Wines of Italy Seminar-Wine World-Fri.-Feb. 26

Posted by Bottle Report on Feb 26th, 2010 in Event Coverage, Featured Articles | 0 comments

Michael Hirsch, Co-owner of Avant Partir, conducted the "Wines of Italy" seminar

“Forget the points. Be yourself.” was the key message that Michael Hirsch tried to impress on the 25 tasters at Wine World for his Wines of Italy seminar Friday night.
“Don’t read your palate”, meaning don’t read what others say, “Don’t listen to your friends’ palates. Use your palate. What do you like? Be yourself. Drink what you like. Forget the points.”

Hirsch, co-owner of Avant Partir, a fine wine distributor based in Atlanta, added that often the wine rating magazines are not necessarily on point because as magazines they have deadlines and sometimes that gets in the way. Being rated often determines how the market accepts a new vintage so vineyards go out of their way to get rated. “They might contact a vineyard and say if you want your wine be to rated it has to be here by Thursday. So a vineyard might bottle it on Monday, ship it by jet, arrive Thursday morning and get tasted Thursday afternoon.” That’s part of the problem he adds. “Everyone familiar with wine production knows that wine has to settle down after bottling maybe for weeks. You can’t bottle a wine, subject it to the shifting and shaking of shipping by jet and be opened a few days later and expect it to be a fair representation.” So he said “forget the points.”

He said that some would like and some would dislike the wines he presented. That’s because everyone’s palate is different. Many of the producers represented in Friday’s seminar are also in the restaurant business. How they make their wines is often tied to the foods they make and the foods from their region. Joe Bastianich, Valter Scarbolo and Gianfranco Bovio to name three, don’t cut corners with their foods and most definitely not with their wines. “If you don’t like the wine try it with some food. After some bread or cheese you might find the taste is different.”

“To the New world wine is a beverage. It is usually consumed by itself and at anytime. In the Old World wines are served with foods. Breads, cheeses are always present. They are served at meals.” He added “Old World wines are made with an eye towards what it will taste like in 10-15 years. In the New World it is about how it tastes now.”

Lani and Kayla compare their Brandini Langhe Rosso

He commented that large commercial brands winemakers ‘”are chemists. They
are manipulators of wines to give consistency vintage after vintage – where as
small guys give a snap shot of the vintage condition wise”

Hirsch quoted his ABC Theory, “Anything But Chardonnay” with the C being interchangeable with “California.”

Before the seminar Hirsch told me “We sell fine wines, not beverages. Avant Partir specializes in wines that many people don’t hear about.” That’s because they don’t sell the mass produced wines that typically get most of the press, he said. But its not unusual that when someone “discovers” a new wine it’s one that Avant Partir is already representing.
During the break food from Antonio’s Italian Eatery were featured. Antonio’s is a new restaurant in downtown North Augusta in Jackson Square on Georgia Ave. There were also the usual great cheeses from Wine World ’s selection.

Avant Partir is a local Georgia and South Carolina wine distributor specializing in boutique, hand-made, hard to find small bottlings from France, Italy, Spain, California, New Zealand, Hungary and Switzerland. Michael Hirsch is the president.
Where: Wine World, 133 Georgia Ave., North Augusta, SC
803-279-9522

When: Friday, Feb. 26, 7-8:30pm
Cost: $15 advance, $20 at door.

Here are the wines in order of presentation :

Flor Prosecco
What: Elegant perlage, with exuberant fruit-salad nose and a dry, minerally palate that shows plenty of fresh fruit and a long, clean, structured finish. Fermented for 60 days in small autoclave. Typical Prosecco. Secondary fermentation lasts only 30 days. Increased time on the lees results in shighter-quality perlage and greater complexity and creaminess on the palate.
Production: Approximately 1,000 cases–From the Triussa Wine Website
From: Italy
Winery: Bastianich
Cost: $18.99

Bastianich Friuliano 2008
What: A typical Tocai Friulano, which expresses the history and terroir of Friuli. Medium bodied, with ripe, luscious pear flavors carried by a refreshing mineral flavor and zesty mouthwatering acidity that mixed together create a perfect wine to enhance food. The Tocai Friulano grape is also characterized by a slight almond edge. A classic match with Prosciutto. Try also with seafood and fish, veal, pork and Asian/spicy dishes. –From their Website
Hirsch added that new Tocai style wines from Italy will no longer have Tocai on the label. Tocai has been declared a grape type native to Hungary and only wines from Hungary can mention Tocai on the label.
From: Friuli, Italy
Winery: Bastianich
Year: 2008
Cost: $18.99

Scarbolo Sauvignon Friuli 2008
What: HARVEST: All grapes are hand harvested. VINIFICATION: Vinification begins with soft pressing of 50% of whole clusters immediately after harvesting. The remaining fruit is destemmed, and left on the skins for 24 hours of cold maceration before pressing. Fermentation occurs in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperature. AGING: Aged on the lees for 6 months with frequent batonnages. TASTING NOTES: In Friuli, the climate and soil are ideal for the Sauvignon varietal, a grape which responds greatly to soil and climate conditions. On the nose, aromas of peaches, mango, bell pepper leaves, and sage. On the palate, a structured body delivers an evolution of flavors that harmonize with its intense bouquet. Enjoy as an aperitif or pair with light fish dishes and antipasti such as Prosciutto and melon. Serve at 12°C.–From their Website
From: Friuli, Italy
Winery: Scarbolo
Year: 2008
Cost: $15.99

Brandini Langhe Rosso DOC 2004
What: This wine is a blend of Nebbiolo (70%) and Barbera (30%), two grapes common in the Langhe region.

AGEING: medium-sized oak barrels, approximately 16 months. Refining process: in the bottle, approximately 6 months. COLOR garnet red. BOUQUET: rich of fruity notes: cherry and strawberry combined with more complex notes such as violet and wet soil. MOUTH FEEL: pleasantly acid and tannic in perfect harmony.
–From their Website
Winery: Brandini
Year: 2004
Goes with: Baked lamb, duck, pork ribs, etc..
Cost: $24.99

At the break, foods from Antonio’s Italian Eatery and Wine World were served.

La Mozza I Perazzi Maremma 2007
What: Juicy dark fruit mingles with spice and licorice on the palate. The bright, ripe cherry and soft texture makes this natural match with fresh Mediterranean flavors and dishes.–From the Bastianich Website
From: Maremma, Italy
Winery: La Mozza (Bastianich)
Year: 2007
Cost: $18.99

Fantino Barbera d’Alba 2005
From: Piedmont, Italy
Winery: Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino
Year: 2005
Cost: $26.99

Bovio Barolo 1997
What: One of the treats of the night was this 97 Barolo. Most 97 vintages are long gone, according to Hirsch because in the US 1997 was regarded as a great vintage and people rushed to drink them up. The weather was perfect for a wine preferred by the American palate. This gem has aged nicely. The fruit and tannins mellowed out together. (He said he still has 4 cases of this $75 wine in Atlanta).
From: Piedmont, Italy
Winery: Bovio
Year: 1997
Cost: $75.99

Fantino Barolo 2000
What: 2000 was also regards as a great vintage. It was great to compare this with the 1997 served prior. A great comparison to see the differences between two wines from the same region from what are considered great years. The Piedmont has great variations in soil leading to great variation in the wines.
From: Piedmont, Italy
Winery: Alessandro e Gian Natale Fantino
Year: 2000
Cost: $54.99

–Prices shown are retail. Attendees were able to purchase at a discount the night of the seminar.