One of the very first people that I reached out to in planning my one-week trip to Italy with my daughter was Miriam Caporali of the TENUTA VALDIPIATTA winery just a five minute drive outside of the striking town of Montepulciano ( where the " Twilight " movie is or has been filmed recently ). Miriam came to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits recently and did an in-store wine-tasting of her family's current releases of three red Tuscan wines : the 2006 Rosso di Montepulciano ( $19.99, made from a traditional blend of Prugnolo Gentile, Canaiolo Nero and Mammolo grapes ), the Vino Nobile 2004 or 2005 ( I cannot remember which now? ) and the family estate's pride and joy the " Vigna D'Alfiero ". It was a grand tasting and we hit it off immediately and besides the really high quality of the three wines I cannot forget as I see it in my mind's/ heart's eye the wonderful smile of Miriam's that is unforgettable. I will include the exact prices when I get to Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits a bit later as I am still at home now and about to begin working once again after a spectacular trip with my daughter.
Miriam responded immediately with offers of assistance and advice and she helped me to get the ball rolling with her immediate warm, professional and informative response. Now I knew once reading her first email that I was " on my way " to Italy and to Tuscany for the very first time. Thanks Miriam.
After our first meeting at Cleveland Park and our following dinner afterward at Spices restaurant down the street from the store with both the owner of LIBRANDI and Patricio and David of Winebow Imports Miriam sent my family a care package of four small cans of her family's excellent extra virgin olive oil. We enjoyed these cans over a period of time and of course were sorry when they were all finished as the quality was superb. I mentioned in the previous blog before this one that my daughter and I sampled a five-hour or so old pressing of the morning's 2009 extra virgin olive oil ob Friday afternoon around 5 PM. Flavorful, complex, great opaque green color- dazzling.
We were at TENUTA VALDIPIATTA both on the 29th and the 30th of October, 2009. We arrived late because our day started late in Rome as we had to go to a Smart Phone store and buy a new disposable/ rechargeable as-you-go phone for the Tuscan roads. That took us some walking through Rome's fancy district where we stayed just four blocks away from the ancient Roman walls that were still there. That in itself was an adventure as we headed away from the internet-access store and up the major boulevard there in search of a store to buy such a phone. More about all this later.
So sorry Giulio Caporali and Sara that waited patiently for us to arrive at VALDIPIATTA now four or so hours behind schedule. The fact that you were both still there at the winery waiting for my daughter and I speaks volumes of the professional and caring attitude that you devote to your customers. Thank you for being there to receive us. It of course was so late that you booked a dinner for us in the nearby town of Montepulciano were we drove off to soon afterward as we were both famished having missed our lunch entirely.
I had mentioned to Sara in a previous email that we would stop off at the town of Orvieto in Umbria and we did. We fell in love with this town as well as it's incredible Duomo. The facade impressed me even more than the interior as it was so embellished and worked that it would take many hours and perhaps some binoculars to really grasp the whole picture with all the finely-etched/chiseled details.
The weather was unseasonably lovely and bright and cheerful and warm with clear blue skies and just a few baby white clouds here and there for accent to an otherwise unbelievable landscape and time of the year : an Indian summer of the best imaginable possibility? Yes, yes , yes and yes! We spent a glorious week in Italy my daughter and I and we have people like Miriam, her father Giulio and their English-speaking assistant and tour guide Sara to thank for making it even more glorious.
Funny, I spoke English with Sara and I spoke French with Giulio. I do not speak any Italian and so this again was the best of both worlds for me. J'espere Giulio que tu as aime parler Francais avec moi chez vous? Merci pour ca. Ca m'a plu beaucoup, vraiment.
I still have much to say at this blog entry but I will post this as it is for the moment and continue later today as I hope to add some pictures, too. Stay-tuned for more.
Before I leave, however, I do want to say that I was very pleased with all the wines that my daughter and I sampled both from the barrel od 2009 just pressed Merlot and Sangiovese grapes including Giulio's pride and joy the 2009 " Vigna D'Alfiero " ( made from pure Sangiovese - Prugnolo Gentile grapes ) which he exclaimed was better than the best Brunellos made forty-five minutes away around the town of Montalcino. That's a really bold statement to make but I have to say having tried both the current release and the barrel-sample of the 2009 that he may have a very strong argument here. Cheers, and be ready for more soon, TONY
P.S. ...
