When I met Elizabetta Foradori I had to admit that the wines I was trying were not familiar to me even though I had heard and read about the winemaker since Elizabetta Foradori is considered as one of the most influential female winemakers in the world. I met her at Vini Birre Ribelli in Brussels earlier this month. The winery has been established for more than 100 years in 1901 and was eventually bought by Vittorio Foradori in 1929. The first ever vintage of 'Foradori' was produced in 1960. Elisabetta took over the winery in 1984 after completed her studies at the S. Michele all'Adige's wine school and faced her first vintage. She worked to convert the winery to a biodynamic farming system in 2002 and in 2007 the winery joined VinNatur and started making natural wines. Foradori have been making use of biodynamic farming in their vineyards while diligently working with great care in the cellars for over 10 years. This has led to excellent results. Elizabetta is humble and easy … [Read more...]
Excellent line-up of wine makers at the first rebel wines and beers fair in Brussels
The first ever Rebel Wines and Beers fair was organised at Tour et Taxis on Sunday (7 December) with the second day of the fair taking place on Monday (8 December). We visited the fair this morning and met with a number of wine producers all of which are producing 'natural wines' or wines which are made with minimal chemical and technological intervention in growing grapes and making them into wine. All the wines we tasted at the fair (around 50 in total) had minimal use of sulphites at bottling. We heard some very interesting stories from the wine makers on how they make the wine and why they produce it in this manner. At the stand of Sicilian winemaker Azienda Agricola Cos we tasted the whole range of wines produced by this Sicilian winery. Unlike convention, they recommended we started the tasting with red wines which was then followed by the white wines since these are produced with the skins on, similar to the way in which red wines are made. Although we were familiar with … [Read more...]
A reader sends us two wine horror stories in restaurants
A few weeks ago we wrote about wine mistakes that are often made in restaurants. This has been one of the most popular posts on the website. A reader, who we know to be an avid wine lover, has sent us two of his wine horror stories which are all the more scary because they happened in two highly reputable restaurants. We know the names of the places in question but we are opting not to mention them because our aim is to raise awareness about these mistakes and to ensure that more attention is given to wine service in restaurants. Do not hesitate to share your stories with us. Story #1 : It was a special occasion and our reader and his wife went to a highly reputed restaurant for lunch. "We had a look at the menu and I had seen that I could have as a starter a "tranche de foie gras cru accompagné d'un verre de Sauternes". The name of the wine figured on the list, but I cannot unfortunately remember exactly which one it was. So, when the sommelier came over to ask … [Read more...]
What we’ve been drinking last month (October)
It has been a busy month for Food and Wine Gazette. We ended up missing Megavino, the largest wine event in Brussels because we opted to go to Chef Sache in Cologne on the same weekend. At the start of the month, we tasted some great wines from Tuscany at Saveurs de Toscanes. This always proves to be a very interesting event and one where you meet some small producers which you would not normally otherwise come across. So here is a list of wines which I particularly enjoyed last month. White Wine Rietsch Entre Chien et Loup Auxerrois 2013 (Alsace): A very approachable white wine from Alsace. Very low in sulphites and a biodynamic wine, this surprised for its freshness and balance. Great on the nose with citrus aromas it is a highly recommended wine. Red Wine Giovanni Chiappini Felciano 2013 (Bolgheri, Tuscany): A great value Red wine from Bolgheri. A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sangiovese, this is still young but already approachable. It has an intense … [Read more...]
What we’ve been drinking last month (September)
September is the month of new beginnings. Autumn is fast approaching and a look at my twitter feed indicates that winemakers are incredibly busy with their harvests as they start work on their new vintages. The signs of autumn are visible everywhere as the leaves start to fall off trees, the mornings become crisper and on some days a thin fog greets you as soon as you look out of the window or exit the front door. But still winter seems far away, the day is still relatively long and while we have had our fair share of white wines over the summer months, we still have the time to drink some whites particularly on the weekends as we pair them with fish dishes. In September, I also had the opportunity to go for a tasting of 2004 Barolo. Now 2004 is considered to be an excellent year for the 'king' of Italian wines. We tried eight bottles during the tasting, all of which were excellent. As in every wine tasting, there were some wines which shone. What was however surprising was … [Read more...]
