This evening’s tasting focuses on Southern Italian small family owned wineries that produce low intervention wines made with organically grown grapes. There is also a short discussion on extra virgin olive oil. 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 required.

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 may add sulfites to preserve the wine at bottling at an amount far below permissible amounts that can be added to biodynamic or organic wines. Natural wine makers will never add tannins or products to clarify 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 categorized.

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 on wine – there are several associations that assist in the promotion 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.  Three A promotes 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. The members of FIVI cultivate own vines, bottle the wine under their name, do not purchase grapes except in extreme cases, limit the use of needless and costly additives and do not manipulate the wine in the cellar http://www.fivi.it.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

To produce extra virgin olive oil a producer picks only top quality olives from trees (no rotten olives that may have fallen to the ground before harvest)  and presses (or crushes) the olives within 24 hours of harvest.  The producer never blends olive oil that is not extra virgin oil or vegetable oil  to “stretch” the extra virgin olive oil. Not only will the taste of the tampered extra virgin olive be compromised, but also the health-relevant chemicals, “phytochemicals”, that trigger cancer cell death, will be eliminated. Be wary of “extra virgin olive oil” that claims that it is “Made in Italy”. Study the label and determine if the olives that produce the extra virgin olive oil were cultivated in Italy or in another country. Many times these misleading labels prominently display a flag of Italy. Extra virgin olive oil not made exclusively from olives cultivated in Italy, is not necessarily inferior. Excellent extra virgin olive oil is made from producers in Greece, Spain, California, etc. But when olive oil “juice” is transported from other countries to Italy to be assembled into a product called extra virgin olive oil, there are too many points along the way for the olives and the extracted “juice” to be tampered.  As a result I only purchase extra virgin oil from producers who I have met at their production site. Granted this approach may be more expensive, but I am satisfied because I know that I am consuming authentic extra virgin olive oil.

 

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 generally in amounts 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 and FIVI, has an annual production of about 30,000 bottles.

White Wine

Particella 928 2018 – made with the fiano grape by Cantina del Barone, Cesanali, Avellino, Campania. The young self-taught winemaker and owner, Luigi Sarno, has emerged as one of the

top young winemakers in the Irpinia wine region. Luigi’s great-grandfather and grandfather tended to hazelnut trees and vegetable plots when the land was owned by a baron from Napoli. Luigi’s father purchased the vineyard in 1972. For many years the Sarno family sold their grapes to the large Irpinia producer Mastroberdardino. In 2006, Luigi produced his first label. He cultivates only fiano grapes for the approximately 16,000 bottles produced per year. Only 4,000 bottles per year of Particella 928 are produced. This is the flagship wine of Cantina del Barone. As are all of Luigi’s wines, Particella 928 is a low intervention wine that is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Only a small amount of sulfites are added at bottling. Cantina del Barone also produces hazelnuts, eating grapes and aglianico grapes. The aglianico grapes are for Luigi’s father, who makes his own aglianico based wine for personal consumption. Cantina del Barone is a member of Raw Wine.

Miniera 2017 – made with the greco di tufo grape by Cantina Dell’Angelo, Tufo, Avellino, Campania. The flagship vineyard is located on the top of abandoned sulfur mines on a steep slope,

which is tended to only by hand. (A jeep ride to the summit is harrowing!) The vineyard thrives in a natural habitat, no pesticides or herbicides, just abundant grasses, wildflowers and butterflies. Dell’Angelo is the only vineyard in Tufo on abandoned sulfur mines, hence, resulting in Dell’Angelo’s unique interpretation of the greco di tufo grape.The proprietor, Angelo Muto, is a multi-generational farmer, but the first in the family to bottle for regional and international markets (in 1983 a small production only for the local market ceased to operate). Prior to his first vintage in 2006, the family sold grapes. In close collaboration with his friend and enolgist, Luigi Sarno, Angelo produces an unfiltered low intervention wine that is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts. Similar to Cantina del Barone, only a small amount of sulfite is added at bottling. With the assistance of his two daughters, Angelo produces approximately 22,000 bottles per year. Dell’Angelo is a member of Raw Wine.

Red Wine

Etna Rosso 2016 – made with nerello mascalese (80-85%) and nerello cappuccino (15-20%) 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 for regional and international markets. The vineyard is located in Solicchiata, which is about a 20 minute drive from Linguaglossa and at the northern ridge of Mt. Etna, an active volcano.  With vines that are 80 to 90 years old he works in collaboration with his good friend and enologist Pietro di Giovanni, who owns the vineyard in Solicchiata and produces his own Etna Rosso. Together Pietro and Giovanni share grapes from the vineyard to produce their Etna Rosso. (Giovanni’s Etna Bianco is sourced from a vineyard that he owns in Linguaglossa.)  Giovanni and Pietro use no fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides 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 as noted above between Luigi Sarno and Angelo Muto.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ciro` Riserva ‘Piu` Vite’ 2013 –  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. ‘Piu` Vite’ is made from grapes from the older vineyard. It is spontaneously fermented using indigenous  yeasts in open ‘palmento’ fermenters in the traditional non-intervention 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 four years before 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 the Triple A Movement and FIVI.

Cardamone 2013 – made with piedirosso (80%) and  tintore (20%) grapes 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 piedirosso is cultivated primarily in Cilento, Napoli, Amalfi Coast and Caserta. Cardamone is fermented spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and aged in steel tanks for 1o months then for a short period in 400 liter French before aging in the bottle for about a year.. 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.

Ragis 2013 – made with a blend of  aglianico (80%) and piedirosso (20%) 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 to age 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.

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 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 tufa 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 Tonneau barrels. Terre del Principe, which produces about 20,000 bottles per year, is certified organic and a member of FIVI.

