It was great to finally meet Ricardo Cotarella the owner of Umbria's FALESCO wines at Johnny's Half Shell ( used to be La Colline, and sorry I spelled it wrong in the title! ) on Capitol Hill by Union Station on October 26th, 2006 just a bit over two years ago. I did not know what to expect but any expectations I might of had formulating at the time were dashed,surpassed and tripled and quadrupled and more! I had a blast and was thoroughly inspired/fired and ignited, too.
It was a private luncheon that I was invited to with others in the trade. I arrived a bit late and Riccardo was already beginning to wax quite poetically/passionately about his wines. We were still on the entry level of the Vitiano line as I slipped into my seat with Kay Mallon ( directs Winebow Imports here in Washington D.C. ) to my left and Sue the owner of a small fine wine shop in Shirlington, Virginia on my right I believe. Riccardo was facing me across the large table just to my left, three feet from me with Mike Postasnik directly across from me. David Pinzolo was there, too to translate and fascilitate a smooth tasting/luncheon. So was Patricio. Kelly from Palena was there, too just a couple of seats to my left away from me. I took some great pictures during this event which I loved and also snapped a number of pictures which I now must find and include at some point in this blog.
It was no easy feat for me to get to this luncheon. I had some help as I left the store for almost three hours, driving like a madman down the Rock Creek Parkway and around the Lincoln Memorial/Washington Memorial and Tidal Basin to bypass as much traffic as possible and then arrive on time. Parking, too was a real problem and I had to drive around for ten minutes or so before really struggling to fit my car into a very tight space ( my several years as a wholesale rep really assisted me here ! ) and then walk a couple of long blocks to get to Johnny's Half Shell! I was bushed by the time I got there but thrilled to finally be there and collapse.
I started writing a mile-a-minute as Riccardo had lots to say as he was quite focused and quite passionate about all his wines from start-to-finish. He took great humble pride in all that he has accomplished, that was quite evident from the first. Across the table from em he seemed like a nice man. I warmed to him quickly and began to hang on his words, hoping to write them down and record them as fast as he spoke them. This was a daunting task indeed and one in which I succeeded only perhaps 70% unfortunately. I wish that I had had a camera rolling and capturing both image and sound all in one. I'm amazed that more people do not think to do this. This is real history taking place at events like these and no one does anything much if anything to preserve them for later. I try and do my part and write like one possessed I did! I, too for that am quite proud.
As you read these words of Riccardo's you can see how well or badly I did depending on how much of it makes sense to you and what you can understand from them? I will try and fill the gaps in with my own words as I believe that Riccardo had a number of really wonderful expressions and much to convey of interest to anyone really interested or in love with Italian fine wines.
It's Thursday evening at 12:16 AM now ( midnight just ) October 30th ( now 31st ), 2008 as I begin this labor of my love. I will learn and benefit from revisiting now this wonderful three-hour period in my life just two years ago. Being as it is quite late, however I will take my leave now and get some much-needed rest and resume this tomorrow when I am fresher.
The " tomorrow " I referred to is sadly now December 1st, 2008 at 10:11 AM and I am home with my dog waiting for an electrician to come fix something here. The rain has gone away and it is much nicer than yesterday with all the dampness/wetness/coldness everywhere. Brrr. It was nice to get out and walk : stimulates the thoughts.
It is a " labor of my love " ( I was feeling quite poetic when I wrote that ) as I realize that some of these blogs of mine ultimately benefit me as much as anyone. They are certainly written from my own. personal, humble I hope perspective, too as I want to add something to the equation so to speak whether good or not depends on who's reading it and what they decide. For me it is introspective and therapeutic and often exhilarating - a rush of emotion and adrenalin that's welcome and warming and exciting.
Bottom line is I met Riccardo for the first time here and was really pleased and inspired by him, his words and actions and wine of course. My BIG DISCOVERY was his white indigenous Lazio Roscetto that worked with all the foods just as he said it would.
We enjoyed a wonderful meal, too at Johhny's Half Shell starting with appetizers of roasted Criple Creek aged-tenderloin ( the Falesco Sangiovese 2005 and the Falesco Merlot 2004 were served ). I enjoyed both wines and especially the fruit-forward flavors of both that had brighter red, toasted cherry-berry flavors and less sharpness or dryness of tannins.
