There, I know you noticed the end of the title, that 'even if' followed by the three canonical dots. You're already sniffing a slight controversy, so you're probably curious to find out 'who I'm mad at'. Let's make a small premise: FIVI 2018 was a wonderful opportunity to meet new wine producers, greet 'old friends' and meet new ones, and discover some very, very interesting wines. There is only one problem: the location, which in my opinion is unsuitable for hosting such an event. I had never been to FIVI, but I already knew the Palaexpo in Piacenza because I had been to an aquarium trade fair last year and had already found it very limited, but for the FIVI you just can't do it! I arrived at 11:10 a.m. - the fair was starting at 11, and I was only late because I found two accidents on the Brescia-Piacenza road - and the places were already all full, including the 'illegal parking' on the pavements, on the side of the road, on the dirt road, and wherever there was half an inch free! And already here we are not there... then the structure itself does not lend itself (besides being ugly and dated), so divided in two and with a crescendo of producers joining the event year after year. I didn't really understand the second pavilion with a few places to eat that were very much like village festivals, but the salami sandwich I had for lunch was good! In short, before even talking about wine, I invite you to reflect for next year: should we keep the FIVI at the Palaexpo in Piacenza? Wouldn't it be the case, I don't know, to move to Bologna Fiere or, at least, to Parma if you really don't want to go that far? What do you think?
When it comes to FIVI 2018, and FIVI in general, I often hear controversy, especially on social networks. Some even associate it with a kind of sect of natural wine producers, in a historical period where I still don't understand whether natural wines are in fashion or not! Then again, it may be that we live in an age where what is natural is no longer even the lips of the Latin teacher, but I don't know what to think. In reality, the FIVI, Federazione Italiana Vignaioli Indipendenti (Italian Federation of Independent Winegrowers), was set up to strengthen producers who, together, can do so much. On the FIVI website I found this wording which I find quite interesting:
FIVI groups winegrowers who meet the following criteria:
- The winegrower cultivates his own vines, bottles his own wine and personally tends his own product. He sells all or part of his harvest in bottles, under his own responsibility, with his own name and label. - 👍
- The winegrower renounces the purchase of grapes or wine for commercial purposes. He only buys grapes for extreme winemaking needs, or in the case of mountain winegrowing to safeguard his agricultural land, in accordance with the laws in force. - I don't understand, does the FIVI winegrower buy the grapes or not? 🤔
- The winemaker respects the oenological rules of the profession, limiting the use of unnecessary and costly additives, focusing his attention on producing healthy grapes that do not need cellar make-up. - What exactly does that mean? What is allowed to be used and what is not? 🤫
Personally, I find it a great idea to belong to FIVI, especially for small and very small entities (say between 5,000 and 50,000 to 70,000 bottles produced/year). I have found absolutely no natural wine Taliban (just a couple), in fact I have discovered these 10 wines (+ 1 bonus wine that I will tell you about later!) that are absolutely worth tasting! 😍
FIVI 2018/1: Moscato d'Asti Canelli 2015, Cascina Cerrutti
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Brilliant straw yellow with a very fine perlage. The nose is spectacular: the scents of apricot, vanilla, beeswax and dandelion blossom that I had detected in the 2017 vintage are enriched by a pronounced and clean hint of saffron that truly, astonishes by its intensity and sharpness. It is reminiscent of the aromas of a great Sauternes! In the mouth it is very pleasant, the residual sugar (120 g/l) is felt but does not disturb. The bubbles are creamy, it is balanced and consistent.
FIVI 2018/2: Pinot Bianco 2016, Marco Cecchini
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100% barrel-aged pinot blanc. A wine you cannot fall in love with if you love the style of great French whites. Even if, like me, you are not a fan of this grape variety. I adore Marco Cecchini and his wines, I have been in love with Tové since the first time I tasted it... but today I want to highlight his Pinot Blanc which I had never tasted before... and which amazed me!
FIVI 2018/3: Amforéas 2017, Marco Ludovico
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100% trebbiano, with an amphora filled with malvasia (10%), this intriguing white wine I really liked! Only 350 bottles per year for a wine that is not for everyone, but I am sure it will win over fans of the genre. It comes from vineyards that are over 40 years old. It is an intense golden yellow, very consistent. The nose is very fragrant, with notes of ripe banana, vanilla, sugared almond, and aromatic herbs. In the mouth it is full, soft, enveloping and with a good correspondence to the nose, although the aromas veer towards peach and fresh, candied citron. Price 19 €.
FIVI 2018/4: PeterLuis Metodo Classico Brut 2015, Socci
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100% Verdicchio. Incredibly, I managed to say hello to Marika when I was already on my way out... and I was really pleased, given that until today we had only ever written to each other on Facebook. I must say that this was my last tasting, and therefore not done in optimal conditions, so I will reserve the right to do it again at home. However, I liked this sparkling wine very much as it is. The perlage is fine and numerous, forming an abundant and evanescent mousse. The nose has the typical Verdicchio scents and this makes it very pleasant. In the mouth it is creamy and at the same time crisp, at times spicy. Excellent drinkability.
