Matteo’s Reflections from the Glass 2009

For me 2009 was a big year of great wine tasting, drinking and celebrating with friends and family. I felt that I cemented some loose ends in my wine knowledge while at the same time discovered that I (and most everyone) was merely at the beginning of a great journey through the wine world. I shared many a great, and some not so great, glass of vino, whether it was here in the Bottega, out at a local restaurant, at our wedding dinner in Italy or simply, and most often, at home around the table with a couple friends and a nice meal. Picking the “Top Five” wines of the year is a difficult and in some ways unrealistic task, so I simply looked back at the first five wines that brought a smile to my face when I thought back about them. Here’s the list:

Read More

The Second Glass Interview!

First the front page of The North End Regional Review and now this!  The Second Glass is a fantastic on-line (and occasionally print) magazine whose mission is to demystify wine in a humorous, approachable and informative way.  I always enjoy what they have to say and I was honored when they asked to do an interview with me.  Check out the result on their website!  http://www.thesecondglass.com

Good Morning, Gianluca Grasso!

Every day should start off so well!  As I wrangled our ridiculous grates off the windows this morning, shivering in the frigid air, I looked up to see Gianluca Grasso of Azienda Agricola Elio Grasso heading my way.  I had met Gianluca, his mother Marina and his father Elio last April when I visited their beautiful winery in Monforte D’Alba.  I have always been a huge fan of their beautifully crafted wines and this was only reinforced after experiencing their passion and commitment to quality first hand, not to mention the warmth of their welcome and sincere hospitality.   Gianluca is in Boston this week with samples of the yet to be released 2005 Barolos and his 2006 Barbera.  I will admit that I was a little worried about how the 2005’s would stack up after the epic 2004 vintage, but I should have known better.

Industry Meets Artistry: A Tasting of Lombardy

Since the Middle Ages, Lombardy has been the epicenter of big Italian business, be it silk and textile manufacturing around Lake Como, banking in Milan or mining and metallurgy in Brescia.  In terms of a wine region Lombardy’s got it all!  From the refined bubbles of Franciacorta (Italy’s rival to Champagne) to the crisp and full white wines of Lake Garda, not to mention the regional endearing oddities of the Oltrepò Pavese with their unique fizzy fruit and the big boys of the alpine Valtellina, where the local nebbiolo (chiavennasca) creates a sublime counterpart to Barolo. 

The Emancipated Tasting

In the spirit of Inauguration Week and the country’s renewed commitment to personal responsibility, we are presenting you with a tasting unfettered by the traditional constraints of wine tasting. This is all about you and your palate. This is not a Blind Tasting! That pesky label implies that your senses are being restricted. Let’s call it an Emancipated Tasting. A goal of a traditional blind tasting is to identify the varietal, region, producer and vintage of the wine. All too often that format feels like a test and takes away from the enjoyment of the wine. Our goal with this evening’s tasting is to remove all the indicators that might prod you to think of what you are "supposed" to think about the wine, so that you can focus entirely on your response to the wine itself. No preconceived notions, just your impression. Celebrate the diversity of wines out there and exercise your right to drink what you love!

Wines from Valle D’Aosta (Italy)

As you turn North from Torino you leave behind the rolling foothills of the Langhe and start to climb towards Europe’s highest peak and border with France: Monte Bianco. Once a colony of Piedmont, the Valle D’Aosta was ruled by the House of Savoy for over a century. The heights of Gran Paradiso Nature Reserve collide with the often swollen banks of the Dora Baltea River where vines, grasping to the steep mountain pistes, thrive. The soils are predominantly glacial moraine so grape choices and wine styles are primarily determined by altitude (300 - 800m). This is Italy’s smallest wine region and many of the wines never make it outside the Valle D’Aosta, never mind overseas. These wines are fresh and bright and would be perfect for a summer picnic, but they are also beautiful with rich game and charcuterie, fitting for the cold New England winter. 

Read More