This evening’s tasting  focuses on Southern Italian small family owned wineries that produce  low intervention wines made with organically grown grapes. What is the definition of  a producer of  low intervention wines? Non-interventionist winemakers use as few additives as possible and as little manipulation as they can.http://www.morethanorganic.com/definition-of-natural-wine. (“More than Organic”)

As More than Organic notes winemakers have to compromise at some point. Where and why they compromise depends upon what they are trying to achieve and how much they are prepared to risk in  order to achieve. There are certain elements that compromise a total non-intervention wine, but as More than Organic notes that making a “perfect natural wine” is difficult to achieve. Sometimes winemakers will achieve this “perfect natural wine” but many times winemakers have to improvise in order to prevent the wine from spoiling. Winemakers that adhere to a natural process will intervene minimally and only when necessary.

Organic wines are not necessarily natural wines, but all natural wines are organic. Organic definition pertains mostly to methods and procedures in the vineyard – i.e. no chemicals or pesticides, only organic or natural fertilizers and integrated pest management processes are used. Organic wines are required to have far less sulfites than conventional wines. Natural definition pertains to the winemaking procedure in the cellar. Non-intervention or natural winemakers do not use additives, or as pointed out above, if necessary, use additives in the least amount of quantities.

In the United States 76 different additives are permitted to be used to manipulate wine. Here are a few of the  additives: tartaric acid to boost the acidity in white wines, sugar to adjust alcohol, egg whites or bentonite to clarify wines and remove tannins, fish bladder to remove proteins, yeast and other organic particles which are in suspension in wine making, nonindigenous or cultured yeasts, powdered tannins for texture and astringency, gum arabic to soften tannins and reduce astringency to make a red wine more silky or the magic potion Mega Purple. Mega Purple is a concentrate made with the rubired grape, a hybrid grape grown exclusively in San Joaquin Valley, CA. A couple of drops of the gooey concentrate is added to red wine to add color, make the wine sweeter and cover up flawed flavors. It is prevalent in wines produced in large quantities at a low-cost  and even some high-end wines. The wine conglomerate, Constellation Wine Company produces Mega Purple and reportedly sells  over 10,000 gallons of it per annum. Although few wineries will admit to the use of Mega Purple, based on its annual sales, it is widely used.

Of the 76 additives, how many are added to natural wines? Some natural wine makers add none (a “perfect natural wine” which as noted above is a goal that is not always achieved) and others add one or two. To preserve wine, some natural wine makers will add  sulfites at bottling at an amount far below permissible amounts that can be added to biodynamic or organic wines

A distinguishing feature of natural wines is the use native or wild yeasts from their own grapes resulting in spontaneous fermentation, whereas non-natural wines use nonindigenous yeasts for a controlled fermentation. Luigi Moio, a leading wine consultant and a winemaker, takes the position that the distinction between wild yeasts and selected yeasts is overstated. https://vinoway.com/approfondimenti/vino/interviste/item/7551-luigi-moio-un-lievito-selezionato-non-ha-niente-di-chimico-%C3%A8-un-lievito-naturale.html In this Vino Way magazine article Luigi Moio stated the following:

Yeast plays a minor role in this process, particularly in the vinification of reds. Moreover, to make a wine that is an expression of a territorial identity, one must avoid olfactory deviations, and it is possible to do so even without the use of a selected yeast, although this ensures greater safety and better alcoholic fermentation. A selected yeast has nothing chemical, it has nothing strange, it is a natural yeast that has been isolated from others present in nature and catergorized.

 

Selected yeasts are more reliable than wild yeasts, thus lessen the risks associated in the fermentation process. Natural winemakers are willing to take the risk that organic and conventional  producers are not. There are many selected or commercial yeasts available for winemakers. Some selected or commercial yeasts are flavored, hence, results in the olfactory deviations that Luigi Moio says must be avoided. Moio and other organic winemakers that we have met use “neutral” yeasts; the same cannot be said of all winemakers, however.

