New at Dall'Uva

Wine as artistic medium: Molino di Grace

Join me for a moment in fantasy: Imagine that you have just purchased a small plot of land deep in the heart of the Chianti region in Tuscany, with a few acres of Sangiovese vineyards and a glorious medieval-era villa ready for restoration. The rich scent of ripe red fruits and oak emanate from the botte and barrique that rest quietly in the cantina. Before you lies a canvas where you can vividly express your passions, your true essence, in the form of luscious red wines. You are now free to play.

If you're like me, you may find yourself drifting gently through wine fantasies like this from time to time. But Frank Grace and Gerhard Hirmer found their Chianti canvas in the form of Il Molino di Grace and have released four dazzling reds that clearly express the artistic hand of their maker. It is with intense excitement that we now bring their superb Chiantis and Super Tuscan to Portland to share with you. And what better way is there to experience Art than through a wine glass?

Fantasy in tandem

Frank Grace had visions of buying a charming villa in Tuscany as a retirement base where he could relax and indulge his passion for sculpture, art and the cultivation of young artists. As the CEO of an international relocation firm and an avid art collector who divides his time between San Francisco and London, Frank was blessed with the opportunity to buy Villa Castagnoli, a 1000-year old property with a distinguished history as a medieval watchtower located just outside of Panzano. With the villa came 60 acres of land, including two vineyards planted with vibrant and productive vines. Frank pondered what to do with the grapes -- sell them to other producers, or create his own wine. With the characteristic luck of a charmed life, Frank was introduced to Gerhard Hirmer by the former owner of Villa Castagnoli, and so began an enchanted journey creating some of Chianti's most exciting wines.

Sharing a common passion for contemporary art, excellence and beauty, Frank and Gerhard immediately hit it off. "Frank and I agreed from the start that the wines must be of extraordinary quality and richly express the individuality of the soil and superb exposure of the vineyards," says Gerhard. Having retired to Tuscany with his family and children after traveling the world as an international banker, Gerhard is intimately familiar with how the Panzano terroir elegantly influences a wine, having produced his own wines there for 17 years. To complete the team, the pair were joined by Franco Bernabei, a close friend and master oenologist with superb 3 bicchieri successes at Felsina, Fontodi and Fazi Battaglia, and notable 2 bicchieri wines at Selvapiana. With total dedication to beauty, excellence and the art of winemaking, Il Molino di Grace was born.

While Frank and Judy Grace led the renovation of the 10th century villa and Franco was busy working his magic in the cantina, Gerhard managed the new venture. It was his dream job, one where he could savor the day-to-day challenges. "Back when I was in banking, it was incredibly stressful and lacking in challenge," recalls Gerhard. "I asked myself, 'is that all there is?' I felt a great deal of unrest, like I needed a change. In big business you sometimes give up a part of your self, a part of your soul. The stress and toughness ended up dominating my professional and personal life. " Gerhard now greets each day's challenges with enthusiasm as he works with kindred souls under a common cause: creating the most elegant wines in Chianti.

Tasting the fruits

Molino di Grace offered its first Chianti Classico with the modest production year of 1998. With total production potential of 130,000 bottles (about 11,000 cases), the team chose to limit their offering to just a few wines that best show the potential of the terroir and the winemaking team. The 2000 Chianti Classico (1 bicchiere on the Gambero Rosso scale) is their baseline normale with pleasant aromas of plums and blackberries and flinty notes on the palate. The superb 1999 Chianti Classico Riserva (1 bicchiere) is more evolved and exhibits spicy notes with a rich scent of wild fennel. Completing their trio of Chiantis is the limited production 1999 Chianti Classico Il Margone (2 bicchieri), a richly concentrated wine with notes of ripe black cherry and a touch of pencil lead, exhibiting balanced tannins and just the right amount of acidity. At the pinnacle of their creativity is the stunning 2000 Gratius (3 bicchieri), a Sangiovese in purezza Super Tuscan that is garnering rave reviews. You'll notice an elegant bouquet of ripe red fruits, coffee and a touch of cocoa powder, with firm tannins and a finish that keeps going on and on.

