Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/869846
1 18 / the tasting panel / september 2017 Cattani has always had a special love for the Eastern Bloc and its culture, and she believes Furmint presents the per- fect opportunity to get the region the recognition it deserves: "Soon, we're going to think of Hungary the same way we think of France, New Zealand and Napa when we think of wine." It's not just the terroir that makes these dry Furmint wines stand out from the crowd. The grapes are steeped in clay and a history dating back to the 1700s, when Tokaj was first recognized as a closed wine region. "The Szepsy winemaking family has been making wine for 18 generations, and have created such an economy that they are buying grapes from 100 families from 27 regions in the Mád village," Cattani explains. "That means people don't have to outsource, so everything is handled within the village." She adds that in addition to using eco-friendly methods within the confines of the environment, the winery owners have "also built a beautiful hotel, tasting rooms and a culinary center, so when you go and visit the region you get to have a whole experi- ence around the wine. When you go there, you see that they've created a family—that they've created a com- munity. That's a strong foundation to grow from." MÁDLY IN LOVE WITH ANTOINETTE Cattani has two decades of experi- ence in the industry, and she knows something special when she sees—or drinks—it. She got her start as a supplier with Sidney Frank Importing Company, launching Jägermeister and Grey Goose before a three-year stint at Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, or, as she lovingly calls it, "Liquor 101." Then in 1999, she fell in love with Fernet- Branca, and this relationship took her northward. There, in San Francisco, she helped transform the unknown-in- America amaro into the titan it is now. This success gave her the courage to start Cattani Imports with her fam- ily—often referred to as the Land of Misfit Spirits and Wine due to her love of uncommon products and her eye for the next "It" thing. That "thing" failed to arrive, however, so Cattani left the industry to pursue another passion: Ayurvedic medicine. "I left the world for two years because there was nothing that really interested me—nothing got into my soul," she says. But she didn't want to lose her connection to the trade entirely, so she bartended and worked in the hospital- ity industry. Then, a call from Furmint North American brand builder Attila Balla, whom she had met in 2011, changed all of that. He had introduced her to Tokaji wines and the dry Furmint and Hárslevelu" varities, and while she instantly knew then they could work in the American market, it wasn't the right BottleRock L.A. General Manager Corwyn Anthony and Cattani appreciating a glass of Furmint wine.