A final introductory note – there are several associations that assist in the understanding of natural/non-intervention wines such as Raw Wine, Triple A Movement and the Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers. Raw Wine http://www.rawwine.com. members meet the following  requirements: (1) organic grapes grown without the use of chemicals, (2) wine produced by hand using artisanal techniques,  (3) wine made with traditional processes that enable balance, (4) create a living wine, with low intervention in the cellar, and (5) promote well being in individuals and communities.  The Triple A Movement http://www.triplea.it – Agricoltori Artigiani Artisti (Farmers Artisans Artists) was started in response to the standardization of  wines throughout the world. The Three A’s promote farmers that produce healthy and ripe grapes with natural agronomic interventions; artisans that do not alter the original structure of grapes and do not alter the structure the wine; and artists that give life to a great wine where the characteristics of the territory and wine are exalted. The Italian Federation of Independent Winemakers (FIVI). FIVI promotes the quality and authenticity of Italian wines. http://www.fivi.it.

Wines will be identified that meet the standards set forth by the associations.

Welcoming Wine

Il Fric 2018 – made with the  aglianico grape by Azienda Agricola Casebianche, Torchiara, Salerno,  Campania. Il Fric is a dry sparkling wine from the Cilento area of Salerno (south of the Amalfi Coast and the City of Salerno). This is a perfect natural wine; there are no additives. There are no clarifying agents added, despite the second fermentation in the bottle. The only sulfites in the wine naturally occur; sulfites are 8 parts per million {“ppm”). To provide perspective: USA allows up to 350 ppm

of sulfites to be added to wine. Organic producers are allowed to add sulfites; but per USA standards sulfites in organic wines cannot exceed 100 ppm, though most organic producers are far below the standard and natural winemakers add sulfites in amounts far less than organic producers.  The husband/wife combination of Pasquale Mitrano and Elisabetta Iuorio, both architects, moved from Naples to assume ownership of Elisabetta’s father’s vineyard in the late 1990s. Casebianche, which is a member of Raw Wine, has an annual production of about 30,000 bottles.

 

 

White Wines

Etna Bianco 2015 – made with carricante (70), catarrato (20%) and grillo (10%) grapes by Vini Quantico, Linguaglossa, Catania, Sicilia. Giovanni Raiti’s family has been making wine for personal and local consumption since 1900. In 2009, Giovanni decided to produce wine

commercially. With vines that are 80 to 90 years old he works in collaboration with his good friend and enologist Pietro di Giovanni to produce both an Etna Rosso and Etna Bianco. Giovanni and Pietro use no pesticides or fertilizers in the vineyard and no commercial yeasts in the cellar, thus producing a natural wine. Vini Quantico produces only about 12,000 bottles per year. Collaboration among small producers similar to Giovanni and Pietro is common in Southern Italy.

Primo Fiano di Avellino 2017 – made with the fiano grape by Ventitre`Filari, Montefredane, Avellino, Campania. Rosello De Bennedetto  and her daughter Rosa, had their first production three years ago from a vineyard that Rosella’s grandfather planted 25 years ago. Before Ventitre`Filari started producing their own wine, they sold their grapes to Mastroberardino, Feudi

San Gregorio and Villa Raiano. In the constant  search for high quality, Ventitre`Filari decided to produce a limited quantity of bottles (only 4,000 bottles per year), to preserve the production from invasive techniques and to observe traditional winemaking methods .  The wine is only produced by plants sourced exclusively from Ventitre`Filari vineyards, made up of 23 rows and about a thousand vines, all over 20 years of age. Ventitre in Italian translates to twenty-three and Filari translates to rows. Ventitre`Filari abides by organic viticulture methods, but has not been in operation long enough to be certified organic.

