Felidia Ristorante
Wine Notes
August – September 1996
Italian Whites that aren’t so light…
There are some things that we all just know about Italian white wines. They are all really light, dry, and don’t have a lot of flavor. Right? Wrong. Try these and other less familiar wines on for some bold flavors and lots of body.
Fiano de Avellino is often regarded as the most distinguished dry white wine of Italy’s south. Grown in Campania, this wine shows notes of pears, spices and toasted hazelnuts. We feature one of the best, from well known producer Mastroberardino.
Franciacorta, a Chardonnay and Pinot Bianco blend from Lombardia can be anything from light and easy drinking to a complex, wood aged wine. The single vineyard Rampaneto we offer from the Cavalleri family is a delightful example of the latter.
Featured Producer: Josko Gravner
Year in and year out, Josko Gravner produces some of the most complex and long-lived white wines from northeastern Italy. Located in the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, specifically the Collio zone, Gravner makes beautifully handcrafted wines. Lightness of body, purity of fruit and a complexity imparted by his attention to detail in the vinification and aging processes results in wines that are a delight to the tastebuds.
Twenty of his twenty-three acres are planted to white grape varieties. Of his six wines, Felidia currently features three. Ribolla Gialla is a dry, light white with a nose of fresh herbs and white pepper. Approximately 15% of the grapes are fermented and aged in small oak barrels for five months and then blended with the remaining 85% which undergo more typical fermentation in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks. The resulting wine is subtle with a lingering finish. This is a perfect wine for fish dishes with aromatic sauces.
Gravner’s Sauvignon is racy and aristocratic, with a long, elegant finish. Typical of the varietal this wine has a very “green” nose, a touch of red berry fruit, and hints of sage and tomato. Finished with toasty new oak, this wine can stand up to a variety of dishes, from fish to poultry, especially those with a bit of spice.
“Breg” is the Slovenian word for slope or hillside. Gravner recently renamed his proprietary white cuvée Breg to reflect its special nature. A careful blending of Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon and Riesling Italico along with small quantities of wine from vines planted in 1915 – Glera, Pagadebit, Malvasia and Ribolla – produces Gravner’s finest wine. Elegant and light, yet complex enough to age for years, this wine makes a wonderful partner for dishes from simple pastas to robust meats.
Answers to your questions from our Sommelier
– What’s your job?
I’ll admit, I have what I think is one of the most fun jobs around. I try the food so I know what it tastes like. Wine salesmen bring me samples of wine that I ask for or that they want to sell to me. I get to sit around and taste it. Okay, some of the stuff is swill, that’s the downside. But then I get to have fun putting together a list of what a) I like, b) goes with the food, and c) will impress and interest our restaurant’s owners, the food critics, my colleagues, and, most importantly, you.
– Doesn’t it make me look stupid to ask you questions about the wines?
If we could all know everything about everything life would get really, really boring, very, very fast. You have no problem asking your captain what mahi-mahi is and whether it’s been grilled, broiled or fried with a three-herb semolina crust, or just exactly what’s in a mango-cauliflower crustace sauce with kaffir lime tuiles. Right? Even if you know something about wine, you just might not know everything about wine. Maybe we have a different vintage than you’ve tried. Maybe you don’t know what goes with kaffir lime tuiles. Maybe you haven’t a clue, period. The one person who knows more than anyone else about what’s on our winelist is me.
– So what should I ask you?
The opening salvo is simple. “What do you recommend that will go with our dinner, in the range of $…?” We’ll have a little conversation about what you plan to eat. And we’ll narrow it down and decide on something. You can then appear to weigh my answer and make a casual decision.
