The 5th Edition of the Vini Naturali wine fair, organized by the restless wine woman Tiziana Gallo, the biggest wine fair in Rome completely dedicated to natural winemakers and their wines, is around the corner. The fair is not the only one in Italy, and it seems like a new enoteca dedicated to these wines is opening every week. Like them or not, I would say these wines are here to stay. The name? Not so sure on that one - There is still no legal description anywhere and in the meantime I prefer calling them “minimal invervention” wines.

If you are in Rome on February 9th & 10th and are interested in wine, you should really go to this event and see for yourself what you think of these wines. If language barriers, timidity or lack of basis knowledge (in wine and/or natural wine) is hindering you, join our annotated tour on the 10th.

In any case, here is a list of recommended reading:

What is Natural Wine? by Isabelle Legeron M, one of the biggest supporters of the style

An Agnostic’s View of Natural Wines by Tim Atkin MW

Wines Worth a Taste but not the Vitriol by Eric Asimov on NYT’s The Pour

EWBC: Natural Wine Edition by Alice Feiring (here a video of the panel she is referring to - I was in the audience)

Crackdown on Natural Wine by Rebecca Gibb on Wine Searcher is based on a true incident that happened here in Rome past summer and demonstrates the legal vacuum

The Natural Wine Debate Gets Ugly by Jeremy Parzen on HP, my friend Jeremy does an excellent job of putting both sides of the story together

And here are the best places in Rome where you can buy and/or drink some examples of natural wines if you are missing the Vini Naturali:

Enoteca Bulzoni the first in Rome dedicated to natural wines. Don’t let the posh and out-of-the-way Parioli district deter you and enjoy an aperitivo here.

Les Vignerons support small businesses - Antonio has some of the best natural wines at good prices. It is just a tram or bus ride away from Termini central station.

Enoteca Trucchi is even smaller but Stefania’s passion for these wines is no less

La Barrique has great food to go with all your orange wines.

Update: Here is the only map of Rome you will ever need - where to buy and drink natural wines, put together by Katie Parla.

This is all you need to enjoy wine.

A good glass - one that let’s you see, smell and taste the wine in the best possible way. That means glass/crystal (not plastic), a stem (do not buy stemless wine glasses - no, being able to put them in the dishwasher is not a valid criterion for choosing wine glasses), a big enough bowl size, thin rimmed. Yes, it is true that there is a specific “best” glass for different kinds of wine, but if you invest in a so called universal/tasting/classic one (if there is a choice, go for the red wine or Bordeaux version), you will be all set. The ones I use are not available to consumers, here are very similar ones, and I love these others, as well.

A good corkscrew - one that let’s you pull a cork easily and without breaking it. We use these, all wine professionals I know use these or very similar ones. The important point is the double-lever/hinge. You do not need any fancy and expensive and “interesting” corkscrews. Invest 40 seconds and watch this video to see how to use it. You will never need anything else.

A good wine - one that you, the winelover, enjoys. Not the most expensive. Not the most famous. One you buy from people (the winemaker, the wine store attendant), not a supermarket shelf. It helps if you can define your taste and say more than Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Grigio. If you don’t know what else to say, come to a tasting of ours to learn what acidity, tannins, minerality, body are; which of those you like; and how to find wines that fit your taste.

Nice-to-haves are books about wine, a vacuvin set, a cooling collar, reusable multi-bottle wine totes.

Things you do not need - a bicycle wine rack, a corkcicle, wine charms, aerator, decanter, wine aroma kit, drip stopper, most “accessories/gadgets”.

In an article about high-end revelations in Rome (go read it all) that was published at the end of September, author Seth Sherwood says:

We are extremely honored to be considered one of the revelations in Rome by the Gray Lady - would just like to remind you that you can have your Italian wine revelation starting at just 50 Euros per person at one of our standard tastings - My Italians, Wine & Cheese Lunch and Sparkling Saturdays. Private tastings with special themes can be arranged upon request and will cost more; but then again, miracles were never cheap :)

A nice surprise this morning - Rick Steves, the #1 selling guide book for Rome, has included our food tours as well our wine tastings in the newest edition of the Rome guide book, under Resources for Foodies (page 357). Thank you Rick!

Update: a photographic recap of the second edition is here. Thanks spacedlaw!

The first installment of the Summer in the Cellar - Jazz & Wine series was a smashing success. 34 wine & music lovers enjoyed the live music by our trio, with a bonus session at the very end, when one of the guests, the young Jonathan Champagne, sang along with the musicians. Below are some pictures of the evening and a video - a special thanks to Katie Parla and Gina Tringali for allowing us to use these!

The second event in the series, which will be was even better, is was on July 13th! Here are pictures from the second event.

(you need flash to watch this video - Or, you can click here to watch directly on youtube)

The work in the underground metro hub (where 2 - two - lines meet!) at the main station, Termini, is a never ending story. Last weekend, we entered the station from Via Giolitti on the southern side of the station, and made our way to Metro line A, the orange line. With pen & paper in hand. Below is what expects the wary traveler. Hint: it just involves 7 escalator rides and over 400 steps (by my tall husband).

