Bastianich-The Buzz

Buzzing, for real...

Yes, Things are really, honestly BUZZING around the winery these days. The University of Udine has gratefully installed a dozen beehives on our vineyards. We really thought it would be a good idea to put bees here for a couple reasons, even though bees don't pollinate grape flavors. Biodiversity is important to any ecosystem. Introducing bees helps that. Colony Collapse has been a serious problem for honeybees in recent years, so we hope that the proliferation of bees will help the busy little buggers survive and adapt to whatever is causing this problem (I have heard causes ranging from Genetically modified plants to Cellphone radiation to inbreeding amongst queens). And finally, who doesn't like fresh honey on their toast?

Lots of busy little buzzers bringin' home the honey...

BTW... about 5 seconds after I took this last photo (with a zoom, I wasn't THAT close), one of the ladies got the idea I was there to steal the honey...

...and stung me right smack dab in the center of my forehead... I figured that was my invitation to go...

Ciao dalla Grande Mela!

The Bastianich / La Mozza team is on the move! I've been moved over to the Big Apple for the month of May. Away from the incessant hustle and bustle of Gagliano, and all the noise of growing vineyards, the traffic behind the tractors... to the peaceful, serene and bucolic streets of Manhattan...

We've been mobilized for a purpose... all hands on deck!... to begin our big push with a new distributor in New York.

ANGELS SHARE WINES is now our official distributor for the state of NY. They are a small, highly-focused distributor that we feel are the right fit for us. We had our first official meeting and tasting today at Del Posto restaurant, and the wines showed beautifully. We got lots of enthusiasm from the sales staff, and we will be working together all month long to give our agents the support and information they need to spread the word and sell successfully.

Cin Cin! To new beginnings!

Scenes From a Bastianich Pop-up...

During VinItaly this year we decided to take a different approach to the usual entertaining that we do every year for our importers, distributors and special clients.

Instead of trying to jam into a crowded restaurant that, under pressure of the insanity that is VinItaly, may not show it's best, we took matters into our own hands. We rented an apartment with a small kitchen and a fairly large dining room. We brought our own wine, food, plates and glasses. We brought our own chefs and sommeliers...

And we created a temporary restaurant, now fashionably called a "Pop-up restaurant".

We managed 4 dinners, a lunch and a cocktail party in the span of 5 days. It was a huge success. We were able to share, in an intimate atmosphere, our wines and our philosophy of food and wine together to our partners.

Lidia Bastianich was the center of attention and the hostess.

This was one of the first dinners with a group from the Stew Leonard's stores and our distributors in Connecticut. 

Plating and serving from the tiny kitchen...

 

One of the plates that was a particularly special was the risotto with Montasio cheese, pears and celery which was used as the backdrop for a mini-vertical of Vespa Bianco served from 3-liter bottles. We served 2003, 2004 and 2005, and they simply sang like Maria Callas together with the risotto.

On Sunday we were privileged to have as a guest chef Cesere Giacchini, who made his signature capretto along with a big surprise, his world-famous zabaglione.

This is the stellar kitchen staff that made it all happen: From L to R:

Chef Alex Pillas from DelPosto Restaurant, Our own Gianna from the Bastianich winery, Chef Cesere Giacchini from Fontanafredda and Chef Fortunato Nicotra from Felidia.

I wish I had taken more photos. It seemed like every time something beautiful or amazing happened, or emerged from the kitchen, I was too busy serving or speaking about the wines.

Nonetheless, it was a great, if very tiring, experience for everyone and we look forward to doing it again next year!

Blog-Love for Tocai PLUS

Recently got some lovely comments from Joe Roberts (1winedude.com) about 2006 Tocai Plus...

Sting Like a “B” (Bastianich’s Ass-Kicking Friuli Goodness)

Thanks Joe!

It's that time again! VINITALY!

Wow. Time does fly and now I'm flying (OK, driving) off to Verona for my 12th Vinitaly!

We'll be workin the stand, as usual. We have a new home at Pad 7, Stand E9, not far from previous years, sharing a Stand with Brandini, La Mozza and a couple others. If you see the big BORGOGNO stand, you're in the right place...

We are launching a new and exciting line of wines called "Adriatico", so come by for the scoop on THAT.

We'll also be working the "Bastianich Pop-Up Restaurant" which is by INVITATION ONLY, but if you can get in touch with me somehow, ya never know.. maybe I can find a spot for you!