Food pairing. Beyond a doubt, you'll want to pair Molino di Grace's 3 Chiantis with rich red meat dishes like the succulent Bistecca Fiorentina, a 2+ pound T-bone grilled over hardwood and served rare -- the quintessential Tuscan dish found at osterie and ristoranti throughout the region. One of my favorite pairings of Chianti is with beef steak served tagliata style. Simply grill your favorite cut rare (like flank or top sirloin) then slice it on the bias into thin strips and briefly sauté them in a bit of olive oil, whole black pepper corns, fresh rosemary and salt to taste. For rabbit fans, the 2000 Chianti Classico normale would go well with rabbit in a cacciatore style. And for the elegant 2000 Gratius, look no further than a savory lamb dish. Pair it with a boneless leg roasted Abruzzi-style, or with chops grilled over hardwood and rosemary wands.

Visiting Molino di Grace.  Located just off the strada Chiantigiana (state route 222) that winds its way through the heart of Chianti from Florence to Siena, you'll find Molino di Grace a few kilometers from Panzano on the road leading to Radda. From Panzano just follow the signs to the hamlet of Il Volano - Lucarelli and you'll find the molino (windmill) clearly visible from the road. Be sure to contact Gerhard Hirmer in advance to schedule a time to visit; you can reach him via email, or call him at +39 055.856.1010. You will find more information about Molino di Grace on their website. Need a place to use as your home base while exploring nearby Chianti wineries? Check out Vescine Il Relais del Chianti, a lovely 4 star hotel in a medieval borgo just outside Radda in Chianti (tele: +39.0577.741.144).

Finding 'Grace Wines. Our first shipment of Molino di Grace wines are in stock at Pastaworks on Hawthorne (tele: 503.232.1010) and inside City Market on Northwest 21st Avenue (503.221.3002). You can reserve one or more bottles online by clicking on the button to the right.

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Michael's Travel Notes

VinItaly 2004: Tasting in the shadow of Venice.

You haven't lived until you've tasted 50 wines in a day. After doing so, you may not want to live. Each year in early April, VinItaly rocks Verona with the biggest, baddest, most extravagant wine exhibition in all of Italy. With over 585,000 square feet (nearly 14 acres) of exhibit space and 4000 exhibitors from 26 countries, this is the mother of all wine events. Teresa and I were joined by Arnaldo Rossi, our good friend, Sommelier and owner of Pane e Vino in Cortona, Italy, in our hunt for exciting artisan wines we can share with you in the coming months. Of particular interest to us are the Super Whites like Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc from Friuli, Alto Adige and the Veneto; and the warm southern reds like Primitivo (think dry Zinfandel), Negroamaro and Aglianico from Puglia and Basilicata.

With over 130,000 attendees from 90 countries descending upon Verona for the 5 day event, it's nearly impossible to find a place to stay unless you book a year in advance. No matter; Teresa and I prefer to stay in glorious Venezia and simply take the 75 minute Eurostar Italia express from the historic Venetian city center directly to Verona. While most would consider attending VinItaly as all play, we wanted a 'home base' where we could escape the traffic and madness each evening. And what better place is there to relax and sample the exquisite cuisine of the Veneto than the region's seat?

What's Hot. What's Not.

The buzz on the tasting floor this year was mixed. On the upside, the market for well crafted sweet wines (like Vin Santo, passito wines and others) and sparklers (like Prosecco and Franciacorta) is growing rapidly. It would appear that American wine consumers have finally begun to put their terrible past experience with mass produced, syrupy, super-sweet wines behind them. There is a genuine trend toward embracing quality dessert wines crafted with great care and in small quantities. Our Solluchero dessert wine made by infusing wild Visciole cherries in a Rosso Orvietano base is a good example. Fabrizia and Nicola at Monte Valentino lovingly craft by hand just 4000 bottles of this velvety elixir each year. Poliziano's Occhio di Pernice Vin Santo is ultra-rare with only 300 bottles produced each year. And the glorious passito sweet wines from the breezy island of Pantelleria off the coast of Sicily are showing off just what intense sun and human effort can do in collaboration. Watch for a few new sweet wine offerings from Dall'Uva in the coming months.