Termini entrance Via Giolitti following the signs to Metro A
1. use the escalator going down
2. turn left go 40 steps
3. turn right go 90 steps
4. turn left use escalator going down
5. go 30 steps
6. turn left go 30 steps
7. turn right use escalator going down
8. turn right go 25 steps
9. turn right
10. turn right use escalator going down
11. turn right go 60 steps
12. turn right use escalator going up
13. turn right entering Metro B
14. turn right go 40 steps
15. turn right then left go 40 steps
16. turn left use escalator going down
17. go 40 steps
18. turn left use escalator going down
19. turn right entering Metro A direction Battestini
20. if you still can, turn left and go 50 steps ahead

We have been discussing what real Rome is and what real Romans eat, lately. Here is my “how to tell if you are in a real Roman trattoria” check list.

If a trattoria looks like your grandparents’ home they built/moved into/refurbished in the 50s

If the people serving you the food look like your nonno

If the kitchen is tiny and a woman who looks like your nonna is toiling away in it, with an apron over her house-dress, and a darker-than-italian-looking guy helping

If the pasta is overcooked because nonna’s teeth are not the best anymore and the amatriciana not spicy because that gives nonno heartburn, but your plate gets piled up with it because you need the energy to get through the afternoon (working in the fields)

If the vegetable is seasonal but cooked to death or a bit burnt and dry because that was the cicoria contorno for yesterday’s roast and of course the leftovers will get heated up today and what if it gets forgotten in the oven for a couple minutes too long, this is your nonna after all and where were you yesterday when everything was fresh, you gone astray child?

If the wine is from Zio Pepe or from the neighbor back home in the hills, and comes by the liter

If you desperately need the amaro after lunch, colored with caramel, not the herbs that nonno claims it is made of, to silence your stomach

If you see cheap business suits (during the week) and old men (weekends) looking for the home cooked meals of wives or mamme long gone

Then you are eating real Roman food in a real Roman trattoria. You will get a better meal for the same price at, say, the cool/modern-looking, non-Roman, L’Asino D’Oro, but the experience you remember longer might be the one here. Ottima cucina, everyone will tell you.

The trattoria in this post is

Reatina
Via San Martino della Battaglia 17
closed wednesdays

but there are hundreds like it all over Rome, inside and outside the GRA.

 picture courtesy of Gina Tringali

Most wine drinkers assume “if it is Italian & bubbly, then it must be Prosecco”. I can not blame them, as Prosecco is the number one sparkling wine of Italy in production and export numbers. It is closely followed by Asti. Most consumers associate fine perlage (soft bubbles) and a more or less sweet taste with these two most known sparkling wines. But there is so much more to sparkling wines in Italy than these two. Just as you shouldn’t call any sparkling wine “Champagne” (a very American usage, it seems to me - hello California Champagne, you strange beverage), you shouldn’t call all Italian bubbles “Prosecco”, either. All these names mean a specific area and very often a specific method - and are protected by law! Here is a quick introduction to the most important styles & names. This is by no means a complete list. To learn more, come to one of our sparkling wine tastings - we hold one every Saturday.

Asti DOCG is a sparkling & sweet wine made 100% from Moscato Bianco grapes from the Piedmont region in the Northwest of Italy. It has a rather low alcohol content (7%-9,5%) and is sweet (at least 50g/l of sugar). The bubbles come from the fermentation process in autoclaves (pressurized tanks), which is the first and only fermentation this wine goes through and the sugar is the left over (unfermented) sugar from the grapes. Drink it at the end of a meal, especially with pastries or creamy and fruity desserts.

Lambrusco DOCs (there are 5, from 5 different areas in the Emilia Romagna and Lombardy regions) are usually red, sparkling and dry (non sweet!). I said usually because you will find rosé or even white versions, still versions and sweet in varying degrees, too. But traditionally this is a red sparkling wine, aromatic (berries!) but not sweet, produced by using the Charmat method (after making a still wine, a 2nd fermentation takes place in the autoclaves). Has at least 10,5% alc. If you are from the United States and have always avoided it because you don’t like sweet wine, do ask at your wine store for a dry version, which is a great aperitif wine, best paired with the fatty salumi and prosciutto of the region where it comes from.

Prosecco DOCGs (there are two - the wonderfully fruity Colli Asolani (or Asolo) undeservedly often gets ignored next to the bigger Conegliano Valdobbiadene - as well as a less strictly ruled DOC) are the wines you think you know best - but you might be surprised. Produced 100% from Glera grapes in the cool climate and sea-fossil soils of the Veneto area, they have at least 11% alc and varying degrees of sweetness. The most common sweetness level (always declared on the label) is extra dry, meaning there is about 15g of sugar per liter in it. Not a dessert wine, but definitely noticeably sweet. Perfect for pairing with the strong, sweet-ish taste of shrimps, especially in a risotto. Note that there are also pas dosè (zero sugar) versions of Prosecco. The bubbles are most often produced by the Charmat method (see above Lambrusco); but there are colfòndo / metodo rurale (ever heard of decanting a sparkling wine? This is the candidate for that!) and metodo classico (see below) versions, too, that effect not only the looks but also the perlage of a Prosecco. Not to forget a completely still version, a Prosecco spento.

