On the road from New York City to Massachusetts, and a run into Susucaru!

Last day on the beach for the summer of 2012. Fort Tilden, New York.

 

6:15 am Sunrise. Richmond, Massachusetts. 

 

Enjoyed a relaxing Berkshire style picnic, with Frank Cornelissen's Susucaru Etna Rosato... Wine made the old fashioned way.  This is a bad mother fucker with heaps of gunk and unfiltered delicious juice.  Mineral, full bodied with Notes of sour cherry, rhubarb, kombucha and thick juicy tannins. 

The red and white grapes going into this wine co-ferment for 45 days on the skins.  The result is an incredible rose' if your into this style.  I like the way K&L wine merchants write, "This is the kind of wine that if you have to ask about you wont like it and shouldnt buy it, it's really different."

Staying in the Berkshires a few days before heading to Milano, and then on the Wine Trail in Germany...

1983 Roero Arneis, Yesterdays Nebbiolo Bianco

On one of my last nights in New York Liz Nicholson, Wine Director at Maialino opened up a bottle of 1983 Roero Arneis for me.  This bottle had been stored in the Cornarea Cellars since just a few months ago and that is part of the reason this bottle was abosolutely singing when we popped it.  A timeless minerality with dusty, rocky tea notes and overall sexy mouthfeel. Absolutely delicious....

Once called Nebbiolo Bianco, Arneis grew inbetween Nebbiolo vines and was used as a blending grape for the red wines in the Roero.  When producers started making 100% Nebbiolo wines this grape almost became extinct.  Thanks to a couple of producers (Cornarea being one of them) 100% Arneis bottlings became popular and this is an amazing example of its potential.

Hot August: Garganega for the beach

Not just any Garganega, but that of Natural Winemaker Angiolino Maule 

from the hills of Sorio Gambellara in the Veneto.  

It was a hot ass August day, but with a refreshing breeze in The City and I found myself lugging a bottle of Angiolino Maule ''Masieri'' to the beach.  We settled west of the Rockaways, to the speak easy of New York beaches, Fort Tilden.

Masieri is a second wine produced from natural winemaker Angiolino Maule's vineyards for the epic ''Pico'' and ''Sassaia'' bottlings. Masieri, which is mainly Garganega includes a little Trebbiano as well.  As the single vineyard Pico (100% Garganega) see's 1-2 days on the skins and some large format oak ageing, the Masieri is fermented without the skins and finished in stainless steel.  A fresher simplified version that is a great beach wine and a steal at around $14 (Although the Pico is worth every extra penny at around $21).  Although there is no skin contact, there is a sense of that beautiful fat fruit characteristic, some salty peach, luscious stone fruit and incredible minerality.

[2004 Pico, showing superbly last August]

La magra raccolta di sabato scorso.

My friend and fellow shredder Filippo Kratter posted this photo today of his 250 Porcini harvest last week.  He hails from Sappada, Italy in the northern Veneto.  One of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited, and perfectly situated if you are a mountain man.

Francois Barmes

More words with Francois Barmes, found the full video from the earlier post...