On the down side, Italian (and most European) producers are sweating the "super-euro" and what is becoming a worldwide saturazione of quality wine. The Euro has appreciated over 40% in the last 2 years, and that translates into higher prices at the wine shop for you and me. High exchange rates hurt the producers, particularly when most of their income is from overseas sales. That, coupled with an abundance of quality wines from emerging wine countries like Chile, New Zealand and Australia, means prices must moderate or producers will find themselves sitting on a lot of inventory.

"Un assaggio, per favore"

At VinItaly, finding a good wine is trivial. But finding a good wine that is also fairly priced and available for importation in the Northwest is not. At Dall'Uva we set even tighter criteria for our selections: our producers are smaller, often family run with total annual production around 100,000 bottles or less; production is crafted with a balance of artisan methods and a modern style (producing what Arnaldo calls "correct wines"); and a desire to build a durable relationship based upon trust and integrity. Taking all of these factors into account, it becomes challenging to find the right fit.

Reds from the south. The province of Puglia, located along the heel of the boot, is one of Italy's largest producers in total wine production. The place is flooded with red wine, a few whites, and oceans of olive oil. To put it in perspective, Puglia alone produces twice the wine volume of Australia. Trying to find good producers with less than a million bottles of production can be a challenge, but we found some.

Alessia Perrucci of Le Fabriche produces just 60,000 bottles of Primitivo del Salento and a Rosso Puglia, both exceptionally well executed. Wines from the south of Italy generally exhibit a clean, fresh taste that feels like a distillation of the hot summer sun. Alessia's wines certainly exhibit the characteristics, as do the many wines from Accademia dei Racemi. Racemi in Manduria groups the production of several small estates and helps the producers in the vineyards and during winemaking. Racemi also helps salvage vineyards of old bush-trained vines that have been abandoned or risk being uprooted, and supports a modern production style for obscure Puglian vines that might otherwise disappear from production. They offer many Primitivo di Manduria wines from Felline, Pervini and other local producers. Primitivo is a close (perhaps identical) relative of the American Zinfandel varietal, but the Puglia Primitivo wines are dramatically different from the Zinfandels you may be used to. Look for an exciting Primitivo from Dall'Uva later this summer.

Super Whites from the north. For those of you who attended the Slow Food Super White event in Portland last year, you know that northern Italy is producing some blockbuster white wines at great prices. It seems the appetite for Italian whites is insatiable, with Pinot Grigio leading the way. We tasted a full lineup of whites (and a few reds) from Volpe Pasini that quickly got our attention. Emilio Rotolo's offering of normale Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, and Tocai Friulano wines are quite clean with a light touch of oak, but their
Zuc di Volpe line is much more evolved with the wines spending more time in barrique. In particular, their wood-aged Pinot Grigio Ipso exhibited a wonderful nose of tropical fruits, a 2 bicchieri this year.

The evolution of art

Artisan producers constantly experiment with new methods and wines, and Dall'Uva producers are no exception. We met with our friends to see what new things they were up to.

• San Luciano is releasing 2000 Savinus, a small production Vin Santo Valdichiana matured in small barriques. Tasting their 2001 D'Ovidio da barrrique we sensed subtle spices and the characteristic notes of vanilla and marzipan. Both wines will be available early this fall.
• We were pleased to see that Stefano and Giovanna at Pacina have been busy in the cantina with the pending introduction of their 1997 Vin Santo, available this fall. Carla Capalbo, author of the popular gastronomic travel guide A Food Lover's Companion to Tuscany, joined us at the Pacina stand, presenting me with another opportunity to thank her for introducing me last fall to the kind Tiezzi family.
• Gerhard Hirmer of Molino di Grace presented us with the opportunity to taste the 2001 Chianti Classico and Gratius wines da barrique -- incredible! The 2001 Chianti is more evolved than the 2000; the Gratius is soft and supple with lovely hints of fennel. I suspect Gerhard and Frank have another winning lineup on their hands.

