Very fun opening party last night at the swanky Setai Fifth Avenue Hotel in New York City to honor the newly published biography of the company's iconoclastic founder. The book, written by acclaimed journalist Ettore Gobbato and published by Veronelli Editore, will be available at your favorite bookstore in fall.

What makes the book special is that it is the first to honor a Prosecco maker. In the course of hearing the author and publisher speak, I came to understand the passion of Giuliano Bortolomiol, who transformed what was then a simple local wine into an internationally acclaimed sparkler. It was fun to hear portions of the book read outloud, and hear that the famous actor John Wayne was a Prosecco fan.

Three different Proseccos were featured at the event, including Brut, Banda Rossa Extra Dry, and Superiore di Cartizze Dry. I liked all the styles, and found that the sweetest wine was not sweet at all -- yet would be very pleasant to enjoy with seafood. Giuliano's wife and daughters carry on the Bortolomiol tradition today, and are doing a fabulous job.
 

Seminar Tasting

"The Italians seem so happy to be here in New York," says a friend, after the Friday night close of the Italian Wine Exchange Grand Tasting. "Why is  that?"

Yes, it's true - the Italians did really seem happy to be here and have the opportunity to share their wine and the love of their culture with top journalists, importers, and distributors in New York. Having attended many of the sessions, and met many of the producers, making wine is a way of life ... and not always a very generously rewarded way of life at that.

Most people in the wine trade realize that it is difficult to make a truly successful living making wine, so it really is a passion. And if the producers I met are any indication, many Italian wineries are several generations old. Their objective is to introduce their brand to the American market.

As a whole, Vino Italy 2010 was exceptionally well run and extremely well attended, with two grand tasting events supplemented by seminars (including first rate tutored tastings) and food and Italian wine paired dinners.

Among the highlights of the events I attended were the following:

Virtual Vino: Millenials and Social Media Decanted

This was a really fun and well attended panel as social media is a key buzz word of today. The usual suspects were up on the podium -- Alder Yarrow of Vinography fame who is the poster child of blogs, having established one of the earliest wine blogs and well known for his very personal style of interaction with his many followers. I hadn't met Doug Cook, Director of Search at Twitter, before yet he was also fabulous. Both men underscored the importance of blogs in today's media landscape, and especially the fact that blogs are search engine friendly.  Producers: take note! This means that when you send your wine to a blogger or a blogger writes up your wine, the world can access it quite easily!

A very charming speaker was Susanna Crociani of Azienda Agricola Crociana in Montepulciano (Siena) who gave a very sincere talk about how and why she started her blog early on and why it is important for a personal voice in a blog.

Susannah Gold of Avvinaire/Vigneto Communications spoke from the standpoint of a media specialists addressing Italian wineries, urging them to create rich, content filled web sites. As a journalist, i am constantly searching for information online, and Susannah's advice (I hope) will get more easily available winemaking content on the Internet.

Anthony Dias Blue moderated and Steve Raye of the Brand Action Team also gave some solid advice.

Terroir: Diversity and Complexity of Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

"Who is that fabulous speaker!" I found myself wondering. I was seated in the back here, and only heard the energetic voice of presenter Anthony Giglio, who deftly led the audience through a tasting of several wines from the region. The session was just about ninety minutes -- barely time enough time to understand the terroir of these classic regions - yet it was an excellent introduction to the Sangiovese grapes and its many expressions.

Tuscany's Etruscan Coastline: Bolgheri and Morelino di Scansano

Piero Selvaggio moderated this panel, consisting of the so called 'young generation" of producers in the region according to the handsome, white-haired Attilio Scienza, Professor of viticulture an adjunct professor at the University of Milan. In looking at the winemakers, however, one assumes Mr. Scienza was referring to young or "new" ideas in winemaking, especially with regard to biodynamic winemaking.

In any event, one of the key takeaway points was that Sangiovese vines near the coast (Bolgheri and Morelino di Scansano) produce different wine than inland vines, and Mr. Scienza had a long presentation about soils to prove it. I especially enjoyed this tasting, as it offered guests the opportunity to taste wine made from 100% Sangiovese and wines with Merlot and/or Cabernet Sauvignon added. Very happy to report that in this tasting at least, I was able to correctly identify which wines had more Cabernet, and which had more Merlot. Yet I liked the pure Sangiovese wines with their fresh forward fruity appeal the best.