Neighbors in the Town of Falciano del Massico

When making the list of wines for the tasting I faced a dilemma. I had selected 11 wines and could not decide the selection of the 12th wine between Regina Viarum’s Zero5 and Gennaro Papa’s Conclave. The wineries are less than one mile from each other. They are located in the municipality

of Falciano del Massico, which is north of the City Caserta and in the southern part of the Falerno del Massico DOC. Both wineries, which produce less than 25,000 bottles per year, make natural/organic unfiltered wines with the primitivo grape, which is generally associated with winemaking in the Province of Puglia. There are only three other wineries in the southern part of the Falerno del Massico DOC that make wine with the primitivo grape. In the northern part of the Falerno del Massico DOC, the wineries make wine with the aglianico and piedirosso grapes.  We are friends with the families that own the wineries. So I comprised – both are included in the wine tasting. Zer05, 2016 -is produced by Regina Viarum Viticolori dal 1900, which  has been owned by the Maddalena family for over 100 years, and now by husband/wife Pasquale Angelino and Elda Maddalena  and daughter Amalia. Regina Viarum, which translates to “Queen of the Road” is located at the base of Mount Massico; wines from this area were a favorite of the ancient Romans.  The Maddalena/Angelino family has been bottling wine since 2003; Elda Maddalena’s family has been harvesting grapes for over 100 years which, prior to 2003, they sold to other producers and kept a small amount for its “home-made” wine. Zer05 is aged mostly in stainless steel for 18 months; a small amount is aged in small oak barrels. Regina Viarum this past year for the first time bottled a falanghina wine aged in amphora. Conclave 2016 – is produced by Azienda Agricola Gennaro Papa and managed by

Gennaro’s son Antonio. The family has been cultivating grapes for four generations and similar to Regina Viarum, after many years of selling their grapes, the Papa family started bottling wine in 1999.  Antonio has four different vineyards, one of which is at the highest elevation (280m) in the Southern Falerno del Massico DOC and another one that is over 110 years old from which the flagship wine of Campantuono is produced.. The vineyard at 280m is like a mountain for the primitivo grape, which is generally cultivated on flat lands. Antonio vinifies the grapes from the vineyards separately, and blends after a couple of years. Conclave is aged 18 months in stainless steel and six months in bottle. Similar to Regina Viarum, Antonio is producing a wine with falanghina grapes. Gennaro Papa is a member of FIVI

Stupor Mundi Riserva 2013 – made with the aglianico grape by Azienda Viticola Carbone, Melfi, Potenza, Basilicata. The winery is headed by sister and brother, Sara and Luca Carbone. 

Luca is in charge of operations, and Sara is in charge of marketing. In 1970 their parents planted the first vines consisting of chardonnay, pinot noir and other international grapes. They sold grapes to producers. The international grapes were not popular in the Aglianico del Vulture wine area, so the family switched to cultivate aglianico and fiano grapes. The first vintage, 2005, was released in 2007.  The family in search of a cellar for a cantina purchased a building that was over 1,000 years old. The basement was only partially accessible because an earthquake in the 1930s blocked the entrance with over 20 feet of debris. The family discovered the full size of the cellar only after purchase. Stupor Mundi Riserva is aged two years in 500 liter Tonneau barrels and two years in the bottle. Luca told us last year that the 2013 Riserva is one of his favorites. Carbone, which produces about 20,000 per year, is organic and a member of FIVI.

Le Drude 2012 – 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 enologist, 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 in fermentation process when the conditions are conducive. Only 10 ppm of sulfites are added at bottling. Le Drude 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 (after 1861). 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 on in the traditions of the people of Ginestra. The town is designated as an Arbereshe’ community and features street signs written in both Italian and Arbereshe`.

Taurasi, 2013 – made with the aglianico grape,  Societa’ Agricola Antico Castello s.a.s. di Romano Francesco e Chiara, San Mango sul Calore, Avellino, Campania. Francesco and Chiara have

been charged with the responsibility of assuming the leadership of the family’s vineyards. With the assistance of their parents, the brother/sister combination produce their wines in a large modern cellar capable of vinifying more than their annual production of 50,000 bottles. Francesco and Chiara lease their excess capacity to other small local producers who do not have a cantina.  As noted above in the narrative on Quantico, this practice of “sharing”  vinification space is common. The Taurasi is made from hand-picked grapes in early November. The wine ages in both barrique and Tonneau barrels. The farm, named after a castle destroyed in the devastating earthquake of 1980, adheres to organic practices. The Romano family have produced wine for regional and international markets since 2007. In addition to wine, Antico Castello also cultivates figs, cherries and chestnuts. Antico Castello is a member of FIVI.

Taurasi Primum 2010 – made with the aglianico grape. Azienda Agricola Raffaele Guastaferro, Taurasi, Avellino, Campania. In 2003, Raffaele’s father made the wine available for sale. In 201o,

Raffaele assumed the leadership of the winery. Prior to 2003, the family sold grapes to the large Campania based winery Feudi San Gregorio. Guastaferro has an annual production of about 10,000 bottles from vineyards located in Taurasi, which have been owned by the family for over 200 years. Primum is made with grapes from 200-year-old vines. The old vines produce tiny amounts of very concentrated juice and it shows in the finished wines. Per Raffaele, the “magic” of the old vines results in little work in the cellar.  Raffaele is a quiet unassuming artisan who shuns the spotlight. His cantina is an oversized garage. He does not have a modern tasting room as one tastes his wine in an old style kitchen (circa 1950’s) above his cantina. His wines tend to be overlooked when first released, but as they age their power and grace become evident.  Primum 2010 is one such example of a “late-blooming” wine. Antonio Galloni, arguably the foremost Italian wine critic, wrote in 2018 that Guastaferro’s 2010 Primum was the best full-bodied red Italian wine that he tasted in that year.