I was not feeling the love this morning when I tried these wines from BASTIANICH in Friuli and the two Tuscan reds that were made together with Joe Bastianich and chef Mario Batali called I PERAZZI Morellino Di Scanzano, 2007 and ARAGONE Maremma Toscana " La Mazza " 2006. In fact, I liked the BASTIANICH Friulano Tocai dry white the very best. I have, in fact over the years in Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits sold both of these labels, most recently the BASTIANICH dry and flavorful indigenous Tocai white as we always need to have some good Tocai in the store. It's what I really like to sell from Friuili when I sell a white ( or perhaps a Ribolla Giala as well ) - certainly not another Pinot Grigio. I've had it up to here with Pinot Grigio : it's destroying all the other delicious whites from Italy and there are so many that deserve our energies, focus and attention!
I was not so excited about these because it was very early in the day and they all needed food and there was none there for me to sample them together in the setting that they were meant to be in : food and wine on a table and away from having to work and sell something. They were made all three for pleasure and to add something to the setting, the mood, the gathering and on their own like this when I was maybe less-inspired or a bit tired or simply preoccupied with other things they simply did not get enough of my attention : at least the type of positive attention that they ultimately deserve.
They are food wines : that's a fact, all three . They are designed to complement a meal and flesh out and help define and illustrate better the flavors in various foods as well as have the same thing done for them by the food. I am sure I would have changed my opinion if I had been at Dino, Sorriso, Two Amys or Pesto all in our Cleveland Park neighborhood and all Italian restaurants that I recommend one visit.
As I said I liked the BASTIANICH the best of the four this late morning in the store. It was the less edgy and the most approachable just like this on the spur of the moment. I liked that : I guess I wanted at this moment to be pampered and to have to work less to understand and appreciate my wines. That's okay : it's a two-way street and that's simply how I felt then. I will buy the BASTIANICH Friulano again and have it back in the store soon.
I hope that you like my artsy photos that I have taken and included here. Being an artist I do like to take visual pictures and try and entice you all to want/ desire the wines and images that I present here, making you want to go out in search of them in your local wine shop. That's one of the major ideas anyway. I love showing the wines themselves out of their bottles in Reidel wine glasses and next to their bottles. I like showing the relationship between the wines, the bottles, the glasses, labels and those that produce them or bring them to our attention : that's an interesting story all in itself and I like focusing more on that than on points and scores and what I term abstract hype.
I'm old-fashioned, I like many things from the old days and wish it were more once again about the wine inside the bottle and less about the label and the image and " the package " and moving as many boxes/bottles and units as possible : i.e. more about wine and dreams and passion and less about business.
I'm intrigued about Mario Batali and his involvement with these two Tuscan reds? Is he from Tuscany originally? Is he from Friuli? I watched him a couple of nights ago on " Iron Chef " where he cooked with cranberries and I enjoyed that show enormously as he and his female colleague chef cooked against Bobby and Rachael Ray.
It seems a bit too much of a very private and self-adulation/pat-on-one's-back fraternity-sorority atmosphere and that gets really old quickly for me. Invite more chefs to this show and have them start to compete more against themselves. Make it more varied. However, I did really enjoy elements of the show even so. Sorry : you got me on a really critical day.
So Mario, comment here and let me and the readers of this blog know more about your involvement here in Tuscany on both these flavorful, dry, hearty and robust food wines of I PERAZZI Morellino and ARAGONE Maremma " La Mozza " wines?
I am always intrigued when the local indigenous grapes are included like the Ciliegiolo , the Colorino and the Alicante in the Maremma red along with the mostly Sangiovese ( 85% ) and the Syrah. I also like seeing a high percentage of the Sangiovese grape in this blend instead of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah in so many of the Maremma reds. Let's do everything that we can to draw attention to these lesser-known indigenous grape b=varieties and keep them healthy, alive and thriving.
I would with these Toscana reds age them a bit more and definitely serve them with food. Perhaps Mario you can come to Washington D.C. and invite us to a luncheon that you prepare and serve these wines of your with recipes that you think will really flesh them out, make them breathe more easily and showcase their flavors and various levels from their high to low notes and everything in-between?
I will try them of course again as our sales rep is quite efficient and persistent and will once again bring them to my attention.
Cheers and until then stay-tuned for further updates on these Italian wines. Call us at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue N.W. Washington D.C. 2010 20008 Tel:202-363-4265 sales@clevelandparkwine.com www.clevelandparkwine.com also at : Facebook at : clevelandparkwines&spirits ) to order them or for more info and updates. TONY
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