 

 

Red Wines

Cuore di Marchese 2016 made with nerello mascalese and nerello cappuccino grapes by Azienda Agricola Papa Maria, Castiglione di Sicilia, Catania, Sicilia. Papa Maria’s vineyard is located in Solicchiata, a town next to Castiglione di Sicilia. Pietro Di Giovanni, the owner of Papa Maria, produces Cuore di Marchese from a vineyard that is 60 years old and located at 730 meters.

Pietro uses indigenous yeasts during fermentation. There are 20 days of maceration in selected open Tonneau oak barrels made from the French forest of Allier. The wine is refined in wood and amphorae for a minimum of 18 months and aged in bottle for three months. In 2016 Pietro produced only 900 bottles of Cuore di Marchese. Pietro is part of a newly established four member consortium, Produttori Etna Nord. The members are small producers located on the northern side of Etna, all committed to continuing the production of natural wine and extra virgin olive oil.

Aris 2015  made with the gaglioppo grape by Azienda Agricola Sergio Arcuri, Ciro Marina, Crotone, Calabria. The grapes are grown in two vineyards, one planted in 1948 in clay with a little limestone, and one planted in 1980 in clay with loam and red sand. Aris is fermented using wild yeasts in open ‘palmento’ fermenters in the traditional n0nintervention method used by farmers of

past generations. After fermentation the wine is moved to cement tanks by gravity (which lessens the stress on the wine) and ages for about 18 months, and another six months after bottling. Sergio and his brother Francesco own and manage the small 20,000 bottles per year production. The family has a long tradition of winemaking. Sergio’s and Francesco’s great-grandfather produced wine and olive oil over 120 years ago. But their grandfather sold the family vineyard. Sergio’s and Francesco’s father purchased new land from which  he made “cask wine” for locals. In 2009 Sergio and Francesco modernized the cellar and converted the winery to bottling. Sergio Arcuri is a certified organic winery that produces natural wines and belongs to Raw Wine, Triple A Movement and FIVI.

La Signora 2015 made with the primitivo grape by Azienda Agricola Morella, Manduria, Taranto, Puglia. The La Signora vineyard, which features old bush vines over 60 years old, is located between Manduria and the sea, in a zone of “terra rossa” on a bed of limestone. La Signora is fermented with wild yeasts in small open vats. After fermentation the wine ages in barrique barrels for 12 to 14 months. Morella is owned and operated by the husband wife combination Lisa Gilbee and Gaetano

Morella. Lisa is a trained winemaker from Southern Australia who relocated to Tuscany where she met her husband. In 1999 they returned to Gaetano’s home town to start the winery. Their first vintage was 2004. They have an annual production of about  32,000 bottles. Morella is a certified biodynamic winery that produces natural wines and is a member of FIVI. Biodynamic is organic plus, as it incorporates all the principles of organic farming, but in addition, considers the vineyard as an ecosystem and takes into consideration astrological influences and lunar cycles.

Ragis 2013, made with a blend of the aglianico and piedirosso grapes by Le Vigne di Rait0 Azienda Agricola Agriturista Biologica, Raito (a frazione of Vietri sul Mare, the most eastern  town on the Amalfi Coast ), Salerno, Campania. The owner, Patrizia Malanga, purchased the terraced land in 2001. It took Patrizia six years before she produced her first vintage. To appreciate the difficult labor to be encountered by her workers associated with maintaining a terraced vineyard, Patrizia, herself, planted the vineyard. The aglianico and piedirosso grapes are vinified separately

in stainless steel fermentation vessels where they macerate for over 15 days under controlled temperature. Then the two wines are transferred into 500 liter French oak barrels and assembled before malolactic fermentation begins. The wine ages in the barrels for 12 months before it is bottled. After some racking procedures and without any further interventions such as clarification or filtration, Ragis continues its aging in the bottle. The winery features a spectacular vista from its tasting patio over looking the Gulf of Salerno. Le Vigne di Raito  produces less than 5,000 bottles per year. It is certified organic and produces natural wines.

