The wines in Chicago: Northern Italy

From Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th of October, Eataly Chicago will be the stage for the first edition of the Italian Food and Wine Festival, a great showcase for over 200 Italian wines, selected by the president of the Merano Wine Festival, Helmuth Köcher. We’re now going to present them, in 3 parts, starting today, with the first episode dedicated to the wines from Northern Italy.

There will be Fontanafredda, which will arrive in the US with its Vino Libero project, with a themed store in New York, also in the autumn. The wines presented by the winery from Serralunga d’Alba will be Barolo 2009 Serralunga docg and Barolo Lazzarito 2008 Mirafiore, two worthy examples of Nebbiolo in its most free and elegant expression. From Langhe we move to Monferrato, with the red indigenous grape variety called Ruché di Castagnole, interpreted by Montalbera. This is a young activity with innovative ideas finely focused on the valorisation of Ruché, structured and spicy, versatile, and suitable as an aperitif. The tasting of the Grigné, a Grignolino d’Asti vinified in steel tanks, is also interesting.

Lombardy will be present with Citari from San Martino della Battaglia and its Sorgente Lugana 2013 (100% Trebbiano), a delicate wine, just like the Garda Classico Chiaretto 18 e Quarantacinque with a blend of 40% Groppello, 20% Marzemino, 20% Sauvignon and 20% Barbera. Veneto is represented by Amarone’s family par excellence, namely the Allegrini’s, with great red wines from Valpolicella, starting from Valpolicella Classico doc and passing through Palazzo della Torre Veronese igt with a blend of 70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% di Sangiovese, the use of used barriques to confirm a remarkable elegance. The same goes for La Grola Veronese Igt 2009, a red wine full of character.

The choice of wines produced by Col Vetoraz is also interesting, starting from Cartizze Superiore di Valdobbiadene Docg 2013, only steel for a round and creamy wine just like the Millesimato Valdobbiadene Dry docg. Italian aromas and bubbles characterise “La Voglio” 2013 Prosecco Superiore Brut Docg besides the Dry and Extra Dry etichetta Zinga 2013. From Veneto we move to Friuli with Tenute Tomasella, 23 hectares in Veneto and 7 in Friuli, a nice business that produces a 100% Merlot based wine with a concept similar to Barolo Chinato: an infusion of herbs and spices is added, giving life to Chinoro, an aromatised Merlot.

We stay in Friuli with the Bastianich family which will be present with its Vespa Bianco, Calabrone and many more. These are fresh, touching wines that Joe Bastianich always explains with a contagious enthusiasm. Keeping to the same area, there’s Zorzettig and the Myò Vigneti range from Spessa with Friulano, Pignolo, Malvasia istriana and Ribolla Gialla. Wines full of personality and structure. From Trentino of course there’s also the Lunelli family with Ferrari in Trento, now having reached the third generation with Matteo, Marcello, Camilla and Alessandro. They have new projects and a label restyling but are always concentrated on the production of high quality bubbles and wines that match elegance and territory. Trento Doc Ferrari is presented as Brut, Perlè Rosé, 100% Chardonnay and Giulio Ferrari Riserva del Fondatore. Alto Adige, instead, will be represented by Castelfeder’s wines, a young reality that will serve Pinot Nero Burgum Novum and Pinot Bianco Alto Adige Tecum besides a typical Lagrein matured in used barriques.

The selection of wines presented by Viticoltori Alto Adige is also interesting: Pinot Grigio Doc 2013 San Pietro, Gewürztraminer “S” and Pinot Nero “S”, all matured in steel, fresh and with a unique price-quality ratio. Completing the list of wines from Northern Italy presented in Chicago, there’s the historic Terlano winery: Pinot Bianco Vorberg, Pinot Nero Montigl, Terlaner Classico and Winkl Sauvignon.

1. to be continued