There's always something to add and I need to mention the wonderful meal that my daughter and I enjoyed at " Il Grifon D'Oro " the ristorante del Caffe Poliziano. It was so elegant and refined and warm the setting with more subtle lighting, a great chandelier/tapestry/draping of cloth and color and a lovely vecchia painted wooden screen just behind our seats in the left back corner of where you enter this room. I have a few pictures to include but not as many as usual as I promised my daughter that I would stop. She knows that i love to " live in the moment " and so she worries that I cannot do that fully if I am always framing pictures and special shots and angles. She's right to a point : it's a compromise of sorts.
The food was really the best that the Montepulciano region has to offer. It's filling without being heavy, very flavorful and with many subtle tastes and I could easily refer to it as " comfort food ". We ordered their special menu of the evening. On it was the traditional pasta called " Pici " and we had it served with a Ragout of mostly beef with some pig, finished in a red wine sauce. Boy was it just right for this cool evening of ours when we were both tired from so much driving?!?
My daughter first brought it to my attention. When I glanced at it I stopped at the bottom of the page which said that we could enjoy it with a large glass of the TENUTA VALDIPIATTA 2006 ( I believe just released, made from Prugnolo and Canaiolo Nero grapes ) Vino Nobile.
When we first met Tony Tafaj our sommelier and waiter both I told him that we were going to drink this evening the TENUTA VALDIPIATTA wines exclusively. He had no problem with that. As a matter of fact he immediately started to sing high praises of these wines. I told him that at in our room we had a bottle of the 2004 ( is that correct? ) Pinot Nero and that I would enjoy a glass or two later that evening.
He smiled when I said this : and I shared my enthusiasm with him to be trying such an unusual grape selection for the region. In our conversation previously we established that he knew and liked well Miriam Caporali that was unfortunately away selling her family's wines in California. I miss that you were not at dinner with us Miriam : what a time we could have shared the four of us ( including Tony of course who speaks beautiful English ).
Anyway, Tony told us of the first time that you had mentioned your new Pinot Nero wine Miriam. It was perhaps four or so vintages prior to the one I had awaiting us in our room. Anyway, you were all excited for him to try it and when he did he was not very complimentary of your very first effort. Of course you persevered and when I tried it later I was to discover that I liked it quite a bit , especially the bouquet. Once I tried it I felt some unresolved acidity and a bit of the middle flavors still a bit closed and spicy and tangy that our earlier meal of the famous regional pasta and ragout would have done wonders for each combined. Oh well, I could imagine this marriage of the Pinot Nero with the pasta and so as I wrote and sketched for you all I sipped and enjoyed my VALDIPIATTA Pinot Nero.
But I am getting away from my story of such a fine evening at " Il Grifon D'Oro " this evening with both my daughter and Tony Tafaj. Oh, and compliments to the chef Ivanice as well. It was fun, it was personable, it was delicious and we also discovered for the first time the flavorful, weighty, substantial white blend of three grapes I believe ( one red Canaiolo Nero and three whites - Trebbiano, Malvasia and Grechetto ). It had a bit of the texture of a lovely manzanilla sherry with just a hint of oxidation and nut,lush, full-lipped fruit, too. It did not bite and it reminded me of the complexity you achieve in a red wine even though it was white. Of course I should quickly add that it was made from 50% red grapes where the skins were immediately removed once pressed. We enjoyed it that evening as it warmed us up on a rather cool, clear night. When Tony asked us where we would like to sit I immediately asked him for the warmest spot as my daughter was feeling a bit of the chill of the evening.