Un Giro di Ombra

It's simply not possible to go to the Veneto without a little gastronomic adventure. When we stay in Venice, we prefer experiencing the daily rhythm of life off the beaten touristic track. One of our favorite passatempi while in Venice is the nightly Giro di Ombra, the Venetian equivalent of a pub crawl. While the origins of the phrase are debatable, the most plausible explanation is as follows: Years ago a small bar setup in the shadow (the ombra) of the church tower on San Marco square late in the afternoon, just before dinner. The bar served small glasses of wine and tasty local snacks to hungry Venetians on their way home from work. As the sun traversed the sky, the cart would track the shade of the clock tower -- hence the phrase giro di ombra, or a turn of the shade. Works for me.

Modern day Venetians still participate in this age old tradition by visiting the many small, quaint bars called bacari (from the word Bacchus, the Roman god of wine), sprinkled liberally throughout the historic center. Each night small groups of locals (and tourists in the know) travel a circuit of local bars, ordering at each stop an ombra (a small glass of wine) and munch on cicchetti, a small snack that is distinctly Venetian. Cicchetti can be small fried fish, olives stuffed with sausage, baby octopus on a toothpick, or francobolli -- tiny postage stamp-sized sandwiches. It's a pleasant way to loosen up after a long day at work (or shopping).

Traditionally the wine served as an ombra is sfuso, or loose wine, -- think respectable plonk. At most bacari these days you can try dozens of quality wines by the glass for just a few Euros. Your giro di ombra is a great way to inexpensively taste a great many Italian wines -- without having to travel to VinItaly.

Sidetrip to Culinary Heaven

While Venice is known for many things, haute cuisine is not one of them. Stories abound about the touristy restaurants that are more interested in helping you part with your money than sharing the elegant culinary treasures of the Veneto. Teresa and I follow three simple rules when it comes to dining in Venice: 1) never eat at a restaurant with multi-lingual menus, 2) don't eat fish on Sundays or Mondays (the fish markets are closed, so fish dishes aren't fresh), and 3) find restaurants filled with locals.

To reduce the risk of bombing-out on an evening's meal, we always refer to the listings in Osterie d'Italia, a foodie's dream guidebook to the most genuine and honest restaurants that cook in the local style. Published and updated annually by the staff at Slow Food, this 835 page guidebook is your ticket to excellent food and wine in a convivial atmosphere. This year our trusty guide features 8 osterie and 13 enoteche in the Venice area, all serving purely local cuisine and featuring wines of the Veneto and nearby Friuli Venezia-Giulia. Over the years Teresa and I have dined at them all save one: a small, out-of-the-way restaurant in Mestre on the mainland. Frankly, Mestre is not the kind of place you would want to spend time in, but Ostaria da Mariano just might redeem the sprawling industrial town.

We arrived at Ostaria da Mariano just in time for our 1:00P lunch reservation. The owners greet us warmly and immediately seat us. Not a tourist in the place -- score! We settle in for a pleasant 2 hour lunch under the gentle guidance of Antonio and Nadia. Like many genuine osterie, there's no menu -- you eat what's cooking, which is almost always what is immediately in season. When in doubt, we ask the server which dishes he personally prefers. Today we can count on Antonio to share with us the day's best from the kitchen.

