Exploring
the Best of Northern Italy

By Antonio
Galloni

Friuli

Getting a full grasp on the oenological
landscape in Friuli is no easy task. Few, if any, regions can boast such an
extraordinary array of varieties, both white and red. Widely planted indigenous
white varieties include Tocai Friulano (more on that later), Ribolla Gialla,
Picolit and Vitovska. The reds include Refosco, Tazzelenghe, Schiopettino,
Terrano and Pignolo, the last of which has recently been resurrected from a
period of obscurity.&nbsp;International varieties such as Chardonnay,
Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon are also found.

Traditionally the Collio has been regarded as
the most prestigious sub-zone in Friuli. These hillside vineyards and their
cool microclimates are ideally suited to the cultivation of whites. In recent
years much progress has been made by high quality producers with the reds as
well. The Colli Orientali del Friuli has generally been more highly regarded
for reds, although a few producers are also turning out superb whites as well.

One of the regions that continues to surprise
is the Carso, whose top growers are producing noteworthy wines. This poor,
desolate stretch of mountains runs above Trieste and is one of the least
traveled places in Friuli. Most of the terrain is rock, but in a few small,
isolated spots vineyards can be planted. The high plain looks out onto the
Adriatic and its microclimate is influenced by the violent, cold winds known as
bora, although in places that are protected by the winds, the climate is
almost Mediterranean. The views can be spectacular, and so too the wines.

Because its vineyards are in the plains, the
Isonzo district as a whole has never been as highly regarded as the adjacent
Collio. That notwithstanding, a small handful of producers have been making
terrific wines for years. Friuli is a region that has a lot to offer although
significant challenges remain. Unfortunately the traditional mindset is
extremely closed. There is still far too much poor wine being made. It is not
uncommon to see heavily loaded plants and irrigation systems being used with
the sole objective of producing quantity rather than quality.

Lastly there is the Tocai Friulano soap
opera, which has dragged on for years and become nearly impossible to follow.
The name “Friulano” was to have replaced “Tocai Friulano” after the region lost
the most recent of a series of rulings in which Hungary claimed the exclusive
right to the name “Tocai” and its variants. The new law applies to wines
bottled after March 2007 (2006 vintage). However, readers will find 2006 wines
labeled both “Tocai Friulano” and “Friulano” labels on the market. I have
simply used the wines’ labels as they appear by producer.

Perhaps most importantly though, the region
lacks a visible, high-quality producer like an Angelo Gaja or Piero Antinori
who could lead by example and serve as an ambassador for the region with this
generation’s global consumer.

Readers should be aware that members of my
wife’s family own three estates in Friuli; Jermann, Vie di Romans and Lis
Neris. I have always viewed education as an important component of wine
criticism. An article on Friuli without these properties would have been
incomplete and ultimately the consumer would have been poorer for their
exclusion. For those reasons I have chosen to include these estates in this
report. I have no financial or other interest, direct or indirect, in any of
these properties.

Veneto

Veneto is another region that doesn’t seem to
get the attention it deserves, probably because of the industrial quantities of
insipid wines that are made each year. That notwithstanding, plenty of
high-quality wines are also being produced, most notably in the Soave and
Valpolicella districts. The best Soave vineyards are considered to be those in
the original Classico zone which encompasses the hills between Soave and Monteforte
d’Alpone. As the zone expanded over time it&nbsp;has come&nbsp;to include less
favorably positioned sites, especially those in the plains. The main grape
variety in Soave is Garganega. Although much of the production is commercial in
nature, there are a few small estates making noteworthy wines that are well
worth discovering. Taste a great Soave and your opinion of what these wines can
be is sure to change.

The Valpolicella zone is located on the
northern outskirts of Verona. This series of valleys is home to Valpolicella,
Amarone and Recioto. Traditionally the area has been divided into two regions.
The Classic part of the zone includes the five communes of Negrar, Fumane,
Marano, Sant’Ambrogio and San Pietro in Cariano while the extended portion of
the region lies to the east and encompasses Grezzana, Mezzane, Tregnago and
Illasi. The main varieties used to produce Amarone are Corvina and Rondinella.
An assortment of other varieties can be used to round out the blend, including
Corvinone, Molinara and Croatina. Amarone is made from grapes that have been
air-dried for several months prior to being vinified. At its best, Amarone is a
rich, sensual wine unlike any other, except perhaps Recioto, whose fame dates
back to Roman times. Recioto from Valpolicella is also made from dried grapes,
but in this case the grapes are given an additional several weeks to two
months’ additional air-drying to intensify the sugars. The best Reciotos are
mind-blowing wines that make a terrific accompaniment to fully-flavored cheeses
at the end of a meal. In recent years ripasso-style Valpolicellas have
also become very popular. These Valpolicellas undergo a secondary fermentation
on the skins and stems left over from the fermentation of the Amarone, which
gives the wines more sweetness as well as body. As appealing as this concept
sounds, the praise these wines garner seems to be more the result of shrewd
marketing rather than real quality. The number of noteworthy ripasso
wines turns out to be pretty small.

