italy
2018 VJB Cellars Montepulciano and Tuscan Beef Pairing
Photo from VJB Cellars website
The Wine – “Wine is bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Montepulciano typically is known for its deep color, powerful and sharp tannins with high acidity. Key traits of Montepulciano are oregano, pepper, tobacco, black fruits, plums and sour cherries. On the finish a smoky tobacco is common as well as a rustic countryside quality. Montepulciano’s taste is like Aglianico, Sangiovese and Primitivo. Only 164.9 acres of Montepulciano grapes were harvested per the 2024 USDA National Agricultural Statistics for California representing only .00018% of all red wine grapes harvested in California.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The 2018 VJB Cellars Montepulciano also has many of these characteristics and traits. It is bright in color and on the nose and palate, red berries, blackberries and dark stone fruit. It is bold and robust and best to be enjoyed with food. The finish provided firm tannins and is long yet with a modicum of vanilla and cocoa was very enjoyable. The finish was a tad “heavy and meatier”, but it fit my wine profile perfectly. The wine pairs with many foods especially with meats and cheeses found in Italy. This wine is 100% Montepulciano grapes from Sonoma Valley.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Pulled this bottle out last evening to pair with a Tuscan slow cooked braised beef in wine recipe. The recipe called for three pounds of Chuck Roast cut into small cubes, all-purpose flour, salt, black pepper, olive oil, chopped yellow onion, chopped celery stalk, minced garlic, chopped parsley, red wine, dried whole bay leaves, bone broth, tomato sauce and whole wheat noodles. After browning all the meat on the stove and preparing the sauce, then placed in the slow cooker for eight hours. When the meat was served it was so tender it fell apart with just a fork. Served over the whole wheat pasta and drizzled with fresh parsley. Accompanied by steamed broccoli. The food and wine pairing hit the target with the tannins from the wine standing up to the meat and the flavorful meat enjoying the dark fruit from the wine.
The Winery
Have visited them once for a private tasting and enjoyed all their wines. Today they make an assortment of primarily Italian style wines. They include Prosecco, Tocai Friulano, Aleatico Rose, Barbera, Primitivo, Dante, Sagrantino, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Nero d’ Avola, Negro Amaro, Aglianico, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, a Barbera Port, a Chardonnay Port and various blends.
Besides so many delicious wines to choose from, they offer a food store called La Cucina. They offer all kinds of imported cheeses and meats and provide spectacular food choices. Also their Red Rooster Pizza makes some of the best pizza in all of Sonoma County. Even if you can’t make a wine tasting, these two features are a major bonus!
Slainte,
Michael Kelly
2020 Derthona Timorasso, Colli Tortonesi DOC, A Rare Find
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background on Timorasso
I was introduced to this wine about 1 ½ years back by a friend and SOMM Fran Cunniffe at a small tasting at Prima Vini Wine Shop in Dublin, California. Thoroughly enjoyed the wine and picked up two bottles awaiting the right food & wine pairing opportunity.
This wine comes from the Piedmont region of Italy from the city of Tortona. The village is halfway between Milan and Genoa. While Piedmont is renowned for its gorgeous red wines (Barbera, Dolcetto, etc.) it is also the home of Timorasso. This grape has been around since the Middle Ages but with the advent of phylloxera and the Second World War it was quickly disappearing. Additionally, this grape varietal almost went extinct due to the finicky nature of the vines: double/triple buds at break, low yields and more desirable wines from the area. Many farmers wanted to replant with more well-known grape vines. Its survivability is credited to one man, Walter Massa a local farmer from Monleale a village in Piedmont who believed in the grape. In 1980’s it was almost extinct. By the 1990’s Walter and other local producers had continued to plant grapevines. Today over 20 wineries are producing Timorasso. It is key to the Colli Toronesi DOC. To be produced as a varietal from Colli Tortonesi region, it must constitute at least 85% of the Timorasso grape and the balance can be Moscato Bianco and Favorita (Vermentino).
The Wine “Wine is bottled poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
This wine has a unique texture and layers upon layers of panache! On the eyes, a straw light-colored golden hue. On the nose, both floral and fruity notes waft into the senses. Classical Timorasso may have notes of acacia, Hawthorne, peach, honey and tropical fruits. This one from the Oddero family provided wide-reaching floral scents coupled with minerality. On the palate yellow apple was dominant. The uniqueness of this grape is the mouth filling and heavy body white wine. Soft tropical fruit was secondary but present. A generous finish of refreshing delight with well-balanced acidity and texture. This wine scored 91 points and sells for about $36/bottle. When aged, it is sometimes referred to as a “white Barolo” or “white wine for red wine drinkers”.
The Food and Wine Pairing “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
While having a heavy mouth feel white wine it is still mild and meant to go with light and medium bodied fish. While in Modesto yesterday picked up a fresh piece of Tuna at Ohana Seafood. Rubbed with olive oil, Himalayan Sea salt, black pepper and seared quickly on the BBQ. Served with a homemade medley of cut up pineapple, mango and Mandarin oranges with red pepper flakes and sliced green onions. Accompanied by brown rice.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
The tuna was prepared perfectly being seared on the outside and rare on the inside!
This Timorasso was a perfect match in complementing and not overwhelming the fish. A very good food and wine pairing.
Sláinte,
Michael