Reviews

Vino in Villa: Prosecco festival
«Enoteka» № 10(67) 2008

If there is a wine with bubbles, there will be a party.

But if a sparkling wine is produced by millions of bottles, it needs nothing less than a festival. This is what Consortium of Prosecco di Conegliano-Valdobbiadene wines must have thought when it decided to organize an annual festival of this Italian bubbly. Recently the festival was held for the 11th time, while production of frizzante and spumante on the territory of Veneto skyrocketed. It seemed that the consortium’s president Franco Adami couldn’t believe the figures when he was talking about the latest records. Nearly 46 million bottles of Prosecco Spumante of 2006 harvest were sold. The festival was held on an appropriately grand scale — winemakers were pouring wines, chefs were cooking delicious meals, professors convened at symposia, scientists and practitioners gathered seminars and guests marveled and enjoyed what was on offer.

Saturday night until very late and all Sunday were available to taste over 300 brands of sparkling Prosecco, as well as still white, dry and sweet wine from Treviso province and from French and Portuguese regions. The latter were featured to honour speakers who were invited to participate in seminars. Yet why go to a Prosecco festival and drink something else? Especially when winemakers themselves stand behind the tables, open bottles, happily serve visitors and even have time to respond to questions and opinions which come from all sides.

Contrary to general belief, Prosecco is not always a simple wine. Over 80 estates took part in the festival, and it was possible to taste Prosecco that has nothing in common with industrial fizz which is pumped out of tanks soon after it is poured in them. After a close encounter it turns out that wines of one village are different from the other; that some wineries even produce conceptually exclusive single vineyard labels; that in some estates wine ferments longer than in others, and the third even work by champagne technology instead of charmat; that lees are handled differently; that Prosecco may be aged for different periods and occasionally it is even vintage dated. There is enough information here for a good research paper. And we are talking about an unpretentious wine that it drunk without much though any time of the day! Fifteen euros paid for the entry (professionals get it even cheaper) are compensated after the tasting at the first table.

In order not to get lost in the numerous halls of the villa (of which we will talk later under “Cultural activities”), the most convenient way of tasting was according to the alphabetical (which was also numerical) order of producers. Adami estate owned by the consortium’s president was first on the list. His wines proved an excellent introduction to the world of finer Prosecco. They appealed through fine strings of bubbles and elegant character. Umberto Cosmo, winemaker-proprietor of Bellenda, managed to talk about technical details of vinification for his different, but equally wonderfully balanced cuvees, as well as to give a brief historic insight of the region within five minutes of our conversation. Production of sparkling wines in the area dates back to 1870 — classic champagne technology was used then. It fell out of use after vineyards were destroyed by phylloxera. Thus it appears that metodo classico was first introduced at Conegliano-Valdobbiadene vineyards and not in Trentino as it is commonly thought today. Bellenda’s range also features wines with secondary fermentation in bottle — Spumante Brut “S.C. 1931” is particularly interesting.

The table of a new Borgoluce estate attracted with magnums. Not only they looked good, but they also better revealed the character of impeccably pure, fresh, mineral Prosecco brut and extra dry with soft mousse and full, lingering finish. The winery was founded by three sisters of the Collalto family. They aristocratic heritage is also somehow felt through wine. A small, 5-hectare vineyard Vigne di Alice is also in female hands. Artisanal approach helps to craft premium wines with individuality and complexity. The shape of bottles appears to be inspired by Ruinart’s design and is guaranteed to attract attention of female wine lovers.

Men at the tasting, in turn, were impressed with Col Vetoraz Prosecco. Their sharp, dominating style reminded of the character of a man who was pouring wines to the guests. Perlage winery was the only one at the tasting that joined the ranks of biodynamic producers. It offered well integrated and persistent spumante Col di Manza and quite deep for its category biological frizzante Riva Moretta. As mentioned before, over 80 estates participated — a separate guide is needed to describe all Prosecco. Instead, it is best to come to the festival, take advantage of a catalogue where basic information is already listed, and enjoy the discovery of these and other wines.

No Italian party can go without food, and Vino in Villa organizers succeeded in putting together a good culinary and gastronomic show. Like at other similar events, local products were offered of tasting, including young and aged Asiago cheese, with protected origin of production.

Yet, the main array of food flavours was presented by established and promising chefs from various parts of Italy who are regularly invited to participate in the festival. The opening gala-dinner for 350 people was prepared by student chefs of a prestigious international school of Italian cuisine ALMA, headed by Gualtiero Marchesi. The dinner was akin to a gastronomic performance that took place in numerous halls and terraces of the villa. The actors were traditional and creative dishes of Italian cuisine. They, in turn, were successfully supported by wines from Treviso province (Prosecco above all!) and from guest countries of the event.

