Last week,
upon my return from Puglia,
I walked into the store -- unexpectedly, because they thought I was not
coming in until Monday. I was greeted with a Negroni, which is made with 1
part Campari, 1 part gin, and 1 part sweet red vermouth.
This is a classic Italian cocktail, which has a long history in Italy (for
more on the history of the Negroni, see the Featured Gift pack below). It
was interesting to have something other than wine to begin the tasting and I
enjoyed sipping the cocktail. With the younger set, cocktails have become the
latest thing in Italy.
Some restaurants in cities like Roma and Firenze
actually serve cocktails and have a "cocktail hour." This is
usually after the restaurant closes.
Many years ago, I remember drinking a Negroni in Roma with my good family
friend Dr. Frank Maniscalco. He and I traveled with our families together to
visit our relatives in Siacca and Nora (small towns in Sicilia). Dr.
Maniscalco liked wine but he loved his Negroni. Every time we went out, most
of us would order a Campari and soda or a Prosecco, but the good doctor would
always order a Negroni. Dr. Maniscalco was a good twenty years older than me
and he remembered drinking it from his days when he studied in Italy. Dr.
Maniscalco was a good friend and quite a character. He had one glass eye and
if people stared at him, he would say: "What's the matter? You went to
high school with me?" When we went to Sicilia together, no one
understood Maniscalco's Italian until we got to Sciacca, where his family
came from. It was the same thing with my father. Nobody understood him until
we got to Naro, where our family came from.
The Negroni was a fashionable drink in Italy during the 1910s and 20s.
And of course, it was popular during the years that followed the war (when
Dr. Maniscalco was a student there). When you drink a Negroni, you feel as
glamorous as Marcello Mastroianni on the Via Veneto in a scene from La
Dolce Vita. At least, that's how I felt when we drank Negronis on that
trip.
I picked a great day to come back to the store because not only were they
pouring the Negroni, but the Vino staff was also pouring the wines from the
1996 Nebbiolo gift pack at the tasting. As you know by now, the 1996 harvest
was to me a classic vintage in Barolo and Barbaresco. This was due to the
fact that the weather was perfect throughout the growing and harvest season.
By this, I mean, it was not too hot, nor too sunny, and there was just enough
rain, which came at the right time, without any hail storms or other weather
problems. This allowed the grapes to ripen very slowly and therefore
perfectly. These wines have all of the Nebbiolo characteristics: leather,
tar, faded roses, coffee, and, in a few cases, hints of white truffles.
The Ghemme by Antichi Vigneti di Cantalupo was showing very well, very
characteristic of the appellation. It was a wine that will last for many
years. However, it seemed quite approachable now. Of the three wines, it was
the wine most reading for drinking today.
The Barbaresco Ovello from Produttori del Barbaresco has always been one of
my favorite wines. This wine needs time to develop. Another five years before
I look at the wine and we'll decide what to do. If you want to drink this
wine now, open it early in the day and decant. By dinnertime, it will start
to show wonderfully.
The last wine was a Barolo Massara by Castello di Verduno. This wine was
showing very well, also. This is another one that should be decanted early in
the day before serving. It is one of the best wines made by Castello di
Verduno.
For someone who is interested Nebbiolo, this is a great three pack. It is a
great introduction to Piemonte and classic Nebbiolo from a truly classic
vintage.
--Charles Scicolone, Wine Director, I Trulli and Vino
Charles would love to hear from you: please email him at charles@vinosite.com.