The Evolution of Prosecco

Another well attended tasting and lecture by Antony Giglio, offering a variety of very exceptionally good Prosecco wine. Lucky audience members had the opportunity to taste many different examples of this wine, which is made in the Conegliano-Valdobbiadene region in Italy's Veneto. All the examples were excellent and delicious examples of this grape and region (it is a sparkling wine made from the Prosecco grape in what is called the Charmat or "tank" method of secondary fermentation). 

"Regione Toscana" dinner with Guest Chef Cesare Casella from Salumeria Rosi in the Waldor Astoria's Louis XVI room

Wine expert Kevin Zraly introduced wines of Tuscany with fabulous pairings from the region as well. Elin McCoy and Karen MacNeil were in attendance, as was Susanna Crociani of Azienda Agricola Crociana from the social blogging panel.
 

"Would you like to start with Champagne?" the waiter asks as you and your Sweetie sit down to celebrate Valentines Day. As this is a day set apart for sparklers, your answer should be, "Of course."

Even people who prefer still wine drink sparklers on Valentines Day, quite possibly because the sparkle in the glass holds the promise of the night ahead. In the finest five-star restaurants around the world, champagne is often offered from a cart, with the sommelier explaining the various producers. On Valentine's Day, most waiters will also ask you if you'd like to start out with a glass.

Depending on your budget for the evening, you may want to look at the wine list first. Some top restaurants price their champagne at $25 a glass, sometimes more. Sure, it's top quality, but if price is an issue, you will be happy to learn you can find many impressive, delicious, affordable good quality sparkling wines on the list.

What is Champagne?

Americans commonly use the word champagne to refer to any sparking wine. Legally, only sparkling wine produced in the region of Champagne, France has the right to call their sparkling product Champagne. Even inside France, any wine that sparkles is called Cremant, not Champagne.

If you have had the good fortune to have tried genuine champagne and want to replicate that experience (but not the price), you will want to choose a sparkling wine made in what is called the "traditional method." For simplicity, this means the exact same wine making process is used as in the Champagne region, but the grapes are not specifically grown in the Champagne region. Nor are they necessarily the same three varietals of grapes used in the Champagne region: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meuniere.

At this point you may be thinking, hey, isn't Pinot Noir a black grape? Doesn't that make a red wine? Isn't that the grape that the film Sideways was all about? What does Pinot Noir have to do with top quality Champagne? Good questions.

For the last three hundred years, at least, Pinot Noir and also the black grape Pinot Meuniere were classical components of champagne. Their skins are black, but their flesh (and juice) is white. When made specifically as a red wine, Pinot Noir's red skin is allowed to macerate (soak and stain) the white juice. In the production of classic Champagne, Pinot Noir and Meuniere grapes are very carefully crushed so as not to let the black skin color the white juice.

Sometimes, only the Chardonnay grape is used to make traditional Champagne. As this has a white skin, the resulting champagne is categorized as a "Blanc de Blanc." In the best sparklers from California, though, you will find Blanc de Noir, a blend in which the black skins of the Pinot Noir and Meuniere grapes are allowed to slightly color the white juice. Beyond color, this also adds a bit of tannin and 'bite.' Many sparkling wines from Napa and Sonoma Valleys are excellent and range from around $20 - $60 in wine shops, and around $50 to $100 in restaurants.

Sparkling wine from Spain also uses the traditional method like Champagne, France, but the grape varieties are Parellada, Macabeo, and Xarello. Here's a tip: Spanish sparklers are as delicious as California wines, but much more affordable. As a bonus, some producers also generate the same yeasty, buttery, croissant aroma character as you may find in Champagne.

Sweeter than Cava and a different flavor profile entirely is Prosecco, which is produced in an area of Italy not too far from Venice. Prosecco is produced using a different method entirely, resulting in a product that usually contains some residual sugar and is usually quite affordable, both in stores and restaurants.

So go ahead, enjoy Valentine's Day with a sizzling sparkler. Who knows what the night may bring?