On Saturday two chefs offered signature menus following a general topic of ‘poor’ Italian cuisine. The programme was built on contrasts — cuisine of North and South, approaches of tradition and modernity. Lunch of a young Sicilian chef Pino Cuttaia offered exciting creativity. Having started as pizzaiolo, Cuttaia moved to work in established restaurants. He recently opened his own La Madia restaurant near Agrigento where his talent is sure to receive deserved recognition. The chef says that his inspiration comes from the most vivid memories of past life experiences. They are transformed into bold and unexpected flavour combinations in the kitchen. Codfish smoked on pinecones, with crushed potatoes and pizza condiment; cuttlefish gnocchi with fennel cream, artichoke chips and black coal; swordfish in oil with ash — this is what Cuttaia offered for lunch. The job of finding matching wines was challenging, but one of the combinations was just perfect. Savoury dessert Parmigiana del giorno dopo (mousse of baby aubergines with red tomato and garlic ‘heart’, drizzled with green juice and decorated with white Ragusano cream, cheese shavings and aubergine chips) and rare sweet wine Torchiato di Fregona 2005 by Luciano Chies from Colli di Conegliano was the best pairing of the day.

Mattias Peri from Northern Lombardy (Alpine restaurant Chalet Mattias in Ligivno) prepared typical northern Italian dishes. There was room for traditional products such as air cured beef Bresaola (actually, this is a delicacy and poor people can afford it only for the biggest holidays). Other dishes on the dinner menu were risotto from Vialone Nano rice with surprising emerald tint and light coniferous flavour thanks to the stock with pine needles; veal cooked at low temperature, with silky textured and delicious polenta and young nettles; sweet ravioli with apple marmalade and chocolate.

Only a selected group of guests could enjoy these gastronomic delights. But others didn’t go hungry either thanks to Merenda Italiana packs with authentic Italian food prepared by ALMA chefs.

Those who wanted to get food for thought had an opportunity to take part in a conference on Saturday morning. It was open to press, producers, professionals and general public. Conferences are traditionally held at Vino in Villa. Again, organizers should be praised for a thoughtful choice of topics. They are of interest to a wide group of people, and speakers are not boring. Last year, for example, finger food, its pairing with wine and ways of joint promotion were discussed. This year the topic was “Don’t call it the Old World!”. It was focused on quality winegrowing and natural landscapes.

A close link between landscape and wine is one of the main features of European winemaking approach. Even basic references to European wine areas are often given in context of natural surroundings: Medoc vineyards are located on low lying plots next to the Gironde river; Chianti Classico — on wooded Chianti hills; Mosel and Wachau — on steep, river facing terraces. A report was presented on a full scale work in the Loire Valley to preserve landscapes (one fifth of them is protected by UNESCO) and to include them in a plan that embraces tourism and promotes quality wines in the context of the unique territory.

Representative of the Institute of the Douro wines and ports discussed the issue of future development. The Douro Valley in Portugal is well known by its unique natural and human heritage. If a general plan to combine port with wine routes, river cruises, museums and other natural, cultural and tourist programmes is not developed, the future of port will be threatened.

In the meantime, Italian professor of architectural history and expert in landscape architecture showed a great cultural insight in the past through pictures and frescoes of medieval Venetian masters. The works of art were a great proof how winegrowing, on the one side, offers a good way to tame nature, and on the other — helps preserve its authenticity.

Along with offering aesthetic values, it appears that vineyards in a beautiful area positively affect wine sales. Viticultural Research centre of Conegliano recently conducted an experiment together with the university of Padova. Researchers wanted to find out how “production environment”, or, to put is simply, vineyard landscapes influence perceived quality of wine. The tested group of people was offered wine of a certain quality level in a blind tasting. Its price was announced and a picture of vineyard was shown at the same time. Then the same sample of introduced with another vineyard picture or price. Wines were grouped by quality levels (basic, medium and high) and three priced categories. Five different pictures of vineyards were shown — from monotonous landscape to beautiful. The results were curious. Experienced people (over 40 years) relied more on real quality, then price when assessing wine. But evaluations of younger people (20-40 years) and especially students were markedly influenced by landscape. Price and quality had lesser influence. Thus, vineyard’s beauty is also a good marketing instrument in promoting wine.

The festival’s cultural aspect needn’t have been prepared specially. The venue — 800-year old San Salvatore castle, one of the biggest in the northern Italy, with a splendid palace of the Enlightenment period — inspired an elevated mood. Ruins of the old castle, magnificent rooms of the villa, breathtaking views stretching to the horizon served as striking decorations to the festival. Even pouring rain and grey skies couldn’t spoil the festive atmosphere.

Open symposia dedicated to stories and voyages of wine between the Levant, Venice and Europe were organized on Saturday before the tasting. Cultural talks were prepared by professors of the Ca’Foscari University of Venice and took place under the marquee in the castle’s courtyard. At one stage the speech of a Greek professor who came to the festival specially to talk about ancient and medieval wine trade between Greece and Venice was interrupted by the noise of the rain. The organizers weren’t taken aback. Everyone (that is more than 200 people) was served a glass of Prosecco. The unplanned break was filled, and happy guests listened to the speeches to the end.

This is what happened at Vino in Villa this year. The festival of bubbles turned into a party for good wine, good, communication, knowledge and culture. It is good that it is held annually. Perhaps next year it will be lucky with sunshine. But good weather or not, it has already become one of those Italian wine events to which you want to come back again.