Ep. 1157 VIA Taormina Gourmet & Mt. Etna 2022 Pt. 2 | Gita Scolastica 2022

The Italian wine podcast is introducing a new donation drive this month. It's called y m I a fan. We are encouraging anyone who tunes on a regular basis to send us your ten second video on why you are a fan of our podcast network or a specific show. We will then share your thoughts with the world with the goal of garnering support for our donation drive. Italian wine podcast is a publicly funded sponsored driven enterprise that needs you in order to continue to receive awesome pre wine edutainment. Seven days a week, we are asking our listeners to donate to the Italian wine podcast. By clicking either the go fund me link or the Patreon link found on Italian wine podcast dot com. Remember, if you sign up as a monthly donor on our Patreon, we will send you a free IWP t shirt. And a copy of the wine democracy book, the newest mama jumbo shrimp publication. Welcome to the special Vitale International Academy twenty twenty two, Tarmina Gourmet, and Mount Aetna Gites Colastica series. The last week of October took a team of our staff and fifteen Vine International Academy ambassadors to the annual Taourmina Gourmet event posted by Konacadigusto, and then on to explore several vineyards and wines on Mount Aetna. Of course, we documented the whole experience. Listen in as Cynthia Chaplin narrates her travel adventures. And remember, if you prefer written content, just go to our blog on Italian wine podcast dot com, now onto the show. Another day in paradise, bright and sunny in tower, MENa, the gorgeous weather learned some of our ewas to the beach early this morning, and everyone came back refreshed and ready for our first master classes of the day. Several of us started with Robert Camuto's session talking about his new book south of somewhere, a copy of which he generously handed out to everyone in the audience. His charming storytelling and slow, careful Italian were praised by all of our ambassadors They really appreciated the fact that everyone could understand him. He spoke movingly about discovering the value of his grandparents and respect for the land, nature, and kindness. His fundamental question driving the book was What is Southern wine now as compared to before the nineteen eighties when southern wine was basically viewed as simply useful for washing down the great southern food. Camuto paired his session with a thoughtful selection of eight wines including a surprisingly good Chazanese superiori from Damiano Chioli, and the always stunning FiorDuba from Marisa Cuomo. The final wine was the luminous golden organic Mongebell Bianco made in fiberglass tanks by Frank Cornelson, a nod to our current location overlooking Mount Aetna. Next stop, is it Luchido or Is it Katarato with Jeff Porter rocking his hipster mentality dressed in a dad vibe? The room was filled with several psalms, which made for great discussions about how to sell and story tell about these wines. This grade basil is most widely planted with over thirty thousand hectares producing some eight hundred and fifty thousand bottles per year. We all agreed the wines that came from higher altitudes were the best. Although the Gorgeton de coste from Trapani grown at twenty five meters above sea level was a real surprise. Almost Montania in style with fascinating pickled lemon, savory, saline notes, a full body, a long bitter mandarin peel finish and a compelling texture. All five wines were excellent quality showing a common thread of acidity and a balance of green almond, fruit, and floral characters, and a lot of zing and zest. Lunch had all of our Italian wine ambassadors on the hotel's beautiful terrace perched above the sea feasting on pig ten ways. A whole piggy grazed the serving table and we were treated to porchetta with fungi stuffing, mortadella with truffles, several types of salimi and hazelnut florentines to top it all off. A great way to soak up the wine, although some of us did mourn the lack of Freedom vegetables. A group photoshoot with Professori Chienza before his session on the wines tomorrow, where Ellen Jacobs Meijer and I were slightly stunned to witness the vociferous rant by Croniguesto moderator against Robert Camuto's book. No wonder they wouldn't let him into the room. Italian wine podcast. Brought to you by mama jumbo shrimp. It'll professorial presented sound scientific reasons for the need for science to help wine producers cope with issues of climate change and sustainability. He argued that genome editing and better genetic research for crossing will help with the development of precise bit of culture and mapping will assist in conserving our finite resources. Unfortunately, the eight wines were disappointing, including and Aetna Russo described by Ellen, who knows her stuff, as not unlike a bad tempernillo, and an Afra made Trebiano Montonico and pecorino cross that I called chalky, mousy, and furry, with unpleasant notes of mushy peach, and bacon fat. Not mentioning any producer's names here, suffice it to say that we agreed the proof was not in the pudding or the wine glass today. Never thought I'd have the chance to say, saved by Verdicchio, but that happened. Micheli Bernetti led the tasting of ten Verdicchio classicos superiority and reservas. Highlighting the clear differences between dry hot twenty twenty and cool wet twenty eighteen. Verdicchio has long been one of my favorite Italian wines. Thank you, Henry Duvard, and this selection was truly impressive. Demonstrating the influence of the sea, the soils, and the altitude on this high acid wine. Best wines included, Spirepani's eel Priore twenty twenty, with its elegant nose of lemon verbena and mint, soft phenolic and lovely round mouth field grown at one hundred meters above sea level, as well as Bernati's own umani Ronki Casa Del Sarah twenty twenty one, with a fresh bright vibrating acidity, fragrant lemon and parsley nose and a gentle lingering grip. Garoffoli's podium twenty twenty was just so good. Fifteen months on Fine Lease didn't dim its nose of clear, clean sea water, and iodine. And the fresh almond in saline tang lasted forever. Angelini's Sancisto twenty eighteen was rich and exotic, filled with dry Marzipan and a decadent silky delicious finish. Last but not least, Tanuta de Tavignano's misco twenty eighteen grown facing the sea and aged on leaves in steel was a crowd pleaser with its full bodied, creamy blend of grapefruit, and Salmastre, or saltbush notes. Nothing ends the day right, like some bubbles, and I was definitely not the only ambassador who thought so. A packed room tasted eight vintages of RichikorBastro Cetan led by none other than Alberto RichikorBastro himself. Passion and pride made this tasting feel very personal. And despite a sommelier smashing one of my wine glasses and flooding my tasting mat, I couldn't tear my eyes off the presentation, even though it was eight thirty PM by the time it ended. Elegance and innovation were the key words, and we learned that French Accord has six microzones, with Richey Carbastro certified bio, growing grapes in four of them. Saten is something of a specialty for the family, thirty percent of their production is satin, although only ten percent of Francacorta overall is made in this style. Winners here were the two thousand and nine Museum release, which spent one hundred and twenty two months on Lee's, and the two thousand and six Museum release one hundred and seventy four months on leaves and still incredibly bright. We were treated to pours of Gualberto twenty twelve and two thousand and eight from magnums. These are not the tens as they contain up seventy percent pinot narrow instead of the required one hundred percent chardonnay. The two thousand and eight wowed with notes of cassisis and bakery pastry. The two varietals were vented separately, bottle aged in magnums, and then reunited for the final bottling. The wine had a beautiful lightness exulting the dosage zero and sending us off into the night with a French Acorta song in our hearts. Listen to the Italian wine podcast where you get your podcasts. We're on SoundCloud, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, email ifm, and more. Don't forget to subscribe and rate the show. If you enjoy listening, please consider donating to italian wine podcast dot com. Any amount helps cover equipment, production, and publication costs. Until next time.