We had missed lunch entirely on this long day's drive from Rome up through the town of Orvieto first and then into the Tuscan countryside. We were late leaving Rome and late arriving at TENUTA VALDIPIATTA. Sorry Giulio and Sara. So with this meal we were also playing catch-up and both the excellent young, robust 2006 Vino Nobile ( I drank it as it was just a bit too angular and young for my daughter , pretty much just-right for me with the food ) and the 2008 white dry " Nibbiano " ( which was perfect for her ). Everyone was happy : we went away from a wonderful evening in the very capable hands of Tony. Now we were ready to drive home and call it a day as the next would involve a very satisfying tour and tasting at TENUTA VALDIPIATTA.
As I have already mentioned earlier the town of Montepulciano seemed a bit deserted as we walked back to our car at Parking #8. We missed Parking #16 Sara. Oh well, the walk was good for us as it gave us the opportunity to see more of the town of Montepulciano. We snapped some pictures and they came out well. I will include some soon.
I liked the feel of this evening : it spooked my daughter some and she could easily see why the would film some of the scenes for the " Twilight " movie here. The cold and the clear and the bristle of the sharp, crystal air invigorated me as the glow of the lamp lights and the clearness of the navy blue darkness all around shrouded and defined by darkened, colorful tree and bush foliage everywhere as well as the chiseled walls of the buildings and the stoned narrow passages. We could see a couple of other cafe/ restaurants with some diners deep and snuggled warmly within as we passed by them heading up the street to our left turn down a narrow passage and out to the staircase that would take us to our silent car.
The drive home led us through the grass between the resting vines and the tall, straight line of cypresses. Wow, it indeed was the fastest route to TENUTA VALDAPIATTA and because everything was so dark and nestled into the setting we missed our guest house I believe at least twice before we recognized it for our peaceful, comfortable, inviting night's resting spot. I felt really well-treated : a bit pampered and spoiled and I must say that that evening as I spread out on the long dining table and my daughter worked comfortably on the large chair in the living space feet away from me that here we " had really arrived ". It felt wonderful.
Of course there is much more to say but that will have to wait for another blog entry. I did love the deep red color of the vine or the ivy that covered pretty much of the whole outer wall of this home. I loved that it tried to grow down over the door's entrance. From the inside I quickly snapped a picture of this showing some of this deep red of the Prugnole Gentile grape?
I will also have to tell you all how delicious the " new " Chianti Colli Senesi " Tosca " was a no-brainer, delicious dry yet smooth and bright red Sangiovese grapes fruit-forward wine that will please many a palate and also one's wallet as it is so reasonably priced. We will get some and have some as soon as Winebow gets it. I also like the label and packaging : a winner all-around. I can't remember the year just now but it is fresh and current.
And since so many thoughts are coming to me I should also say that it would be nice to have had David Pinzolo here with us as he is such a pleasure and he was very helpful, too in helping me plan this trip. Of course because he works for Winebow it makes perfect sense that he be with us. I understand he has not seen your lovely estate/tenuta yet Miriam ? Perhaps when he reads this he will book a flight soon?
The address of " CAFFE POLIZIANO and " Il Grifon D'Oro " is Via di Voltaia nel Corso, 27 Tel: 0578 75816 caffepoliziano@libero.it www.caffepoliziano.it.
The address of TENUTA VALDIPIATTA is : Via della Ciarliana 25/A - 53045 Montepulciano - (SI) - Italia Tel: +39 (0) 578 757930 Fax: +39 (0) 578 717037 info@valdipiatta.it - www.valdipiatta.it.
There are two gust houses / suites where you may stay just as my daughter and I did nestled in the fertile wine-grape valley just outside the town of Montepulciano surrounded by grape vines and olive trees and a lovely pond with weeping willows flourishing by it's side. It's magical, it's wonderful : so peaceful , beautiful and relaxing. The only thing is that you have to be careful there driving in the night as the only light is that of the moon and the stars and they do help but driving slowly and not rushing is a must till you really get your bearings. That might take some time but then it is well worth it as the experience, the food, the wine, the setting and the grace, the warmth, the kindness of these people is incredible, warming and sublime. Cheers ... TONY
Cheers and grazie Giulio, Miriam and Sara - merci, gracias et thanks to you three, including Tony and your assistant Italian winemaker ... TONY
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