Anyway, keep an eye on the blog and FB page for updates, pictures from the "fiera" and the dinners. Hopefully we'll get another visit from the VESPA this year!

Ci vediamo a VERONA!

The 94-point compliment.

Wow! It’s been a wild couple of months for me. Hence my absence from writing for THE BUZZ.

 

I haven’t been sleeping. I’ve been working on so many different things: new wines, new distributors, new markets, VinItaly (yes, already)… Planning new labels, sales trips, tastings and fairs…If only I could show this to people who think that I taste wine all day…Magari!*

 

Some really BIG news is that we have received our highest scores from the Wine Spectator EVER. We received 93 points for Vespa Bianco 2007 and 94 points for (Tocai) Plus 2007. 94 points is HUGE for an Italian white wine. According to a quick search in the Spectator’s Database, only ONE Italian white has ever scored higher, and only 4 others have ever scored a 94.

 

It’s a conundrum of sorts, when you toot your own horn, especially to the blogosphere, about scores. So many people are dead-set against scores. How do you handle it? I’d love to send every blogger out there a splashy press release with 94 POINTS in huge, bold letters, but I fear few would be impressed with that, and some might even be TURNED OFF by it.

 

Here’s how I feel: Why refuse a compliment? We know when our wines are great and when they’re just really good. We don’t need anyone to tell us that. We aim to produce the best possible wines that we can, given the constraints of nature and the wine business. When someone with a voice as powerful as James Suckling or Robert Parker says wonderful things about you, why argue? And when it boils down to it, that’s really all a review is, isn’t it? A big, loud, compliment.

 

The danger lies, same as it does with people, when we spend all of our energy seeking only the compliments. When we change ourselves, or our wines, for the express purpose of being adored. When we resort to tricks, plastic surgery, chemical manipulation, illegal blending, lies and deception solely for the sake of getting compliments, we risk losing ourselves, that which makes us who we are... and what makes wine what it is.

 

We see it in celebrities all the time. The ridiculous plastic surgeries, the outrageous outfits… all for the sake of continuing adoration.

 

But it’s not real.

 

It’s the honest beauties that truly fascinate and endure. The ones that are confident enough to be themselves, imperfectly. Wines and people audacious enough to concentrate more on character than appearance, without an unhealthy need for constant reassurance…

 

And gracious enough to accept a compliment when given.

 

What do you think?...

 *"Magari!" loosely translated here means something like "If only!"

SLOWINE, here in Italia, has just posted a comprehensive tasting of Friulano, and they have some very nice things to say about our Friulano and PLUS...

http://slowine.it/pagine/ita/degustazione.lasso

Lidia talks about Bastianich Wines!

Lidia on Bastianich Wines | Good Taste with Tanji.

An opportunity to meet Joe and Lidia Bastianich...

If you want a real idea of the philosophy behind our wines, what better way than to meet the people who created and live that philosophy?

You can have that possibility if you're around New York City this Thursday, November 19th, because Joe and Lidia Bastianich will be at Morrell Wine Shop (Rockefeller Plaza and 49th Street) from 6 - 8 pm. They'll be pouring wine and Lidia will be selling signed copies of her new cookbook.

This is an awesome opportunity to not only meet Joe and Lidia, but also to taste Bastianich wines and actually speak to the people who make these wines what they are and ask them about it. They can give you tons more insight into the wines than I can.

They also just happen to be really awesome people who I personally look up to and admire.

Go here for more info:

Lidia and Joe at Morrell

Scenes from San Martino

You learn something new every day...

Today is November 11th, which, in Italia, is the Festa di San Martino.

San Martino is the official end (end therefore also beginning) of the agricultural year. Traditionally it is the day when you pay your debts from last year... your rent for land, your harvester's wages... and the day when you renew your contracts for next year. There are a lot of harvest festivals and various celebrations. I'm sure it's no coincidence that it's so near the American Thanksgiving...

Also common is the the phrase L'estate di San Martino, which is like our Indian Summer, but has the stipulation that the lovely warm weather (like we are having in these days) comes after the first frost...

In celebration of San Martino, and the beautiful weather, here are a few scenes...

Beginning Pruning

Changing colors.

Monte Matajur (1641m, 5384ft) looking over our vineyards. The Proximity to these pre-Alpine mountains in the Valle di Natisone is the source of our evening breezes and cooler microclimate in Cividale.