December 2001
New York Times, by Howard Goldberg - Rivera
"Apulian Muscat is Seductive: Dry and near-dry muscats are one of the wine world's undervalued splendors. The intricate 1997 Rivera Piani di Tufara Moscato di Trani, with the color of old gold and the smoothness of cashmere, is a great example of the genre. This seductive Apulian wine, which can double as an aperitif or a dessert, is tang, honeyed, and raisiny."
Guide to Italian Wines 2001, by Luca Maroni - Volpi
"The wines of Volpi are again very good and pleasantness guaranteed. Of the reds, the Barbera 1998 (Raggio X/Vobis Tua) is a fruit wine, like the previous vintage, and again makes our annual guide to the top wines of Italy for 2001. Then, a new addition, the Monferrato Rosso 1998 "SuSu, exquisitely and smoothly fruity with a rare, distilled sour cherry essence...also included in the Guide for 2001. These wines are growing, especially in balance and remain among the best in Piedmont. Warmest Congratulations"
Italian Cooking, "Wine Picks" by Enzo Pezone of Pepolino Restaurant
At Pepolino (New York trendy restaurant), we keep our all-Italian wine list as fresh and exciting as our diverse menu. We try to introduce our customers to lesser-known producers form all regions of Italy whose wines show a serious commitment to uniqueness and quality. The wines I chose as my top ten (three of the top ten are Bedford's) reflect the diversity that is so typical of Italian winemaking:
- - With its mouthful of vibrant, fresh fruit, Borgo Magredo's Pinot Grigio can be quaffed immediately. Produced in the Grave district of Friuli, this Pinot Grigio is an ideal match for a light seafood dish such as fregola soup with clams. The wine's subtle acidity and generous fruit pair well with the rich seafood broth, and there is a faint saline quality that mates wonderfully with clams.
- - Falchini's Vernaccia di San Gimignano Vinea Doni, is not your usual Tuscan Vernaccia: this wine contains a small amount of Chardonnay and is aged in small barrels, which lends it a roundness and nutty quality...the almond tones don't overpower dishes like pasta in veal ragu' and its acidity is perfect with meat like veal.
- - Verdicchio from the Marches region is regaining the popularity it once enjoyed thanks to producers like Umani Ronchi. Their single vineyard Casal di Serra is aromatic and soft with decent weight from ripe fruit and partial barrel fermentation. Its richness, freshness, and nutty flavor pair well with spinach gnocchi in sage butter.