Franciacorta DOCG could just about be my fave sparkling wine of Italy. It always uses the metodo classico (same method that champagne uses - a second fermentation in the bottle. Franciacorta by law has a longer minimum time for this than champagne, 24 months as opposed to 18) and comes from the shores of the Iseo Lake in the southern part of Lombardy. The grapes allowed are Pinot Nero, Pinot Bianco and Chardonnay. Sweetness degrees vary, though the majority is brut (below 12 grams of sugar/liter). My favorites are almost always brut nature or pas dose, meaning 0 sugar! Perlage is very fine & persistent, usually not as explosive as a Champagne and not as yeasty tasting, either. If you prefer an even softer style, look for the satén typology, which has less atmospheric pressure and is 100% Chardonnay. Hint: Franciacorta is not only for a celebratory glass of bubbles - it will pair well with many foods (except maybe a grilled steak). We drink our “house” Franciacorta even with pizza!

Trento DOC, another appellation that always uses metodo classico. Grapes are similar to Franciacorta, with the addition of Pinot Meunier. It is usually yeastier and fuller tasting than Franciacorta, which makes it a better pairing with the heavier mountain region dishes it shares its origins with. The minimum time for the 2nd fermentation is a minimum of 15 months for the base version, though vintage and riserva versions go up to 24 and 36, respectively.

There are many other sparkling wines produced in Italy, almost in every region, with one or the other of the above mentioned methods. The above are my favorite appellations, have consistently the best quality (theoretically and practically) and are easiest to find. Next time you want a sparkling wine, ask your sommelier or salesperson for one of these that you haven’t tried yet - they will be delighted to help you discover!

Starting today, we will be blogging about our favorite Roman eats.

Had been hearing great things about this new-ish trattoria (almost 2 years with the new chef) through the Italian grapevine. It is a bit out of the way, so it took us such a long time to finally eat there - this past Saturday we were ready to take visiting friends to a new place and chose to go to Cesare al Casaletto.

Chef Leonardo Vignoli has worked at another favorite of ours, Guida Ballerino, some years ago - as a sommelier!  He is now cooking up a storm at Cesare - traditional dishes, some new ideas, good raw material and the best wine list we have ever encountered in a trattoria (and better than some starred places, too).

We found the fritti to be best dishes on this day. In the picture above: polpette di bollito con pesto (fried meatballs made from boiled meats, a typical “second usage dish”), polpette di melanzane (fried eggplant-balls with a spicy, smoky tomato sauce) and gnocchi fritti cacio e pepe (homemade fried potato gnocchi with a cheese & black pepper sauce). We also had the bacala (fried salt cod filets) and fried anchovies. The anchovies were a bit limp but impeccably fresh and tasty, everything else was perfect, with great flavor combinations.

Our pasta courses disappointed us a bit, but we think it might have been a temporary lapse (both carbonara and coda alla vaccinara - oxtail - sauces were oddly mild, almost saltless), the cacio e pepe with the seasonal artichoke bites were a lot better.

By this time we were so stuffed that we only tried one secondo (veal) and some contorni (the roman artichoke and cicoria), which were all lovely, good ingredients, treated respectfully.

We drank Angelino Maule’s Sassaia, Ciro Picariello’s Fiano and Arianna Occhipinti’s Nero d’Avola at laughably low prices (the whites for 12 euros a bottle and the red for 25). The wine list (there are also some rapidly changing wines that don’t make it into the printed list but are in shelves & fridges for the guests to peruse) has a strong emphasis on organic / bio-dynamic / natural wines - no matter what you think of these, the examples at Cesare are all very good wines in their own right, let me assure you.

Service was very nice, attentive but not obtrusive , ready to answer all questions, making clever suggestions, not up-selling. The almost all-white no-nonsense clean atmosphere is cheered up by a colorful mix of water glasses. The patio looks like it might be very nice to sit in the summer, maybe under some vines?

I also would like to mention that Cesare is one of the 12 restaurants participating in the Sapori Diversi project that gives the handicapped a chance to learn jobs in the kitchens or service of restaurants so later they can be employed and support themselves.

6 antipasti, 4 pasta, 1 secondo, 4 contorni, 3 dolce, 3 bottles of wine, water and 4 cafe cost the 4 of us ca. 190 euros (scontrino provided without asking). As you can see we ate & drank a lot, you can definitely be perfectly happy at around 25 euros. We heard they have the “pinsa”, a not very famous, thicker, type of Roman pizza, in the evenings, which is supposed to be good.

Do not let the location (Via del Casaletto 45) scare you, it is very easy to reach - hop on the tram number 8 from Largo Argentino in the center and get off at the last stop. It is few steps away. Reservations a good idea (under 06.536015, open lunch & dinner, closed wednesdays).