Trip to Messinia

Messinia is the furthest west peninsula of Peloponnese, Greece. It is a country of amazing, crystal clear healing seawater, olive trees and cicadas. It seems to be pretty much colonized by German tourism, which has some good sides, like, for example, prominence of organic (bio) produce and grapes.

I was somewhat disappointed with the food, which was more simple and austere than Macedonia, a northern province I visited a couple of years ago. Although surrounded by the sea, Messinians don't have much local seafood... The fish from the area are small and bony, not much variety of aquatic life forms, and lamb seems to be the dominant cuisine specialty.

Wines from the area I would divide into 3 categories:a) the home grown/ home made seasonal, plastic canister products served in tavernas and consumed by the locals, b) the coops, where grape growers from the area can sell their fruit and regional wine of various quality is mass produced, c) artisanal, professional wineries which grow and vinify their own grapes.

Owners of Panagiotopolos in their tasting room and Matina,
current winemaker of Nestor coop, former winemaker of Dereskos

Messinia is a country of white wine. Reds exist, but are newer introductions to local agriculture, and mostly consist of cab sav and merlot, oaked to the max and intended for export or for tourists.
Plenty of interesting white varieties, most common being Roditis. It's an easy drinking light quaffer, lemony, some tropical fruit, produced and available throughout the region. It goes great with local scrawny fish;) I had some very nice Roditis at Nestor, one of the largest wine coops in Messinia.
Moscofiliero is a more complex one, produced around Messinia, Laconia and Arcadia. We tried around, there is a persistent presence of rubber, musk and lemon in the nose, taste is amazingly close to black tea with lemon, less fruity than Roditis, more pungent, crisp and surprising. Our favorite was Astala from Arcadia, but all Moscofilieros we had were worth mentioning.

The nicest artisanal bio wine producer we found was Panagiotopoulos, we had a great tasting of their wines and tasted two simply fantastic endemic whites: Fileri and Malagozya. The last one in particular is a great find: the explosive bouquet consists of pear, in fact a very peculiar little pear they all plant around their vineyards. Full, almost transparent white in color, viscous, mineral, sweet ripe fruit, pear, passion fruit.

As far as reds and roses go I enjoyed the cheap unpretentious Kalamata bio Cabernet wines. They all tend to be dusty, woody, pruney with flavors if black olive and bitter herbs. Higher end tasty Cabs came from Derescos and Panagiotopolos, dominant olive and herby, jeggermeister like flavor, deep fig and prune, slow to open.


Also worth trying are local Laconian Agiorgitiko, and of course reds of Nemea, which would require a separate post. One of the best reds I had in Greece was a 12 euro Athen's supermarket Xinomavro from mount Olympus area... Again, a whole new post;)

We grilled this octopus in our backyard! Turned out to be one of the best meals:)


Regional red of Laconia

Grolleau, Ruché and Mayolet...

These three seemingly unrelated varieties of red wine reflect a new trend I noticed in cooler NYC wine bars and stores: digging into local, less known grapes, which are traditionally produced in small quantities, fermented without oak and not meant to be aged. All these wines, which I had in the last 3 months share certain general taste characteristics: floral nose (leaning toward rose with Le Cousin Grolleau and Luca Ferraris Ruché), light to medium body, spicy mouth with strawberry sweetness, black pepper finish and rejuvenating tartness. They are compotey, slightly cloudy, Ruché being the darkest in the group.

Le Cousin Grolleau 2007
90 points

Grolleau is an acidic, low alcohol Loire variety known mostly for Rose d'Anjou... grolle means "crow" and it refers to the deep black grape berries.

Luca Ferraris Ruché 2009
87 points

A tiny Piemontese DOC region around Asti: "Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato" is most likely a product of an 18 century import from Burgundy... Ruché is known for it's peppery-bitter aftertaste.

"Vin Des Seigneurs" Coenfer Mayolet 208
89 points

Mayolet is a naturally occurring hybrid of Petit Rouge and Cornalin. It is rare and indigenous to Vallee d'Aosta, where it grows at high elevations (about 900 to 1,000 meters). High minerality, white pepper and sweet, red fruit flavors.

