The SOMM Journal

February / March 2018

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18 { THE SOMM JOURNAL } FEBRUARY/MARCH 2018 { bottom line } IT WAS HARD to be a sommelier in 1996: In those days, most Americans drank either soft, "buttery" Chardonnays or fruity White Zinfandels. I would attempt to compensate for the limited nature of this collective palate by stocking wine lists with either alternative whites expressing a different fruitiness (like Pinot Gris, Riesling, or Albariño) or Chardonnays lighter in oak and alcohol. Soft, fruit-forward reds (such as Pinot Noir, Sangiovese, Lemberger, and the organic wines of Beaujolais) were also a go-to in those days. But for all the smarts I thought I had, I was still insecure when it came to wines expressing less fruitiness than, say, minerality, as well as those couched in more austere, acid-driven structures. I would occasionally try my guests on Savennières, Picpoul, or Greco di Tufo, and I'd even throw in a Bi - ancolella from Ischia or Vermentino-based whites from Provence or Corsica. But in the face of the inevitably dismal sales, my usual response was to beat a hasty retreat to the comfort zones of Pinots, Rieslings, and Chardonnays. However, my attitude wholly transformed when I paid a visit to Colle Picchioni on the advice of Riccardo Cotarella, who had just begun consulting with this tiny estate lo - cated along the ancient Appian Way outside Rome in Italy's Marino district. There I met Paola di Mauro, who purchased the prop - erty in 1976 and began making wine from what was then an unusual menagerie of grapes: among them Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc, and Sémillon, as well as the native Trebbiano and Malvasia di Lazio. When I dropped into Picchioni in the late morning, Paola was in the kitchen and the smell of rosemary and olive oil cook - ing in the pan permeated the house. Her son Armando, who had just taken over management of the wine side of the family business, poured me a two-year-old Colle Picchioni Marino Bianco Donna Paola: a soft, dry, and fluid blend of Malvasia, Trebbiano, and Sémillon that was light and oily on the palate. What it was not was something big, thick, oaky, and fruity; in fact, it was slightly old-fashioned in its small and somewhat plain character. As we sipped and talked, Paola brought over a fava-like white bean soup she had readied, over which Armando sprinkled dried chili flakes before stirring in a tiny dollop of red paste made from toma - toes, bell peppers, and olive oil. The taste was smooth and soothing, yet tingly and robust: Suddenly, the Donna Paola seemed to pop. Each sensation in the dish was intensified by the round, easy, and mildly- oily texture of the wine I had written off as too simplistic. Paola then brought over a ceramic pot containing what Armando called "Roman lamb": bony morsels of lamb with chicken liver, rosemary, anchovy, white vinegar, pepper, and a generous dose of olive oil. "Now we will show you why we drink white wine with everything in Rome, even lamb," Armando told me. I could not believe how the oil and herbs in the stew pulled together the soft, oozing quality of the white wine—and vice versa. "The dish is not a difficult one, but neither is the wine," Paola added. "Great wine and food is not always complicated." My takeaway, which has stuck with me ever since, was that not every wine has to be about intensity, depth, or even acidity. Some of our most interesting wines, in fact, can be soft and simple. The important thing is to never give up on your own instincts, nor in your customers' ability to appreciate new wines—especially if placed in the con - text of the right dishes. If you show them, they will come around . . . eventually! An Enlightening Moment A SOMM EMBRACES THE POWER OF OBSCURITY IN WINE by Randy Caparoso PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURADIBIASE VIA THINKSTOCK The ancient ruins of an aqueduct just outside Rome in the Parco degli Acquedotti.

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