Borgo di Gete 2010, made with the tintore grape by Azienda Agricola Reale Andrea, which is located in the mountainous Amalfi Coast frazione of Borgo di Gete in the town of Tramonti, Salerno, Campania. The vineyard, managed by Luigi and Gaetano Reale, has been owned by the Reale family for over a century.  Some vines are more than 80 years old; the thick vine in the photo below is over 130 years old.

The phylloxera aphid insect that destroyed most of the vines in France and Italy in the mid to late 1800’s did not impact Reale’s vines.  Luigi is not sure why. It may have been the soil, which like that of many wine areas in Campania has been enriched by volcanic ash over the centuries, or it could have been Reale’s remote location. The tintore grape is cultivated only on the Amalfi Coast by a few producers. The Borgo di Gete is fermented with wild yeasts and aged in oak barrels for 18 months. A natural winemaker. Luigi does not use chemicals or machinery in the vineyard.  The vines are supported by wooden branch “poles” made from chestnut trees. The vine branches are supported  by material from salice plants that are grown in the vineyard, not by rope or twine. Reale, which produces about 11,000 bottles per year, is certified organic.

Piancastelli 2014, made with the pallagrello nero and casavecchia grapes by Terre del Principe Societa` Agricola, Castel Campagnano, Caserta, Italy. Peppe Mancini and Manuela Piancastelli became interested in wine making after they were established in their respective careers as an attorney and journalist, respectively. Peppe recalling the days of his youth when his grandfather would make wine from pallagrello grapes (both the pallagrello nero and pallagrello bianco), forgotten grapes from a bygone era, dedicated himself to reviving these nearly extinct grapes. While doing so, Peppe rediscovered the casavecchia grape. Meanwhile Manuela working as a journalist interviewed Peppe about his quest to revive these long forgotten grapes. A lifetime

partnership ensued. Manuela and Peppe got married and together they became dedicated to producing wine from the pallagrello and casavecchia grapes. After a collaboration with another winery ended, Peppe and Manuela started Terre del Principe in 2003. Piancastelli wine is fermented in stainless steel tanks, and aged in new oak barrels (30%) and one year old oak (70%). The wine ages in Terre del Principe’s historical wine cellar. It is 10 meters deep in the heart of the earth. The 100 square meter ancient cave of tufo stone was entirely dug out by hand, with thousands of chisel marks. It dates back to the 10th century which is the period in which the town of  Castel Campagnano was founded. Terre del Principe, as many other wine producers in Southern Italy, is moving away from the use of barrique barrels to the larger Tourneau barrels. Terre del Principe, which produces about 20,000 bottles per year,  is certified organic and a member of FIVI.

 

Antelio 2015, made with the aglianico grape by Azienda Agricola Camerlengo, Rapolla, Potenza, Basilicata. Antonio Cascarano, who inherited the vineyards from his grandfather, named the winery after a Camerlengo, the  administer of the Apostolic Chamber and who in 1250 fiercely

defended the local land in the name of the Pope. The Camerlengo was given the land around Rapolla as gratitude for his deed. To commemorate this rich history, to pay homage to these noble origins and to introduce  guests to the history and traditions of Rapolla, Antonio Cascarano named his winery Camerlengo.  Located on the slopes of Mount Vulture (an extinct volcano), this land is rich in vineyards, chestnuts and olive trees. A nonconformist, Antonio withdrew his wines from the DOCG designation, and does not belong to the local association of winemakers.  With a total commitment to the production of  a natural wine, Antonio uses chestnut barrels to ferment with wild yeasts and to age the wine (for about 15 months), nothing is added to the wine other than he may add a miniscule trace of sulfites at bottling (two to three grams). Antonio’s first vintage was 2001. Camerlengo, which makes about 18,000 bottles per year, is certified organic.