All simply great... and all $20 and under in NYC. I found the Grolleau ($20) and Coenfer "Vin Des Seigneurs" Mayolet ($16) in LES September Wines, which is becoming my favorite wine store in the city. I would also include into this group the Verduno di Pelaverga I had in Bologna last summer... energetic, young but complex, refreshing. These are fantastic lighter fare pasta wines, including fish and seafood... I had Les Cousin recommended with oysters at 10 Bells and it worked really good.

"Trout Valley" Nelson Pinot Noir 2008

I love this wine. We went through 3 cases of it this summer and still cannot get enough... Bouquet of spice, leather, oak and strawberry. The mouth is dominated by crisp, energetic red currant, followed by sweeter fruit and sugar cane finish. Wonderful bright red, medium body, I had it slightly chilled. I'm even willing to accept the screw cap;) Today served with a pile of fresh tempura, but frankly this Pinot goes with most foods.

12$ retail @ Uva Wines, 82 points

D. Bosler Birdsnest Pinot Noir 2009

A young Pinot Noir from Casablanca Valley in Chile, enjoyed at Black Mountain Wine House along with their house panini. The bottle was a nice surprise: spicy nose and a fairly complex taste, going far beyond your standard pinot red fruit. Floral notes, caramel, blackberry, medium body.
Great value, particularly at retail price.

32$ @ Black Mountain, 10$ retail, 73 points

TdB Barbera D'Alba, 2008

Another tasty barbera, another plate of pasta, over all a pretty satisfying dinner experience. The wine was fuller body than it should be considering the grape and the year... Purplish red, quite beautiful in a glass. A sweet cherry, clove and nutmeg nose, more cherry, tobacco and a sugar cane finish mouth. Solid, fun but not life changing. The bottle was purchased in a small liquor store in Ditmas Park, which should very seriously consider changing name... Or at least incorporate a zany advertising slogan, like: "S.T.D Wines&Liquors: Party Hard and See Your Doctor Later!"

$14 in retail, 73 points

Sylvain Pataille Burgundy, 2007

Seems like gnocchi is the official pasta of the summer 2010! This time prepared with baked prosciutto and fava beans, accompanied by a bottle of 2007 Sylvain Pataille Burgundy. I have nothing negative to say about this gentle, wild strawberry infused Pinot noir... Simple mature apple nose with a touch of eucalyptus.. Plum marmalade, strawberry, healthy amount of tannin to remind u this is no Gamay. The wine is at it's prime, no signs of yellowing, nicely developed glycerin.

23$ @ Union Square Wines, 83 points

Summer reds

Let me start by saying that I haven't posted for a long time but I am proud that this blog is a year old and the project has not been abandoned. I will also state for the record that I did not drink these four bottles by myself but rather with a group of friends while cooking and eating a meal. We ate potato gnocchi with shitake mushrooms, asparagus and fresh tomato.

Joseph Faireley Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007

The Faireley family are in the business of buying plots of land in Burgundy that will produce optimal grapes. This wine comes from reserved plots located in the Côte de Nuits, Côte de Beaune and Côte Chalonnaise. Its a light ruby color with red fruit aromas and very well rounded taste. Its a perfect summer wine that can accompany any meal. It retails for around 20 dollars in the US.

Alba Rossa Salice Salentino Rosso 2008

This wine comes from Salento in the Puglia region located in the boot of Italy. It has a big flavor of fruits and at the same time it retains a very earthy background. This wine is 80% Negroamaro and 20% Malvasia Nera. The cost is around 12 dollars in the US.

Trinchero Barbera D'Asti Superiore 2003

The grapes for the production of this wine come from 20-year-old vineyards. The grapes are fermented in cement vat and then held in old wooden barrels for 12 months before being bottled. The taste is very fresh and fruity, and at the same time slightly sour. The cost of this wine is about 20 dollars.