Readers will find an assortment of vintages
on the market. Given the variety of wines, microclimates and producer styles,
vintage assessments are necessarily general in nature. The 2006 whites are
riper and more structured than the 2005s. For Amarone, vintage characteristics are
harder to describe given the extreme transformation that grapes undergo in the
drying process, not to mention the differences among the region’s
microclimates. In general the best 2003 Amarones are beautifully opulent and
don’t seem to have quite the same issues with hard, unripe tannins that are so
problematic for many other Italian reds in this vintage. I also tasted a number
of outstanding 2000 and 2001 Amarones. Readers should note that my drinking
windows for Amarone reflect a preference to drink the wines within a decade or
so after the vintage.

In short, Veneto offers an enormous diversity
of wines that are worth investigating, ranging from the refreshing Proseccos of
the northern districts to the whites of Soave to the more serious reds of
Verona. Visitors who want to avoid the normal Italian tourist traps will find
plenty of breathtakingly beautiful small towns in Veneto with superb art,
history, and of course wine.

Trentino - Alto Adige

Trentino and Alto Adige are usually grouped
together for the sake of simplicity, but they are in fact two regions, each
with its own distinct culture, look and feel. Trento lies just north of Verona
and is one of Italy’s most picturesque cities. The whites from Trentino tend to
be focused, mineral driven wines that come to life at the dinner table. The
main indigenous red variety is Teroldego, which yields hearty, rustic wines
although a few estates are producing wines of uncommon elegance.

Weissburgunder, Gewürztraminer, Sylvaner,
Kerner. It might sound like this trip through the Northeast has taken a serious
detour, but we are in fact still in Italy. Sort of. Although Alto Adige is not
very well known among American consumers or tourists, northern Europeans have
discovered the charms of the region they call Südtirol. Alto Adige, which was
part of Austria until the First World War, offers breathtaking scenery, some of
Italy’s finest restaurants (and cellars), terrific wines and, of course,
world-class skiing. This is one of the most unique corners in Italy, one where you
are more likely to hear German or the local Ladino dialect being spoken rather
than Italian.

The wines, of course, reflect a similar
aesthetic. The white varietals include those mentioned above, along with
Sauvignon, Riesling, Müller Thurgau and Pinot Grigio. The main indigenous
variety for high-quality red wines is Lagrein, which remains one of Italy’s
best kept secrets. Believed to be a relative of Syrah, in the hands of serious
producers Lagrein yields deeply-colored wines of intense richness that are
ideal for the dinner table. Some of the areas that are significant include
Mazzon for Pinot Noir (also known as Blauburgunder), Bolzano and its suburb
Gries for Lagrein, the Valle Isarco for pure, focused whites and Tramin, the
birthplace of Gewürztraminer.

Alto Adige is somewhat of an anomaly in that
many of the top estates are cooperatives. Echoing a trend that is also seen
elsewhere in Italy, today there seems to be a move away from the
super-concentrated wines of recent years and a search for more elegant,
finessed wines. Simply put, Alto Adige is the jewel of Italy. Readers owe it to
themselves to check out the wines of Italy’s most underappreciated and
overlooked region.

Lombardia and Valle d’Aosta

Lombardy is unquestionably best known for the
méthode champenoise wines that are produced in Franciacorta. As
excellent as the best wines can be, I was surprised by the poor overall quality
of the wines I tasted. Only a few estates appear to merit close attention.
Lombardia is also home to Valtellina, a small stretch of rugged land near the
Swiss border. Valtellina is most famous for its Sforzato, a wine made with
air-dried fruit using the indigenous Chiavennasca, as the local variety of
Nebbiolo is known. Valle d’Aosta lies in the upper northwest corner of Italy
bordering France and Switzerland. This too is a very rugged mountainous terroir,
and is home to a number of indigenous as well as international varieties.

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