Le Drude 2011 Riserva, made with the aglianico grape,  Azienda Agricola Michele Laluce, Ginestra, Potenza, Basilicata. Michele Laluce with his wife Maria and four daughters operates the winery. Caterina, who is studying economics, manages the finances of the winery, Maddalena, an oneologist, is the wine-maker, Donatella, an agronomist operates the machinery and manages the farm animals,  and

Michela is studying culinary. The grapes are grown in volcanic soil near the extinct volcano Mt. Vulture. Since 1905 the Laluce family has produced wine, but only since 2001 has the wine been bottled for commercial purposes. Laluce, which produces about 40,000 bottles per year, is certified organic. Michele and Maddalena adhere to natural winemaking as they  use wild yeasts when the conditions are conducive. Only 10 ppm of sulfites are added at bottling. The Riserva is fermented in stainless steel and aged for two years in oak barrels and in the bottle for one to two years before release. Le Drude was the name that the Piedmontese army gave to the courageous  Brigand women of the Vulture area that fought the Piedmontese armed forces post-unification. To honor these women Michele named his top wine Le Drude. Another historical note: the town of Ginestra was founded by a community of Albanian exiles led by the condottiere Francesco Zhura, who in 1478  after receiving land from the ruling Aragonese, started the community. The Albanian origins continue to live in the uses and traditions of the people of Ginestra. The town is designated as an Arbereshe’ community and features street signs written in both Italian and Arbereshe`.

Poliphemo 2011, agliancio, Luigi Tecce, Paternopoli, Aveliino, Campania. Luigi Tecce was not groomed to be a farmer or winemaker. After graduating from college, he worked in Rome as an assistant to a member of the Italian parliament. Suddenly in 1997 his father died and it caused Luigi to return home to take care of the family property, which included olive trees, goats, sheep, and of course vines. Luigi produces about 10,000 bottles per year. The Poliphemo Taurasi ages in chestnut barrels for 40 days, followed by 24 months in 500 liter French barrels, then 12 months in stainless steel. Luigi is unconventional. He makes wine by feel, not a prescribed method. He is not certified organic, as he does not want to bother with the bureaucracy. He has no presence on social media. Luigi devotes his energy to making wines. 

Luigi’s wines are the result of vineyard selections and mixing of the final barrels and from the time-consuming and careful tending during harvest where he makes three passes. The first picking is in early October, the grapes are not completely ripe, so they add extra acidity and freshness. The majority of the grapes are picked in late October. In the earlier days of November, Luigi picks the final bunches in early November.

Luigi’s winemaking philosophy is described on the back label of his wines, which translates into English as follows: no selected yeasts, no enzymes, no bacteria added to assist malolactic fermentation, no added tannins, no deacidifying, no clarifing, no filtering  and no arabic gum added to the wine. He is an organic/natural producer of wines who does not adhere to conventional winemaking norms.

Nero Ne` 2011, aglianico, Il Cancelliere Azienda Vitivinicola, Montemarano, Avellino, Campania. Il Cancelliere is a family affair. Soccorso Romano, the patriarch,  started the commercial production of the wines in 2005. Soccorso’s and his wife Pasqualina’s two children and their

children’s spouses are actively engaged with the winery: Enrico Romano and his wife Rita and Nadia Romano and her husband Claudio.  The family estate, originally was 70 hectares, but over the years the estate has been divided among family members. Il Cancelliere estate now consists of seven hectares of which two hectares are dedicated to fruits, vegetables and wheat for pasta. In addition, Il Cancelliere raises sheep and rabbits.  Nero Ne` is a natural Taurasi. After spontaneous fermentation with wild yeasts there is aging in stainless steel for six months on the lees, 24 months in Slavonian wood 35/50 hectoliter barrels and another year in Slovonian 5 hectoliter barrels and finally 36 months in the bottle before release. There is no filtration, no clarification, no stabilization and no sulfites. This is a perfect natural wine. Il Cancelliere, which produces about 20,000 bottles per annum, is a member of Raw Wine,