Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/16170
UP In Control in Trentino-Alto Adige: Giovanni Bonmartini-Fini is holding court at a small round table tucked into a corner at Felidia, celeb- rity chef Lidia Bastianich’s swank Italian restaurant on New York’s Upper East Side. Descended from Italian royalty— Bonmartini-Fini is actually a count—the slim, debonair de facto head of Barone Fini, his family winery, is regaling guests on such topics as Italian history, true Roman cuisine and the trials and tribulations of running an international business within the parameters of Italian tax laws. But the last thing Bonmartini-Fini wants to talk about is ink—as in printer’s ink, a business that has successfully grown by leaps and bounds in the last decade, earning him a small fortune. “But there’s just no glamour in it,” Bonmartini- Fini confesses. “It’s boring.” What isn’t boring to Bonmartini-Fini is winemaking, specifically Pinot Grigio, of which Barone Fini produces two, one from Valdadige and one from Alto Adige. And while his winery also produces a palatable Merlot, it’s the white wines that excite Bonmartini-Fini. Made from relatively young vines planted about 30 years ago in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of northern Italy, both Barone Fini Pinot Grigio bottlings are DOC wines, produced in specific regions according to traditional Italian winemaking standards. Bonmartini-Fini says the real secret to the complex aromas and flavors in his wines stems from the earth itself. “Our vines are planted in gravelly dolomite soil,” says Bonmartini-Fini. “You can actually see bits of shell in the soil from ancient sea beds that once covered the ground. Pinot Grigio requires rich minerals in the soil, along with good drainage, but it is a sturdy and tough varietal and very forgiv- ing of any mistreatment.” Though the soil in the Trentino may be rich with minerals and soaked with natural spring water from rains in the lofty Alto Adige, Bonmartini-Fini insists it’s the clean simplicity of his Pinot Grigios, with the grapes hand-picked and lightly crushed, that makes them special. Valdadige is fermented in stainless steel tanks, while Alto Adige sees three months of wood casks. “We’re not talking about big wines here,” he says while swirling a glass of his 2009 Pinot Grigio. “These are food wines, made to be enjoyed with food while young. I like them best when they are fresh and crisp.” The bright, citrusy 2009 Valdadige Pinot Grigio has faint lemon/lime and floral aromas that repeat on the palate, opening to flinty, well-rounded juiciness that finishes clean with a hint of lychee and green apple. Zesty and unusu- ally concentrated, the 2009 Alto Adige Pinot Grigio shows wild flowers, herbs and ripe pear aromas (not unlike a fine / the tasting panel / september 2010 Barone Fini The Fini wines have flavors that stem from the earth. Viognier); on the palate are mineral and allspice notes with a hint of raw cashews leading to a lemon-curd finish. The 2009 Merlot is clean and bracing on the palate, with hints of plum and cassis and a smooth, velvety finish that brings chocolate cherry notes to the fore. According to Bonmartini-Fini, his wines, both red and white, are purposely made to be medium-bodied, without harsh tannins or high alcohol content. He follows advice once given to him by a wise Italian winemaker: “Don’t let nature take control; you take control.” —Ralph DiGennaro PHOTO: DOUG YOUNG