by whitney on March 24, 2010
After lunch (with my new BFF Gaia Gaja) of the finest tajarin (aka heaven in a bowl) a lady could ever have, the Barbera 7 walked the 20 paces across the sun-splashed main piazza of Barbaresco to our next tasting. As the town’s ancient 11th century tower- the antica torre- loomed overhead, the main man approached. My eyes squinted from the rays of the too bright sun towards Produttori del Barbaresco’s doors, where Aldo Vacca emerged.
Produttori is a cooperative of 54 farmers. Aldo is their wrangler. A farmer wrangler. No, a grape wrangler. Whatever it is he wrangles, he does it well. And in stripes. The cooperative was founded by the town priest in the 1950’s (see his lovely bespectacled mug in the bust above) and has become a well oiled machine under Aldo’s watch and winemaking skills (his former boss was, afterall, Mr. Gaja himself.) Farmers bring their best at harvest and receive a share in profits. The better the grapes, the bigger their share. Incentive. It works.
The tartrates that remain in the bottom of one of Produttori’s old cement vats.
Aldo led us to the tasting room where all 9 single vineyard 2005 Barbarescos were awaiting us. Also in the room were photos of all of those vineyards. As we made our way through the wines, Aldo described each and every vineyard and the farmers that harvest there. It’s crazy how each wine tasted so differently from the one before it. The same grape. The same year. The same small production area of the same region.
He spoke about how the wines should show the potential of the land. He also said that the people, the farmers, the communities are just as much a part of the terroir as the earth. What a beautiful thing to say. And with that, we had to be on our way…much too soon for us all.
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by whitney on March 20, 2010
The Barbera 7 did actually have some time off from all things barbera. While in arguably the best winemaking region in Italy, there were plenty of producers to visit. We just happened to be able to visit and taste with some of the best (in my humble opinion.) The pezzo grosso- the top dogs…
Giorgio Lavagna, the enologist for Bruno Giacosa. What a guy. Cool, calm, collected. A guy that, for some reason, I feel would have a home outfitted in Armani Casa in shades of grey. I met Giorgio back in October and tasted completely different wines than this time around. It was amazing to be able to revisit him and the wine in a different context and with a much better understanding of the region than just 5 short months ago.
In the quiet early evening, the Giacosa tasting room in Neive was the eye of the storm. A place we sought refuge after days of intense tastings and polemical arguments on oak and the “true” barbera. Giorgio spoke of the Giacosa style- which is no style at all. To let the land speak for itself. That all the work is done in the vineyard. A humble man clearly, but he’s right. His goal is for the wines to taste “clean and clear, showing the least amount of interference.” And that when tasting wine, the first things it must show is the grape variety and the terroir. What a novel idea.
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by whitney on March 5, 2010
Piemonte, Piedmont for us Americanos, is a region of Italy that holds a special place in my wine-soaked heart. Among the hills of Barolo and Barbaresco, Monforte D’Alba and La Morra is where my love and fascination with Italian wine really took flight. Or rather, a wild vespa ride.
The picture above is one I took at the Banca del Vino in Pollenzo a few months ago. It is the home to an incredible collection of Italian wines within the University of Gastronomic Sciences in the heart of Piemonte wine country.
I fly back to that lovely place tomorrow evening and couldn’t be more excited. Not only because I am going to Italy (duh) but because I get to spend 4 days with one of my favorite grapes- barbera. To me, barbera wines are like old friends. The ones that you can be around 24 hours a day and never tire of. The ones, whom after 2 years of not seeing each other, conversations can flow forth effortlessly as if no time had passed at all. Without getting into acidity and tannins, fruit and body…I hope my simile makes some kind of sense. Barbera makes fun wine, drinkable wine, food friendly wine. Although by this time next week, I am sure I will have a whole lot more to say about it than that.
To give you a glimpse as to what is in store beyond the ridiculous amounts of barbera during Barbera Meeting 2010: barbera sans soufre, a tasting at Gaja with Angelo Gaja himself, tastings at Brovia and Produttori del Barbaresco, dinners and lunches galore (grignolino and oysters anyone?) and so many other crazy amazing things I am beginning to feel a little “we’re not worthy.” I will be writing and posting and photographing like a mad woman so you’ll be able to experience it all with me. Catch you on the flip side…a presto.
