Gourmet Secrets: A wine
worth discovering
In Italy you will find white
wines you can bank on, for a fraction of the price of something similar in
France
I am a wine drinker, as opposed to straight spirits and
cocktails. Although much has been said and written about the pairing of wines
with food, I still find that most people drink the wine they like, even love,
irrespective of what they are eating and they continue to drink that during the
whole meal. Wine has also evolved into a party drink, an aperitif and an
‘anytime, anywhere’ glass of something to unwind with.
Having said that, for me seasonality, mood and temperature also
play an important part in deciding what I drink. I was at Ananda in the
Himalayas a few years ago doing a wine dinner, pairing heavenly French white
wines with Indian food for those who were not on the straight and narrow path
to recovery. The subliminal Pouilly Fume from the Loire and even more special
white Burgundy Puligny Montrachet went really well with all the dishes in the
cool hills of the Himalayan foothills. Bliss. There were a couple of bottles
left over and so I took these to share with friends in hot humid Delhi.
Disaster. The same wines we had enjoyed a couple of days earlier just weren’t
the same in another climate and in another mood.
Beyond France
France has been considered the king of whites with their Pouilly
Fume, Pouilly Fuisse, the golden nectar of Chablis and the iron minerality of a
Muscadet, especially when it’s accompanied by a plate of fresh briny oysters.
Then they have all their delicious champagnes, which are essentially white
wines. I always considered Italy and Spain to be the kings of Big Reds. Yes,
France has wonderful elegant Bordeaux and Burgundy – but Amarone, Barolo and
Brunello are as big as they get; powerful and complex.
I really didn’t pay much attention to Italian whites till I
visited Fruili Venezia Giulia in north east Italy a few years ago. Their Pinot
Grigio, which is simply full of fruit and flowers is now known the world over.
So is their well structured peachy Sauvignon Blanc. But on a recent trip I
discovered the now stylish Ribolla Gialla, a local grape with a local soul,
which produces a down to earth wine with a slight salinity which goes well with
local sweet San Daniele prosciutto (cured ham) and the slightly smoky cured ham
Osvaldo, also from a local village of the same name. This is a niche product
which completes the panorama of the region’s great ‘prosciutti’.
A name to trust
The name I choose to trust after experimenting with wines from
this region is Marco Felluga. Now 90 years old, he is considered the father of
the area known as “the Collio” and his career and life in the vineyards have
spanned over 60 years or “sixty harvests” as they say in wine speak. Their wines
are also sold in 40 countries around the globe. Marco has distributed his
vineyards among his children and his son Roberto now owns the prestigious Marco
Felluga and Russiz Superiore wineries. The whites here are noble and elegant
beyond words and what sets them apart from other Italian whites is their
potential to age. Vinification and ageing in stainless steel give these Marco
Felluga single grape varieties body, fruit, balance and elegance, attributes
that distinguish these wines with their light coloured label. The black label
reserved for the Collio BIanco “Molamatta” (a blend of Pinot Bianco, Friulano
and Ribolla) and Collio Pinot Grigio “Mongris” Reserve identifies the
distinctive vineyards and different type of ageing characterised by the wines
being matured in wood.
We run through a tasting of what is referred to as “the two
souls of Collio”, the brands Marco Felluga and Russiz Superiore… delicious
Collio Pinot Grigio Montgris, Friulano, their cuvee or blend called Molamatta
and the ever so crisp Sauvignon Blanc. But this time Ribolla Gialla is what
grabs me. Last time I tried it I found it too vernacular, a bit rough on the
edges and even salty. This time around, I feel the style has changed and fallen
in love with its other highly refined sisters. It is much more fresh and
elegant, retaining that slight saltiness which is so characteristic of this
wine.
Return of Ribolla
Ribolla, despite being a grape variety that dates back to the
13th century in this region, has had some bad press in recent times. From the
early 15th century to the 18th, Ribolla was considered one of the finest whites
in Friuli. The phylloxera epidemic of the 19th century took a hard toll on
Ribolla and many Friuli vineyards chose to replant with French varieties like
Sauvignon Blanc. The result was a decline in both the interest in the grape and
subsequently predictably the quality. It is only in the last 15 years or so
that the grape has been replanted due to an international interest in wines of
this region.
The grape and the wine are evolving with new floral notes and
high acidity making it a perfect pair with fish and local ham and even as an
aperitif. I also tested some sparkling Ribolla Gialla, which was quite
delicious, easy to drink and very reasonably priced.
Roberto Felluga produces wines you can bank on at a fraction of
the price you would pay for something similar in France. Do try the Ribolla
Gialla. It’s a wine worth discovering.
Author Bio: Culinary expert and explorer Karen Anand has been
writing extensively on the subject of food and wine for 30 years. Apart from
having her own brand of gourmet food products, she has anchored top rated TV
shows, run a successful chain of food stores, founded the hugely successful
Farmers Markets, and worked as restaurant consultant for international
projects, among other things. Her latest passion is food tours, a totally
curated experience which Karen herself accompanies, the first of which was to
Italy.
Karen Anand
From HT Brunch, August 19, 2018
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