FIVI 2018/5: Ecstasy in Symphony 2013, Franco di Filippo
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From royal muscat grapes undergoing drying, this oenological masterpiece that I will never tire of talking about because of how much it excites me. Intense, bright golden yellow with amber highlights. The colour alone is capable of making you fall in love. The perlage is very fine, very numerous and persistent. It forms an abundant and evanescent mousse. The nose is marvellous: notes of caramelised fig, fresh dates, summer honey, sultanas, cinnamon, panforte, candied pear and melted butter intertwine with great harmony. In the mouth, it has a perfect correspondence to the nose, it is soft, fresh, fragrant, intense, elegant and very persistent.
FIVI 2018/6: Pavese 36 months, Ermes Pavese
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From royal muscat grapes undergoing drying, this oenological masterpiece that I will never tire of talking about because of how much it excites me. Intense, bright golden yellow with amber highlights. The colour alone is capable of making you fall in love. The perlage is very fine, very numerous and persistent. It forms an abundant and evanescent mousse. The nose is marvellous: notes of caramelised fig, fresh dates, summer honey, sultanas, cinnamon, panforte, candied pear and melted butter intertwine with great harmony. In the mouth, it has a perfect correspondence to the nose, it is soft, fresh, fragrant, intense, elegant and very persistent.
FIVI 2018/7: Riserva degli Angeli 2013, Lazzari
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Capriano del Colle is a small DOC that few people know about. I have mentioned it several times here on the blog, because I think it should be valorised and promoted without reservation. It is a land of exceptional sparkling wines, thanks to hints of saffron that you do not expect (yes, by now you have understood that I prize saffron wines...), a land of a unique clone of marzemino and great reds. The Riserva degli Angeli is a blend of marzemino, merlot, sangiovese and cabernet sauvignon that matures for at least 12 months in barrique and large barrels and is refined for the same months in the bottle before being released. Spice prevails on the nose: notes of vanilla, black pepper and cardamom blend with dried chestnut, black truffle and morello cherry in spirit. In the mouth, it is powerful, structured and velvety. Perfect with hard cheeses, braised meats, caggiagione...
FIVI 2018/8: Quartaluna 2015, Terra Quercus
Francesco d'Alessandro invited me to discover his small organic winery in the heart of Tuscany, where his wines are inspired by music. The one I liked the most was 'Quartaluna', a blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc and merlot each harvested at the right time of maturation over 40 days. Approximately 3% of Viogner is added to give a more 'blue' tone to the blend. The organically managed vineyards are high-density, around 10,000 vines per hectare. It matures 12 months in barriques of various essences and origins and 12 months in the bottle. It has a beautiful semi-transparent ruby red colour. On the nose it smells of ripe strawberries, berry jam, black pepper and cloves. In the mouth it is soft, fresh, with powerful tannin and plenty of structure. Long finish.
FIVI 2018/9: Sabbia Gialla 2014, San Biagio Vecchio
100% Albana di Romagna. It may be that I am from Romagna, but I have a real cult of Albana di Romagna. In fact, Lucia Ziniti's is one of my favourites, and every time I drop by to say hello, she rattles off a vintage that I like better than the previous one. In this case, 2014 amazed me, and I fell madly in love with it. Word to the wise, there is no more. However, if you drop by the winery or meet this lovely couple at one of the many events they attend, maybe you will be lucky and get to taste it! You can smell the typical botrytis nose, with those nuances of saffron and peach that I particularly love. Sour, savoury and at the same time soft, one sip pulls the other. For me it is perfect on its own, but if you really want to pair it with... "Pida e parsot, pussy par tot!" For those who are not from Romagna... choose an excellent sweet crudo, the real piadina prepared with lard... and enjoy! Or if you want a more refined combination, try it with orange duck! It has citrus nuances on the palate that go perfectly together!
FIVI 2018/10: The misunderstood, Ca ed Curen
85% Muscat, 15% Favorita. Steel only. 2 months bottle ageing. This FIVI 2018 is Muscat Day, if you haven't figured it out yet! While not one of my favourite grape varieties, I sometimes appreciate it incredibly. This is an unusual Piedmontese expression, since in this land (and in general) it is mostly presented sweet, sparkling or spumante. It is a fragrant and simple dry wine that lends itself very well, thanks also to its great drinkability, to be paired with particularly aromatic cheeses, marinated anchovies or to be drunk on its own as an aperitif. Particularly fresh, it has the typical scents of Muscat: apricot and sage. Excellent value for money: only 6 € a bottle.
Apart from these wines, I also made another very interesting discovery thanks to a dear blog reader of mine, fellow sommelier Antonio Suman! For the wine cellar, however, I leave it up to him, in a comment, I will just mention that I found some brilliant labels, some particularly smart young guys and some very interesting wines.
Thank you Antonio for the nice discovery!
I therefore close with a photo of me and Antonio Suman who has just bought my new book "How to become a sommelier" (buy it now by clicking HERE!) even though he already is... but as I told you, for revision it's really perfect! Maybe it's me who doesn't have such an efficient memory, but I promised myself to read a little topic every night before going to bed! 😁
Cheers 🍷
Chiara
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