Nibio Terre Rosse Monferrato Dolcetto 2006

This wine had a taste of mango which was a very cool surprise. It is a full bodied tannic wine with a fine bouquet and a velvety finish. It should be noted that its a biodynamic wine with no sulfites added. The makers say it is very well suited for aging. This particular variety has been grown in this region for more than 1000 years and it is referred to in the annals of the Republic of Genoa. The cost around 13 dollars in US, an excellent value wine.

La Bettola Barbera d'Alba, 2007

A mention worthy bottle of organic barbera from Piemonte, tasted (and then purchased) at a La Bettola horizontal tasting at Wine Garage in Krakow. This was far from your typical "house wine" barbera: pretty full body, chewy, particulate and garnet red... Tar, gravel and a touch of boiled bean on the nose; cherry and surprisingly long prune flavors on the mouth, with a great tart-lemony accent. This bottle was quite unique and much better than Barolo and Dolcetto from the same producer.

73 PZL (23 $), 87 points

Wine & Food, Bologna 2010

Divinis is definitely my favorite enoteca style establishment in Bologna. Right in the historic center of the city, this gourmet restaurant offers the real experience of northern Italian and French wines, matched with amazing food prepared by Maurizio Landi. This is NOT a tourist trap, unlike some places I visited in Florence and Milan...

I started my lunch with a glass of white, sparkling pinot nero from Piemonte produced by Bruno Giacosa. This blanc des noirs is quite big, mineral, aromatic, with persistent flavors of molasses, almond and herbs. (89 points) I also had home made strigoli pasta with stinging nettle, frog fish and lime peel: simply great.

To finish off the meal I asked for an interesting red with a cheese pairing. The red was truly exceptional: 2009 Verduno Pelaverga by Burlotto (one of the big Barolo producers from Piemonte). (90 points) Verduno is an endemic, pretty rare grape from Piemonte: spicy, dry and drinks young. My bottle had a very unique over all presence of black pepper, it dominated both nose and mouth. The fruit was minimal but very satisfying, dark berry and apple, beautiful garnet red, light body with nice viscosity. The cheese pairing was fresh Chabot, which was creamy, tart and fizzy inside...

Philippe Le Hardi Santenay 1er Cru La Comme, 2005

This 1-er Cru Santenay was purchased in 2007 from the producer in Burgundy. It was really hard to keep my hands off it for 3 years, but finally the day has come! Pretty much everything about this wine was a surprise: full body, velvety brick red, after uncorking exploded with flavors of fresh red currant. That phantom bouquet disappeared after 10 minutes: the nose shifted toward Jeggermeister, green parsley, mint and lingering rubber notes. Equally volatile mouth settled on licorice and strawberry, with a bitter herbal finish. To match the wine I made duck breast in Pinot noir reduction sauce, with shimeji mushrooms and grilled squash. Everything worked out pretty amazing!

25 Euro from producer, 90 points

Tintilia Del Molise, Catabbo 2008

The only reason why I decided to write about this bottle is the fact that Tintilia is a super rare variety (15 hectare) grown only in Molise (south-east Italy). The wine itself seemed very refined and definitely tasty, but I wouldn't give it many points for originality... Medium-full body, brick red, silky and viscous. Simple bouquet of cherry/red fruit. Acidic red fruit on attack, sour cherry, red berries mid-palette; the finish abruptly shifts toward caramel, toffee and sweet molasses. Very solid and surely worth trying.

46$ @ D.O.C Bar Brooklyn, 77 points

Monfiorenza Monferrato Freisa 2008

Freisa: a less known casual red variety from Piemont.

An excellent spring choice: lighter body, purple-ish red, intense, acidic berry on the palette: gooseberry, red currant and a warm, sweeter raspberry finish. The nose is herbal, bit spicy. I would highly recommend this wine to pinot noir drinkers: it's got similar energy and sharpness. I imagine this variety must have a very hard time competing with nebbiolo, dolcetto and barbera... too bad, it's quite something. Organic, inexpensive and very tasty!