Saveurs Toscanes: A feast for fans of Tuscany
Saveurs Toscanes which took place last weekend at the Arsenal in Brussels was a feast for lovers of Tuscan food and wine. It was great to visit the many stands with producers that made the trip from Tuscany and meet some cheese, wine and meat producers who we had been meeting over the years since the event started taking place. Tuscany, for lovers of food and wine, is one of Italy's richest regions. For wine, you will find appellations such as Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano. All were well represented at this event and I must say that most of the wines that I tried were good, even those from very small producers who are not known in the wine guides. Tuscany is also home to wines called "Super Tuscans" which are exceptional table wines that do not follow the norms, i.e. do not necessarily use the indigenous Sangiovese grape. These wines have become cult wines and among them is a small producer Chiappini who has vineyards in Bolgheri neighbouring … [Read more...]
Three women turn their passion for wine into successful professional lives
Elisabetta Tosi - Guest Post From time to time, we bring you content which we particularly like from elsewhere. In this case, you will find this story by Elisabetta Tosi which featured on Palate Press particularly interesting. It features three Italian women in the wine world and their story. When we talk about Italian wines, we usually talk about the men behind them, but in doing so we forget that the Italian wine world is made up of both men and women. This time, let me speak about three young women who were able to turn their passions for wine into successful professional lives; I know each one of them personally, and I would like to relate their individual adventures. Each one has a different approach, yet each is always a positive force in this world.Laura Albertini produces Valpolicella wines from her 4.5 hectares (11 acres) of vineyards at Tierra de Pietra. Originally she studied accounting but she was unhappy amidst papers and documents. Since her childhood, part of … [Read more...]
Good service: Wine mistakes in restaurants
We were having a dinner at a restaurant in a five star hotel some time ago when the waiter who came to serve the white wine asked who was going to taste the wine, a ritual which rakes place every time you order a bottle of wine in a restaurant. As soon as I nodded the ok, and as I continued with my conversation, I noticed that he had literally emptied the whole bottle into four large wine glasses we had at table. It was wrong on many counts and this is why. First, we were dining al fresco on a hot summer evening and this was white wine so it would have been better to pour just a bit of wine and leave the rest in the wine cooler. Second, maybe there is someone at table who just wants to have a very small glass and therefore that wine may end up going wasted. Third, you might understand that restaurants or hotels may want to up sell but this is way in your face and actually urges you not to order a second bottle because you are afraid that the same thing might happen … [Read more...]
The wines of Sicily – a wine region like no other
Maybe it is because of Malta's close affinity to Sicily, or because of the fact that I have been there so many times, but I find Sicilian wines to be extremely interesting. True, they might not compare with the finesse of Barolo's from Piemonte or Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany but still they are extremely fascinating. Sicilian cuisine to me epitomises what is best about Mediterranean food. Take simple, sometimes humble ingredients and within minutes you have the makings of a great meal. Like my home country, Sicily is a hotpot of different influences from the Mediterranean. Some of the most memorable meals I have experienced were in Sicily whether it was a menu free restaurant in Scoglitti serving just one fish dish after another of what their fishermen had caught earlier in the day, to some of the best pasta creations. Nothing beats their spaghetti with sea urchins or pasta with prawns and pine nuts or pistachios which are so common in Sicilian cuisine. But this post is not … [Read more...]
How to build your knowledge of wine
Michael Broadbent for many is the modern patron saint of wine. In 2002, in the Decanter magazine, he listed the ten most important things that he had learned on wine. Two quotes stick to mind. Drink good wine with every meal. Half a bottle of good wine is more interesting - and better for you - than six bottles of plonk. Be honest and rely on your own tasting; avoid the influence of others. Many love to drink a good glass of wine but are intimidated by the subject of wine and most people actually hesitate to go beyond the supermarket shelves. The subject of wine is incredibly fascinating. It is one of constant discovery, one in which only very few if ever will completely master the subject given the width and breath of wines that can be tasted. Take a region and break it down into different communes, within those communes, find different vineyards, some growing different varietals of grapes. You will find that different producers make different wines a few metres from each other and … [Read more...]