We then passed onto the main course of chicken in Creole Etouffe sauce with green onions and Basmati rice. The accompanying wines were the Falesco Montiano Merlot 2001 and the 2003. The 2001 won hands-down for me over the 2003. The 2001 had gravitas and heft and weight and real depth that needed the food to balance and flesh it out. The 2003 was lovely, polished and elegant but left me a bit bored in comparison. It just was too subtle , even for me who loves subtlety.
The white Roscetto Ferentano was served with both the aged tenderloin and the chicken in Creole Etouffee sauce. It had been introduced earlier by Riccardo as we tasted it in some of his opening comments. I had never had paid much attention to it. I think that I had already sampled it with our reps Jody Jackman and Falesco hands-on David Pinzolo ( who I have known now for years and enjoyed a good comeraderie with, too as well as mutual respect ). It CAME ALIVE, however, when I tasted it with the different foods.
I kept thinking of Riccardo's words about not forgetting it and assuming that it would not work well with our whole meal. Here was the owner of a really famous Italian line of family-wines telling us to really pay close attention to this white wine when he was already so very famous over the whole United States for his reds! What gives? I had to respect this comment as it was both intriguing and a bit unexpected. What was Riccardo saying? Why was he so gently insistent on drawing attention to this unheard of white from Lazio made with an unusual, little-known white grape called Roscetto? Why didn't he just plant and make some more Chardonnay which we have all already heard of ad-nauseum?!?
That was just the point : Riccardo said himself that he wanted something " new " and local to bring to the table. That's for me where the " visionary " part of the title to this blog comes from. He's got both vision and a strong will and desire to follow things through. As he said it's been a real challenge for him and his team and I think he's on a fabulous path to lots of interest and acclaim for his Ferentano.
I liked the Ferentano Roscetto white better or as least as much as the other reds with both the aged tenderloin and the Creole chicken! This is when this wine came into complete Kodak-moment-clarity-serendipitous-delightful focus for me!! I was hooked and I would learn later that Kelly of Palena was also enamoured as I was. We both ordered and promoted it : me in my store at Cleveland Park Wines & Spirits ( 3423 Connecticut Avenue Wines & Spirits ) and she at her restaurant Palena just a block away from us. Cleveland Park residents were now getting a good exposure and dose of this flavorful, rich, thick, bright sunshine-laden white that I could probably float on happily without sinking because of it's generous, deep texture and completeness of flavorings both subtle and unabashedly happy.
We finished the meal with some fall fruit compote ( served with spiced cream and almond tuile ). I was busy taking more pictures which I need to find on one of my discs and download. I'm sure they are good. I can't remember as I have not seen them since I took them back two years ago to October 26th, 2006. I also had to get this menu signed and speak a bit to Riccardo and thank him before taking my leave to rush back to our store.
It was only because Jody Jackman ( thanks Jody ) my rep for Winebow was willing to pinch-hit for me at the store that I could afford to take this time away from work to attend this private luncheon of perhaps fifteen or so people. It was held in Johhny's Half Shell private dining room around one big oval table so that everyone could see everyone else. Nice. Like a big family sitting down to a meal. I think we all became a bit more family because of this even though many of us may have never met before.
This was an extraordinarily intimate way to meet such a captivating personality such as Riccardo and get to listen to him speak and share his wonder, his passion, his focus, success and dedication that still returns successfully to both Umbria and Lazio where he calls home. He's true to these regions and an grand ambassador for them.
I wrote quickly down what he was saying about his experiences and each wine. I will record them in the second part of this blog. Thanks again Riccardo. For more technical information go to : Azienda Vinicola Falesco Sri loc. S. Pietro snc 05020 Montecchio ( Tr ) Tel : +39 ( 0 ) 744 955601 Fax : +39 ( 0 ) 744 950725 info@falesco.it .
I have decided to post this now and break this blog into a two-part blog so as to make my life simpler and so as to post something that shows up as the first entry of December 2008. That will be good. So, after reading this please go back to December for the second installment. Cheers and Happy Holidays 2008 , TONY