The prize for the day is the seppie in nero, or braised cuttlefish (think squid) served in a sauce made from its own ink. While it sounds a bit strange, it is a truly fantastic cucina tipica dish from the Veneto region. "We start with an onion soffrito and braise the cuttlefish very slowly, occasionally adding a few tablespoons of water and vegetable broth while it cooks," says Antonio. "As the cuttlefish becomes tender, we add a small pinch of cinnamon and the ink." Served with white polenta made from mais biancaperla, a Slow Food Presidia corn variety, the seppie in nero is out of this world. The black-as-night sauce is rich, round and soft, while the seppie is tender and delicate. It's a must-try while traveling in the Veneto.

Leaving our appetites in the caring hands of Antonio, we're treated to wave after wave of additional Veneto specialties, like pasta e fagioli, baccala mantecato (salt cod in a delicate mayonnaise-like sauce), and sarde in saor (sardines with pickled onions, raisins and pignoli). We close with a dessert of sweet wine and little S-shaped cookies called esse, knock back an espresso, and bid our hosts a gracious thank you for their unending hospitality.

Visiting Ostaria da Mariano. While staying in Venice or if you're passing through the area, Ostaria da Mariano is an easy and worthwhile stop to satiate your hunger and sample some fine Veneto wines. From Venice take a taxi or save a few Euros by taking bus #4 from Piazzale Roma and step off at the Via Ca' Rossa stop, about 15 minutes. If you're coming by way of train, stop at the Mestre central train station and take a taxi. They're located at #49 on via Spalti. Antonio and Nadia can be reached at +39.041.615.427, or via email at da_mariano@libero.it. They're open for lunch after 12:30P and most evenings. Reservations are recommended.

Where to stay in Venice. You'll find a gaggle of fine hotels ranging from € 60 to € 600 sprinkled throughout Venice. Just pick up a reputable guidebook (you'll want one to properly plan your trip) and select one that meets your financial and location needs. We like to stay with our friends Roberto and Piero who run Pensione Guerrato, a small 600 year-old hotel just off of the Rialto bridge and a stone's throw from the Rialto fish and produce market that teems with locals Monday through Saturday mornings. Roberto and Piero also rent small apartments if you'd prefer to live come locali while you stay. You can reach Roberto and Piero via email or phone them at +39.041.528.5927.

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local tastings

Lentement at Navarre

"We started with a vision of creating a convivial atmosphere where people can be real," says John Taboada, chef and co-owner at Navarre in southeast Portland. Named after a small area in Gascony near the Pyrenees in France, Navarre has garnered a bit of a cult following in town. Following in the European style of tapas bars and enoteche, the word is out that you can find extraordinarily tasty pan-Mediterranean plates paired with wonderful wines by the glass -- all in a convivial, light atmosphere. John and co-owner Susan Chaney have teamed up to create a focal point for warm gatherings of friends and co-workers who want to enjoy il dolce far niente (the sweetness of the moment).

"At a typical restaurant, the meal has a common progression: appetizers or a salad followed by a main course, dessert, and perhaps an after-dinner coffee. It's tough for friends to join you at dinner if they're not there from the start," says John. "At Navarre, we want people to be able to come and go seamlessly, allowing their friends to join in the meal whenever they wish. We think of it as eating laterally. " Indeed, Navarre's menu is structured as a checklist of selections from simple appetizers to more complex European regional dishes. Akin to a sushi ordering sheet, you're presented with a rich selection of small and large plates to choose from, including a half dozen nightly specials as well. Just check off the items on the menu sheet (or write in a special) and hand it to your server. You're handed a fresh menu list to use again on your progression through an unlimited number of courses, or even backtrack if you find an item you adore.

Navarre's unique style lets you go regional in your dining. John explains: "If you're a fan of French food you can dine French: select the cabbage gratin (see John's recipe below), the radishes and butter, or the country pork paté. The table next to you might be enjoying Spanish cuisine with a terrine of ham, potato and cheese, or oysters and chorizo. Fans of Italy can select boar stew with chocolate, flank steak, or a superb polenta dish. We even offer quintessential American dishes like Tennessee barbeque ribs and corned beef. It's totally up to the table to choose where they wish to dine that evening."

Navarre is by no means a vegetarian restaurant, but John lights up when we talk produce -- and it's easy to understand why after you've experienced the intensity of flavor in his cabbage gratin or braised greens. "We're fanatical about sourcing fresh in-season produce," says John. "It's all about eating in tune with the seasons. We've partnered with Laura Masterson at 47th Avenue Farms and virtually all of our produce comes from their local Community Sustainable Agriculture farm. Each week they bring us the in-season harvest and we adapt our menu accordingly." In the spirit of the Slow Food movement, John and Laura's partnership is beneficial for everyone: Laura has a guaranteed market for her produce, John gets the best local in-season vegetables, and Navarre customers experience the most flavorful and healthful dishes around.

The thoughtful winelist is organized by terroir, from north to south. You'll find wines from Oregon, Spain, Italy, France and even a unique wine from Mexico (and you thought that Fountains of Wayne song was a joke). "We offer 60 wines by the glass, 1/4 carafe, 1/2 carafe and by the bottle," notes John. "We don't want to limit people in their choices. You can select a wine for pairing with the menu items as you see fit. And if you're not sure what to select, you can experiment by trying several wines in progression. It's a great opportunity to play with different wines you may be unfamiliar with." For those looking for a helpful hint, John's staff can offer thoughtful suggestions on wine pairing.

Complimenting the easygoing staff and atmosphere is a minimalist space with a modern industrial feel, but with tables and seating arranging to heighten intimacy. It's the perfect place to while away the hours over warm conversation, exceptional food and wines that surprise and delight.

Finding Navarre. Navarre serves dinner nightly from 5:30 until 11:00. You'll find them at 10 NE 28th, right off Burnside in Portland (503.232.3555). Navarre doesn't take reservations, so you may want to drop in a bit early or plan to take a glass of wine at the bar until your table is ready -- patience that will be well rewarded. Recommended parking is behind the restaurant in the Wild Oats Market parking lot.

Tasting event at Navarre. Join us at Navarre for a special tasting (it's free) of our new Molino di Grace wines on Friday, April 23 from 5:30 until 7P, then stay for dinner (it's not free) as John's team knocks our socks off with their exciting menu for the evening. The evening promises to be warm, convivial and deeply satisfying. Who knows, we may even pop a bottle of Solluchero to close out the evening.

Recipe: John's Cabbage Gratin

John Taboada's superb Cabbage Gratin is one of his signature dishes. Pair it with a simply roasted bird or flank steak. Serves 8 people.

Ingredients:

	2		firm green cabbages		2		tablespoons butter, melted
	3/4		cup heavy cream				salt and freshly ground pepper
	2		cups cantal, gruyere or parmigiano cheese, grated

Preparation:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Core and quarter the cabbage and blanch briefly in boiling salted water. Drain the blanched cabbage quarters, then remove the white leaves and set them aside on a plate.
3. In a bowl large enough to hold the grated cheese, mix the cheese and the heavy cream, reserving about 3 tablespoons of the cream for later. Add salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon) and a liberal grinding of fresh black pepper.
4. Place a layer of cabbage leaves to the bottom of a 10" x 10" oven-proof baking dish, covering it completely. Add a layer of the cheese and cream mixture on top of the leaves. Repeat this process until the baking dish is filled with the layered cabbage and cheese mixture. You should have from 4 to 8 layers in the dish. Finish the top layer with cabbage leaves and cover it with the remaining cream and melted butter.
5. Bake the gratin for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top of the gratin is browned. Once browned, remove the gratin from the oven and let set for 10 minutes, then serve.

Wine Pairing. The gratin dish is wonderfully rich and will want a bright, somewhat tannic wine like our 2000 Chianti Classico wine from Molino di Grace. You can pick up a bottle of 'Grace Chianti at Pastaworks, or just order both the wine and gratin dish at Navarre (superb with John's wild boar dish).