wines that continue to stand out in every Pinot Noir tasting.

But, true to her perfectionist core, Merry resists the temptation to settle for what she has already accomplished. As quoted on her website, “People frequently ask what is the best wine I have ever made. I tell them it’s not made yet!”

With each bottle of Merry Edwards Pinot Noir, I can’t help but nod in agreement with her.

Merry Edwards 2009 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, $36). Smooth yet with a lively accent, rich fruit, intriguing accent of black licorice, soft textures. Score: 88

Merry Edwards 2009 Pinot Noir Flax Vineyard (Russian River Valley, $54). Dark cherry flavors, light hint of tobacco, sage-like notes, savory accent. Score: 92

Merry Edwards 2009 Pinot Noir Klopp Ranch (Russian River Valley, $57). Broad palate of dark fruit, accented by mineral notes, pleasingly spicy finish. Score: 92

Merry Edwards 2009 Pinot Noir Meredith Estate (Russian River Valley, $57). Rich ripe red fruit with a berrylike taste, smooth textures, hint of milk chocolate on finish. Score: 93