12$ retail, Uva Brooklyn, 78 points

Odoardi Savuto, 2005

A pretty unusual blend of Gaglioppo, Greco Nero, Nerello Capuccio and Magliocco Canino from Calabria. Very pungent bouquet of lavender and spices with a note of opium, medium body, deep brownish red. The mouth is equally funky with black fruit, tobacco, molasses, bitter herbs and some earthy, mineral aftertaste... nor schiste though. Perhaps the coolest thing about this wine is the many flavors I got to taste and smell for the first time...

40$ @ Bar Veloce NYC, 81 points

Monte Da Cal, Adega em Fronteira, 2006

This wine is an amazing value. Seriously. This is not a cheapo quaffing Chianti, we are talking respectable business... 40% Aragones (aka Tempranillo), 30% Alfrocheiro, 30% Alicante Bouschet, medium to full body, deep velvety purple color.
The nose opens with pepper, spice and some cedar wood notes, mouth is dry and centered around tart black currant and cherry. Short, but lively; energetic and very, very drinkable. I'll be checking them "vinhos regional Alentejanos"!

Uva Brooklyn, $10, 77 points

Antonelli Sagrantino di Monterfalco Secco, 2000

Dry cheese and white flower nose (acacia, lily of the valley). Pretty full body, deep red shifting toward tea brown. The mouth revealed some signs of maturity: yellow apple, very dry prune, seriously bitter spices, licorice and molasses. Followed by a sudden onset of mouth-puckering tannin, fading into cocoa and funky, lasting sugar cane. Paired with porcini papardelle and pork sausage appeared to be slightly overwhelming: this wine calls for wild game. The real stuff.

80 points

Pauline Vigneron Beaune 1er Cru, 2005

Picked up at a random liquor store in Chelsea, the price seemed a bit too good to be true... Turned out to be very good, but definitely not a typical cotes de Beaune... Leather, spice and pepper bouquet, musty and a bit gamey. The mouth was thick and chewy, schistey, chalky, mineral, lots of cocoa, cherry and a tiny bit of lemon in a strange, muddy finish. Medium body, healthy ruby red, yet with my eyes closed I would never guess it's a Pinot noir... I'd think a Languedoc rustic red of sorts. Yummy, but unusual... which probably explains the price tag of $25.

80 points

Henri Proudhon Chassagne-Montrachet Les Chambres, 2006

The spring is around a corner: break out these Pinot Noirs! This scrumptious bottle was found at Fanny's in Brooklyn, and accompanied a meal of seared scallops with broccoli sauce. Medium light body, red shifting toward brick, transparent and oily. Herbal nose, some notes of cinnamon and other spices. Mostly strawberry compote and molasses in the palette, seems like this wine was produced with plenty of sun. Not a knockout, but generally a very pleasant, gentle burgundy.

54$ in a restaurant, 78 points

Louis Latour, Santenay 2005

The driest, most austere, minimal Burgundy ever... Yet somehow you wanna keep drinking... A vegetal, spicy nose followed by some sharp, almost brutal, tartaric acidity and tannin driven mouth. Some vague attempts of red currant and apple, some lingering aftertaste of lime. Medium body and a dictionary burgundy color. I am guessing the bottle will be getting only better for the next 20 years. This wine makes you wanna put on your altar boy outfit. And the legitimate hardcoreness demands respect. 26$ in retail

73 points

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Tenuta Sant´Antonio- Cabernet Franc 2007 Venezia, Italy

Price 8 Euros

This was a gift from an Italian friend who wanted me to try a wine from his region.
Cabernet Francs can be very complex and this one did not disappoint, it had the rich body most Italian wines have and a very smooth finish which one tends to find in French Bordeaux.

Paired this with a steak bbq and it did the trick.

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Belle Vallée Pinot Noir - 2007 Willamette Valley, Oregon

Price U$ 25


Light ruby colour, oaky in flavour.
This is the perfect pinot to partner with a light meal, low in alcohol content with hints of black cherry and plum.
Good to open one and save another for a couple more years.

You can pick it up at Astor Wines in NY: