When Tracie B told me she had a yen for Campari the other night, I headed to our neighborhood market and picked up some oranges, soda, and ice (she grabbed a bottle of Campari at our favorite local wine store).

Now, mind you, our California blood oranges are nowhere nearly as tasty as the Sicilian blood oranges that Franco loves to brag about. And he’s right: the tenderness and flavor of the Sicilian blood mesocarp are unmatched. But our California blood oranges (I believe the Tarocco cultivar) are still pretty darn good.

I sliced and strained a half of an orange into each glass over ice (we were joined by good friend Amy, who happened to be in the neighborhood, and so three was company, too).

Earlier this year, JT pointed out to me that my preferred formula for drinking Campari is called a “Garibaldi,” I’m assuming because it is a blend of products from Piedmont and Sicily.

Whatever it’s called, it’s delicious!

Tracie B and I still haven’t decided what sparkler we’re popping for New Year’s Eve but it’s that time of year again…

In other news…

I’m in Dallas this morning: Alfonso, who’s going to be the best man at our wedding (he introduced us, after all!), took me to get my suit fitted this morning by “SABATO the TAILOR” (that’s him, left). It seems like a long way to travel for a fitting but Neapolitan tailors — everyone knows — are the best in the world and considering the moment of the occasion, it was well worth the trip.

Thanks, Ace!

And in case you haven’t seen it, Tracie B did this adorable post on our wedding invites. I’m just crazy about her and it’s been so much fun getting ready for our wedding… the date is around the corner!

Garibaldi’s is in downtown Savannah on Congress Street, home to many well-known restaurants.  In here they have something special going on that fits well with most diners.  We had a decent size group, I believe it was 10 of us and we were all relaxing from travels and long days of work with a couple cocktails and glasses of wine.  This restaurant is a great place to do this.  We were seated upstairs, which had what seemed 20 foot ceilings, at a nice round table.  I had a couple glasses of Pinot Noir from Walnut City throughout the evening and they were light and not overpowering.  The menu had several great options for every part of the meal.  I opted to start with a trademark appetizer, the Bloody Mary Oysters.  They offer it raw or steamed, and I opted to go raw as the oysters almost always taste better this way.  The dish comes with the oysters covered in chopped avocado, jalapeno, tomato and red onion with a soufflé cup of a spicy thin Bloody Mary mix sauce to drizzle atop the oyster concoction.  I obliged.  It was spicy and had a great bite.  All the flavors blended well together, but it masked the oysters flavor profiles instead of enhancing them.  Still though, it was a great appetizer that started the meal off nicely.  Next, one of the locals that joined us highly recommended the Veal Chop au Poivre.  This was easy to accept, as I love a great veal chop and being one of the signature items on the menu I knew I would be in good hands.  I decided to not add salad or soup, but the waiter came close by trying to tempt me with one.  Maybe if they had she crab soup or crab corn chowder I could have been persuaded.  The chop came out as described on the menu – peppered seared in a wild mushroom brandy with mashed potato and haricort vert (I have no idea what this is, but the only thing it could have been were the green beans on my plate).  I ordered the chop medium, which was the recommended temperature, and that was exactly how it was served.  Delicious.  The mushroom brandy sauce was a great sidecar to the veal and I devoured every last bite.  Now I am not a big fan of desserts, but had heard a lot about the ones here.  The table ordered a few and I sampled them with a spoonful here and there.  The one that stood out was a berry basket with ice cream.  It was sublime.  This is a great restaurant with old southern charm and lots of great choices.  Make this part of your next stop in Savannah and you will enjoy it.

Photographed by gari.baldi

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– License

http://dbalears.cat/arxiu/pdf/653/38

Comença la setmana d’El crepuscle encén estels · IB3 Ràdio, 21:00 · amb el programa 453, en el qual Pere Estelrich entrevistarà PAU VIDAL, traductor al català d’Il Gattopardo, i redactor dels mots encreuats del diari El País. El Gattopardo és una novel·la escrita per Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, entre el 1954 i 1957, i publicada pòstumament (1958). Un llibre, i una pel·lícula de Luchino Visconti (1963), que popularitzaren la sentència del príncep Salina: “Se vogliamo che tutto rimanga come è, bisogna che tutto cambi”. La novel·la està localitzada a Palerm i a Agrigento de Donnafugata; en el seu castell s’hi rodaren algunes escenes del film. Diuen que el seu nom vé de la reina Blanca de Navarra, vidua del rei Martí l’Humà i regent de Sicília, que va fugir d’allà (s. XV) on era presonera del cavaller català Bernat Cabrera. Prop de Taormina, de Giardini-Naxos partí l’expedició de Garibaldi (1860) cap a la bóta d’Itàlia; allà hi podreu gaudir d’un paisatge illenc semblant al nostre des de l’Atahotel Naxos on hi ha 189 cambres a l’hotel i …453 en petits xalets

…453, ja ho val, com Crepuscles comptam fins el dia d’avui.

· IB3 ràdio en directe ·

http://streaming01.ib3radio.com:8000/ib3radio.mp3

[Leggi qui le puntate precedenti]

Ora, stando agli atti del processo gli è che il bubbone metifico – quello che lor poeti definirebbero invece sacro fuoco, o volontà di potenza, perché troppo si vergognano a chiamarlo col suo termine più proprio: ovvero un ego smisurato – insomma, quella cosa lì, crebbe a dismisura dopo una prima tappa sperimentale nella città partenopea, dove gli entusiasmi ribollirono a tal punto da convincere una signorina lì di passaggio a indirizzarli verso un luogo il cui nome ben si adattava alla veritiera natura dei cinque declamatori. Questo luogo si chiamava – e presuppongo si chiami tutt’oggi, poiché non compare nel registro degl’indagati – il Perditempo: un posto dove vennero accolti come cantori di un nuovo mondo, in modo così inaspettato che rimasero basiti davanti a chi porgeva loro in dono calici traboccanti di bevande senza che neanche vi fosse stata esplicita richiesta (quando invece, solitamente, erano costretti a far la questua per ottenere almeno un cicchetto omaggiato per sciaquare l’ugola dopo tanto profluvio di parole). Uno di loro poi, quello che si vantava dei suoi natali etruschi – che però era finito guardacaso a Roma per fornicar con le parole – finì talmente ciucco da concludere la serata con una barzelletta toscana; ché ci vorrebbero delle foto solo per vedere le facce tutte da ridere dei discendenti di Pulcinella, da immaginarsi con le orecchie protese e le mascelle spalancate nel tentativo di carpire qualche ci aspirata e inghiottita insieme ai sorsi di limoncello di Sorrento che il sommo vate trincava tra una frase e l’altra.

È di quei giorni lì la prima voce di una possibile alleanza extracapitolina, in cui sembrò confluire una misteriosa brigata partenopea, composta di scrittori dialettali e non, che spingevano per goder dei fasti di un nuovo 7 settembre*, per poi ritirarsi anch’essi, da veri intellettuali, senza ricompense e in qualche sperduto loco**.

Ad onor del vero quest’unione non s’ebbe poi a fare, e rimane una delle zone oscure di tutta questa stramba processione che vide le parole uscir dai loro ranghi come insubordinati non ligi agli ordini. Il dilemma non è affatto di poco conto, ché la risposta potrebbe confermare i legittimi dubbi sulla reale unità d’intenti tra i nostrani spadaccini di penna, soprattutto alla luce dei documenti recentemente resi noti dalla commissione di vigilanza web, dai quali emergono polemiche e risse verbali all’ordine del giorno tra questi tutori della cultura, che in quanto a ferir di lingua non sembravano da meno dei tanto vituperati giornalisti.

Insomma, stando ai prodromi si potrebbe oggi asserire che il piano partì già bello che zoppo, nonostante i facili entusiasmi che accompagnarono i cinque briganti durante il viaggio di ritorno in seconda classe, soprattutto quelli del poeta imbrattatore di mura, che fantasticava il buon ritiro in quel di Ausonia, ma solo dopo aver compiuto il suo dovere civico verso l’irriconoscente patria, che si burlava ancora una volta del coraggio dei proprio figli.

Il dado era tratto e i cinque si apprestavano a render giustizia non soltanto a coloro che già si organizzavano per l’espatrio, ma anche a chi, accerchiato dalla cultura dell’aggressione verbale, si accingeva mestamente ad alzar bandiera bianca: essi vollero dare esempio di strenua resistenza dinanzi a chi voleva accorciare la lingua italiana ai suoi minimi termini, per riportarla invece ai fasti, alla ricchezza e alla musicalità a lei più congeniali, proprio come ai tempi del Gadda e del Landolfi.

Simone Ghelli

* Il riferimento è alla conquista della capitale del Regno delle due Sicilie, dove Garibaldi fece il suo ingresso il 7 settembre del 1860, per poi sconfiggere le truppe del re Francesco II che si erano ritirate a nord del Volturno.

** Dopo aver accompagnato il re Vittorio Emanuele II a Napoli, l’8 novembre del 1860 Garibaldi si ritirò sull’isola di Caprera, rifiutandosi di accettare qualsivoglia ricompensa per i suoi servigi.

di Garibaldi in fondo si ricordano tutti: di Mazzini, pensano sia una via

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12h04 – É Seu Direito – Campanha contra a AIDS

12h35 – Marca Paraná – Crédito

13h30 – Tempero da Terra – Paçoca de Carne

– Tá na Lei – Lixo Tecnológico

– Essa Casa Tem História – Casa de Cultura (Arapoti)

– Serviços Públicos – Defesa Civil

– PR399 – Guaratuba

14h00 – Esquenta ao vivo

14h30 – Sessão ao vivo

17h30 – O Dono da Rua – Anita Garibaldi

– Aqui é Assim – Comitê de Imprensa

– Onde Você Estava? – Início da TV no Paraná

18h00 – TelejornAL ao vivo

18h30 – Urbanidades – Violência no Trânsito

19h30 – É Seu Direito – Campanha contra a AIDS

20h05 – Reprise Sessão

22h30 – Tempero da Terra – Paçoca de Carne

– Tá na Lei – Lixo Tecnológico

– Essa Casa Tem História – Casa de Cultura (Arapoti)

– Serviços Públicos – Defesa Civil

– PR399 – Guaratuba

– O Dono da Rua – Anita Garibaldi

– Aqui é Assim – Comitê de Imprensa

– Onde Você Estava? – Início da TV no Paraná

23h30 – Reprise TelejornAL

– Perfil Parlamentar – Jonas Guimarães, Chico Noroeste, Pedro Ivo Ilkiv, Fernando Scanavaca

Yo se que les gusta!!!!

chequen el playback culero…

Y como baila la gente…. es increible la cantidad de gente que mueve y movio esa rola…

todo por eso….

(8) tengo una bolita que me sube y me baja (8)

Hayyy!!!!!!

******************************************

No olviden El Cover….

ARMANDITO MANZANEROX

Quien es MANZANEROX?

Mais de dezesseis prefeituras do Rio Grande do Norte serão beneficiadas pelo ProInfância – programa criado em 2007 que destina recursos à construção e aquisição de equipamentos para creches e pré-escolas públicas da educação infantil.

Assinatura de convênios entre o Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação (FNDE) e os municípios do RN ocorreu nesta terça-feira (10), no Ministério da Educação, com a participação dos senadores José Agripino, Rosalba Ciarlini e Garibaldi Alves.

Foram beneficiados os municípios de Nízia Floresta, Macaíba, Ceará-Mirim, Serra do Mel, São Rafael, São José do Seridó, Caraúbas, Carnaubais, Brejinho, Cerro-Corá, Maxaranguape, Almino Afonso, Caicó e Apodi.

(Fernanda Domingues – Equipe Agripino)

GARIBALDI FU FERITO

Bento Gonçalves, a city of 105,000 people, is the Bordeaux or Napa of southern Brazil. In September I spent a week here exploring the liquid delights of the surrounding Vale dos Vinhedos (Wine Valley), a sub zone of the Serra Gaúcha wine region that produces “fine wine” (as opposed to inexpensive “bulk wine”).

SDG at the XVII Avaliação Nacional de Vinhos, giving a tasting note to 700 people.

The generic body Wines from Brazil is having a major push on exports, so a motley crew of European hacks, including yours truly, was assembled to learn more about Serra Gaúcha.

Wine production here began in the 1870s with the arrival of German and Italian migrants, whose influence is still very apparent in the food and language of the area.

There are 31 wine producing businesses in total, mainly small in size (producing less than 50,000 litres per year). Total production is up to 12 million bottles of “fine wine” per year from a viticultural area of just over 2,000 ha, accounting for 90 percent of all Brazilian wine.

Climate

The journey up into the Vale dos Vinhedos is memorable for the lush greenery of the landscape, with brightly coloured houses scattered across the hills like balls on a snooker table. Power lines creep across the valleys like a south Brazilian parody of cable cars.

Located at parallel 29°, Serra Gaúcha has an average winter temperature of 12°C. In the summer, temperatures average 22°C, much cooler than in the north.

The humidity caused by high rainfall means that spraying is essential.

Soil

Hotel & Spa do Vinho Caudalie, surrounded by vineyards near Bento Gonçalves.

The lush landscape implies very fertile soils, which, because they encourage excessive vegetation (according to Richard Smart), are not always the best for growing grapes for quality wine.

The prevailing soil type is argillaceous, with plenty of clay. This suits Merlot well, of course, and also tempers the acidity promoted by the region’s high altitude. Bento Gonçalves is at 690 metres above sea level, though vineyards in the Vale dos Vinhedos tend to be a bit less than that.

Viticulture

Traditional pergola vines are still widespread but for the production of “fine wine” trellising is essential, not least to impress visiting wine hacks. Pergola used to give a yield of 40 tons/ha. On average, trellised vines yield ten tons/ha.

Vinifera rather than hybrid vines are now universal for “fine wines.”

Most estates claim to use espalier trellising, though some of them looked more like guyot.

Mechanical harvesting is difficult in Serra Gaúcha because of the undulating landscape.

Brazilian waxing

It goes without saying that the hospitality shown to my fellow travellers and me was extraordinarily generous. The joie de vivre of Brazilians is infectious. I am grateful to Wines of Brazil and all the producers cited below for the opportunity to visit them and to taste their wines.

I have noted winery and vineyard details when the estate has actually been visited. Sometimes we were shown an estate’s portfolio over dinner at a restaurant and such details were not available. They can of course be found on the relevant websites but I would rather research and write than recycle and write…

Panizzon

Ana Paula Panizzon

The lovely Ana Paula Panizzon hosted a tasting of her wines at the Trattoria Primo Camillo in a handsome old building at Garibaldi, a small town south of Bento Gonçalves. The enormous “Champagne” bottle at the entrance to the town is indicative of its vocation for sparkling wines.

Panizzon was established in 1960 and, as is often the case in Brazil, in addition to its wines also produces grape juice, cider, vinegar, hot drinks and so on.

Chardonnay Brut NV

There is 20 percent Riesling in this Chardonnay (!), which would mean declaring it as such for EU export markets. Charmat method. Persistent but not aggressive mousse. Soft and creamy, with a hint of marzipan. More grapey on the palate. Dry and plenty of acidity.

Rosé Brut NV

Charmat method. Pale salmon pink. Soft red fruit aromas. Simple, though it has a similarly pleasing texture to the Chardonnay.

Moscatel NV

Asti method. Simple and grapey, but not too sweet or cloying (70–80g/ltr sugar, we were told). Frothy. An enjoyable dessert wine. Drunk with Primo Camillo’s pièce de resistance (or should that be coup de grace?) ice cream and chocolate sauce on pizza.

www.panizzon.com.br

Don Guerino

The winding pothole-filled road that leads to the winery gives little clue to the investments made here.

The Don Guerino winery

The Motter family originally came from Trentino, hence the Italian habits but German surname. They built a new winery in 2001 at Alto Feliz in the eastern-most part of Serra Gaúcha, 40km southeast of Bento Gonçalves where the vineyards receive cooling sea breezes that encourage acidity in the grapes. It sits at 500 metres above sea level, surrounded by 50ha of vineyards on argillaceous soils that bathe in sunshine during the summer months.

It is challenging to clear land for vineyards here, they explained—the forest dominates everything. And of course there is also the cost of purchasing land. Typically one hectare would cost R$20,000, equivalent to about £7,000. So the vineyard here entailed an investment somewhere in the region of £350,000. By comparison, land in Bordeaux for basic AC Bordeaux grapes costs a minimum €18,000/£16,115.

Probably the winery cost a similar amount. The Motters have made a big investment, with much of that money coming from their well-established fruit juice business. They intend eventually to produce 500,000 bottles of wine per year.

Brut Champenoise 2007

Some toastiness at first, then a bit cheesy. More autolytic character with aeration. Dry and quite fat.

Brut Prosecco 2008

Soft, creamy and frothy. Simple and just about dry—13g/ltr. Some acetate on the nose.

Moscatel 2009

Very pale colour, as white as hoar frost. Sweet and frothy, like lemonade. 60g/ltr sugar but not cloying.

Victoria Chardonnay 2008

Buttery nose, à la Macon. Clean, simple, quite fat but with good length. No barrels but chips were used during fermentation. A 2009 tank sample of this wine made in the same method was far more marked by oak.

Emma Rosé 2008

Named after the family’s 84-year old grandmother. Slightly bitter finish and rather tart. With aeration, quite oxidised.

Reserva Tannat 2005

Tar, leather and spice on the nose, but also a bit oxidised. Probably this was brutally tannic when young so ageing was necessary to tame them but in the process it has lost freshness. A bag-in-a-box Tannat was also tasted—no oak, simple and fruity, though again a bit oxidised.

Gran Reserva Teroldego 2007

Now here’s something interesting… A Trentino variety that I have not tasted from elsewhere before. The palate is supple and juicy, so it is a pity that the bright fruit flavours have been overwhelmed by oak.

Gran Reserva Ancellotta 2007

Another Trentino varietal. Very similar to the Teroldego, a nice structure but too much oak.

www.donguerino.com.br

Vinhos Boscato

The very Italian-sounding town of Nova Pádua is characterful, with villas painted as brightly as a Giotto fresco. The dramatic orange hues of sunset across the hills of the Rio das Antas valley are a wonderful sight, especially after a hard day’s wine tasting.

Vinhos Boscato

Here, 800 metres above sea level and 70km from Bento Gonçalves, lies the Boscato estate.

Sitting atop the slopes, the vineyards are relatively flat and have been planted at a not very dense 4,000 vines per hectare to allow machinery, though harvesting is done by hand. Total production is only 45,000 bottles per year, mostly sold domestically but some is exported to Germany and the USA.

There is a “weather” station here that records humidity levels and so on. The data is transmitted to a computer at the winery every 15 minutes and then appropriate action is (or is not) taken.

The Chardonnay vines were already budding though Ancellotta and Cabernet Sauvignon had not yet budded.

Atypically, Boscato does not make sparkling wines, only “fine wines.” And these are all monovarietal.

There is also a wine school and restaurant attached to the winery.

Reserva Gewurztraminer 2009

Excellent varietal character, Turkish Delight and so on. One-third was fermented in oak and this shows a bit on the finish. Made in quite a powerful style, à la Alsace. Good wine.

Gran Reserva Merlot 2005

A bit stewed on the nose, with some liquorice and cinnamon. Fleshy palate, finishing sweet and juicy. Nearly 2.5 g/ltr sugar here, which shows on the finish… Drink now to 2012.

Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Sweeter fruit on the finish than the Merlot—not sugar but brighter and fresher. Fleshy again. Better acidity than the Merlot.

Reserva Chardonnay 2008

Simple and perfectly drinkable. Just slightly oxidative.

Cabernet Sauvignon Sofia 2005

“Cooler” nose than the previous red wines, with less of the sweet fruit. Rustic tannins. Good food wine.

Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Much sweeter than the 2005, with a chewy finish.

www.boscato.com.br

Casa Valduga

This smart estate, with accommodation and excellent restaurants as well as projects in Argentina, Chile and Portugal, showed its wines to us over an extravagant dinner of Gigas oysters prepared by Jaime Barcelos of Ostradamus restaurant in Florianopolis.

Casa Valduga

The wines generally had civilised alcohol levels of 12.5–13 percent and showed good, fresh fruit.

I visited by myself a few days later. Valduga produces 1 million litres of wine per year, half of which is sparkling. It began to export in 2002 but has not yet ventured successfully into the UK.

The 200-metre long “Champagne cellar” has a 6-million bottle capacity though it will not be full for at least 20 years.

All this has been self-funded, I was told. The restaurants and accommodation are excellent but the bumpy road has not yet been finished…

Espumante 130 Brut NV

Named in honour of 130 years of Italian immigration to Brazil and blended from the 2003, 2004 and 2005 vintages. Two years on the lees. Very persistent mousse, fresh and fruity. Not quite as bright on the palate, which is more leesy than the nose. 8g/ltr dosage. Fairly simple.

Gran Reserva Extra Brut 2002

Noticeably deeper in colour. Toasty and very Champagne-like. 4g/ltr. Good.

Nature 2002

Colour as before. Persistent mousse but not quite as fine as for the Gran Reserva. Fresher and less toasty on the nose, though the palate is toastier and the finish is unsurprisingly rather austere. A spoonful of sugar makes the Gran Reserva just that bit more charming.

Premium Chardonnay 2008

Unoaked but with interesting flavours—a hint of toast. Warm finish. Drink now.

Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

Nice texture, with bright fruit not overwhelmed by oak. More savoury and “cool” on the palate than the nose. Age to 2012 for more interest?

Premium Brut 2006

Served with fresh oysters. The wine was a bit too heavy and fat for the food.

Then oysters with mango, apple and Brie, a rich dish that better suited the wine.

Premium Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Oysters with garlic and oil and bread with almonds

The wine was a bit smoky and went well with the very tasty bread.

Premium Blush 2006

Oysters in balsamic cream

A superb balsamic, intense and thick. But just too much for this or any other sparkling wine.

Oysters in ginger and honey flamed in cognac

A good match, the wine picking up the ginger.

Gran Reserva Chardonnay 2009

Shrimp risotto

A very good dish but the wine was too oaky for this. The Sauvignon was a better match.

Premium Cabernet Franc 2006

Octopus with smoked almonds and oysters, together with mini corn, mushrooms and almonds

A very typical Brazilian dish, smoked heavily, or at least too heavily for European palates. The smoke absorbed the oak of the wine but also most of the fruit. A better match with the Chardonnay.

Premium Moscatel 2009

Pumpkin with coconut and orange sauce

A very sweet pud. The fizzy Moscatel was probably a bit too simple and grapey for this—it needed something a bit richer.

www.casavalduga.com.br

Don Laurindo

This tiny 15ha estate was established in 1887 by the grandfather of the current owner, the delightful Ademir Brandelli. Like so many other long-established businesses in the Vale dos Vinhedos, Laurindo originally sold grapes to wine-producing estates. The vineyards were all Vitis Labrusca but have since been replanted to Vinifera. Yields have also been tamed from 30,000kg/ha to a more discreet 8,000.

At Restaurante Sbornea’s with Ademir Brandelli

Some wine is already exported to Mexico, the USA and the Czech Republic, all sold direct by phone or Internet without any agents.

Ademir claims that the first Malbec in this region was imported by Laurindo from Argentina.

Ademir is not as averse to oak as Lidio Carrarro (see below) but he dislikes it in excess: “Caffe, caffe, caffe!”

Brut Methode Traditionelle Reserva 2006

Seventy percent Chardonnay with 30 percent Riesling Classico. Toasty nose (eight months on the lees) and quite full on the mid-palate, though the finish is not as full. Tasty, with a nice texture. More leesy with aeration. Drink now.

Ancellotta Reserva 2006

Garnet colour. Tobacco and leather on the nose. Good acidity, with chewy tannins on the finish. Rustic and characterful. Drink now to 2012.

Assemblage Reserva 2005

Forty percent Merlot with 30 percent each of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Smoky nose. Not as much acidity as the Ancellotta, nor as tannic. Fresher and younger, even though it is a year older. Drink now.

Malbec Reserva 2006

Turning to garnet. Not as developed as the previous wines, though there is some smoke and leather. Very tannic on the finish but happily fruit rather than wood tannins. Drink now to 2012+.

Tannat Reserva 2005

Very deep colour. Dark, meaty nose. Tannic. High alcohol—13.8 percent.

Tannat Reserva 2008 (tank sample)

Not as reduced as the Merlot tank sample. Bright fruit, juicy middle and a chewy finish. Should be good.

Ancellotta Tannat Reserva 2005

Eight percent Tannat. Very deep colour. An extracted, modern style, wearing a lot of new oak makeup. As hard as stone, with bitter flavours. Please stick to the “old” style!

www.donlaurindo.com.br

Vinícola Miolo

Just up the road from our accommodation at Hotel & Spa do Vinho Caudalie, Miolo is the slickest operation in the region. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, so visitors are asked to wear an apron and cap when visiting the winery.

Vinícola Miolo

It claims to be the largest producer of “fine wine” and Champagne-method fizz in Brazil.

Winemaker Arley Pereira is a Carioca, born and bred in Rio de Janeiro. He admits that he had to “adjust” to Serra Gaúcha’s climate, which is nowhere near as warm as further north.

In 2008 Miolo received 120,000 cellar door visitors. It also hosts one day wine courses.

Michel Rolland advises—as the neon-bright colour of the red wines suggests…

Fortaleza do Seival Pinot Grigio 2009

From Campanha Gaúcha vineyards near the border with Uruguay, 500km from Bento Goncalves, where altitude and rainfall are both lower and the average temperatures are higher. Typical Pinot Grigio character—pear aromas and a slightly bitter finish. Very correct and sleek.

Reserva Chardonnay 2009

Twenty percent in American oak for the malolactic, the rest in tanks. Soft, round, quite fat. Again very correct and sleek.

Brut Millesime 2006

An equal blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Persistent mousse. Fruity nose, more evocative of Chardonnay than Pinot. Nice balance and very well-made.

Rar Collezzione Pinot Noir 2008

From Campos de Cima de Serra vineyards at 1,000 metres altitude. Medium-plus colour. Oak rather than fruit on the nose. High alcohol (14 percent) and verging towards flabbiness on the finish. Rather lacking in Pinot character and finesse.

Gran Lovara 2006

Sixty five percent Merlot, 20 percent Cabernet Sauvignon and 15 percent Tannat. Medium-plus purple. Some tobacco on the nose. Medium-body and supple texture, with a bit of tannin on the finish. With aeration, Bovril flavours emerged… Starting to lose freshness and oxidise. Drink up.

Quinta do Seival Casta Portuguesas 2005

From Campanha Gaúcha. A Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz and Alfrocheiro blend, the latter an obscure Dão variety. Turning to garnet at the rim. Supple texture, as before, but a bit more lively on the nose. Rustic and characterful. Drink now to 2012.

Merlot Terroir 2008

Ruby purple—très Rolland! Oak prevailing over the fruit at the moment, especially on the finish. Supple fruit and good length. Drink 2012–2015+?

Miolo Lote 43 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2005

Colour as before. Tobacco nose and some earthy Bordeaux-type character. Very skilfully made. Still very tannic and probably ageworthy. Drink 2012–2020+?

Ces Marias 2008

Again from Campanha Gaúcha, this has no less than ten different varietals in it. On Rolland’s advice, they were all barrel fermented… Opaque ruby-purple. Medium-body and velvety texture, with wood tannins on the finish. A showstopper that is meant to be “the best wine in Brazil.” Sold en primeur over the Internet.

www.miolo.com.br

Lidio Carraro

Established in 1998 and debuting on the market in 2004, this self-proclaimed “boutique winery” has a philosophy of “pure wine”, according to the pulchritudinous Patricia Carraro. No oak is used: “We are not against wood but we want to show we can have excellent results with purity.” Nor is there any filtering, micro-oxygenation or any other form of alchemy.

Lidio Carraro

The estate has two labels—SulBrasil and the “premium” Lidio Carraro range. The labels are essentially defined by their yields and the effects thereof—SulBrasil wines are cropped at 3kg per plant, Lidio Carraro at 1.4kg. So twice as much of the former is made than the latter. SulBrasil vineyards are planted on the usual argillaceous soils but the Carraro vineyards are mainly on granite.

SulBrasil Dádivas Chardonnay 2008

A hint of aldehydes on the nose (I must have been in a very stern mood today…). Quite closed, fatty. Some tropical fruits. With aeration, a hint of minerality emerged. Drink now.

SulBrasil Agnus Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

Bright and fruity, if a little jammy at first. Medium-bodied and juicy, with some grip on the finish. Not bad. Drink now to 2012.

SulBrasil Dádivas Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2006

More complexity on the nose than the Agnus. Plumper with the addition of Merlot and more grip on the finish. Juicy texture again. Drink now to 2012.

Lidio Carraro Elos Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2007

80 percent Cabernet, 20 percent Malbec. Fuller, richer and more structured than the previous red wines. A hint of jammy Cabernet on the nose, as per the Agnus.

Lidio Carraro Elos 2008 (tank sample)

A completely different blend—77 percent Touriga Nacional with 23 percent Tannat. Nice, supple texture and dark, rustic flavours.

Lidio Carraro Merlot Grande Vindima 2005

Tobacco nose, à la good Bordeaux. Supple and juicy, with earthy flavours beneath the sweet fruit. Slightly rustic tannins and the 14.2 percent alcohol shows. Otherwise good.

Lidio Carraro Quorum Grande Vindima 2005

Forty percent Merlot, 25 percent Cabernet Sauvignon, 20 percent Tannat and 15 percent Cabernet Franc—the four approved red grapes for the Vale dos Vinhedos appellation. Mint and eucalyptus on the nose with something darker underneath. Sweet and juicy at the front and in the middle but finishes dryly tannic. Interesting and characterful but rather austere on the finish. Drink now to 2013?

Lidio Carraro Singular Nebbiolo 2006

Proper colour—mid-pale red. Smoky nose and a bit jammy, not showing much Nebbiolo fruit. Suitably tannic but the flavours are not appropriate. Very high alcohol—14.9 percent.

Lidio Carraro Tannat Grande Vindima 2006

Almost opaque ruby purple. Liquorice aromas. Very tannic and a daunting 16 percent alcohol. Age to 2015 if you are an optimist—or send it to an American friend.

www.lidiocarraro.com

Brazilian nuts

In 2008, Brazil sold 6,207,658 litres of sparkling wine to Russia, which is by far its largest market for this style of wine. But the value per litre was just US$0.38. In Denmark, it was US$30.70; in the UK, US$1.86, though of course both at much reduced volumes. (Twenty litres went to Haiti at US$1 a pop).

Brazil has much in its favour to enable it to export its wines to the UK and elsewhere. After all, the country is shaped like a bunch of grapes.

The wineries are well-equipped and so spotlessly clean that even a supermarket buyer would be impressed. Apart from the negative connotations of the favelas, Brazil brings to mind only happiness—wonderful footballers, beautiful women, beaches, bikinis, cocktails, carnivals, a thriving economy, the 2014 World Cup (a shoo-in for the seleçao!) and the 2016 Olympics.

Wine production in Brazil has surely become more dynamic and better organised since the establishment of Ibravin, the Brazilian Wine Institute, in 1998. Ibravin’s mission statement is, “To order and to promote in a participative form the Brazilian Viticulture by means of fixing objectives, establishment of strategies and the execution of actions aimed at its strengthening, making them become competitive and sustainable.”

Money, mostly private, is being pumped into the wine industry like newly-fermented wine into an empty steel tank. Large investments have been made by the 50- and 60-somethings. A huge amount of responsibility now rests upon the shoulders of the 20- and 30-somethings to make those investments profitable.

At a panel for “Opportunities for Brazilian wines in foreign markets,” I suggested to the assembled winemakers that their best opportunity in the UK market at the moment would be their sparkling wines, which at less than £10 a bottle represent excellent value for money at a time when Champagne sales have sunk like a brick in water.

The still wines, however, are a much harder sell. It is possible that a brand such as Miolo, which already has some presence in the UK, could continue to establish itself and other brands “surf” on the crest of its wave. Domaine Chandon has the might of LVMH behind it but doubtless it has its own agenda rather than broader generic concerns.

"You look like a naughty schoolboy": SDG with Ilka Lindemann and Junior Vianna MW at the XVII Avaliação Nacional de Vinhos

Think of how Chilean brands—Concha y Toro and so on—have reinforced the market for that country. A lot of it—too much perhaps—goes into supermarkets where Brazil would struggle to stand out from the crowd. For the time being Brazilian wines would be a hand-sell by dedicated independents and sommeliers, though there are very few Brazilian restaurants in the UK.

The UK market is not dissimilar to the luggage carousel at São Paulo airport—bits keep falling off and sometimes there is a breakage. Hardly anybody bothers to pick up the pieces unless it is their own luggage. Perhaps I am trying too hard to turn the mundane into the philosophical here! But the image of self-absorption and broken ambitions I think is apt.

Taxation levels on wine in Brazil are extremely pernicious. An imported bottle of JP Chenet costs R$30, or £10.  Exported wines are also taxed heavily.

Excessively high alcohol might also be a problem in the UK market. Even if the wine does not show its 15 percent booze, seeing that figure on a label would put off many people.

In his book The Finest Wines of Tuscany and Central Italy, Nicolas Belfrage MW wrote, “the limits of a winemaker’s ambitions are the limits of his palate. Think about it.” His point is that winemakers need to have tried the best wines in order to gauge their own efforts. Brazilian winemakers should travel and taste as widely as possible.

Ultimately, they must ask themselves, “Why would a UK consumer want to buy and to drink Brazilian wine?” Only they can answer that question.

Identité nationale ? Essayons d’oublier les arrière- pensées du Grand Conducteur ! Et posons nous la question puisqu’elle nous est posée : être français c’est quoi ? En quoi serions nous différents, en quoi serions nous originaux, au point d’être identifiables ? Serions nous français parce que nous serions nés sur le territoire français ? Notre identité serait-elle liée à l’hexagone ?

Mais alors l’Alsacien aurait-il perdu son identité entre 1870 et 1918 quand il était de nationalité allemande, le Savoyard aurait-il gagné une identité nouvelle le jour ou la Savoie a été rattachée à la France ? Et le Belge, l’Allemand, le Hollandais, l’Italien, auraient ils eu la malchance de perdre notre identité au lendemain de Waterloo ? Etre français voudrait-il dire que nous sommes les héritiers de toux ceux qui furent les vassaux des rois absolus, à une époque où, avant d’être sujet du Roi de France, on était breton, languedocien, provençal, picard, etc, attaché à la langue et à la culture de sa province plutôt qu’à une unité nationale que seul incarnait le Roi ? Serions nous les héritiers de cet empire napoléonien qui aurait multiplié le nombre des français à la pointe des baïonnettes laissant derrière ses armées une image désastreuse de la France dans l’ensemble de l’Europe ?

S’il existe une identité nationale, c’est celle que les révolutionnaires ont créée aux cris de « Vive la Nation » ! Elle excluait ceux qui, nés sur le territoire de la monarchie française, combattaient pourtant aux côtés des monarchies étrangères contre ceux qui chantaient la « Marseillaise ». Mais elle ne réunissait pas que des français de souche car nombre d’étrangers à notre sol ont rejoint alors et rejoindront tout au long du processus républicain – à l’époque des gens comme Buonarrotti ou, plus tard, Garibaldi, – la République Française.

Notre identité nationale – en tout cas c’est ainsi que je la vis – est faite de l’originalité du message républicain que notre pays incarne dans le monde. Avec plus ou moins de fidélité selon les époques, celle que nous vivons étant de ce point de vue particulièrement désastreuse ! Notre identité, c’est la défense de cette trilogie républicaine – Liberté, Egalité , Fraternité – à laquelle la partie la plus réactionnaire de notre pays, sombrant dans le déshonneur, a opposé sous Pétain « Travail, Famille, Patrie » .

L’identité nationale, c’est ce que détruit chaque jour notre Grand Loucheur, un œil rivé sur l’exemple américain quand il prône non pas le mérite républicain, mais la loi de la jungle libérale et capitaliste, l’autre vers le passé le plus réactionnaire quand il nie les fondamentaux de la République laïque – le curé plus utile que l’instituteur — quand il détruit les bases de l’Education nationale ( voyez comment il a attaqué les maternelles, réduit les moyens de l’école publique au profit des écoles privées), quand il casse tous les contre pouvoirs à son désir de monarque, quand il tente de remettre à l’honneur Travail – « travaillez plus pour gagner plus ! », Patrie – le ministère de l’Identité Nationale et de l’Immigration – n’étant sans doute pas le mieux placé pour vanter de surcroît la Famille !

Notre identité, c’est la défense d’un mode de vie, d’une ambition nationale, très différente de celle qu’incarnent les anglo-saxons du « make money ». C’est la recherche d’une véritable liberté, la défense des droits de l’homme mais aussi de la laïcité – sans adjectif réducteur – qui seule permet à chacun de vivre ses opinions sans les imposer aux autres ni subir celles des autres. C’est le refus du communautarisme qui divise au lieu de rassembler, c’est donc la République « une et indivisible ».

Notre identité, c’est le pacte républicain, et social. C’est le souci de l’égalité aujourd’hui tellement bafoué dans la vie quotidienne mais qui demeure un souci majoritaire chez nos compatriotes comme chez ceux qui aiment la France parce que son message est celui de cette idée généreuse. C’est la volonté de fraternité ou de solidarité qui fait que dans notre pays, au lendemain de la guerre, le Conseil National de la Résistance a remis en place un pacte social, unissant le pays autour de la Sécurité Sociale, l’Ecole Républicaine pour tous, la laïcité, etc…

Manifestement, Nicolas Sarkozy parle de ce qu’il n’a jamais connu et ne connait toujours pas. Non l’identité nationale ne se résume pas à l’amour de la terre française : il faudrait alors craindre la montée des eaux !!! L’identité nationale, c’est un message universel de générosité, un message d’espoir, une lumière qui brille et qui fait que, malgré tout, dans le monde, on aime encore la France.

Jacques Fleury

Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg has joined in the unlikely political debate of recent days in outlining his favourite biscuit to voters.

Unlike Gordon Brown and David Cameron, Mr Clegg opted for two choices – Rich Tea “when dunked” in tea and Hob Nobs “when not dunked”. Mr Clegg also told Absolute Radio he preferred a “short dunk”.

The prime minister chose “anything with a bit of chocolate” and the Tory leader professed a liking for oat cakes.

Politicians’ snacking habits came under the spotlight last week when Mr Brown failed to respond to inquiries from parents using the Mumsnet website about his favourite biscuit.

Users speculated that it might be Garibaldi or Nice. Another asked whether he dunked. But Mr Brown left the hour-long session with the question unanswered.

He eventually used the social networking site Twitter to confirm that he likes “anything with a bit of chocolate” although he admitted he was trying to cut down.

In a rare show of cross-party unity, Mr Clegg told Absolute Radio host Christian O’Connell it was “unfair” to suggest Mr Brown had not answered the question adding: “He’s now waded into this major debate.”

Courtesy of BBC News website, via Mike H (aka @mwangiK on Twitter)

Fences Up SouthWest Side!

Where Do Old Benches Go To Die?

NorthEast Entrance Benches Gone

WSP Tree "Protection" Could Certainly be Improved

Soon to be Demolished Alcove SE Side (4 will Remain; 2 Removed)

Park Closes 12 a.m.?

WSP Blog is taking a short hiatus until Monday, November 2nd (right before Election Day!) but there’s still a few posts lingering (more updated photos of the work, and some commentary) that I’ll post in the interim so check back!