I’m not really one to stop wearing white after Labor Day. Those fashion rules are old and tired. I also won’t stop drinking white wines anytime soon. I’m an equal-opportunity wine drinker year-round. That said, I have been on a white wine kick lately, for years really, but especially the past few weeks. So, welcome to my white (wine) party. Grab a glass, pour one out, and let’s ignore the signs of summer’s encroaching end a little while longer.
In My Glass
2023 Charisse Picpoul de Pinet
There are some words that you hear that just make you happy, and not because they evoke pleasant memories, simply for the sound of the word. For me, one of those words is Picpoul (pronounced pick-pool). It makes me smile. And I do happen to also love the place from which it hails, the southern French region of Languedoc. Picpoul de Pinet is my quintessential summer sipper and one of my favorite oyster pairing wines. It’s bright and citrusy with a throughline of salinity. At least the good ones are - and this is one of those good ones. If you live near a coast, go grab some freshly chucked oysters, a lemon, and a glass. Set yourself up outside, preferably near a body of water, but anywhere al fresco will do, and pour this one out for the ultimate moment of summer Zen. Om. $16
I’ve seen several of my fellow Instagrammers touting Smith-Madrone wines for years. The views at this iconic Napa property are impressive and memorable - even just from the social media photos. It’s long been on my bucket list to visit. But I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical of the Riesling. I’m a Finger Lakes and Alsace fanatic after all. Could a Riesling from Napa really deliver? The simple answer, yes. This was mineral-driven to the core and interlaced with lemon, lime, orange and a touch of peach. It was dry, well-balanced and hit the spot perfectly with our garden fresh veggie stir fry. Color me impressed on this one Napa. Hats off Smith-Madrone! Zingy. $32
I’m more familiar with Trebbiano from Abruzzo, but Madrevite is championing the grape well under the Umbrian sun in Italy. This was a delightful pour brimming with green apples, chamomile, minerality, a touch of honeycomb and almond skin. The name means a “minor/younger king,” and is a reference to the founder of Madrevite, Nicola Chiucchiurlotto's thoughts on Trebbiano Spoletino as a grape that’s like young people. If I were ascribe a persona to this wine, it would be someone in their mid-twenties, through the unsurety of the early 20s and developing a more complex essence. Enjoy this one with chicken, pork, or creamy pastas and some singer-song writer tunes in the background. Acoustic. $17
In the Spotlight
Winery of the Week - Madrevite
Madrevite was founded by Nicola Chiucchiurlotto in 2003, when he began to restore his family’s farm and grandfather Zino's old vineyards. The vineyards and winery are in the town of Cimbano in the province of Perugia. This area, which sits on the border of Umbria and Tuscany, falls within the Colli del Trasimeno DOC. Madrevite covers 60 hectares of land with 11 hectares planted to vine, five to olive groves, and several small areas to woodland.
The Madrevite vineyards are around 20 years old and growing at elevations ranging from 900 to 1150-feet above sea level, with soils of sand, clay, and pebbles. As for the grapes at Madrevite, unlike much of Umbria where Sagrantino dominates, here you’ll find Gamay del Trasimeno (aka Grenache), Sangiovese, Montepulciano, and Syrah for the reds, and Grechetto and Trebbiano Spoletino for the whites. Both a traditionalist, and an innovator, Nicola believes there’s a strong future for both Gamay del Trasimeno and Trebbiano Spoletino in this unique Umbrian region, and his wines showcase the possibilities with an evocative style. Even his labels provoke attention, curiosity, and personality.
My standouts:
The Trebbiano il Reminore noted above, the La Bisbetica rosé (or The Shrew - a nod to Shakespeare’s renowned comedy), and the 2020 C’osa Riserva which is a Gamay del Trasimeno.
The La Bisbetica rosé of Gamay del Trasimeno, aka Grenache, is traditionally crafted with manually harvested grapes, a cold maceration on skins for six to eight hours before a soft pressing and aging in both stainless and concrete tanks for four months, before another three in bottle. It’s tangy, vibrant and full of fruit flavor - assertive and willful - and thankfully, joyfully, deliciously, untamed.
The 2020 C’osa Riserva, which is also 100% Gamay del Trasimeno, comes from vines growing at 1100 feet above sea level in both clay and limestone soils. It’s harvested first for the rosé and two to three weeks later for the reds. The wine is fermented as a mix of both whole clusters and destemmed grapes with native yeasts before pressing and aging six months in cement tanks, followed by another 12 months in large wood casks and cement. This expression of Grenache is of the more big, round, and savory styles of the grape. It was herbaceous and spicy, with a line of salinity throughout and deep plum notes lifted by a hint of cranberry. It’s juicy and structured making it a nice pairing with a cheesy risotto, cured meats, brisket, or as we move into the cooler months, a nice Sunday roast.
Wine Region of the Week - Umbria, Italy
After spending the summer of 2016 in an Umbrian farmhouse overlooking a vineyard, well, you can imagine how the place seeped into my subconscious - and stayed. Umbria is a hilly, rustic region in central Italy, surrounded by Tuscany, Marche and Lazio. Most of the region is more continental in its climate with an exception of the area near Italy’s largest lake, Lake Trasimeno, which has been designated the Colli del Trasimeno DOC.
Located to the east of Perugia and around the lake, Colli del Trasimeno DOC has viticulture roots dating back to the Etruscans and Romans. The lake plays an integral role in grape growing as it creates a unique Mediterranean microclimate, moderating the hot summer sun while also keeping temperatures from dropping too low throughout the winter months. The soil in the region is diverse and composed of marine sediments, clay, silt, sand, gravel, tuff, limestone, and marl. Established as a DOC in 1972, Trasimeno has around 445 acres of vineyards producing around 28,000 cases of wine per year. The majority of grapes planted include Chardonnay, Grechetto, Pinot Bianco, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Trebbiano, Vermentino, Welschriesling (Riesling Italico) for white wines, and Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Ciliegiolo, Grenache, Merlot, Pinot Nero, and Sangiovese for the reds.
In the Know
Perugia is the largest city in Umbria and its archaeological museum with artifacts from throughout the Etruscan and Roman periods is a fascinating stop when traveling through the region. It’s also home to the annual 10-day Umbria Jazz Festival each July, which began in 1973 and remains one of the most significant jazz festivals in the world. And while all of these things, the food, the wine, and the views of Assisi in the distance are all worthy of your time, it’s what’s hidden beneath the surface that’s most fascinating of all.
We happened upon this underground city - and the Umbria Jazz Festival - entirely by accident. We had wrapped up our planned visit to the archaeological museum and before heading back to the car we decided to wander into the city center on foot. It was then we discovered the Jazz Festival. We stopped to listen to some of the free concerts, found an outdoor bar overlooking Assisi where the music was loud and the Sagrantino was pouring. Then as we began to wander again, we came upon an escalator that took us below ground. It was there we discovered the Rocca Paolina, a maze of underground passageways, ancient ruins, massive chambers, vaulted ceilings, and remnants of a once thriving underground community.
A massive and elaborate fort commissioned by Pope Paul III Farnese at the end of the ‘salt war’ in 1540, the Rocca Paolina was five levels high, composed of a large complex and a smaller one connected by a corridor. Today, all that remains are the portions built below ground, and maybe it was the sense of time travel, or the intimacy of a jazz quartet playing to a small crowd in a vaulted antechamber, but this brief day and discovery in Perugia was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
Moral of the story, if you see an elevator descending underground in an old fortress city, take it. And if you find yourself in Umbria, get yourself to Perugia.
Wow, that was a wonderful surprise discovery in Perguia! Definitely a day to remember forever!